Ki-rin
| Species | beast |
| No. Appearing | 1 |
| Behaviour | solitary |
| Range | alpine (high), woodland |
| Size | 8 ft. at the shoulder |
| Weight | 4,100 lbs. |
| Intelligence | 19 |
| Armour Class | -5 |
| Hit Dice | 12 |
| Action Points | 6 |
| Max. Stride | {{{stride}}} |
| THAC0 | 14 |
| Hp/Die | d6+d8 |
| Attack Forms | hoof/hoof & horns |
| Damage | 3–12/3–12 & 3–30/3-30 |
| Special Attacks | call lightning, control weather, create food & objects, flight, gaseous form, +3 with horns, magic resistance, phantasmal feature, wind walk |
Ki-rin are extraordinarily powerful hooved beasts that inhabit the dense forests between India and China, particularly in the lush valleys of the Himalayas and Hindu Kush ranges. The unexpected appearance of a ki-rin in front of a multitude of onlookers is thought to signify or forewarn a great moment, either good or bad, such as the arrival or departure of a wise or illustrious leader.
Contents
These colossal beings tower amid the trees, being a remarkable 12 feet tall at the center of their back, with their majestic heads reaching an astounding 18 feet. Adorned with a luscious mane, formidable stone-like antlers, tessellated fur enveloping their upper body, and scales adorning their legs and mid-tail, the last of which culminates in a voluminous tuft of soft fur; tufts of wisphy hair graces their upper body.
The ki-rin's eyes shimmer with an extraordinarily penetrating gaze, revealing the creature's magical essence; some accounts have described parts of the creature being adorned with precious jewels. The beast's resonant voice rumbles like the gentle roar of an ocean.
Behaviour
These gentle giants are herbivores, abstaining from consuming meat; they exhibit exceptional tenderness, particularly towards children. While they can be formidable when provoked, ki-rin harbor malevolence only for the wicked, especially when scholars or bards are threatened. In the presence of great art, ki-rin can be profoundly moved. They prefer moral retribution over causing harm, aiming to confine rather than kill.
Reluctant to harm even the most fragile of creatures, they often employ their magic to hover an inch above the ground, preventing them from crushing insects or grass. Ki-rin are revered as symbols of fortune, auspicious signs, guardianship, prosperity, and longevity often associated with the arrival of a newborn into a family.
Boons
Numerous individuals actively seek out the ki-rin in pursuit of assistance or a favor, typically desiring a magical artifact. However, the creature rarely deigns to manifest itself for such self-centered supplicants. When the cause is undeniably noble and holds the promise of enhancing the well-being of hundreds or even thousands, the ki-rin may, on occasion, grant an audience to those who have embarked on arduous journeys and endured hardships to present their case.
With only a mere dozen of these majestic beings in existence, gaining access to them is a formidable challenge. Should they be persuaded, they might bestow a powerful item or, in dire circumstances where the adversary's might is overwhelming, personally intervene, recognizing that the questing party is ill-equipped to prevail without aid. They consistently advocate for restraint and the pursuit of justice, yet they do not impose these principles. The creature understands the profound emotional response that humanoid beings experience when confronted by malevolence, acknowledging that, for many, exercising restraint may prove to be an insurmountable task.
Advantages
Ki-rin perform their natural abilities as a 12th level spellcaster. When needing to call lightning, the beast will typically control the weather to produce threatening clouds. They like to keep the area of change quite small, only a mile across, to forego upsetting too many innocent creature. Likewise, it prefers to use its ability to create a phantasmal feature appearing like a stone wall, to hem in and trap its enemies.
It maintains its wind walk ability almost continuously, preferring to alight fully upon the ground only when standing upon rock or snow. If seriously threatened, it will take to flight, lifting itself to where it will be invulnerable to spells and missiles; it has a vast knowledge of spells and will know what a safe distance would be. From there, it will observe the threat and decide how best to contain it. If this defense is not sufficient, it will assume gaseous form, and attempt to parley with the enemy. It is further protected by 90% magic resistance, so it has little to fear from most spellcasting.
In combat, the ki-rin is +3 to hit with either of its two horns. However, it does not like to engage in direct attacks, and will do so only in the immediate moment when protecting a weaker creature. A ki-rin will always interpose itself between an attacker and an innocent; even if room to do so is lacking, the ki-rin will bend its head to interpose one of its horns, in order to draw the attacker's attention.
When parleying, it will offer to create food for its guests, which will appear in a variety of bowls, tureens set upon a table with chairs. The ki-rin is able to create various household objects for the comfort of its guests, but disdains to make shelters as well. These objects are permanent and will not dematerialize. In addition, the ki-rin is able to create any sort of magic item it wishes, though it will only do this under special circumstances, and will never create an item that might cause a creature to become preoccupied with the power offered.
