Peryton
Perytons are mythical monsters resembling giant eagles with the heads of stags, who cast human shadows and eat human hearts... no, we're not making this shit up. Like many other crazy mythical monsters, they've shown up in Dungeons & Dragons, but have also made appearances in the Monsters and Animals supplement for the Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game.
Interesting fact: The Peryton isn't actually from mythology. It was actually made up as a joke to show how easy it is to make up a monster that sounds like it could be from mythology but isn't.
Warhammer Fantasy
An edgy version of Peryton called Preytons was introduced in the Monster Arcanum rulebook. In this version, Preytons used to be a Great Stag long ago, but was corrupted by Bray Shamans on herdstones. As a result, it turns into an abomination with its front legs replaced by Dark Wings of Black Eagles (or Bat Wings). Great Stag were prideful and honorable being, and having suffer such mutations sent them to endless malice where they would vented their hatred on others. It is a sorrowful creature too, for it clearly wants somebody to end their lives, and whenever they were wounded, it gives them a slight satisfaction, knowing their torment will soon be ended.
Currently, it haunts the forest of Bretonnia where it would often hunt both the Bretonnian and Wood Elves (or any other Order related forces) with endless malice. Most often it does not hunt for food, but to satiate his hatred and the corpse of their preys were left to rot.
Further Reading
You can find an exhaustive discussion of the Peryton's history in D&D, including naming all sourcebooks that refer to it, over here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?4552-Monster-ENCyclopedia-Peryton
Gallery
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