"Good morning," the Thing in the Well calls, "And how are we doing this morning Mrs. Westmen?" -- "Just wonderfully. How have you been keeping, Thing?" -- "Fine, fine. A little peckish, a bit in the mood for, you know, a nibble, a bite to eat. But don't worry yourself, perfectly fine." -- "It's quite alright Thing, I was just thinking I should bring by some lunch. How does a ham sound?" -- "You are too kind Mrs. Westmen, just too kind..." -- The Thing in the Well has lived in the village for longer than anyone can remember. It is traditional to fix regular meals for the Thing, and to present it with a sheep or pig on special occasions. Years ago a boy went down the well on a dare. He never returned. The subject has not been broached in the presence of the Thing. Instinct: To devour

• Politely collect tribute
• Leverage townspeople through secrets
• Purify water
• Hide in darkened waters

"The Old Ones, they knew much. Not the alchemy of man nor the sorcery of warlocks and the like. No, this is the magic of gears and pulleys, the sorcery of science. Watch your every step in the tower: be wary or you may call to life the ancient defense systems. You'll know the Defenders have awoken long before you face them, that's for sure; they're louder than a stomping giant and their hulls scrape the stone walls. You'll hear them coming, I'm sure you can avoid them, go on in the tower. Me? I... I'll stay out here. Got to have a lookout post, right?"

Instinct: Destroy all Intruders! *click* Defend the domain!

• Display immense and uncaring strength
• Soldier on, ignoring all damage until the last
• Reveal a hidden function from the depths of its gearworks

Each individual shadow is actually a swarm of tiny, dust-sized demons. No one is quite sure where they come from, or how to kill them, but it is known that children of every species on every plane of existence know to fear the darkness . . . Instinct: To spread

• Devour flesh
• Impersonate voices
• Absorb knowledge from those it kills

Scarabaeus pyractomena! What a delightful creature—see how its carapace glitters in the light of our torches? Not too close now, they’re temperamental, you see. The fire in their belly isn’t just metaphorical, no. Watch as I goad the beast. Aha! A spout of flame! Unexpected, isn’t it? One of these creatures alone, if it comes up from below, can be a hellish nuisance to a farmstead or village. A whole swarm? There’s a reason they call it a conflagration of fire beetles. Instinct: To enflame

• Undermine the ground
• Burst from the earth
• Spray forth flames

Some are wont to lump these little, rat-like dragon-men in with goblins and orcs, bugbears and hobgoblins. They are smarter and wiser than their kin, however. The kobolds are beholden slaves to dragons and were, in ancient times, their lorekeepers and sorcerer-servants. Their clans, with names like Ironscale and Whitewing, form around a dragon master and live to serve and do its bidding. Spotting a kobold means more are near—and if more are near then a mighty dragon cannot be far, either. Instinct: To serve dragons

• Lay a trap
• Call on dragons or draconic allies
• Retreat and regroup

Formed in foul alchemical rituals, Blood Golems can shift from a flowing liquid to a hardened solid as needed. They have a rudimentary intelligence sufficient to follow simple instructions from their summoner. Instinct: To absorb

• Engulf its enemies
• Flow past obstacles
• Harden into an armored scab

Some foul experimentation or invocation of elder evil has brought forth a beast that should not be. Tentacles lash out from its back, and those who have fought one and somehow survived described their touch like lightning. To them, all others are prey to be hunted. Instinct: to hunt

• Lash out at prey
• Paralyze with its touch

These large scavengers can be quite competitive, charging their enemies with their horns to smash them to pieces. Instinct: To eat

• Charge opponents

Julian is an expert marksman currently in the service of the Donnels of Lowry Grove. He was an excellent hunter set to marry his fiance, Tifa, five years ago when the Dark Lord's men arrived. Shortly after that, the Donnels sent a small force which kidnapped Tifa. Without his bow, Julian was beat into submission and brought before Barnaby Donnel. If he ever wanted to see his fiance again, he would wait for two humans, an orc, and a salamander to come from the Bronze Tower and assassinate them. Instinct: To never feel helpless again

• Fire from concealment

Barnaby Donnel, the head of the Donnel family, is a large old man who was crushing skulls before most adventurers held their first sword. His family has consolidated a network of influence both above and below board in Lowry's Grove, and he's not above getting his hands quite literally messy. Instinct: Acquire power and wealth

• "Crush" the opposition