The Equinoi

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The equinoi are tall, muscled, horse-like humanoids. They have bodies covered in a short coat of hair that is typically black, brown, orange, light tan, blue-gray, or some mixture thereof—although some have much more exotic patterns. Also like horses, they have strong, hard hooves for feet and hairy tails and manes that they groom carefully. Equinoi usually prefer a peaceful, hard-working life and are fond of farming, but wanderlust is not rare and many choose to join military forces in times of crisis, as they are well suited to the task of keeping their homes safe from outside incursions.

Industrious and Strong

Aside from their horse-like coats and heads, the most obvious trait the equinoi share with horses is their muscular physique. An individual may be lean and have muscles like taut cord or be stout and bulky, but only the sickliest lack visible muscle tone entirely. Equinoi soldiers and city guards are often utilized as much for the psychological impact their appearance has as for their considerable talent at arms if they are trained for it. It is not unusual to see an equinoi farmer hauling several bushels of produce at a time without even being slowed, or pulling a hand cart the size of a gnomish caravan wagon.

Many Forms

Equinoi come in such a dizzying variety of shapes and sizes that it is speculated that their species may have been created magically. Rumors also suggest that this is why the most common varieties of equinoi most closely resemble domesticated breeds of horses rather than wild. However, their actual origins are lost from history. What is certain, though, is that regardless of their myriad differences in physical appearance, they are nevertheless a single species and view each other as (albeit sometimes distant) kin.

Friends of the Small Folk

The typical agrarian lifestyle of equinoi communities is remarkably similar to that of halflings, aside from the halfling fondness for digging structures into the sides of hills. In some places, the two races settle side by side, creating curious communities with buildings designed to comfortably accommodate two very different scales of people. Even halfling caravan communities often have one or two families of equinoi traveling along with them. These interactions between the two races are so routinely fruitful and friendly that equinoi are more likely to worship the halfling gods than any other religion.

Equinoi Names

Most equinoi have a given name chosen by their parents and family name, but as they often have large extended families living in the same area it is not unusual for an individual to list two family names from their parents in order to distinguish from a cousin with the same given name. The banded mystics, however, assign names differently. Instead of the parents choosing the name, the druid who is expected to give the child instruction when they are old enough chooses a name based on a vision, and they typically have only a given name and the name of their tribe as a whole.

Masculine Names: Adelard, Bate, Cliffbold, Col, Eadweard, Graeme, Haimo, Hereald, Larkin, Mag, Swithin, Tenney, Ward, Wemba

Feminine Names: Aldith, Bevrely, Clare, Ebbe, Florina, Godifa, Iseult, Jocosa, Kimberlyn, Leannan, Meggy, Pia, Rosey, Wassa

Family Names: Amaranth, Beltenbow, Charwagon, Dawnbluff, Downfallow, Evenhoof, Ewart, Greenshire, Goodbrandy, Luckpine, Proudbarrel, Sorrelwhisky, Thornwich, Woodbine

Banded Mystic Masculine Names: Aengus, Amergin, Conchobar, Creidhne, Delbáeth, Eochaid, Fiachu, Goídel, Gwenc’hlan, Luchtaine, Manannán, Mug Ruith, Nuadha, Rinnal, Tadg, Tuireann

Banded Mystic Feminine Names: Airmed, Bé Chuille, Biróg, Bodhmall, Calleach, Deirdre, Ethniu, Flidais, Fúamnach, Lí Ban, Macha, Nessa, Tlachtga, Uathach

Banded Mystic Tribe Names: Acacia Rift, Blue Sage, Cinder Eyes, Dream Fire, Feathersong, Manketti Shade, Lake Staff, Rosepool, Serpent Caller, Thistlecloak, Thunder Dance, Voyagewise, Waving Bushwillow

Sovereign of Knowledge Names

The actual name of a Sovereign of Knowledge is a secret, known only to the individual and their immediate family. For public use, they have an epithet used with with their title (Master Bala, Archmage Rukmini, Apprentice Prabhu, Chief Librarian Rajani, etc). The epithet is typically an adjective in celestial that describes the individual or the nature of their life’s work.

Example Androgynous Epithets: Ananta, Aruna, Bala, Chanda, Durga, Isha, Jaya, Kamala, Kanti, Mohana, Padma, Radha, Rajani, Shyama, Sushila, Uttara, Vijaya

Example Feminine Epithets: Arushi, Bhumi, Damayanti, Gauri, Indira, Kalyani, Maya, Priya, Reva, Rukmini, Savitri, Sumati, Sunita, Tara, Ushas, Yami

Example Masculine Epithets: Agni, Aniruddha, Arjuna, Bhaskara, Dinesha, Dipaka, Girisha, Hari, Lakshmana, Madhava, Nagendra, Pitambara, Prabhu, Raghu, Shankara, Vasanta, Yama

Champion of Virtue Names

Each Champion of Virtue has a hyphenated pair of personal names (For example, Lutisse-Petronille, Roland-Cateline, or Oriel-Rodin). The only specific convention with these names is that no one in the same community will have the same pair of names in the same order.

Example Androgynous Names: Adelin, Adri, Aimable, Bénigne, Calliste, Crescence, Dorice, Évangèle, Esprit, Exupérance, Floride, Gaudence, Gentile, Isée, Jordane, Louison, Morgann, Nymphodore, Oriel, Philaé, Rodin, Sandre,

Example Feminine Names: Aalis, Amée, Ava, Bartholomette, Braimimonda, Cateline, Ermengarde, Fabrisse, Genevieve, Huguette, Isabeau, Jehanne, Lutisse, Melisende, Mirabelle, Oriabel, Petronille, Rosemonde, Sybille, Vuissance, Willelma

Example Masculine Names: Abelard, Adhémar, Beaudonnier, Caschin, Durand, Estienne, Fouchier, Geoffroi, Gris, Hervisse, Josse, Landri, Mercadier, Namus, Onfroi, Prades, Roland, Roul, Tuncrede, Varocher, Wigayn, Yon

Master of Winds Names

Masters of Winds tend to be glory-seekers and their culture cares greatly about legacies and scribing one’s name upon the face of history. As such, they have countless distinct names in their historical records and names are almost never re-used.

Example Androgynous Names: Adrasteia, Aether, Agistis, Agon, Aion, Alexis, Anatolê, Arktos, Auge, Bia, Caeneus, Cypris, Dysis, Elete, Eplis, Gymnastikê, Helikon, Hemera, Hesperis, Kalos, Leucippus, Mesembria, Mousikê, Nikephoros, Nymphê, Pallas, Phanes, Podarga, Sponde, Themis, Thrasos, Zelus

Example Feminine Names: Alcyone, Andromeda, Audata, Bassaris, Celaeno, Chrysothemis, Dynamis, Electra, Eos, Galatea, Halcyone, Hippolyta, Iola, Kleio, Laodice, Lipara, Maia, Merope, Nyssa, Olympias, Penthesilea, Phaedra, Roxane, Sappho, Sterope, Taygete, Thalestris, Urania, Xanthe, Zenobia

Example Masculine Names: Ajax, Apeliotes, Argestes, Astraeus, Bellerophon, Boreas, Calaïs Chrysaor, Demophon, Eurus, Gyges, Hector, Hyperion, Iobates, Jason, Kaikias, Laertes, Meleager, Militades, Notus, Orion, Paris, Perseus, Rhexenor, Sarpedon, Tecton, Thales, Theseus, Vettias, Xeonophanes, Zephyrus, Zetes

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New Species: Equinoi

    Common Personality Traits: Hard working, patient, gregarious
    Common Physical Traits: Muscular, long maned, heavily-loaded
    Splinter Race Feats: Bold Herd (Hotblood), Dazzling Herd (Banded Mystic), Droving Herd (Herd Runner), Mighty Herd (Stalwart), Proud Herd (Champion of Virtue), Sagacious Herd (Sovereign of Knowledge), Soaring Herd (Master of Winds) otherwise you’re ‘Diligent Herd’
    Type: Large (2×2) biped folk with a Reach of 1 Your maximum wounds equal your Constitution score x 1.5 (rounded down).

• Attributes: +2 Strength
• Base Speed: 30 ft.
• Encouragement: Once per scene, you may speak to 1 of your teammates for 1 minute to grant them a +1 morale bonus with saving throws until the end of the current scene.
• Enlightened Athletics: Your maximum Athletics rank increases to your Career Level + 5. Only the highest bonus from any single enlightened ability may apply to each skill.
• Natural Attack: You gain the Kick I natural attack (see FC, page 235). If you gain a natural attack from multiple sources, the attack’s grade becomes equal to the highest single grade + 1 per additional benefit granting the same attack, to a maximum of V (e.g. Bite IV, Bite III, and Bite I become Bite V).
• Sterner Stuff: The keen quality of each attack made against you decreases by 4.

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New Species Feats

Bold Herd

Prideful, energetic, and natural runners, the hotbloods often make excellent messengers and town constables.
    Prerequisites: Equinoi, Level 1 Only
    Benefits: Your Speed increases by 10 ft. and you ignore morale penalties of -3 or less.

Dazzling Herd

The banded mystics rarely follow the settled agrarian lifestyle typical of most other equinoi, preferring instead to live in nomadic groups that move with the rhythms of untamed nature. Their black-on-white striped markings confuse the eye when they move quickly, disorienting monsters and other potential dangers that might prey upon them.
    Prerequisites: Equinoi, Level 1 Only
    Benefits: You gain a +5 bonus to tumble checks. You also gain the Chameleon I (plains) quality, and you count as 3 characters for determining numerical advantage.
    Special: When you gain this feat you may reduce any of your attributes by 2 to gain either an additional Species feat with the requirement “Level 1 only” or a spellcasting feat for which you meet the prerequisites.

Droving Herd

More common in the highlands and rougher frontiers, herd runners frequently make their living raising livestock for wool or sometimes providing oxen for farmers and caravans.
    Prerequisites: Equinoi, Level 1 Only
    Benefits: You gain 4 ranks in the Survival skill (not to exceed your maximum ranks) and ignore the effects of difficult terrain from non-magical sources.

Mighty Herd

Immense and tireless, a single stalwart can often perform as much physical labor in a day as a whole team of humans.
    Prerequisites: Equinoi, Level 1 Only
    Benefits: You’re considered 1 Size category larger for carrying capacity, Trample attacks, and resisting Bull Rush and Trip attempts so long as you are standing firmly on the ground and not climbing, flying, or riding. You also gain 4 ranks in the Crafting skill (not to exceed your maximum ranks)). Furthermore, you take exactly 1 point per die when suffering subdual damage from any Athletics/Push Limit check (no roll is required). However you have a -2 penalty to Reflex saves.

Proud Herd

With their gleaming obsidian black, pure white, opalescent or iridescent coloration and the single straight or upwardly curving horn that grows from their forehead, comparisons to unicorns are inevitable. Combined with their innate magic and ties to nature, there is considerable debate even among the Champions of Virtue themselves whether they are directly related to the creatures.
    Prerequisites: Equinoi, Level 1 Only
    Benefits: You gain a +1 bonus to attacks and skill checks made during Dramatic Scenes. You gain 4 ranks in the Medicine skill (not to exceed your maximum ranks) and you are always considered to have a Doctor’s Bag. However, your error range increases by 2 when making Impress and Sense Motive checks targeting characters of other species and you are also a Fey and vulnerable to various effects and potentially higher damage from some sources.
    Special: When you gain this feat you may reduce any of your attributes by 2 to gain either an additional Species feat with the requirement “Level 1 only” or a spellcasting feat for which you meet the prerequisites.

Sagacious Herd

Sovereigns of Knowledge have two immediately obvious differences from typical equinoi. First, they have four arms, and second, their coats bear vibrant and exotic colorations. Most commonly they are light blue, but some may be purple, green, royal blue, blood red, pink, yellow, or other colors. They are natural scholars and usually keep large libraries of written texts.
    Prerequisites: Equinoi, Level 1 Only
    Benefits: The higher of your Intelligence or Wisdom scores increase by 1. Also, you may simultaneously hold and ready up to four 1-handed, two 1-handed and one 2-handed, or two 2-handed weapons or objects. You also gain a +1 bonus with skill checks made as part of a Grab action if two or more of your hands are free. Finally, you gain a +5 bonus on Research checks.
    This feat does not grant additional attacks.

Soaring Herd

Lighter weight than even the hotbloods but twice as proud, the Masters of Winds are able to fly using their massive birdlike wings. Their coloration tends towards whites and grays, colors that can be seen among the clouds, but any natural equine coloration is not uncommon either.
    Prerequisites: Equinoi, Level 1 Only
    Benefits: You gain winged flight 40 ft and Superior Traveler I. However you receive a -2 penalty on Fortitude Saves.