Shinook.
[Sketches depicting several related equine like species, all of which have some form of armor. The Lesser Shinook posses only a broad, armored tail and mane of plates, while the Greater Shinook posses armored plates all over their body. One sketch depicts a Greater Shinook staring at the sketcher, it's face ever so subtly engraved with a look of mild disdain and contempt.]
[A note and photo is attached. The photo depicts a stained glass window showing a Normal Body Type Oros male punching out a Greater Shinook. The note reads 'Shimshon was Awesome. Best Saint and Pontiff, fight me!'
Scientific Name Translation: Contemptuous Emperor Equine.
Average Size: Varies on subspecies, Large scale creature, average of 12-13 feet/3.658-3.962 meters high on four legs for Greater Shinook.
Average Weight: Varies on subspecies, average of 5-7 tons for Greater Shinook.
Notable Sexual Dimorphism: Mares tend to have noticeable eye lashes compared to males. Head-mares tend to have a golden sheen to their armored plates.
Habitat Range: Depends on subspecies, primarily woodland and field biomes, as well as shorelines.
Summary:
While nowhere near our closest relatives, few other beasts are quite as universally well known or as respected and feared as the Shinook equines. While the specifics vary from sub-species to sub-species, they are universally in possession of some manner of armored plates upon their form. Lesser Shinooks posses plated tails and manes, the tails resembling those of Greater Shinooks while the rest of their unarmored hide is covered in a very short, fine fur as well as a mass of scar tissue the longer they survive. Greater Shinooks lack manes, but posses a full canopy of armor from the tip of their nose to the soles of their bifurcated hooves.
Regardless of their subspecies, both kinds of Shinook are renown for their quiet demeanor and their notorious expressions. Lesser Shinooks tend to posses more contemptuous faces, a near constant scowl as they move through the world without the sheer size or armor coverage of their Greater Shinook counterparts. Greater Shinooks, meanwhile, tend to have more 'bored' expressions as the dangers of Null wash over their forms the majority of the time. They tend to grow contemptuous or annoyed expressions, however, at the sight of their arch enemies, the various Gryphon species, or something trying to fight them.
Lesser Shinooks tend to be more passive and prefer to be left to their own devices, using their greater numbers to form large, protected herds. Greater Shinooks, while forming herds as well, tend to break off far more frequently on their own. They are considerably more mercurial in temperament, one moment ignoring everything in front and around them as they trudge through their territory, the next suddenly and violently snatching up some unfortunate creature that wandered to close to be quickly killed and devoured as a snack. Those in forests seem to have an appreciation for Slaughtering Shrikes as such snacks. Both types are deceptively quiet for such large creatures and can sneak up on the unsuspecting, even those with keen hearing like us Oros.
This direct and blunt method of living belies the cunning behind their eyes, for they have been known to utilize advanced tactics both individually and with their herds in order to fight off our military forces. Their straightforward ways of doing things stems more from the fact that they normally do not face threats worth utilizing their cunning to deal with rather than lacking cunning altogether, and some rightfully argue that their straightforward ways of doing things are a form of cunning as their unpredictability makes them difficult to prepare for.
This seemingly unpredictable temperament makes them dangerous, as they are just as likely to ignore Civilized Races crossing their paths as they are to take offense and attempt to kill or drive them off. Greater Shinooks do not take kindly to other large predators in their domain and will not hesitate to attack until the opponent is dead or on the run. Most Greater Shinook hides, as a result, are covered in a myriad of scars from armor piercing claws attempting and mostly failing to punch through their armor. [A note is attached here. It reads 'Most critters have an anti-armor coating of magical origin over their claw strikes. The biggers ones have more powerful coatings. They still have trouble getting through Shinook armor.
Yeesh.']
The armored portions of a Shinook are legendary in their toughness. Weapons fail to penetrate without some armor-piercing blessing placed upon them, and even modern day rail weapons struggle to do as much as dent the thickest portions without an armor-piercing blessing. Even then, Shinooks, particularly Greater Shinooks, are extremely hardy. A fight against one is as much a battle of attrition as it is a test of finding the right arms powerful enough to bypass their armor. Shinooks that inhabit mountain sides are frequently struck by lightning, something they literally shake off as though it were nothing. In fact, some actively seek out lightning during times of cold in order to be warmed up by the electrical strike against them. Fire also fails to scorch their plates and their flesh is oddly resilient against heat. [A note is attached here. It reads, 'Recommend munition: Ultra-dense tank rail cannon or Heavy Infantry Anti-Tank rail rifle scale tungsten penetrator with diamantium tip and an armor-piercing enchantment from either a Spirit, Runes, or a Magi. That's what the military guys I work with say from experience, anyway.']
Some would think that having such little experience with actual pain would result in Greater Shinooks being driven off from sheer agony if an attack managed to break through their armor and punch through their flesh below. This is not the case. Those that manage to actually, truly injure a Greater Shinook either earns their respect or their wrath. The former will be accepted as an honorary Greater Shinook and left be. The latter will be mercilessly run down and killed as violently as possible in retribution for this slight against them. The trigger honestly depends on the individual Shinook in question and their present mood at the time.
If one is equipped with a powerful enough weapon capable of punching through their outer armor, there are few places that striking them is suitable for taking them out quickly. Their bones are as tough if not tougher than their hides, and both their hearts are covered in an arrangement of plates similar to those on their flesh. Even Lesser Shinooks posses these armored hearts, making them deceptively difficult to kill as well.
Among their arsenal of weaponry include all of their bodily implements. Their teeth are as tough as the rest of their skeleton and make quick work of steel. While they cannot eat the flesh of Civilized Races like the vast majority of Nullian life, Shinooks stumbling upon fallen bodies of soldiers will more than willingly consume the armor that surrounds them. Modern day powered armor is thus an excellent source of metal-ceramic and nano-crystalline composites and the fuel cells of fallen armored vehicles are a great supplement of energy in their diet.
Their tails are broad, the plates at the edges sharp. This gives them a surprisingly effective cutting weapon via tail swipes, powerful enough to fell grown trees with a single cut. These swipes are accurate and the edges thin enough that a Shinook can easily cut the throat or belly of an Oros with a single strike each. The broadness of their tails also makes them good for swimming, though Shinooks do not 'swim' so much as they land on the bottom of a body of water then propel themselves forwards through sheer leg and tail power, 'trot-hopping' beneath the water's surface. This makes them deceptively good ambush swimming predators for those that live near bodies of water.
Hidden away from view in their throat and hooves are a set of Amplifier Organs. These give Shinooks extremely powerful strikes from their hooves and a sonic amplification effect for their yells. This means, their hooves can be used to create powerful stomping and kicking attacks, affecting the ground despite not having any geomancy magic in their systems. Their yells, when in water, are amplified into a sonic weapon capable of rupturing aquatic life with ease. On the surface, they merely serve as powerful suppression devices, though still capable of rupturing blood vessels if one is close enough.
One of their most destructive weapons, however, is the matter disruption field they posses. This field activates when they charge, enveloping their fronts in a half dome of visible energy. This field allows them to plow through armored structures from one end to the other like they weren't even there and severely damage the armor of anyone caught in front of them. Individuals without unbreakable bones like those of the Oros are advised to get clear, as a direct strike could potentially mean sever injury or death.
The Shinook are a complicated species. As mentioned before, they are herd oriented, following a lead mare, but are also independent enough that encountering one on its lonesome is a common prospect. The Shanook, antlered and more magical cousins of the Shinook, are more closely herd dependent and not as armored or as tough by comparison. The relationship between the two species is a straightforward one: The Shanook are more outgoing and attention-hungry compared to the comparatively insular Shinook, who promptly ignore their Shanook cousin's attempts to impress them and/or make them jealous over the Shanook's comparatively more diverse and powerful magical abilities.
Shinook families vary from subspecies and region, though all take care of the youngest with an uncharacteristically zealous and frightful demeanor. Attempting to approach a Shinook foal is dangerous when another, older Shinook is around, as the older one will guard their younger wards furiously, even if they are not directly blood related.
The Shinooks are a powerful, dangerous species of Large scale creatures, with the most famous instance of them in our history being in relation to the Ambaric faith, in which Shim of the Shon, Companion to the Prophet Am of the Bar and first Pontiff of the Ambaric Church, famously beat an entire herd of Greater Shinook into respecting him through the power of his fists alone. Since then, Shinooks have appeared as animals in heraldry the continent over, particularly the Greater Shinooks. [A note is attached. It reads, 'My birth city had Cacklers as part of their heraldry. Makes sense given we lived near a Cackle Mound, but Mom told me that they once tried to vote for Shinooks to be in the heraldry. I say they're cowards for not adding such hard core beasts on there!']
Disturbingly, evidence suggest that the Shinook and other similarly tough creatures were not this powerful in recent history. It seems as though that the more we advance, the more dangerous other life becomes to 'compensate.' The implications of this are dire and are probably related to our origins. Either an update to the current edition or the next edition will hold the answers after I have managed to have an audience with the Mediator. Until then, this edition will have to launch as is due to deadlines. [A note is attached. It depicts a decent sketch of an Oros woman with a single, crystalline horn emanating from her head seated on a throne. It reads 'The Great Unifier knows all. Probably. The Mediator is scary.']
