Encounter: magical liopleurodon stranded on land for its crimes in the sea. It knows how to get anywhere from anywhere and in exchange for exotic meats will grant directions. Unicorn kidneys used to be a favorite, but that got a little old.

Item: electronium hat that harnesses the power of sunspots to create cognitive radiation, granting sapience to any living thing that wears it on its head (or otherwise near its brain, in the case of the many monsters that don’t have heads).