Noodle Rats- Quick-footed, sure-footed, and mean as all hell. These critters are the favored draft animals and trackers of the nomadic peoples of the dry regions. Adapted for the desert sands and surrounding arid mountains, they are easily capable of outperforming horses and bloodhounds on sandy or rocky terrain thanks to their mighty leaps and incredible sense of balance.

Their speed and agility is only part of that. They have superhuman senses, possessed of a sense of smell able to pinpoint drops of water from miles away, highly sensitive hearing, the ability to triangulate vibrations traveling through the ground using their tail and feet, and the ability to see in pitch darkness. This potent combination of abilities makes them one of the most capable trackers in all the deserts- and instrumental to the nomad's raids on merchants.

Scribing Hornets- The meanest creatures in creation, Scribing Hornets deliberately disrupt the feng shui of an area and create zones of ominous chi. Their primary means of doing this is their highly pigmented venom and specialized stingers- these wasps are capable of creating magical sigils and arrays, incorporating them into their nests. The territory of a hive of Scribing Hornets is dotted with several such nests, each creating such ominous Feng Shui that many animals are struck dead by proximity. The Scribing Hornets feed exclusively on creatures slain by the ominous areas.

Their inky venom is an exceptionally potent tool for the creation of curses, though the extraction process requires living specimens and specialized equipment.

Refining Civets- These weasels devour only the highest-quality herbs and fruits. Compressing these in their bodies, the Refining Civet creates rudimentary awakening pills, and passes them out. While the Refining Civet receives no benefit from these, the animals that consume the pills awaken to Yao Guai. These newly sentient creatures become fiercely protective of the civets and their territory, leading to new villages of wild beastmen cropping up in forests and jungles across the land.

These pills are, of course, in high demand among wealthy citizens. It takes much courage to brave the Yao Guai guardians to reach the secluded nests of the Refiner Civet, and much skill to pick the pills out of the rest of their leavings.

Guru Apes- It is said that in all living things, the Buddha Nature can be found. The Buddha Nature is brought forth by rejecting the vices of the material world, and being satisfied internally. The ape does not care for gold or fame. The ape is satisfied with food and water. Thus, the Guru Apes are the wisest of nature's creatures, having awakened to the Buddha within.

Living in a nearly permanent Lotus Position, the golden furred Guru Apes have mastered Yogi Meditation, granting them the powers of Rddhi and Siddhi Yoga. They move via levitation, though their bodies do not deteriorate as they abstain from motion. Those who disturb the tranquility of their mountain homes find that the creatures are still very much in touch with their animal natures as well, launching into a furious assault with chi projection and yogic magic.

Auspicious Shrike- As the Scribing Hornet creates ominous Feng Shui, the Auspicious Shrike creates wonders. It uses its sharp beak to meticulously trim the branches of the trees it inhabits, making them both natural conduits for life energy and also monstrously lethal points for impaling its prey- also placed in accordance with the principles of feng shui. The south side of their trees are stained red with blood from their prey, further improving the flow of qi in the area.

With sufficient time, the tree of an Auspicious Shrike is both spiritually and geometrically perfect- and covered in razor-sharp spines and bark as hard as diamond. The local area and its inhabitants blossom with prosperity and vitality, and even the most weak and sickly make full recoveries.