These creatures have "the face of a man, the mouth open to the ears with a treble row of teeth beneath and above; long neck, whose greatness, roughness, body and feet are like a Lyon: of a red colour, his tail like the tail of a Scorpion of the Earth, the end armed with poison, casting forth sharp pointed quills as an archer's arrows." Their claws, teeth, and quills are all of iron, and the beasts are known for consuming metals and ores as well as the flesh of their victims. A dastardly of manticores can make an area impassable by travelers. Instinct: To consume metal and flesh

• Strike with a poisoned stinger
• Coordinate attacks with the rest of the group
• Knock an enemy back or down

The Demons of the Pale are as varied as they are horrible. The only common factors are bipedal form and appendages with rending claws. Demons of the Pale can damage reality with these weapons, tearing a channel to their plane of existence, and beckoning a sibling to come to their aid. Instinct: to bring forth another

• Summon another Demon
• Sulfuric blast (1d8 damage, ignore armor, near)
• Ignore an attack
• Whisper vile secrets

"The marines that I have seen in this world have had the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals that I have ever seen! Their shields are smart; their blades sure. May the gods bless them!" ~ Lady Leanore Beare Instinct: to fight gloriously

• Hold the line
• Sound 'All Hands on Deck'
• Charge!

The Giant Spider Wasp is know most for its favorite prey: giant spiders. If none are available, these dog-sized wasps may also target large herbivores, people, and domestic animals. They sting their prey to inject a paralytic poison, then drag the victim to a nest (or build a nest around it, if it's too large to be moved). In the nest, it lays a single egg on the host's abdomen. The egg hatches, and the larva eats the victim over the course of several weeks, leaving the nervous system and major organs for last. Speaking of the sting, the sage Schmidt the Just described the pain of it as "blinding, fierce, and shockingly electric." Instinct: to find food for its young

• Paralyze a host creature
• Drag away a poisoned victim

The Giant Phorid Fly, or Decapitator Fly, is known for incapacitating a victim, then planting its eggs in the victim's head. When the eggs hatch, the larvae cosume the host from the head down. This parasite mostly preys on Giant Ants, but has been known to target deer, elk, cows, sheep, and any other local herbivore. Phorid Flies found in settled areas may also target dogs or people. Instinct: to find new hosts

• Knock a target unconscious
• Swarm a single victim
• Deposit eggs in the prey's head

Most will never have the pleasure or the terror of an audience with the Hive Queen, absolute ruler of her daughters, the Giant Ants. Queens have been known to make pacts and alliances with those on the surface. In some lands, the locals even pay tribute in exchange for her protection. Never forget that she would do anything to protect herself. Instinct: to expand her power, influence, and hive

• Send wave after wave of troops into battle
• Psychically call on the hive for defense
• Call upon an ally to help deal with a threat

See there? The one with the big head? That's one of the Drones, the lieutenants of the Hive Queen. They carry out her orders and organize the other Ants into squads and work teams. Some say that they're really smart, and that you can communicate with them, if they're not too distracted. Instinct: to organize the hive

• Coordinate an attack by his larger sisters
• Release alarm pheremones (also present in blood)
• Psionic shock (d4 damage, ignores armor) or (-1 ongoing)

Larger than her sisters, the Soldier Ant has mandibles half the length of your arm. She can tear through your armor -- might even cut off your leg if you're unlucky. Her tough exoskeleton turns bolts and blades. Best not to kick some anthills... Instinct: to defend the hive

• Lop off an extremity
• Release alarm pheremones (also present in blood)
• Grapple an opponent (Defy Danger + STR to escape)

You'll see them coming and going, tasting this and that. When they find something tasty, like a dead dog or your grain harvest, they'll tell their friends. And more of them just keep coming. Watch out for the Soldiers. Instinct: to explore for the hive

• Expand the hive
• Release alarm pheremones (also present in blood)
• Pick something up and carry it off

The Ancients knew of the Crystalline, a race sprung full-grown from their semi-divine heartgems. They nurtured any of the earth-children that they found, answering their endless questions and allowing them to drink deeply of the accumulated knowledge of their ageless experiences. Some of the Crystalline went mad, hearts burst with too much knowledge. Others honed their minds on the whetstone of wisdom, and thereby grew introspective. These immortal sages retreated from the world, and now spend their ceaseless existence pondering the nature of reality. At times, they are tasked with guarding an artifact of the Ancients. Though they have become creatures of the purest thought, their bodies remain supple and quick. Instinct: To serve the Greater Good

• Cast a Wizard spell
• Fling a hail of crystal shards (d10 damage)
• Transfix a listener with a mind-shattering question
• Share the answer to a mystery