Stormfury Equine (4e Monster)

Stormfury equines are, as their name suggests, horse-like elementals that roam the skies of the Elemental Chaos. Like mundane horses, stormfury equines come in a number of different breeds, but they all share some basic traits. Their bodies appear to be made from sleek clouds, with bolts of purple and blue lightning forming the creature's tail and mane. They have a love for storms, and can frequently be found gathering in large numbers to gallop through the clouds during inclement weather.

Stormfury Thundermane
Thundermanes are a relatively rare but weak breed of stormfury. They are not as fast as coursers or as deadly as destriers, but they possess a greater degree of control over their elemental energy and can channel it into a deafening cry.


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Stormfury Thundermane Tactics
A stomrfury thundermane always keeps to the rear of its herd, using deafening whinny on the nearest enemy. They stay in range of as many other stormfury equines as they can to maximize the usage of their sympathetic resonance ability. A thundermane usually saves thundering stomp in case it gets cornered by an enemy, since they prefer to avoid melee combat.

Stormfury Courser
Coursers are a swift breed of stormfury equines, and one of the most common. They love to run, even more so than their kin, rarely stopping except to sleep. A courser moving at a full gallop appears to be nothing more than a streak of electricity


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Stormfury Courser Tactics
A stormfury courser prefers to remain constantly on the move. Against terrestrial foes it spends a move action to fly straight up, out of reach, and then uses calm before the storm so that it can stormwalk through as many enemies as possible on its next turn. If it is unable to fly for whatever reason, or if its targets can follow it into the skies, it will try to stormwalk through walls or other solid barriers to slow down pursuers instead before using calm before the storm.

Stormfury Destrier
The most powerful but least common of the stormfury breeds, destriers are fierce combatants and almost seem to relish battle, although they do not attack unless frightened or provoked. They will fight to the death if they feel any member of their herd is in danger.


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Stormfury Destrier Tactics
A destrier begins combat by using mark of lightning and growing storm on the creature that first provoked it or its herd. In following rounds it moves into melee to make tempest hoof attacks and reuses mark of lightning on whichever enemy seems to be inflicting the most harm on the herd. A destrier never retreats as long as any member of its herd is endangered.

Stormfury Equine Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana check.


 * DC 20: It is said that when the first storm cloud formed high above the Elemental Chaos a single deafening bout of thunder tore across the sky, carried on the backs of the stormfury equines; since that time these horse-like creatures have roamed the clouds, their hooves creating thunder as they run across the sky and their manes trailing brilliant lightning. While these tales are more wistful fancy than fact, there is no denying that stormfury equines seem to be the very living embodiment of an eternal tempest. Their bodies appear to be made from solidified clouds, varying in color from pure white to darkest grey, while their manes and tail are masses of ever-changing bolts of lightning. While stormfury equines do not actually possess any ability to affect the weather, they love storms and can often be seen galloping through the skies whenever there is inclement weather: the more severe the tempest, the greater the number of stormfuries one is likely to find at its heart.


 * The most common stormfuries are the coursers, whose speed and grace are said to be unmatched. Their manner is fairly tame when compared to some of their wilder kin, so some elemental races value these creatures as aerial mounts. A courser cannot truly be domesticated, however: its spirit is free, and it desires nothing more than to race across the skies in search of even the slightest storm. Still, if a courser is treated with kindness and given free reign to go where it desires, they can form close bonds with an individual.


 * DC 25: Stormfury thundermanes are weaker and less common than coursers. They tend to be skittish and easily excited: when startled they are equally likely to investigate, attack, or flee from the source of distress. As such they generally make the worst mounts out of all the stomrfury breeds. However, some groups of riders like to keep one or two thundermanes around other breeds in order to take advantage of their curious ability to replicate and redirect sonic energy.

Encounter Groups
Stormfury equines are sociable creatures among their own kind, but are often timid around other species, at least initially. Their wild nature means they can't be tamed, but may still be found serving as mounts or companions to those who have earned their trust.

Level 17 Encounter (XP 8,200) — Stormchasers
 * 1 air archon tempestblade (level 18 skirmisher, Manual of the Planes pg. 114)
 * 3 storm archon squallshields (level 17 soldier)
 * 1 stormfury courser (level 16 skirmisher)