Equinal [Guardinal]

Equinals rank with cervidals as the most common guardinals. They are huge humans with a draft horse's build: massive chests and shoulders, long arms, and thick fingers hard as iron that curl into a hooflike fist, reverse-jointed horse legs on true hooves covered in short bristly hair, a long narrow face, and a wild mane from crown to mid-back.

An equinal has a stone giant's Strength of 20, and exceptional ones reach 21 or 22. Scorning weapons, it fights like a boxer with jabs and uppercuts that can crack stone and fold plate armor.

Once per turn it can whinny, affecting every non-equinal within 20 feet that fails a save vs. spell: those of 4 HD or fewer are stunned, stronger ones deafened, for 1d6 rounds. A deafened victim suffers -1 to surprise and a 20% failure chance on any spell needing speech. Once per round it may use bless, command, fog cloud, light or magic missile (3 missiles), and once a day wall of stone or slow. Silver weapons or magical weapons of any bonus can harm it.

More sociable than other guardinals, equinals like their own kind and gather in small bands across the open fields and farmland of the gentle first layer, though calling a group a 'herd' invites a hoof to the face. They settle in a beloved glen or meadow for months, then move on, whiling away hours in sports and contests of skill. Friendly to travelers, they can be rough playmates, and they adore brawling and never retreat from one, even when hopelessly outmatched. They eagerly join any cause that lets them pummel evil.

In war they form the heavy infantry of the blessed fields: tough, stubborn and brave. Once a group fixes on a goal it will go to heroic lengths to reach it, which turns into a flaw when it ignores new orders to finish old ones.