The Winged One
(circa "Queen of the Black Coast")

Large Outsider

Hit Dice: 12d8 + 36 (92 Hit Points)
Initiative: +4 (dex)
Speed: 30 ft (30 ft climb; 30 ft. fly average)
AC: 17 (-1 Size, +4 Dex, +4 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +9, bite +4 melee
Damage: claw 1d6 +7, bite 1d8+3
Special Attacks: Darkness 3/day, Desecrate, Unholy Blight
Special Qualities: Fly, Scent, Darkvision 60 ft, immune to poison, acid, cold, electricity, and fire resistance 20; Command Lycanthropes, Create Lycanthropes; possible Arcane spell use
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5ft
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 9
Skills: Climb +18, Listen +6, Spot +14
Feats:

Climate/Terrain: Black Coast
Challenge Rating
: 10
Treasure: Triple Standard (no magic items)
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: Character Class
Originally winged men who settled in the Stygian area and reared a great city, but after many ages, the waters of their river changed and those who drank of it and lived began to change, sinking and degenerating, more and more horribly, from generation to bestial generation.  Soon, all that remained of their ancestor's great knowledge was distorted, perverted, and twisted into ghastly paths.  As they originally were risen higher than mankind might dream, they became lower than man's maddest nightmares.    They became cannibal, and they died off until only one remained.

The Winged One took advantage of a once per century occurance, and performed weird and awful rites over a sleeping black tribe, turning them into hyenas.  These fifty were-hyenas served The Winged One from then on.

Combat
Obviously, at one time, The Winged One was a powerful sorceror, but by Conan's time, he seemed unable to cast spells - at least not at will.  Perhaps the Winged One still could if the stars were just right... but the fact remains that in "Queen of the Black Coast", the Winged One battled Conan with tooth and nail, and not with spells.  It is up to the DM to determine if it has any spell casting abilities left after its complete degeneration.

The Winged One was the last of his kind, at least in that area.  It is not unreasonable to assume that one or two might have escaped the feuding and cannibalism that left only The Winged One of "Queen..." left, and they may still be lurking in the jungles, or worhiped as a god by some degenerate tribe...
Robert E. Howard's story, "Queen of the Black Coast," was first published in Weird Tales in May of 1934.  The story can also be found in the Ace/Lancer paperback "Conan of Cimmeria"; the Donald M. Grant Limited Edition "Queen of the Black Coast", and the Gnome Press collection "The Coming of Conan".  All of these are out of print, but usually available on eBay.

Currently in print is the British volume "The Conan Chronicles Volume I : The People of the Black Circle" which is part of Millennium's "Fantasy Masterworks" series.  ISBN: 1-85798-996-1.  It is available off of Amazon.com

To the left is the cover of that issue of Weird Tales, featuring an unlikely Conan protecting Bêlit with a rather feeble looking knife.  The artist was Margaret Brundage.
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