Serpent List

Serpent





Snake women = Lamia.









Snake Men = Naga.

Reptilians that are neither 'Lazarhi' nor 'Dragon,' but perhaps a mix of both. Snakes and Snake People, similar to how the Centaurs are neither 'Mare' nor 'Taur,' but something in between. The femme fatale reptilian beastkin that are toxic to any man. They are powerful, sexy, enticing and snakes. They will use any means necessary to trick a man into doing whatever they like, and if not, they tend to find him a tasty feast. Though their sizes and lengths vary, they are typically several feet taller than the average human (on account of their snake tail) and are extremely swift and sly. Skilled in many types of magic, they are a terrible threat both in both physical and magical skill. As one of the most dangerous species of creature known to man, they are feared by both men and women alike. They don the voices of Sirens, the charm and looks of Succubi and the minds of Shinobi. They are called the wicked Enchantresses of Nature because of their adept seduction techniques, be it through the mind control of their voices or their eyes to the hormonal control of their bodies. Some believe them to simply be tricksters that love to toy with the human race, and some believe that they do so simply to consume the delicate flesh they have. Perhaps they are both right.

Their very rarely seen male counterparts, the Naga, are extremely scarce, and their birth rate among the Lamiae is about 10,000 to 1. Thus, seeing one is very rare, and when a Lamia gets hold of a Naga, she will never let him go. They are more physically powerful than the Lamiae, however the females, being so numerous, will give her life to protect the Naga. In their own race, they are worshipped as gods, and a Lamia will listen to whatever a Naga has to say without question. The most powerful of Lamiae are born from the joining of Lamia and Naga, so the offspring are always exceptional.

Because they can live in nearly any region, it is best to take precaution where one steps, for they may be followed in the trees or in the waters by one of these creatures. Masters of stealth, they can sneak up behind even the most keen of people and take them by surprise. They are rumored to have been progenitors of the first Witches, due to their proficiency in magic and their bestial bodies, however, many Beastkin are known for this, and it may be that Beastkin in general are the most ancient ancestors of Witches that still live today.

Being extremely intelligent, more than most creatures, and individualistic, they are known for creating their own societies and coming up with elaborate plans and schemes. It is common for them to roam the land alone, and even for many to become nomads, for they have no true set way of lifestyle. They are one of the creatures most similar to humans, as their society is highly advanced; even to the degree where it might even rival that of humans. Because of this nature, not all Lamiae are deceptive and vicious. Some may even be gentle and warm, capable of living in human or Witch settlements without consuming or killing anyone. There are very few, but there are some that do not thrive on their animal instincts. They are seen mostly in Witch settlements, however.

Because of their human-like upper body, they like to trick others into thinking that they are human (to gain their trust, unlike most Beastkin). They will show their upper body but keep their lower body concealed, luring a male in close. Then, when the enticed man comes in, she ensnares him with her powerful coils and has her way with him. It's the oldest trick in the Lamia book, so to speak. It is how many men get stolen from their villages.

Because the Lamiae are a race of only females and have a very small population of Naga males, they require males of other species to reproduce, just like the Witches, Nereid and other Female Only species. Due to this, they rarely prey upon women, unless they are just hungry.

They are able to go through a process of incredibly swift shedding, which usually includes the regeneration of their bodies in the process from old wounds. Because of this, if a Lamia is shedding to rid herself of her wounds, it's best to try to finish her there before she completes the process and becomes healed.

Legend has it that the fabled witch, Medusa Gorgon, had ancestors that were Lamiae.

Name: Lamia
Species: Lamia
Specific Species: Lilith, Echidna, Gorgon, Naga, etc.
Type: Beastkin (Reptile)
Elemental Affinity: None
Combat Specialty: Magical
Sociability: Seductive, Sneaky, Cunning, Tactful, Vicious
Threat Level: High
Habitats: Pale Forest (Common), Hidden Cavern (Common), Omen Marsh (Common), Land of Eternal Rain (Common), Enigmatic Ruins (Common), Darkness Lands (Uncommon), Mega Generator (Uncommon), Agruria (Common), Old Witch City (Uncommon), Eternal Desert (Common)
Weaknesses: None
Immunities: None
Item Dropped: (WIP)
Additional Info: Resistant to all elements and non-physical attacks. Absorbs Darkness element.

Weapons

Fangs
Claws
Tail
Venom
Knife/Dagger
Fan

Natural/Signature Abilities

Song: Confuses enemy with a sweet song. Also allows Lamia to take control of a male enemy. Will also nullify a non-physical attack/ability.

Night: An ability that turns everything dark and puts EVERYONE and EVERYTHING to sleep, except for the one who uses it. It is unavoidable unless you are immune to it.

Hand Slap: Slaps repeatedly with hands (or with blades) which will delay your actions as you use them and cause Paralysis.

Poison Frog: Kisses you and turns you into a frog as well as poisons you with her poisonous lips. The kisses can be blown from afar in the form of magic.

Counter: Counters instantly when hit with the Hand Slap ability.

Kiss: Kisses a foe with the Kiss of Death. It will not only Doom the foe, but Charm them into doing whatever she wants before they die. Kisses can be blown from afar in the form of magic.

Twister: Creates a giant twister that will slice up the foe and drain their power by half.

Eternal Sleep: Dooms everyone not immune to Doom by summoning the embassies of death, the literal essence of Death embedding their power within EVERYONE they touch and also causes them to go to sleep. All who are not immune to Doom and Sleep (except the User) will be subject to this powerful attack.

Eternal Oblivion: Damages and makes the foe forget ALL moves and ALL abilities by Addling them until it is remedied.

Might: Increases its own attack power by a great deal.

Slash: Slashes or stabs or cuts with fan or knife or whatever bladed object she's carrying.

Entice: Uses womanly ways and turn of phrase to Confuse someone.

Cure: A level 1 spell. Heals small wounds and health a little.

Cura: A level 2 spell. Heals a great amount of wounds and health.

Curaga: A level 3 spell. Heals a HUGE amount of wounds and health.

Glare: Stares intensely at one thing, sending magic through her very stare that drains life and paralyzes those who are caught in it for too long.

Tidal Slash: Slashes with weapons that makes a massive wave of destructive water crash on the foe.

Slowga: Causes space and time around a massive area to slow down to any speed they wish.

Stop: Stops the flow of space and time in a small area.

Concentration: Focuses power to allow homing on the opponent to increase accuracy. Also disallows Blindness or any detrimental status to the mind.

Reveal: Able to see through any illusion, genjutsu, invisibility or the like. Powered up with Concentration.

Magic Shield: A barrier that takes all damage for the Lamia at the cost of magical energy. When magical energy depletes, attacks can harm her again.

Immunity: Foe is unable to remove any status enhancements done to Lamia nor any status ailments on themselves.

Sea Serpent

The Sea Serpent is a reptilian liminal race with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a sea snake.

A subspecies of the Lamia, Sea Serpents were a type of "Sea Monster" that first appeared in ancient Norse mythology, but have since appeared in one form or another in the myths of virtually every existing culture that has had interactions with the sea. This is due to the fact that, while an aquatic species, Sea Serpents are air breathers and do not possesses gills like Mermaids. As a result they must surface regularly to breathe which has resulted them being sighted by numerous seafaring vessels throughout the centuries.

They are having the same characteristics of Naga rather than regular land-based Lamias.

Melusines (メリュジーヌ, Meryujīnu) are a lamia subspecies with dragon wings on their backs. Due to this, they share characteristics with Dragonewts. Excellent swimmers, in contrast to other lamia subspecies, who share traits with terrestrial snakes, Melusines are more similar to sea snakes and prefer to live by the shore near oceans, lakes or rivers, as the sole aquatic serpentine species. A Melusine's wings are not strong enough to lift their bodies into the air and are used to aid in swimming instead of flight.

As a culture they place high value on pleasure and sensuality and have earned a reputation as having the highest libidos amongst the Lamia subspecies. Their unrepentant pursuit and knowledge of sexuality and their unabashed interest and desire in all forms and functions of sex is infamous even amongst the already sexually-free lamia species.

Tail Tip: The tip of a lamia's tail is an extremely sensitive erogenous zone.
Wings: She has wings, but since her lower body is to heavy the wings are basically useless.
Taste Buds: As carnivores, lamia have twenty times less the number of taste buds as omnivores (e.g. humans), while omnivores generally have half as many taste buds as herbivores (e.g. Centaurs).
Shedding: Lamia will shed their skin once in awhile, just like regular snakes. Interestingly, Lamias find being seen skin shedding to be more embarrassing than being seen naked, much like most snakes finding some place private to shed, and will lash out if someone attempts to handle them, though that's mainly because when snake shed, their eyesight becomes temporarily compromised.
Tongue: As an evolutionary fall-back to their snake-origins, a Lamia's tongue is very long in length and has a naturally "forked" tip. Like a snake, the tip of a Lamia's tongue possesses the Jacobson's organ, a sensory organ that allows a Lamia to detect smells in the air.
This tongue is also prehensile to a degree, just like a human's; and like snakes, lamia may stick out their tongues as a result of delicious smells in the air.
Melusines seem to really enjoy using their tongues during sex to lick their lovers; seemingly to enjoy the tastes and scents of their lovers' bodies as they breed with them. The scent and taste of an aroused man or woman possibly also acts as an aphrodisiac for the melusine to arouse them further and increase the sexual experience.
Hair: A lamia's hair and scale colour seem to correspond to each other (green scales with green hair, pink scales with pink hair, etc).
Sensory Organ: Lamias posses a sensory organ similar to pitvipers that allows them to see heat signatures. With it, they can follow the heat signature of their prey even in the dark.


Tail Tip: The tip of a lamia's tail is an extremely sensitive erogenous zone.
Sensory Organ: Lamias posses a sensory organ similar to pitvipers that allows them to see heat signatures. With it, they can follow the heat signature of their prey even in the dark.
Taste Buds: As carnivores, lamia have twenty times less the number of taste buds as omnivores (e.g. humans), while omnivores generally have half as many taste buds as herbivores (e.g. Centaurs).
Shedding: Lamia will shed their skin once in awhile, just like regular snakes. Interestingly, Lamias find being seen skin shedding to be more embarrassing than being seen naked, much like most snakes finding some place private to shed, and will lash out if someone attempts to handle them, though that's mainly because when snake shed, their eyesight becomes temporarily compromised.
Tongue: As an evolutionary fall-back to their snake-origins, a Lamia's tongue is very long in length and has a naturally "forked" tip. Like a snake, the tip of a Lamia's tongue possesses the Jacobson's organ, a sensory organ that allows a Lamia to detect smells in the air.
This tongue is also prehensile to a degree, just like a human's; and like snakes, lamia may stick out their tongues as a result of delicious smells in the air.
Hair: A lamia's hair and scale colour seem to correspond to each other (green scales with green hair, pink scales with pink hair, etc).
Lungs: Sea Serpents are air breathers and do not possesses gills like Mermaids. As a result they must surface regularly to breathe which has resulted them being sighted by numerous seafaring vessels throughout the centuries.
Slimy Skin: Her body naturally secretes a slimy substance to keep her skin moist, which can cause wardrobe malfunctions and can sometimes attract Suu when she's nearby. Because of this, she has to wear special clothing that doesn't easily slide off. If not properly clothed in cold weather, the coating will cause her to freeze quite quickly.
Poisonous: Like sea snakes, sea serpents possess a paralytic poison in their fangs.


Ikuchi

Spoiler:

Jinja hime

Spoiler:

Wani
Wani

和邇
わに

Translation: none; this is the creature’s name
Habitat: oceans, seas, and lakes
Diet: omnivorous

Appearance: Wani are sea monsters that live in deep bodies of water. They have long, serpentine bodies, fins, and can breathe both air and water. Wani are able to shapeshift into humans, and there are even tales of wani and humans falling in love.

Behavior: Wani are the rulers of the oceans and gods of the sea. They live in splendid coral palaces deep on the ocean floor. Wani have a complex political hierarchy which mirrors that of the surface world. There are kings and queens, princes and princess, courtesans, servants, and so on. Ōwatatsumi, also known as Ryūjin, is the greatest of them. He rules the sea from his palace Ryūgū-jō. He controls the ebb and flow of the ocean using the tide jewels kanju and manju.

Origin: Wani appear in the earliest written records of Japanese myths, the Kojiki and Nihon shoki. Their stories almost certainly date back even further, into the mists of prehistory. Scholars disagree over whether the earliest legends of wani originated in Japan or were imported from other cultures, citing similarities between wani and the Chinese long or the Indian naga. Wani play an important role in Japanese mythology, including in the mythological founding of Japan.

The word wani first appears in the Kojiki written with man’yōgana (an archaic phonetic syllabary). Later it came to be written with the kanji 鰐. Wani came to refer to sharks and other “sea monsters” that sailors and fishermen might encounter out at sea. The sea was a dangerous and mysterious place, and sailors may have thought that sharks were the powerful serpents of legends. Over time, the meaning of the word expanded to include to crocodiles as well as sharks, and then shifted to refer only to crocodiles. Today both the kanji and the name wani mean “crocodile” and are rarely used to refer to sea dragons.

Legends: One of the most famous wani legends is the story of Toyotama hime, the daughter of Ōwatatsumi. She married a surface dweller named Hoori. Hoori and his brother Hoderi were grandchildren of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. One day Hoori borrowed and lost Hoderi’s fish hook. Hoderi insisted that Hoori find and return the lost hook, so Hoori went into the ocean to look for it. He was unable to find the hook, but instead he discovered the palace where the dragon king of the sea, Ōwatatsumi, lived. Hoori visited the palace and asked Ōwatatsumi for help finding the hook. With the dragon god’s help, Hoori found the hook, but in the meantime, Hoori had fallen in love with Toyotama hime, the daughter of the dragon god.

Hoori and Toyotama hime were married, and they lived together at the bottom of the sea for three years. Eventually, Hoori became homesick and longed to see country again. Together, he and his wife returned to the surface world with Hoderi’s lost hook. While on land, Toyotami hime gave birth to a son. When she went into labor, she asked Hoori not to look upon her, because she had to change into her true form in order to bear her child. Hoori became curious and sneaked a peak at his wife while she gave birth. He was shocked to see, instead of his wife, a huge wani cradling their newborn son. The wani was, of course, Toyotama hime in her true form. Toyotama hime was unable to forgive his betrayal, and was so ashamed that she fled back into the ocean and never saw Hoori or her son again.

Although Toyotama hime abandoned her son, her sister Tamayori came to raise him in her absence. The boy, Ugayafukiaezu, grew up to marry Tamayori, and together they had a son. Their son was Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan.

Name: Echidna
Species: Lamia, Nymph
Type: Reptile, Hybrid, Sprite/Fairy, Shapeshifter
Elemental Affinity: None
Combat Specialty: Magical (Long Range; Debilitation, Traps)
Sociability: Lustful, Sinister, Cunning, Tactful, Vicious, Mischievous
Threat Level: Very High
Habitats: Omen Marsh (Rare), Black Swamp (Rare), Sage's Paradise (Rare), Misty Jungle (Rare), Cave of Wonders (Rare), Mysterious Estuary (Rare)
Weaknesses: None
Immunities: All Status Ailments
Item Dropped: Various
Additional Info: Can change into and use powers of other creatures.

Weapons

(WIP)

Natural/Signature Abilities

(WIP)

Echidna Info

The goddess fierce Echidna who is half a nymph with glancing eyes and fair cheeks, and half again a huge snake, great and awful, with speckled skin, eating raw flesh beneath the secret parts of the holy earth. And there she has a cave deep down under a hollow rock far from the deathless gods and mortal men. There, then, did the gods appoint her a glorious house to dwell in beneath the earth, grim Echidna, a nymph who dies not nor grows old all her days.

Known as the famed 'Mother of All Monsters' and to some, the 'Queen Lamia,' the Echidna seems to be the highest form of Lamia that there is. Like all Lamia, she has the upper half of a human with the lower half of a snake. With her special ability, her first born child is of her own race; a Lamia, or even more specifically, an Echidna. However, the rest of her children will be numerous other monsters, spawned at random, from any given type, species or classification. The stronger her mate is, the stronger her children are. Rumor has it that the former Fire Guardian, Marilith, was an Echidna.

Cunning miscreants by nature, their lust guides them due to them finding it necessary to procreate to keep their very rare, but powerful race alive. As such, she is able to take on any monster, any species, any class or race with just as much lust as the other. Her seductive ways and charming allure can draw in any male before she coils around him and uses him for her will. If she finds her mate to be unsatisfactory, he will typically become her food, and on rare cases, her servant.

They love to lurk and live in the deepest recesses of the earth, unknown to most. Rarely dwelling outside on the human plane, when they do, they tend to spend their time in the swamps to tempt unsuspecting men and drag them under into the Unknown. Because they typically spawn from the Black Swamp, it is believed that they live in the Zero World and have a hand in the creation of other beings when populations are too low. Thus, even an extinct being has a chance of being reproduced by an Echidna, if one is to be found in the deepest recesses of the earth... But you'd better be able to fight your way out, lest she keep you prisoner or consume you.

On the assumption that the person who finds them is powerful enough to not only harbor their child, but escape their clutches alive (or sometimes, even on good terms), the Echidna scatters treasures about caves and places they lurk to lure people into the center of their home. With her incredibly powerful magic, she is able to take on different forms of other creatures, as well as completely overtake the minds of even the most powerful who are within her magical influence. Thus, there are few mighty enough to escape, and even when they think they have, the person at their side will be the Echidna.

Name: Snake Woman


Species: Lamia
Type: Beastkin (Reptile/Snake)
Elemental Affiliation: None
Combat Specialty: ???
Sociability: Predatory, Opportunistic, Timid (When Threatened)
Threat Level: Moderate
Habitats: Wetlands, ???
Weaknesses: ???
Immunities: ???
Item Dropped: ???
Additional Into: Armored Body

Weapons

Three-Pronged Tongue
Venomous Fangs

Natural/Signature Abilities

Snake Eyes

Snake Woman Info

-A type of Lamia.
-Armless
-Armored (Scales)
-Burrows into ground with tail; head remains poking out. Leaps high into the sky from ground to snatch prey overhead, or waits for prey to fall into the pit where they have burrowed to fall straight into their mouths.

Ice Snake

Viper

Snake Baby

Name: Gorgon
Species: Lamia
Type: Beastkin (Reptile)
Elemental Affinity: Earth, Darkness
Combat Specialty: Magical
Sociability: Stubborn, Violent, Aggressive, Arrogant, Sneaky, Cunning, Lustful
Threat Level: High
Habitats: Cave of Wonders (Uncommon), Hidden Cavern (Uncommon), Pale Forest (Uncommon), Agruria (Uncommon)
Weaknesses: None
Immunities: Petrification, Magic (WIP)
Item Dropped: Gorgon Eye, Snake Hair, (WIP)
Additional Info: Absorbs Earth element and Darkness element. Gaze and breath petrifies on contact. Highly resistant to all elements.

Weapons

Eyes
Snakes
Tail
Mouth/Breath
Fangs

Natural/Signature Abilities

Petrification
Arcane Magic
Gorgon's Eye
(WIP)


Gorgon Info

Another legendary Lamia rumored to be the ancestor of the Snake Witch, Medusa, named after a Gorgon of the same name. A high classification of Lamia with powerful magic specializing in Petrification. The Gorgons are also known as rulers of the Basilisks and Cockatrices, and tend to have them as their familiars or servants. The Gorgons are very few in number due to their powerful innate abilities, and tend to only live by themselves in dark caves. For this, they are known to be very lonesome and strong-willed.

Their signature ability is a piercing gaze able to turn anything into stone at her will. With this, they can also simply paralyze things with a slight glance, though eye contact tends to always mean full-on petrification. This makes their eyes prized for such an ability, and the snakes upon their heads are rumored to have a similar paralyzing sight. Living things petrified by their ability will never die from it, but will be frozen in time for an eternity until the magic is broken. If the stone is broken, however, they will die. Also, the Gorgons seems to be proficient in Arcane Magics, able to reanimate the stone beings and use them as servants. They tend to also have Golems as their minions.

The Gorgon's snake hair are able to move freely and are living beings, but share her will and will not do anything unless she wishes it. They also serve as extra eyes for her, making her quite the vicious looker. They say the Gorgon's curse can be undone by a specific potion or special items, or even more powerful magic, so if one is prepared to encounter her gaze, there should be little problem... In THAT respect, at least.

Name: Apophis/Black Snake/King Cobra
Species: Lamia, Sacred Beast (Snake)
Type: Beastkin, Demon
Elemental Affinity: Darkness, Fire, Earth
Combat Specialty: Magical
Sociability: Lustful, Decietful, Cunning, Sneaky, Arrogant, Destructive, Vicious, Ferocious, Dark
Threat Level: Very High
Habitats: Eternal Desert (Rare), Sacred Pyramid (Rare)
Weakness: None
Immunities: All Status Ailments, All elements.
Item Dropped: (WIP)
Additional Info: Absorbs Darkness Element and Fire Element. Highly Resistant to Physical and Non-Physical Attacks. Absorbs and produces Insanity.


Weapons

(WIP)

Natural/Signature Abilities

(WIP)


Apophis Info

Known to be the complete counterpart to the White Snake, and thus, mortal enemies. Where the White Snake resides near water, the Black Snake lives in dry desert regions, so the two rarely if ever come in contact with each other. Legend says that if they do, horrible calamity will ensue and lands will be destroyed in their wake. Whomever wins such a battle will spread their influence across the lands, be it to spread change by Peace or by Destruction. They both wish for the same thing, however. The White Snake, Black Snake and Echidna are rumored to be sisters born of the same entity.

They are said to carry the power of the nether realm within themselves, and are masters of dark and forbidden magics. They are monsters created by god as adversaries of the “Pharaoh.” It’s their duty to prevent the awakening of the pharaohs who sleep within the ruins of the desert. In the history of the Eternal Desert, many pharaohs were buried forever, never to awaken, at their hands. The desert is dotted with master-less abandoned ruins as a reminder, as well as the Sacred Pyramids that guard these secrets. However, that’s an ancient tale.

They have a powerful and peculiar neurotoxin within their body. They bite and inject it into the body of their prey. If the prey is a injected with it, the poison eats away her entire body as if it were a curse, and is then controlled absolutely to the Apophis' will, being remade in the image that the Apophis wishes. Once the apophis’ venom enters the prey’s body, it never ever disappears. Prey, delirious and entranced by the venom, end up swearing allegiance to the apophis and become their servants, or dying at their hands. If the person corrupted by the venom is a monster, then the same fate befalls them. There is a specific glyph that appears upon one that is affected by the Apophis, and that is proof that she owns that creature. The only way to get rid of that type of cursed mark is to kill the Apophis. They also use this venom to subdue pharaohs and place them under their command without killing them, then reviving them to their own will.

Corrupted by the venom, pharaohs will forget all about their original disposition and many of the key forbidden magics that will rebuke the Apophis' might. In that manner, an apophis becomes the ruler of a kingdom instead of the pharaoh. The entire region around the ruins that were the kingdom of a pharaoh changes shape into a “dark demon realm” of everlasting night where the sun never rises. A fascinating atmosphere hangs in the air, and a paradise of Insanity where they can lapse into delirium and vicious craze.

An apophis who’s obtained her own kingdom is likely to keep aggressively biting monsters and human women with her venomous fangs to convert them into servants in order to expand the demon realm and make it even more obscene. Even an Anubis who is loyal to its duties will suffer the curse of the apophis’ bite, and sphinxes affected will aggressively assault travelers, and even raid human settlements to curse them, as well. Eventually, the Apophis' control becomes absolute, and she reigns with change through Destruction to bring the lands to peace again. That is their ultimate goal.

Snakepede



*Natural Enemy Of The Ninjen.

Lobster Naga

Ouroboros



Two-headed flying serpents often confused with Wyverns and said to have descended from the original Ouroboros.

Sand Cobra

Spadetail

Recoil

A Mechanica in the form of a Serpent whose specialty is firing off guns. It is quite lethal.

Attacks
Rapid Fire: Shoots out bullets in numerous and rapid succession at the foe.

Full Auto: Shoots out bullets nonstop until it wants to stop, loses its target, or it is hit.

Thunder: A level 1 spell. A bolt of lightning shoots at the foe.

Gnaw: Gnaws on the foe with sharpened fangs.

Spiral Cut: Spins around and whips its tail about, cutting up what gets in its way.

Tail Spear: Stabs with extremely stiffened, sharp, pointy tail.






Weakness: Ice

Immunities: Berserk, Vanish, Confuse, Doom, Disable, Poison

Blue Magic Learned: Pumpkin Head (Recoil) Seed Cannon

Item Dropped: Potion.

Hydra

A serpentine water monster. It had poisonous breath and blood so virulent that even its scent was deadly. The Hydra possessed many heads, the exact number of which varies according to the source. Later versions of the Hydra story add a regeneration feature to the monster: for every head chopped off, the Hydra would regrow two heads.

Depicted in Grecian mythology as aquatic monsters, the species is legendary for their ability to regenerate each snake head that is chopped off, sometimes regrowing two or more heads for every one that is cut off.


Yamata no Orochi
Yamata no Orochi

八岐大蛇
やまたのおろち

Translation: eight-branched serpent
Diet: omnivorous

Appearance: Yamata no Orochi is a gigantic serpent with eight heads and eight tails. It has bright red eyes and a red belly. The beast is so large that its body covers the distance of eight valleys and eight hills. Fir and cypress trees grow on its back, and its body is covered in moss.

Origin: Yamata no Orochi appears in the earliest written Japanese documents, the Kojiki and the Nihongi. Without a doubt, the legend goes back even farther into pre-history.

Legends: Ages ago, the storm god, Susanoo, was thrown out of heaven and descended to earth at Mount Torikama near the Hi River in Izumo Province. There, he came upon an elderly couple of gods named Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi, who were weeping. When Susanoo asked why they were crying, they explained that they once had eight daughters, but every year the eight-headed-eight-tailed serpent Yamata no Orochi demanded one as a sacrifice. They were now down to their eighth and final daughter, Kushinada hime. Soon it would be time for Yamata no Orochi to demand a sacrifice.

Susanoo explained that he was the elder brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu, and offered to slay the beast in return for Kushinada hime’s hand in marriage. The elderly couple agreed, and Susanoo set in motion his plan to defeat the serpent.

First, Susanoo transformed Kushinada hime into a comb, which he placed in his hair. Then, he had Ashinazuchi and Tenazuchi build a large fence with eight gates. On each gate they raised a platform and on each platform they placed a vat. They poured extremely strong sake into each vat. When this was finished, everyone waited for the serpent to arrive.

When Yamata no Orochi appeared, the great serpent slithered into the fence and noticed the powerful sake. It dipped its eight heads into the vats and drank the alcohol. Soon, the monster fell into a deep, drunken sleep. Susanoo used this chance to make his attack. He sliced the enormous beast into tiny pieces with his sword. The carnage was so great that the Hi River flowed with blood. When Susanoo had cut the creature down to its fourth tail, his sword shattered into pieces. Examining the part of Yamata no Orochi’s tail which broke his sword, Susanoo discovered another sword within the creature’s flesh: the legendary katana Murakumo (later known as Kusanagi) no Tsurugi.

Susanoo eventually offered Murakumo as a gift to his sister Amaterasu and was allowed to return to heaven. The sword was passed down through the generations in the imperial line of Japan. It is one of the three pieces of imperial regalia, along with the mirror Yata no Kagami and the jewel Yasakani no Magatama. Today, the sword which came from Yamata no Orochi’s tail is said to be safeguarded in the Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya.

Jatai
蛇帯
じゃたい

Translation: snake obi (a kimono sash)

Appearance: The jatai is an animated kimono sash that slithers around like a giant snake during the night.

Origin: An old folk belief from Ehime Prefecture and other parts of Japan says that if you lay your obi out near your pillow while you sleep, you will dream of snakes. Because the word for a snake’s body (jashin) is the same as the word for a wicked heart, it is said that the obi itself turns into a murderous tsukumogami called a jatai. The jatai hunts after men, strangling them in their sleep.

Kiyo hime
Kiyohime清姫
きよひめ

Translation: Princess Kiyo; Lady Kiyo

Appearance: Kiyo hime is one of the most famous antagonists in Japanese literature, and an example of a honnari hannya—a demon woman who has attained the maximum level of power. She appears in The Legend of Anchin and Kiyo hime, or Princess Kiyo, an ancient tale from Wakayama prefecture. Versions of the story appear in a number of ancient books. Her tale is retold in the famous noh play Dōjō-ji.

Legends: Long ago, during the reign of Emperor Daigo, the young priest named Anchin was traveling from Mutsu to Kumano on a pilgrimage. Every year he made the journey, and every year he would lodge at the manor of the Masago no Shōji family. He was an incredibly good looking young man, and he caught the eye of Kiyo hime, the manor lord’s daughter. She was a troublesome young girl. Anchin joked to her that if she were a good girl and behaved herself, he would marry her and take her back to Mutsu.

Every year Kiyo hime waited for Anchin to come again for his pilgrimage. When she came of age arrived, she reminded him of his promise and asked him to marry her. Anchin, embarrassed that she had taken his word seriously, lied that he would come for her as soon as he finished his pilgrimage. On his return, he avoided the Masago no Shōji manor and headed straight for Mutsu.

When Kiyo hime heard of Anchin’s deception, she was overcome with grief. She ran after the young priest, barefoot, determined to marry him. Anchin fled as fast as he could, but Kiyo hime caught him on the road to the temple Dōjō-ji. There, instead of greeting her, Anchin lied again. He pretended not to know her and protested that he was late for a meeting somewhere else. Kiyo hime’s sadness turned into furious rage. She attacked, moving to punish the lying priest. Anchin prayed to Kumano Gongen to save him. A divine light dazzled Kiyo hime’s eyes and paralyzed her body, giving Anchin just enough time to escape.

Kiyo hime’s rage exploded to its limits—the divine intervention had pushed her over the edge. She transformed into a giant, fire-breathing serpent. When Anchin reached the Hidaka River, he paid the boatman and begged him not to allow his pursuer to cross. Then, he ran to Dojō-ji for safety. Ignoring the boatman entirely, Kiyo hime swam across the river after Anchin.

Seeing the monstrous serpent, the priests of Dōjō-ji hid Anchin inside of the large, bronze temple bell. However, Kiyo hime could smell Anchin inside. Overcome with rage and despair, she wrapped herself around the bell and breathed fire until the bronze became white hot. She roasted Anchin alive inside the bell. With Anchin dead, the demon Kiyo hime threw herself into the river and drowned.

Nomori
野守
のもり

Translation: wilderness guardian
Alternate names: nomori mushi, yamori
Habitat: mountain forests
Diet: carnivorous

Appearance: Nomori are large, serpentine creatures which live deep in mountain forests. Their bodies are about three meters long, and are thick and round like barrels. They have six legs, and on each leg are six toes.

Behavior: Nomori live far away from human settlements, and are thus quite rare to see. They hunt by coiling around their prey and strangling it, similar to how a boa constrictor hunts.

Legends: Long ago in Shinano Province (present-day Nagano Prefecture), a young man went into the mountains to gather firewood. When he was deep in the wilderness, he stepped on something in the undergrowth. It was a tail! All of a sudden, a humongous snake-like creature leaped forth and attacked him. It had six legs ending in six-toed feet and a long body over ten meters long. It was as large as a barrel in its middle, and tapered off towards the head and tail. The serpent coiled all the way up around the young man’s neck and tried to bite his head. Fortunately, he had brought a sickle with him. He was able to cut the creature’s throat and kill it, escaping death.

Afterwards, he carved the creature up with the sickle and brought a piece of it back home to prove what had happened. When the young man told his father the story and showed him the meat, his father became angry. The creature must have been a mountain god, he said, and killing would surely bring its curse upon the family! He banished his son from his home. The son moved into a small hut nearby.

Before long the piece of meat from the creature began to give off a terrible odor. The smell was so foul that the young man fell gravely ill and was unable to leave his bed. A doctor came and gave the man medicine, and bathed him to remove the smell. Almost immediately he began to feel better. When the young man told the doctor about the giant serpent he had seen in the mountains, the doctor replied that it was not a serpent. It must have been a nomori. Just as yamori (geckos) are guardians of houses and imori (newts) are guardians of wells, nomori are guardians of the wilderness.

A few years later, the young man was caught chopping wood in a prohibited area of the mountains. He was executed for this crime. However, among the locals, his execution was rumored to have been the consequence of the nomori’s curse.

Nozuchi
野槌
のづち

Translation: wild mallet (named for its mallet-like shape)
Habitat: fields and grasslands; found all across Japan
Diet: carnivorous; usually feeds on small animals like rats, mice, rabbits, birds

Appearance: Nozuchi are one of the earliest recorded yōkai in Japan. They are powerful and ancient snake-like spirits of the fields, known for their bizarre shape and habits. Short, fat creatures shaped like mallets, Nozuchi are about fifteen centimeters in diameter and just over one meter long. They have no eyes, nose, or any other facial features save for a large mouth located on the tops of their heads, pointing towards the sky. Their bodies are covered in a bristly fur, much like a hairy caterpillar.

Behavior: Nozuchi make their homes inside of large trees, particularly on the tops of hills. They are slow movers, and get about by rolling and tumbling down slopes, then slowly inching their way back up. Their usual diet is wildlife—mice, rabbits, squirrels, and other small animals—however, they are able to eat things much larger than themselves. In Nara, they are known to feed on deer. They can devour a deer in a single bite, pulling the whole animal into their small, stumpy frame.

Interactions: Nozuchi have been known to attack humans who come near their nests, rolling downhill and snapping at their feet. Their bites are dangerous, resulting in terrible, mangled wounds which quickly lead to a high fever and death. A person who is touched or even merely seen by a tumbling nozuchi can contract this fever and die. Fortunately, nozuchi attacks are easily avoided. Stick to higher ground where they cannot tumble, or climb a tree if no other high ground is available.

OTHER FORMS: Nozuchi can transform into a humanoid shape, though they rarely are seen in this form. They take the shape of a human priest, but with no eyes, nose, hair, or ears. The only feature on the head is a large, gaping mouth pointing upwards towards the sky. Wicked monks who are banished from their temples to live in the wilds sometimes gradually turn into nozuchi. These nozuchi are more likely to maintain a humanoid form than a serpentine one. Care should be taken not to confuse a shape-changed nozuchi with a nopperabō, which has a similar appearance but poses a different threat.

Ohatsu
お初
おはつ

Translation: none; this is her name
Alternate names: Akamatsu ike no orochi, Akamatsu ike no ryūjin
Habitat: Akamatsu Pond in Tottori Prefecture
Diet: omnivorous

Appearance: Ohatsu is a serpent who lives in Akamatsu Pond on Mount Daisen in Tottori Prefecture.

Legends: Long ago in Matsue, Izumo Province, lived a man named Matsuura Tanomo. He was a chief retainer to the lord of Matsue. Tanomo and his wife longed for a child, but for many years they were unable. One day he heard that the god of Akamatsu Pond on Mount Daisen could grant wishes. He climbed the mountain to visit the pond and prayed to the gods for a child.

Sure enough, the Matsuura family was soon blessed with a daughter. They named her Ohatsu. She was well loved by her family and their servants. As she grew, stories of her stunning beauty traveled far and wide. Eventually she caught the eye of Lord Matsudaira Kō, who desired her for his bride. Ohatsu did not wish to be married, but there was no way a retainer like her father could turn down a lord’s request. So Ohatsu’s parents prepared to send her away to the castle. Before she left to become a bride, Ohatsu asked to visit Akamatsu Pond to give thanks to the god who granted her life. Her parents naturally agreed.

Ohatsu climbed Mount Daisen with an escort of her family’s servants and guards. They arrived at Akamatsu Pond. Its surface was like a mirror, reflecting the clear sky and verdant mountains surrounding it. Ohatsu’s servants suggested that she wash her hair in the beautiful pond; its water would surely make her hair even more beautiful for her lord. Ohatsu dipped her hair into the water and began combing it. With each stroke of the comb, her hair grew longer, as if creeping towards the water’s edge. Then Ohatsu stood up and stepped out onto pond, walking on the surface of the water. Her servants called out to her, but she did not turn back. When she reached the center of the pond, a whirlpool churned beneath her and she sank down into the depths.

The servants panicked. They called out to the pond and begged Ohatsu to come back. A whirlpool once again opened up in the center of the pond. Ohatsu reemerged from the maelstrom, but from her waist down she appeared to be a giant serpent. She spoke to her servants: “I am a serpent who lives in this pond. When Tanomo came to me and begged for a child, his wish was so sincere that I decided to become Ohatsu and live a human life for some time. But that time is over now, and I must return to my pond. Thank you, everyone, for raising me and caring for me these many years. From here on, I will give happiness and fortune to all who come to pray for me.” Then, she sank beneath the surface of the water and was never seen again.

A small stone shrine was built for Ohatsu besides the pond. She is worshiped there as the dragon god of Akamatsu Pond, and is said to grant wishes to pilgrims and protect the local villages against drought. Her festival is held every year on Mount Daisen on June 18th–the day that she returned to her serpent form.

And in the Matsuura house in Matsue City, every year on June 18th they would remember Ohatsu by raising eight folding screens around a water basin in their banquet hall. The sand found in the bottom of the water basin the next day was proof that Ohatsu had visited.

Tsuchinoko
槌の子
つちのこ

Translation: hammer child
Alternate names: nozuchi, bachihebi, and many other regional names
Habitat: fields
Diet: insects, frogs, and mice; also fond of sake

Appearance: Tsuchinoko are short, stumpy snake-like yōkai. Their body shape resembles a hammer or a mallet head with no handle. They range in size from thirty to eighty centimeters long. Their scaly skin is speckled in various earth tones, and they have light-colored bellies. Their viper-like fangs carry a deadly venom. Unlike snakes, tsuchinoko have eyelids. Due to their shape and color they are often said to resemble beer bottles.

Behavior: Tsuchinoko are found throughout Japan. They are active during the day from spring through fall, and hibernate through the winter. They make their nests in holes along wooded riverbanks. They give off a call which sounds like “chee,” and they snore when they sleep.

Tsuchinoko feed on insects when they are young, and frogs and mice as they grow larger. There are occasional reports of them eating larger animals like cats or dogs. They can eat vast quantities of food for their small size. They are also quite fond of sake. They are attracted to the smell of miso, dried squid, and burning hair.

Despite their awkward shape, tsuchinoko are extremely nimble. They can move about like an inchworm, but they are best known for their habit of rolling and tumbling about. They can roll sideways like a log, or tumble vertically from tip-to-tail. They can also swallow their tail–making their body into a ring–and roll like a wheel. Tsuchinoko are great jumpers as well. By some estimates, they can jump from two to five meters.

Origin: Creatures resembling tsuchinoko have been part of Japanese folklore since prehistoric times. Jomon period pottery and stone tools with motifs resembling stumpy snakes have been discovered. During the Edo Period, a number of venomous, rolling, snake-like yōkai–such as the nozuchi and tsuchi korobi–were recorded in folkloric encyclopedias.

Tsuchinoko became a national sensation during the 1970’s, when a number of sightings and supposed live captures of tsuchinoko were reported. This sparked a “tsuchinoko boom,” and people all over the country began hunting for tsuchinoko. An explosion of eyewitness accounts, blurry photographs, and talk show specials cemented tsuchinoko as a household term. Since then, it has remained an extremely popular subject among cryptozoologists, with monetary rewards occasionally offered to anyone able to produce a photograph or a physical specimen.

Tsuchinoko are known by many regional names, such as bachihebi, dotenko, inokohebi, korohebi, tatekurikaeshi, tsuchinbo, tsuchihebi, and so on. They are also sometimes considered to be identical to the yōkai nozuchi or tsuchi korobi–although others say that they are separate creatures.

Uwabami
Uwabami蟒蛇
うわばみ

Translation: giant snake, great serpent
Alternate names: orochi, daija
Habitat: wilderness
Diet: carnivorous, very fond of alcohol; gluttonous

Appearance: Uwabami are enormous serpents. Apart from their incredible size, they closely resemble ordinary snakes. They make their homes in the wilderness, far from civilization.

Behavior: Uwabami’s most notable feature is their appetite. They are capable of eating things that are much larger than their bodies, and in quantities that seem like more than they should be able to eat. They are also extremely fond of drinking, and can consume huge quantities of sake. Like many animals, snakes are believed to have a variety of magical powers. They can shape-shift into various objects and creatures, including humans. They can even control the elements to some extent. Natural disasters such as floods and rock slides are often attributed to uwabami.

Interactions: In addition to eating large volumes of food and alcohol, uwabami also like to feed on people. They set up ambushes and assault travelers in mountain passes. Because of their size, they can easily swallow a full grown human whole—and they often do. However, they are sometimes outsmarted by clever people, who live to tell others of what they saw.

Origin: Snakes have been a part of Japanese mythology since the earliest times, in part to their peculiar behaviors. Snakes are symbols of life and death, and eternal youth—the shedding and regrowing of their skin was viewed as a magical ability. Because they can slip into the tiniest cracks, and can penetrate deep, dark places that are inaccessible to humans, they are viewed as tenacious and clever creatures. Because of these traits, snakes have long been considered to be kami or yōkai. During different periods of history, they have been referred to as orochi, daija, and uwabami, but all of these refer to the same creature.

The name uwabami has roots going back to archaic Japanese. The first part of the name, uwa, meant skillful or superior. Gradually this shifted to a similar sounding word, uha, which meant great or large. The second part of the name is from an archaic word for snake, hami. This word derives from the word for eating, hamu, which refers both to the snake’s fondness for biting and its ability to eat things that appear much larger than it. So uwabami were “skillful eaters” which over time became “giant snakes.”

Another linguistic point of interest is that the word “uwabami” also has the colloquial meaning of “heavy drinker.” The reason for this is the uwabami’s great love for sake and its ability to drink in far alcohol more than even a creature as large as it should be able to.

Legends: A famous tale comes from Ōnuma Lake in Nagano Prefecture.

Long ago, there was an daija who lived in Ōnuma Lake. Every year he would transform into an extremely handsome young man and travel to the eastern mountains to view the cherry blossoms. One spring, he spied a beautiful young woman all by herself under the blossoms. The woman was Kuro hime, the daughter of Takanashi Masamori, a powerful lord of Shinano Province. Kuro hime also spied the handsome man who was watching her and found him irresistable. The two became acquainted and soon fell in love.

Some time later, the handsome young man paid a visit to the castle of Takanashi Masamori. He introduced himself as the great snake who lives in Ōnuma Lake, guardian deity of the Shiga Highlands. He explained that he and Kuro hime were in love, and asked the lord for her hand in marriage. Masamori immediately snapped that he would never give his daughter to someone that was not human.

The young man did not give up, and returned day after day to ask for Kuro hime’s hand in marriage. Finally, the lord relented and gave his conditions: “If you can keep up with me on horseback and complete seven laps around my castle, I will give you my daughter.” The young man eagerly accepted and agreed to return to the castle in a few days for the race.

Masamori was not about to let his daughter marry a snake. He devised a plan to kill the creature so it would leave him and his daughter alone forever. He had his servants plant swords in the grass all around the castle. Masamori was an expert rider and knew where the swords were hidden, so he would easily be able to avoid the traps.

When the day of the race came, the young man showed up at the castle as promised. The race began, and Takanashi Masamori spurred his horse into action. He was indeed an expert rider, and the young man could not keep up with the lord. He had to transform back into a snake in order to keep pace with the horse. The swords planted around the castle perimeter pierced and tore the snakes body, but he did not give up. Finally, the lord and the snake completed their seven laps. The snake’s body was ragged, and rivers of blood flowed from his body. Immediately upon finishing his final lap, the daija collapsed. Masamori’s trap had worked.

After some time had passed, the daija awoke. It looked around, and seeing nobody it realized that Masamori had lied. Trembling with rage, the daija returned to the Shiga Highlands. It summoned all of its family, servants, and clan members. All of the spirits of the Shiga Highlands arose and summoned a great storm. Rain the likes of which had never been seen before fell. Ōnuma Lake swelled in size and burst forth, flooding everything around. All of the villages surrounding the lake were annihalated. Houses were knocked down. Fields were flooded and washed away. No humans or animals were able to escape destruction. However, the mountains around the Takanashi Masamori’s castle acted like a shield, and the castle stood firm.

Kuro hime looked down from the castle and watched the torrent wash away wash away the entire region. She heartbroken when she saw the destruction. Realizing that only she had the power to stop the disaster, she left the castle by herself and traveled down to Ōnuma Lake. Kuro hime threw herself into the flood and was never seen again. When the daija realized what had happened, it immediately scattered the storm clouds and caused the flood to recede. Ōnuma Lake shrank back to its original borders.

The daija is still worshiped today as the guardian deity of the Shiga Highlands. There is a small shrine called Daija Jinja located near Ōnuma Lake where the snake is enshrined. Every August, the villagers gather there to perform the Daija Matsuri and remember the story of Kuro hime.