One of two dappled grey-black Basuto ponies that pulled Garlan Shepard’s covered wagon into the mists. Stanford was the restless one. When Garlan collapsed and panic took hold, it was Stanford who broke free of the reins entirely, sending the wagon lurching and snapping its front axle clean off. He bolted into the dark and hasn’t been seen since.
The party found his body in the road between two halves of an old graveyard, mauled and stiff, barely recognisable as the horse that once drew their wagon. Red knelt beside him. Hoofprints circled the corpse at odd, dragging angles, and a long smear of gore trailed off toward the treeline, as if something had dragged him there. Retnuh wondered aloud whether Stanford, or Red, was bait.
After Red drew a horse on a page of his lilac book and handed it to Edric, Stanford rose again. Edric carefully approached him, and Stanford let Edric mount him.
Statblock
Stanford
Edric’s mount
Large undead, unaligned
Armor Class 9 (mauled hide)
Hit Points 45
Speed 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 8 (−1) 19 (+4) 2 (−4) 6 (−2) 3 (−4)
Damage Resistances piercing, slashing
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
Languages none
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces him to 0 hit points, he makes a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, he drops to 1 hit point instead.
Confer Necrotic Resistance. He can grant resistance to necrotic damage to anyone riding him.
Tireless. He doesn’t need food, water, or sleep, and can travel at a fast pace without penalty.
Actions
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
On the road to Vallaki, Ernest Festibule took one look at him, “Dear me. That poor fellow looks rather the worse for wear,” and gave the party a caparison in the colours of the Order of the Silver Dragon, amber and silver, embroidered with a dragon’s coil.