Harpy

Attributes	BRG 8 (+1)	NIM 12 (air) / 8 (ground)*	PER 8 (+1)	STR 22 (+8)*	VIT 12 (+3)	WIT 10 (+2)
Reactions	STAM +9	SWIFT +5	WILL +2	WIS +1

Defence	13 (air) / 11 (ground)	Size	Mammoth	Courage
Health	15	Move	24	Renown

Edges	Night-Eyed 2, Swift Recovery, Wary
Flaws	Weak
Special Abilities	Armour (3, Tough skin), Natural Weapons (Beak, 2d6; Talons, 2d6), Cunning, Extraordinary Sense (Spot), Flight (30), Ferocious (Attacking prey), Mighty Charge, Multiple Attacks, Spells, Fear
Skills	Armed Combat: Natural Weapons (Beak, Claws) +10, Observe (Spot) +8, Intimidate (Fear) +10, Language: Understand Westron +5, Language: Black Speech +8

Harpies appear as large carrion birds, twisted and distorted by the evil and malice of their creator. Their leathery wings spread far to carry aloft the massive body, creating powerful gusts of wind with each stroke. They have powerful legs ending in wickedly curved iron talons like the tips of spears. At the end of their long wormy neck bobs a small, bald head covered in dark skin with a jagged beak with which to tear the flesh from its victims. Beating crimson eyes bore into the souls of their prey, freezing them in their tracks.

Spells: Evoke Fear (Ability), Holding-Spell, Sense-Power (Ability), Spell-binding

Late during the Third Age of Man, Sauron the Terrible created and uncovered many a gruesome creature to bring destruction upon the Free Peoples. One such creature was the great Harpy, a terrible winged beast with which to counter Gwaihir’s rule of the sky with terror and destruction. It is thought that Harpies were made as steeds for the Nazgûl, but they were too unruly and independent, often causing more chaos when acting as mounts than their riders desired. So Sauron the Great released them upon the Ered Lithui to breed and watch the old paths.

Harpies are most commonly found to roost in barren, rocky, and desolate regions, such as the Mountains of Ash and Shadow in Mordor and upon the greater heights of the White Mountains in Gondor and Rohan; they have even been found in the Withered Heath far to the North. They prefer to hunt in open territory around dusk to hide their actions and strike quickly, with enough force to destroy the vitals and break the body of their prey.

Harpies are terrifying predators of the sky. They are swift and powerful, seeking prey not much smaller than a dwarf unless need drives them. A Harpy uses knowledge and natural abilities of spells and power to its utmost skill in order to kill those it hunts with the least amount of danger to itself.

In the years after the War of the Ring, Harpies began to spread and roost in any large mountainous range they laid eyes on. The White Mountains in Rohan and the Misty Mountains near Mount Gundabad are known to have the largest infestations of Harpies, as horses and orcs are near and in ready supply. Many quests to rid the mountains of the Harpies have been undertaken with little and often disastrous effect to those hunting them -- few ever return, if any.