Dire Corby
Dire Corbies are a race of predatory humanoid-shaped but non-sapient birds that inhabit the Underdark of the Forgotten Realms. Descended from birds that were somehow driven into the Underdark and mutated into pack-hunting claw-wielding wingless killers, dire corbies are most notorious for their ominous cry, which sounds like a raven croaking "Doom" over and over again.
They live in large underground caverns with attacks from giant bats being almost constant. While they are intelligent, they have no true society and rely on tribal hierarchies and speak in a very rudimentary language. Wandering the Underdark in vast flocks, following predictable patterns of movement like migrating birds. They strip a region bare of life before moving on to a fresh feeding ground.
Dire corbies are highly diverse in strength, depending on their age. Most don’t survive past twenty years because of constant infighting within the flock. The young “wastrels” are tough and malicious, but they are far outclassed by the corbies who survive decades past adolescence. Small hunting groups of dire corbies include three to five members. Larger flocks sometimes assemble, these include individuals of far greater power than the average corby. These “superflocks” occur when an entire tribe is mobilized. Underdark travelers prize accurate charts illustrating the movements of these flocks.
Despite having a similar naming scheme as Dire Animals, they are not a bigger, tougher version of a regular Corby.
White Dwarf imposed a god upon them. Phraarkilloorm, in Fiend Factory. Now you know.
Publication History[edit | edit source]
Dire Corbies debuted in the Fiend Folio for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition.
They featured in Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition in the Neverwinter Campaign Setting.
They were updated to Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition with new lore in Mordenkainen's Fiendish Folio.
They also appear in Pathfinder.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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