Nosoi

The Nosoi is the most basic of the psychopomps, and it's definitely friend-shaped—assuming you aren't afraid of birds. This little bird with a plague mask is a great introductory creature to the world of souls.

As I have suggested with some of the other psychopomps, I recommend taking time to decide what happens with souls in your campaign, assuming you're running your own world. Teaming up with a nosoi who's been assigned something a bit too big for their tiny britches would be great. If you're like me, you might have an easier time roleplaying a non-human creature like this one, as human conventions don't fully apply here.

If you're going to use low-level undead, why not toss a nosoi in to add some stakes to an otherwise mundane combat? Zombies trying to swat a bird out of the air or skeletal miners working for a remote necromancer using a nosoi in a birdcage as a literal canary in a soulmine (hah, canary in a coalmine, get it?) are just two examples of how you can make your low-level encounters more interesting. I'm sure you can come up with something, I believe in you!

- TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - The Rules Are the Rules

Well, you died. Unfortunate. Looks like your companions can't bring you back. As you float through the void of non-existence, you hear a loud caw. You turn and see a black raven wearing a leather mask posted atop a branch of a withered tree.

"What's this? Another lost soul, I see? Caw." The beak reaches under its feather, as the creature pulls out a stack of papers, then starts rifling through them. "Bones, I don't think these are yours, caw. You look too, too young indeed. Caw." Another set of documents, then another. The bird-thing nuzzles its feathers in what seems to be confusion. "It appears we might have an issue, caw." What issue can an immortal bird have?

"Looks like someone misplaced your documents, caw. I can't let you through."

Hook 2 (TJ) - Gravekeeper

Gustav didn't mind being alone. He wasn't truly alone, especially after a recent burial. There were the worms digging through the fresh dirt, the beetles that came to investigate the recent commotion, the birds that came to make meals of the aforementioned, and, of course, the spirit of the recently departed. Gustav always thought that he could feel them, at least for a while. After a burial, he'd prepare an extra place setting at each meal as his own kind of reverence, whether he knew the deceased or not. After a meal, he took time to sit and enjoy the quiet: both the natural quiet and the quiet of being deaf. It never really bothered him. Those who came to bury the dead complained of the birdsong and some odd quality to it, though it didn't bother Gustav. Nothing really did. When the time came and Gustav got the sense that the deceased had passed on, the birds seemed to have the same idea and moved along themselves. When that time came, he'd be alone again. But he wasn't truly alone, not really.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - The Thirteenth Day

A white necromancer by the name of Arangelo became a gravedigger in the small village of Thistlebrook following his retirement from his adventuring days. With him also came his gregarious nosoi, Besmrtnik. Most of the time, Besmrtnik was hard at work helping the old sage in his work—except on the thirteenth day. It was a well-known rule that the Nosoi was never to come close to the body of anyone who died on the thirteenth of any month. As Arangelo was beloved and respected in the village, people knew and respected his rule, and never questioned it.

When the old man passed away in his hundred and first year, working till the very last day, a replacement worker was sent from a nearby town's chapel. Besmtrnik stuck around, though he rarely talked to the man, completing his tasks in a dour and joyless manner. Considering himself to be above superstitions, the new gravedigger ignored the rule about the thirteenth.

Two weeks passed before the young man went missing. Now, a dread dirge can be faintly heard from the graveyard. Those daring to follow the haunting tune will find that Besmrtnik has grown into the form of a massive vulture, and his gentle and funny nature is all but gone...

Lyrakien (Wanderer Azata)

Another azata—one similar both in name and presentation to the Lillend—the Lyrakien, AKA the Wanderer Azata. We've previously lamented about outsiders, as sometimes it can feel like they are boxed into a particular story archetype that can make them somewhat uninteresting. Max once noted that, to your average medieval peasant, anything that isn't human would probably just be called some variation of demon, devil, or angel, that sort of thing. There's probably some design space there to play with, perhaps someone who is or is not educated in the nuances of planar creatures and the misunderstandings that can result from that understanding.

For our purposes, the wandering themed celestial can be used a few different ways. Consider how prevalent celestials are in your setting and game, and try to determine what circumstances may draw the attention of one such as a Lyrakien. The chaotic meddling of a celestial can shake things up, particularly when that celestial is themed around traveling and could be encountered anywhere.

As a low-level creature, the lyrakien can be a help or a hindrance to players as well as a powerful ally. A burst damage ability alongside some celestial-themed spells (most importantly heal!) can be used a number of different ways when needed. Should you use one (or modify one for an encounter), consider pairing with larger, hitpoint-heavy creatures that can protect the lyrakien while it heals them.

And that's the wanderer azata, patron of the open road. Perhaps when your players decide they need to restrict someone's freedom of movement, you'll know just what creature to present as a foil.

- Reece

Hook 1 (Max) - Gods Save the Queen

Mercenaries needed! A group known as the Free Spirits roam the realm and incite rebellion against its ruler, singing about revolution and bringing the tyranny down. The aforementioned tyranny does not take kindly to it.

Several towns are in a state of open revolt, refusing taxes, arming themselves in preparation for battle, and withholding information on the whereabouts of the musician troupe. The situation is starting to look somewhat dire.

The job is simple. Bring the queen the heads of all of the Free Spirits, and get your weight in gold, in addition to land, titles, and privileges.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Spice of Life

A dwarven mining town seems to have gone dark—neither messenger nor traveler has come back from it in almost two weeks.

If anyone dares the treacherous mountain pass separating the town from civilization, they will not find it overrun with the forces of evil, but rather, under a spell by misguided though well-meaning azata. Indeed, to break the town's bleak, industrial and everyday reality, the wily outsiders put the workers of the city under a mass sleep charm. They are refusing to lift it up until a loud, cheerful, and colorful feast is thrown to cheer up the many laborers of the city. Of course, not they won't allow anyone who offers to headline the event, those who would take such an honor upon themselves must be tested against the finest of the lyrakiens' own musicians, dancers, and other performers.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Wanderer's Lament

From town to town my horse does ride

With water and food the world provides

There's one thing though, I cannot find

Dear Lyra, dear Lyra, that voice divine

While riding south, that winter cold

They called me fool, 'You're too old!'

And they were right, they told me true

Though I'd lost my wits, I did find you

When fallen from old Swiftstep's seat

I heard your voice, so kind, so sweet

You'd given me warmth and saved my life

Dear Lyra, Dear Lyra, don't cause me strife

From the grave, you brought my heart

There you sat, your smile? Art

In the morn', the cold did wane

I wish to see you once again

When the storm had settled down

and you'd brought my life around

You gave me help and asked for none

and now I wish to call ya hun

Dear Lyra, my Lyra, you've caught my soul

when you left, my gut did roll

though my passion burns like coal

in my heart, you left a hole

So I search these lonely trails

for that smile, this old heart ails

Now in this storm, I will take rest

and in its passing, I'll surely be blessed 

Jinkin

Of all evil fey, the Jinkin is perhaps the most steeped in classical fey themes. Jinkins don't do much damage, have very little general combat strength, and almost are required to work in groups to be effective in combat against even the lowest level groups. 

Before I delve in properly, I recommend this video by Dael Kingsmill. It's within the context of 5th edition D&D but the advice is applicable in any fantasy tabletop game. Even if your game is not taking place in a classical medieval setting, fey creatures can be utilized in almost any game to great effect—particularly to shake up the pace of the game. This is particularly relevant to today's gremlin of choice.

Where the jinkin is strongest is in its mechanically relevant narrative abilities. For the uninitiated, the fey of the classical English, Slavic, and Celtic traditions are often not outright evil and are instead quite alien. When the fey of old are evil, it's often in the most convoluted and inconvenient way. The Jinkin is an embodiment of that theme.

Even though the jinkin is narrowly useful in combat, you may find ample room to utilize its tinker ability. This is, effectively, a free pass to mess with your players. Should they find themselves someplace particularly close to the fey, where the veil is "thin" or even in the domain of the fey itself, you might find a reason to utilize these petty curses. 

When slighted, the jinkin can be a particularly spiteful creature. Consider what small thing one of your players has done that could've set a jinkin on a path to revenge, and then design something around that behavior. A jinkin could even spurn your players to take on some greater threat, or drive them towards making a decision they would have otherwise spent a lot of time mulling over.

Is it mean? Yes. And you can be too, at least every once in a while...

- Reece

Hook 1 (TJ) - Always Trust Your Tinker

Whenever a tool malfunctions in the town of Yewbough, the townsfolk bring it to Elias the Tinker, a portly, friendly man on the outskirts of town, well out of the way. His expertise is well worth it, and he always provides advice to avoid similar malfunctions in the future. The townsfolk laugh behind his back at his offerings of charms and precautions to ward against gremlins. When he forgets to check the wards on his workshop one evening, a group of jinkin take advantage of it. The next day, his workshop is an unsurpassed labyrinth of traps and tricks, which he falls victim to. With the Tinker out of the way, the jinkin begin systematically cursing the tools of every townsperson they come across, which undoubtedly leads the hapless individual directly into the tinker's workshop, where they fall directly into the waiting traps of the jinkin.

Hook 2 (Max) - Hex for Hire

The Unseen Hexers are a mercenary group who provide a very specific service to their employers—point them to a magical item and they'll curse it, rendering it either useless or too much of a hassle to use.

Despite being gremlins, they always fulfill their contracts, which are only made by spoken agreements. As is usually the case with fae creatures, the payment for their services is never as easy as simply paying in coin. Should one have need of their service, often the one who hires their services is more at risk than the affected target...

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Ragtime Ridge

The dwarves of Ragged Ridge Reach are a very suspicious lot, though they are highly sought after for their brutal efficiency in battle.

They refuse to use any technology nor enchantments, citing ancient customs and rules. In truth, the inner circle of their leadership are time travelers who've gone back in time to prevent the clan from starting a massive and bloody series of wars against jinkins, bloodthirsty technoparasites that the dwarves accidentally create in the far future. The only way they knew how to do that, however, was to stop the dwarves' innate ability for innovation and thirst for knowledge. The morality of such a temporal maneuver might be a bit iffy...

Imp

There is something telling about the Imp being the token devil—a mischievous little critter that's prone to pranks and occasionally offering deals that will condemn your soul to eternal damnation.

As per the Bestiary, the Imp operates outside of the usual devil hierarchy, having certain leeway in how it operates, so long as it gets results. The results, of course, being more souls to feed to the infernal furnace.

Looking at its statblock, it becomes evident that the creature is not suited for combat, only having one strictly offensive action (more if you count all the animals it can polymorph into). Where it shines is outside of it, in various social encounters. It boasts a solid choice of spells such as invisibility or charm that have a lot of applications, but the meat is in its Infernal Temptation ability, which is just perfect - the Imp offers you a small favor, with a neat little caveat that should you die within the next hour, your soul goes straight to hell.

So if you're looking for an emissary of the infernal, despite its meager stature, the Imp is a great choice.

- Max

Hook 1 (TJ) - Rise of the Rat King

Greel didn't hate his job. As a matter of fact, he generally liked it. Crawling where other people wouldn't dare go in order to do things other people didn't want to think about made him feel useful. No one liked to deal with him, but he provided a necessary service. Society needed ratcatchers like him. As a matter of fact, the rats kept telling him that.

This wasn't strange to Greel. He often got lost in thought and talked to himself when he was working, carrying on entire conversations. When the rats started responding, it felt natural. They were just echoing what he already knew. What was a little strange to Greel, however, was the offer of a partnership. Rats wanting him to catch other rats? Very strange. But very lucrative! The ratcatching sessions where the rats offered to help were the fastest, which made Greel feel quite efficient.

But then the rats started offering other things. Power. Money. Fame. And Greel had come to trust the rats. The contract was sealed. And Greel liked this new job even more.

Hook 2 (Max) - Bloodsand Bargain

Bloodsand Arena is a typical, underground, semi-legal fighting spot for vagabonds and ne'er-do-wells. Entry is gained through a seedy tavern in the slums of the city where you're then acquainted with the—very few—rules and admitted into the pit. There, you meet your opponent and proceed to fight to the death. Pretty simple, all things considered.

What separates it though is a small creature appearing before every combatant just as the fight is about to start. It is reminiscent of a sickly goblin with reddish skin, and most assume it to be so. The bugger offers everyone good fortune, and most accept.

Funny thing is that after this they can't be resurrected, should they perish in battle. The whole thing is kept on the hush-hush as if arena owners benefit from it in some way.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Grainland Bushdevil

Contrary to popular belief, it is rare for infernal creatures to make appearances in the Relendish isles. Supposed "devil-men" in the south-east are more often than not misidentified orc-blooded men who stalk the foothills, foraging for food or looking for work.

There is one place, deep in The Grainlands, that has a unique sort of problem—the foothills are absolutely ridden with bushdevils. These strange imps, permanently caught in the shape of boars, tempt hunters to sell their souls for an easy reward. Each time a hunter attempts to collect their bounty, they are chased deeper into the foothills where they might be collected.

Who exactly is doing this collecting? It's hard to say. The Grainlanders are looking for someone to deal with the bushdevils and find what has happened to the hunters, as they disappear without a trace, leaving their families destitute and their guild without ranking members. 

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.

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.

Faerie Dragon

Faerie Dragons, though often (not without reason) typecast as good-willed tricksters, offer many thematic lanes of approach. They might...

- Foreshadow the obsessive, narcissistic tendencies of greater dragons,
- Sum up the chaotic, almost maddeningly fickle, attitude of fey.
- They may even serve as a reminder for players that they aren't in Westeros anymore.

Faerie Dragons are distinctly non-humanoid creatures that are statistically predisposed toward a social encounter role; a type of encounter I personally find really enjoyable for immersing new players into the game(s). This offers many different potential options for use.

Hook 1 (Reece) - Tiny Tithe

 
The tiny farming village of Brish hosts a lavender festival in the heart of summer to celebrate the longest day of the year. The players may find themselves starting their adventure here or they might stop by on the way to another location during the holiday. While enjoying the merriment and chaos of the occasion (in addition to partaking in the local refreshments), the local Lord Gittonham has taken it upon himself to collect his "Noble Tithe" while everyone is in one place. A local cat (the Faerie Dragon in disguise!) pipes up to ask the players for their help in putting a stop to the scheme.

Hook 2 (TJ) - A Blissful Rest

Blissful Rest is a bar of sorts on the outskirts of Riddlesborough, widely renown as the most calm "bar" in the area. Guards don't bother patrolling that far, as a bar fight has never broken out. Rumor has it that it's actually impossible to fight within its bounds; the very air itself seems to ooze euphoria. Those who select the all-day care package available also receive a guarantee of the best night's sleep they've ever had. Any questions about the nature of possible enchantment or exactly what goes on in the Blissful Rest gets a knowing, almost draconic, smile from its owner, The Matron.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Unlikely Assistant

A group of mercenaries looking for a runaway princess (and heiress apparent to the Golden Kingdom) stumbles upon an unlikely witness - a Faerie Dragon prankster who obsessively collects psychic impressions of his "victims". The mischievous miscreant conveniently claims to have pranked the princess a full two weeks after she was last seen.

Obtaining the information from him, quite naturally as he often notes, involves completing a series of increasingly bizarre and ludicrous tasks.

Hook 4 (Max) - The Emperor

 
According to the locals, you'd do wise to avoid the nearby Emperor's Grove- lest you want to pay him his due.

Setting out into the area, a few things become immediately distinct:

• A myriad of small altars laid with offerings of all kinds (though mostly gold is present)
• Trinkets and baubles seemingly left and forgotten
• Torches set in a circle around a stone pedestal.

Stepping into the circle, you hear a thundering, omnipresent voice that exclaims:

"Who dares enter my domain? Pay your tithe to the grand emperor!"

Should anyone listen to the command and place a gift for the emperor on one of the many altars, the "emperor" speaks again:

"The emperor accepts your offering! Go now in peace."

The visitor finds themselves drowsy thereafter, seemingly content with the emperor's approval.

Demilich

 Not gonna lie, despite being a fan of big bad stat blocks that give you a lot to work with, this one scares me. Not only is the stat block decently complex, but liches, and in turn demiliches, have been a staple of the hobby far, far before i got into it in the early 2010s. These things have legacy, in amounts i can't truly grasp.
This, funnily enough, translates pretty well into how i believe they should be treated in-game.I think most encounters should have at least a bit of context to them, lest they feel video gamey - but demiliches? Their very existence in an area shapes local myths and legends, disrupts flows of magic and fundamentally affects histories of entire races. 

The heroes of Sorya have never met a foe as ungodly persistent as Nal'Galosh. When they first thwarted his plans, he was but a cult leader who had started delving into necromancy. As he gathered power, both personal and political, they fought his endless hordes of undead - but failed to stop his ascent to lichdom. Years passed, and the heroes trained and prepared to meet their foe for the final time - but it was not to be. While the lich fell to the barbarian Ganur's axe, the huge warrior - agains't the wizard and cleric's urges - took the mighty undead mage's skull as a trophy. Just as they reached Sorya, and were passing an ancient burial ground, the skull suddenly animated, and stuck once more. The fight was long and hard, and claimed Ganur's life, but Nal'Galosh was finally laid to rest.
In the years since, the heroes have become the world's guardians, called against the greatest threats, and drank from the fountain of eternal youth. A hundred and one years after their last encounter, Nal'Galosh somehow returns. With a body of pure negative energy, and legions of shadowy creatures at his command, he wages war once more - and the heroes grow weary.

In their travels across space and time, the crew of the spaceship The Rake encounter a truly bizzare tomb world, orbiting a dying star. The world is littered with thousands, possibly even millions, of small tombs - each and every one containing a skull with bizzare crystal outgrowths. The ship's scans show that the planet is somehow dampening the skull's energy signatures - but surely at least one should be removed for closer research?

In his prime, the Three Sisters of One Tooth served the lich Parafloscus dilligently. In the years since, the once influential undead scholar retreated deeper into his labs to further his alchemical studies, which, over time, resulted in his body devolving into that of a demilich - while his mind wandered off gods know where. The three night hags, who now command the myriad monsters that infest their lord's realm, rarely directly confront intruders - instead, they rely on curiosity being a killer. Indeed, many a grave robber was enticed by a strange, fungus bearing skull laying neatly on the floor of the laboratory, only to learn that the fungal outgrowths indeed trap souls of heroes long forgotten. The hags, in turn, have developed methods of safely stealing the souls from their former master - but that means the undead is mad with spiritual hunger whenever encountered.

Cassisian (Archive Angel)

Aight, blog update time. I've been away for several days, and I am sorry for that. A lot of life happened in those few days, but now that everything is fine, i'll be getting back to beastfinder. Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

I  really, really love abilities that rely on some GM fiat, like the Cassisian's repository of lore. Your angel witnessed the creation of the world and knows everything about every deity, but can't see the difference between dwarves and humans? Sure.

In the duchy of Santa Clara, the aristocracy has always had good relations with the heavens. Several cassisians are present within castle walls at all times, prime among them an old an experienced being called Firstlight. Firstlight is not above investing itself within day-to-day politics of the duchy, though it mostly concerns itself with matters of piety and morality.
When the old Duke dies, his twin sons call a moot, to decide who will ascend to the throne. Unfortunately, instead of landing on one of their heads, as it had for every duke ten generations prior, the angel decides to land on a lone ranger, expelled from the city for his treacherous claim he was the duke's illegitimate son...


Before ascending to godhood, claiming the title of God Of Hard Work, Mistress Bunuela was a wizard specializing in good-aligned planes. In one of her many travels, she famously formed a bond with an archive angel named Flutterswap. Now that she is gone from the mortal realm, a race to find the angel has begun, as many speculate it's perfect memory holds his mistress's plan to achieve godhood, and could indeed be used to recreate her feat.

Oswint Orkbane was a legendary knight, known for never appearing in public without his suit of armor and winged helmet on. After he embarrasses himself during a feast, an investigation reveals that ser Oswint is gone, and that what has been walking around in his stead is a suit of animated armor, and a cassisian angel mounted on top of it. Weirdly enough, even when questioned within magical zones of truth, the angel seems to fully believe himself to be the legendary knight.

Cacodaemon

Can i just say how much i appreciate everything about this angry little dude's design? He has enough going for him to be solid nightmare fuel if the GM desires to go that route, but he also looks... kinda cute? And the multiple eyes and weird proportions make it pretty clear that we're not in Middle Earth any more, this is weird fantasy territory and bless it for being so.

A shepherd's daughter has been going on about a lizard that speaks to her for weeks, but everyone ignored her. When a passing knight jokingly asks to see the lizard, the child puts it in his armored palm. Immediately, the lizard changes form into that of a little bulb of eyes and teeth, and offers the knight the soul of a virgin queen in exchange for its life.

A cunning cacodaemon has a new favourite strategy to gain souls - he appears before unsuspecting travelers, and threatens to call forth his master, an old and sadistic crucidaemon, unless the travelers are willing to trade one soul - be it one of theirs or otherwise acquired - for their freedom.
Those who see through the ruse, though, realize that the little fiend is working alone, and poses no real threat to experienced adventurers.

Salazar Salienza is a masterful tiefling assassin, always trailed by a cacodaemon he made a pact with long ago. The daemon gets to do whatever he wants to with the soul gems created from the many, many targets of his master partner's skills, and in exchange is expected to act as a scout, as well as a scholar of the planes if the need arises. If encountered together, Salazar is likely to apply a dose of hunting spider venom onto the daemon's teeth, making the little thing even more of a nuisance, while the assassin himself moves towards the least armored opponents he sees.

Bloodseeker

Despite its low (-1) level and its extremely simple tactics, i actually kinda love using these little things, especially if the players haven't encountered them before. Keep in mind that your players have next to no idea what happens when the critters feed, and describing them as changing colour and becoming bloated can get their creative juices flowing enough to scare them more then they really should be.

The coachman and his illusionist partner have a trick they like to pull on their passengers - as they enter the western swamplands, the coachman loudly exclaims "we can't stop here, this is stirge country" and the illusionist then conjures an image of several of the critters flying in to attack the carriage. Unfortunately, one of the trick's victims really took it to heart, and has now ambushed the carriage, releasing an actual clot of stirges at the two tricksters and their unsuspecting passengers, who may need to take up arms.

In a weird twist of fate, a hive of bloodseekers ended up feeding on a blood ooze. The insectile creatures have apparently since mutated, with reports coming in about them growing clots at an incredible speed to stop their own bleeding, attacking with bloody tentacle-like growths, and even sucking blood from afar, without attaching to the victim. As more and more sheep and cattle end up drained each day, a group of young volunteers heads into the marshes to burn them out.

While a single bloodseeker is no problem, it is often their sheer number that is scary. Tangulin's Wrath (Tangulin being the god of pestilence) is the name given to the largest known flock of the things, estimated at around a thousand individuals. The flock usually migrates between the duchies of Marneeya and Barathorn, but has been known to take many different routes, leading the local population to think it has a will of its own, or even that it is the avatar of the mad god. Those traveling in the region would do well to get informed about the flock's latest motion, or if they are brave or insane, prepare for an encounter with it.

Arbiter

So, uh. Just wanted to point out that this is our tenth post and it appears that it will be on schedule. So, I'm taking this thing seriously. Yay me. Anyway, enough  of my sentimentality and on to the arbiter.

A lowly wizard who is also a known gambler, cheat and all-round scumbag, has recently made a series of great investments and amassed a fortune. The fact that he pulled it off by imprisoning an arbiter and torturing it into revealing bits of the cosmic plan is revealed in quite an unsubtle way, though - a minor army of arbiters are now threatening to erase the city from existence. Even if the city's protectors somehow manage to merely murder their way out of the situation, the Sages warn them that such a course of action is inevitable (pun fucking intended) to bring forth more powerful Aeons.

In the Blessed World Bandallallayah, chaos was entirely exterminated. Three milliseconds after that, all of the world's arbiters went haywire. Apparently, self-preservation is located deep within their machine code. Realizing the truth of the fact that once chaos was exterminated, they no longer had a reason to exist, they correctly deduced that it meant they would need to be destroyed. However, as they are technically still acting according to their (and the universe's) coding, the higher-order aeons cant directly deal with them. Strangers from far flung corners of the multiverse are now summoned forth to deal with this predicament.

The shimmering oracle is an arbiter that takes the ideas of duality too seriously even for an aeon. It has come into possession of an artifact that literally erases it from existence for a while. After it has been "existent" for a while, it will phase into nothingness for a while. Though those who have spoken to it claim it has some sort of internal logic deciding when and where it will disappear or reappear, it seems random from an outsider's perspective.
If one does manage to find it, it is more than willing to share cryptic tidbits of the cosmic plan, but it has been know to disappear mid-sentence on several occasions.
Of course, while its oracular prowess is highly sought out, there are also those who are willing to pay a kings ransom for the procurement of the artifact it is using, with no questions asked.