Phoenix

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

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

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

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

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

- Reece

Hook 1 (Max) - Light My Fire

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

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

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

Hook 2 (TJ)- The Festival of Pigmented Plumes

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

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

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

Hook 3 (Reece) - Furies and Fugitives

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

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

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

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

Mukradi

There's not much to say when it comes to the Mukradi as far as narrative hooks are concerned. The beast is quite interesting mechanically and is fearsome, even among other level 15 creatures. When running a mukradi, be sure to pay special attention to and use as needed the different breath attacks to make the creature more threatening. Assuming you decide to use one in your game, you may as well make it sufficiently threatening to the players—you're probably not going to throw one at the party on a whim.

Beyond the danger a mukradi presents, they are somewhat of a blank slate for you to worldbuild around. The bestiary doesn't provide a lot of guidance, and the Beast trait simply indicates it is natural to some degree, though you might expect something like the mukradi to be an aberration of some kind. Consider how something so singularly dangerous and violent could shape the world you create, and what it might mean for the people that live in close proximity to such a terrible creature.

- Reece

Hook 1 (TJ) - Fiends of the Chasms

The nomads of the Farchasms have exclusive access to a rare and powerful source of energy. Traders come far and wide to bid for the strange pulsating energy sources the nomads offer up. Competing peoples and companies have tried to find the secret source of these potent relics, though any that venture too far into the Farchasms are quickly met with resistance. The mukradi that slither between these massive cracks in the earth are a force to be reckoned with.

Unbeknownst to these would-be energy poachers, the very entities that defend the Farchasms are what they seek. The monstrous tricephalic centipedes breathe a harmful array of energies from their mouths at any that come close. If one of the poaching groups were able to actually slay a mukradi and take the time to butcher and dress the beast, they would find that what the nomads peddle as an energy source is actually a thoracic organ unique to the mukradi. The additional advantage that the nomads have over the poachers, however, is knowledge of the pupation cycle of the mukradi, which allows much easier access to fell these terrifying creatures.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Flesh of the Gods

The deepest, most unreachable and inhospitable part of the Ashen Lands—the realm souls pass to after parting the land of the living—is the Sea Of Those Forgotten.

There, corpses of gods and deities who died—most usually from having no more followers—endlessly float in space, their vast bodies colliding and ricocheting in complete silence.

Feasting upon the flesh of those titans are strange, three-headed centipede-like critters. Although these mukradi are themselves of massive size, they are dwarfed by the matter they subside on.

While they appear perfectly docile when viewed from afar, they jealously guard their source of food and are absolutely prepared to throw their lives away for it—a fact a priest looking to revive an ancient cult and his acolytes are just about to find out...

Hook 3 (Reece) - The Westward Valley

The Long Valley has for many years been the furthest west any mortal can travel. Many expeditions have tried to travel west, hearing tell of vast riches beyond it, but the Valley is not a challenge of pure endurance, but one of strength and wit as well. The further one walks through the valley, the more dangerous the area becomes. All manner of savage beasts and hostile peoples in the valley will do anything possible to stop travelers from making their way through.

One of the most dangerous parts of the path is The Pit, an infamous hole that spans the width of the valley with a drop that descends so far down it's impossible to see the bottom. That alone could be manageable if it weren't also crawling with Mukradis...

Mu Spore

A Mu Spore is one of those kinds of monsters that every fantasy RPG has to have—an apocalypse engine. The odd thing about this one, though, is that it isn't (by default, feel free to spice that up!) a creation of the evil gods, an entity prophesized to end the world, nor a malignant alien. Indeed, the mu spore is just a big, flying, hyper-intelligent mushroom. It isn't even evil, as the book puts it at CN, although I wouldn't exactly bet on it being particularly cooperative.

Its genius-level intellect and its absurd (50 ft by 50 ft—that's ten grid spaces each way for all you grid players out there) size mean it will often be revered as a deity by cultures whose homelands it uses as a feeding ground.

But the one thing that gets me going as a GM reading it is that it is a spore. What are spores, exactly? In layman's terms, they're mushroom seeds. Think about what could be born of a genius mushroom the size of a cathedral that ends civilizations before (or for) breakfast. Then make that your next big baddie.

- Nemanja

Hook 1 (Max) - Shroomhaven

Recently, the Firn Peaks became a no-go zone, as multiple big groups of people vanished there without a trace. A few came back, but different than before, acting as if their hometowns were completely alien to them.

There are some people, however, who feel a deep, almost primal urge to go into the mountains. A strange, otherworldly voice compels them to seek out a vast cavern hidden beneath the peaks. And so they all leave in the dark of the night, only to return a couple of weeks later.

Oddly enough, every single one of them was an enthusiast of mushroom hunting.

They all act differently, too. Somewhat apathetic, but at the same time taking in their surroundings very carefully. Everyone assumes they've taken part in some enlightening experience. Technically, you could say that.

For they are now emissaries of an alien intellect that has been taking refuge within the Firn Peaks, set on revenge for generations of its brethren being used as cuisine on its distant homeworld. Every person that came back from its new domain is a ticking timebomb, a fungus slowly replacing their nervous system, waiting to explode in a spore cloud infecting even more victims. Soon, it will begin.

Hook 2 (TJ) - Verdant Valor

The Knights of the Final Green have a solemn duty. These intergalactic verdant vagrants travel the cosmos in search of apocalyptic fungal growths. While the plant nature of these leshy knights protects them from the mu spores, the enormous vacuous spores will still consume these minuscule warriors. The number of planets the Final Green has found that contain floral brethren is disappointingly small, and their numbers are dwindling after millennia of hunting down their prolific, constantly propagating foe. Unfortunately, they've found the biggest infestation yet, and the chances of being wiped out entirely is nagging at the back of every knight's mind.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - The Bloated God

Fifty years ago, what appeared to be a meteor landed in Blazavayka lake.

Five years later, what would later become known as The Bloated God rose to the surface, begging for food.

Ever since that fateful day, the deity has risen to the surface every five to ten years and the people of the surrounding villages have been bringing it sacrifices—mostly in the form of cattle and poultry to feed it. The godling, for its part, makes it largely worth it. It tells the villagers of how the seasons will change, the locations of hidden sources of water and fertile land, and warns them of passing bands of bandits and deserters. Something changed this year, though. The alchemist's son is rumoured to have fed another human—a young lass that rejected his advances—to the god and apparently awoke something within it.

The deity now speaks of dark magicks, tides of blood rising to sweep up the mammalian empires, and the Holy City of Leng. Now, the villagers find themselves unable to stop listening to its mad ravings.

Kraken

What's the one area of our planet that we have not managed to fully map, and survey? The ocean. What is commonly one of the greatest fears that humans harbor? The unknown. Bearing that in mind, it is of no surprise that the good old Kraken has managed to remain in our collective imagination for as long as it has.

Commonly depicted as a giant—no, enormous—cephalopod (it is an interesting sidenote that early portrayals of the beast likened it to a crab or a whale, rather than an octopus or squid). It is said to lurk beneath dark waters, and prey upon ships of all sizes, being the undisputed apex predator of the oceans. And yes, we now know that most likely the legend of the Kraken stems from sightings of normal animals, but isn't it exciting frightening to think that there might be a monster of this caliber somewhere out there, deep down, under the waves?

Of course, we're in the business of fantasy, so we naturally assume the Kraken is real. And this is one scary thought. Were I to live in such a world, there would be no force in the world that could convince me to set foot aboard a maritime vessel. Alas, the sea is a good way of transporting people and goods, even more so than land. But every ship is an investment, so it would make sense for them to be well-armed against any such beast. A ship armed and defended in such a way is far harder to sack by non-Kraken threats. Just one example of this monster affecting the culture of your world.

Traditionally, there were only two specimens of the creature, said to be unable to reproduce. That does make them unique, doesn't it? However, think of the alternative. A whole species of enormous monsters capable of demolishing entire fleets. How come they don't devastate the ecosystem? Maybe they hibernate for most of the time? Breed only at a very specific place during a certain phase of the moon? Possibilities, much like the horrors of the Kraken, are endless.

- Max

Hook 1 (Max) - Save Our Squid

The royal family is looking for seasoned mercenaries—a lot of them. "A delicate matter," the secret emissaries say. Alas, the issue at hand is far from delicate.

Turns out that deep beneath the capital, in vast and spacious caverns filled with brine, an ancient horror laid in slumber, put there by the kings of old "as a last line of defense." Or so they said.

It would all be fine if not for the fact that the aforementioned hollows were connected to the ocean and, once the beast awoke from its centuries-long sleep, it made its way into open waters. So far no one yet knows, but it is only a matter of time.

Disposing of the beast would be no easy matter, but the king is adamant that it is not to be slain. He offers a handsome reward in gold, titles, magical artifacts, land, and favors to those who manage to bring it back alive and well, and vengeance upon those that would harm the ancestral beast of his house.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Forbidden Frontier

The year is 2121.

After several attempts at colonizing Mars and the Moon fail, mankind has turned its eye back to Earth's last frontier—the deep sea.

The greatest minds of the species, funded by the endless riches of the megacorps, worked to find a way to solve the "overpopulation issues", as humans would not survive a fourth world war. A massive deep-sea station was conceived as the prototype for entire cities that would follow.

Alas, just when the first expedition was about to dock their submarine and officially become the first residents of Neo-Atlantis, massive tentacles appeared from the Marianna Trench and crushed the sub in a matter of seconds. The massive, squidlike creature proceeded to swim up to the surface where dozens of vessels carrying journalists were located, where it proceeded to speak in clear mandarin (the lingua franca of the 22nd century).

It explained that the sea isn't for the humans to claim, and threatened an even more violent response next time.

That wasn't the end of the oddities, though—several hours later, another similar creature, albeit significantly smaller and radiating an eerie pink glow, appeared. This one offered to "take care of the Monarch, and leave you sapiens the sea to rule as you see fit" if arrangements could be made for it to be shipped to Venus.

Hook 3 (TJ) - Tentacled Tariffs

The kraken that patrols the Incidental Sea sinks any and every Zethi ship during Ambersun. Aldunnian and Utheni ships have had no issue. Consistently, year after year, Zethi ships meet the bottom of the ocean as the kraken tears them apart. No one knows what the kraken does or where it goes during the other months of the year. Zethi sailors have grown accustomed to taking trips and vacations in Ambersun, given no one is eager to die at the tentacles of this squid-like beast.

The researchers at the University of An'Zar have their theories about why the kraken only attacks their ships, but all of them are far from the truth. If they knew that the kraken was systematically sinking the ships of the most magically apt nation on the continent looking for a scroll of air breathing, they might be a little more afraid.

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.

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...

Green Dragon

Most inclined towards conversation with other beings amongst their kin, Green Dragons are famed as scholars and keepers of lore. This immediately makes them a very useful tool in any GM's arsenal - if your party needs some piece of information, it is very likely that a Green has it. How they'll go around convincing the beast to give it up is where the fun begins.

It is important to bear in mind that these creatures are intolerant of foolish behavior, as the bestiary notes. The spectrum of what constitutes a "fool" for them is quite broad. If you bring some valuable knowledge in exchange, they may be inclined to help you out.

Somewhat obviously, Green Dragons like to take up their residence in forests of all kinds, proclaiming themselves their protectors and sole cultivators. This is an important thing to keep in mind when talking with them, or speaking as them in the GM's case.

In battle, the Green is no pushover; it is a dragon, after all. The Twisting Tail reaction is a great way to keep characters nearby, or at the very least waste their movement. The traditional combo of Breath Weapon, Draconic Frenzy, and Draconic Momentum is also there to remind your party why they, by all accounts, should be wary of these huge monsters. In forests, Greens greatly benefit from their Woodland Stride. Ensuring that Greens are surrounded by thick foliage and underbrush for combat can help maximize the use of the ability and remind the players that they are the Green's domain. Adults take it a step further with Trackless Step, making them particularly difficult to follow or see signs of while grounded. Ancients make their Breath Weapon even nastier with Miasma, which not only creates a wonderful aura of toxin around them but also effectively hides them from sight.

As with all dragons, Greens have also some innate spells, focusing mostly on mind control that can be used both in and out of combat. Do not forget that many dragons, by default, can shapeshift and cast other spells as they live very, very long and have ample time to learn a great many skills.

Hook 1 (Max) - The Verdant Sage

Sophist Wood is home to incredible and numerous marvels, prime among them being its undisputed ruler - an ancient dragon known by many names. Merchants who have to traverse the forest, paying considerable tithes, labeled her the Scourge of Pockets or the Benevolent Tyrant, whilst her subjects speak of their sovereign as the Verdant Sage.

The dragon is very old, even amongst her kin, and lusts primarily after two things - being left in peace and expanding her collection of knowledge. The former is maintained by her longstanding presence in the wood. This has granted her swathes of faithful followers willing to serve her, from animals she awakened intelligence in, to dragon knights swearing their loyalty, and even sycophantic drakes who wish to emulate her interests. The latter is achieved by the contributions made by any travelers that wish to traverse the woods. Many make these contributions quite happily as the road is safe, guarded, and leads straight to the mercantile heart of the region.

The Sage herself prefers to seclude herself in her study, having amassed extensive knowledge in a plethora of subjects. This expertise has made her a well sought-out advisor, a service she provides only to those whose case seems interesting enough for her tastes. Her residence, the Green Palace, was crafted using ancient magics and the forest itself. It is a grand, living mansion grown out of the forest floor, vast and enormous with roots forming miles of dungeon-like root caves beneath the entire forest.

Although quite proud of her draconic form, she will oftentimes assume a humanoid shape, an elven woman of fair features clad in a green robe with golden embroidery. Books are often easier to read that way.

Though she is a scholar, at the end of the day she is still a dragon. Should one find themselves in the unfortunate event of facing the Sage in battle, they would also expect all sorts of nastiness coming their way. The faithful adherents of her domain pale in comparison to the sheer might of the living walls of the Green Palace. The menagerie of magical artefacts and items she has accrued in addition to a great many spells she has mastered over her long life all render her a powerful and capable foe.

Hook 2 (TJ) - Deep Rooted Information

The roots of the mangrove tree at the heart of the Murkriver Expanse grow much farther than anyone could have imagined, having stretched across several kingdoms and territories. Gulvantrel's draconic wiles and a pinch of druidic power have helped her take advantage of this vast pre-existing network. With a small infusion of magicks, Gulvantrel can cause voices to carry through the roots. Her lair at the base of the tree serves as a massive information hub, and trading in tidbits and rumors has made her quite rich. Any of her information trading partners that grow too close to finding out her true identity or location end up choking on a torrent of poison from the sky, a streak of green scales the last thing they see. The people that replace these unfortunates have learned to ask fewer questions.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - The Ego of the Intellectual

After a thousand years of cordial rivalry, the green dragon Sutrilach has decided to pursue the identity of his intellectual adversary The Verdant Savant. The Savant, an anonymous interlocutor, has openly opposed many philosophical stances Sutrilach has put forth under his own pen name, Scalabus Smaragdus. He wouldn't admit it if asked, but it seems the dragon's vanity is starting to get the better of him.

A group of investigators hired by Sutrilach's proxies uncovers the identities behind both pen names - revealing the fact that the Great Wyrm's secret intellectual rival is also his uneasy ally, the Elven High King Latristoteles.
Both are known for their massive yet fragile egos, but as fate would have it their alliance is the only thing keeping the machinations of the industrialist, fascist, ever-expanding Imperium of Humanity out of Deepwood. Given that fact, the handling of that intel suddenly becomes an incredibly delicate matter...

Gold Dragon

What sets apart a dragon from any other big scary monster? Its ability to fly, or to breathe fire? These are no doubt attributes that come to mind when you think about them, but this is only half of the story. For what makes a dragon not just an oversized lizard is its intelligence, which in turn leads to other capacities stemming from that attribute - a fondness of, or at least the capability for, social discourse in addition to the ability to plan, scheme, and learn.

Gold Dragons are a fine example of this, as they are regarded to be the paragons of metallic dragons; they are respected by all of their cousins and are said to rival even the might of their chromatic counterparts. Despite their raw power, one of the Golds' greatest joys is that of conversation - a delight they are willing to partake in even with the most unlikely of interlocutors. This rises from their innate need to fully assess any situation they find themselves in.

Given their natural affinity for insight, a lot of other metallic dragons oftentimes turn to their golden brethren in times of need. Unfortunately, Gold Dragons' predilection toward dwelling on philosophical quandaries might make them somewhat unreliable in that department. Still, they are a great source of knowledge and wisdom, should one feel inclined to seek one out, which may prove no easy feat.

However gentle in character they may appear, a dragon remains a dragon. As such, you do not want to face them in battle. Most of their melee attacks have a reach of 10 ft., something to keep in mind when a character tries to get the hell out of dodge and forgets the dragon can make attacks of opportunity. Of course, this isn't where the real threat comes from, is it? A Gold Dragon's breath weapon is a nasty little thing, for even an adolescent beast has good reach and deals considerable damage, not to mention the ability to change its effect to enfeeble. Add to that its Draconic Frenzy, with high crit potential due to its capability to dish out many attacks, in addition to Draconic Momentum, you quickly realize that it can breathe fire more often than it would seem at first glance. The older a Gold gets, the harder it will prove to kill - Adults get the Golden Luck reaction, which can effectively ruin any caster's day, while Ancients get 2 reactions.

But that's just regular dragon stuff, isn't it? All Golds have some innate spells, detect alignment being a particularly interesting one. Let us suppose that your party is actually not that good, perhaps they are outwardly evil. The dragon will know. Add to that the fact that, as mentioned before, the big lizards live for a ridiculous amount of time, during which they can learn many things and an idea comes - why not give the thing some more fun and interesting magics? The Bestiary offers some good choices, but good is the keyword here. There is no reason why one of them couldn't research spells of a more nefarious nature, is there not? If you consider that technically **all** dragons can shapeshift, the possibilities suddenly become endless.

Hook 1 (Max) - The Golden Terror

"One hundred thousand crowns for the head of the Golden Terror," exclaims the herald standing in the center of a plaza. The surrounding edges seem to have been scorched by some recent fire.

One Eye, more commonly referred to as the Golden Terror, was driven mad millennia ago. Some theorize he was once a benevolent soul whose madness consumed him after some great betrayal, likely conducted by humans, given his hatred for them.

The dragon is enormous, his scales thicker and more resilient than any armor. His breath melts stone and his razor-sharp claws tear into anything they within reach. The right side of the beast's head is covered in an enormous scar, his eye socket emptied by the long-forgotten blow.

One Eye has made his lair in the bowels of the nearby mountain range, deep within a network of massive caverns connected by vast tunnels. He does not hoard treasure, as he does not care for it. When he lost his mind, he also lost his capacity for anything that isn't rage-fueled slaughter, though he has proven again and again that he can be disturbingly cunning as he dispatches hosts of soldiers and mercenaries sent his way with alarming ease. Allegedly, he enjoys ranting to his prey and teasing them from the hidden depths of his domain before emerging and devouring them.

Hook 2 (Max) - Pots o' Gold

When stepping into the city of Golden Grove, one might spot a suspicious and utter lack of gold. It's not even the ornaments of temples or other important buildings, but even coins and jewelry. Any traveler entering the area with any gold on their person whatsoever is promptly asked to exchange it for silver and gemstones. Resistance is ill-advised.

This is peculiar behavior, to say the least. What is driving the townsfolk to do this? The answer is quite simple.

And big.

Her name is Rahastra, the self-proclaimed Golden Queen. She believes that her scales are the most golden of golds and thus demands all valuable metals that might challenge her are to be given to her so that she can make sure nothing in the world is more vibrantly gilded than she. Of course, she provides ample compensation in the form of silver, gemstones, art pieces, weapons, magic, and even knowledge, depending on the size of the contribution.

If someone were to fail to deliver this gold to her, she may take it personally, believing that finally there was something that could outshine her majesty. That she cannot suffer, so much so that she will take any steps to hunt down any such treasures. Obviously, thanks to her immense and nearly unimaginable wealth and knowledge, she has a lot of nasty tricks up her sleeve beyond just breathing fire.

For what good is treasure if it lays about unused?

Hook 3 (TJ) - The Darkness of Dawn

Sun'zam'ei'thek, the Brightness of Ten Thousand Dawns, the Glint of the Grainlands, is unapproachable. This is not metaphorical in nature. While His High Brightness can often be seen circling above the Grainlands, imbuing a sense of safety and hope in those that farm there, attempting to get closer to him proves to be impossible. One can walk for miles and miles attempting to draw nearer to the majesty of this golden dragon's circling form only to turn and find you've gone no distance at all.

This does not mean that the gold dragon is not present in the lives of those around him, quite the contrary. He regularly intervenes and mediates in the squabbles of the farmers, whether they be land disputes or even disagreements over the validity of bits of trivia shared at the bars late at night. In between these appearances, Sun'zam'ei'thek drifts upon the winds, wheeling about seemingly random patches of farmland, lost in thought.

One morning, when the farmers of the Grainlands rise to tend the fields, His High Brightness is nowhere to be seen; the familiar and bright gleaming of his scales is not visible in the light of the dawn. A search party has gone out, scouring every farm and valley for head or scale of Sun'zam'ei'thek, but they've found nothing. All of them agree, though, that the winter's chill is already on the winds, months ahead of when it should be.

Hook 4 (Reece) - Sundrinker

When there was darkness, I was made Light. At the Dawn of time, I was given breath, born at the epicenter of a blazing sun, drinking of its nectar. Before the ages of Elf, Giant, or Man, I was given life. My charge to guard The Paths, a sacred oath ne'er broken.

From that blazing sun, I forged my kin, though they shant call me their god, as I am only the hand by which their forms were given life. When Giant, and Elf, and Man came, I welcomed them with knowledge and kindness, their squabbles far beneath my charge to guard The Paths.

When The One swore himself and his people to my cause, I saw then that my watch was did not have to be alone, as we all must guard that which binds everything to one.

I claim myself as Bek-Ra-Ai, The Sundrinker, named King of Dragons. To you, Toordan-Na-Sech, I charge thee guard me in my slumber so that when I am needed, I may be called upon for battle. I name you the First to sit at the Sunclaw Seat, a Watcher of The Paths. Rouse me when I am needed, and I will come.

Such is the duty of the Sunclaw until The Paths are sealed.

Quoted from the "Toordani speaking tablet". It appears a piece of stone with ancient glyphs or runes that approximate an ancient form of the dragon's language. Displaced Toordani soothsayers tell me that The Sunclaw is some kind of mortal king tasked with rousing the ancient dragon from his pyramid during a great time of need.

Hoping we don't need him considering the capital where his temple was located appears to have sunk into the sea over a thousand years ago.

Crimson worm

 You know, i like to throw in non-combat encounters into these, i really do. But if anyone does find a way to deal with fire-spewing, adventurer-swallowing, volcano-dwelling worms, they should be given a fantasy Nobel Prize for Peace.

The greatest battle in the history of Undermount was about to begin. Dwarven kings Ulfhar and Harulf stood opposed, the two largest armies in recorded history at their sides. The future of dwarfkind was about to be writ... but then a monstrous swarm of Crimson Worms burst forth from the nearby geyser, and proceeded to consume everyone but the two kings and their three champions each.
Their lives in ruins, dwarvenkind all but extinct, the survivors struggle to find place in a world turned upside down.

Every fifty years, the youngest child of the monarch of Sunridge Isles is given to Ashmaw, the ancient crimson worm that slumbers beneath the capital. However, Vasylisa, the king's daughter, has fallen in love. When her secret betrothed does the unthinkable and allows herself to be swallowed by Ashmaw as well, seeking to free Vasylisa from the literal belly of the beast, she uncovers an ancient conspiracy. Ashmaw isn't a vengeful predator, it is a containment mechanism - that for the accursed, magical children that wield the power of apocalypse in their hands.

A meteor crashes into peaceful and uneventful lands of Shiresheere. Several days later, a tall metal tower rises from the crater, and starts emitting unsettling sounds. Attempts to approach it fail miserably - as the crater is now inexplicably surrounded by a moat of molten lava, in which a massive, aggressive, worm-like being appears to be swimming.

Crag linnorm

 Yesterday, we covered copper dragons, and as much as i hate to say it - good old mettalics and chromatics are beginning to feel a bit... mundane. If you want dragons that feel primal, destructive, alien, linnorms are where its at. Of them, the crag variety, while being the weakest one we got as of bestiary 2, might get some recognition - from its appearance in owlcat's pathfinder kingmaker video game.
Also, do note that while a crag linnorm speaks three languages, it has basically animal level intelligence.

Traditionally, when a chieftain of one of the Eleven Tribes of Evershore needs council, a shaman is sent to the Elvenspire. The ancient monolith is said to hold the collective knowledge of ancestors hidden within it, which the shamans access by falling asleep at its base, and having dream-visions. Several days ago, however, a monstrous, serpentine beast arrived from beyond the sea, coiled around the monolith and fell asleep. While its usually docile, whenever a shaman tries approaching it it flies into a violent rage, and three of the eleven sages already lay dead. As Times Of Trouble come ever closer, the shamans knowledge is needed more than ever, and unless a different source of power is found or the beast slain, the tribes are sure to perish.

After eating Gustaff Ustaff, the King of Narfleek, an ancient and vicious linnorm named Nagaytasha crowned herself the new queen. The ceremony itself was a perverse mockery of the land's tradition - yet noone dared raise their hand against the queen, as Narfleek was always ruled by fire and blood. However, word has come of the Sovereign, a mighty blue dragon monarch, offering her his hand in marriage. A draconic marriage, of course, is unheard of - but the Sovereign plays by the letter of the law, even as he mocks its spirit and intent. If the marriage comes into fruition, the Sovereign and his legion of blue-scaled Dragonborn grunts would gain a foothold on the last free continent, and would surely use it to stage a final invasion. A group of spies recruited from the ranks of the Last Alliance is tasked with using any means necessary to thwart the marriage.

Flametooth is the ancient, serpentine guardian of Hapthus's temple. Flametooth is also dying, after having guarded the temple for exactly a millennium. A temple guard and his young apprentices are tasked with finding a fresh crag linnorm egg to replace flametooth, and bringing it before the old beast succumbs to age - keeping up the charade that the temple's draconic guardian is truly immortal.

Bronze Dragon

Bronze dragons seem to occupy a bit of a weird niche in pathfinder 2 - while they are explicitly the most common of the metallic dragons, and the most likely to ally with humanoids, they also seem to have a bit of a lethargic, maybe even misanthropic angle to them, where they won't go out looking for adventure - but if it does come to them, they will gladly accept it.

Llyweth and Thywell are a rare case - two differently coloured dragons who lair together. It is said that together, their knowledge of the Duchy of Antal - on whose outskirts their lair lies - is complete. Llyweth, the bronze, tends to know the scientific and empirical stuff, while Thywell, the brass, knows all of the latest gossip, along with the oral history and folk tales of the region.

The Knights Most Eclectic And Electric are an extended family and an order of knights founded by Sir Montague. The patron formed the order several years ago after returning from a voyage across the Black Ocean. Apparently, on that expedition, the ship's crew almost died of starvation on a deserted island, before a mysterious, tanned stranger appeared out of nowhere with food, water and tents. After saving them, he made sir Montague promise that when his time of need comes, one from the knight's bloodline will answer.
Several generations have passed, and while sailing across the Green Sea, a mighty dragon rises from the water, and demands that one of Sir Montague's heirs come with him...

Hengra is a particularly reclusive young bronze dragon. In her quest to be left alone, she found a way to make her repulsive gas stick around, and coats the entire in it every week.
Unfortunately, Hengra also owns the only remaining issue of an ancient book detailing how to cure lycantrophy, and it recently hit the nearby town of Mosswell. A borderline insane group of teenagers now plans to try and plead with the dragon, hoping to at least see the book, but luck may not be on their side.

Brontosaurus

BIG DINO COOL.

Dr McWheelingston has created a new prototype of mech-suit, this one designed to be supremely durable against kinetic damage. A comprehensive - if obviously insane - way to test their durability would be to agitate one of the planet's many herds of diplodocuses. If their mighty tails are unable to knock down the mechs, then the machines can be deemed battle-ready.

In the lands of Sin Darya, humans have with more or less success tamed almost all species of dinosaurs. However, the mighty sauropods remain too mighty to be tamed by the little folk. On the other hand, a family of especially pacifist great cyclopes has managed to tame at least one herd of brontosauruses, and have used the giant dinos as their main source of food for years.
Recently, a parasitic skin infection has affected the herd. While they learned that the fungal growth can be scrubbed off, the cyclopes are neither perceptive nor careful enough to effectively save all their dinosaurs. Hence, they asked the humans for some help - but are unwilling to guarantee no harm will come to them, given how the brontos get aggressive occasionally.

A group of explorers tried to find an old efreeti said to dwell at the bottom of a dead volcano. They did not find the outsider, but ended up on a wild adventure exploring the hollow interior of their world, finding an ecosystem much unlike the one on the surface, with giant lizards being the dominant species.
After several years of searching, they have finally found a crack in the "ceiling", leading them back to the outside world. While it is quite high up, the druid has an idea - if they can keep one of the long-necked lizard-beings calm, they may be able to climb up it's massive neck.

Azure worm

Woah, guys, this is our last entry under the letter A. Progress, ehh?

An azure worm nicknamed "deep blue" makes its hunting grounds near the dwarven settlement of Drakenholm. The worm is known for leaving strands of lapis lazuli behind itself in the tunnels it makes. While several dwarves have died to the gargantuan beast, it is protected by a decree by the dwarven king - whose palace just so happens to be littered with fine statues made from lapis lazuli. A group of petitioners from the outside world trying to reach the dwarves have been warned of this, but their route leads them directly through the worm's hunting ground, and passing through without confronting it is becoming increasingly difficult.

The underground region of Deep Wetlands has always been infamous for being occasionally flooded due to Crimson Worm migrations. However, several months back, an exceptionally old and feared worm has apparently started to systematically flood one of the largest chambers in the cave system, already creating a small lake, and continuing to work on it. The local duergar hunters dare not attack such a creature on their own, but several tribes make their homes in the close vicinity, and so heroes are chosen to hunt the beast.

The mad elven king Sundullyn oganises a hunt for his regalia every eleven years. While the locations of the items have always been outrageous, none of the challenges presented before were as outright deadly as what he pulled off this year. Apparently, his signet ring, on the finger of an indigestible golem, is currently inside a great purple worm who makes his home in the Boglands. While the challenge of retrieving it is almost certain to kill adventurers-to-be, the one who does bring the ring back to the mighty wizard-king may ask for whatever his heart desires as a prize.

Ape

One of the things I've wanted to mention about running games, and that many folks seem to consider sacrilege, is that originality in tabletop gaming is a futile goal. While the idea that all fiction is derivative may be a bit too harsh, using well-known tropes is  - in my experience - an easy way to engage players. And believe me, players will enjoy your "OH NO GOBLINS ARE STEALING CHILDREN" scenario more then your "but what if we're actually the bad guys, also here's an act five genre swap, also a cynical commentary on contemporary middle-eastern politics" if you take the time to make the story approachable, which I'd argue is easier to do on solid ground.
So anyway, to push this idea forward, I've purposely been borrowing from pop-culture a lot in these adventure seeds, and I just thought it'd be fitting to acknowledge in the entry dealing with King-Kong Megaprimatus.
(for those of you at home counting, so far we've referenced Ghost Rider, Dota 2, Jacques Cousteau, I robot, and we're obviously not gonna miss the opportunity to do magical planet of the apes today)

The year is 1492 a.r.a (afer the rise of Apes) and a desperate chronomancer working for the Human Resistance Movement has a wild idea. The diviners have identified the time and place where the Druid god Mahamajmun awoke the first gorilla, placing it in Altrakhan, a great human metropolis, and the idea is to send a handpicked group of specialists back through time to stop it.
When the group does arrive, though, they're shocked to fin out that the local populace doesn't seem to realize the threat they are about to face - in fact, the city seems to treat the great apes as some sort of sacred animal.
As the Simian Confederacy's motto "Apes Together Strong" keeps ringing in their ears, the time-travelers must find a way to show the truth to the arrogant, pre-ape humans.

When the orkish vikings under Urgnald Zugnaldson arrived on the wild island of Angaztura, they did what any ork would do - found the biggest predator in the land, and killed it as a trophy. While the beast was a worthy opponent, it quickly became apparent that it was the only thing controlling the island's population of River Drakes under control. While slaughtering the serpentine monsters by the dozen was good fun for a while, it quickly became apparent that the Orks simply do not have the manpower to protect all their settlements. Now, their shamans must send them to the Emerald Lands, a dream realm in which all great beasts of the multiverse dwell, to bring back a new giant ape and restore balance to the island's natural cycle.

The spirit gorillas of the Nurg'natt jungle are rumored to be more than just mere apes. As the myths surrounding them go, if threatened by an opponent they can't defeat or chase away with their displays of strength, three or more of these albino gorillas can link hands, and them bond, combining into a single great white ape. Local custom has it that in that form, the gorillas are an avatar of a jungle spirit known as Rex Rox.