What is this? A Kenku on a bird mount?

[eyebreaker7]

https://village.photos/images/user/c305cbbe-e053-4c83-8f55-e8d66ccfa88f/406d7cb9-09d7-4539-b304-a70aadf517f4.jpg

It looks like a Kenku, maybe a samurai? On what kind of mount is this? Looks a little like a Chocobo but wrong game. Is that a magical banner of any sort or just a banner on it's back?
Is this an actual NPC from something? If so I'd love it's info :)

[Rynjin]

Looks like some kind of stylized moa. Think ostrich, but bigger.

[Crake]

Looks like some kind of stylized moa. Think ostrich, but bigger.

I mean, aren't kenku small size, so an ostrich itself would work? Maybe a warbeast ostrich, or dire?

[Thurbane]

The mount could be an Axebeak or Terror Bird. There is stats for a Chocobo in an issue of Dragon, too.

Also, given the topic title, I can't help myself:

I don't think I'm using this meme right lol
https://i.imgflip.com/58fuxa.jpg

As for the origin of the picture and if it is an NPC, I believe Kenku's featured more as player races from 4E onwards, so maybe that would be a starting point to look? A reverse image search hasn't turned up much.

[Telonius]

Reminds me of one of the bad guys from Joust.

https://cdn.gamer-network.net/2019/articles/2019-08-09-09-56/-1565340980696.jpg/EG11/thumbnail/1920x1077/format/jpg/quality/80

[Maat Mons]

Well, if you look in the lower right of the image, you'll see a URL. If you look through the Blogspot... blog, you'll find this post (http://miguelregodon.blogspot.com/2012/02/commission-for-paizo-publishing.html). The title of the post seems to suggest the image was commissioned by Paizo in 2012. I don't have any Pathfinder books, so I can only wish you luck in continuing your search from there. But check books published shortly after that, and see if any of them they credit Miguel Regodon Harkness as a contributing artist.

[Rynjin]

I mean, aren't kenku small size, so an ostrich itself would work? Maybe a warbeast ostrich, or dire?

*shrug* No clue.

Given it's Pathfinder though, that would be a Tengu, and they're Medium.

[FrogInATopHat]

It is the cover art for this Pathfinder Society scenario (https://paizo.com/products/btpy8ow3?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-313-The-Quest-for-Perfection-Part-III-Defenders-of-Nesting-Swallow).

He is a Tengu bandit leader named Kwankhonu (Cavalier 4 or 7, depending on Tier played at). His axe-beak is named Jikon.

[Metastachydium]

and they're Medium.

As are 3.5 kenkus.

[ShurikVch]

Besides the all aforementioned, it also can be:

Mount - Black Riding Bird (Dragon #323)

Rider - Wereraven lycanthrope (or Werecrow - from the Murder of Crows), Ravenkin (Denizens of Dread), or Anthropomorphic Raven(Crow/Storm Crow/Legendary Raven/etc)

[Fouredged Sword]

I am going to go with a tiny anthropomorphic raven on a warbred chicken. That's probably not what it really is, but the image lacks scale so I am just going to image whatever I want.

[Psyren]

It is the cover art for this Pathfinder Society scenario (https://paizo.com/products/btpy8ow3?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-313-The-Quest-for-Perfection-Part-III-Defenders-of-Nesting-Swallow).

He is a Tengu bandit leader named Kwankhonu (Cavalier 4 or 7, depending on Tier played at). His axe-beak is named Jikon.

Great sleuthing!


Is that a magical banner of any sort or just a banner on it's back?
Is this an actual NPC from something? If so I'd love it's info :)

Banner is a class ability of PF Cavaliers. They make it upon joining their Order, and starting at 5th level carrying or displaying the banner (themselves or on their mount) grants buffs to party members and/or penalties to enemies who can see it. The ability to grant these buffs is (Ex) so generally not magical, however magical banners do exist.

[FrogInATopHat]

Great sleuthing!

To be fair, Maat Mons did most of the real work. I just googled 'Pathfinder Society Scenario Tengu' and that link was the first result.

[Wildstag]

I didn't see it listed yet where the Terror Bird is from in 3.5, but it's in the Fiend Folio.

On a Pathfinder note, I'm still mildly annoyed that the Axe-Beak isn't a suitable mount choice for a Beast-Rider Cavalier, since the archetype specifically excludes bipedal mounts. And it didn't become an option for base Cavaliers until late in the development cycle because the base class still said that "A Medium Cavalier can select from a camel or a horse".

Which kinda leads me to believe this PFS Cavalier NPC is using some modified rules to justify it having a non-standard mount, because near as I can tell, the Axe-Beak mount isn't strictly legal on core Cav.

[Thurbane]

As are 3.5 kenkus.

There is a persistent misunderstanding that Kenku are small, which I believe is due to an error in one of the old Crystalkeep PDFs.

FYI regarding the mounts I mentioned:

Axebeak: Arms & Equipment Guide p.83
Terror Bird: Fiend Folio p.175
Chocobo "Riding Bird": Dragon #323 p.35

[FrogInATopHat]

On a Pathfinder note, I'm still mildly annoyed that the Axe-Beak isn't a suitable mount choice for a Beast-Rider Cavalier, since the archetype specifically excludes bipedal mounts.

I'd allow it. But I am a benevolent god who demands little form my subjects except their devotion and terror.

Game night in 12 hours!