Editing TEW - Beasts - Avian (section)

=Cinderglider=
These creatures are of basic avian structure, with long wings for gliding, a reinforced breastbone and beak, a short neck, and a long flanged tail. The greatest danger of cindergliders is that when they deprive themselves of ambient heat (and often mana) from wherever they roost (volcanoes, hot springs, even in the middle of the rare forest fire) to find food, the energy loss causes them to grow even more hungry at a fantastic rate. A cinderglider away from its roost for more than an hour is a nearly mindless creature, utterly consumed by hunger.

Cindergliders have unnaturalyl powerful metabolisms even by the standards of Wild fauna. Their wings are actually a viscous and membranous liquid secreted from their hollow wingbones by a large organ in their chest. The liquid is a luminous pinkish white when secreted, but airflow and cooler temperatures cause the liquid to darken to red then black, harden, and break off. The constant flow of this liquid during flight creates the unique visual for which the Cinderglider is named.
A hunting cinderglider (or flock, as their hunger does not allow them any greater complexity of tactics in a group) has a single strategy: ram into potential prey as fast and hard as it can with its reinforced, serrated breastbone. If this does not kill the prey outright, the beast will then attack with its wings, as when not secreting its wing-fluid, the bones of the wing make for a powerful and razor-sharp piercing attack, described by one hunter as "like a praying mantis with acid drenched icepicks for arms". 

Wing-fluid serves multiple purposes for the Cinderglider: motion, digestion, and reproduction. Slain prey will be covered with the viscous fluid, which will harden into a nearly black shell covering the remains. All flesh and most bone material will be quickly liquified, and the resulting slurry drunk by the hungry Cinderglider through a hole it will break into the top of the shell.

After eating its fill, if any significant portion of food remains, the Cinderglider will deposit its egg-buds from where they hang off of the sides and top of its face by scraping against the shell. It will then "top off" the fluid in the egg, and fly back to its roost. The young cindergliders will grow quickly, usually consuming the material and breaking free of the shell within a week. A shell may contain up to five young, as a general rule, although mutations are always a possibility: a shell containing twelve was discovered three years ago.

Older or more Mana-Saturated Cindergliders can display great size, extra limbs (commonly surmised to be grown from its own egg-buds), extremely dense hides (especially on the armored breastbone and face) due to a build-up of dried wingfluid, the ability to spray wing-fluid with significant range, and the ability to stave off hunger longer (and thus retain rational thought: when not starving, a Cinderglider is actually quite smarter than a dog or cat, approaching high animal sentience).
The best defense against them is staying alert, as their primary hunting tactic relies on straight lines, fast charges, and surprise. A simple sidestep and overhead chop to the vacated location is often all it takes to end the fight before it can begin, as they have little armor on their back, and are often momentarily disoriented after their ramming attacks.

Their serrated breastbone can tear through Class 2 armor with ease, and their wingbones can puncture up to class 4 reliably. Class 6 and above tend to offer complete protection against standard Cindergliders, although the impact of a ram can still knock you off your feet, and their wing-fluid is still a threat: only Prismasteel has proven completely resistant to it, and only when actively charged. Always equip respirator systems if possible: fumes from the wing-fluid, to say nothing of inhaling or ingesting the fluid-itself, are highly toxic.

Cinderglider breastbones are valued for use in armor, especially as shields. Wingbones are likewise valued as weapons, especially for delivering poison or other fluids in battle. The most valuable, and difficult to acquire, substance is the wing-fluid. On its own, it will dissolve almost all known containing materials. They best method of acquiring it is to purposely let someone be encased in wing-fluid, and removed before the fluid can digest him, as the shell begins to harden. The entire shell can then be recovered and delivered. It is recommended to attempt this in Class 5 or better armor, with a respirator system. It is not recommended to attempt this by one's self. Fluid contaminated by remains is understandably less valuable.

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