Whether in the cruelty of a dark forest, the malice of twisted urban alleys, or the foolishness of entering a dark room, there is always the danger of falling victim to a Shadow. These are the only creatures that exist in parallel with Darkness, serving as its emissaries due to their necessary cunning to avoid the Light; their cowardly tactics and innate cleverness are what make them so fearsome and deadly. Made of a volatile and obscure substance, Shadows have the ability to merge into the shadows of their surroundings, making them perfect ambushers, especially considering their extremely malleable bodies that catch adventurers off guard. As they are singular creatures limited by an outline, they can be vanquished with enough Light. Just be cautious! Their corpses leave traces of dark energy that can attract other Shadows, and you wouldn't want to know what happens if they collect such energy... Instinct: To extinguish all life and Light

• Drain vitality from its prey
• Surprisingly extend its limbs
• Morph into shadows

"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

Towering, blood-red, snorting and frothing. It plows through the labyrinthine halls of the Lost Citadel looking for creatures to slay. Pursues its quarry and never retreats. Unaware of secret doors. Forgets about unseen foes in a few minutes Ferocious bull-man with scarlet hooves and bloody curved horns. Returns to lair at least once every hour. Long ago, a mighty enclave of warriors lived inside the Lost Citadel. They worshipped bulls in ever-bloodier, cultish rituals that culminated in their leader, Minos, transforming into the Scarlet Minotaur. This immortal avatar of rage slaughtered the warriors in a single night of mayhem. However, some of their servants escaped through the unseen halls used by the lowly. These beast-men hid in the fallen citadel, trapped by superstitious fear of the outside. (“The Red Devil will find you, one way or another." -Muggins Greenbottle, renowned tomb robber) Adapted from the Shadowdark TTRPG Module "Lost Citadel of the Scarlet Minotaur". Instinct: Devour

• Impale on horns
• Patrol maze
• Attack in a blind rage

The Harpies of the Abyssal plane of the Wastes are wretched, vile beings. They worship a serpentine master and pick over the desolated lands for victims to harvest blood from. Their empress has granted her subjects manipulative powers allowing them to change their shape and cast spells based in blood. They want nothing more than to rule over the last standing island of the Wastes. Instinct: To drag you back to their nest and harvest your blood

• Rend with claws
• Blood magic

Bipedal, eight-eyed, small spider-folk with spindly legs and purple fur. Recently, a group of ettercaps crept into the Citadel from the caves below the citadel. They slink through the minotaur-haunted halls, tempted by forgotten gems and gold. They plan to depart "as soon as we have enough loot," a moment which never seems to arrive. They are leaderless and unanimously greedy. If caught in an ettercap's web the player must Defy Danger vs. DEX or be entangled. Adapted from the Shadowdark TTRPG Module "Lost Citadel of the Scarlet Minotaur". Instinct: Steal

• Loot
• Ambush
• Feed

These grey-furred, feral beings have evaded the Scarlet Minotaur for generations. They dwell in the Lost Citadel, believing dragons wait outside to devour anyone who leaves the citadel. Endless fear has made them vicious and craven. Their leader, Rogath, rules by the might of his claws. They are terrified of making noise outside of their lair. Adapted from the Shadowdark TTRPG Module "Lost Citadel of the Scarlet Minotaur". Instinct: Stealth

• Silent Attack

"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

The mating call of the otyugh is a horrible, blaring cry that sounds like a cross between an elephant dying and an over-eager vulture. The otyugh spends much of its time partly submerged in filthy water and prefers eating garbage over any other food. As a result, it often grows fat and strong on the offal of orcs, goblins and other cave-dwelling sub-humans. Get too close, however, and you’ll have one of its barbed tentacles dragging you into that soggy, razor-toothed maw. If you get away with your life, best get to a doctor, or your victory may be short lived. Instinct: To befoul

• Infect someone with filth fever
• Fling someone or something