Heraldic Servant II

A six-foot dragon with shimmering green scales and great leathery wings. In humanoid form it loses wings, tail and much of its size but stays scaly, with vicious clawed hands, glowing amber eyes and a long fanged snout. It claws and bites like any dragon, slaps foes behind it with its tail for 2d6, and three times a day may breathe fire for 6d8 instead of making physical attacks, even as a humanoid. In that shape it fights as an 8th-level fighter using reduced natural weapons (1d6/1d6/2d6) or a two-handed sword, and on request it arrives bearing a +1/+3 two-handed sword that merges into it when it resumes dragon form. The king of a forested realm, its only known bearer, lets it stay in natural form much of the time. Perhaps the most honored of all such servants, rivaled only by the unicorn and phoenix, it grants two extra levels instead of one and, through the telepathic link, immunity to fire.

Man-high, its wings spreading past 15 feet, it has gold-tipped dark brown plumage and a white head, and its beak and talons pierce plate armor. Its humanoid shape could be taken for a winged elf, with white feather hair, clawed feet and dark gold wings, moving 18, flying 40 (B). It strikes with claws and beak; a dive of over 50 feet gives +4 to hit and double claw damage in either form. Sharp eyes mean it can be surprised only at night or in its lair (1 in 10). In natural form it projects a majestic aura, so every attacker must save vs. spell at -2 before each attack or find itself unable to harm the eagle, except foes it is attacking directly. The humanoid has no aura; it fights as a 5th-level fighter with a long sword, or claws for 1d6. An emperor bears it. With telepathic link or the carried arms, a bearer has its eyesight (as eyes of the eagle) and may invoke the aura for a round three times a day.

Haughty and tenacious, it pairs a lion's hindquarters and tail in dusky yellow with an eagle's head, beak and wings. At seven feet tall it can bear a rider (15, class D). The upright humanoid weighs several hundred pounds less and moves 16, flying 30 (C). Keen senses let it identify creatures a mile away. It usually rakes in a diving pass, then lands to fight with beak and claws until one side dies or its bearer recalls it, and only +1 or better weapons hurt it. It can enlarge as the spell at double duration, still carrying a rider at full speed, and use whispering wind and gust of wind three times daily each, in either form. A margrave and a duke ride theirs as jeweled ceremonial mounts, the duke's enchanted saddle and harness improving maneuverability to B or C. In telepathic contact a bearer can be hit only by magic weapons.

Always deep black or pure white, these horses are small, carrying riders up to about five feet tall with ease. As humanoids they have black or white skin and a thin mane in place of hair. In battle the horse rears and attacks with teeth and forehooves like a warhorse, and in rounds without a frontal attack it may kick a foe behind it for 2d8. The humanoid summons an ordinary double-headed mace and fights as a 5th-level warrior. The horse can stride up into the sky as if onto a hill, but only when ridden by its bearer and commanded telepathically. It regains 1 hit point each round in both forms, except that acid and fire wounds stay until healed by magic. Barding it wears alters itself to fit the humanoid. A duke and a baron of the frontier coast bear horse servants and share the regeneration through telepathic contact.