Karadoon

CR: 6 XP: 2,400

NE Large outsider (native)

Init: +4 Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision Perception: +17

AC: 20, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+4 Dex, +7 natural, –1 size)

HP: 47 (5d10+20)

Fort: +8 Ref: +8 Will: +5

DR: 5/magic

Resist: acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10

Immune: poison

SR: 17

Speed: 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)

Melee: bite +10 (1d6+5), 2 talons +9 (1d6+5)

Space: 10 ft. Reach: 5 ft.

Special Attacks: pounce, rake (2 claws, 1d4+7), smite good 1/day

Spell-Like Abilities: (CL 5th; concentration +5) 3/day—darkness 1/day—desecrate, unholy blight (DC 14)

Str: 20 Dex: 19 Con: 18 Int: 9 Wis: 15 Cha: 10

Base Atk: +5 CMB: +11 CMD: 25

Feats: Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (bite)

Skills: Acrobatics +16, Bluff +5, Fly +14, Perception +17, Stealth +8 Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Perception

Languages: Common (cannot speak) Griffon The malevolent beast known as Karadoon stalks the northern highlands of the Five Kings Mountains, preying on caravans traveling to and from the dwarven city of Tar-Kazmukh. While superstitious locals regard Karadoon as a messenger from some evil, vengeful god, most dwarves recognize the being as a minion of the infamous nascent demon lord Treerazer, which escaped from his master’s prison in Tanglebriar to the north. The dwarves of Tar-Kazmukh lambaste the elves of Kyonin for their failure to keep the beast within its prison, for with his journey to the Five Kings Mountains, Karadoon has developed a keen taste for dwarven flesh, causing many of the Blue Warders and other stout inhabitants of the dwarven city to fear straying too far from the settlement’s protective walls. Even horseflesh and hippogriff meat do not tempt the savage griffon, whose demonic taint has turned him wicked, powerful, and hungry. Every time some brave dwarven warrior decides to lead a mission to kill the foul beast, the party’s equipment— along with the members’ bones, completely stripped of meat—is returned to the entrance of Tar-Kazmukh. If there is one thing Karadoon enjoys more than the taste of dwarven meat, it is spreading fear of his name among those who know it, and much of his harassment of the local folks takes the form of taunting caravans repeatedly before actually attacking. Oftentimes he will circle a band of caravans for miles before swooping down to attack, simply to magnify his targets’ fear before landing amid them, and he always picks off the weakest individuals in a group first to further lower morale. However, there is one temptation that can lure Karadoon away from attacking even dwarves—the opportunity to attack his own kindred. For whatever reason, the ebon beast abandons all other prey if he spots even the shadow of a griffon, mauling the creature until its blood runs thick between his claws, at which point he devours what meat remains. Locals are not sure what drives the tainted griffon to feast upon his relations in this way, but they speculate such meals serve to remind the beast of what he once was before his corruption. Particularly ignoble caravan leaders around Tar-Kazmukh have begun to bring along captive griffons and release them to distract Karadoon should he assail the wagons, thereby driving up the price of griffon eggs in the black markets around the dwarven city exponentially. The robbed griffons in the surrounding lands have noticed where their eggs are going, and some have even led their own assaults against such dastardly individuals, seeking to free their doomed kin before the sinister Karadoon slays another of their kind. Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Mythical Monsters Revisited Harpy “WE WERE OUT ON A PATROL FOR THE COUNCIL—NOW I KNOW WHY THEY BOTHERED HIRING OUT INSTEAD OF USING THEIR OWN SOLDIERS. THAT AWFUL SMELL PERMEATED EVERYTHING. IF I’D BEEN PAYING ANY ATTENTION AT ALL, THAT WOULD HAVE TIPPED ME OFF THAT THERE WERE HARPIES ABOUT. I WASN’T PAYING ATTENTION, THOUGH, AND BY THE TIME THE SINGING STARTED IT WAS TOO LATE. NEXT THING I KNOW I’ ON MY BACK, GETTING HEALED AND SCOLDED BY OUR CLERIC. WE LOST THREE GOOD PEOPLE THAT DAY— THEY FOLLOWED THOSE HARPIES RIGHT OFF THE DAMN CLIFF.” —MARCELLUS CARANIAN, LOST COAST FREE MERCENARY COMPANY Harpy H arpies are cunning and vile creatures, an amalgam of feral human woman and bird. They have wings and claws, and often have feathers and down across their bodies, but are otherwise humanoid. The plumage of harpies differs by environment and tends to match local bird-life—typical phenotypes include birds of prey and scavenger birds such as vultures, but variety abounds. A harpy’s face is similar enough to a human’s at a passing glance, but close inspection shows a carnivore’s teeth and the dead eyes of a remorseless predator. Harpies wear their evil and cruelty on their sleeves, taking delight in the pain and suffering of others and generally making no effort to hide their enjoyment. Even a harpy with reason to be friendly will flaunt her wickedness and make it clear that she’s keeping score for later. Conversely, a harpy attempting to seem caring and virtuous is an unnerving sight. In their natural state, harpies care nothing for hygiene— between the odors of the gory remains of their victims and of their soiled, guano-covered aeries, harpies can usually be smelled before they are seen, at least in close environments. The rare harpies who live in urban environments can be exceptions to this rule, and knowing both their species’ reputation and natural tendencies, are often obsessively fastidious about their appearances. Harpies are so paired with stench and offal in the public imagination, however, that tales of urban harpies are often dismissed out of hand, to the benefit of those villains capable of recruiting and maintaining urban harpy servants. Harpies have an innate talent for understanding the minds of others, and in addition to their captivation abilities make excellent torturers and spies. While they are sometimes used for these purposes by more powerful evil creatures, most harpies are on their own, living in small tribes and family groups and preying on the outskirts of civilization. They will eat almost any creature, but prefer to prey on sentient ones, so they generally haunt trade routes and other such sources of fresh victims. In parts of the world where they are common, harpies are well recognized for the threat they present to people and property. Children are taught never to stray too far from home or linger anywhere with a smell of refuse or rot, and filth-haunting harpies are used as fodder for terrifying bedtime stories that can make going to the latrine after dark a nightmare. (Other parental fairy tales include tales of filthy children being mistaken for harpy young and carried off to join the tribe—thus explaining the need for said children to bathe regularly.)