Harpies

Most monsters don't actually keep any treasure in their lairs. Harpies, though - they like shiny things.

– Letho, Viper School witcher

It is hard to say what is most repulsive about harpies and their cousins, the shishigas: their hideous appearance, the overwhelming stench of rot and bird excrement that clings to them or their bloodcurdling screech. Suffice it to say that even rats, who dwell happily among the rankest fecal matter and rotten waste, give their nests wide berth.

Harpy nests are most often found atop high cliffs or rocky ravines. Sure signs of having strayed near one are crumbling human and animal remains, guano-streaked rocks and feathers littering the ground.

Harpies and shishigas hunt in flocks consisting of a handful to up to twenty individuals. Though rather cowardly and cautious, harpies fiercely defend their nests and will not hesitate to attack when outnumbering their foes.

During combat they use their ability to fly to dive swiftly to strike their victims one by one before soaring back up out of reach. They can kill with their wings or their sharp beak and talons. Once on the ground they move slowly and clumsily, and thus no longer present much of a threat.