Pixie

I could have sworn the Pixie was a Tiny creature and had a bunch of mental material prepared in order to make fun of their tiny toothpick arrows. After learning to read, we find that the pixie is a Small Fey creature of the Sprite variety. This largely just means they use Primal illusion-based spells, and taking a cursory look at their features, that's more or less what you get.

That isn't to say the pixie doesn't pack a punch. Their best tool is undoubtedly Sprinkle Pixie Dust, which basically makes a pixie a crowd-control-only ranged Magus (except it only does the effect instead of dealing damage, but you get me). Customize this feature a bit, add some other crowd control or mental/nonlethal effects and you've got a potent salvo of fey debilitations coming in from 100 feet easy.

If your party is full of murderhobos, this little trickster has a pretty good chance of getting away due to the sheer number of effects its Pixie Dust can imbue upon its arrows (assuming it gets a turn). That shouldn't be a problem, though. Did I forget to mention it's an intelligent creature that can fly? It can be permanently invisible, even when it's attacking. Oh, also, its default attack has a range increment of 100 feet. And it's a level-4 creature. You do the math.

The pixie is a potent combatant to be sure. If the pixie gets into a fight that isn't in an enclosed space, it's going to have a massive advantage. Make sure you take that into account before you pit a bunch of them against your party and make the murderhobos roleplay losing 5+ minutes of their memory.

- TJ

Hook 1 (Nemanja) - The Twins of Renwood

Two identical pixie twins reside in the Renwoods. One is extremely helpful and is happy to guide anyone who wanders astray through the woods, while the other is a sadist who enjoys feeding would-be adventurers to the many trolls, hydras, and hags that call the woods home. More experienced rangers have learned the trick to differentiate them—the good twin hates sugar and will refuse to eat it, while the evil twin is addicted to it. Hence, anyone venturing into the woods is instructed to bring a sweet roll or two with them...

Hook 2 (Max) - The Ancient Liberator

Towns and villages around Ghastwood are plagued by a curse most eerie. Children are going missing during full moons, and some claim to hear their laughter coming from beneath the dark trees of the ancient forest. None dare enter the wood, however, as no one has ever returned from it.

Some speak of spirits haunting the woods while others think that a ferocious beast lives there. Many say they've seen small eyes glinting in the dark, accompanying the ominous giggling.

Alas, there is no beast or ghost, but an ancient force that lies within Ghastwood, older than any city, one that does not comprehend the human notions of good and evil. The children are inevitably drawn to it, and it offers to free them, turning them into something... new. New, but at the same time very, very ancient. They retain their memories but are freed from the shackles of humanity, as the sovereign of the woods grants them their new forms.

Hook 3 (Reece) - The King of Thorns

The King of Thorns was of the most powerful within the Court of Dark Hearts. Before they were locked away behind the Fallowfield, the fey king reigned havoc both within The Infinite Garden as well as the material plane. His most dangerous skill—the one that gained him the status he held within the Dark Court—was his ability to twist both the ambivalent and beneficent fey into hateful, spite-fueled creatures.

Now, locked away from his access to the majority of The Infinite Garden and his access to the material plane, he instead has taken to corruption of the uncaring pixies that wonder too closely to the Fallowfield. It is said that his touch can already be felt across the land. While most pixies are mischievous though innocuous, the Thorn Pixies have taken to mastering the arts of memory manipulation, which they now are using to sow chaos across the land. From the highest of the nobility to the lowliest of peasants, their false memories have cascading effects that are quickly spiraling toward outright civil war. Families turned against one another, friends against friends and lovers against lovers, all on the falsehoods The King of Thorns instructs them to craft.

Biding his time, the chaos has created an opening from which The King of Thorns can escape—some villagers have begun to beseech fey beings for a reprieve from the chaos, and The King is happy to oblige... For a price.

Pit Fiend (Tyrant Devil)

Looking at the Pit Fiend, one could mistakenly take this particular devil for a brutish type whose only trick is whacking the party with its giant claws. Don't get the wrong idea, it decidedly can (and will) crush you if you get too close, but this is not where it shines.

To start things off, the pit fiend has an impressive array of spells at its disposal, all high level, many of which can be cast at will (like bind soul or divine decree). But, believe it or not, they are not the most impressive tool in that devil's arsenal.

A pit fiend has one singular ability that caught my attention and elevated it to a "campaign level threat" status for me—Devil Shaping. Yep, the Pit Fiend can create devils out of the souls of damned mortals. Devils all the way up to level 20, mind you. It may choose not to, given that any Pit Fiend it creates will not be bound to it, as opposed to lesser devils, however, I ask you to bear with me here.

Devils are lawful, which makes them somewhat amiable towards negotiation. So, let's say a Pit Fiend creates another one in the span of ten days, then convinces it to join it. After another ten days, you have four. Then eight. Within the span of a month, you have eight level-20 fiends. A party of four can easily take a single Pit Fiend. Two might be a challenge, but they should still prevail. Four might be deadly. Eight edges on impossible. Sixteen? You straight-up want to kill your party. And, keep in mind, as long as there are souls to feed to the infernal furnace, the creation of more and more devils can continue.

And let's be realistic, there's no shortage of mortal souls down in Hell.

- Max

Hook 1 (Max) - The Sculptor

In Hell, souls are a currency, and those who can use it quickly rise in the infernal ranks. None are, however, more valued than the devils capable of molding the spirits of mortals into more powerful forms. Prime among them is the Sculptor, a true artist in the field, sought out by all fiendish overlords to boost the strength of their legions with servants.

He lives in a tower made of living, moaning flesh, surrounded by a moat of black tar. Flies and other corpse eaters create a black shroud surrounding the structure, the scent of decay is considered revolting even by some other fiends. Stalking the vast halls of the Tower of Scum are countless monsters wrought by his wicked hand, far more formidable than one might imagine.

The Sculptor enjoys his craft to a great degree, taking jobs from anyone willing to provide more souls. Many have tried to bend him to their will or even kill him, with mostly poor outcomes. It is rumored that one of the dukes that attempted it was twisted into a shadow of his former self and is now bound to guard the Tower as a mindless drone.

And so the Sculptor overlooks his domain, providing Hell with newer and more abominable creations, grinning his wicked grin, scheming and conniving, as his grand plan will soon come to fruition.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Queen's Plea

Between the cities of Arkhast and Blumenkhast, there lies a half-finished pyramid made of black obsidian. For ages untold, it has lain there, and while many rumours shroud the place in mystery, not a mortal alive today can point to its true origin. Many consider it a cursed place, owing to the fact that it lies on a corrupt ley-line and is situated in the only part of the forest not absolutely infested with mischievous but friendly fey-folk.

Several months ago, a minor but rich noble from a faraway land bought the land and put in motion plans to finish the building. While gossip soon blossomed, no one was truly concerned, as the deeply magical land had always been attractive to would-be occultists with money to spend.

That is, until one day when—mortally wounded—the Queen of Summer, mother of all the fey, appeared before the champions, begging them to find a way to stop the noble. Otherwise, she cried, the three-horned one would come back to finish what he started ten thousand years ago.

Hook 3 (TJ) - The Power of Bureaucracy

The tyrant devil drummed his clawed fingers on the edge of his skull throne, the other hand rubbing his forehead as he tried desperately to disperse the headache. He looked up at the phistophilus (he'd already forgotten her name), not bothering to hide the exasperation on his face.

He'd dealt with too many contractors during construction. At last, his brimstone palace was finally complete. Physically, at least. Finalizing the process and giving it a name wasn't as easy as just christening it in the blood of his enemies, apparently—though that was an important step.

"You mean to tell me that I can't call it 'The Palace of Unending Flame?' Why not? I'm Derthakk the Flame King. I went through all the trouble building it with that theme in mind."

"Yes, well, you decided to call yourself the Flame King, I don't remember an official title being approved. 'The Palace of Unending Flame' is taken, you'll have to call it something else."

"Alright, fine. 'The Brimstone Throne.' It has a nice rhyme to it, I could live with that."

"Yes, Kantherrik the Mad, which is his official title, liked it too. It's taken."

"'The Blazing Fortress.'"

"Taken."

"'The Scorching Kingdom.'"

"Taken."

He suggested about a dozen more that were all accounted for in-kind before digging his nails into his throne hard enough to leave gouges in the armrests.

"Perhaps," he said through gritted teeth, "I need some more time to dwell on it. I humbly request that you send me a list of names that are already taken. Until then, get out of my sight before I have to get a DIFFERENT contract devil to file an incident report."

She smiled sweetly and rolled up the contract they'd been poring over, his signature line tragically blank.

"Well, I suppose this might be a bad time for me to remind you that we cannot consider this a legitimate habitation without an agreed-upon name."

He suppressed a snarl. "What does that mean?"

"It means you can't live here, yet."

His frustrated, guttural yell resonated throughout the entirety of the unnamed palace and echoed through miles and miles of the surrounding hellscape.

Phistophilus (Contract Devil)

I'm tempted (get it?) to call the Contract Devil a quintessential one, because if there is one thing that we commonly associate with the devil, it's trying to pry mortals' souls away for a price, and this here baddie can do exactly that. A contract devil may offer an infernal contract that can grant any wish one might desire in exchange for their ever-living spirit being condemned to eternity in the fiery pits of Hell. As an added bonus, while the contract is in place, the devil always knows where you are.

In terms of its abilities, the phistophilus centers more around the social aspect, obviously, but can dish out some damage if need be (of note is that it attacks with the contracts attached to its horns, which are impervious to all damage). If the devil finds itself in a proverbial pickle, it can easily get away using its vast array of spells, should it find itself in serious danger.

So, how can we use the Contract Devil? To lure our players in with the promise of anything they might want, of course! I wouldn't put it past the fiend to appear before the party in their greatest time of need and offer them help, for a small price of one of their souls. The party can obviously try to retrieve their friend's spirit from Hell, but then again, that would be a direct violation of the contract, wouldn't it?

- Max

Hook 1 (Nemanja) - The Dealer is a Devil

Seemingly overnight, an old inn where even older sailors used to play games of chance grew into a gambling parlour the likes of which the world had never seen before. Set on three stories, with a small army of concierges, dice dealers, and bottle shakers in its employ, The Lucky Tooth is now an (in)famous institution. One of the things adding to the gambling parlour's popularity is that, unlike many other institutions of its kind, it will accept desperate calls of people to bet their clothing, horses or hounds, or even houses.

Hell, there are even rumors that a gaunt, clean-shaven, crimson-clad man will sometimes appear and offer the fallen one last chance: bet their immortal soul against as much as a thousand gold coins. After all, it's worth a shot, and they have nothing left to lose, right?

Hook 2 (TJ) - Get in Line

"I assure you, my terms are quite generous. Just sign here and you'll be anything you want to be, have whatever it is you want. A benevolent king, a ruthless despot, rich beyond your wildest dreams! I even had someone who wanted to be a dragon. Anything you want."

The terms were actually pretty generous. There was one sticking point, though. He pretended to mull it over, scratching at his stubble.

"Yeah, they do seem pretty generous. What about a deal that doesn't require my soul?"

"Darling, all I do is deal in souls."

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, I just. The soul's off the table."

"What do you mean? You don't need it. It's not doing anything for you. It'll be in good keeping. All you have to do is sign here."

She had a point. A significant amount of power and prestige was being offered for something he didn't need right here and now. It was still a problem, though.

"Yeah, I still think that's a no-can-do. Sorry, I'll have to walk away from this one."

He could see the exasperation (and maybe a hint of desperation) flash across her face for the briefest of moments.

"Why not? I've been more than generous, we spent hours going over terms. You're going to leave it on the table here and now? One soul for anything you could ever want."

"Yeah, see, about that, there's the problem. See, I don't have my soul anymore. Already traded it. There's a bit of a line to get it."

The disbelief and genuine shock on her face lingered a bit longer. To her credit, she recovered quickly.

"That's no." She cleared her throat. "That's no problem. I don't normally do this, it's generally below us. What about your firstborn?"

"Yeah, see, about that..."

Hook 3 (Reece) - Piled on Paranoia

Shybrandila Shiver-tongue is on figuratively thin ice with her Archdevil. After botching up a deal with an evil fey, as well as cutting a deal with a mortal king that went awry, she is looking to up her soul-trading game. 

Mendar The Wise has been making somewhat questionable choices as of late. The aging Lord Commander of the Steelcap Knights believes that the local villages are plotting to storm their keep and steal from the order. Shybrandila, knowing him paranoid in his older age, has been whispering of dissent to Mendar and his eldest advisors, sowing dissent among them. 

Having primed the leaders of the order, Brandi is looking for some adventurers of questionable morals to scare the old knight by posing as thieving villagers. Should some actual stealing occur, she doesn't care either way, so long as she can drive the entire order to do terrible things to the locals, damning them all the same...

Phoenix

Of the many creatures that exist in the first Pathfinder bestiary, few are as rife with tropes as the Phoenix. The phoenix is, perhaps, the most recognizable creature in pop culture due to a particularly popular children's story about wizards, alongside the fact that it has been adapted and readapted ad infinitum across all sorts of literature and media.

Beyond how well known it is, the theme of death and rebirth that the phoenix is so readily associated with can be a powerful trope to leverage when you want to bring a little bit of extra drama to your table. What makes the Pathfinder 2nd edition Phoenix stand out? First off, it's gargantuan, making this iteration of the mythical beast literally larger than an elephant.

The phoenix as the book presents is both physically and magically powerful, accentuated by its very high level in comparison to other classically mythical creatures such as the unicorn or the pegasus. Also, unlike other depictions, the phoenix is sapient and can speak a slew of other languages.

There are many different reasons you may want to use a phoenix. As a rare creature, consider what impact a phoenix might have on the environment it inhabits. An enormous, good-aligned, fire-breathing beast could give many dragons a run for its money.

Lastly, I recommend that if you think there is sufficient reason for it to reflavor the phoenix to a different element or damage type. A frost phoenix that lords over a mountain range or a lightning phoenix that heralds a coming storm can make for a compelling and unique version that is unique to your setting.

- Reece

Hook 1 (Max) - Light My Fire

Every seventy-seven years, a fiery mote of magma erupts from the ground, heralding the arrival of a phoenix into the world. The birth of these ferocious creatures is a rare occurrence and a grand event at that. For a week the egg sits in its place, impervious to all magic, burning anyone who gets too close. After some time, a blinding flame bursts forth and envelops everything in a fifty-mile radius, proceeding to burn for months on end.

This, understandably, is not lenient to any creature that is not made of fire actually living a life, so there are precautions taken whenever magi report the emergence of a phoenix egg in the wild.

The trouble is, one of these rocks surfaced beneath the imperial capital and needs to be transported somewhere else before it hatches. Not only must this be done with extreme care, but the job must also be performed without the populace becoming aware of it, lest it causes a panic.

Hook 2 (TJ)- The Festival of Pigmented Plumes

During Fairsun In Tulgolthi lands, you can catch iridescent light shows as the locals celebrate the Festival of Pigmented Plumes. The storytellers all have their own spin on the story of what began this fireworks festival. Some say the adversary was a demon king seeking to corrupt the eggs of the phoenix. Others say it was a draconic empress, bent on removing any opposition to her throne. All agree that the phoenix was very clever and insisted on a fight in familiar terrain. 

In the end, the potent adversary slew the flaming bird, though the clever phoenix was not so easily defeated. As the phoenix's life force slipped away, it burst into one last eruption of flame, igniting the vast stores of flammable powder hidden beneath its nesting materials. This hidden arsenal of explosives served a dual purpose of removing her adversary from existence as well as providing the last catalytic heat needed to hatch her clutch. 

The legend goes on to say that early Tulgolthi people traveled to investigate the massive explosion where they found the phoenix reborn anew, taking care of her young. She imparted to them the news that their oppressor was dead and instructed them on the specifics of the compounds she used to set her trap. Tulgolthi celebrations and warfare have used gunpowder and light shows as a centerpiece on both fronts ever since.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Furies and Fugitives

Kavahar is a strange world full of powerful and strange beasts. Denizens of the elemental planes warn planar travelers not to wander too close to its outskirts as the powers within are extraordinarily dangerous, and escaping off of the world is exceedingly difficult.

On Kavahar, known to outsiders as The Land of Four Furies, four great avian beasts control the very essence of the land. The Fire Phoenix Aan, the Greater Thunderbird Bijal, the Frost Phoenix Thand, and the Greater Tidehawk Gahar. Each of the four furies are so vast and powerful, being anywhere in their vicinity is dangerous to mortals. The constant migrations of the four can shape the land and shift leylines drastically, creating an ever-shifting ecology of chaos.

While sentient elementals are quick to warn travelers of the dangers on Kavahar, they are also incapable of traveling there themselves without risking their own lives, as traveling near one of the four furies can instantly destroy any planar creature caught within the wingbeat-wind of the wrong fury.

This is all particularly unfortunate given that a fugitive of the Brass Kingdom in the Plane of Fire is hiding on Kavahar, out of reach from any of the Elemental Lords. Due to the difficulties inherent in the job, the bounty to retrieve this criminal is exceedingly high. Any mortals willing to risk the danger could make out quite well, assuming they survive...

Pegasus

Few creatures are quite as recognizable as the Pegasus—a staple mythical creature that is fitting in any mythical fantasy setting. Though they are somewhat cliche, there are many reasons to consider using one. Beyond mounting an angel of some kind on its back—something you definitely should do at least once—this beast is simple and relatively low-level given that we often associate the creatures with powerful angels and/or spellcasters.

While there are not many occasions that one would need to fight a pegasus, thinking about where you may find these creatures and how they may be seen in your setting can be a good worldbuilding exercise. As an added bonus, as a level 3 creature, it is entirely reasonable that your players could gain the (temporary) aid of some pegasi to get somewhere quickly and efficiently! A sufficient Diplomacy or Nature check could convince a pegasus to assist a party of adventurers—assuming they have good intentions that is.

- Reece

Hook 1 (Nemanja) - Pegasus Pariah

For almost a thousand years the head monks of the Saltspire monastery and the lead mares of the Flutterhoof herd of pegasi have had an agreement: prospective champions of the monastery would, as a part of their final test, need to demonstrate athletic excellence by jumping onto a pegasus in full flight.

For their part, the pegasi agreed to this as their ideals were quite close to those of the monks' order, and to even become a candidate for a champion, one would need to show extreme strength of both body and character.

This recently changed, however, with the rise of a fiend-tainted new head mare, who now tries to recruit the monks into her infernal schemes...

Hook 2 (Max) - Mighty Magical Mishap: A Lesson in the Misuse of Transmutation

Grand Imperial Academy of Magic - Dean's Office. Early morning.

"Alright, young mister, give me a single reason why I shouldn't turn you into the ugliest toad this world has ever seen this instant." The pale young man in front of the ancient wizard merely gulps, trembling with sweat running down his face, half from fear and half from the raging hangover. "The merchant Branibor is furious—that was his most prized racing horse, you know. He's out for blood, lad! Your blood, might I add!" 

The old man sighs heavily, running a palm across his face. "And, as if this wasn't enough, you go and sneak into the prince's gardens! The prince! It truly is a marvel how you did not accidentally turn into a huff of cloud or a table plant, boy." The dean takes a sip from his chalice, usually filled with wine, though today's occasion called for something stronger. "But no, you couldn't just stop at stealing precious animals, no, you had to show off. The prince really loved that eagle, you know. He will not be pleased." Silence befalls the room. "Luckily, I've managed to buy you some time. You can thank me later. You have a week to retrieve both the horse and the bird."

"B-but, they're..."

"Oh, I know. I didn't say it was going to be easy, lad." He takes another solid swig from the cup. "I'd get moving if I were you, though. I heard the beast flew off into the sunset—you'll need to be quick if you want to catch up."

Hook 3 (Reece) - Stylin' Stallion

Treven had seen a lot of strange things in his life, having spent the entirety of it in The Verdant Isles. The old forests on the isle were strange, and fey creatures were known to play tricks upon foolish farmboys and loggers for a laugh. In Pinefall, his tiny home village, it was a fact of life that the local spirits would play tricks upon unsuspecting villagers. Fortunately, these tricks were rarely dangerous and, for the most part, were simply inconveniences. Having lived through thirty summers, this was the last problem he expected to solve.

There, in his neighbor Reddy Tem's horse pen was a massive, winged horse-thing that was harassing the only other stallion in the pen; Steelshod was not particularly interested in contending with the winged rival who was both larger and had the advantage of flight. They'd spent near an hour trying to decide on a course of action after trying to shoo the thing off, nearly getting kicked in the head in the process. The beast was after Reddy's mares and there wasn't much either of them could do about it.

"Call the council together," Treven said, crossing his arms and frowning at the thing. "Perhaps some of the village kids are looking to prove themselves."

Owlbear

The Owlbear is indeed another fantasy gaming staple tracing its lineage back to very early versions of the game. Pathfinder 2e presents us a slightly more interesting version of the creature, as it has some special abilities to set it apart from your standard bear-affair. The bestiary itself provides a compelling variant owlbear, one that can glide a great distance almost silently to descend on prey. 

Interesting and powerful abilities aside, I think the owlbear (and other monstrous creatures like it) reminds us that the fantastical is in some ways mundane—at least in the context of the game. The owlbear is an Avatar: The Last Airbender-like hybrid animal, but is not a magical creature and does not have any supernatural abilities; it's intimidating and brutally violent with prey. Consider how an owlbear's habits and behaviors might differ from that of both a bear and an owl, and how both of those things might influence said creature. Should you be lacking in understanding, I can think of a certain Paizo editor that can tell you all about bear behavior.

At level four, any encounter with an owlbear will be an early endeavor. As animals (not ravenous beasts) consider how a nature-attuned PC like a druid or ranger may be able to circumvent a combat with such a creature entirely. Such an occurrence can provide an interesting character moment and remind the players that there is more than one way to play PF2 than just beating everything you run into to death.

- Reece

Hook 1 (Nemanja) - Barnaby The Barn

When the hunters heard of the "barn-like owlbear" from the local populace speaking in broken common, they expected to find a barn-owl-featured owlbear. Not a barn-sized, horned-owl-featured one. Unfortunately, they are duty-bound not to back away from the fight—and even if they weren't, the local villages surely can't hope to stand against something like this.

Hook 2 (Max) - The Hoot

Niners is a peaceful town, all things considered. Do your job, don't get into any trouble with the law, and you'll do fine. Most of all, never, under any circumstances, go into the woods surrounding it after nightfall.

There is a story in the Niners. People say that should you venture into the dark forest after the sun goes down, you will face a horror that will turn your blood to ice. No one has ever seen in it, only the aftermath of its rage, a trail of bodies disfigured beyond recognition as if by the claws of a giant beast, many of the organs missing entirely.

The people of Niners know when the beast finds its next victim—a loud hoot, as if that of an owl, can be heard over the town. Without fail, every time it sounds, a new body is found in the wood.

So take heed, lest you want to fall prey to the terror stalking the night.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Tangle in Titansfield

The Titansfield Players are a circus that has moved away, at least as much as possible, from the use of animals during their shows. Magic illusions and druids capable of changing their own forms makes performances much easier and—in Thelia's estimation—more ethical. The petting zoo has remained, as the children frequent it in between the major shows. Goats cheese and wool also help subsidize some of the operating costs of the traveling circus.

At a stop outside a triumvirate of small villages, a local farmer brings an enormous egg to the Circusmaster, leaving her to decide what exactly to do with it. When one of the elderly griffons takes to brooding the egg, it hatches not long after arrival, revealing it to be an owlbear cubling. This in and of itself wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, the owlbear broodmother has come looking for its spawn in the middle of the biggest show for this area, when all the strongest and most capable performers are preoccupied and unaware...

Otyugh

Otyughs are the quintessential sewer-crawl monsters, ones that have been with us since the very first publications of the world's oldest roleplaying game. They have tentacles, look weird, and eat garbage, which makes them the perfect sewer encounter, right?

Wrong. I mean, you can use them thusly, and with their slew of garbage and tentacle-related activities it won't be an uninteresting encounter either, but come on. Take another look at the stat block and fluff text and come back. The otyugh might look odd and feed on literal excrement, but it is at an almost humanoid level of intelligence. Otyughs have something resembling a society. Otyughs are true neutral, and while decidedly alien they might be willing to reason with you. So I beg you, be creative and don't waste the waste eaters on forgettable encounters.

- Nemanja

Hook 1 (Max) - Fecal Decal

The duchy of Bayon, glorious golden wheat upon its emblem, is known for its abundance of food, which it exports to all corners of the land. That allowed all of its towns to grow into cities, massive in their scale. With this, certain needs arose, followed by certain problems.

Every bigger town in the area boasts a vast canal system, is typically accompanied by a giant heap of waste produced by its populace and stinks like a disaster.

Coincidentally, when the number of cities increased, the number of crops spoiling did as well—exponentially. The duke is looking for an answer, unaware that it lies directly beneath his grand cities.

Hook 2  (Nemanja) - The Goopy Guildmaster

In the Grand City of Al'Balaar, guilds are organized in a hierarchical manner, with lesser guilds reporting to those more powerful in an almost feudal manner.

To a foreigner, it could be odd that the thieves guild, assassins guild, the guild of lawyers, and other such guilds that operate outside the confine of the law, all report to the Sewersmith guild. Stranger still, it might seem that the guild is made up entirely of members of two less than popular groups; the field operatives are mostly goblins, whereas the top of the hierarchy is ruled by otyughs. The ironically named Underdoge—the ancient, alchemically-empowered Otyugh guildmaster—claims to have given his blessing to the rise of the last seven doges of the "Upper city".

After a career of adventuring, a group of wizards wishes to retire, forming a guild of illusionists to pass on their knowledge. Soon enough, they are approached by a goblin with a tentacle broch inviting them to discuss "matters of the flow of information" with his masters in the sewers...

Hook 3 (Reece) - Tower of Terror

The seat of power for the Relendish Republic within the capital is a point of consternation for many. After a brief and bloody conflict with the remaining royals that wished to hold onto power in Reylar's Rest, the question of what to do with The Steel Palace was a curious problem. An imposing monstrosity made entirely of steel that reached toward the sky, the building had been long ago created by the progenitor of the Steel Kingdom, and the magic that was sewn throughout the walls and into its foundation made it nearly impossible to destroy.

The Council of Guilds instead opted for turning the building into a series of offices for guild leaders as well as a place to house foreign diplomats. While over thirty years have passed since The Revolution, not everything about the building is fully understood, as its original inhabitants have been long since vacated, alongside their secrets.

When the Govenor of a nearby island-state is found dead, seemingly of a heart attack, and partially eaten inside of one of the restrooms, it spawns a controversy. As a new member of the Royal Navy's investigation unit, you are sent to find what happened, and if the building is a danger to others. It wouldn't be such a bad job if it weren't for the smell...