Nocturnal Radiance. When in bright light, the Alicanto appears to be a nondecript, if particularly large bird. In the dark, however, it gives off bright, golden-colored light for 15 ft. and dim light for an additional 15ft.
Golden Sense. The Alicanto can innately detect the presence of nearby deposits of valuable ore within 100ft. of it. This sense extends through walls, including magical substances, but cannot pierce through areas designed to ward off elementals. This sense also allows the Alicanto to detect if a creature it can see is of Good or Evil alignment. This sense is considered Divination magic for the purposes of interaction with spells.
Heavy Belly. If the Alicanto has eaten since its last long rest, it cannot use its fly speed.
Peck. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., 1 target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) Piercing damage.
Description
A lithovore in nature, the Alicanto is an elemental that bears a striking resemblance to a large, gold-feathered bird. But in the darkness of the caves in which it scavenges food, the Alicanto gives off a brilliant sheen of golden light.
Though they possess wings, the Alicanto's diet of stones and ores mean that it is often too heavy to fly when it is well fed. As such, it prefers to run along the ground with its wings outspread.
A Feast of Ore.
The alicanto loves nothing more than to consume the most precious minerals it can find, following its innate senses to seek out deposits for it to feast upon. Though it lives on these minerals, the Alicanto is not a greedy creature, and casts a benevolent eye on miners and explorers.
Flighty Guides.
Many miners know that following an Alicanto often leads to the richest deposits of ore available, and view the sighting of one as a blessing from a deity. Alicantos are unbothered by this trailing, as the miners will often unearth well-buried ores and leave the scraps of their labor for the bird to consume after they've collected their bounty.
However, one should be careful about taking this blessing for granted. The Alicanto is fickle, and can sense a golden heart as well as the veins of gold in the earth. Those with good hearts will be lead to treasure, but those with evil, greedy hearts are summarily led into danger instead. This danger may take the form of leading the would-be miner into the nests of monsters, or more directly leading them into hazards, such as off cliffs.
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