Ki-rin

Golden scales glow on the ki-rin like dawn light; mane and tail are a deeper gold, horn and hooves gold shot through with rose, eyes violet, voice musical. Telepathy lets it converse, aloud or silently, with nearly any living being, besides its own tongue.

Up close it kicks with both hooves for 2d4 each and gores with its horn at +3 to hit for 3d6. Reading surface thoughts makes it almost impossible to surprise; its psionics cover nonliving control, travel and mind reading.

It casts as an 18th-level mage, with nine 1st-level spells per day, then eight of 2nd level, seven of 3rd, and so on to one of 9th.

Once a day each, it can: conjure food and drink for 2d12 people; make permanent cloth goods (32 cubic feet) or wooden items (18 cubic feet); make short-lived metal goods totaling 2,000 gp in weight, harder metal faster (adamantite lasts an hour, gold 1d4+1 days); weave illusions of sight, sound and smell that last until dispelled or disbelieved; and call lightning, summon weather, wind walk or take gaseous form. Anything airy or sky-born it creates works at double strength, hit points and damage included. It may enter the Ethereal or Astral plane at will.

Ki-rin live aloft. Only males come near the ground; no female or foal has ever been reported, and they will not discuss breeding. They aid humanoids who ask politely or who face a great evil, but value self-reliance and step in casually only in dire need.

A lair crowns a mountain or plateau reachable only by air or a hard climb: stone walls reinforced with conjured timber and cloth, a lavish interior of handmade hangings and cushions, kept clean by tame winds. Though not greedy, it still collects treasure: its own crafts, gifts, souvenirs, fines on wrongdoers and spoils of beaten foes.

It lives on conjured meals, tends its own affairs, and watches powerful evil beings, striking when their malice grows too great. Allies and the needy may receive food and riches. A whole ki-rin hide is worth 25,000 gp, but its owner may draw vengeance from other ki-rin, sympathetic humanoids and intelligent lawful good monsters.