What Would Share A Byakhee’s Lair?

[J. A.]

I’m planning to throw some byakhee at my party when they stumble into a lair, and I need some sort of monstrous creature to go with them. Ideally I’d like something that can fly along with the byakhee, and a plain-vanilla wyvern or whatnot just won’t feel right.

We’ve already done nightgaunts, mi-go and a star vampire, so those options are out. I’d like to choose something else from the Lovecraft mythos, but flying polyps are way above the party’s pay grade, and apart from the byakhee themselves I’m not sure what else would work.

At this point I'm open to all Pathfinder content. Is there anything with wings that would fit smoothly into a Lovecraftian theme? And that could plausibly share space with a group of byakhee?

[nosig]

Human,.

Yeah, it’s a crazy idea. (See what i did there?}

Give him/them levels in Alienist or Alchemist... or Summoner. Whatever. Cultists. This can give them flight, and other gimmicks and you can give them as many levels as you need to. And Humans are in every Lovecraftian theme.

Extra points if they are an NPC from several adventures back. It can creep the players out, knowing that this guy has been lurking in the back story all this time. What else is in their past waiting to pop up and bite them?

[J. A.]

I appreciate the suggestion, but for this particular encounter humans won't work. Thus the request for a flying monstrosity of some sort that fits with a Lovecraftian theme.

[Pizza Lord]

You could try some vargouille or giant varghouille. Those are outsiders and suitably repulsive. They don't seem competitive or at odds (except maybe one wanting to drain targets' blood and the other wanting to kiss them).

Possibly the byakhee have the varghouilles as early warning systems, listening for their shrieks at intruders. Otherwise, the byakhee aren't immune to the shrieks, so the varghouille might have to be 'behind' them (out of clear sight, despite facing rules you can purposefully be looking away) or have already saved against a shriek that day.

[ErichAD]

I'd expect the creatures lair to be full of livestock kept in preparation for it to rest and refuel between voyages. Whatever is living with the creature could tend to the livestock as a sort of tribute to the thing. Several Apallie who thing they are a family of farmers could be an entertaining way to go for a lovecraftian setting.
You could also infest their den with Giant Botflies if you just wanted to tip up the power without story, keep it flying, and leave the Byakshee as the sole unnatural threat to mix it up a bit.
Choxani also make for interesting den mates as their emulation of the environment makes the twisted environment more active.

[Yqatuba]

Another byakhee?

[Cole Deschain]

Shantaks!

... Too skookum, huh?

How about urhags?

[jocundthejolly]

Byakhee emerges from cloud of...stirges?

[Mudfoot]

Yeth Hounds.

[deuxhero]

Cloakers are a flying aberation in the same CR band. Kytons are flying outsiders associated with the horrors of darkness (and deep space in Starfinder), though all but the weakest (Augur) are humanoid in shape. Augur with class levels is an option though.

[J. A.]

I appreciate all the suggestions. Urhags are absolutely perfect. Not a creature I'd heard of before, but they're ideal for my needs.

So, thanks one and all.

[Kimera757]

Quote:

flying polyps are way above the party’s pay grade

Isn't there a template that's the opposite of the advanced monster? You could add that to the encounter.