Xerichou

A freakish, serpentine beast with flapping, batlike wings, this creature has six stubby legs hanging beneath its long, thin body, and a set of horned and fanged jaws.

Combat
In combat, the individual xerichou poses only a passing threat. Despite its fearsome-seeming fangs, its jaws are actually incapable of opening far enough to deliver an effective bite (its curling tusks are instead used in mating behavior and for grooming purposes). A xerichou is able to use its wings as weapons, however, as these possess a razor-sharp ridge of cartilage along the leading edge. When attacking, a xerichou will swoop past its target, slashing it with its wings.

In greater numbers, xerichous can make bewildering use of their psionic abilities and are not above attacking foes as large as giants when so motivated. Through coordinated use of their greater concealing amorpha and dimension slide powers, they can flit and dart around a target, often confusing it to the extent that it can no longer effectively attack the swarming xerichous.

When sorely injured (10% hit points or less remaining) the wounded xerichou will flee combat and seek to return to its lair, using its power of body adjustment to heal itself.

Note that xerichou larvae are non-psionic and quite incapable of combat.

Description
The xerichou is a winged predator that is found in most parts of Athas. Long and slender, with six clawed limbs and a pair of broad wings, xerichous travel in flocks, swarming their prey. Xerichous are psionic and intelligent enough to make effective use of their abilities in combat.

Xerichous begin life as relatively inoffensive larvae. These tiny, armored worms eventually climb and cling to cliffs or other elevated rock faces in order to pupate. Often mistaken for part of the rock itself, the pupa eventually hatches into the adult xerichou, which is then driven to seek out its ancestral nesting ground in order for the breeding cycle to begin again.

An adult xerichou is a foot long, with a three-foot wingspan. It is deep brown to deep red in color and has a tough, leathery hide with tufts of wiry hair sprouting at the joints. The larvae are only four inches long, with a dozen tiny legs.