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.

Iron Golem

A titan of pure iron and magic, the Iron Golem packs a wicked punch (and halitosis to boot). I love golems and constructs of all kinds. If you haven't gathered that yet, you will.

I'm conflicted when it comes to the use of golems, though. On the one hand, I love surprising players with these mindless guardians (also I just love them a lot in general okay).

On the other hand, they're immune to an awful lot. Their vulnerabilities always seem to be something seldom available. In the case of the iron golem, being able to deactivate its breath weapon for 1 minute (basically the entire fight) is huge! However, that vulnerability is tied to neutralize poison, which I've never had anyone prepare or learn. It's also vulnerable to rust, which, outside of waving a rust monster antenna at it or having a primal caster for rusting grasp, isn't easy to accomplish RAW.

These are by no means reasons to not use the iron golem. It's the perfect monster to complement a mad wizard, a secret laboratory, or a ruin lost since the Iron Age. A merchant selling scrolls of neutralize poison outside of an iron golem's locale would be interesting if the party was too low of a level to properly fight it. Disable its breath weapon and run! It's not very fast, I'm sure your party can probably make it!

I mean, come on, it's a golem! You should use it in any instance that you can. Lucky for you, you've come to Beastfinder, and providing instances to use monsters is exactly what we do.

-TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - Iron Maiden

The small mining town of Coalsmine has been seeing a lot of commerce and travelers in the last couple of years. The reason? A discovery their workers made underground that has been since maintained by the local wizard, an ancient construct of considerable power.

"Come test your mettle against Iron Maiden!" all sorts of mercenaries and vagabonds are urged. The townsfolk, being clever as they are, charge a hefty sum for everyone who passes through that wants to try their hand in single combat against the golem. This has worked out surprisingly well for the people of Coalsmine, as they've seen a great upturn in their profits. Not many combatants manage to win and if they do, repairing the contraption proves an easy matter.

Rules of the challenge are simple—one combatant at a time, no single-use items, the one who manages to walk off the arena wins. The possibility of death is high and the town does not cover any recovery costs.

The arena is quite big for one-on-one combat, approximately one hundred by one hundred feet, laden with sand and barren. Once the challenger enters it, comes forth the Iron Maiden. One could mistakenly take her for a normal golem, though that would be a great miscalculation, as with each failure she had been modified and upgraded to become the ultimate killing machine beyond her original capabilities.

Hook 2 (TJ) - Haywire Handlers

The smog of the smokebelchers is getting to be a real problem. Each of the Utheni guilds has suggested various solutions to said problem. The air-purifying automatons wandering the streets of Dren are a pet project of the Golemancers Guild; this doubles as their bid to solve the smog problem and as their submission to the Contest of the Steel Kings. If this iron golem schematic is approved for entry and subsequently wins the contest, the election of the Golemancers Guild to the Forgeseat will mark the first time in 74 cycles that a fledgling guild has succeeded.

The Machinists Guild does not recognize the Golemancers Guild as an independent entity. While their reasoning is not official, the general consensus is that—considering the Golemancers are an offshoot of the Machinists—the Machinists tentatively have the rights to Golemancer developments. When one of the iron golems goes haywire and begins spewing the toxins back into the Dren atmosphere, Jarmek Shattermace, the current Forgeseat, doesn't care whom the golem belongs to, he just wants it stopped. The ramifications for the Golemancers' Forgeseat application will have to wait.

Hook 3 (Reece) - To Sink or Swim

A new piece of dwarven technology has proven particularly deadly in the conflict between the Relendish Isles and The Grand Tyranny. So far, only one ship of its kind has been fielded, and it was a genuine terror during the fight at sea.

The dwarves are particularly recalcitrant when it comes to sharing the secrets of their forging techniques, so no one really understands how exactly they got it to work, though it has most assuredly been their finest contribution to the war effort, at least since the advent of cannons.

The warship—known simply as The Iron Lady—is a floating monstrosity of iron, bristling with cannons and twice the size of any normal galleon. The hull of the thing was so impenetrable that The Tyranny had only one choice—boarding.

Unfortunately for those involved, this was their greatest error. The forecastle of The Iron Lady is ostentatiously adorned with the iron reliefs of two dwarven women, or so the Tyrannymen thought. Upon boarding the ship the two statues lept to life, tearing through the boarding party before pulling down the boarding ship's mast using massive rune-laden chains. Now, each ship that attempts to board the unbreakable hulk is rebuffed and similarly struck down. One report notes that a ship was entirely overturned in the water, killing everyone on board.

The Tyranny has a plan, though, to destroy the weapon before it turns the tide of the war.

Why try to destroy the golems, when you can simply shove them overboard where they will sink into the deepest depths of the ocean?

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.

Guardian Naga

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

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

Daunting, that.

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

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

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

- Reece

Hook 1 (Nemanja) - Ishtara Exul

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

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

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

Hook 2 (Max) - Blightguard

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

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

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

Hook 3 (Reece) - Vaultkeeper

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

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

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

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

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.

Gimmerling

 The Gimmerling is a creature that sees use in many different ways. As with other creatures that have shape-changing capabilities, you may be drawn to use a gimmerling (or more than one) as a "gotcha" while your players are on some higher level adventure through the fey world. Unlike many other fey creatures, a gimmerling is threatening enough to serve as a final boss of sorts for lower level parties. Its battlefield control through Treacherous Aura and Trip Up can wreak havoc on melee characters.

Even against as a (-2) or more creature, the gimmerling can be employed with traps, snares and the like in order to take full advantage of Trickster's Step. and remain relevant after level 15. Their powerful handcrossbow attacks and jaw poison are great ways to harry a group down while always staying just far enough out of reach to remain a nuisance.

Although they are evil, they may serve as an equally interesting narrative counterpart as well. High Crafting, Deception, Stealth, and Thievery skills can make a gimmerling a crafty and devious foe. Should you find something sufficiently worth their interest, though, you could find yourself with a powerful (and more-than-likely dangerous) magical item or ally.

Hook 1 (Max) - Merchant's Trappings

Great treasure lays in the ruins of the nearby castle. Allegedly. A lot of people went after it and never came back, so there's probably at least their possessions to be taken. Most likely.

The merchant who talks of the riches sits in the local tavern, a hearty man of middling age, who wouldn't hurt a fly.

It seems.

He is, in fact, the reason why no one comes back from the ruins. Not that he dirties his hands, not directly. He just... Appears, typically as a scantily clad woman, baiting intrepid adventurers into a labyrinth of carefully lain traps that only he can navigate. There's a lot of traps there. A ridiculous amount, quite honestly. Most of them don't make any logical sense. Like, why would you fill a room with water every time someone steps into it? Or make a twelve lever puzzle that sends you into a spike pit after you solve it? Or a chasm that you can walk over, but only if you do it backwards while dancing, and the only reward on the other end is an invisible skeleton?

It could be that he just enjoys making traps. It is a strong possibility. Probably.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Coward's Way

The Snickerjaws, a local tribe of Kobolds, have grown from a minor nuisance to one of the most prolific factions in the lawless Tricrown Hills area. The change wasn't a slow one either; it seemed to happen practically overnight.

The Snickerjaws were always regarded as good trappers. While they were once effective, their tactics became common knowledge among neighbouring people, at least until a recent dramatic increase in the quality and ingenuity of their traps. The reason for this is simple; The Snickerjaw chieftain entered a partnership with a gimmerling inventor. The gimmerling is a coward who enjoys the pain his complex and brutal traps cause, though he is afraid of going out into the warzone to set them up, as it is contested by at least five different factions, in addition to one very spiteful demigod. The kobolds, in turn, are well versed in setting traps right under their enemies' noses, so they are delighted to be given a new advantage in the unfolding conflict.

Hook 3 (Reece) - Devil's Conundrum

It is said that Fegerdal Fingermaster is one of the greatest magical smiths across any known plane. Even among his gimmerling kin, the blades he forges are imbued with powerful fey magicks. Though he is a master craftsman, he is equally prone to outbursts of anger which make him incredibly difficult to work with. Should one be able to enlist his services to forge a weapon, any small slight or misstep can result in Fegerdal deciding to forgo his end of the bargain, noting the contract for his service has been voided.

A dispute of this kind is what requires your express assistance. Shybrandila Shiver-Tongue, a contract devil of some importance, bartered on behalf of her lord for a new powerful blade. When the gimmerling smith took offense at some minor slight during the final transaction, Fegerdal stated their business was concluded and had his apprentices escort her from his realm.

Too embarrassed to tell her lord what has occurred, Shybrandila has asked for your help in retrieving the blade by any means necessary. Infiltrating the fey workshop could prove difficult, especially given Fegerdal's penchant for devious and murderous contraptions.

Flesh Golem

Ah, the flesh golem. A classic horror monster used by crazed scientists and necromancers the multiverse over. The stat block notably contains hefty golem resistances. Having a good grasp on what golems are immune to goes a long way in helping them feel imposing and unstoppable. The Flesh Golem (like other golems) is mindless and neutral. Subvert expectations of this quintessential creature by having a benign master, or even giving it a basic level of intelligence. Crowds of townspeople are likely to take offense at its unnatural visage, which could serve a myriad of uses. Serving perhaps as a morbid reminder of their mortality and a perversion of their existence, the Flesh Golem can lend itself as a centerpiece to social encounters as well. When tensions escalate and townspeople try and drive this amalgam of magic and flesh out of town, however, they run the risk of activating its Berserk ability; proving they were right about its nature all along.

Hook 1 (TJ) - The Trawler
Leeside is one of the most prosperous fishing towns in the region, largely thanks to one man, known colloquially as "The Trawler." Very little is known about him, other than that he exclusively takes his boat out by himself at night. Each morning he returns with record-breaking hauls of fish in addition to other more strange and exotic varieties of seafood. Any fishmonger that starts to ask too many questions misses out on doing business with the Trawler as punishment. If only the locals knew the truth. If they ever caught a glimpse of the mer-flesh monstrosities swimming below the surface, dragging the nets between them...

Hook 2 (Reece) - A New "Friend"
The local smith's daughter Teirdre is often found playing on the outskirts of Adarlin, a tiny village of less than one-hundred people. It has long been known that her family has had some level of sorcerous talent that many in the town have been eagerly awaiting to see manifest. One hero from every generation, the town is fond of saying.

As she nears her tenth name day, Teirdre has been speaking of "The Man in the Caves" that she has "play dates" with. As she persists with the tale, her father has become worried that some nefarious entity could be praying on her.

To the surprise of both the village and Teirdre herself, she has unwittingly taken control of a Flesh Golem that was intended to steal her away to The Cult of Melting Flesh. Her new "Friend" is the first sign of the cult's activities near the town, and it may be the only clue as to how to stop them.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Birthright: Prometheus
The shores of Alba Endura, the island retreat for the richest men on Earth, are protected by a nameless legion of Flesh golems crafted from the bodies of the very laymen who built the high-tech facilities on the secret island. While the golems are taken for granted and treated as mindless, recent whispers talk of a golem who has developed a cunning and forceful personality.

As the stories go, the Golem - calling himself Prometheus - will give other golems little bites of his own brain matter, after which they also display signs of having a personality and mind of their own, albeit for a very limited time. For now, his motives remain entirely unclear.

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.

Efreet

While i kind of hate the "hehe, every wish gets corrupted" trope that seems so popular in the hobby, and even consider it a symptom of a greater issue - namely, the players vs GM mentality - if you really like those? Use Efreeti, its implicitly in their nature to corrupt wishes to their own gains.

Aggagni the malik has a very specific choice of victims. His army of spies, scouts and turncoats is present across the world. Whenever a sorcerer with a fiery blood, someone aspected to a fire breathing dragon, or a cleric worshiping one of the fire gods makes their first kill, Aggagni appears before them offering to fulfill a single wish. While he will rarely straight up corrupt the wish (unless insulted during the exchange), if a wish can somehow help him advance the construction of his fortress-city, he will take the opportunity. Once Granjipoor, the scourge of Mortals is complete, Aggagni plans to launch a full-scale invasion of the material realm and crown himself its god-emperor.

An immortal monster from the realms beyond is ravaging the world. Only magic as powerful as the wish spells can even allow it to die, though it would still take a heroic deed to actually slay it. The gods have abandoned the mortals, as they gave up hope long ago. As a group of warriors and mages prepare for their last stand against the foul beast, a devil and an efreet appear before them. The devil offers them a wish in exchange for their souls. The efreet smiles from ear to ear and says he will grant them a wish that will to exactly as they ask. As the sounds of wanton destruction draw ever closer, the heroes must choose.

Even without the wishes and fireballs, an efreet is a tough combatant. An efreet rogue's favourite way to loot is an overly elaborate prank. Several years ago, he decided to put an alarm spell on an ornate old lamp. When someone touches the lamp, the efreet dimension doors to appear before them, using some smoke and mirrors tricks to make sure the finder believes he was truly stuck in the inanimate object. If the victim is alone, he slays them outright and takes their belongings - but he much prefers meeting groups. In such a case, he spends a few days filling the ears of the finder (his faux "master") with tales of jealousy and betrayal - and when the group inevitably starts a fight, he uses it to disappear with their treasures, as well as the lamp. Then he places the lamp somewhere for the next poor suckers to find, and the cycle starts anew.

Dullahan

 The best thing that blogs and articles that existed far before this one did for fantasy RPGs is push forward the idea that encounters with sentient undead shouldn't just be combat - they should each contain a mystery, a fixation, making the why of the fight as interesting as the how.

Regalt of Greevia was a witch-hunter in life. In death, not much has changed- but while his methods were violent in life, he never hurt anyone he believed to be innocent. These days, his infamous catchphrase "Nana, give me your head" is dreaded across the world, as it means torture and even slaughter of anyone who might know anything begins until the witch, hag, or changeling is brought to him for execution. All the while, the warlock who arranged his execution hides his head somewhere halfway across the world...

The Pastor is a dullahan dressed in a priest's black robes who rides across the western plains. Whenever he encounters travelers, he asks them for a confession. Most are swiftly judged - but for some unknown reason, those whose stories are about sins in the service of a greater good are spared.

The Third Inquisition is known for using any means necessary to get results. For instance, years ago they found an undead warrior's severed head, and he has proven to be one of their most valuable assets. Unfortunately, their over reliance on the dullahan comes back to bite them - as the said head turns out to have been a Lich's phylactery the entire time. Coming in conflict with the lich, the choice to destroy the head is obvious - but that means absolutely infuriating the dullahan, who not only is an extremely capable combatant, but also knows far too much of the inquisition's secrets.

Dryad&Hamadryad

 Dryads are the elven-looking fey guardians of single trees. Hamadryads are their jacked up versions that watch over entire forests. Both like to use charm and guile to trick folks into helping them, but the latter often bring some bigger friends into the fray as well.

Llikanthika was a Hamadryad that fell into a deep sleep several millennia ago. When she laid, her demesne was a massive, deep forest, and her subjects were legion, with dozens of dryads and other fey at her call. When she finally wakes, she finds her self in but a little park, a tiny speck of green in a massive, gray city. Some kids stumble upon her soon after, and only their childish innocence stops her hand. The kids, for their part, now bear a terrible responsibility - stopping the wraith of nature itself from being unleashed upon the city...

Not all dryads rely on charms to win allies for their cause. Drizilla, the Dealin' Dryad, is a well known card player and gambler. When playing against her, the stakes will inevitably go from gold and baubles to favours owed to the forest itself.

The emerald forest is so big that not even a hamadryad can take care of it alone. Several of them have banded together, and ritually crowned Queen Amalfia as the Archidryad. She now watches over an entire continent's worth of deep and lush forests, bonded to the Tree of Ages, the oldest living organism. While Amalfia is good-natured, if somewhat stern and impulsive, she hides a secret - unlike other hamadryads, who rule over more sinister beings of nature, Amalfia has a second form: that of a green woman, nature's wrath incarnate. If the forest is threatened, or any of her hamadryads and dryads hurt, Amalfia will fly into a rage, and her fury matches that of gods.

Doppelganger

 If you love mixing in intrigue into your fantasy, eventually you're gonna have to use either one of these or some sort of Rakshasa.

The city Of Götmanland has been protected by the masked hero Bulleteman for a full decade. After a series of increasingly violent murders seems to evade his notice, a group of ex-guards take the things into their own hands, and discover two disturbing secrets. Firstly, Bulleteman is a shapeshifter, who by day takes the form of socialite Brutus Wainus. Secondly, a third "personality" has recently emerged - and unlike the first two, this one does not share memories nor intentions with the collective. Outright execution would solve the city's problem - but maybe finding a cure could be more beneficial in the long run...

The Riversdoom Rascals have been protecting the city and its interest for almost a decade. In the past few months, however, there have been more and more sightings of them engaging in extortion, robbery, and wanton violence. Hoping to put an end to this, they surrender to the city authorities - only to find out that they apparently already did exactly that several hours prior.
The two identical looking groups are put on trial - and the imposters appear to know disturbingly specific details about the group's prior adventures.

Sly the Doppelganger learned a very neat trick - he can take on the appearances of dead, bloody corpses in addition to his normal shapeshifting abilities. As a Bravi noble named Harlas Tinlas, he recruits a mercenary squad to escort him to his "summer holdings" in the city of Dunesdale. However, when the squad opens his carriage on arrival, they their employer seemingly stabbed. Unsurprisingly, they are immediately arrested - and under Dunesdale's laws, this means all their assets are to be seized. Soon enough, a clerk comes to collect - and he comes in wearing lord Tinlas's prized amulet.

Djinni

The friendliest and most sociable of geniekind, the djinni make for phenomenal social encounters that push forward the point that you're not in Kansas anymore.

A deaf djinni is disaster engine, as the residents of New Dervishire recently found out. A venerable and gentle-natured being, Angharadd promised each resident of the newly founded colony three wishes - and he has been hard at work making them come true. Unfortunately, his hearing is damaged - and his will is literal. After several mishaps, the least of which is a man who became incredibly good at overcoming large turtles, a group of emissaries are sent to the old genie to beg him to ask twice. However, the noble elemental refuses to admit he has made a mistake - and if pushed, can become violent.

A group of bounty hunters have been hunting for their nemesis for ages. Their hunt, a legendary quest that has been sang about in taverns across the entire world, has taken them across the elemental planes. Finally, they catch up to their quarry in the Netherworld. As they draw to a close, a djinni vizier appears. Out of sheer need for amusement, he offers to fulfill up to seven wishes - but for every wish that someone in the group is granted, one will be given to their nemesis as well.

A sad looking djinni found sitting by the road offers a group of adventurers a wish fulfilled if they get him back the platinum ring he is bound to. The ring, he says, was stolen by a master thief then sold, and is now in the possession of a mighty noble of the Svalyaki line.
In truth, the djinni is not able to grant wishes to mortal, and was never bound to the ring - instead, it is a mighty artifact capable of visiting great harm upon one of the efreeti. The djinni has a plane shift ready to go as soon as the adventurers bring him the ring - but if they see through his lies, or try to one-up him in any way, he will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Dero

 Have you ever felt a need to run a stereotypical little gray men from UFOs story in TTRPG form, but decided it was ill-fitting for your fantasy setting? Worry not, the dero are here to save you. 

A band of warriors wakes up in a dark and moist dungeon, shackled to the walls. The night before, they had celebrated a major victory against the invading forces of Niblingast, and they must have gotten very, very drunk - as all of their memories appear very hazy, and they haven't the faintest clue where they could be.
Soon enough, a group of small, milky-eyed humanoids enter the room without a word. They feed their captives some sort of fungal sludge, and one of them slips several keys in Fluki the Shade's hands, whispering in a broken form of elvish: "if you survive what is coming, seek me out. I have an interesting proposition".
After the first group is finished, another enters - this one accompanied by a cave giant, and led by a cackling, syringe wearing elder of the race.

Synn, an aasimar who can trace her lineage to the actual Sun-god Zhaa, is approached by a strange man in a long black trenchcoat. The "man" turns out to be two dero standing on top of one another. The uncanny humanoids have a proposal: If Synn is to allow them to clone her - and "care not if the clones get murdered, hurt, and/or eaten in the pursuit of enlightened science", she will be given access to their vast amounts of research on Zhaa. Such knowledge could unlock her true angelic potential, but it also hides secrets best left undisturbed...

The proud city of Arkhangast is falling into darkness. Literally. Over the last few months, entire households have started collapsing into the ground overnight, as their foundations mysteriously vanish. The city was built on top of a large complex of deep gnome tunnels - but those have long since been purged. A deeper (pun intended) investigation reveals that the tunnels have been repopulated - but not with the svirfneblin but with previously unseen humanoids, the sun-fearing dero. The paranoid little humanoids gather around a messiah whose ultimate goal is as simple as it is insane - if the dero can not rule the Overworld by inhabiting it, then they shall simply bring all of the overworlders into the blessed Underworld, even if some (or most) of them do not survive the trip.

Dark Naga

Dark Nagas appear to be beings of immeasurable pride, stuck in ages long forgotten. They cling to those times when they walked as gods among the lesser beings, and they cling to areas and objects that remind them of those times. Also, something about them just screams pulp adventure, at least to me.

Artifacts have been disappearing from Niflungard's museum of history. A closer look by the city's constabulary reveals most of the missing pieces belong to the museum's exotic collection of artifacts from the ancient naga-cyclopean war, that ravaged the continent in a forgotten age before men and elves arrived. Arranging an ambush, the detectives catch a group of mind-washed trogs, who reluctantly point them in the direction of the nearby asbestos mines, where their lord, The Gilded Snake, makes his domain.

Even gods have finite appetites. An experienced group of heroes, each of them a child of one of the gods of mount Atlas, investigate rumors of a dark cult taking root in the ruins of old Nakatosh. When they arrive, they find a city of mutated ogres ruled by a dark naga. The "god" postures in front of his underlings about how he will consume and destroy the intruders, but as soon as he is left alone with the heroes, he proposes a deal - play the role of his chosen champions, and they shall have unlimited access to the vaults beneath Nakatosh. Of course, he forgets to mention that it is in those vaults that his master, a truly divine being, makes his dark hunting grounds...

On the Wall, a magi-physical construct created to keep the creatures of the outer planes at bay, the paladin defenders have been joined by unlikely allies - a group of seven dark nagas. While any help is more than welcome, such beings aren't know to act in altruism - and the resident inquisitor is tasked with investigating their motives, without angering them so much that they pick up and leave.

Cyclops

 Cyclopes come to us in two versions - the large, not too smart regular cyclopes, and the larger, dumber, more brutal great cyclopes. The exact correlation between the two is left vague - and that is where your writing comes into play.

Nubonga the cyclops is a reluctant ally of the Merry Mercenary Company of Marsholm. While he is prone to violent outbursts at a slightest perceived offense, the one-eyed giant's deep knowledge of the threads of fate makes him a very valuable asset. However, when the mercenaries return to his cavernous dwelling after several months of exploration, they find him mutated, almost doubled in size, and more maddened than ever. Before jumping at them with murderous intents, the giant manages to mutter "moon... spawn... help... me".

For years, local have avoided the Three Crowns hilltop. While the cyclopes that dwell there were brutal and aggressive, they rarely wandered beyond their ruined city's crumbled walls. For the past few days, however, loud sounds have been coming from that direction. Anyone who dares investigate will find out that the cyclopes have, after decades or even centuries of passivity, started rebuilding. What that means for the surrounding kingdoms of men and elves remains to be seen.

On the faraway, technologically advanced planet of Dezcordia, every sentient is implanted with a chip. Those chips record and store every bit of the implantee's knowledge. A group of archeologists - although some would call them grave robbers, or even thugs - are looking for information on pre-purge societies. It just so happens that the only good source of such information is the only living being who was alive at the time - a great Cyclops called Ugryt. Unfortunately, Ugryt is locked away in a solitary prison-satelite complex, guarded with several layers of counter-measures.

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.

Copper dragon

 Copper dragons are essentially fairy dragons with an agenda. While threading on almost fey territory with their hedonistic approach to life and love of jokes, but their staunch, if easily misdirected moral compass is what sets them apart.

While dragons are wise and powerful, they aren't immune to indoctrination. While investigating ways to combat a dwarven lich king, a group of would-be heroes end up facing his top enforcer - a young copper dragon, convinced from hatching that tyranny and lordship over the weak are virtues. While battling him remains a (risky, bordering on suicidal) option, if swayed he could make for an exceptional ally.

A venerable copper dragon is throwing a massive party in the city's keep. The party is supposed to be a masquerade, and there's a prize - those who divine the draconic patron's identity will be given riches beyond measure.
While that is certainly true, the great wyrm also plans to recrtuit the five most successful investigators from the crowd - and with or without their consent, transport them to the city of Tarabath, where he needs help thwarting the plans of a secret society of shapeshifters.

An accomplished gang of mage-criminals travels to the faraway, dragon-ruled land of Netraxia. After stealing a prized diamond in a diabolical and daring heist, an officer of the law finally catches up to them - except its a dragon as tall as a house. If they express disbelief, the dragon responds with "Well yeah, we're know as coppers, aren't we?", before trying to chomp their heads of - keeping a self-satisfied grin on its face while he does.

Clay golem

Honestly, despite many generations of dungeons and dragons and its derivatives offering many different varieties, the original clay golem remains my favourite. Given its classic origins, i think classic stories of hubris and overly literal adherence to commands suit these things more than any other construct.

In the thrice-blessed city of Kragooy, almost every temple has clay golem guardians, with heads ornately carved to resemble their patron deities. In the past few weeks, there have been several instances of these faces melting off. After that, the golems, with newly featureless and perfectly smooth faces all went into a rampage, killing innocents out on the streets of the city. If the source of this vile magic isn't found soon, the city will undoubtedly go into chaos.

In an attempt to keep his village safe, a now famous wizard left a clay golem to stand guard over it. The golem was popular for a while, keeping wolves and the occasional basilisk or ankhrav at bay, but then one day, mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Several months later, he returned, carrying an enormous quantity of bottles of philosopher's brew - the famed potion of eternal life. As it turned out, the maker told his golem to "never harm or kill anyone in the village, or allow anyone to be harmed or die through inaction".
Unfortunately, the sheer amount of the extremely rare and valuable brew makes the little village a target for much greater threats than before, and the wizard and his compatriots must rush back to its aid.

On his deathbed, King Grzegorz the Greedy commanded his personal golem (crafted in his likeness) to guard his crown until a worthy heir appears. Several days later, when all the king's heirs fell, trying to wrestle the crown from the mighty construct's clay hands, the kingdom fell into disarray. Desperate to keep the peace, the remaining great lords issued a proclamation: whosoever manages to beat the golem, shall be crowned the new rightful king of Polithania.