Pixiu

To witness a pixiu (pee-shee-oh) is a blessing indeed—and a sight to behold. This winged, dragon-headed lion has a formidable appearance that belies its youthful exuberance. Legend claims it was this overenthusiastic playfulness that caused the first of their kind to be banished from heaven, cursed to gather wealth and never let it go. Whatever the case, each pixiu has an uncanny ability to sniff out gold, which it loves to eat. Curiously, a pixiu's touch is also able to sunder curses and censure malign spirits, perhaps a remnant of its lost divinity.

Due to its celestial background and ability to exorcise curses, a pixiu is also believed to be a bringer and protector of prosperity, attracting good fortune and fending off evil spirits. Its heavenly origins and love of wealth may be the reason why imperial dragons have cared for them since time immemorial, valuing them as guardians and loyal companions. In particular, underworld dragons employ pixius to expand their hoards, and many sovereign dragons value them as status symbols. In dragon-ruled realms across Tian Xia, the presence of a pixiu within a community is seen as a sign of its draconic patron's approval and goodwill.

Despite the protection of imperial dragons, the lure of wealth is still enough to drive some to attack a pixiu. Although a pixiu will rarely forgive an attacker, it prefers to withdraw peacefully from those it judges as purehearted but desperate. A pixiu's draconic masters, however, aren't always as forgiving.