Overview
The King of Feathers is a legendary feathered tyrannosaurus rex that rules Omu as the undisputed lord of the Forbidden City. This monstrous apex predator strikes fear into all other inhabitants and has become something of a local legend among explorers and hunters.
Physical Description
The King of Feathers is adorned with long, slender feathers in vibrant scarlet, orange, and green hues. Its massive size is evident from its footprints, which span over 5 feet from toe to heel. The creature leaves heaps of dung large enough to bury a dwarf and sheds its colorful plumage throughout its territory.
Lair & Territory
The amphitheater serves as the King of Feathers’ primary lair. This ruined open-air structure features tiered seats overlooking a destroyed stage, with narrow passages and chambers beneath the grandstands. The area around the lair is stripped clean of vegetation, and an eerie silence pervades—no birds, insects, or other creatures dare make noise near the tyrannosaurus’s domain.
Presence at Lair:
- 50% chance during the day
- 25% chance at night
- 20% cumulative chance per hour of returning when hunting
Beneath the amphitheater, five deinonychuses make their lair and prowl the structure when the King of Feathers is out hunting.
Relationships
Hooded Lantern: An elderly male tabaxi hunter who has come to Omu specifically seeking a glorious death fighting the King of Feathers. He has graying black fur and cataracts clouding his left eye, and considers battling this legendary beast the ultimate hunter’s challenge.
Most other inhabitants of Omu avoid the amphitheater and live in fear of the creature’s thunderous approach.
Game Mechanics
Creature Type: Monstrosity (feathered tyrannosaurus rex)
Hit Points: 200
Special Abilities:
- Truesight: Can see invisible creatures and objects as if they were visible
- Innate Spellcasting: Can cast misty step at will without components (Wisdom-based spellcasting)
- Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If it fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead
- Summon Swarm (Recharge 5-6): Exhales a swarm of insects (wasps) that forms within 20 feet. The swarm acts as an ally, takes its turn immediately after the King of Feathers, and disperses after 1 minute. Cannot use this action while grappling a creature with its jaws
DM Guidance
The King of Feathers can be encountered anywhere within Omu, not just at its lair. Build tension by having characters glimpse it moving through distant fog or hearing its roar echoing over the ruins. It might appear during exploration, while the party is resting, or interrupt a combat encounter (either to save an overwhelmed party or add challenge to an easy fight).
Loot
Searching the rooms beneath the amphitheater yields:
- Electrum platter with Chultan feasting rituals (25 gp)
- Omuan death mask made of painted gold (250 gp)
- Helm of telepathy