Krooth

Any monster that has baked-in hooks makes our job way easier here at Beastfinder. The Krooth is such a beast. A strange amphibious/reptilian creature resembling a cross between a chameleon and some manner of dinosaur, the krooth is an ambush predator with some terrifying mating habits. Given that the male krooth is a bit of a, uh—"Hot commodity" in more ways than one, this fantasy animal lends itself very well to medium-level hunts or fetch quests.

This monster serves as a great reminder that the wider world is still dangerous, even for a higher-level party. How do the societies that inhabit the areas in or around your bogs and wetlands deal with the krooth population? Perhaps there are vanguards of around 8th level that already deal with them. Do local(ish) alchemists have established trade relationships with people in these locales? However your societies deal with these bloodthirsty monsters, fighting a krooth in an already alligator or dinosaur-infested bog is not something I envy your players for having to do.

- TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - The Hunt of Desires

The room is dark, the person who invited you obscured. They pour wine into ornate chalices set on the table. Their voice is raspy and tired.

"It is quite a delicate matter. You'd do wise to not talk about it in the open. The duke has been trying to produce an heir for the better part of the last five or so years, to no avail. Doctors said that there are no evident issues with either him or the duchess, so they've been trying various methods, again with little success. However, one of them suggested using a potent aphrodisiac produced by a curious reptile—known commonly as a krooth. It needs to be harvested in the mating season for it to prove effective, mind you. Fortunately, it just so happens that we have a male stalking the nearby swampland. There is a slight issue. Namely, a pack of females has already caught his scent and is on its way there—you'd better hurry before they get to him."

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Scaleslicer's Test

To enter the inner circle of Scaleslicers—a group of sacred warriors committed to battling reptilian threats, be they dragons, naga, or just very big lizards—a prospective member needs to pass a grueling, night-long ritual of battle.

In the midst of the krooth mating season, they are to tasked to slay a large male, cut out his scent glands, and mark themselves with the musk that then throws females into a murderous frenzy.

Be it through battling them, avoiding them, or even sheer luck, those who live to see the dawn become the Scaleslicers' elite.

Hook 3 (TJ) - Poaching, Over Easy

Hobgoblin krooth catchers don't take kindly to poachers. The krooth breeding grounds have long been sectioned off into approved hunting areas, split between the various companies that profit off of their alchemical properties. Any unaffiliated individual found battling a krooth may quickly find themselves surrounded by disapproving goblinoids who, more often than not, attempt to tip the battle in the krooth's favor. Accidents are easier to account for, they've found.

The fact that there is a poacher that continuously evades their patrols infuriates the hobgoblin catching crews to no end. A large monetary reward has been placed on the head of the "Krooth Shadow," along with a lesser reward on any information of their whereabouts.