Ice Linnorm

Linnorms occupy an interesting niche, being considered dragons, but at the same time being a distinct set of creatures of their own. With a breadth of folk stories regarding them, there is no shortage of inspiration to draw from. The Bestiary takes note of this—just look at the sidebars regarding kings slaying linnorms to claim their birthright or the great beasts laying a curse with their dying breath.

Not as intelligent as traditional dragons, these two-legged slithering monstrosities represent a more primordial threat—not one that should be taken lightly. They occupy the hostile areas of northern regions of the world where they reign supreme.

Let us look at the Ice Linnorm for today's example. It can crawl (35 ft.), fly (100 ft.), and swim (40 ft.). This alone is quite impressive, though when you consider that the linnorm is always under the effects of freedom of movement, it becomes even more so. An unstoppable force. Access to true sight means that it is considerably harder to get a jump on the bugger. When it comes to offensive capabilities, it's no pushover either. It has 3 melee attacks, all with a reach ranging from 20 to 25 ft., all of which deal considerable damage. Its attack of opportunity has an incredible range with its tail strike, alongside raw power from its jaws that can inflict Ice Linnorm Venom—a nasty thing in its own right. Of course, being a dragon, it also has access to Breath Weapon—a 60 ft. cone of freezing ooze that not only does a lot of damage, but can also immobilize targets (and, while immobilized, the target takes even more cold damage!). One would be inclined to think that the problems end with killing the damn thing; that couldn't be further from the truth. Once slain, an ice linnorm's parting gift comes in the form of Curse of Frost.

All in all, a pretty solid contender for a legendary creature the roaming frozen wastes of the far north, wouldn't you agree?

- Max

Hook 1 (Max) - Scourge of the Golden Hall

The Grand Golden Hall of King Arnhast is said to be one of the greatest wonders of this world, its ruler allegedly being the richest man in the world. He built his keep far to the north, carving a great hall in the mountains and has it guarded night and day.

Just as legendary as his treasury is the king's greed, for there are many stories of his unwillingness to part with even a single coin that he considers his—a vice that has made him many enemies over the years and continues to do so to this very day.

Something is amiss in the Golden Hall, though. No one has heard from it in a long time and none of the emissaries sent there have returned. It won't take long before some vagabonds are either hired to see what's happening or take interest themselves.

Stepping into The Hall through a long and vast bridge—its first line of defense—one will easily spot dozens of frozen corpses scattered about. The gate is found hanging on its hinges, seemingly busted open from the inside. An unnatural cold permeates the air, regardless of the time of year, and the inside of the keep is a scene of ravenous and indiscriminate slaughter. It looks like some enormous beast has wreaked havoc upon this place. Should you look for the body of the ruler of The Hall, you couldn't find it, as he is, in fact, the one responsible. The king's love of gold has finally turned him into a monster whose love of gold rivals his own.

The fortress goes deep, deep underground, interconnected by a network of spacious tunnels that are unfortunately big enough to accommodate Arnhast's new, monstrous form. He now spends most of his days sleeping on top of his majestic treasury, guarding it with his very life, only occasionally stalking the corridors of his once-proud domain.

Hook 2 (TJ) - Shivering Simon

The creaking of a rocking chair punctuates the crackling of the hearth at the Last Oasis. Despite the fact that this tavern is in the middle of a desert, the innkeeper keeps the fire crackling day in and day out, creating a swelteringly hot common room. Sitting in the chair next to this affront on homeostasis is Shivering Simon, a wrinkled human well into his seventies. 

As if the fire wasn't enough, Simon—dripping sweat—peers out from beneath a layer of blankets and a homespun sweater. For a mug of (hot) cider, Simon will tell you stories of his life as an adventurer. At the end of a long night of libations, Simon will finally be willing to tell the story of how he got to where he is. With a distant look, he relates the tale of his fateful night slaying a gruesome, icy, draconic beast. The last one standing in his adventuring party, Simon dealt the death blow after what felt like hours of brutal combat. The curse he received still haunts him to this day. All of his wealth gained from adventuring has been spent on trying to avoid the bone-chilling cold that he's never been able to shake, but it's starting to run out...

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Old Boombreath

Old Boombreath, a volcano in the Mixotixican archipelago, is a place where three planes converge—the plane of fire, the plane of earth, and the mortal plane.

For the immortal denizens of the elemental planes, this makes it a battlefront, where they clash in violent combat time and time again.

For the islanders, this makes it the biggest source of their income—the fallen elementals leave heaps of riches behind, and the archipelago has become a popular trading hub where adventurers from afar come to seek scavenged goods.

Unfortunately for both the elementals and the islanders, the crater has recently become the nesting ground of an ancient wyrm. Oddly enough, the old wyrm seems to be a creature of elemental frost. Even more oddly, when actually exposed to frost magic—even that of its own making—it seems to back away.

A deeper investigation might uncover the fact that the ice linnorm has in fact slain another of its kind. It now suffers the effects of a curse of frost, making its own existence a constant and everpresent agony.

Hyena, Hyaenodon

In most fantasy-esque settings, the presence of hyenas means there are also gnolls around. But you don't have to use them like that. A hyena's uncanny and creepy laughter, their ties to death and decay, in addition to the fact that they just plain look cool means you can get creative.

In combat, hyenas and their larger cousins are built for swarming tactics, working best in large packs where they can benefit from their positioning-related abilities. Both the Hyena and the Hyaenodon make great minions for any wandering bandits or nomadic peoples. Bear in mind that both are Animals, so they have no innate alignment and can be used as animal allies by groups of any alignment.

- Nemanja

Hook 1 (Max) - The Last Laugh

The savanna is a dangerous place to find yourself in, no matter the circumstances. There are a lot of things that can kill you, from predators stalking the terrain to rare diseases.

And then there's the Laughing Jack, the Cackling Stalker, who just so happens to be the biggest oddity around.

No one knows where he came from, but the simple fact of the matter is that he just is. What exactly that is? A big hyena. That laughs maniacally. All the time.

The laugh is what gave him his name and what makes him the most dangerous creature around these parts. "How come?" you might ask, "it's just laughing." Well, my dear traveler, the thing is, Jack's cackle appears to be contagious and not in the same way that the normal glee might be. It literally spreads like a disease. Once you hear it, you're most likely done for. You burst into laughter, tears streaking down your face and you laugh and laugh until your respiratory muscles fail and you suffocate, a stupid grin of amusement planted on your dead face.

Then Laughing Jack moves on, evermore cackling his mad cackle.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Sacrament of the Decaying God

A Hero's love has been tragically taken away from him.

In his grief, he is looking to pass into the Otherworld and bring back their soul.

To date, no one but the mad cultists of the Decaying God has pulled that off, and their methods are plainly disturbing. Namely, the cultists partake in odd rituals to mask themselves as hyenas that may pass back and forth through the gates undisturbed. That includes covering themselves in a mixture of ash and spit as well as consuming a psychedelic that puts them in a hysterical state so they emulate the animals through constant laughing. The most disturbing part of the ritual, however, is The Partaking.

During The Partaking, the cultists form a circle wherein each participant takes a bite of flesh from the person on their right.

While the ritual is fully consensual, whispers of man-flesh being addictive never truly die. Whether the Hero is willing to risk eternal damnation for his one true love must now be decided...

Hook 3 (Reece) - The Whispering Hunger

In the Ash Barrens east of The Burning Desert, the Hyena, not native to the land, has found itself a unique niche in the ecology of the land. They are particularly resistant to a plague that has been sweeping the local villages. The plague is, unfortunately for everyone involved except for the hyenas, not natural.

They call it The Plague of Whispering Hunger, mainly because when someone dies from it, others that are near to the corpse find themselves compelled to eat the flesh of the deceased, thereby infecting them. This strange disease has been wreaking havoc on the local population for over a generation, as it seems tied to some terrible demonic influence deep within the desert. Fortunately for both the hyenas and the locals, the hyenas—being animals immune to the temptations of demons—are perfectly capable of disposing of the corpses. All other methods—be they burial, burning, or otherwise—have not succeeded in sating The Whispering Hunger, as the whispers will only subside once the bones of been picked clean of flesh. The hyenas have been more than willing to oblige the free meals, and a strange symbiosis has emerged.

Some have even begun to keep hyenas as pets, expecting to feed their loved ones—or even their own corpse—to the family "dog". The strangeness of the situation is seen as repulsive by many outsiders, though those within the Ash Barrens find themselves preferring being consume upon death to the alternative—a rage-fueled madness that drives one to kill their neighbors and loved ones so that they too may consume their flesh, before quickly expiring as they waste away.

Hydra

Once again we have a readily recognizable monster that PF2e's 3-action economy does a great job of handling. The hydra's gimmick, both in its narrative recognizability and its combat applications, is its heads. Chop one off, two more grow in its place. We all know this by now.

The hydra, much like the troll, is a creature that suffers a bit for its notoriety. Yes, we all understand once you remove its head another one grows. I guarantee that at least someone at your table will know that fire or acid will stop its heads from regenerating. That might make it a little unfun, but hey, just don't make a habit of throwing regenerating monsters at your players and it won't come up too often.

The hydra will require a good amount of bookkeeping when you run it. It regenerates HP equal to 3x the number of heads it has. It also can make an Attack of Opportunity (using its reach as a Huge creature) for each head it has. It also doesn't gain heads automatically—it has to make a DC 25 Fortitude save after regenerating in order for that to happen. Using PF2e's levels of success, however, means that it can regrow from multiple head stumps with a critical success. Given its Fort bonus is +15 and the DC is 25, that will only happen on a 35, which would be a natural 20 anyway. Pretty slim chance, but pretty neat when it happens.

The hydra is a great choice for forcing your players to understand their positioning. With at least 5 and up to 10 Attacks of Opportunity, up to 11d6+7 damage against a single target using Focused Assault, and up to 10 targets with Storm of Jaws, all with the 10-foot reach of a Huge creature, the Hydra is a potent foe. Given that one of the better ways to deal with it will be using cover and maneuvering (barring acid or fire-based meta-knowledge), the battle map or theatre of the mind environment you provide for this encounter is just as important as the hydra itself.

What sort of hydra encounter do you want to make? A hydra attack on a small sloop? A desert hydra lying in wait? A hail hydra hiding in a blizzard? However you choose to have the hydra rear its ugly heads, it's sure to be memorable.

-TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - Mariner's Doom

Mariner's Doom rightly deserves its name, as countless ships along with their crews have met their untimely demise there. It is, however, an extremely tempting route, as it goes straight through a large landmass, potentially saving weeks of sailing around it. This, when accounting for the potential added treasures left by those who failed to get through, is the folly of many foolhardy captains.

The passage itself is quite narrow, as only a single vessel will fit through. That alone makes for a rather arduous journey, though things don't end there. The Doom is honeycombed with jagged edges that shine like the teeth of a hungry beast. Not only that, but the vortices within have a nasty tendency to appear out of nowhere. These things, paired with the ever-present fog that makes navigation quite difficult, take their toll on any sailor's mind. Any one of the aforementioned hazards would cause most captains to steer clear of the pass. Superstition alone is often enough, as legends say that if you traverse the pass, you can still hear and see the specters of innumerable sailors urging you to go back, which of course you cannot do upon entering.

Yet, there is something more lurking beneath the dark waters. It is in the middle of Mariner's Doom where the canal opens into a lake, surrounded by rocky cliffs and the wrecks of countless ships that tried their luck only to be met with a ghastly end.

Should you find yourself there, be it by desperation, courage, greed, or stupidity, take heed and make your peace. For once you are within the Doom's grasp, you will not escape it. The horror that has made the deep its sole domain will not suffer anyone to passers-by and it will hunt you doggedly should you make the attempt. The unnaturally still water shall stir around you as a myriad of serpentine, monstrous heads soar over, their crimson eyes burning with hatred, jet scales marked with scars, a soul-rending shriek echoing in the otherwise silent pass. If you believe in any gods, then is the time to start praying, for no one escapes the clutches of Mariner's Doom once it finds its prey.

Hook 2 (TJ) - The Terror of Anzar

The An'Zar desert is a treacherous place. It is a vast expanse of heat, sand, and banditry. The desert's most dangerous denizen, however, is the Sandspine Hydra.

To say a breed of hydra is dangerous should be no surprise. The Sandspine Hydra plays on the pre-existing dangers of a desert to great success. Burying its body under the sand, this cousin to the aquatic hydra sticks its heads up out from beneath, each imitating a cactus. When prey draws close, the hydra gives up its disguise. Each head attacks in concert, biting or launching paralytic quills to incapacitate its target.

Bandits, travelers, and caravaneers accustomed to the desert, however, have strategies to deal with it. When the hydra has its spines extended, it cannot pull its heads under the safety of the sand as easily. Even when they are retracted, the hydra has great difficulty moving backward. Given its size, this actually works against the hydra more than you would expect. Getting the jump on a Sandspine is key to taking it down.

There are rumors of a gargantuan Sandspine plaguing trade routes during Ambersun. Addled survivors report cacti in the upper double digits, all turning to tear their comrades to shreds. Researchers of Ley-Ecology at the University of An'Zar have great interest in verifying the validity of these rumors.

Hook 3 (Reece) - The King's Strait

The Old Kingdom is rife with riches ready for plundering. It has remained as such for over a thousand years for several reasons.

First, there is the ancient impenetrable wall that rims the entire island in which the kingdom resides. Those who have tried to scale the wall have failed, given it is both sheer and riddled with traps. Second, the only way into the kingdom proper is through a narrow strait full of jagged and unforgiving rocks. Sailing any large boat into the pass is exceedingly dangerous. Third, there are the guardians of the passageway to the kingdom.

This pass, known to ship captains as the King's Strait, would be far easier to navigate in a smaller ship. Unfortunately for those looking for the riches within, the entirety of the strait is absolutely infested with hydras. From sheer wall to sheer wall, the beasts seem to utilize the tumultuous waters therein as a favored spawning ground. It's impossible to say whether or not doing so was on purpose, but one may only find out by venturing within The Old Kingdom's walls...

Horse

Horses. Yep. Nestled between pages and pages of fanciful creatures, we have the horse. Not just one horse, either. There are four different kinds of horses in Bestiary 1. No fire breathing, no flying speed, no bonus damage versus evil creatures—just a horse. We here at Beastfinder have a lot to say about the horse, much to the chagrin of our beloved editor. And why shouldn't we? We thought it was really funny. Chances are horses are much more ubiquitous in your setting than many other creatures.

So what do you use the horse for? They're a staple of travel. Sure, you could say "this is a horse-drawn carriage," or "this is what the stablemaster has available for travel rates." Pretty boring. Take the horse as an opportunity to explore your worldbuilding, but focus on nomenclature this time. Find a list of horse breeds and count how many are named based on the geographical region they're from. Go ahead. I'll wait.

There were a lot, weren't there? Maybe you see where I'm going with this. What do you call a Galacian pony when Galacia doesn't exist? A Russian Heavy Draft horse? A Clydesdale? Feel free to just go through and slap different names on these horses, but think about what that means about where they're from.

What about horses specific to your setting? Look at the Ryshadium from the Stormlight Archive. They are prized not only for their intelligence but also because of their ability to carry riders wearing Shardplate (fantasy power armor), the Rhyshadium is integral to the warfare presented in the early parts of the series because regular horses are just too weak. There are tons of different fantasy horse breeds in the Powder Mage series. One of the characters in the Gods of Blood and Powder trilogy knows every horse breed there is, given his career as a lancer. What sort of needs does your setting have for specialized beasts of burden?

You could go ahead and pass the horse by, only looking at it when one of your players comes up with a hare-brained scheme involving the horses they rented (you know the type). Will you need the statblock very often? Probably not. But take the chance to use it as a building block of your world. Do a little digging! The horse may be as integral to the foundation of your world as it was in ours.

-TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - Hooves the Horse

How the legendary troubadour wound up in the body of a horse remains a mystery to this day, though most speculate that he angered one too many powerful people. As it turns out, an artist can make do with what they got, no matter their appearance.

Hooves the Horse is extraordinarily well known, his name preceding him wherever he goes. He can dance and, with each stomp of his hooves, create highly enchanting tunes. He can also sing beautiful songs, recite epic poems and do a great many other things.

Despite enjoying a certain degree of notoriety, Hooves is searching for a way to return to his former body—even though he does not recall what it was or how he became a horse in the first place. Despite his lack of memory of his former life, he is quite certain that he must have been some great bard once upon a time.

But maybe, just maybe, he is merely a singing, dancing horse?

Hook 2 (TJ) - Caught Red Hooved

The owners at Cavront's Carriages are under investigation. Carriages owned by this company have been found destroyed on the roadside on numerous occasions. In each case, the passengers and coachmen have been massacred in what looks like an isolated stampede. The only other commonality is the bloody hoofprints leaving the scene, leading directly to the horse or horses attached to that evening's vehicle. Consistently, these animals seem unbothered by the blood rimming their hooves and whatever else happened that evening. 

Investigators are grasping at straws, suggesting everything from a horse-borne disease to a renegade druid mind-controlling these otherwise docile creatures. If they don't figure it out soon, Cavront's Carriages will be forced to close permanently and transportation options will suffer for it. As it is, the townspeople are already growing wary of any and all equine creatures within the town limits.

Hook 3 (Max) - Hard to Destroy Steed

The local barony is having an unusual issue. A single horse is wreaking immense havoc on both buildings and crops, showing no intention of stopping.

Not long ago, it was a regular stallion living its best life on the plains. That was, at least, until a group of mercenaries accidentally released some ancient spell from a nearby ruin. This led to the aforementioned incantation attaching itself to the poor animal.

Through it, it has gained two interesting abilities. Firstly, it can run at ludicrous speeds, reaching velocities so high that it can easily punch through stone walls. But how does it do it without turning into a bloody pulp? Well, the second part of the charm has made it impervious to all damage—both conventional weapons and magic. If anyone attempts to approach the beast, upon seeing them it simply gallops away, leaving behind a cloud of dust and ruin in its wake.

Hook 4 (TJ) - The Origin of Species

"Wh-what is that?"

"I'm glad you asked. Gaze upon it and tell me what you think."

"It seems to be... Like half of a centaur. No. Part of a hippogriff? The front half is clearly a partial hippocampus. Did you capture the steed of a gillman? It has the same structure to it... But only four limbs, unlike a centaur. No wings either, like a hippogriff would have. It's also lacking the gills of a hippocampus. It appears to be strong and sturdy. Impressive musculature. No fins or wings, so neither avian nor piscine in nature. It appears to be mammalian. You've made a... large, terrestrial mammal?"

"I'm very impressed. You've isolated many of the components that went into this creature. Strong, as you've said. Quick on its legs, just like a centaur. A mammal capable of grazing, easier to feed than the hippogriff, and no risk of a fall from a dangerous height. Terrestrial, unlike the hippocampus, with a little bit of training to ride, we could finally have an edge. Imagine a brigade of our brethren, all astride magnificent beasts just like this one, riding down our enemies. We could rule every square mile of inhabitable land, chase the gillmen back to the depths."

"This could be it. We... we could be kings! What will we call it?"

"I think I will call it... The Horse."

"...Really? That's it?"

Hook 5 (Nemanja) - Sons of Horse

Just when the Four Chieftains' Wars were becoming less bloody and intense, they appeared from the Vast, the endless plains beyond the Lands of Man.

They changed how wars were fought forever—every man, woman, and child in the Lands of Man knew how to ride, and battles were fought with endless variations of the mounted warrior.

This new enemy of ours though? Not a horse in sight. All of them are equipped with heavy armour and long, heavy pikes. They slaughtered us like pigs, though they tried to never hurt a single horse. Apparently, their leaders were twins who were cast out into the wilderness as children and a friggin mare raised them. A mare, I say.

Funnily enough, as they built a nation of castaways in that faraway hole of theirs, they also built a cult around their "mother". She's still around, by the way. Still kicking, some would say. Anyway, those religious freak soldiers of theirs? They believe that the old horse is connected to all of them and that she gives them strength beyond that of mortal men. It sure feels like they ain't wrong about that either.

So, if anyone could sneak back to the stable they call a palace and strike that old mare down, we just might stand a chance still...

Hook 6 (Nemanja) - Horse d'oeuvre

A group of Taiga Giants has kidnapped the mayor's daughter. They have promised to return her unharmed if the townsmen can deliver them at least two dozen highlands ponies. The tiny horses are, apparently, a favoured snack in giant culture, not meant to be consumed alive. Unfortunately for the giants, they are too large and not nearly dextrous enough to be able to catch them without harming them, at which point they are considered inedible.

Editor's Note: Oh you thought that just because we already had six hooks that the editor wasn't also going to write more completely unnecessary horse hooks? Well you're wrong, pal.

Hook 7 (Reece) - Breaking Badland

Old Man Trikar has a problem. He has been breeding horses for over 50 years and is known in the surrounding villages as the foremost expert on training the creatures. The Fey King of Horses is not overly pleased by Trikar's skill in subduing the majestic creatures, so he has decided to put the old man to the test. 

The Fey King has unleashed a Yunda Badlands Stallion into his paddock, and the damnable thing is beating on the other stallions and terrorizing the mares. They are foul-tempered and not easily broken, but Trikar thinks he can do it. He could, at least, if he could catch the sodden thing.

Yunda's are known to be twice as fast as any normal southlander horse and are near ten hands taller than even the strongest breeds. In his younger years he might've caught the beast, but with his old age—not to mention his missing leg—it's impossible for him to do alone.

He could really use the help, so long as you don't mind catching an oversized hoof.

And maybe the odd fire breath—they do that sometimes.

Hook 8 (Reece) - The Cube Rebellion

"You're kidding."

"No sir."

"They rebelled?"

"Yes sir."

"Pray tell, captain, how do horses rebel?"

"A mad druid has systemically awakened hundreds of them in the dead of night while most of the stablehands were asleep, sir."

"What exactly do rebelling horses want, captain? Are they joining the enemy or something?" 

"Ehm- No sir. They... Want soldier's pay, sir."

"What do they plan on buying?! They don't even have thumbs or coin purses!"

"They-" Captain Cadrus cleared his throat, looking visibly uncomfortable. "They want their pay in sugar cubes... Sir."

Horned Archon

Horned Archons are essentially the frontiersmen of celestials. Their equipment, and to a certain extent their spell list, makes them uniquely suited for exploration. Their aesthetic fits into it as well, and if you're playing in Golarion, also has a pretty straightforward resemblance to a certain god, which you may want to explore...

In combat, despite their ranged weapons, these beefy bois make for phenomenal tanks; not only do they do great at area denial via ranged retributive strikes, but they also possess one of the few rare abilities that force enemies to target them.

Out of combat, they come with a slew of interdimensional travel and hunting-related abilities as well as a phenomenally thematic power that lets them take on others' wounds, healing in the process.

- Nemanja

Hook 1 (Max) - The Timber Baron

Lumberjacks of the local barony are refusing to go into the woods on the grounds that they are being hunted by some self-proclaimed protector of the forest. It would be easy to dismiss said claims if not for the fact that half a dozen of them have indeed vanished within the weald.

The baron is understandably angry at this and has issued a bounty on the monster's head—a hefty one at that.

Interestingly enough, the attacks began shortly after the baron ordered an increase in timber production for his war efforts. This was met with considerable pushback from local scholars that argued the forest mustn't be destroyed, lest the baron wishes to face the consequences.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Watcher Upon the Gate

Douvek Doulek is a dimension-hopping fey-touched thief and conman.

Astras is a horned archon, rumoured to be the only living person to have ever found Doulek's base of operations—though, for reasons unknown, he spared the fugitive.

Should one seek help from the celestial, however, they will find him preoccupied. 'tis the season of nether drake migrations from the Lower Planes, and archons do not have a moment's respite. He will remain as such—unless someone were to help guard his post on Heavens' Golden Gates...

Hook 3 (TJ) - Dourwood Dilemma

The Huntsman of the Dourwood is rarely seen. A spirit of benevolence and protection, the Huntsman provides for those that become lost within.

Recently, The Huntsman has been occupied chasing a barbazu around the treetops. Woodcutters and foragers have reported hearing rustling and seeing displaced foliage in the canopy of the forest.

Unbeknownst to The Huntsman, he does not chase a single barbazu, but rather a small group who take advantage of the dense foliage and rapid teleportation they are capable of in order to lead the Huntsman in circles. They are biding their time, waiting for someone to become lost. When the opportunity arises, the barbazu will descend upon the distracted archon in order to take the Dour Wood for themselves.

Homunculus

A Homunclus is an impish construct created from their creators' blood, along with classical alchemical junk treasures. They serve as lab assistants, scouts, or whatever job their scholarly masters deem them fit for.

In most campaigns, these are going to be NPC's helpers, even mouthpieces. But if you're running a campaign where magic is an integral part of all the PC's stories, or maybe a solo campaign, homunculi could easily come up as regular NPCs.

Their basic stat block really doesn't give them much to work with at base, other than their notable mind link to their master, but the fact that they are each a uniquely crafted creature means you're practically obliged to go nuts customizing them with unique abilities.

- Nemanja

Hook 1 (Max) - Living off Borrowed Time

While striding through the woods, you might stumble upon a spiteful little creature by the name of Spark. It resembles an impoverished goblinoid with meek stature and sickly white skin. As it comes across your path, it will likely start throwing insults your way and try to chase you into a nearby cavern, where the remains of its master lie.

Spark is aware that with its creator's passing whatever time it might have will soon prove to be short, so it tries to find someone to replace them. The homunculus' bargaining chip is the laboratory and study left by its late owner. The thing is, the old wizard set up a myriad of traps to defend it and Spark needs help disarming them.

Not like Spark knows how.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Paleblood Plea

Pakworth Paleblood is a fully autonomous homunculus, serving as the Chair of Necromancy at the Wygreth Wizardly Univesity. Other than his unusually complex persona—he is known to be deeply cynical while also being empathetic and warm—two more things stand out about professor Paleblood. Firstly, much unlike other documented masterless homunculi, he outright refuses to utter a single word about his former master. Secondly, he has chosen to specialize in the study of vampires, a rare, near-extinct phenomenon that is supposed to only exist on the outskirts of civilization.

In truth, the construct is not autonomous at all. He is in fact a vessel through which his master, an ancient Nosferatu vampire know as Gorge, interacts with the world.

Gorge has been living in the catacombs beneath the university for ages and has been trying to find a cure for his curse all the while. Should anyone follow professor Paleblood after dark, they might stumble upon his master, in which case they better hope his need for help is greater than his hunger...

Hook 3 (Reece) - Examination: The Sepulchre

"The Sepulchre is a place from which one does not return. It is a place of blood and fire, ruled by a cruel mage who has extended his life far beyond what is natural. Should you die within his domain, he will make a point to personally retrieve your body and stuff your soul back in it using blood magic of his own devising, a cruel joke that he plays to amuse himself between his studies and his machinations to conquer the southern continent."

- Excerpt of a conversation from a tavern goer in the city of Darath Sabar. 

After buying the patron several more drinks, he seems to have passed out on the bar top. A brief examination of his exposed neck and covered forearms has revealed sutures and general tampering with his biological structures, as expected. Alcohol tolerance above average for a human of his height. Corroborates other accounts, though this is the first "live" one I have encountered. Further investigation needed to ascertain if he has indeed escaped this "Sepulchre". Subject would indeed be the largest homunculus on record, should his origin indeed be as I suspect.

Hobgoblin

Hobgoblins love conflict, their entire culture revolves around it. Out of all goblinoids, they are easily the most cunning and threatening in battle. This is exactly why they can be used to great effect, reminding your party that there are no "low-level" enemies, only those who don't use their full potential. Sure, a single goblin doesn't pose a threat, nor do ten goblins alone. If they work in tandem, though, coordinating between themselves while thinking strategically, suddenly they become far more threatening.

This is where hobgoblins come into play; they are better organized than their kin and live, in many cases, solely for the purpose of waging war. Again, a single hobgoblin may not be a serious threat, but when fighting in a bigger group (as they should), they very well might be.

This is mirrored by the ability that all hobgoblins present in the bestiary share, Formation, which can increase the survivability of any gobbo. This is perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when using hobgoblins—they work best as a unit. The General can play a significant role at the start of a battle, with General's Cry, a good way to set a primary target for their soldiers, but The General can also dish out a reasonable amount of damage as needed. Soldiers serve as the frontline, dealing less damage at level one, though they can soak up damage and create space for their back-line allies. Consider applying the elite adjustment to soldiers if you need to beef them up a touch against a tougher party. Archers can really ruin the day for any party who does not consider their positioning wisely. Their kit makes them the perfect hit-and-run enemy, given their movement and reload capabilities in addition to above-average precision against effects like cover and concealment. When you combine all three of them, you get yourself one nasty encounter. If they get the jump on the party and set themselves in a favorable position, life and death can easily be on the line.

- Max

Hook 1 (Max) - Rotbag's Horde

Rotbag Iron Mandible has earned the respect he commands from countless battles and duels, the most famous of which cost him the lower part of his face and earned him the moniker. Now, he only communicates via sign language, not that it impedes any of his plans.

And these plans are grand in scale indeed. He has already succeeded in uniting most goblinoid communities in the area, now boasting a considerable force under him. Before setting out further, he has set his sights on the cities that lay nearby.

He is not stupid; he knows that his army wouldn't stand a chance in a fair fight, as goblins are prone to routing and are not particularly disciplined, while hobgoblins tend to lose themselves in battle. Hence, he won't risk an open battle if he's not sure of the outcome. He can allow himself the comfort of patience as provisions are seldom a problem with the army.

Innumerable warbands scour the plains, attacking caravans and transports, leaving no trace behind. His stealthiest and best soldiers infiltrate the settlements at night, poisoning wells and food supplies, setting fire to buildings, killing people in charge, getting rid of mages and miracle workers in addition to any other important people. Sew chaos. Disorient the enemy.

Eventually, people grow tired and weary, leaving the town that is in complete disrepair, hoping for a better future. Sometimes in big groups, more often than not in small ones. Those are the easiest to pick.

When towns are decimated by disease, fire, and anarchy, Rotbag strikes with his full might. Typically the fight is quick and his horde takes very few casualties, which they don't really mind given the incredible spoils; many slaves, valuables, and another new stronghold for the army that grows ever bigger by the day, as more and more troops join it, arriving from far off lands.

Hook 2 (TJ) - The Story of Scars

The Timbermen of Rowefront are a proud bunch. They are willing to make a game or a show of anything. Feats of strength, tests of speed, challenges of wit, these and many others feature prominently in any and all of their social gatherings. The thing the Timbermen are most proud of, however, are their scars. Adventurers are generally treated with contempt in Rowefront. Not only do they generally bring trouble, but their reliance on supernatural, magical healing sources reduces the marks and marring of their skin. 

This contempt first started when Salmaracakanzz (colloquially known as "Sawbones Sal") moved into Rowefront. An expert surgeon, Sal's ideas of the beauty of scars and the stories they tell alongside a general mistrust of "elf magic" spread quickly to the Timbermen. Now, the comparing of scars and the stories that go with them feature just as prominently any time the Timbermen get together.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Bear Witness, Bring Wrath

While most hobgoblins use their ruthless minds to dominate militaristic structures of power, Globrech of Ganthia became a master merchant instead.

Ten years ago, he owned but a single alchemical shop. Now, his wealth runs deep enough that most of Tarabath is in his pocket. That's become an issue since there's an obscure Tarabathi law that states "Should anyone come to own more than half of the land in the city, the title of Doge is to pass to him".

As the day of the ceremony comes ever closer, the old doge's librarian digs up another law written when the city was founded: "Should at least thirteen men or women of age produce credible evidence against a citizen's honour, said citizen shall forever be banned from holding public office in Tarabath".

Of course, finding those willing to testify against the most powerful man in the city is going to involve a lot of stealth, subterfuge, and encouragement.

Hill Giant

The Hill Giant. Another, uh. Another big person. Hill Giants are probably what most of us think of regarding giants; big people who regularly perform raids against smaller people, so this should be pretty run-of-the-mill.

The quintessential giant, hill giants have a basic stat block. Like the Frost Giant, everything they can do is a single action. However, given a below-average intelligence modifier and canon implications that they have no trouble betraying their own kind, hill giants should probably not be presented the organized manner other giants might be. This might mean that your hill giants are easier to trick or mollify with treasure and promises than others of their kin.

Outside of the implications of raiding your settlements, what else changes about society due to the existence of giants? The hill giant is the lowest level giant other than the cave and wood giants and is probably the most likely to encounter, depending on your setting. Do they have their own settlement, as they do in The Silver Chair? Is it more Jack and the Beanstalk style? Maybe there's something that entraps each type of giant to their respective biome. Here again, you have my permission to take time to indulge in worldbuilding a bit to figure out how this (very large) piece of the puzzle fits into your world.

- TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - Run to the Hills

While traversing the area of Greyhills, take special heed, for the road is fit for travel—unless you like rocks being thrown your way.

A group of hill giants has found its way here and they are enjoying the spoils of their labor. That labor is actually quite complex for their kind; there is a certain spot along the road where the left side rises to a small cliff, while the right is a steep incline. When a group of unaware travelers finds themselves there, three giants upon the ridge start lobbing rocks and stones their way, obstructing the road both ahead and behind.

The first instinct of many people is to run down the incline—this is exactly what the giants want—there are several big pit traps there, concealed by sticks and turf. Even if anyone makes it past them, the bottom of the incline holds their final trap—a cave where a fourth giant lies in wait.

The coordination is unusual for the short-sighted hill giants. Could it be, perhaps, that some other party is coordinating—and profiting—from these attacks?

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Leaving The Business

Himbaud is a hill giant, known as some of the best muscle money can buy in the magi-mob-controlled city of Orksbreath. He is also, apparently, looking to get out of the business; he is in too deep, owes too much, and is repeatedly given more dubious and questionable missions to carry out.

To that end, he has reached out to a group of private investigators with a substantial sum of money and enough accumulated evidence to bring down down the city's entire ruling class down, should they manage to sneak him out of the city. It goes without saying that getting to the safety of the Outer Land while trying to hide a 12-foot tall brute that has a nasty habit of getting very, very drunk all while the city's top assassins prowl the streets looking for him is anything but a simple task...

Hook 3 (TJ) - A Small Problem

Efforts have been made to integrate the giants of the High Hills into Renthra society. Between the armistice and settlement accords, it would seem negotiations are going well. The trade agreements, however, have ground to a halt. The giants have major issues with what the Renthra government has proposed.

The giants insist they need the right to mint their own coins. Not only do they control a good number of mines within the High Hills, they also complain that the Renthra currency is "too damned small." The Renthra guilds are up in arms about the giant's coinage proposal. While there are many political conversations about the governmental control of the minting process—how it provides security in trade, how those employed in the minting process are at risk, devaluation of already existing currency, and many other economic implications about this portion of the agreement—one practical question is of utmost importance to the merchants. 

How do you trade with coins that are the size of dinner plates?

Hellhound, Nessian Warhound

The hellhound is indeed one of the most iconic creatures of classic fantasy tabletops. As one of the oldest creatures in the game—both in the sense of the idiom and literally—this fiendish foe comes in two varieties; the classic Hellhound for that early-level punch and the Nessian Warhound for a reminder later on that the forces of the evil aren't messing around.

The hellhound at level 3 makes a wonderful minion to some greater threats between party levels 2 and 5. It remains threatening throughout, as its go-to jaw attack does an extreme amount of damage for its level—assuming the target is good-aligned, of course. Though it's a simple creature, it does exactly as it needs—especially when working in packs. Any fire breath that is used in combat has the potential to recharge allied fire breaths. A potent combination.

The Nessian Warhound operates in this same space, only at level 9 with the added nastiness that it can use a reaction to recharge its own breath weapon if you hit it too hard.

These two creatures are indeed Hell's Best Friend. Consider including them when you want to hint at more nefarious forces at play within your world. Also, consider what you could do to easily modify the statblock to make it more horrifying! Make them explode on death! Make a death hound that does negative damage instead of fire! Make Cerberus and cross the Hydra with the Nessian Warhound!

The game is yours. Give them hell.

- Reece

Hook 1 (Max) - The Nighthound

The local baron is very proud of his hound, naming it as the reason his hunts always go without issue—no prey can escape him. To his credit, it is most likely true. Every single one of his ancestors has had an animal like this; some theorize that the family is blessed by the spirit of a great hunter who watches over them and takes the form of the creature that aids them.

This beast appears to be a large wolf, its fur is black as coal and its eyes are cold pupilless white orbs. Unusual, no doubt, but nothing that should make people wary.

What should scare them, however, is the fact that in the darkness of night, shadows in the shape of a hound stalk both the castle and the outlying town. Where these shadows lurk, bodies are often found in the early morning hours after it's been spotted, seeming as if attacked by a large dog. Stranger still, these corpses are not only torn apart, they are also singed or terribly burned as if someone wished to hide the evidence of the killing.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Beasts of Mochmor

The warlock-kings of the secluded orkish kingdom of Mochmor have been hunting alongside a pack of blood-haired hyenas for as long as anyone can remember.

In truth, it is not the hyenas who serve the warlocks, rather it is the reverse. The fiendish predators have a reputation for hunting down aasimars on the material plane. This, of course, is achieved by pointing their vassal kingdom in the direction of any single target they deem worthy. They raid and even declare wars without regard, all to score a singular kill against their most hated foes.

Hook 3 (TJ) - Can We Keep Him?

"Look Daddy, a puppy!"

Griswold turned to look in the direction his son was indicating. Sure enough, there was a small canine in the alley to their right. And it was smoking. Smoldering, even. Oh, dear gods. He rushed to it as it limped out of the alleyway. Had someone tortured this poor little dog? He went to pick it up and almost immediately dropped it, his hands singed. The dog—or maybe creature—was hot to the touch, though it didn't seem to be damaged save for the limp. The small pup looked up at him and Griswold froze. Its eyes were like burning coals. It licked him in his stunned state and his skin charred where its tongue passed.

"Back away, son, it isn't safe!"

But Luka didn't listen. He outstretched his arms for the small dog and it lept into them. Immediately, the boy's clothes began to scorch, small burn holes pocking the new outfit. His husband wasn't going to like this. He turned back to his father with wide eyes, oblivious to his now-smoking clothes. Before he could utter a word to drop the thing, Griswold already knew what was coming next. His husband wasn't going to like this either.

"Please, Dad, can we keep him?"

Still shocked, words fled his mind as he rushed over to Luka to tear the dog away from him. His clothes were already thoroughly burned.

His skin was not.

Harpy

Editor's Note: Many of the titles you see in the Beastfinder articles are my doing. The more you groan at them, the more powerful I become.

Every time I consider using the Harpy, I'm reminded of how repulsive they are. Depending on the RPG, their lore usually involves gore, generally untidy behavior, and occasionally terrifying reproductive behavior. Perhaps I spent too much time as a child watching TV shows about children's card games to really understand what fantasy RPGs want harpies to be, but that won't stop me from trying.

The harpy can speak but is not overly intelligent, so it may be easily tricked. Mechanically, it is not overly impressive; it follows the same flying creature niche, having a high fly speed as well as some average attacks. Unfortunately, it doesn't gain any of the action economy manipulation that other notable flying creatures might, like the Griffon.

The focal point of the harpy statblock is Captivating Song. Drawing creatures in and giving the harpy's allies time to soften them up (depending on how you rule the fascinated condition in the failure entry) is really what the harpy is designed for. Keep in mind, though, that Captivating Song has the incapacitation trait, as well as rules text that specifies a creature is immune to any and every Captivating Song provided it succeeds a save against any of the. In short, multiple harpies won't bog down your players too much.

The harpy is a generally gross and crude creature, though it doesn't have to be. The harpy statblock is permissive enough to allow easy tweaks for variants, so don't be afraid to make your harpies slightly more sophisticated. But don't take it too far! The shock factor of their natural grotesque state will take the beauty and wonder of flight and bring it crashing down upon your players.

-TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - Spread Your Wings

The princess has not been seen in public in a couple of months, speculations and theories are beginning to take root. Some speak of an illness overtaking her, others of an attempted coup, but none are certain.

You are enjoying your drinks in the tavern in the capital, when a hooded figure approaches you, offering an extremely lucrative job—one that requires utmost secrecy. Upon acceptance of the contract, the details are disclosed.

The princess is indeed unwell, though it isn't a disease that ails her, but a curse—one that turned her into a monster. So far, the guard managed to keep her locked in her chambers, with occasional food being slipped her way. The king has already tried many avenues among them wandering wizards, wayward warlocks, and proselytizing priests. All have failed.

How did the princess become this way? This part of the account is somewhat unclear. The king insists that it was done by a sorceress whose services he refused. As such, the king wants you to kill her, thereby lifting the curse.

There are two important things the agent wasn't told. First, killing the sorceress won't relieve the bane, as the spell is far more intricate and requires cooperation. Second, the sorceress put the magic on the princess by the king's orders.

Hook 2 (TJ) - No Bones to Pick

It has long been thought that the reason for the harpy's light weight was due to hollow bones that reduced weight and allowed flight. While it is true that many of their bones are hollow, much like birds, these hollow bones serve a different purpose than most understand. Some have discovered that harpy bones contain pockets of air that assist in adding additional oxygen to their blood during flight.

This affinity for air has proven useful in other ways, as harpy bones are highly receptive to air (and blood) magic. Beyond the receptivity, the inner matrices of these hollows amplify any air-related magic placed within them. Harpy bone charms, wands, and staves are highly sought after by any and every aeromancer that wants to enhance their power.

This has had the predictable and not entirely unfortunate side effect of driving the harpy nearly to extinction. Harpy poachers scour every forest, mountain, and hamlet for harpy sightings, hoping to make their money before there's no more to be had. Black markets selling live harpies or charlatans trying to pawn off the bones of any and all avian species as harpy bones have become rampant as well. While many rural communities are ultimately safer for it, the shortage of harpy bones is driving up the costs of these enchantments. This isn't to mention, given the harpy's level of intelligence, the practice is ethically questionable at best.

Advocates against this hunting-harvesting practice have become more prominent as the harpy population dwindles, though whether or not their intentions are for moral reasons, or for personal gain is difficult to discern.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - A Shitty Deal

For a while, an arrangement between Tysypha's Roost and the dwarven engineers of Darakh had been working out well for both parties. Dwarves would trade their duergar and drow prisoners of war for large quantities of guano, used to fuel the emerging and revolutionary firearm industry. 

However barbaric Tysypha may seem, she is no fool. The last two trade delegations have failed to return, and now the mountains echo with the thunder of revolvers descending from the clouds...

Guthallath

Game and Dungeon Masters, be honest. How much time have you really spent on your world? Is it ever enough? The answer is obviously no. The guthallath is a monster for GMs to indulge in. Its role as a (literally) gargantuan war machine from the ancient past is one of the best excuses you'll ever find to dig deeply into the history of what you've put together, though it isn't likely to be a monster that gets much actual use.

The guthallath is a gargantuan construct created with a sole purpose: destruction. If there's a phrase that has made me more excited than that, I can't think of it right now. This powerhouse is not lacking in both powers and immunities. Its 10th level disintegrate every 1d4 rounds puts a dragon's breath to shame. Constant true seeing means you can't make illusory terrain to divert it from its goal. Immunity to spells lower than 7th level and Resistance to the tune of physical 15 severely limits what your players can use against it. The ability to Trample huge or smaller creatures means you can't block it with sheer size. That isn't even mentioning its Erosion Aura (which creatures are never immune to) and its Powerful Blows feature, which helps it crit more often.

So how are you actually going to use this monster? Honestly, it's a 19th level creature! So you probably won't. 

But you definitely should. 

Bury it deep underground. Have the PCs come across its inert, slumbering form. Let it hint at the history you've created. Decide where it came from and what it's doing. Make an entire high-level one-shot or mini-arc about preventing it from destroying the known world. Plant mysteries about cyclic destruction, and hint that this thing is responsible. Then, when it awakes, consider making this an extended skill challenge rather than a flat-out combat. Again, in my opinion, this is definitely a monster that's more for GMs to flex creativity with than really for players to fight. Draw ideas from media like Shadow of the Colossus, Breath of the Wild, and the Iron Giant to really help the guthallath shine. Or leave it where it slumbers, waiting for its chance to start the engines of war once again, its very existence hinting at stories of epochs past and peoples long gone.

-TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - The Colussus of Tragge

The Great Colossus of Tragge is one of the greatest wonders on this side of the known world. The towering statue was reportedly created long before the city itself, as it was already here when the first settlers arrived. Its exact origin is a long-contested subject between scholars and the locals of Tragge. The monument stands well over one hundred feet tall, bearing a proportionally oversized shield and spear, as well as an additional set of arms crossed behind its back. Its face is a demonic visage set in a vicious snarl.

Today, however, it is not in the center of attention, for Tragge celebrates its sixth century of existence. Travelers from far and wide have arrived to take part in the variety of festivities, games, and pleasures that the metropolis offers.

At the third bell, the current city council announces that a play will take place—a reenactment of the city's founding! It tells a story of the legendary founder, who tamed many beasts to aid the people before finally forging the Colossus to protect them when he's gone. Everyone, being so enamored with the spectacle, fails to see one extremely vital thing.

The Colossus moved. And it looks angrier than usual.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Collapse

When all of the world's seas disappeared overnight, many lives changed.

For some, it meant near-certain death as they found themselves living at the edge of a desert rather than in a magnificent port city. For others, it meant new opportunities arose; now, sunken ruins with undisturbed riches were suddenly within grasp. For brave sir Bellathor and his Burly Band, it meant their castle was instead atop a massive stone goliath instead of an island in the middle of the sea. 

As if all that wasn't enough, the not-island is evidently starting to wake up.

Hook 3 (TJ) - Riven Valley Rampage

The denizens of the Riven Valley have learned a lot over the centuries. Well-documented charts and maps show the path of The Great Destroyer. As such, they've settled outside of its attentions. Every 50 years The Great Destroyer, a colossus of unknown origin, stomps its way through the valley, carving an identical path of destruction before eventually settling down on the opposite side and slumbering again to later repeat the cycle. The rampage is expected this year and the Riven Valley inhabitants have shaped their lives around its occurrence. They readily throw their refuse into its preordained path, waiting for the piles of garbage to be evaporated by the Destroyer's disintegration beams; some even sell guided tours to see it where it slumbers. As word of the event has spread, ticket sales to view its berserk state have greatly exceeded previous figures. People have flocked from all over to see the Great Destroyer rise again, and the Riven Valley is having a hard time supporting the influx of people. Little do they all know that this year will not be like the others...

Gug

Of the many varied aberrations in the first Bestiary, the Gug is one of the most unsettling, I think. While this creature bears a striking resemblance to a certain antagonist monster of Netflix fame, I think it does have some other interesting narrative options to offer.

Firstly, the gug is scared of ghouls but not ghasts. Given its ability to quickly squeeze through spaces and its darkvision, the gug can make a very interesting part of a subterranean ecosystem ranging from long-forgotten ruins to thriving cities of undead.

The gug's statblock is quite straightforward and is somewhat flexible given its high AC to remain a threat against parties of up to level 12-14. As stated in its descriptive text, granting a higher-level gug otherworldly powers for it to deploy against its prey is a good way to subvert the expectations your players may have for its behavior and tactics. A witch-like gug empowered by its aberrant patron that is worshipped by lowly gugs? That could serve as a perfect opportunity for a simple, yet varied, dungeon crawl.

- Reece

Hook 1 (Max) - A Chug from the Gug Jug

Worship takes many forms. Even amongst man-eating horrors from the deep. A community of gugs performs an... unconventional ritual. They are looking for a worthy champion for their dark god, bringing many people from above to test them.

What is this great trial?

The leader of the beasts found a black chalice etched with ancient runes. Alongside his brethren, he has filled the curio with a plethora of foul things scavenged from their intermittent surface raids. The monstrosities believe that the one to survive a single chug from the jug will lead them to glory, victory, and a great many meals.

So far no one managed to do so, mind you.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Star Folly

In the faraway land of Starfall, there's an ancient order of magi with a sacred purpose. Known as the White Necromancers to some, or Death's Druids to others, these reclusive mages have been tasked with keeping Those That Spew Forth From Fallen Stars at bay for centuries, maybe even millennia.

Unfortunately, as Goldhorn's crusade rages on, history is lost as anything dubbed "black magic" is put to the sword or torch.

As necromancy becomes a dying art and ghouls are executed on sight, the beings that arrived from outer space might have an opening...

Hook 3 (TJ) - Anatomical Anomaly

Anatomists have long clamored for a chance to study the gug. A large creature capable of squeezing itself through tight spaces, bony protrusions to protect its eyes from its prey, arms that split at the elbow to grant extra hands, all of these features make this aberration of particular interest. Luckily for the sciences department at the University of An'zar, a gug skeleton has recently been donated for study.

While it does lack its original musculature, the skeleton is still an impressive addition for study. Some days ago, the staff began to notice the specimen was being repositioned each morning when they arrived in the building. Strangely, this morning it was found as if it was roaring in triumph over some invisible foe. The blood dripping from its skeletal maw and claws, however, is anything but invisible.

Guardian Naga

Friendly aberrations are few and far between both in fantasy RPGs in general and in the currently published bestiaries for Pathfinder 2nd edition. It is, then, with great honor that we present the Guardian Naga who are as patient as they are unsightly to the more common folk.

The guardian naga is a great companion to the much later published Flumph, which I am sure we will get to in a few hundred days after chewing through the rest of 1 and all of 2.

Daunting, that.

Kindly creatures that have some monstrous elements to them are among my favorite tropes in fantasy. Dragons are often the most commonly cited, though there are many others—like the guardian naga—that may satisfy this role such as friendly were-creatures in control of their faculties or grandmotherly druids of the forest that one could mistake for a hag.

When finding a use for the guardian naga in your game, it is not only a more-than-proficient combatant, but it also has access to a plethora of spontaneous divine spells that both heal and deal damage. If for instance a guardian naga is mistaken for a creature one might attack, the guardian naga may do everything in its power to avoid killing a perceived innocent, up to and including the use of breath of life on a creature it just nearly killed.

Consider these things when utilizing the naga. A friendly, albeit ghastly, face in the center of some dilapidated ruin could serve as welcome respite to a combat-laden dungeon crawl, as well as providing opportunities for roleplay where there would otherwise be few sensible options for NPCs that could be placed within a terribly dangerous locale.

- Reece

Hook 1 (Nemanja) - Ishtara Exul

Before the Royalists seized power, Ishtara's grand temple had an entire ward dedicated to taking in pregnant women and caring for them. Unsurprisingly, the Goddess was not a popular figure with the heavily patriarchal regime, and the temple's clergy were chased away or executed.

These days, rumor has it that a trio of women operates in the catacombs below, granting aid to women hurt or ostracized by the new system. These rumors vary wildly in how easy or hard it is to acquire that aid. The reason is quite simple. 

The triumvirate, while powerful and united in their cause of helping downtrodden women, is quite the heterogeneous group; it consists of the temple's last high priestess—presumed dead—a hag who is trying to earn favours from the local population, and a guardian naga fascinated with the temple's sacred purpose. Their respective backgrounds and attitudes often change their approach as each of them favor varying tactics

Hook 2 (Max) - Blightguard

The Wandering Magus is a blight on the land. Wherever he walks, calamity follows, more often than not a direct result of his work. He appears as a senile old man in rags, his only apparent possession is a walking stick, worn smooth from centuries of continuous use.

Because of the mischief he sows, a bounty has been placed on his head. He has already been slain a number of times, which led to a simple conclusion: his real body must be hidden somewhere else.

And so it is, in an old, forgotten tower, guarded by nagas that come from an ancient and proud line who believe that the Magus is about to finally bring peace and solace to the world. With this sworn duty, they will defend him with everything they have.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Vaultkeeper

At the farthest point from any habitable land, deep within the ruins of a long-forgotten ruin, in the bowels of the Infinite Darkness that seems to swallow the world is a vault of divine purpose. The trek to this place is fraught with incredible hardships comprised of dangerous monsters, mystifying puzzles, and deadly traps. Should one survive the journey and reach the vault, they are greeted with a much-needed respite from the difficulties of their mission.

Pormandagon The Kind has guarded the Divine Vault for thousand-ten-thousand years. The vault, which is said to hold that which those who enter wish for most, is Pormandagon's charge and duty. While his judgment is swift upon those he deems of ill intent, he is more than likely reading and drinking tea at the center of the Infinite Darkness, waiting for the next brave traveler that might survive the descent.

His sight is regarded as the most discerning of any creature to ever live, as he is thrice blessed by three different gods to guard the vault from unwelcome intruders.

It is said to be a tradition to sup with Pormandagon as he prods you with questions both moral and philosophical. His queries are of course pretense; his true sight reveals both the desires and sins of mortal kind. This has never stopped him from keeping up the practice, even if it means that he must then strike down a guest he has become fond of.

Grothlut

When considering fates worse than death, being turned into a Grothlut is surely one of them. These mindless, pitiful creatures only have a passing resemblance to their former selves as they are now coated in slime and waste, found slithering in the darkness and moaning miserably at the sight of another living being. Some vestige of their shattered psyche perhaps remains, woefully aware of its circumstance.

Other than its normal ranged and melee attack, the grothlut's main abilities are its Piteous Moan and Disgusting Demise. The former is a pretty strong crowd control ability that can be used to great effect when paired with other combatants on the abomination's side (more than likely its creator), while the latter makes the monster a good kamikaze-style enemy. This pairing turns the creature into a solid choice for the frontline of any assault en masse.

- Max

Hook 1 (Max) - Father and Son

Old Man Heimmer is desperate. Desperate enough to ask the unsavory vagabonds passing through his village for help.

Not long ago his only son, Jahn, left the village. That alone wouldn't be such a terrible thing were it not for the fact that he departed with a wandering wizard who, according to Heimmer, put some sort of charm on the young man. There was a decidedly odd and frankly unsettling feeling to the mage's countenance. Many described his presence as something that "sent a chill down your spine when you looked at him". Most of the villagers steered clear of him, save Jahn, who still had his head full of dreams of derring-do and adventure. He took the arcanist's offer to join him almost immediately.

Heimmer is worried, though. He wants his son to come back, or at least for someone to check on the young man, as he is far too old to do so himself.

Sadly, Heimmer's worries stem from a grim reality, as the wizard dabbles in rather unsavory practices. He is, in fact, actively being hunted down by many of his colleagues due to his disturbing backlog of failed experiments. Unfortunately for young Jahn, the mage is sure that this one will turn out differently and he is determined to see it through so that he may discover how far he can take the powers of transmutation.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Pozica Strategem

Unless it is an absolute must, a grothlut will never touch salt.

Before abandoning the outpost of Pozica, the drow therein used this fact for a final, devilish scheme - painted on the floors of both the keep and other major facilities are lines of salt-infused paint that create lanes in which the grothluts patrol.

While the drow are long gone, the slug-men still patrol the halls, moaning pathetically as they guard the veritable trove of alchemical goods that remain unplundered within

Hook 3 (Reece) - A Pleading Letter

Dearest Brother,

I implore that you do not enlist as you so often told me you would. With great effort, I have passed this letter twelve trenches back to the main messenger's outpost where I hope it then survives long enough to reach you.

The elves have grown both bolder and crueler in their strategies to route us from the southern plains. When the war started and we enlisted, we thought it would be a grand thing; we were to defend our homeland and our kin from the savageries of the fair folk.

It is not so.

The artillery was the first sign of what was to come, I think. Alchemical fires and salvos of arcane energies rained from the heavens. We built these sheltered bunkers because of those brutal weapons, many of which have taken friends dear to me.

The creatures they deployed some weeks later have been the worst of it though. A soldier two trenches forward told me about how when one of the things rushed the bunker, it tore two men apart and then exploded when stuck with enough blades. The ones that survived will be... Scarred.

I beg you, listen to mother. Stay home. Do not seek the front.

With Love,

Lieutenant Doctor Chessa Everstone 

Grim Reaper & Lesser Death

If your party is facing the literal personification of death, then either something has gone terribly wrong or you really like insurmountable odds, both of which are perfectly fine!

So, what do we know about the Grim Reaper? Not much, really, other than the fact that it really dislikes any attempts to elude death's embrace for too long and as such will swiftly hunt down any who attempt to do so. There is no bargaining or pleading with it.

(As a side note, it is possible to draw the ire of the Reaper by merely drawing a specific combination of cards. Something to keep in mind.)

In battle, the Reaper is one scary foe. Its true sight ability allows it to shrug off illusions and deceptions quite easily, which makes hiding a nigh impossible endeavor. While it is undead and has negative healing, Death's Grace allows for it to decide whether or not it counts as undead when targeted by abilities that would have additional effects based on its undead trait, such as positive damage. Status sight is, in essence, a license to be incredibly vicious with how you run the reaper, as it knows the exact status of all its foes, including how close they are to death as it knows their HP and their wounded / dying / doomed conditions. This, in tandem with the constant effects of both haste and see invisibility allow the reaper's statblock to live up to its name.

Aura of Misfortune is a nasty little thing that can quickly result in a death spiral, especially when you consider how often the Reaper forces everyone into save-or-die checks. The Lurking Death reaction pairs well with this, as even ranged attackers must be wary of the aura; there is little safety to be found when within sight of the reaper. The Reaper only has a single type of melee attack - keen scythe - though you'll quickly realize it is more than enough. Not only does it deal a hefty amount of damage, but it also has a real likelihood of instantly killing the character on the spot in the event of a critical hit (remember the Aura of Misfortune?). This not only heals the Reaper for 20 HP, it also has the ability to inflict a stacking doomed status. Should all these sources of death not be enough, finger of death, which it can cast four times, can instantly kill a target that is reduced to 0 hit points. With all this in mind, you should remember that if you are killed by the Grim Reaper, only divine intervention can possibly bring you back.

So, ready for some danse macabre?

Hook 1 (Max) - Do Fear the Reaper

Shrine of Life was one of the most vibrant and prosperous places in the known world, in no small part thanks to the many priests and miracle workers who chose to live there and provide a very much sought-out service - the revival of those who died before their time, be it in battle or in some other manner.

For a long time, things were working out fine for everyone involved, at least until a certain someone observed a big abnormality in the numbers of the recently deceased that passed on into the afterlife. That certain someone was Death, of course. It investigated the source of the irregularities and to say that the Grim Reaper was angered by the findings would be an understatement.

Not long after, disaster after disaster struck the city. It began with plagues that decimated the populace and ended with an attack of a monster horde that appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

For a time, Death was content with its work, though from this point on it kept a far more watchful eye on the souls that by all accounts should be passing into the afterlife. So now whenever someone dies and their spirit fails to meet the Grim Reaper, it is very keen to find the one responsible and teach them a lesson or two about "cheating Death".

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Death's Prison

In the Manretea Mativ galaxy, death itself has been conquered.

It took coordination from the finest of all five galactic civilizations' mages, scientists, and priests, in addition to help from a strain of a debatably alive though sentient virus. By their combined efforts, The Grim Reaper himself, along with all eleven known lesser deaths, has been teleported to the planet Aad. The entire planet was then surrounded with layers and layers of technological and magical defenses and fail-safes to keep death from ever coming back.

Of course, the group of space explorers from another galaxy that just crash-landed on the planet, tearing through its defensive systems, couldn't have possibly known the entire backstory...

The Grim Reaper, in a rare show of compassion (and perhaps even gratitude), tells the explorers what is about to go down: Fifty billion souls just had their immortality taken from them and, thanks to the interplanetary news relays, will know whose fault it is within the hour. The entire galaxy is about to take every spaceship, speeder bike, and repurposed escape pod to go on a hunt.

Despite the crews' dire circumstances, those fifty billion souls are also several hundred years overdue to die. Another hunt is about to happen as a very agitated Death and its minions start preparing themselves. As it turns out, though, fifty billion is a large order.

So it is decided - if the explorers avoid any mortal wounds while the reaper does its job, this is the last they see of it. If not, what are five more souls for the scythe?

Hook 3 (Reece) - The Immortal Vigil

Deep in the bowels of The City of Many Names, the now-abandoned capital of the long-dead Nagayunari Empire, immortal warriors are said to guard the most wretched and vile secrets that the empire locked away from the eyes of mortal beings. These warriors, sworn to guard that which their empire foolishly thought they could control, have long abandoned the coils of mortality so that their vigil might never end.

Having thwarted many foes from entering the sanctum, the very forces of death hunger for their immortal souls. The leader, known only as First, has spotted the tell-tale sign of the avatar of death itself; The Grim Reaper. Second, the best scout of the four remaining warriors, noticed decrepit sigils and forgotten runes painted throughout the ruins they call home. Lesser deaths have already been seen haunting the outskirts of the ruins they have called home for over a thousand years.

You are the immortal warriors. Death itself comes for you and, should you fall, the vault you have guarded for several lifetimes will be free to fall into the hands of the first intrepid ne'er-do-well stupid enough to open the vault.

Survive.

Grikkitog

The grikkitog is the perfect union of both monster and trap. It serves as a reminder that the things you're afraid of can be afraid of something themselves, as the grikkitog infests earth elementals in a parasitic manner. It then uses their earthen affinity to lie in wait, eating who or whatever happens to stumble its way.

With a cursory glance at its statblock, you might be tempted to run this creature just as a sentient trap, but I think you would be missing something key: this is an intelligent creature, capable of speaking Terran. While this may not be a common language for your PCs to have, it's not impossible. With that in mind, attempting to reason with this creature would make for incredible role-play opportunities.

This creature can serve as a widespread trap and, given its aforementioned intelligence, makes an incredible one. It would absolutely be in character for the grikkitog to wait to attack until creatures are closer to the center of its Infestation Aura, to give it more opportunities to attack them as they attempt to flee. Like with the gargoyle, its ability to imitate stone gives you a good opportunity to test your understanding of how checks vs. DCs work, but I would hope you have a grasp on that by level 14.

I will leave you with one final recommendation. A grikkitog's major feature is its Infestation Aura, right? Well, how much more can you do with a 120-foot radius when you have three-dimensional space to work with? A grikkitog who has a "service elevator" of sorts in a winding cave system to freely move around and reposition? You can do wonders for its effective range when the caves funnel your PCs back into its range. Now there's a fight to remember.

Hook 1 (TJ) - The Hungering Tunnel

The svirfneblin of the Undergallery have long been sought out as masters of stonecraft. Recent rumors purport they've created a ritual that can bring the stone to life. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, the first of these attempts went rather poorly. The resultant creature, although ravenous, could still be reasoned with. Fortunately for the svirfneblin, the passages to the Undergallery can be quite treacherous. Trips to see the wonders these deep gnomes produced were already renowned as a dangerous but worthwhile journey. If a few individuals go missing on their way to the Undergallery, swallowed up by the earth, it is easily written off as a natural risk. The grikkitog, however, is growing tired of this passive arrangement, as it has become increasingly greedy for more. The svirfneblin are becoming fearful, though they have little hope of reaching out for help without alerting the hungry earth that watches the exits...

Hook 2 (Max) - The Black Garnet

The Shrine of the Heavenly Garnet is a place of great reverence where thousands of pilgrims journey every year in search of enlightenment. The travel itself is arduous but reportedly worth it as the sight of the enormous, crimson gem changes people in some way.

At least that was the story up until recently because, for the better part of the last couple of months, no soul has returned from the journey to the top of the mountain where the shrine is located. Priests who admit the pilgrims onto the path are starting to worry.

A disquieting darkness has fallen over the Shrine as the Garnet, once stunningly red, is now jet black. The rich and malicious darkness seems to nest within the gem's many facets as the thing seemingly waits for more and more unfortunate souls to be fed to it. growing with each passing day, both in size and its unsated hunger.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Gemeater Pass

To get to the Golden City, the last utopian metropolis of the great Golden Elves, anyone arriving from the south must go through the Gemeater pass.

The treacherous canyon is home to an entire colony of juvenile grikkitogs who infest every step of the mile-long trek. While one might hope to outrun the aberrant elementals, as fighting is hardly an option, the clue to survival actually lies in the canyon's very name; if given gemstones, the elementals will try and consume them before any living flesh. Oddly enough, different gems seem to have different effects: emeralds (the informed choice) make them sick and docile for hours, rubies throw them into a murderous rage, and amethysts greatly increase their mental capabilities...

Grig

Generally, The Fey are well suited to serve as a reminder that the world the players occupy is one of extremes. Pathfinder 2e is, after all, a ruleset of extremes. Super powerful heroes of mythic proportions, beasts of abject evil, and avatars of total obedience to the laws of nature or man are all present within the game. Fey creatures exemplify these extremist tendencies in numerous ways, and the grig is no different.

The Grig is willing to confront that which it may know it cannot defeat. Be ye ally or enemy, a grig is more than willing to put itself in harm's way regardless of the difficulty or danger in the task. This is a great way to emphasize that some things are beyond reasoning with, particularly the ever-changing yet staunchly stubborn fey.

The Grig's signature ability Fiddle is a touch silly, though it is emblematic of what makes the fey truly alien. They do not abide by the normal behaviors attributed to mortals. Should you be one that a grig deems a threat, they can prove more a threat than one might guess as they are one of the few level one creatures with both a ranged attack and a fly speed. For this reason, the grig is quite the harrying force against ill-prepared foes, as they can blast dissonant notes down at foes that are stuck on the ground, well out of reach of the nastiest melee adversaries. With added spells such as glitterdust and invisibility, they can be quite the annoyance even for a level 3 or 4 party.

Do not underestimate the noble grig and consider the creative ways its flaws may be used to your narrative or tactical advantage.

Hook 1 (TJ) - Prison of Amber

While wandering a local curio shop, their collection of insects trapped in amber piques your interest. A frozen gallery of scorpions, spiders, and dragonflies stares back at you, their last moments taken millennia ago as the tree sap encased them. An odd-looking cricket at the back of this anachronistic menagerie catches your eye. A closer examination reveals that this 'cricket' has a humanoid body attached to its insectoid abdomen, complete with miniature clothing and armaments. As you pick it up, the eyes of this creature turn to look at you, almost pleading. Startled, you drop the amber, shattering the prison of golden resin. The creature coughs and chirps before hopping up onto the table next to you, attempting to communicate its thanks in a tongue long forgotten by time and men.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Fey Knight Company

The Locusts are a mercenary company with a nasty reputation... composed entirely of a swarm of graveknight grigs.

Several generations of grigs ago (which is perhaps... a decade, in human measurements) a small enclave of grigs made a pact with a dark entity in exchange for the power to fight the greatest threats.

The company has grown to a considerable size since then, comprised of smiths to produce new armor, dedicated bagpipe dirge players, and elite soldiers who live and die for the Cause. The Cause, of course, is to find the biggest, most evil creature to stick their toothpick-sized claymores in.

Unfortunately, their effectiveness is becoming their downfall. As evil creatures are wiped out one by one, the pool of enemies they consider worthy further dwindles. Driven by their accursed bloodlust, they are beginning to pick fights with the wrong targets.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Twisting Hearts

Candar the Eye has long watched over the village of Beidar as its fey protector. Their reverence for the Lavender King is commendable, as with each year they pay the proper respect due to the Fey King that saved their progenitors a great many centuries ago from the firestorms and floods of the last cataclysm.

An ancient enemy has long eyed the settlement as it is rife with sorcerous blood well suited for the creation of powerful fey thralls, twisted creatures of occultic and primal magics used to enact the will of their masters.

When one member of the coven that serves The Court of Dark Hearts cuts off the gateway back into The Fey, Candar finds himself facing off alone against the coven and his own enslaved brethren, corrupted grigs who seek to break the minds of men and turn them to the evils of the fey court. He knows this task is far beyond his ability and reveals himself to the locals so that he might seek their aid against the forces that have begun to corrupt the very heart of the town.

Griffon

The griffon, also spelled griffin or gryphon, is a mythological cornerstone. A mix (usually) between a lion and an eagle, two apex creatures within their own ecological niche, the griffon has a myriad of real-world mythos associated with it. I could give you real-world historical information on it but this is a Beastfinder entry, not a Wikipedia article.

Statistically, the griffon is a pretty generic creature. It uses hit-and-run tactics with Flying Strafe, which allows it to Fly once (using its massive 60ft fly speed) and Strike twice throughout that movement. It can also serve as an ambush predator with Pounce. At the end of the day, the griffon is an animal. It has low intelligence and fights in order to protect its territory, its young, or in search of a meal. That being said, it generally will lean toward self-preservation in battle, flying out of range of enemies when it grows too wounded to continue.

The griffon is useful for our purposes because of its iconic nature. It's easily recognizable and carries with it the zeitgeist of various historical periods. Because of these attributes, in my opinion, the griffon functions best as the subject of a quest, not the boss monster of an encounter. Poachers collecting griffon eggs, a mated pair needing to be relocated due to a precarious nesting location, that sort of thing. You could take it a step farther, however, and create entire subspecies of griffon based on other feline/bird hybrids. Not that I, uh.

Not that I'd know anyone who would do that.

Hook 1 (Max) - Loyal Steed

At night, a soul-rending shriek of agony can be heard. Upon investigating it, one will find a mighty griffon clad in ornamental armor, bleeding from countless wounds, inflicted by both weapons and magic from the looks of it.

If healed, it will immediately start walking (assuming it cannot yet fly) northward. After a day of travel, anyone following the beast will happen upon a battlefield, though "massacre" might be a more apt descriptor. Dozens of griffons and knights in similar armor lie scattered about, most of them in barely recognizable pieces. The animal cries out in anguish after finding what one could only assume to be its rider. The pained beast looks toward the nearby ruins of an old keep.

Whatever demolished the warriors is there.

Hook 2 (TJ) - Pennycat Problems

The Westway Pennycat is a small griffonoid creature that rules the underbrush of the Galboia Range. The diminutive Pennycat seems to be a cross between a common grouse and the runt of a bobcat litter and is therefore not fit for riding like the Ozun Seahawk would be.

This does not stop enterprising breeders and tamers from seeking them out, however. Pennycats make incredible mousers, and ratcatchers all over Aldunn have begun to use them to clear out local rodent populations.

When a fire broke out at the compound of Huxley Dawndew, the lead pennycat breeder in Westway, he released all of his pennycats so that they could flee the blaze. Now that the fire has died down, he needs help tracking all 473 of them down, as well as finding the source of the fire.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Secrets of Sand

Folk tales among the Nffrach people of the Resspa desert claim that the vigilants - the vulture-hyena griffons of the region - value sea fish over any other food. Of course, for most locals, living hundreds of miles away from the sea means that is a virtually untestable premise.

Travelers from faraway lands will find out that upon offering a vigilant seafood, it will bow down, indicating that the donor should mount them. Curiously, should one accept the offered seat, they will find themselves dropped off at elven ruins surrounding a dried-out oasis deep in the desert, two continents away from the next closest elven settlement known...

Green Hag

I have never properly deployed hags as they are written in any game I've run, as I haven't had the story I wanted to tell with them properly centered. It is important to bear in mind that hags of all types play into the trope of the duplicitous, deceptive, or evil (sometimes old) woman, which is not often an arc or story I have an interest in telling. We've all heard the stories of the various witch hunts of colonial America and the old United kingdom from which the hags are inspired. The folklore from which these hunts were derived in many cases predates that of the hunts themselves. The archetype of the wizened woman of magic even ties to some of the old druidic traditions of modern-day Ireland, Scotland, and the old Gaelic tribes

With all this in mind, there is a great burden with which the Pathfinder 2e hags can be deployed. They occupy a unique place within the game mechanically and narratively as creatures that can be a threat to a party throughout their adventures, ranging in level from 3 through 10 as of the date of my writing. When theorizing how you might place a hag within your setting, I do recommend that you consider creating an entire coven within the area of influence for use. This serves two functions:

- The Coven ability grants spells to the entire coven that the individual hag may not have access to
- The Coven itself can be a primary or tertiary antagonistic force that can help or hinder your players whilst harassing the countryside

To these ends, I recommend the hag and accompanying coven as a way to inject a further level of mystery or fantasy horror into your chosen setting. The hag becomes far more interesting when their grievance and hatred with humanity is not entirely unwarranted. It is with this in mind that I will make recommendations for future hags.

The Green hag in question is a creature covetous of perceived beauty and purity. Given the previous recommendation, you may consider that a hag is a lover scorned long ago by a cruel and unloving partnership or that she was once a woman of good standing betrayed and attacked by someone close to her or her chosen community.

Exacting revenge against those who offend her or her sisters' sensibilities can be a great way for an antagonistic or evil presence to also seem justified, in a twisted sense, in that the curses they place are upon family lines or against villages who were the origin of their suffering and status as outcasts. The hag coven may even be a necessary evil to be leveraged for your players gain in knowledge or aid against some greater malevolence which could create a somewhat conflicted allyship ample with roleplay opportunities.

I neglected to mention the myth of changelings and stolen children, though perhaps there is a place for such conversation another day. Should combat be thrust upon the green hag, it is best served as a creature that acts in tandem with minions of some type such as twisted creatures of nature or evil adherents. Her spellcasting and abilities are all complimentary to debuffing and making otherwise strong parties vulnerable to her lesser more martial allies.

Between the above and the fact that the green hag has quite the set of spells for creating an unearthly and unsettling environment, such as ghost sound, pass without trace, and message. Don't hesitate to lean into this to foreshadow whatever doom is to befall your players, should they enrage the entire coven.

Hook 1 (Max) - I Chopped the Sheriff

Anna, the sheriff of a small town by the name of Marsh Hill, has changed, and not for the better. Ever since her expedition into the swamplands, where she defeated a hag and got an impressive scar for the effort, she has become more erratic and cruel in her behavior. Some say that the loss of her right eye is to blame, though it does seem unlike her even given the circumstances.

Not long after her return, the chief was mysteriously and brutally murdered along with his family, a matter which the sheriff had been intensely looking into. At least that's what she claims, for she is far more occupied with ruling the Hill with an iron fist, as she demands tithes to be paid to her for the "protection" she provides.

Anna can be only seen in the company of her four guards, her four most trusted men that joined her in her quest to slay the hag who, for some inexplicable reason, don't speak anymore. Alongside her imposing presence and a new tendency for violent outbursts of anger, this process has been enough to keep the townsfolk "In Line".

Most attribute the change to the trauma sustained by the sheriff and her men during their fight with the hag. Some question if the monster was truly slain, given her magics can still be seen and sensed in the area. The Sheriff dismisses those claims and forbids anyone from going into the marshland.

While that could stem from concern for the well-being of her people, the reason is far simpler. Should anyone go into the swamps and find the hag's cove, they would quickly find the ghastly remains of the actual sheriff whose face has long since been clawed into a barely recognizable mess.

Hook 2 (Reece) - The Hagsong

Beauty fond and beauty fair
Doth thou flaunt without care?
Purity, rightness, thought and grace
Thou can't flaunt without a face

Heart of iron, heart of gold
Heart of thistle, turned to mold
Strong of will and keen of mind
Flask of acid makes thee blind

Thoughts of courage and warmth in touch,
Thou cant stand without thine crutch
Bound by thorns and bound by hair
Thou wilt sate me, and bring thine heir

-From "The Hagsong" - Source unreliable. Found dead approximately 36 hours after recording. Cause of death: Strangulation. Think the brambles grew into the eye sockets post mortem.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Lover's Scorn

In a rare twist of fate, a gancanagh has decided to settle in one place for a few years, finding the overall energy present in the artist's colony of Vibrance exactly to his taste.

Of course, they haven't given up the passionate outlook of their kind, and under many disguises and names have reveled across town. This, unfortunately, caught the eye of a local green hag who is reusing the azata's disguises to revisit their lovers and inflict misery upon them - purely out of spite.

The townspeople, although used to occasional fey meddling, are starting to realize something is off and are looking for paranormal and occultic experts who can look into it.