DISTINGUISHING FEATURES? fangs, eyes, hair (gorgons)
MAGIC SUSCEPTIBILITY answer
BASILISK
Considered royalty, Basilisks in their humanoid form can hypnotize any living, non-magical being by simply making eye contact and their venom will cause excruciating pain unless healed by a spell or the tears of a fairy. They are able to completely transform into a large serpent with a dragon-like head, ranging upwards from 150 feet. In their true form, a single look from a Basilisk can cause death. Basilisk's are as old as dragons, but not nearly as territorial.
HYDRA
The Hydra is a dragon-serpent hybrid originating from Ancient Greece that often resides near bodies of water that doubled for entrances to the Underworld. In its true form it has 9 heads, each of which will spout two new heads upon decapitation. The middle head breathes fire, a trait that carries over to their human form. A wounded hydra will bleed a strong acid, but can be killed by decapitation in human form or by cutting off the immortal head (middle one) in true form.
PHOENIX
It has a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. A Phoenix can incinerate anyone/anything with a single touch, their ability is so strong, they can reduce a whole man to ashes in seconds. Phoenixes are amongst the strongest and most durable of monsters, they are quite powerful, and almost impossible to kill - unless stabbed with an iron blade, the First Blade, or shot with the Colt.
MINOTAUR
A creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man that spans numerous religious mythologies. Minotaurs prefer to lure their prey into confusing terrain, such as a maze, sewer, or tunnel system, before setting up an ambush. If possible, they stalk their prey for days before finally committing to battle. A Minotaur presides over its labyrinth, able to induce hallucinations upon those who come near it - and every seven years, seven youths and seven maidens are taken from their families as sacrifices. Nothing holds a grudge like a minotaur, they are terrifying brutes. Scorned by the civilized races centuries ago and born from a deific curse, minotaurs have hunted, slain, and devoured lesser humanoids in retribution for real or imagined slights for as long as anyone can remember. Minotaurs might also be found in the employ of a more powerful monster or evil creature, serving it so long as they can still hunt and dine as they please. Usually this means guarding some powerful object or valuable location, but it can also be a sort of mercenary work, hunting down the foes of its master. When a Minotaur dies, they are sent to Tartarus where they must cycle through either tending hellfire or torturing souls before they are allowed to return to their labyrinth. To kill a Minotaur for good, one must stab them in the heart with one of their own horns.
SPHINX
A creature with the head of a human, the haunches of a lion, and sometimes the wings of a bird. Known in Greece and Egypt for being treacherous and merciless guardians often flanking the entrances to tombs and temples, their Asian counterparts are known for warding off evil. Those who cannot answer its riddle are typically mauled and eaten without hesitation. Sphinxes prefer to converse in their own tongue, and addressing a sphinx in its own language with all due politeness and deference goes a long way to ensure peaceful conversation, but most speak the languages of humans and dragons as well. They typically serve godesses of war, but answer solely to Sekhmet. Known for craving peaceful solitude, the creatures grow increasingly irritable each time their solitude is invaded. However, they are prone to getting bored easily and perhaps drawing out interaction with a traveller for as long as it suits their fancy. Sphinxes are fantastically long-lived and unless slain by accident, violence, or misadventure, other sphinxes seem to pass on only when they have at last wearied of living and will themselves to die. In the wild, sphinxes lair in warm, dry caves or intact rooms in ruins. Unless there is something worth guarding, sphinxes prefer to stay close to the outside, especially along cliffs and near other wide open spaces that allow them room to fly. The older a sphinx gets, the more sedentary it becomes, until the oldest sphinxes barely move at all except when necessary - as such, the older a sphinx is, the less it needs consume. Keeping a sphinx on guard duty is often expensive, either in treasure or in inventiveness as without something mentally challenging to work on they will lose interest. By nature they are plagued with an intense but fickle focus, which can lead them to dwell obsessively on a single problem or issue for days before promptly shifting their attention and ignoring the previous interest almost completely. Companions, although rare, must be able to keep the interest of the Sphinx or risk the same fate as weary travelers. Despite the relative rarity, especially outside of their chosen deserts and arid hills, stories of their exploits are common enough that most who encounter one know at least the basics of how to act around them: polite, pleasant, and perceptive.