Suaru replied: "There are loads of supernatural beings to choose from. If you'd rather stay away from were-creatures (lycanthropes), vampires, and pixies, you still have many to choose from. If you had a thought about using a fairy, why not use something else of the fae variety, or those related to them? There are brownies, bogarts (evil brownies), goblins, hags, Cu Sith, and many more. There are also many mythological creatures that are worth looking at. The Naga, dragons, griffins, centaurs, minotaurs, and again many more. A good idea may be to just research the mythology and folk-lore of different countries, as there are plenty of creatures there ripe for usage. I know it can be hard when trying to find that character to be a 'side-kick', especially when wishing to use the supernatural type, considering that a lot of authors have branched into that field. I apologize that I couldn't give you more help, but hopefully one of the creatures I've listed will give you a new direction to investigate. Also, if you're wanting some tools for writing, advice, help, constructive criticism, ect, you may enjoy the writing community I've created on LiveJournal. It's still rather new, but soon I'll have tools like plot outlines, chapter outlines, character sheets, and such avvailable for free use. Good luck with your writing! * The Cu Sìth or Cusìth of Scottish mythology (pronounced 'coo shee') is an enormous, otherworldly hound, said to haunt the Scottish Highlands. Roughly the size of a cow or large calf, the Cu Sìth was said to be dark green in color with shaggy fur and a long braided or curled tail. In Irish mythology the Cu Sith was said to be an immense, coal black hound with glowing or flaming eyes. The Cu Sith was feared as a harbinger of death and would appear to bear away the soul of a person to the afterlife (similar to the manner of the Grim Reaper). Legend has it that the creature was capable of hunting silently, but would occasionally let out three terrifying barks that could be heard for long distances, including by ships at sea. This was said to be a warning to farmers to lock up their women, lest the beast abduct them and take them to a fairy mound (Scottish Gaelic, sìthean ) to supply milk for fairy (daoine-sìth) children. Cu Sìth literally means 'fairy dog.' Supernatural dogs in Celtic mythos are usually completely black, or white with red ears. The Cu Sìth's coloration is therefore highly unusual, although it may be derived from the green color often worn by Celtic fairies. *Customarily brownies (A type of hob - see hobgoblin) are said to inhabit houses and aid in tasks around the house. However, they don't like to be seen and will only work at night, traditionally in exchange for small gifts or food. They take quite a delight in porridge and honey. They usually abandon the house if their gifts are called payments, or if the owners of the house misuse them. Brownies make their homes in an unused part of the house. *A hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as Hansel and Gretel. Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as the Morrígan or Badb, who are seen as neither wholly beneficent nor malevolent. The term appears in Middle English, and might be short for hægtesse, an Old English term for witch. As a stock character in fairy or folk tale, the hag shares characteristics with the crone, and the two words are sometimes used as if interchangeable. A hag, or "the Old Hag", was a nightmare spirit in British and Anglophone North American folklore. This variety of hag is essentially identical to the Anglo-Saxon mæra — a being with roots in ancient Germanic superstition, and closely related to the Scandinavian mara. According to folklore, the Old Hag sat on a sleeper's chest and sent nightmares to him or her. When the subject awoke, he or she would be unable to breathe or even move for a short period of time. Currently this state is called sleep paralysis, but in the old belief the subject had been "hagridden". It is still frequently discussed as if it were a paranormal state. (Those are just a few of the suggestions in detail. Hopefully it can help!)"