C o m m o n H a n d s
- While the oni in theatre were portrayed as comical, quivering creatures, these mountain spirits were also a source of great terror, and the modern age has not lessened the impact of their presence. Razor sharp claws adorn their hands and feet. They can easily be eight feet tall or more, and their skin is quite resilient, making them top enforcers. Thick tusks and horns are trademarks of this ogre; the size of both usually account for maturity, though this is not always true.
Traditionally, one could define an oni's personality based on its skin color: red was chaotic and hot-headed, while blue was tactful and reserved. This archetype rarely stands now, as an oni may also be found shades of black, green, brown, or orange. Blunt, overcompensating objects are the beast's preference, the kanabo, a spiked club, being its symbolic weapon.
If you haven't guessed, they are adept at smashing things and screwing shit up. They are also good poets.
On average, an oni lives five centuries. There are stories of them living a millineum or more, but they are rare. They were the first to be recruited for the original Queller's crusade.
T e n g u
- Crow spirits who shared mountain and forest regions with oni. These birdies have a penchant for ruckus, religious practice, and large, phallic noses. A tengu flies high in the friendly sky, higher than a kite. (Coincidentally, old prints depicted them as kite monsters. How silly.) Buddhist depictions initially cast them in vile roles, but in time they grew to be known as noble, though fiercely dangerous protectors.
Ol' big eeeeeyes~ This yokai can inflate its testicles.
- Never mind the bollocks. The tanuki, or raccoon dog, is a charming little thing. The beast has a natural talent in the culinary arts, and their commonality in entry-level ranks is a testament to this. First impressions would yield a animal of whimsy, one whose roundness and good manners draw anything but a threat. They reach four feet, oversized tail accounted for. Small in stature, yet fierce at heart, however, it's best you look out. Wouldn't want the nutters to take a leg or a few toes while your back is turned.
The tanuki is among the most well-known of yokai due to its mostly benevolent history. With its legendary good fortune, the creature remains prominent in Japanese statuary. It is often a candidate for additional guises, many of which are utilized to con unsuspecting bystanders.
They live a little over a century.
Swingin' balls.
K a p p a
- The river children. Occasionally, they are gods; primarily, they're bastards. In the old age, kappa were renowned for their misdeeds, whether it simply be from troubling the locals with harmless—though vulgar—tricks, from ravishing women, or luring people and animals to drown in the waters. The latter was an act of great strength, as the kappa were able to drag victims twice their size.
For all their maliciousness, the opposite spectrum is especially noteworthy. Kappa are obsessed, ironically, with politeness. If the water were to spill from their curious bowl-shaped heads, they would be rendered useless, unable to move; as nonsensical myths go, refilling said bowl would grant you an ally for life, an ally whom, violent tendencies aside, was pretty swell. Knowledgeable of medicine, they make great healers, but loyalty is what truly defines the kappa.
Did you know that they're also good wrestlers? Because they are.
This turtle-esque, beak-nosed creature has, more or less, a life expectancy comparable to that of a human. Their tuft of hair will gray with age, and their shells darken over time.
R a r e H a n d s
According to legend, multiple tails would signify the age and wisdom of the fox, with nine being the penultimate amount, but rarely in this era will more than five tails be seen on an elder kitsune. Some of the species call it a sign of the times: guised in human skin, their powers have been lessened, they say. Omniscience was theirs to control after the ninth tail had grown; possession came naturally and induced many a great trick. Yet, even if their abilities are not quite as refined, they are still seen as minor deities, worthy enough to be called kami.
On hind legs, the kitsune is lucky to reach four feet. Its nimble build is easily navigable thorough tight spaces. Weak magic may be used in their favor. Life span is related to the number of tails it has, one century per growth.
- Ain't no little mermaid. The ningyo is a prophetic creature. Tales abound of fishermen plagued with great misfortune when the sea dweller was caught, or when it washed ashore; yet, it was said that to eat its flesh was to become nearly immortal. The ningyo itself has a longevity of around 800 years, a lonely life considering how its grotesque, once-beautiful appearance and lack of speech ability normally kept it hidden within the recesses of the ocean. Before the Queller's crusade, it had not yet learned how to walk upon the surface, or how to diminish is ape-like features. It became somewhat of a rarity, briefly thought to have been wiped out during man's quest for eternal life.
But they merely lie in wait. Time and time again, the ningyo revealed itself as an omen of war. Today, the yokai harnesses minor clairvoyance. If skilled, the outcome of battle may be anticipated; at its worst, ambiguity reigns, leaving fate to decide.
Their gills may recede on dry land, but a ningyo always prefers the water. They reach standard human heights. Earth tones to their scales are prevalent, the golden color of myth left for only the wisest creatures.
- Your obligatory she-ghost with an attitude. Because they are kept away from the afterlife, yurei spirits are formed from a host of G-rated mishaps, such as murder, suicide, or strong, spiteful emotions. The features of a yurei can also change, and they can assume the form of a victim’s loved ones or can become a horrific corpse. Black veins are a common appearance on the pallid faces of the ghosts, and they can often stretch their features in inhuman ways, usually creating giant maws or melting, disgusting faces. Oftentimes they will not have legs, having no use for them when will o' the wisps suffice just fine. The yurei can also often create illusions, making a victim believe they are somewhere else or that something implausible is occurring.
Being specters and all, they laugh in the face longevity. Then they weep. It's quite sad.
E x o t i c H a n d s
- The snow queen. This female apparition is the embodiment of winter itself, a haunting specter who tempted weary, traveling men. Although she may have originated as a heavenly being, this same yuki-onna is considered to be an abductor of children, and she always has a great number of her adopted brood with her. She is often used to admonish children who stay out too long after dark or who cry at night, as this chilly surrogate mother will surely find them and spirit them away.
- It is a wonder how the bakki, who towers three feet, and whose impish, piggish stature incites laughter more than unease, manages to be among the fastest of the bestiary. In short bursts, it's a blur, though many of them tend to tire quickly. Its limbs are ever hidden within its thick, rug-like coat. Large eyes sit at the top of its head like bulbous cranial tumors. An odd love child of swine and platypus, the bakki, as one would infer, is a rarer breed, born perhaps without the will to socialize in an urban jungle, and thus confines itself primarily to farmlands and wastebaskets.
There is a long running joke of a rivalry between this fuzzy turd and the kappa, the latter of whom get their beaks in a bunch when the furred creatures strut by. Wherever a bakki roams, moisture is said to follow in its wake, draining the rivers and causing mass crop murder. Supposedly, ending the yokai for good involves submerging it in dirty water, but you'd be high to believe such a thing.
As such, we'll call them waterbenders. Very, very lame waterbenders.
They're lucky to live past sixty years, but it's a quick, eventful life while it lasts.
S a t o r i
- As the last of the mountain spirits, the satori was distinguished by its rather unique talents. Passersby would bear witness to this lost member of Sesame Street and, curious, would proceed to hear the beast voicing their own thoughts aloud. Then, once the victims were properly frightened and disoriented, the yokai would feast for days. Mister, he'll make a meal out of you.
The most accurate way to describe a satori (sans children's show references) is a goblin with rock star hair who stripped the Cookie Monster of its coat and proceeded to plaster the fur on its body. It stands nine feet on average, competing with its oni neighbors in terms of height. There is little known of it outside of their psychic prowess, which allows them to nab bits of information from the mind, to probe and take what they can. Give an empty mind to a satori and they've no way into your thoughts.
They are estimated to live, also like the oni, 500 years.
