Forgotten Creatures of Persian Mythology -- A Thread:

Azhdaha - A dragon the size of a mountain with enormous horns and in the form of a snake or lizard that lived in the air, sea, and land. Had lots of jagged teeth and huge eyes filled with blood. Eating its heart brings bravery -- if you can find a way to kill it that is...

Manticore - A lion with the head of a human and the tail of a scorpion. It uses a human head to lure prey and shoots venomous spines that paralyze its prey -- only to devour them whole. (Inspiration for the character from Onward!)

Hadhayosh - Resembles an ox with skin like brass and a mane of flames. It can grant eternal life and the divine right to rule (and attention from gods). It can generate heat to burn its victims to ash -- and had a really bad smell.

Karkadaan - Either a rhino or a unicorn (its unclear), this beast uses its sword-like horn to impale enemies and is a vicious predator to some -- though its weakness is a ringdove bird that sits on its horn and sings a song, relaxing the animal.

Simurgh - A beautiful, giant bird with the head of a dog, claws of a lion, and incredible wise, having accumulated a wealth of knowledge.

Chamrosh - A dog with eagle wings that gathers seeds of the soma tree shaken by the ascent of a roosting simurgh and distributing them all around the globe.

Huma - A phoenix-like bird that sets itself on fire and spends its entire life in the air, flying so high that it is hard to see with the naked eye. Seeing this bird can grant a life of happinerss -- but if you kill it, you die in 40 days.

And finally, Roc - An enormous bird of prey that can carry an elephant in the air, spending most of its life flying high and resting on Mt. Koph.

(Main source with other human-form creatures as well -- )