"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

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

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

Sharp, armored chitin covers the majority of its body, leaving only the back half open flesh. They almost always attack first when their nest is disturbed and it is impossible to see them coming in their maze of webs. Their venom causes Shaky and Sick until it is cured. Instinct: To feed.

• Ambush
• Envenom.
• Leap
• Bite
• Sting

A holy construct made of marble with the form of a holy knight who carries a stone sword and shield. Often mistaken for statues. These constructs only become animated when the thing they guard becomes threatened. Instinct: To guard.

• Protect ancient tomb.

This poor creature is the result of genetic testing and experimentation gone wrong. It seems that its very DNA has been spliced with that of a spider. IT still retains some of its man shape but is horrible disfigured with long spider like legs coming out of its body. Each leg comes to an end with a large sharp talon like appendage. It has a head of a spider with numerous eyes. It can create and shoot webs from its body that are able to coat and wrap on its prey. Instinct: To escape

• Eat
• Wrap in webs

The animated remains of ancient temple guardians, these horrors rise again to take up their appointed task. Instinct: To serve

• Strike Twice
• Throw a javelin

The Froblin is a curious creature indeed, and it rides a fine line between nature and magic. The schools of zoology and wizardry at the academy are in a fierce debate over whether evolution or arcane magic produced its disturbing nature. Whatever the case, the reality of the Froblin remains. A squat humanoid with vaguely amphibian skin, eyes, and a broad mouth, much of the inside of a Froblin is simply empty space. Invariably, this empty space contains an identical copy of the Froblin, only smaller. And so on... like a child's wooden nesting doll. The trouble is when you think you've encountered the biggest copy, only to find a shadow cast over you from behind... Instinct: Breed ever larger copies

• Open mouth to disgorge a smaller copy
• Swallow a smaller creature whole
• Reveal that it isn't the largest copy...