What sort of aerial support would this evil horde have?

[NewJeffCT]

The players are going to attempt to take out the command & control parts of an oncoming evil horde of humanoids (level 13/14 party). The command features a powerful half-fiend blackguard, a spellweaver and several flinds, as well as a huge minotaur-like demon. The evil horde was gathered mainly from a warm to hot savannah area, so features a huge amount of gnolls, but also a few other humanoids.

Since the horde is on the march, they are headed towards a human-dominated port city, but are also not far from some jungles as well. So, they could have attracted more evil baddies from the jungle or nearby sea hoping to participate in sacking the human city.

This is mostly for flavor ("Circling above the oncoming horde of gnolls, orcs, goblins and ogres, you make out dozens of ______") as the party will be using teleport magic to get into the midst of the baddies. I'm looking for more common evil fliers that would work alongside evil humanoids. However, I'm drawing a blank right now.

These fliers could also be used to harass flying PCs, but not pose a major threat to them.

 

[Mark]

Hieracosphinx or some sort of dinosaur, perhaps?

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Hieracosphinx or some sort of dinosaur, perhaps?

Maybe harpies from the coast? Or wyverns?

 

[Mark]

Maybe harpies from the coast? Or wyverns?

Those are goo, too. I hadn't thought of Harpies because I had it in my mind that they would be ridden in some cases.

 

[NewJeffCT]

thanks - flying dinosaurs is not a bad idea. the sphinx is pretty good, too. maybe dire vultures as well?

 

[Mark]

dire vultures

That's a very cool idea. Like evil versions of Giant Eagles. It might be easiest to just use a Large Advanced Giant Eagle stat block (Huge, if you want them to carry Large riders) and change the alignment.

 

[NewJeffCT]

That's a very cool idea. Like evil versions of Giant Eagles. It might be easiest to just use a Large Advanced Giant Eagle stat block (Huge, if you want them to carry Large riders) and change the alignment.

Thanks... I was not looking just for something that is ride-able. Some fliers would serve as aerial attackers to take on the city's defenses (catapults & trebuchets), or to be a mobile strike force, or to run down those trying to escape, etc.

 

[Loonook]

Shadows, shades, the spirits of the fallen bound to the will of the blackguard by his masters as their hand in this conflict.

Considering the alliance between gnolls and ghouls/ghasts, perhaps a group of jungle-based ghoul-like creatures, who take on the forms of large birds which float eerily without currents above them.

A web of energy which floats ominously above the march, sending out blood-red tendrils towards the approaching forces of good. When a skirmish group (including one of the PCs allies, a lower-level caster of some skill) fly near the web... all hell breaks loose. The tendrils strike down the poor mage... oh no, things die, its evil and powerful, and story-filled...

There's a few... choose if you will.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[Slife]

Skeletal Nightmares. Burning flying skeletal horses.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Shadows, shades, the spirits of the fallen bound to the will of the blackguard by his masters as their hand in this conflict.

Considering the alliance between gnolls and ghouls/ghasts, perhaps a group of jungle-based ghoul-like creatures, who take on the forms of large birds which float eerily without currents above them.

A web of energy which floats ominously above the march, sending out blood-red tendrils towards the approaching forces of good. When a skirmish group (including one of the PCs allies, a lower-level caster of some skill) fly near the web... all hell breaks loose. The tendrils strike down the poor mage... oh no, things die, its evil and powerful, and story-filled...

There's a few... choose if you will.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

Thanks - shadows sound deliciously evil.