Skystreaker, the Cloudpiercer

“When thunder cracks without a storm, look to the sky—for the Skystreaker has flown.”
 

Classification

Super Fauna — Mythic Beast  

Habitat

Mountain peaks, high-altitude jungles, and storm-laced skies above Jurkash“When thunder cracks without a storm, look to the sky—for the Skystreaker has flown.”  

Classification

Superfauna / Mythic Beast  

Region

Storm-laced skies, mountain peaks, and high-altitude jungles of Jurkash  

Appearance

The Skystreaker is a colossal winged predator, rarely seen clearly. When it does appear, it is as a gleaming blur between thunderclaps—an aerial specter cloaked in cloudlight. Its wings stretch over 40 feet tip to tip, made of membrane threaded with storm-charged veins. Feather-fringed edges shimmer in hues of violet and electric blue, reflecting flashes of lightning across the sky.   A jagged crest arcs from its brow to tail, pulsing with arcs of contained lightning. When angered or in flight, these pulses race down its spine, and the roar of its wings can rival thunder.  

Behavior

Elusive and territorial, the Skystreaker soars far above the tallest canopy. It is rarely grounded, preferring the cold silence of the upper skies. When it descends, it does so with purpose—often striking with terrifying speed and vanishing into the clouds once more. It avoids populated areas unless drawn by magical interference or the scent of blood.   Emberclaw elders say it is a test of the skies—only those who can endure the storm may see it without falling.  

Abilities

Stormcall Flight – Its wingbeats summon violent gales; once per day it can call a focused storm, lashing the earth with rain and lightning.
Lightning Crest – Channels ambient storm energy into a cone of raw lightning.
Cloudmeld – Can become nearly invisible within clouds, undetectable to mundane eyes.
Aerial Supremacy – Generates fierce updrafts, making unassisted flight in its vicinity dangerous or impossible.  

Cultural Significance

The Emberclaws view the Skystreaker as a sky-guardian and messenger of the storm god who once granted them the Mantle of Eternal Storms. Offerings are left atop cliffside shrines—sigils etched in stone, feathers soaked in rainwater, and bones wrapped in wind-touched cloth—to invite visions and ward off calamity.   Imperial scholars theorize it is a relic from an age when storms and beasts mingled freely, shaped by the same elemental force that empowers the temple relics of Jurkash.  

Notable Sightings

The Cry Over Stormspire During an imperial scouting mission, a massive airship was reportedly torn from the sky after a deafening screech shattered its shielding wards. Survivors claim they saw a silhouette trailing sparks as it vanished into the clouds.   The Tempest Pilgrimage A circle of druids from the Whispering Reeds claimed to follow the Skystreaker across a chain of floating stones into a sky-shrouded temple. None returned—but for weeks after, high winds whispered their names.   The Featherfall Eclipse During a rare eclipse, a single glowing feather drifted down from the clouds and touched the earth. A seven-day storm followed. The Emberclaws declared it a divine omen, marking the rebirth of a coming age.
Skystreaker, the Cloudpiercer by Kenneth Foote


Cover image: by Kenneth Foote

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