Ki-rin

D&D 2024 monster: Ki-rin. Source: Volo's Guide to Monsters. challenge rating 12, creature type Celestial, Huge size, speed 60 ft., fly 120 ft. (hover) Ki-rins are noble, celestial creatures. In the Outer Planes, ki-rins in service to benevolent deities take a direct role in the eternal struggle between good and evil. In the mortal world, a ki-rin is celebrated far and wide as a harbinger of destiny, a guardian of the sacred, and a counterbalance to the forces of evil. Good Personified Ki-rins are the embodiment of good, and simply beholding one can evoke fear or awe in an observer. A typical ki-rin looks like a muscular stag the size of an elephant, covered in golden scales lined in some places with golden fur. It has a dark gold mane and tail, coppery cloven hooves, and a spiral-shaped coppery horn just above and between its luminous violet eyes. In a breeze or when aloft, the creature's scales and hair can create the impression that the ki-rin is ablaze with a holy, golden fire. Beyond their coloration, ki-rins vary in appearance, based on the deity each one reveres and the function it typically performs in service to that god. Some are horse-shaped, looking like gigantic unicorns, and are often used as guardians. Others have draconic features and tend to be aggressive foes of evil. One horn is most common, but a ki-rin of fierce demeanor might have two horns or a set of antlers like those of a great stag. I was awed to tears at the mere sight of my first ki-rin, and I've met gods. Bringers of Boons Common folk consider ki-rins to be rare and remote heralds of good fortune. Seeing a ki-rin fly overhead is a blessing, and events that happen on such a day are especially auspicious. If a ki-rin alights during a ceremony, such as a birth announcement or a coronation, everyone present understands that the creature is telling them great good could be in the offing. The ki-rin conveys its gifts and omens, then rises back into the sky. Ki-rins have also been known to a...