Demon List

A demon, daemon or fiend, is a supernatural, often malevolent being prevalent in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology and folklore. The original Greek word daimon does not carry the negative connotation initially understood by implementation of the Koine δαιμόνιον (daimonion), and later ascribed to any cognate words sharing the root.

In Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an unclean spirit, a fallen angel, or a spirit of unknown type which may cause demonic possession, calling for an exorcism. In Western occultism and Renaissance magic, which grew out of an amalgamation of Greco-Roman magic, Jewish demonology and Christian tradition, a demon is a spiritual entity that may be conjured and controlled.

Typical dark creatures that typically are the opposites of Divine Beings, not blessed with sacred power, but users of more vicious and malicious powers such as arcane or dark magics, curses, rituals, pacts, blood, souls, etc. etc. that they require for sustenance. Though they are misjudged as 'evil beings,' they are not so (or, not all of them, at least), and are in fact just more mischievous and vicious in nature.

They typically feed on flesh, blood and souls of others to give themselves more power, and typically fall to many vices and bad qualities in their 'dog eat dog' society where power is most prominent. Even so, there are some that are just as noble and refined as the Divine Beings, and simply do not believe (nor enjoy) their practices, relishing in their ways. They sometimes are at odds with Divine Beings who claim them evil, as they also value their souls and energy as exceptionally powerful.

They typically are able to use things like magic and stuff to get their jobs done, as they are mostly spiritual entities. Because of their practices and the way they do things, many are considered to be 'unclean' and 'impure,' especially by the Divine Beings. Demons have the potential to have all the power of the gods, which is another reason why they are feared. Typically, they feed on negative energies for power, which is why killing and destruction seems inherent in them.



Archdemon

A spiritual entity, prominent in the infernal hierarchy as a leader of demons.[1] Essentially, the archdemons are the evil counterparts of the archangels.

Archdemons are described as the leaders of demonic hosts, just as archangels lead choirs of angels.

There is controversy regarding which demons should be classed as archdemons. During different ages, some demons were historically "promoted" to archdemons, others were completely forgotten, and new ones were created. No consensus has been reached on the classification of demons. This is largely due to the fact that, historically, the definition of what an archdemon is and the names of those demons has varied greatly over time.

One common medieval classification associate the seven deadly sins with archdemons:

Lucifer: Pride
Mammon: Greed
Asmodeus: Lust
Leviathan: Envy
Beelzebub: Gluttony
Satan: Wrath
Belphegor: Sloth

An order of nineteen angels of hell, the Zabaniyah, exists, each commanding a host of devils. Among them is the Quranic guardian of hell-fire Maalik. Another Quranic member is the fallen angel Iblis, who is also their leader.

Incubus/Succubus



Incubus = Male -- As in, 'Incubation'



Succubus = Female -- As in, 'Suction'

Demons that drain the energy, souls and life force of other creatures through sex or other means. They absorb sexual energy and use it to increase their own power, and the more they have, the more powerful their magic becomes. Sexual energy seems to give them the most power, and they always crave more afterwards for more energy. A more powerful Succubus is capable of completely sucking dry a being that they come in contact with more quickly. Their sexual/soul stealing power only works for creatures of the opposite gender, and thus a Succubus cannot absorb the energy of a female of any other species. However, if of the same gender, the Incubus or Succubus can transform the creature into an Incubus or Succubus, thereby making them a demon that drains the energy of others as well. So, if of the same sex and interaction with one of these beings happens, you will become one, too. If of the opposite sex and interaction happens, you will have your energy sucked out.

Name: Succubus/Incubus
Species: Succubus/Incubus
Type: Demon, Aerial
Elemental Affinity: Darkness, Fire, Ice
Combat Specialty: Magical
Sociability: Lustful, Mischievous, Cunning
Threat Level: High
Habitats: Darkness Lands (Common), Old Witch City (Common), Dark Factory (Uncommon)
Weaknesses: Light/Holy Element
Immunities: Fire Element, Ice Element, (WIP)
Item Dropped: (WIP)
Additional Info: Absorbs Darkness/Shadow Element. Absorbs souls.


Weapons

(WIP)


Natural/Signature Abilities

Hip Attack - Releases a powerful explosion from the ground which will harm and paralyze the foe, setting them up for the true attack, which is a gentle tap with the Succubus' hips, draining the soul of those hit into herself to restore her power.

Body Change - Using magic, changes the shape of the foe's body into whatever she wishes. Wears off after a certain period of time (3 turns) unless states otherwise.

Thunderbolt - Charges magic into her fingertip and fires off a massive, powerful lightning bolt from it to destroy everything caught in it.

Bound Heart - Creates a chain of magical, razor sharp hearts that will tie the foe up and paralyze their bodies, souls and minds. The heart chains will then slice their bodies up and rend them into nothing but chunks, then explode.

Sexy Heal - Does a sexy dance that heals the vitality and strength of all those who see it as well as herself. Men also tend to regain chakra and lose status ailments.

Tempting Break - Strikes a sexy, provocative pose and all who gaze at the Succubus while she does this will have their minds and souls stripped from them instantly via the power of powerful suggestive magic, then the Succubus will collect them all, combine them into a massive clod and attack you physically with them with a powerful explosion.

Flying Sparks - Drops down a ray of magic from the sky which will cause several hundred explosions of magic across the land.

Drain - Wings/Arms change into a huge, vicious mouth which creates a suction that only sucks out souls. Those caught in the suction will have their souls stripped from them and devoured by the mouth, restoring power to the succubus.

Twin Attribute - Summons the power of Fire and Ice and merges them together as a powerful spear that seeks out the foe's mind and soul, locking onto those. The spear will stab through them, totally disintegrating the body from the inside out once it touched the foe.

Nightmare - Sends foe into a state of dreaming with the power of seductive and persuasive magic and gives them horrible nightmares that eat away at their minds while letting the Succubus control their minds and do whatever she wants with the mind. Alternatively, creates a huge sphere of darkness that will absorb the psyche and souls of those who are caught in it or are within its vicinity and it will grow larger and larger until it consumes all things, destroying everything in the area and beyond until there is nothing left.


Succubus/Incubus Info


A powerful major demon with incredible magical power, considered to be one of the top ranking classes of demons there are. They are an ancient race that have always consumed the souls of the opposite sex to survive, altering their physical appearances to match that of the person they copulate with. They tend to act playful and innocent but can be quite deadly in battle. They also have a rather impressive intellect and can control various forms of Magic such as Fire and Healing.

Their incredible magical power tends to be used for seduction of all kinds. Masters of manipulating dreams and changing them into nightmares, they can enter the minds of the opposite sex and rape them even in their heads. These beings use any means necessary to consume their souls. Like vampires, they have the power to change others of the same sex into their kind (as a 'Lesser), whilst stealing the souls of the opposite sex, thus making them a threat to both sides.


Lesser Succubus/Incubus

Spoiler:

Master/Mistress

Spoiler:

Imp



Mischievous creatures that are very similar to Goblins, however they are more demonic. Though not nearly as violent, they are generally a lesser demon that plays tricks and pranks on people, sometimes even to the point where there is danger involved. They work well in groups, and are team-oriented to execute large-scale pranks and plans, and though they are simple minded, they are not stupid. In fact, their intelligence is what helps them survive. They are known to be made the familiars of Witches and those who have become adept in Summoning, as they are demons that are easier to control since they are weaker. However, because of this, they tend to use this to their advantage in order to eliminate their 'masters' if they are 'noob' casters, and feed off of their energy until there is none left. Then, the caster becomes the Imp's slave. They are skilled in magic pertaining to fire and darkness, and typically know very basic spells. The longer Imps live, the more powerful they become, and the more energy they gain, the stronger they get, thus allowing them to take on higher forms until they are elite demons.

Name: Imp
Species: Imp
Specific Species: Arch Imp, Diabolos
Type: Demon, Aerial, Sprite
Elemental Affinity: Fire, Darkness
Combat Specialty: Magic
Sociability: Tricky, Elusive, Selfish
Threat Level: Low-Medium
Habitats: Darkness Lands, Enigmatic Ruins
Weakness: Light/Holy Element, Physical attacks
Immunities: Darkness element, Water element, Lightning element, Ice Element, Gravity, Silence, Confuse, Berserk, Curse, Slow, Stop, Doom
Item Dropped: Holy Water, Remedy
Additional Info: Absorbs Fire element, Resistant to magic and non-physical attacks, Innate 'Reflect' barrier around body

Weapons

Demon Claws

Tail

Pitchfork



Natural/Signature Abilities
Blizzaga: A level 3 spell. Conjures up a chilling wind and lots of ice to try to freeze the foe and shatter them.

Firaga: A level 3 spell: Conjures up an accumulation of fire for a massive, fiery explosion to incinerate everything it may.

Thundaga: A level 3 spell. Conjures up lightning in the sky that will rain down on the foe powerfully nonstop.

Waterga: A level 3 spell. Conjures up a crapload of water to drown, drench, crush and deluge the foe constantly.

Darkga:

Aeroga:

Curse: Causes the foe to become weak to a specific element.

Drain: Using the power of magic, drains the life force of a foe.

Osmose: Using the power of magic, drains the magic/chakra from the foe.

Dispel: Magic that dispels power ups from the foe.

Demi: Powerful gravity magic that will crush anything near and halve the power of it.

Conjure: Conjures up another Demon type ally, normally another Imp.

Shock Wave

Leech

Gnaw

Haste

Syphon

Pierce

Pulsar Wave

Fear

Sleep

Toxify


Diabolos Only

Breakart Pentagram

Force Barrier

Paling

Pyromania

Reflect Damage

Scourge


Imp Info

Image

A highly magically in tune creature that floats above the ground with magical energy flowing around it. It is so very high powered in magic, that non-physical attacks such as magic or chakra barely effect it. It can usually only be combated physically. With its powerful magic, it innately casts 'Reflect' over itself at all times until it is dispelled. It is a creature known for its small size and its small wings and long tail. Most times no larger than a small child, it is mostly seen flying about with little effort due to its light weight and great magical prowess. It is given to waving its long tail like a dancer might wave her veil, this to maintain balance and accuracy as it flies. The name of the imp derives from an ancient word 'impet,' meaning the 'child broken from the devil,' and befitting their name, they delight in mischief and small acts of evil. As they grow more powerful, it is shown within the size of their wings and the intensity of their magic, for they rarely grow larger in size unless extremely powerful.

Though they have powerful magic, they are minor demons and are easily disposed of, if dealt with correctly. They stop growing early in their lives, which makes them resemble small children and underdeveloped monsters. Because of their small bodies, their emotions and thoughts are those of small children as well, selfish and tricky.


Arch Imp

Spoiler:

Diabolos

Spoiler:

Moon Baby

Spoiler:

Cretin

Spoiler:

Obariyon
Obariyonおばりよん

Translation: a local phrase meaning “give me a piggyback ride”
Alternate names: bariyon, onbu obake, ubariyon, obosaritei
Habitat: inhabited areas, roadsides
Diet: unknown

Appearance: Obariyon is a child-sized monster from Niigata prefecture which loves to ride people piggyback style.

Behavior: Obariyon lurks in bushes and trees by the side of the road, and when a traveler walks by, it leaps out onto their back crying out, “obariyon!” If the traveler relents and carries the obariyon on his back, the monster becomes heavier and heavier with each footstep, nearly crushing the traveler under its weight. In addition, this mischievous yokai chews the scalp of a person good enough to carry it, further adding to his misery. In order to protect against the head-chewing that obariyon inflict, some villages developed a custom of wearing metal bowls on their heads for protection.

Interactions: According to some tales, as the obariyon becomes heavier and heavier, it eventually crushes its victim under its weight. However, more commonly, when a person has dutifully carried the obariyon the whole way home, he or she finds that the strange burden was a sack of money all along, and becomes incredibly rich.

Origin: The name obariyon comes from a phrase in local Niigata dialect meaning “give me a piggyback ride!” Differences in local dialects are reflected in the many different local names for this spirit. Though its name varies from place to place, it is always a local variant for a childish request to be carried piggyback style.

Although the exact origins of this particular creature are unclear, folk tales about yokai which demand to be carried or cared for are quite common across Japan. There is a recurring theme among folk tales that those who persevere when dealing with children will prosper. Just as those who put up with the strange demands of the obariyon may find themselves blessed with a bag of gold, those who manage to deal with the demands of raising young children will eventually reap treasures beyond belief. Obariyon is probably a direct metaphor about child-rearing. While the demands of the obariyon may be selfish and extremely burdensome, those who are willing to put up with it for the entire journey find the payoff was well worth the investment.

Goblins

Species: Imp
Specific Species: Hobgoblin, Hob, Goblin Mage
Type: Demon, Humanoid, Sprite
Elemental Affiliation: Earth, Darkness
Combat Specialty: Physical
Sociability: Trickster, Mischievous, Mean, Foul, Simple, Ill-Tempered
Threat Level: Moderately Low
Habitats: Agruria (Common), Seasons Grove (Common), Omen Marsh (Common), Blossom Fields (Uncommon), Pale Forest (Uncommon)
Weakness: Fire Element
Immunities: None
Item Dropped: Potion

Weapons

Knife/Dagger/Ax
Magic Hammer/Mace/Club
Fists
Body

Natural/Signature Abilities

Tackle: Tackles the foe with full force.

Eye Gouge: Gouges out eyes to inflict Blind and hurt the foe badly.

Spin Punch: Spins around and attacks everything surrounding it with a powerful punch with great momentum and force.

Goblin Punch: Punches something nonstop with powerful punches from Goblin. The damage inflicted varies on how many punches land.

Bloodfest: Sucks out health and absorbs it into self.

Counter: Counterattacks with powerful punch.

Knife: Slashes or stabs with its knife.

Death: Causes death to the foe. (Dice Roll)

Pyromania: Throws numerous, high powered, super explosive fire bombs nonstop around the area.

Steal: Steals from you.

Goblinhancement: Powers self up and bestows Protect, Shell, Reflect and Regen.

Death Strike: Hones in on vital areas and strikes those with full power.

Remedy: Whips out a remedy to rid self of any and all status ailments.

Magic Hammer: Creates a hammer of magic that can float or it wields for itself and when it hits something, it depletes all magic/chakra/power from opponent instantly.

Sandstorm: Creates a powerful sandstorm to Blind the foe.

Item Reverse: A powerful magic that causes any items that are used whilst fighting the Goblin to have all of their effects reversed, whether it is good or bad.

Goblin Info

A small, yet very physically capable Imp who relishes in causing mischief and petty evilties to the world. Believed to originally have been tree spirits that fell to demonic energy, they reside in dark parts of forests and frequently get those who enter their areas into trouble. They are cunning and swift, using their relatively small and light bodies as well as knowledge of the shadows to their advantage. They tend to carry light bladed weapons or large clubs and maces with them, even if they mainly use their bare fists as their weapons most times. They are also capable of using magic, but typically do not do so unless it is to escape. A Goblin can easily be picked out by its oddly pigmented skin (usually green or another moldy color), long and pointy ears, and large noses. Though they are strong and cunning when it comes to tricks and hiding, they are actually quite simple-minded, thinking only of how they can annoy the next person they meet. They seem to also sometimes partner with the Darkari, since many lesser 'Imps' are known to become the servants or familiars of other races. They fight with the skill of a champion boxer, with even more brawn to boot.

Goblins resemble humans very closely (save for the small horns atop their head), and some are said to be cursed humans who were overtaken by greed and blackness inside of their hearts, or were cursed. Diminutive in size, even adults grow no larger than human children. These little imps band together in their own spirit of mischief to formulate even more elaborate schemes to trick others, and thus make their own villages and settlements based off of this common interest. Thus, when one notices a Goblin Village being established, they either take them all out, bribe them so that they will be used as servants, or simply move to another location, knowing that they will never stop being pestered by these childishly fiendish demons... Especially when they are in need of 'resources.'

The greater part of Goblins live in poverty, and their frequent association with criminal activities has led to much prejudice and hatred of their people among human society. They often form organized groups of all goblins, or even a 'hobgoblin' or 'goblin mage' leader and terrorize other settlements nearby, pillaging and looting for their own village. They are incredibly greedy beings, and so they also tend to be 'Black Market' merchants, and may even swindle others. However, even so, they enjoy doing such business in secret and are very, very open to taking bribes to have them not attack those who pass by. They are often referred to as the 'bullies' of all the monsters, even though they are so small in size. Their coordination and teamwork seems to be top-notch, surprisingly, which makes them even more frightening as a race.


Hobgoblin

Spoiler:

Goblin Mage

Spoiler:

Akaname

Spoiler:

Redcap

Spoiler:

Fallen Angels (Nephilim)

Species: Angel
Type: Divine Being, Demon, Hybrid
Elemental Affiliation: Darkness/Shadow
Combat Specialty: Magic (Long Range)
Sociability: Mischievous, Violent
Threat Level: Medium-High
Habitats: Minaret, Mount Mortis
Weaknesses: Light/Holy element
Immunities: (WIP)
Item Dropped: Dark Wing, Dark Halo
Additional Info: Absorbs Dark element

Weapons

(WIP)

Natural/Signature Abilities

(WIP)

An angel who has completely transformed into a demon. Fallen angels siphon energy from mortals until they are strong enough to become more powerful demons. Their pure white wings have been warped by the power of the demonic influence, turning black in the process. They are completely depraved, and, aside from appearances, have nothing in common with angels whatsoever. The sole principle guiding their actions is indulgence, for they seek more demonic power constantly. They have forgotten God's teachings and live now only for their own pleasure, by the Seven Deadly Sins. They love human desire, suffering, weakness and all other dark pleasures. Whenever they find a human or angel with a positive disposition, they seduce them with well-constructed arguments, and finally entice them into becoming Fallen Angels just like they are. They want others to fall as they have fallen.

They’re monsters, but they are not under the command of the demon lord. They are said to be servants of the one known as “The Fallen God.” With their new teachings, they deprave others and force them to follow their ways of only self pleasure and self indulgence, tricking them into thinking selfishness is what is best by preying on their mental weaknesses. They possess the unique ability to find out about others' vulnerabilities through powers of suggestion and several dark magics. They have a tendency to become sadistic or masochistic to the point where all injuries harm them and they love making others hurt physically just as they do emotionally. Those who frequently associate with them eventually have their mind irrecoverably warped and all the positive energy is turned to negative energy, leaving the mind to dwell only in darkness. Of course, that is their ultimate wish. They want all to give in to desire, and become completely corrupted. That is what pleases them most. They say the only way to convert a Fallen Angel back to a true Divine Being is to make them see the errors of their ways and repent for their sins.

It is said that they dwell in old churches and where many weak-minded people roam, for those that seek religious comfort tend to have the most feeble minds. Their Fallen God resides in a place where time and space are distorted and was created by the Fallen God, himself. It’s a special dimension where it’s like time has stood still, and there’s no starvation or aging. It is here in this perpetual moment that eternal pleasure of the self takes place, and all those lost here indulge in their own selfish pleasures indefinitely, as that is their only wish; to please themselves.

Name: Dark Prophet/Baphomet
Species: Sacred Beast (Goat)
Type: Demon, Beastkin, Aerial
Elemental Affiliation: Darkness, Fire, Ice
Combat Specialty: Magical (Long Range)
Sociability: Condescending, Unfriendly, Manipulative, Conniving, Stong-Willed
Threat Level: Very High
Habitats: Enigmatic Ruins, Hail Valley, Old Witch City
Weaknesses: Holy/Light Element, Physical Attacks
Immunities: Magic, Non-physical attacks, All Elements, Confuse, Berserk, Vanish.
Item Dropped: Fiery Horn, Arcane Scythe, Lapiz Lazuli, Ether, Vaccine, Hi-Potion
Additional Info: Constantly has 'Reflect' barrier up.

Weapons
Fiery Horn (Male Only): Horn in the middle of its head that symbolizes Enlightenment. Can spew powerful fires from its horn which has an intensity controlled by its concentration.

Arcane Scythe (Female Only): A powerful scythe teeming with dark and arcane magic. It is able to spew powerful fires which has an intensity controlled by its concentration, as well as heat up to cut through anything.


Natural/Signature Abilities
Reflect: Its most readily used and swiftest ability, the Ash generates an incredibly powerful field of reflective energy around itself that will instantaneously reflect any and all non-physical attacks back at the user with triple the damage done rather than double for its mastery of the Reflect ability.

Stop: Its second most swiftest ability, the Ash stops the very fiber of time itself upon one targeted area, literally freezing said target in an immovable suspended animation for as long as it wishes or until it is destroyed, locking the very space and time around that object.

Doom: A powerful spell that summons the dark power of death, placing upon its target a curse of death so that the foe will die in a matter of 3 posts lest they do something to stop it from happening or kill the Ash. They must be within the radius of this attack or hear the chanting for this to work, however, but if they do nothing, their souls are condemned to death by the reaper.

Death: As apposed to the spell Doom, which gradually calls upon the power of Death itself, this spell calls forth the reaper himself via insanely powerful dark arts to harvest the soul of the target before him. The Reaper will beckon the foe in a number of ways, but those most predominant are to summon a large, demonic mirror in front of the foe to reflect their souls into it, capturing the embodiment of their soul within it and reaping it without question or... As an alternative, the Reaper will just slice the soul out of you with its scythe. If it is to miss even once, it is sent back to whence it came without killing anyone.

Snowstorm: A very powerful ability which allows the Ash to conjure up a powerful blizzard greater than that of any arctic regions' blizzards. This powerful tempest of sheer ice, cold and snow will gradually begin to freeze everything it comes in contact with until there is nothing left unfrozen or unharmed by its attack. This blizzard is filled with many illusory properties, causing confusion and hallucinations to those within, as well as the inability to see and slowness. Alternatively, said snowstorm can be blown out in small bursts from its mouth or hands for a more recreational use.



Dark Prophet Baphomet Info

A magical underworlder that has tricked some into thinking it as a deity or god, this intellectual demon is masterful in the art of deadly magics. Because of its signature ability, Snowstorm, some have hailed it as the god of the snow and ice, and uses its peons to gather food and magical artifacts to increase its magical power, lest it call Death itself to steal their souls, hence why it is feared so greatly by them. It draws power from its followers and promises that they will be protected by it as long as they serve it. Its head is that of a rather stern ram, whilst it dons the horse/goat legs of a satyr. Its body is that of a man and on its back are two rather large, great bat wings, a flaming middle horn, a pentagram atop its head, many mystical runic markings on its body and is extremely skinny, looking as it malnourished, completing its odd appearance. As it is constantly honing and bettering its magical power, it floats in a meditative sort of state at all times, readily able to use the ability Reflect more potently than most other beings. Though this being is a masterful magical user, it is still rather weak physically, though very few have been able to kill, let alone touch one. Its magical powers are great enough to enable it slight psychic power, as well as teleportation at will, making it that much more evasive.


Female

At a period of time, they were revered by a small cult of Witches to do their bidding, granting them powerful Forbidden and Arcane magics and immortality in return. Like their male counterparts, they love to be worshipped as gods and will trick the likes of others into believing that they are with their incredible arcane magics. Many women who were not Witches that wished to serve them were changed into Witches by their power in exchange for their eternal servitude. They seem to draw power from the attention and worship, making them ever stronger the more followers they have.

Horns: As Baphomets are a subspecies of Devils, like Devils her horn shape is inherited, as well as the number of said horns. Normally, Devils possess one or two horns, but there have been individuals who have four horns.
However, Devils often get their horns become smaller via surgical means, as the horns can become problematic and interfering with daily life.
Magic: Devils are among the few species that are said to employ magic, with some skilled in psychic abilities such as hypnosis, which is how Devils typically sow discord, though this form of meddling is in conflict with the restriction of liminals harming humans.
Wings: With the wings on her back she can fly.
Devil Ears: A Devil's ears are capable of direction-focused hearing and are employed mainly for the purposes of extremely effective eavesdropping to make their mayhem more precise.
Hooves: Unlike other Devils she has hooves for feet.
Arousal Incitement: Baphomets have the ability to make any creature aroused.

Baphomets are a demihuman species with goat-like attributes in similar vein to Satyrs and Pan Fauns but with the addition of raven wings.
Closely linked with occultism or outright Satanism throughout history, since the 1800's the species has been associated as members of the Hierarchy of Hell and as such their image has been imprinted as the official symbol of the Church of Satan. Baphomets are always crossed with pentagrams.

Points: 60
Soul Worth: 1-35
Gold Dropped: 30

Falshin (Demon Gods/False Gods/Daevas)

Amanozako

Spoiler:

Daeva

Spoiler:

Ashura

Spoiler:

Hōsōgami

Spoiler:

Yasha (Nature Demon)

Yasha
Yasha夜叉
やしゃ

Translation: yaksha; demon gods from Buddhist cosmology
Habitat: rivers, forests, and mountains
Diet: omnivorous; occasionally man-eating

Appearance: Yasha are a race of powerful, high ranking nature spirits which appear in Buddhist cosmology. They are a type of kijin, or demon god–both worshiped as benevolent gods and feared as wrathful demons. They are fearsome warriors, and serve as guardians of the treasures of the earth. They have varied forms, but generally are humanoid in appearance, with brightly colored skin, spiked hair, sharp teeth, and fierce eyes. They are usually depicted carrying weapons and wearing ornate armor.

Behavior: Yasha are one of the members of the the Eight Legions–eight supernatural races who listened to the sermons of Shaka Nyōrai and converted to Buddhism. Along with the ten, tatsu, kendatsuba, ashura, karura, kinnara, and magoraka, they serve as guardians of the Buddhist teachings.

Yasha serve Buddhism in a number of ways. Most importantly, the Twelve Heavenly Generals (the twelve most fearsome yasha), serve as the personal bodyguards of Yakushi Nyōrai, the buddha of medicine. They wage war on sickness and fight the enemies of Buddhism. They are also important in astrology–as there are twelve of them, they are associated with the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, the hours of the day, the months, and the directions. Their leader, General Kubira, is also an important kami in the Shinto faith. He is believed to be the manifestation of Konpira, a god of fishing, seafaring, and farming. He is enshrined as Ōmononushi in the Kotohira shrine of Kagawa Prefecture, alongside Sutoku Tennō.

Yasha, along with another kind of demon called rasetsu, are used as soldiers in the armies of Bishamonten, one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Bishamonten is often depicted trampling a tiny, evil yasha (called a jaki or amanojaku) under his feet. His armor is also often decorated with scowling yasha faces. In this way yasha also serve as a symbol the triumph of virtue over wickedness.

Origin: Yasha come from Hindu mythology. They were originally benevolent nature spirits and caretakers of the trees and earth. In Buddhism, they were interpreted as evil, ghost-like spirits who preyed upon travelers, but later gave up their wicked ways upon hearing the sermons of the Buddha. The Buddhist version of yasha is very similar to another class of Hindu spirits: the ogrish, man-eating demons known as rasetsu. When Buddhism was brought into China, it mixed with Chinese folk religion and astrology, and yasha grew even further away from their Hindu origins.

When Buddhism was brought to Japan from China, the Chinese interpretation of yasha was brought along with it. In Japan, yasha were often viewed as Buddhist manifestations of local evil spirits, like amanojaku and oni. Yasha took on some of the characteristics of these spirits, and sometimes even became synonymous with them.


Chimi
Chimi魑魅
ちみ

Translation: mountain spirit
Alternate names: sudama
Habitat: mountains, forests, and other wilderness across Japan
Diet: varies, includes humans

Appearance: Chimi is a general term for the monsters that live in the mountains, forests, swamps, stones, and other parts of nature. They have human-like faces and bestial bodies. They feed on the bodies of the dead — particularly the innards — and sometimes bring disease and other evil things with them wherever they go.

Interactions: Chimi tend to be nasty, or at least mischievous, when it comes to humans. They trick humans who are wandering in the mountains, and cause them to lose their ways. Once isolated in this way, chimi can attack, often killing their victims.

Origin: The name chimi is derived from the ancient Chinese history known as The Records of the Grand Historian: Chi is the name of a tiger-like mountain god, while Mi is a swamp god with the head of a boar and the body of a human. Over time, the names of these gods combined and became a term for all kinds of monstrously shaped nature spirits. In Japan, chimi are considered to be a kind of mountain kami.


Jami

Spoiler:

Kaze no kami

Spoiler:

Mōryō
Mouryou魍魎
もうりょう

Translation: mountains, trees, streams, and rocks spirits
Alternate names: mizuha
Habitat: streams, rivers, mountains, forests, graveyards, and wild areas all over Japan
Diet: humans, particularly corpses

Appearance: Mōryō is a general term, like chimi, for a large number of nature spirits that live in the wilderness. In particular, while chimi refers to mountain and swamp spirits, mōryō refers to water spirits. They are said to look like children about three years old, with red or black skin, red eyes, long ears, and long, beautiful hair.

Interactions: Mōryō feed upon the bodies of dead humans. As such, they like to rob graves, digging corpses up out of the ground to feast upon the rotting innards. They also interrupt funerals, using magic to distract the attendees and stealing the corpses from their coffins while nobody is looking. Because of these behaviors, they are especially troublesome, and so special methods have been invented to prevent such disturbances to the deceased.

Mōryō are afraid of oak trees and tigers. As a result of this, in ancient China it was common to plant oak trees in graveyards, and to adorn the roads leading into and out of graveyards with stone tigers. Additionally, prior to interring a casket in the ground, a servant would enter the grave hold and prod around with a spear to make sure no mōryō were hiding in the grave. These practices did not catch on in Japan.

Origin: Mōryō first appear in ancient Chinese records, where they are said to be minor nature spirits or demons. In Japan, they are said to be water kami, and cooperate alongside chimi, minor kami of the mountains. Many kinds of yokai can be classified as mōryō, one of the most famous examples being the kappa.

Legends: In Mimibukuro, a collection of folktales collected during the Edo period, a story of a mōryō disguised as a human is recorded. A government official named Shibata had a very loyal servant, who one evening, out of the blue, informed Shibata that he would be leaving his service. When asked why, the man replied that he was not actually a human, but a mōryō in disguise, and his turn had come up to steal corpses; thus, the next day he would have to travel to a nearby village and due his duty as a mōryō. Sure enough, the next day, the servant had vanished, and at the same time, in the village he had mentioned, dark clouds suddenly descended upon a funeral service. When the clouds cleared away, the corpse was missing from the coffin![/spoiler.

Oni (Ogre)


Large demons with a human-like shape, sporting horns of different assortments and many different skin colors dependent on their environment. They are humanoid for the most part, but occasionally, they are shown with unnatural features such as odd numbers of eyes or extra fingers and toes, or sometimes even having the shape of other creatures. They are known to carry various weapons, but the most frequent is a spiked iron club known as a Kanabo.

They are known to be roughly about the size of a normal adult human, normally a some feet larger, harboring great physical strength and stamina. Some are able to assume different forms in order to trick others. They are naturally carnivorous, and partake in gobbling up creatures of flesh not only for their meat, but for their souls, as well. Normally very ferocious, ill-tempered and looking for trouble, most people avoid an Oni that crosses their path as to avoid being heckled. In addition to their demonic strength, some harbor demonic powers as well, making them more dangerous. They like to hang out in cave and forests and such, but will sometimes enter a village to pillage.

Name: Oni (Ogre)
Species: Oni
Type: Demon, Humanoid
Elemental Affinity: Earth
Combat Specialty: Physical
Sociability: Aggressive, Ferocious, Ill-Tempered
Threat Level: Medium-High
Habitats: Hidden Cavern (Common), Kilimagroth Mountains (Uncommon), Great Valley (Uncommon), Pale Forest (Common, Misty Jungle (Common), Sylvan Forest (Common)
Weakness: None
Immunities: None
Item Dropped: Kanabo (Iron Club)

Weapons

Kanabo (Iron Club)


Natural/Signature Abilities

Ground Pound: Stomps the ground and releases a powerful shockwave that will Stun/Paralyze the foe.

Club

Trouble Club: Smashes with club that will cause Trouble to the foe it touches.

Flame: Spews out a powerful flame from its mouth that will burn through everything it can.


Oni (Ogre) Info

Large demons with a human-like shape, sporting horns of different assortments and many different skin colors dependent on their environment. They are known to carry various weapons, but the most frequent is a spiked iron club known as a Kanabo.

They are ferocious, dangerous creatures known by their green skin, and are often confused with their close relatives, the Orcs because of this. However, the Orcs tend to have a much darker color than they, whereas the original Oni have a lighter shade of green. This is only one of the many ways to tell them apart. They have two large horns coming from their head and a terrible disposition, being very warlike and crude. They are always wandering mountain regions, caves, forests, wastelands and the like, and are one of the most commonly found Oni other than the Orcs. With their superior physical abilities, they will frequently pick fights and pillage other lands just to display their own power.

Seeming to love conflict and a challenge, they will fight anyone and everyone, having so much confidence in themselves that they feel they cannot lose. When they engage in battle, they will continue to fight until they cannot move anymore, finding that, death or unconsciousness to be the only way to make them stop. If one tries to run from one, they will deem you a weakling and give chase, trying to beat you into submission simply to express to you how weak you are. If one is to defeat an Oni, it may very well insist upon a rematch after it has rested, since it has so much stamina. If it loses still, it will become subservient.


Red Oni

Spoiler:

Blue Oni

Spoiler:

Arachne Oni (Ushi-Oni)

Spoiler:

Yellow Oni
Brown Oni
Black Oni

Evil Eye

Believed to be Malojos (The Peacock Witch of the Evil Eye)'s creations and pets in times of yore. Many are considered 'demons' and they hold incredibly powerful magic within their eyes. They are akin to the Cyclopes, having only a single orbular eye that harbors incredible power, and it is believed that within their creation, Malojos used the eyes of Cyclopes to create her children. She embedded her magic within them, in addition to the Cycloptic magic, which makes them extremely powerful by nature. Many of them typically can fly by some means, be it wings or powerful energy. Being skilled in magic, physical combat is not their specialty, and all their power stems from their giant eye.

They say that Malojos' pet, the Argus, a giant peacock with thousands of eyes, was a master of all Dojutsu, and spawned Evil Eyes from its own eyes. Thus, some Evil Eyes know common Dojutsu, and are exceedingly dangerous.

Name: Nazar (Evil Eye)
Species: Evil Eye
Type: Aerial, Demon
Elemental Affiliation: Darkness
Combat Specialty: Ranged (magic)
Sociability: Cautious, Dutiful, Vicious
Threat Level: Moderate-High
Habitats: Enigmatic Ruins, Mount Mortis, Darkness Lands (Nytoz)
Weaknesses: Wind, Holy
Immunities: All status effects
Item Dropped:
Additional Info: Absorbs dark element attacks.

Weapons
Talons: Not losing to steel in power, these talons maintain a firm grip on prey captured, refusing to let go unless absolutely necessary.

Fangs: Dripping with toxins, these fangs can extend in length to puncture most common defenses and drain blood from prey.

Natural/Signature Abilities
Traditional Nazar:
Eye Techniques:
Gaze: A beam of magical energy which shoots from the eye, inflicting a random status ailment.
Variants:
Umbral Gaze: The beam of energy drains all light from the area, as well as inflicting Blind.
Lingering Gaze: The beam of energy distorts time, inflicting Slow.
Halting Gaze: The beam of energy stops the passage of time, inflicting Stop.
Pointless Gaze: The beam of energy steals fighting will, inflicting Pointless.
Dread Gaze: The beam of energy causes momentarily amnesia, inflicting Disable and Immobilize.
Bewitching Gaze: The beam of energy inflicts Charm and Slow
Terra Gaze: A continuous beam of magic from the eye which causes petrification the longer the prey is caught within the beam.
Eye of Negate: A beam of energy emerges from the eye, disintegrating non-physical effects such as chakra, magic, etc.
Evil Eye: Releases condensed magical energy which curses and harms the prey caught in the energy.
Counter Cry: With a cry, the Nazar releases sound waves to perfectly match and counter sounds from its foe, inflicting Silence.
Concussive Voice: By focusing its voice, the Nazar is able to release a burst of sound to knock prey out, inflicting both Sleep and Confusion.
Roulette: By calling upon their demonic heritage the Nazar are able to call upon the powers of the most powerful demons in an attempt to instantly kill someone. When used, a dice roll is made with all combatants taking a number (including the Nazar). If their number is rolled, the power of the greatest demons rushes through them fatally wounding them.
Call of the Grave: Summons a reaper who Dooms the target. If not dealt with quickly, the reaper will bring death to its target.

Summoned Nazar (Those summoned to this world may possess additional powers due to their interactions with their summoner):
Trap Reversal: Nazar summoned to this world on occasion have been known to learn much from the magic circles used to trap them. On rare occasions, they learn to recreate such traps, sealing creatures within them, as well as preventing any non-physical attack from leaving the circle. Within the circle, power is constantly drained and escape is near impossible in many cases, as even warping leads to continually returning to within the circle.
Fireworks: Numerous explosive magical orbs are able to negate magical and physical defenses prior to exploding on the foe.
Elemental line of black magic (waterga, thundaga, firaga, blizzaga, etc)

General Description/Info
Throughout history there has been mention of fearsome creatures from other planes. Some broke through to our world to cause havoc; others have been summoned to this world for nefarious purposes by only the most deprived individuals seeking power. The Nazar are a variation of demons whom possess bat-like wings and whose body is dominated by a single all-seeing evil eye, from which they get their second name; Evil Eye.
Their bodies naturally produce toxins which they may inject into prey through their fangs, but their most fearsome feature is their eyes which serve as the focus for the majority of its magic.
Nazar summoned to the world tend to be very solitary, exploiting their summoner in subtle ways to increase their own magical power. In contrast Nazar who travel to this world of their own will prefer traveling in small family groups (2-5) to offset their low offensive abilities.
They are said to be the eyes of the underworld, keeping watch over all other demons, spirits and the like to ensure they do not escape their sentence, and take joy in doing so.

Points (Festival of the Hunt):
Soul Worth:
Gold Dropped:

Gazer

Spoiler:

Skrom



Demonster

Buj



Sloth Demon constantly screaming and in pain because it has to move.

Sintaur



Offspring of Nightmaregenesis. There are a few of these bad boys up and running. They can run across the atmosphere and their hooves and destroy any energies. They spew acid and poison and their hair can be used as whips or tendrils to absorb your life. They have 3 bladed tails to cut things up if they need to. Naturally, they do not seem very tough, but those hooves are quite the nuisance.

Drakoyle



Related to Gargoyles, but are vampiric.

Letter Demon



Common enemy of the Language Pigeon.

Sabbatic Goat (Goat Demon)



Minions, fodder, and offspring of Baphomet. Can be sacrificed exclusively to summon the Baphomet.

Troll

A giant, savage looking monster. Knows of many earthy things and such.

Demihumans that live in villages they make underground or in caves. They've got a large frame, and a durable body with high vitality. They have a high affinity with earth elementals, and the power of the earth is imbued in their body. Perhaps because of that, various plants grow from their heads, and have a symbiotic relationship with the trolls.

Due to the existence of the trolls' body as a soil, it's possible for the plants to grow, even in bad environments such as caves and wastelands, etc. On the other hand, due to various medicinal benefits brought about by the plants, trolls are blessed with the ability to rapidly regenerate even if wounded a bit, and they can even use them as emergency food and medicine.


The nourishing rain of the man's essence brings joy not only to the troll, but also to the monstrous plants that blossom from her head - which in turn imbue her with aphrodisiacs that increase her potency.
Gentle and highly intelligent by nature, this race has had various intermingling and trade with humans, and sometimes there's even social cooperation, but that's the tale of indoors and nighttime activity. For when hit by sunlight, the power of the earth that dwells within them increases. Due to this, the "soil" of their body becomes an existence even closer to "the earth", activating the plants on their head, and the medicinal effects caused by the plants increase.

The plants of the demon realm with bewitching and aphrodisiac effects are included among those growing out of their head. Those compounds affect their mind, and go around their body, driving them wild with lust, causing their eyes and thoughts to melt with lewdness. In spite of the fact that they seem to be spaced out, as if sleepy after taking a sunbath, on the contrary, their physical abilities are increased. Driven by desire, they'll assault human men in an attempt to have sex with them. Because they have this sort of ecology, they are often reported to be a dim-witted, ferocious race by those who have encountered them under sunlight.

Their bodies are not just excellent soil for plants, they're also extremely well suited for men to sow their seed. Their voluptuous forms are pleasantly soft and huggable, and they can tightly squeeze and pleasure a man's penis when they take it in, causing the ejaculation of a large volume of seed. When semen is poured inside their womb, they don't waste a single drop, they let it permeate their body and greedily try to become pregnant with a man's offspring.

They have a custom of decorating their bodies with beautiful flowers, because of an inferiority complex they harbor. Their hands and feet are large and crude compared to those of humans, and they want to hide them to look at least a little bit better to men. Also, they have an extremely strong body odor, so another of the reasons is to cancel it out with the fragrance of flowers. However, the body odor is definitely not something unpleasant, if men nearby smell it, the powerful 'female' odor makes them dizzy. That alone is enough to cause an erection.

Furthermore, in the dawn of the future when monsters become able to give birth to incubi, it is expected that "having a high affinity with the earth elementals, they will give birth to the greatest earth elementalists," so the faction of elementalists that are friendly towards monsters have approached them, and have been actively deepening friendly ties as of the present. Among them, many men are falling for them, and getting married to them.

Frostroll

Electroll

Brainwasher

Chthonic beings who have octopus or squid faces and humanoid bodies, whose special talent comes from brainwashing and mental consumption. Their name comes from the fact that they are highly intelligent and also are semiaquatic due to their tentacle faces in addition to their incredible mental prowess. Their most common means of attack is mind control, and they typically deem themselves superior to any being of lesser intelligence or which is susceptible to their mind powers.

Mindflayers are subterranean Monster Girls that specialize in mind control. They attack both males and females, implanting lewd desires by stimulating their victims' brains through the ears. Women are turned into sex-crazed thralls and sent back into the human world, periodically returning to their mindflayer mistress so she can feed on the memories of carnal pleasure; a process which slowly leads to monsterization. Meanwhile, captured men are kept by the mindflayers to rape for themselves, and possibly turned into squids as seen in the profile image.

Like the followers of the Fallen God and the natives of Zipangu, the mindflayers first allegiance is not to the Demon Lord. Rumours suggest that in fact they are primarily loyal to the mysterious monsters of chaos.

Grotesque enchantresses with tentacles growing from their head and lower body who form peculiar societies underground. Highly intelligent and dangerous with an extremely obscene mentality, they possess the power to manipulate the mind. They are of a different mind from even the radical faction of the Demon Lord's army, and although they have been influenced by the Demon Lord, they are not her underlings. According to one explanation; it is purported that they are a race who serve chaos monsters that slumber deep within the depths of the sea, and it is their duty to fill the land with their minions. They appear above ground seeking prey and they will not only target human men who serve as their partners, but also actively assault human women to entice them into becoming the same race.

They seize their prey as if embracing them from behind and slip their tentacles into the prey's head through the ears to directly pour in demonic energy and pleasurable signals. The rational mind and thoughts melt away, and the mindflayer slurps them up. The prey's mind is consumed by pleasure and the watery sounds of the mindflayer's tentacles noisily stirring about inside their head. The prey will be completely helpless and unable to do anything but gasp and moan. If the prey is male, then a lewdly obscene mind suitable for the partner of a mindflayer will be implanted inside his defenseless head. Once a man becomes a being that exists to have sex with a mindflayer, his body and mind will no longer put forth any resistance at all when the mindflayer habitually coils around her husband using her body and tentacles to induce pleasure. Such men will experience joy as their mind is melted and slurped out along with their essence.

On the other hand, in the case that her prey is female, it is said that she won't immediately be converted into a monster, and will instead be released while still human. However, just getting a whiff or the odor of a human man or his essence will be intoxicating, and she'll be unable to maintain her ordinary thought processes. In all likelihood the woman will have been partially modified so that only parts of her memories, values, senses, and perception will be that of a monster. She may have been granted only "a monster's olfactory sense", or she may have been implanted with a monster value such as "taking pleasure in being sexually desired by others", or a false memory such as "becoming a monster and having sex with a man."

While a woman will retain her human body, she will be inflamed with a monster's passion, and learn the pleasure of being a monster. No matter how much she masturbates and has sex, she will never be able to experience fulfillment in her human body, and her mind will be eaten away. She will start to frequently recall the pleasure and watery noise of having her mind slurped, and despite having been released will end up making her way back to the mindflayer on her own. When the mindflayer enjoys herself by sipping the taste of a woman's mind, she will notice that it is changing into something appropriately obscene and befitting of a minion. As if to reward her, she will change the woman slightly closer to being a monster. As these events repeat, eventually the woman will beg to be changed into a monster. Sometimes such women will sexually assault men while still human, in order to show off that they are of the appropriate mind to become a minion. After debauching her mind to such a degree, a woman will finally be accepted as a new "mindflayer".

Also, they themselves are always immersed in the obscene watery noises. Even if they don't have any prey, they will use their tentacles on their own bodies. In order to make sex with their partner more pleasurable and fulfilling, they continually melt their mind and reforge it into something even more obscenely debauched.

The squid-like thing covering their lower abdomen frequently squirms as if it were an entirely separate organism. It is said that they pat it lovingly with tentacles and then it releases white viscous fluid. "Men who become intimate with them are suddenly transformed into squids, becoming stuck coiled around their hips with a tentacle slipped inside their lower abdomen." This has been observed, but even when asked about the truth, the only response of the mindflayers is to smile alluringly.

Attacks
Strike: Shmacks you with a STICK.

Mind Blast: A powerful wave of psychic energy that will harm the foe's mind and body as well as cause Confusion.

Mustard Bomb: An intense and immense explosion of heat that will severely damage the foe and cause intense Heat on the foe.

Freeze: Releases a blast of chilling magic that will instantly Freeze the foe if contact is made.

Bio: Releases a greenish liquidish or gaseous energy that will cause Poison to whoever is touched by it.

Vanish: Instantaneously becomes invisible and intangible via magic, making all physical attacks utterly useless.

Reflect: Casts a sort of magical barrier that makes all non-physical attacks be reflected right back at the user with double the power.

Damage Resist: Reduces all damage by 1/3 of its original potency.

Dark Shock: A destructive, dark, explosive mental shock that will not only harm whomever is in range, but also Blind and Sap them.

Defense Plus: Increases own defenses by double their original standards.

Drain: Using the power of magic, drains life force from foe into self.

Hero's March: A magical chant that will grant Protect, Shell and Haste to all allies and self.

Invert: Switches targets chakra/magic/etc. in place with their own health. Or, alternatively, switches own health with the target's.

Magic Plus: Increases own magical prowess by double.

Pierce: Ability to have non-physical attacks bypass Reflect.

Soul Etude: Replenishes a large amount of health and magic/etc. to the user while also curing of all status ailments.

Spellbound: Increases duration of status enhancements and effects.

Time Requiem: Stops the flow of time of everyone and everything in the immediate area around the Drakan.

Tentacles: Extends tentacles on face for powerful strikes.

Ink: Spews black ink that causes Blindness.

Discord: Releases a powerful mental wave that dispels all positive status enhancements to the foe.

Soul Drain: Steals a piece of the foe's soul.


Weakness: Wind, Light

Immunities: Earth (of all kinds.)

Blue Magic Learned: Vanish, Mustard Bomb

Item Dropped: Sapphire, Ether.

Additional Info: Half Damage from all elements.

Amanojaku
Amanojaku天邪鬼
あまのじゃく

Translation: heavenly evil spirits
Alternate names: amanjaku

Appearance: Amanojaku are wicked monsters which have been known since before written history in Japan. They are described as evil kami, minor oni, or yōkai who cause mischief and perform evil deeds. In particular, they are known for provoking humans into acting upon the wicked, impious desires buried deep within their hearts. They spread spiritual pollution wherever they go.

Origin: Although they predate Buddhism in Japan, amanojaku are frequently depicted in Buddhist imagery as symbols of wickedness being defeated by righteousness. In particular, the Four Heavenly Kings are depicted as standing on top of demons, squashing them—those squashed demons are said to be amanojaku. The god Bishamonten’s armor is also decorated with demonic faces, which are said to be this evil spirit.

Amanojaku originate in ancient mythology. Though their true origins are a mystery, they appear to have developed out of ancient myths of wicked Shinto deities. Amanozako, Amenosagume, and Amenowakahiko all share aspects of this spirit’s undermining nature. It is widely believed that amanojaku originated from one or even all of them.

Legends: The most well-known tale about amanojaku is the story of Uriko hime. In this story, a childless elderly couple discovered a baby girl inside of a melon. They took her home and raised her as their own, and named her Uriko hime. She grew into a beautiful young woman, and one day a request for her hand in marriage arrived. Delighted, her parents went off to town to purchase her dowry and prepare for her wedding. Before leaving, they warned her not to open the door for anybody, no matter what!

Shortly afterwards, Uriko hime heard a knock at the door. “Uriko hime, please let me in!” She refused to open the door. The voice replied, “If you won’t open the door, then at least open the window a crack…”

Reluctantly, Uriko hime opened the window just a crack. As soon as she had done so, a long, clawed finger slipped into the crack and smashed the window open. It was an amanojaku! The amanojaku leaped at Uriko hime, tearing at her clothes. The young woman fought for her life, biting and kicking at the demon, but she was not strong enough. The amanojaku snapped her neck, and she died.

The amanojaku didn’t stop there, however. It flayed Uriko hime’s skin and wore it like a suit, hiding itself in her clothes and disguising itself as the young girl. When the girl’s parents came home, they were fooled into thinking their daughter was still alive.

Finally the wedding day arrived. The elderly couple brought the amanojaku-in-disguise to its husband-to-be. However, a crow in a nearby tree called out, warning the couple that their daughter was not what she seemed. They grabbed the bride tight and held her down. They washed her body until the flayed skin sloughed off, and the amanojaku was revealed.

The amanojaku ran for its life, but the elderly couple chased after it. More and more people joined them, until a whole host of villagers chased the demon through the village. Finally, the townspeople caught up to the amanojaku and hit it with sticks, stones, and tools. They beat the demon into a bloody mess, and it died.

Gagoze
Gagoze元興寺
がごぜ

Translation: none; named for the temple which he haunted
Alternate names: gangōji no oni, gagoji, guwagoze, gangō, gango
Diet: children

Appearance: Gagoze is a reiki, or demon ghost, who haunted the temple Gangō-ji many centuries ago. He appears as a hideous demon dressed in monks robes, crawling about on all fours. His legend is preserved at Gangō-ji, which was founded in 593 by Soga no Umako.

Legends: Long ago in Owari Province, during the time of Emperor Bidatsu, a thunder god fell out of the sky in bolt of lightning. A peasant investigated the spot where the bolt struck, and discovered the thunder god in the form of a young boy. The peasant raised his cane with the intention to kill the creature, but the god pleaded to spare his life. The thunder god promised to give the peasant and his wife a young boy as strong as a god if the peasant would help him. The peasant agreed, and helped the thunder god to build a boat which allowed him to return to heaven.

Shortly after, the peasant and his wife had a child. Just as promised the child was as strong as a thunder god. As the boy grew, he became renowned far and wide for his superhuman strength. By the time he turned 10, he had grown so powerful and boastful that he challenged a prince to a contest of strength and won. This attracted attention of the imperial court, and the boy was apprenticed to Gangō-ji.

Shortly after he joined Gangō-ji, the temple’s young apprentices began dying strange deaths one by one. Every morning, the fresh corpse of one of the boys would be found by the temple’s bell tower. The monks decided that an evil spirit was infiltrating the temple at night and committing the murders. The peasant’s son resolved to solve the mystery. He volunteered to catch whatever was killing the boys.

That night, the boy placed covered lanterns in the four corners of the bell tower. He instructed an older monk to wait by the lanterns and uncover them once he grabbed the evil spirit. The boy waited by the bell tower. At midnight a hunched creature came crawling towards the tower. It saw the boy, however, and ran away.

A few hours later, hunger got the better of the creature and it slinked back. The boy sprang and caught it by the hair, but the monk was too scared to uncover the lanterns. Summoning his superhuman strength, the boy dragged the creature to each corner of the tower and uncovered the lights. In the lamplight, he could see that the creature was a reiki—the ghost of an oni.

The reiki pulled back so hard that it ripped off its own scalp. Once free, it scampered away into the darkness, leaving its hair in the boy’s hand. When morning came, the priests followed the bloody trail left by the creature. They found the grave of a lazy, wicked servant formerly employed by the temple. The servant’s spirit had transformed into the demon ghost that was responsible for the murders.

After that, the reiki never returned to the temple again. The monster’s scalp became one of the holy treasures of Gangō-ji. The boy became famous far and wide. He used his superhuman strength to irrigate the temple’s fields, and eventually took the name Dōjō and became a splendid priest. After he died, he was enshrined as one of the gods of Gangō-ji.

Hannya
Hannya般若
はんにゃ

Translation: wisdom; specifically the Buddhist concept of Perfect Wisdom

Appearance: Hannya refers to demons or oni; more specifically to female demons called kijo—even more specifically to those kijo which appear in noh theater. They were once human women who were consumed by jealousy and transformed into demonesses. The name hannya also refers to a specific type of demon mask used in noh theater.

There are three grades of hannya: namanari, chūnari, and honnari. Namanari hannya are kijo that still resemble human women. They have small horns and use dark magic to perform their evil deeds, such as summoning ikiryō to attack their enemies. They are not completely evil; there remains a chance for these beginner demons to return to humanity. Chūnari hannya are mid-level demons. They have long, sharp horns, tusk-like fangs, and more powerful magic. However, they are still vulnerable to Buddhist prayers. Honnari hannya are true demons and the most powerful of the three. They have serpentine bodies and breathe fire. Honnari hannya have embraced their jealousy so deeply that there is no calming their fury.

Origin: Hannya originate from the Sanskrit term for wisdom—specifically Prajñāpāramitā, the highest form of Buddhist wisdom which leads to enlightenment. The juxtaposition of the highest form of wisdom and creatures who represent direct opposition to that wisdom comes from the use of the hannya mask in noh. In the play Aoi no Ue, a shugenja (an ascetic mystic) exorcises the spirit of the hannya Lady Rokujō from Lady Aoi. As it is driven away, the evil spirit cries out, “Oh, how horrible! The voice of wisdom is like a demon!” Since then, demon masks and wisdom have been associated with each other.

The three most famous hannya from Japanese literature are Lady Rokujō from Aoi no Ue, Kurozuka from Kurozuka, and Kiyo-hime from Dōjō-ji.

Hinoenma
飛縁魔
ひのえんま

Translation: flying fate demon
Alternate names: enshōjo (fate hindering woman)
Habitat: human-inhabited areas
Diet: men, especially clergy

Appearance: Hinoenma are wicked female yōkai which look like beautiful women. They use their beauty to attract young men and destroy them.

Behavior: Hinoenma are paragons of feminine evil and the femme fatales of the yōkai world. They roam cities and streets looking for men (especially young monks) to make into their victims.

Interactions: Men who become enchanted by a hinoenma are quickly ruined. The hinoenma feeds on their virility and their lifeblood, causing them to become weaker and poorer. In the end, the man dies, and the hinoenma moves on to find another victim.

Origin: East Asian folklore is full of cautionary tales in which hinoenma have used their beauty and charm to destroy men. The falls of three of China’s great dynasties are attributed to yōkai women. Mo Xi was said to be responsible for the collapse of the Xia Dynasty. Daji was said to be responsible for the collapse of the Shang Dynasty. Bao Si was said to be responsible for the collapse of the Western Zhou Dynasty.

Hinoenma is a Buddhist term warning about the dangers of beautiful women. Sex with women was viewed as a sin for priests because it was a worldly, carnal pleasure which distracted them from the path of spirituality. Phrases like “bodhisattva on the outside, yasha on the inside” were meant to remind monks that no matter how pleasing a woman looked, her true nature was as dangerous as a demon. This misogyny had multiple implications. Women were considered dangerous both to worldly status and wealth, as well as to spiritual health and religious pursuits. Women eat men’s food, spend men’s money, and drive men into financial and social ruin. On top of that, they force men to focus on worldly things such as sexual desires and material wealth (in order to maintain the extravagant lifestyles women demand), providing barriers to spiritual enlightenment. In other words, if you give a woman your heart, she will steal your soul.

The name hinoenma itself carries multiple interpretations. Literally translated, the name means “flying fate demon,” Fate in this case refers to the Buddhist concept of nidana, the cause-and-effect chain and birth-death cycle which links all things in the universe. Fate demon means a creature from Buddhist cosmology who tries to disrupt a person’s spiritual progression. Specifically it refers to Mara, the demon king who tried to disrupt the Buddha’s quest for enlightenment by tempting him with beautiful women.

Written with different characters, hinoenma can mean “fiery Enma,” referring to the king of hell—a hint at what awaits monks who allow themselves to be tempted by women. The name also evokes the phrase hinoe uma—the year of the fire horse—which occurs every 60 years according to the Chinese calendar. Women born in these years were said to be destined to ruin their husbands—a superstition which stems from the legend of Yaoya Oshichi.

Legends: Yaoya Oshichi is the origin of a Japanese superstition about women born in the year of the fire horse. Oshichi was born in Edo in 1666, the year of the fire horse. During the Tenna Era, a great fire erupted at Daienji. Watching the fire, she saw a temple page named Ikuta Shōnosuke and fell in love at first sight. A year later, she attempted to set fire to Daienji in hopes that she would see him again. She was caught, and was burnt at the stake for arson. Since then, it has been believede believed that women born in the year of the fire horse are destined to have furious tempers and eventually destroy their husbands by consuming all that they own. In a testament to the superstition’s continued existence, the most recent year of the fire horse—1966—saw a 25% drop in births compared to the previous and following years. Supposedly weddings have even been cancelled by superstitious families upon finding out that the bride was born in the year of the fire horse.

Ichijama
Ichijama生邪魔
いちじゃま

Translation: living evil spirit
Alternate names: ichimabui, ikimaburi
Habitat: Okinawa and islands in southern Kyūshū

Appearance: Ichijama is a curse from Okinawa. It is a type of ikiryō—a spirit of a still-living person which leaves the body to haunt its victim. The magic which summons this spirit, the person who casts the spell, and the family line of that person are all referred to as ichijama. Not only people, but cows, pigs, horses and other livestock, as well as crops can be cursed by an ichijama.

Interactions: An ichijama is summoned by praying to a special doll known as an ichijama butokii. The ichijama butokii is boiled in a pot while reciting the name of the body part which is to be cursed. After the ritual is performed, a spirit which looks exactly like the person casting the spell visits the home of the intended victim. It delivers a gift to its target—usually fruit or vegetables such as bananas, garlic, or wild onions. After receiving the gift, the target develops an unidentifiable sickness in whichever body part was chanted during the spell. If untreated, the victim will die.

Omyōdō did not exist in Okinawa, so this curse could only be overcome with the help of Okinawan magic, by shamans known as yuta. This was accomplished by performing yet another curse. The yuta would bind the victim’s thumbs together and hit them with a nail while chanting bad things about the curse victim. Performing this curse would drive out the ichijama from its victim.

Origin: The ability to summon an ichijama is a hereditary secret passed down from mother to daughter. Families with such magical power are said to be very beautiful and have a sharp look in their eyes. The ability to use black magic carries a strong social stigma in Okinawa. Marrying into one of these families should be avoided at all costs. But it is difficult to tell; ichijama clans are often careful about hiding their family secret.

Jigoku tayū
地獄太夫
じごくたゆう

Translation: hell courtesan

Appearance: Jigoku tayū is a legendary figure from Sakai (present-day Ōsaka). Her story takes place during the Muromachi Period, but she first appears in literature and artwork during the Edo Period, when novels and images depicting life in the red light districts were popular. Her legend is intertwined with that of the eccentric and iconoclastic Zen master Ikkyū—one of Japanese Buddhism’s most influential figures who was known for his outrageous lifestyle.

Legends: Long ago lived young girl named Otoboshi, the daughter of a samurai. When her father was killed, she fled with her family into to Mount Nyoi, but they were ambushed by bandits. Otoboshi was kidnapped and sold to a rich brothel owner in Sakai named Tamana. She was trained to become a yūjo—an upper-class courtesan.

Otoboshi grew up to be very beautiful. She was also intelligent and sharp-witted. Although her life was full of misfortune, she believed that her misfortunes were merely her karma—the result of things she did in her past lives. As a courtesan, she gave herself the name Jigoku (“Hell”) as a way of mocking her misfortunes. She wrapped her body in kimono decorated with skeletons, fire, and scenes from hell. She spoke with elegance and wit, and recited poetry with such grace that those who heard her were instantly charmed. And in her heart, she constantly recited the name of Buddha, hoping to achieve salvation from her sins. Jigoku’s grace, beauty, and wit quickly distinguished her from the other courtesans. Her unique name also caused her to stand out from competing courtesans who had flowery names like Hotoke gozen (“Lady Buddha”).

Jigoku quickly rose to the rank of tayū, the highest rank possible for a courtesan. Word of this strange woman caught the attention of Ikkyū, a Zen monk. He visited the Takasu pleasure district of Sakai and went to the Tamana brothel to seek out the peculiar courtesan whom he had heard so much about. When Ikkyū appeared before Jigoku, she recited a poem to him:

Sankyo seba
miyama no oku ni
sumeyokashi
Koko ha ukiyo no
sakai chikaki ni
If you live in the mountains
It is best to stay
Deep in the mountains
This place is close to the border
Of the floating world
The poem was rich in metaphor and multilayered, playing on the word sakai (“border”) and Sakai (the city). Ikkyū did not miss what Jigoku was implying. She was asking what a monk like him, who ordinarily should not leave his temple deep in the mountains, was doing on the edge of a pleasure district—the “floating world” of sorrow and grief from which Buddhists seek escape. Intrigued, Ikkyū replied with a poem of his own:

Ikkyū ga
mi wo ba mi hodo ni
omowaneba
Ichi mo yamaga mo
onaji jūsho yo
As for me
This body I have
Means nothing to me
A city and a mountain retreat
Are both the same place
He implied that, as a Zen priest, he has no attachment to his body—and therefore it makes no difference if he comes to a brothel. To the enlightened, the body does not truly exist, nor is there any intrinsic difference between a brothel and a temple. There are one and the same. He followed up with another poem:

Kikishi yori
mite otoroshiki
jigoku ka na
Seeing hell in person
Is much more terrifying
Than hearing about it
Jigoku understood that Ikkyū was really explaining that he came specifically to see her, and complimenting her on her terrifying beauty and wit. Jigoku finished his poem for him:

Shi ni kuru hito no
ochizaru ha nashi
There is none who dies
Who does not fall into hell
Her poem, while playing on Buddhist themes, simultaneously implied that everyone who sees her falls in love with her.

Jigoku admitted Ikkyū into her presence. She offered him a vegetarian meal appropriate for a monk. Ikkyū refused and instead asked for sake and carp. Jigoku became suspicious. Monks were forbidden from indulging in alcohol, meat, and sex, and this man certainly did not appear to be a monk. She had girls sent to Ikkyū to test his true character. The girls sang, played drums and flute, and danced for Ikkyū. The monk enjoyed the performance and joined them in celebration.

Jigoku listened to the performance in secret from the next room. Suddenly, she noticed something odd about the shadows on the paper doors. She peeked into the room and saw that all of the dancers had turned into skeletons, reveling together in the music. When Jigoku re-entered the room, everything had turned back to normal.

Ikkyū partied until he passed out. In the middle of the night the monk awoke and went to the veranda where, having indulged too much, he vomited into the lake. When the vomit hit the water, the carp that Ikkyū had eaten turned into a live fish. Jigoku winessed this too.

The following morning Jigoku asked Ikkyū if she was dreaming, and told him about the things she saw the previous night. Ikkyu taught her about heaven and hell, and how looks can be deceiving. He explained to her:

“When are we not in a dream? When are we not skeletons? We are all just skeletons wrapped with flesh patterned male and female. When our breath expires, our skin ruptures, our sex disappears, and superior and inferior are indistinguishable. Beneath the skin of the person we caress today, there is no more than a skeleton propping up the flesh. Think about it! High and low, young and old, male and female: it is all the same. If you awaken to this one basic truth, you understand.”

Jigoku vowed to renounce her profession and become a nun, but Ikkyū told her to remain a courtesan. He told her that she should find her own way to enlightenment; that religion is hypocritical and a prostitute is more worthy than a nun.

From that moment, Jigoku became Ikkyū’s student. She remained in her brothel, and Ikkyū visited her time and time again to meditate and pray with her. She came to understand that all people are merely skeletons in bags of flesh, and she found peace. She continued to work as a prostitute, and gave generously to charity. She meditated and prayed every day, and eventually achieved enlightenment.

Like most courtesans, Jigoku became ill and died at a young age. Ikkyū was by her side at her death. Her final poem expressed her last act of compassion:

Ware shinaba
yakuna uzumuna
no ni sutete
uetaru inu no
hara wo koyase yo
When I die
Do not burn me or bury me
Throw me into a field
So that I may feed
The starving dogs
Ikkyū lay her to rest in a field as she wished, and then built a grave for her in Kumeda Temple in the nearby village of Yagi.

Katawaguruma
片輪車
かたわぐるま

Translation: crippled wheel
Habitat: hell; encountered on roads and mountain passes, and occasionally villages
Diet: souls

Appearance: Instead of a giant monk’s head stuck in a wheel, a katawaguruma appear as tormented, naked women riding single, flaming, ox-cart wheels. They suffer eternally, burning in pain.

Behavior: Katawaguruma look and act in much the same manner as wa nyūdō, rolling along the roads of Japan, occasionally stopping in towns to hunt for impure souls to drag back to their hellish masters.

Interactions: These demons bestow powerful curses on any who see them. This curse spreads rapidly through town, traveling on the news and gossip about the katawaguruma. Eventually, this brings calamity upon an entire village. Despite this, there is evidence that the katawaguruma has a capacity for mercy alien to its male counterpart.

Legends: In a 17th century record, when a katawaguruma attacked a village in what is now Shiga, she abducted the child of a woman who dared to peek at her through a crack in her door, saying “Instead of watching me you should have been watching your child!” The distraught woman realized her own curiosity was responsible for the loss of her child. She composed a poem expressing her faults, and displayed it all around town, warning others to watch their children more carefully. The next night, the katawaguruma came again and saw that the woman was truly regretful. She returned the child unharmed. The katawaguruma was never seen in that village again.