Ala

With an outrageously wide mouth of razor-sharp teeth and smoky black rags for clothes, the crazed crone leaps into the air in a black whirlwind of claws and lightning.

Ala CR 8

XP 4,800
CE Medium monstrous humanoid
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +14
Aura frightful presence (30 ft., DC 14)

DEFENSE

AC 21, touch 16, flat-footed 18 (+3 deflection, +3 Dex, +5 natural)
hp 95 (10d10+40)
Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +10
Immune electricity

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect)
Melee bite +15 (1d6+5 plus poison), 2 claws +15 (1d4+5)
Special Attacks whirlwind (3/day, 10–30 ft. high, 5 ft. wide at base, 1/2 wide as tall at peak, 2d8+5 damage plus lightning's kiss, DC 17)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th)

1/day—ice storm (DC 13), lightning bolt (DC 12), call lightning storm (DC 14)

TACTICS

In battle, ala twist into black whirlwinds that sweep foes from their feet, battering them with claw, tooth, and electricity. When not in whirlwind form, ala tear at their foes with claws and a poisonous bite, or they throw wicked lightning bolts and hailstorms upon their enemies from a distance. Woes betide the hapless hero who confronts an ala while a storm rages overhead, for such storms energize the ala and enable it to call more powerful bolts.

STATISTICS

Str 20, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8
Base Atk +10; CMB +15; CMD 26
Feats Alertness, Diehard, Endurance, Flyby Attack, Great Fortitude
Skills Climb +13, Fly +24, Intimidate +10, Perception +14, Sense Motive +5, Stealth +18, Survival +13; Racial Modifiers +4 Fly, +4 Stealth
Languages Common, Draconic

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Lightning's Kiss (Su)

Jagged bolts of lightning flash inside the ala's whirlwind, dealing 2d6 electricity damage plus an additional 1d6 electricity damage per ala in whirlwind form within 50 ft.

Poison (Ex)

Ala poison: injury—bite; save Fort DC 17; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect sickened, sickened creatures are nauseated; cure 1 save.

The poison infuses the ala's flesh, so creatures making bite attacks against an ala must also save after each successful attack.

ECOLOGY

Environment hills, forests, and mountains
Organization solitary or storm (3–5)
Treasure normal

Ala are born from galls that grow on the trunks of treants. While in this parasitic pocket, an ala sickens the treant and devours its life force. When the treant dies, the ala takes the treant's soul as its own before erupting in a black whirlwind of claws and lightning.

Ala appear as wild hags with windblown hair and clothes of smoky black rags. Their true form is that of a whirlwind. An ala cannot enter a house without it shaking in protest.

Arriving in new areas on the cusp of hail or lightning storms, ala take up residence in the hollows of trees that were struck by lightning. Ala are most active when thunder rocks the forest. These huge-mouthed creatures have voracious appetites, and though their “livestock” typically consists of rabid owls, wolves, and badgers, they favor the taste of innocents above all else. Some unsavory tribes beg an ala's favor with gifts of captives.

The only thing ala hate more than sentient humanoids are dragons. Newborn ala and dragon young are rumored to fall into trances during storms when they fight each other in the clouds.

Section 15: Copyright Notice - Midgard Bestiary for Pathfinder RPG
Midgard Bestiary for Pathfinder RPG, (c) 2012 Open Design LLC; Author: Adam Daigle with Chris Harris, Michael Kortes, James MacKenzie, Rob Manning, Ben McFarland, Carlos Ovalle, Jan Rodewald, Adam Roy, Christina Stiles, James Thomas, and Mike Welham.