Some Monsters That Don't Want to Kill You

The black hind of the northern forests is rarely seen and even more rarely captured. It is said that this creature will only approach a young maid who holds but one guilt in her heart, no more or less. Even if it is ambushed, the hind runs faster than any mortal man and is rumoured to have other powers as well. Eating the flesh of the hind grants one the ability to gaze into men's souls and see all their sins.

Jewelled crocus beetles are said to be cursed due to their affinity for corpse dust, which is why they appear exclusively in ancient tombs. However, the beetles are quite harmless and have recently become fashionable among certain elite circles. A glittering, hovering necklace of crocus beetles is a highly prized accessory. A single nest of such insects is worth in excess of 2,000 gold pieces.

 The rocks on the shore around ancient Talo Bay are home to the mysterious flatfish. Resembling an undulating pancake almost two metres in diameter, the flatfish crawls out of the sea and slides over the rocks. Though their appearance is disconcerting, they are harmless and feed only on algae. For some reason they are attracted to the sound of living creatures. (I want to have one of these appear to my players and start crawling towards them, then watch them squirm as they try to work out what it is. If they kill it and then talk about it in the local village, everyone will ridicule them.)

The sandy corridors of the Temple of Syrenoth are swarming with sleepy yellow-banded snakes. The snakes will not attack so long as they are not disturbed by loud noises or fast movements (both of which the cult of Syrenoth considered ill-conducive to enlightenment.) Any attempt to run, jump or shout runs the risk of provoking the serpents. Combatants within the halls make mutual agreements to strike each other slowly and quietly. All characters take a -2 penalty to attack rolls, which they may forego at the risk of rousing the serpents.

The caverns of Arima are full of frogs. They appear in almost every tunnel and cave. They seem to be harmless and completely mundane, but what attracts them to the caverns is a mystery. After a while, their endless burbling can drive men to the brink of madness.

The bloating lungfish is a common catch off the coast of Talo, and was once considered useless by fishermen until others began to take advantage of its unusual ability. The bloating lungfish, when threatened, puffs up to something like a thousand times its original size, enough to fill almost any room with bloated fish-flesh. Adventurers carry these fish around in small bowls; when fleeing from pursuing enemies, they will toss the lungfish behind them, causing it to blow up and seal the path.