Imp

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

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

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

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

- Max

Hook 1 (TJ) - Rise of the Rat King

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

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

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

Hook 2 (Max) - Bloodsand Bargain

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

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

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

Hook 3 (Reece) - Grainland Bushdevil

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

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

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

Ice Linnorm

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

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

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

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

- Max

Hook 1 (Max) - Scourge of the Golden Hall

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

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

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

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

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

Hook 2 (TJ) - Shivering Simon

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

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

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Old Boombreath

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

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

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

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

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

Hyena, Hyaenodon

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

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

- Nemanja

Hook 1 (Max) - The Last Laugh

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

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

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

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

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

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Sacrament of the Decaying God

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

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

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

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

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

Hook 3 (Reece) - The Whispering Hunger

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

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

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

Hydra

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

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

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

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

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

-TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - Mariner's Doom

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

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

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

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

Hook 2 (TJ) - The Terror of Anzar

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

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

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

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

Hook 3 (Reece) - The King's Strait

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

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

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

Horse

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

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

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

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

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

-TJ

Hook 1 (Max) - Hooves the Horse

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

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

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

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

Hook 2 (TJ) - Caught Red Hooved

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

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

Hook 3 (Max) - Hard to Destroy Steed

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

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

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

Hook 4 (TJ) - The Origin of Species

"Wh-what is that?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hook 5 (Nemanja) - Sons of Horse

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

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

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

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

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

Hook 6 (Nemanja) - Horse d'oeuvre

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

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

Hook 7 (Reece) - Breaking Badland

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

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

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

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

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

Hook 8 (Reece) - The Cube Rebellion

"You're kidding."

"No sir."

"They rebelled?"

"Yes sir."

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

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

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

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

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

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

Horned Archon

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

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

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

- Nemanja

Hook 1 (Max) - The Timber Baron

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

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

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

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Watcher Upon the Gate

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

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

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

Hook 3 (TJ) - Dourwood Dilemma

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

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

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

Homunculus

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

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

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

- Nemanja

Hook 1 (Max) - Living off Borrowed Time

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

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

Not like Spark knows how.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - Paleblood Plea

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

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

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

Hook 3 (Reece) - Examination: The Sepulchre

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

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

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