Giant eagle
| Giant eagle | |
|---|---|
 A giant eagle mount, illustrated by Susan Van Camp (2000).[1] | |
| General information | |
| Size: | Large |
| Alignment: | Usually Neutral or neutral good |
| Type: | Beast |
| Type (5e): | Celestial |
| Subtype: | Magical beast |
| Patron deity: | Remnis |
| First appearance: | Monster Manual (1977) |
Giant eagles are monumentally enormous, intelligent birds who nest at high altitudes.
Ecology
[edit | edit source]Like their smaller kin, giant eagles are carnivores. Unlike regular eagles, though, they are much smarter, are sapient, and capable of speech.[2]
Many people prize them as aerial steeds. To tame one, the eagle must have a friendly attitude to the rider/tamer, and the tamer must be either good or neutral themselves, because giant eagles choose whom they associate with. Riding one requires an exotic saddle, and six weeks of training. Sometimes giant eagles are raised to be mounts from birth.[3][4]
When they can be found, giant eagles' eggs are worth 2,500 gp each, and chicks are worth 4,000 gp, but giant eagle parents defend their nests to the death.[3][4]
Some paladins in Greyhawk may have giant eagles as their steeds.[5]
Environment
[edit | edit source]Giant eagles have aeries high on mountaintops (usually temperate),[6] where they are undisturbed by other creatures.[2][6] They live near great bluffs, cliffs, mesas, or mountain crags.[7] They are commonly seen in the Mounds of Dawn[8] and in the Kron Hills, where they meet the Lortmil Mountains, between the border of Celene and southern Veluna.[9]
In the area of Skrellingshald, giant eagles (and griffons) frequently hunt in the Griff Mountains,[10] They are also seen around Csipros Erd in the northern Barrier Peaks[11]and have been witnessed in other parts of the Barrier Peaks.[12] There are two colonies of giant eagles near Esmerin in the Yatils.[13]
They are also found on Arvandor and the Beastlands (they are typically celestials or half-celestials here).[14][15]
Because some aarakocra speak the language of giant eagles (see below), it's likely the eagles may be found in in proximity to aarakocra's roosts.
Typical physical characteristics
[edit | edit source]Giant eagles resemble ordinary eagles,[2][16] but they're much bigger, ten feet tall and with an average wingspan of twenty feet.[2][4] They have all the range of coloration one might find in their smaller kin.[16] They have superior vision capable of seeing prey miles away.
Alignment
[edit | edit source]Giant eagles are usually neutral good (the 1977 Monster Manual lists them as neutral).
Society
[edit | edit source]Unlike smaller eagles, giant eagles are more social creatures, and sometimes roost in larger groups. Convocations as large as 20 mature adults have been recorded together, though they still roost in pairs in these colonies.[2]
Because they are so social, these eagles have relationships with various species or cultures. They prefer dealing with elves and dwarves,[2][7][16] as well as halflings. There's even a magic item known as the Horn of the Barrier Peaks which can summon giant eagles. It "was enchanted by a dwarven smith to cement the friendship between demihumans and giant eagles. It is not used often out of respect to the great birds, but has found occasional use in desperate times."[17]
Elves sometimes have a convocation of giant eagles who protect their homes.[3][18] as do cloud giants.[19] They typically ignore good creatures but attack evil creatures with hostile attitudes.[7]
Giant eagles are courageous. They fear dark and enclosed spaces, but little else.
Religion
[edit | edit source]Giant eagles worship nature, avian spirits, and their patron deity, Remnis. They have shamans among them capable of casting spells.
According to the aarakocra creation myth, Krocaa—their patron deity—created the first aarakocra by evolving them from giant eagles.[20]
Though the eagles themselves don't worship him at all, or anything close to that, a giant eagle is one of the forms Obad-hai, the Shalm frequently takes.[21]
Language
[edit | edit source]Because they are intelligent creatures, giant eagles are capable of speech—typically Auran and Common.[4] Their own tongue is composed of avian cries and gestures. Some aarakocra speak the language of eagles.[22] A rare few giant eagles (especially in earlier editions) are capable of a limited form of telepathy.[2][7]
History
[edit | edit source]The valley elves who stole the Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar in 219 CY,[note 1] did so by escaping upon giant eagles.[12]
Centuries ago, on the other side of the continent from the Flanaess, in the Western Oerik nation of Ravilla, the elven hero Peramil famously rode his mount, a giant eagle, alone above the battlefields of the Demon War, evading attack and pursuit, to the distant mountain cities of the gray elves to request help in the war.[23]
Publishing history
[edit | edit source]In the fifth edition Basic Rules and Monster Manual (2014), the giant eagle was a beast.[24] In the 2024 revision, the giant eagle was changed to be a celestial[25] to reflect their origins in the Outer Planes, like the Beastlands and Arborea.[15] Though this aligns with previous lore, because giant eagles have always been found on Arvandor (and other outer planes), this change had an impact on gameplay because druids could no longer use them as a wildshape.
Creative origins
[edit | edit source]Giant eagles are very likely inspired by the giant eagles from Middle-earth written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The giant eagle is also attested to in various real-world mythologies, including: Greek, Roman, Welsh, Celtic, and native American mythos.[26][27] This even has been translated into game-terms, in the third edition Deities and Demigods where Zeus is accompanied by a white giant eagle, and can transform into one.[28]
References
[edit | edit source]Notes
[edit | edit source]- ↑ The elves who stole the Cup and Talisman are referred to in the source as "strange elves who were as tall as men" who "escaped pursuit ... [fleeing] toward the distant Barrier Peaks," which is a reference to the Valley of the Mage
Citations
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Dragon #269 (Mar 2000), p.31.
- ↑ a b c d e f g MC2 Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), s.v. Eagle, giant.
- ↑ a b c Monster Manual (Oct 2000), p.86-87.
- ↑ a b c d Monster Manual v3.5 (2003), p.93.
- ↑ "Dread on the Isle". Dragon #351 (Jan 2007), p.70.
- ↑ a b MC5 Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures Appendix (1990), Encounter tables.
- ↑ a b c d Monster Manual (1977), p.36.
- ↑ From the Ashes (1992), Card 12.
- ↑ Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil (2001), p.40, 106.
- ↑ Greyhawk Adventures (1988), p.92.
- ↑ Greyhawk Adventures (1988), p.98.
- ↑ a b Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000), p.43.
- ↑ Greyhawk Adventures (1988), p.101, 102.
- ↑ Manual of the Planes (1987), p.93-94.
- ↑ a b Manual of the Planes (2001), p.152.
- ↑ a b c "Animal Henchmen". Dragon #269 (Mar 2000), p.30-31.
- ↑ Greyhawk Adventures (1988), p.81.
- ↑ Monstrous Manual (1993), p.109.
- ↑ Monstrous Manual (1993), p.132.
- ↑ "The Wings of Eagles". Dragon #124 (Aug 1987), p.37.
- ↑ World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), p.72, Guide.
- ↑ MC2 Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), s.v. Aarakocra.
- ↑ "The Empire of Ravilla". Dragon #285 (Jul 2001), p.93.
- ↑ Basic Rules (2014) , p.132.
- ↑ Monster Manual (2025), p.356.
- ↑ EAGLE OF ZEUS (Aetos Dios) - Giant Eagle of Greek Mythology. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved on 2022-03-09.
- ↑ Eagle of Zeus. Wikipedia. Retrieved on 2023-12-15.
- ↑ Deities and Demigods (2002), p.101, 102.
Bibliography
[edit | edit source]- Beach, Tim. Doug Stewart, ed. Monstrous Manual. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993. Item code TSR2140. ISBN 1-56076-619-0
- Boucher, Grant, , William W. Connors, Skip Williams, et al. MC5 Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures Appendix. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1990. Item code TSR2107.
- Bulmahn, Jason; Steve Greer, and Gary Holian (January 2007). "Savage Tidings: Dread on the Isle". Dragon (351): 70. Paizo. ISSN 1062-2101.
- Cook, David, Steve Winter, Jon Pickens, et al. MC2 Monstrous Compendium Volume Two. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1989. Item code TSR2103. ISBN 0-88038-753-X
- Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet and Skip Williams. Monster Manual. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000. Item code 17755.
- Crawford, Jeremy, F. Wesley Schneider (lead designers). Monster Manual (2024) . Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, February 2025. ISBN 978 0 7869 6954 8
- Grubb, Jeff. Manual of the Planes. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1987. Item code TSR2022.
- Gygax, Gary Monster Manual. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1977.
- Gygax, Gary. S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1982. Item code TSR9061. ISBN 0-935696-72-5
- Mearls, Mike, Jeremy Crawford and Christopher Perkins. Monster Manual. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2014. Item code A9218.
- Moore, Roger E. "Leprechauns & Giant Eagles—Oh My!" Polyhedron #116. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.
- Morris, Graeme, Phil Gallagher and Jim Bambra. Creature Catalogue. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1986.
- Nephew, John. Creature Catalog. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
- Redman, Rich, Skip Williams and James Wyatt. Deities and Demigods. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002. Item code 88165.
- Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
- Sargent, Carl. From the Ashes. Lake Geneva, WI: (TSR, 1992). Item code TSR1064. 1-56076-341-8
- Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
- Williams, Skip, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook. Monster Manual. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
| This work includes material taken from or refers to the System Reference Document (“SRD”) v5.1 or 5.2 by Wizards of the Coast LLC (available online). The SRD is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. |
Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.
| Topic | Type | Description | Product | Page/Card/Image
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | Dragon magazine #269 | 30-31 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | Dragon magazine #351 | 70 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | From the Ashes: References Card | #12 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | MC2 - Monstrous Compendium Volume 2 | Insert (Eagle) |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | MC5 Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures Appendix | Encounter Tables |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | Monster Manual 1, AD&D 1e | 36 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | Monstrous Manual, AD&D 2e | 27 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | Monstrous Manual, AD&D 2e (Premium Edition) | 27 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | Monster Manual 1, D&D 3.5e (Premium Edition) | 93 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | Monster Manual 1, D&D 5e | 324 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | Manual of the Planes, AD&D 1e | 93 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | S1-4 Realms of Horror, Adventure Booklet | 58, 59 |
| Bird, Giant Eagle | Monster | Native of: Material Plane, | S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, Book One | 4, 5 |
| Giant Eagle | Monster | Reference | SEE Bird, Giant Eagle |