Stormbird and Ayssid
Stormbirds and Ayssids are the level 4 creatures of Cove. They can be recruited from the Nest. Building the Roost increases Stormbird and Ayssid growth by +3 per week.
"Once, Acwalandar and Shalwend, the lords of Water and Air respectively, started a great war. The Realm of Winds was unreachable for Water Elementals who sought to help Acwalandar; the icy bridge they travelled upon crumbled under a barrage of lightning before they had time to reach its borders. Acwalandar quickly created a multitude of birds from steam that lay on the border between the two Realms. Named Stormbirds, these creatures were the reason behind Acwalandar's decisive victory in this war, and they now come to the aid of Regnan mages who call for them. Bards say that the semi-legendary Ayssids, who are just as bloodthirsty as their creator, carried the heavenly chariot of Acwalandar, upon which he crushed the lord of Air. Adapted from HotA Facebook post
"The Ayssids are truly amazing creatures! They settle on the rocks and cliffs of tropical islands. An adult ayssid's wingspan can be as much as thirty feet. Some mistakenly consider them birds and compare them to the rocs that inhabit deserts. Per my own observations, however, these creatures have much more in common with wyverns and dragons than with birds!
Their bodies lack feathers, and there is something markedly reptilian in their appearance. The Ayssids feed on fish; to catch it, they dive into the sea from great heights. Apparently, they are great underwater swimmers and are able to hold their breath for a very long time. A hungry or enraged ayssid can attack any other creature, not excluding humans—these creatures do not know fear. It is said that the Ayssids also occur in the Planes of Water and Air, but alas, I have not been there myself yet and I cannot confirm this.
The pirates of Regna have been raising and training ayssids for generations. These creatures make good protectors and hunters, comparable to the griffins of Erathia. One can buy an egg at any market in Regna and raise oneself a loyal friend—if one knows anything about training animals, of course. A combination of a coming-of-age ayssid and an inept, insufficiently firm owner is a recipe for pecking to death waiting to happen." -- 
Dargem
Dwellings & Portraits[edit | hide | hide all]
Heroes with a specialty[edit | hide]
Special Ability: Ferocity[edit | hide]
If at least one creature was killed by an Ayssid's attack, a second blow is inflicted. It works as a situational version of double attack.
Official Renders[edit | hide]
User Commentary
Un-upgraded Stormbirds are average fourth level creatures. Ayssids however gain tremendous advantages from the upgrade, mostly due to the double attack ability. They have above average damage and second best speed of all 4th level creatures, but they are relatively fragile, so protect them if you can with Shield, Stone Skin, or other such defensive spells. For the same reason, it's best to use Ayssids to finish enemies that have already retaliated in the current turn; their high speed makes it easy, as they can outwait other stacks and reach most of the battlefield. Make sure that the attack will actually kill at least one unit, so Ferocity can trigger -- this is another reason to attack a wounded stack. In a pinch, using a damage spell before the attack can also help. In longer games, larger stacks mean Ferocity will always trigger.
Above all else, don't let the opponent gang up on Ayssids, as Ferocity doesn't work when retaliating. Fly away when surrounded and attack another weakened stack at the end of the next turn.
Ayssids not only are very fast, but also defeat Crusaders on equal numbers fight. They are even more dangerous when you consider they have +75% growth.