Daegandal

Pronounced DAY-gan-doll, this creature is reckoned the wisest and brightest of the magical beasts that bond with wizards. It bounds swiftly over long distances on big, muscular hind legs, while its shorter forelimbs finish in clawed, hand-like paws. It has a gnoll-like jutting muzzle, long pointed ears, a glossy coat in mixed browns and a long, strong tail of a darker shade. It enjoys being considered a creature of legend, finding the notion ironic.

Because its Armor Class is poor compared with its kin and ordinary weapons hurt it, the daegandal avoids melee. Its spells come first; only when cornered does it brace on its tail and rake with each claw (1d4+1) and kick with each foot (2d4-1). If clearly losing, it bounds away and lets its regeneration of 3 hit points per round mend its wounds.

Once per day each, at will and as an 8th-level wizard, it can cast spook, fog cloud, taunt, solid fog, know origin, wall of fog, forest quills and veiled tracks. Three times a day it can jump, as the wizard spell, to extend its already great leaps, and a wizard companion gains the same use of jump three times daily without memorizing it. It can also read scrolls and cast from them as an 8th-level wizard.

It prefers open grassland where it can leap far without dodging trees or rocks, though it also turns up in thin woods and on gentle hillsides. Reportedly it converses in the halfling and elven tongues and a few human ones, reads many writings of those peoples, fancying itself a scholar and historian.

Mostly solitary, it spends long hours in quiet groves studying old books and scrolls. Of all its kind it is said to seek spellcasters' company most readily, and legend places it in the northern clan lands along a cold firth.

The daegandal hunts nothing. It grazes on broad-leaved plants, choice roots and fresh grass.