Thunder Bats

Long lived carnivorous bats with a preference for insects which can grow to gigantic size, they have pale golden eyes with pupils that faintly glow like lightning within a storm cloud, with smooth grey skin covered in fine pale white fur with thick regal manes. Thunder bats can communicate over 2-3 miles using their low-frequency language that is imperceptable to those without keen hearing and form colonies that can number in the hundreds of thousands. A colony generally settles in a vast forest though it's not unheard of to find a colony in jungles, swamps or even a particularly cavernous mountain range.

Fission and fusion. Thunder bat colonies share a common roost centrally located within its territory but spilt into smaller groups during hunts, usually consisting of intermediate family but groups of rebellious youths are not uncommon. Regardless of relation a thunder bat is staunchly loyal to the colony, almost always acting with the interests of the collective in mind and dropping any disagreement, dislike or rivalry with one another in the face of a threat.

Good neighbours. Gregarious and curious thunder bats keep an ear out through the region becoming familiar with who or what lives where within it, sometimes establishing relations with local communities that prove friendly, happily trading shiny metals the small races are so fond of and any trinkets they may find in return for exotic sweets, seasonings, spices, and wines. While they don't take it upon themselves to root out all evils in the region, as some nosy dragons do, a colony will gladly oppose creatures foolish enough to harm their friends or commit evil acts in front of them.

Rivals to dragons and giants. Thunder bats actively oppose tyrannical dragons and giants and many adolescent thunder bats yearn to test their might by matching their teamwork and strength against one. When a dragon or giant enters the region a colony enters a state of vigilance with no group smaller then double the number of intruders leaving hearing range of the roost as they prepare to deal with it, the colony assembles a hunting party of it's strongest and most experienced from within itself and any allies willing to join. Any dragon or giant that attacks the colony or any allied communities directly faces the entirety of all fighting shape members of the colony descending upon it in a cacophonous battle that echoes across the region. Should the dragon or giant not be inclined to tyranny or destruction the colony will politely yet firmly ask them its business in the area and request they don't bring their problems or worse, more of their kind, to the region. A dragon or giant that refuses is faced with an unwelcoming colony that tracks their every move, should the matter escalate to violence a hunt is called upon them. Rarely does a colony kill the prey of such a hunt the first time they defeat it, instead giving them a short period to lick its wounds and leave. Occasionally a dragon or giant may earn the friendship of a colony and cohabitate a region, though they are expected to join any hunts against any of its malevolent kin.

Heroes of thunder and fury. While rarely experiencing the call to adventure common amongst the small folk a colony may produce a hero of barbarous rage or with a deeper connection to the thunder within them and the natural forces of the world.

Goblin Guardians. Colonies of Thunder Bats view goblins as divinely misled and misguided kin, should they see an opportunity they depose any despotic influences and form a symbiotic relationship with a goblin tribe, developing a nigh unbreakable bond with each other. The bats defend the tribe from those that might seek to dominate them and provide even-tempered leadership, the goblins focus turns toward meeting the needs of the whole, through activies such as farming, hunting, and wine making. Much to the surprise of other races and even themselves goblin tribes living with a bat colony find themselves becoming more selfess and lawful as the relative safety provides opportunity to do more then focus on just survival while the loyalty of the colony sets an example they find and easier easier to follow with each passing year. After a handful of generations goblin newborns start to occasionally be born as Bat Goblins, given enough time they become the dominant subtype of goblin within the tribe as the bonds between bat and goblin strengthen.

Ethereal Echos. While thunder bats may respect and even become fond of some gods as a rule they do not worship any. Having faith instead in the colony which manifests as an echo of it forming on the Border Ethereal, when a Thunder Bat dies it becomes a ghostly Echo Bat in the ethereal colony until such time as it is reborn into world of the living. The echo bats are largely content to watch from afar, interfering with the living only when called on but even then largely restricting themselves to offering guidance and on rare occasion patronage. The exception to this is matters concerning outsiders, the meddling and predations of extra-planar entities drives an ethereal colony into a cold anger which can give even demons pause. Should the worst come to pass and the living colony be driven to extinction its echo plays a vital role in preventing a final end of the colony, the oldest amongst the echo bats may sacrifice itself in a ancient rite to enable the rebirth of thunder bats amongst the nearest mundane bat colony, these thunder bats are born as a mundane bat, growing rapidly into its true form once it reaches maturity.