Cloud ray

Cloud rays were a species of gargantuan, manta ray-shaped magical beasts^[1][2][3] of primeval origins, with a connection to earth,^[1] that flew through the skies of the desert world of Athas.^[1][2][3]

Description[]

These creatures had broad, flattened, and triangular bodies with long pectoral fins on each side.^[2][3] A bulge ran the length of their spine, with it^[3] and the abdomen^[2] tapering off into a long, thin, whip-like tail. This appendage, referred to as the "zip",^[2][3] was quite agile^[2] and compromised of very sharp, barbed ridges^[2][3] that grew at the tip of the creature's spine. They had four eyes of jet black hue, one on each side of their snout and cranial bulge, and were guarded from harm by sets of ridges.^[3]

Their bodies were enormous in scope,^[1][2][3] measured by some to achieve sizes of 100 feet (30 meters) by 50​ to ​60 feet (15​ to ​18 meters), tails measuring 20 feet (6.1 meters),^[3] and mouths that on average measured 20 feet (6.1 meters) across. These gaping maws were capable of swallowing whole prey as large as 32 feet (9.8 meters),^{[2][3][note 1]} and emptied all food directly into the creature's intestines.^[4] Lacking any appreciable true stomach,^[2][3] their interior jaw ridges^[3] and long throats^[2] were lined with teeth designed for vigorously grinding and tearing its food down to a near liquid consistency.^[2][3]

The colors of these vast creatures were mottled^[2] in shades of either speckled-brown,^[3] dark blue, or gray.^[2] Their undersides displayed similar, though lighter shades of those colors,^[2] usually being a drab olive and white.^[3] Juvenile cloud rays by contrast had a translucent quality to their skin and were relatively fragile.^[1]

Behavior[]

Cloud rays were generally docile unless disturbed,^[1] most often attacking simply due to hunger.^[2] In particular, attempting to contact cloud rays psionically would throw them into a horrible rage, driving them to madly pursue the devour the psionicist responsible. Though they would go to great lengths to capture the offender, they would never resort to landing.^[3]

Cloud rays were also a territorial species. They respected the "air space" of one another and, with few exceptions, would not intrude upon the territory of another cloud ray.^[3]

Abilities[]

Cloud rays were an innately psionic species. They possessed the discipline of psychometabolism, having under it the psionic science of^[3] telekinesis,^{[4][3][note 2]} as well as the psionic devotions control winds,^[3] inertial barrier, and levitation.^{[4][3][note 2]}

They were capable of a sort of "flight", by means of a combination of their innate psionic power^[3] of levitation^[2][3] and lighter-than-air gases they produced and manipulated inside of their bodies.^[4] Their bodies were further propelled and maneuvered by flapping their enormous pectoral fins.^[2][3]

Cloud rays also possessed a single power under the psionic discipline psychoportation^[3] known as dream travel.^[1][3] Cloud rays sometimes tapped into this power while digesting a good meal^[3] or sleeping, though would more consciously utilize it when injured.^[1]

Combat[]

The enormous stature of cloud rays posed a great threat to the people of Athas even when the creatures were not outwardly trying to harm,^[3] as the flapping of their pectoral fins could kick up sand like a deadly sandstorm^[1][3] and decimate entire villages in their wake.^[3]

When hunting for prey, cloud rays typically resorted straight to snatching up and swallowing their prey whole.^[2][3] On some occasions they might drop snatch prey to the ground from high in the sky in an effort to soften them up.^[1] It was whenever this "swallow whole" maneuver failed that a cloud ray would attempt to get as close as possible to a prey and strike with their tail in a whip-like fashion, then if possible turn themselves around to follow that attack up with a bite.^[3] This tail lash happened at an incredible speed, producing a thunderous clap in the process.^[2][3] And just a few strikes of their tail was powerful enough to destroy most structures.^[3]

Cloud ray pups primarily fought by flitting around their prey and repeatedly stinging them with their tail.^[1]

Ecology[]

Cloud rays lived solitary lives,^[2][3] drifting aimlessly through the skies of Athas,^[1][3] always in search of their next meal.^[1] They were ocassionally seen in pairs,^[2][3] though this was only during times of mating.^[3]

Cloud rays gestated their young over a period of three years. When it came time to birth their young, the mother would take to the skies and do so while airborne, leaving the male to catch them on his back. These adolescents,^[3] commonly referred to as "pups",^[1] would be raised by their parents for the first year of their life. During this time they would be supported on the male's back, whilst the female of the pair foraged for food. Once a cloud ray pup learned how to fly and was capable of being self-sufficient, the family would part ways.^[3] Once left to themselves, cloud ray pups tended to either follow other predators in hopes of scavenging their scraps or gather around a creature that would provide food to them, with this usually being an elder cloud ray.^[1]

On rare ocassions,^[3] elder cloud rays would descend and settle themselves down on the surface^[1][4][3] when they needed to fall into a deep slumber, often covering their bodies in sand and other nearby debris^[4][1] through a combination of their psionic telekinesis and flapping their pectoral fins.^[4] In this camouflaged state they could often be mistaken for rock outcroppings,^[1][3] with some stories telling of travelers camping only to awaken the next day to find themselves either somewhere else or far above in the sky. This state of slumber would last until either the cloud ray grew hungry or it experienced some external disturbance.^[1]

Diet[]

Cloud rays subsisted primarily upon a mixture of magical, psychic, and entropic energies.^[1] This was supplemented by a carnivorous,^[1][3] with the amount of physical sustenance needed becoming less as they grew older.^[1] They preferred to prey upon other flying creatures, typically being fond of rocs^[2][3] and flying humanoids.^[3]

Languages[]

Being creatures of an animal intellect, cloud rays lacked a sophisticated language of their own,^[1][3] though they did have a complex system of signalling to one another that utilized their tail.^[3]

Usages[]

If by some means a cloud ray was ever successfully slain, its enormous body could provide two to three months worth of raw materials and meat to a settlement.^[3]

History[]

In The Year of Despair, Malatran calendar, late 14^th century DR, a group of heroes of the Living Jungle were sent from the Malatran Plateau through an elemental gate to the far-away world of Athas. Immediately upon arrival, the group was captured by Athasian elf slavers. A young thri-kreen named Ka'cha was among creatures captured by the elves, and he lamented being separated from his clutch.^[5] Subsequently, the heroes escaped when the elven caravan was attacked by a hungry sink worm. They seized the opportunity and freed Ka'cha, fleeing from their pursuers across the desert.^[6]

After two days of travel across the hot sands, guided by Ka'cha, the group stumbled across his tribe, the Windrunners, and their leader, Ki'rik'ku. Ka'cha convinced them that the strange adventurers were friends, not food. Happy with one of their number returned, Chief Ki'rik'ku gifted the aliens four large erdlu eggs and two apples of healing. The thri-kreen then explained to the Malatran heroes how to reach their destination–the Ringing Forest–the way back to Toril.^[7]

While traveling to the forest through a path in the Ringing Mountains, the Malatran heroes found themselves under attack by a particularly hungry cloud ray.^[8]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

1. ↑ In Monstrous Compendium - Dark Sun, it is stated that cloud rays can swallow whole anything smaller than size "huge", while in Monstrous Compendium II for 3^rd edition it is stated they can swallow a creature that is "Huge or smaller". In 2^nd edition, size "huge" creatures were classified as anything within the range of 12​ to ​25 feet (3.7​ to ​7.6 meters), while in 3^rd and 3.5 a size "huge" creature was classified as anything between 16​ to ​32 feet (4.9​ to ​9.8 meters).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} To different degrees, these psionic abilities are retained in the 3^rd edition iteration of cloud rays. It is detailed in Monster Manual II as having innate levitation and telekinesis abilities, similar to the spells of the same name, whilst inertial barrier is simplified down to an innate ability that functions like the spell protection from arrows.

Appearances[]

External Links[]

• Cloud ray article at the Dark Sun Wiki, a wiki for the Dark Sun campaign setting.
  

References[]