Little Monstar:

After Dark.

[thecreaturecodex]

Tsuru Nyōbō

Image from The Crane Girl © Lin Wang, accessed at Once Upon a Blog here

[Commissioned by @justicegundam82. The story of the Crane Wife is one I first encountered through The Decemberists, and the fact that that album was released 15 years ago is yet another reminder that I am getting old. This was another folkloric creature where it was a bit of a trick translating to Pathfinder. I used the crane’s connection with luck in East Asian folklore (China, Japan and Korea) in order to give it some abilities related to anything but weaving. Also, while researching for this entry, I discovered that Pathfinder has no statistics for mundane wading birds of any kind! No storks, egrets, cranes or herons, although there are some very weird versions of the same.]

Tsuru Nyōbō CR 6 NG Fey This beautiful woman appears human, but her arms are also great feathered wings in white and red. Her feet are those of a wading bird.

A tsuru nyōbō, or crane maiden, is a fey creature associated with luck and beauty. They seek to bring beautiful things into the world, from the impermanence of a sunset or song, to great works of art that will be cherished for generations. A crane maiden can make remarkable art items with rapidity, sacrificing their own health and combining their blood and feathers into the work. Most tsuru nyōbō are weavers par excellence, but a few do specialize in other crafts. They spend most of their lives in the form of cranes, but are fascinated with humanoids and become part of their societies in passing multiple times in their lives.

Most tsuru nyōbō dislike combat, but will fight in order to preserve beauty or protect the ones they love. They typically fight with twin weapons, but focus more on defensive styles that buy time than on dealing a lot of damage quickly. Their preferred strategy is to empower their allies—a tsuru nyōbō is inherently lucky, and they can bestow that luck on other people, or strip away the luck of an enemy.

Many crane maidens may pass among humanoids disguised as one of them—as long as they conceal their feet and feathers with long robes. In this form, they often try to help those in need, using their magically enhanced skill at crafting to make marvelous or even magical items for others to sell. A tsuru nyōbō can be exploited by a greedy or manipulative person, but such relationships typically end with the tsuru nyōbō leaving.         

Most tsuru nyōbō are female, but some crane men, or tsuru otoko, do exist. All of them are willowy in build and beautiful in features.

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[annotaremonstrorum]

I notice that your tsuru nyōbō wields a pair of butterfly swords. Is this in reference to one of the more well-known takes on the crane wife legend - Iroha from the Samurai Spirits/Shodown series?

Iroha is a ninja maid crane wife, exactly the kind of weird fan service mash-up in which Japanese pop culture seems to delight.

In the (tiny) gif of her super move below, you can see her (very briefly) turn back into her crane form.

[thecreaturecodex]

The butterfly swords are a reference to Iroha, by the commissioner’s request. Samurai Shodown is a series I’m otherwise unfamiliar with, so I had to look her up while writing. I was really surprised (although in retrospect I shouldn’t have been) that a character I’d always known of as a figure of tragic sacrifice was made super horny and super submissive. And yes, I know there are non-tragic versions of the story. But it still seems weird.

But then again, there’s lots of sexy versions of Medusa, dating back literally thousands of years, and this is a character who (in the best known version of the story) was explicitly made hideous as punishment for her own rape. Which is even more messed up. I guess as long as a monster is a woman, someone is going to want to make her hot.

[thecreaturecodex]

Right, @june-brysen, that’s why I said “best known”, not “oldest”. In Hesiod’s Theogony, Medusa is the youngest of the three gorgons, and the only one who is mortal. She is said to have “lain with” Poseidon, but no greater context is given. Ovid is the oldest surviving source of the rape-and-transformation narrative in Metamorphoses. Which is full of rapes and attempted rapes–I appreciate you referring to him as a “long ago edgelord”. 

I’m using Theoi.com for these references, here. According to Wikipedia, Pindar refers to Medusa as lovely in one of his lyric poems. So the monstrous/beautiful dichotomy goes way, way back. We’ll probably never know “the original” version, if there is a single original version.

[thecreaturecodex]

Funghoul

Image by Hyoung Nam, © Naughty Dog Studios. Accessed on ArtStation here

[Commissioned by @wannabedemonlord, inspired by the Acrid Critter of Winterfold. I was honestly stumped for a long time on how to approach this monster, but after hours of deviantArt searching and wracking my brain, I decided that “luminous + stench = fungus”. Pathfinder RPG has a number of fungus-infected creatures, but all of them have the plant type. I decided to go for undead, and kind of accidentally stumbled into this as another replacement for the lamented 3.5 ghast.]

Funghoul CR 3 NE Undead This creature looks like a luminous humanoid, stunted in strange ways and its body rotting. Fungal growths emerge from its head and body, giving off an acrid stench.

Funghouls are undead creatures animated by the growth of fungus throughout their bodies. The fungus itself is infused with negative energy and moves the creature’s body around like a puppet, steering it to find more food and reproductive opportunities. It consumes flesh slowly, dissolving it with its acidic touch and absorbing it into its own body. Only humanoids are capable of becoming a funghoul—although the fungus can certainly infect other creatures and destroy their nervous systems, it cannot fully co-opt their bodies, and these creatures lapse into comas and die of dehydration if not treated.

The mushroom-like growths emerging from a funghoul are capable of luminescence. This light fascinates creatures that can see it, allowing the slow funghouls to approach and attack. Funghouls naturally congregate together, and their shambling packs can easily depopulate an area unless stopped. Larger and smaller funghouls are certainly possible, as even giants can succumb to the brain rot infection.

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[steelcaster663]

Wouldn’t the DC for Disease be Charisma based? If Constitution based, shouldn’t it be DC 11?

[thecreaturecodex]

It should be Charisma based. I must have been writing on autopilot. It’s fixed

[thecreaturecodex]

Minchgorm

Image © Paizo Publishing, accessed at Archives of Nethys here

[Commissioned by @coldbloodassassin. I probably would have gotten around to the minchgorm eventually. Its weaponized whimsy is exactly my kind of jam.]

Minchgorm CR 18 NE Fey This creature resembles a strange blob of tissue, studded with eyes and gaseous bladders. Tentacles grow at random intervals, both from its underside and along the fringes of its mouth. Its maw splits the thing almost in half, with needle-like teeth protruding in multiple rows.

A minchgorm is bizarre even by the standards of the fey, a grotesque monster with a cultivated, but still cruel, mind. Some hypothesize that they are an archetype for marine fish that lure their prey with deception, whereas other scholars believe that they are eldritch monstrosities that adopted the First World as their home and adapted to fit its whimsical nature. Regardless of their origins, minchgorms are fondest of two things—dinner and a show. And one often becomes the other.

A minchgorm cannot speak with its physical body, but can animate watery simulacra that speak for it. They may all speak in unison, like a chorus, or take turns. A minchgorm amuses itself by crafting plays, speeches and songs, performing them with its simulacra and inviting other creatures to join in or watch. Those that watch typically do so at a safe distance. Those that put on displeasing performances, do not follow stage directions or heckle the act are killed and eaten. Creatures that play their roles well may be paid for their services with treasures the minchgorm has collected over the years, but minchgorms are very strict critics and are adept at finding flaws and seeing through flattery.

In combat, a minchgorm can fight through its watery simulacra only to an extent, firing deadly torrents of bludgeoning water or casting spells through them. Its main means of dealing damage are its mighty jaws, and a minchgorm can swallow an entire recalcitrant cast in a single gulp. If enemies are too spread out, or if they are capable of casting spells back, it can create tentacles of water in place of simulacra. These constrict and drown pesky air-breathers for long enough so that the minchgorm can deal with them directly. Few minchgorms are proud enough to fight to the death, but they have long memories and are good at bearing grudges.

Keep reading

[thecreaturecodex]

Minchgorm

Image © Paizo Publishing, accessed at Archives of Nethys here

[Commissioned by @coldbloodassassin. I probably would have gotten around to the minchgorm eventually. Its weaponized whimsy is exactly my kind of jam.]

Minchgorm CR 18 NE Fey This creature resembles a strange blob of tissue, studded with eyes and gaseous bladders. Tentacles grow at random intervals, both from its underside and along the fringes of its mouth. Its maw splits the thing almost in half, with needle-like teeth protruding in multiple rows.

A minchgorm is bizarre even by the standards of the fey, a grotesque monster with a cultivated, but still cruel, mind. Some hypothesize that they are an archetype for marine fish that lure their prey with deception, whereas other scholars believe that they are eldritch monstrosities that adopted the First World as their home and adapted to fit its whimsical nature. Regardless of their origins, minchgorms are fondest of two things—dinner and a show. And one often becomes the other.

A minchgorm cannot speak with its physical body, but can animate watery simulacra that speak for it. They may all speak in unison, like a chorus, or take turns. A minchgorm amuses itself by crafting plays, speeches and songs, performing them with its simulacra and inviting other creatures to join in or watch. Those that watch typically do so at a safe distance. Those that put on displeasing performances, do not follow stage directions or heckle the act are killed and eaten. Creatures that play their roles well may be paid for their services with treasures the minchgorm has collected over the years, but minchgorms are very strict critics and are adept at finding flaws and seeing through flattery.

In combat, a minchgorm can fight through its watery simulacra only to an extent, firing deadly torrents of bludgeoning water or casting spells through them. Its main means of dealing damage are its mighty jaws, and a minchgorm can swallow an entire recalcitrant cast in a single gulp. If enemies are too spread out, or if they are capable of casting spells back, it can create tentacles of water in place of simulacra. These constrict and drown pesky air-breathers for long enough so that the minchgorm can deal with them directly. Few minchgorms are proud enough to fight to the death, but they have long memories and are good at bearing grudges.

Keep reading

[thecreaturecodex]

Betobeto-san

Image © Paizo Publishing, accessed at aonprd.org here

[Commissioned by @razzelmire​. Betobeto-san is a relatively famous yokai, but like many such creatures, it’s not a monster to be fought so much as a physical embodiment of a spooky occurrence. That didn’t stop Paizo from making statistics for a regional variation, the bisha ga tsuku in Pathfinder 1e, and Betobeto-san himself in 2e. The 2e version has mechanics I don’t particularly like–it’s incorporeal, but they clearly walk, not fly, and wear physical sandals. The flavor text is also somewhat confused about whether they intentionally cause fear for nutrition purposes, or if their fear effects are an unintended side effect. I suspect another editing pass would have cleared this up.]

Betobeto-San CR 12 N Outsider (extraplanar) This creature looks like a blob of shadow, with strong arms, skinny legs and a wide toothy grin splitting it along the midsection. Incongruously, it wears a pair of wooden sandals.

Despite their monstrous appearances, the creatures known as betobeto-san are simply aimless travelers with a strong sense of politeness. They seek company, and walk behind people on the road at night. As they are invisible, and their footsteps laden with supernatural fear, this usually results in the person panicking and running at top speed away—the betobeto-san may then run to catch up, to escalating hysterical results. If a person is calm, they can get the betobeto-san to leave them alone as simply as by allowing them to pass; the creature keeps going, thankful for the courtesy.

A betobeto-san will not engage in combat unless it is attacked first, which happens relatively often, due to their frightening effects. They are intangible, but their teeth and claws are well and truly solid. Many betobeto-sans don’t know their own strength, and they can theoretically kill a mundane person in a single bite, as much from mental trauma as the physical wound. If they do so, they are intensely apologetic, but will continue to defend themselves. They prefer to retreat from combat without killing opponents if possible, using their mislead ability to back off to a safe distance, and then shadow walking away, grumbling all the while.

The betobeto-san are the results of strong emotions leaving an impact on the Shadow Plane, similar to a phantom in the Ethereal Plane. They are spirits created by the ripples of shadow walk spells when mortals rush through the Shadow Plane to reach the side of a distant loved one. As the Shadow Plane itself has little room for sentiment, the betobeto-san are created as a grim inversion of these journeys—someone heard coming but never seen, whose presence drives creatures away and has no friends or family. A creature that can conquer its fear and engage a betobeto-san in conversation is seen as a boon companion by the monster, and it may accompany them for some time. Betobeto-sans know many things about the regions in which they travel, and can be a source of information. They rarely carry treasure, but may know rumors of the location of interesting items.

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[thecreaturecodex]

Hakutaku

Hello Hakutaku © deviantart user chasmosaur

[These are known as Bai Ze in China, and are credited with having taught the Emperor about all beasts and peoples. They are relatively little changed from their country of origin. On a mechanics note, I slotted these guys at 18 HD, CR 15 explicitly to make them attractive options for the greater planar ally spell.]

Hakutaku CR 15 LG Outsider (extraplanar) Although this creature has a body like an ox, the wisdom on its face reflects that it is no mere beast. A flowing mane runs along its back and down its long thin tail. A third eye sits on its forehead, and three more eyes sit on each flank under a pair of curving horns.

Hakutaku are great celestial beasts who are knowledgeable in all things. Many spells designed to commune with goodly spirits or extraplanar entities pass through hakutaku, allowing these sage entities to survey the mortal world constantly. Although they are most comfortable with spreading wisdom and gathering information, they are also valiant soldiers against the forces of evil, answering the call to battle undead, fiends and other dark powers without hesitation.

Mortal sages have dozens of conjectures about their origins, listing them as composite spirits of entire colleges or as the ascended souls of goodly beasts like shedu and lammasu or the fabric of Heaven itself pulled into a physical form. Hakutaku are silent on such matters, and questions about their origins are among the few that hakutaku will not answer.

Keep reading

[thecreaturecodex]

Since the original was written, Matthew Meyer of yokai.com has released a collection from his website called The Book of the Hakutaku, which is lovely and worth checking out if you’re into monsters. The statistics here have been edited. Originally the sacred beams did 3d10 per shot, the thought being that since only three of them could target one individual, that would balance the ridiculously high damage output. I’ve dropped it to 3d6–still a high damage output for nine beams, but not twice the recommended average damage at a CR 15.

[thecreaturecodex]

Hari-onago

Autumn Army - Harionago © deviantArt user Xatchett

[You would not believe how many vaguely fetishy images turn up on a Google search for hari-onago. Actually, you probably would.

Incidentally, the hari-onago is yet another yokai that was statted by myself and Paizo separately. See their version here. There’s is a much higher CR than mine, so the two could probably comfortably co-exist within a campaign. Just call one “harionna” or something]

Hari-onago CR 2 NE Undead This beautiful pale-skinned woman grins playfully behind her well-manicured hand. Her hair is long and flows nearly to the ground, each strand ending in a tiny barb.

Hari-onago are the undead shades of women whose vanity led to the ruin of their lives and the lives of others. They retain their beauty even in undeath—what signs of decay they express are subtle and typically concealed with makeup and perfumes. Hari-onago are more social than the typical undead creature and live within human societies, the better to attract attention. Hari-onago crave constant flattery and praise and delight in their appearances causing jealousy and infidelity. Those who are foolish enough to succumb to their charms are strung along on promises for months before being brutally slaughtered.

In combat, hari-onago fight with sharpened nails and their deadly barbed hair. This hair is used to ensnare and torment victims. The results of a hari-onago attack are gruesome to behold, and often interpreted as the handiwork of a mortal maniac. Hari-onago are infuriated by laughter, interpreting it as being aimed at them regardless of its true intentions, and may lash out violently at a laughing man regardless of the setting or consequences. Hari-onago sometimes live together and form acting companies, geisha houses or other social groups in which to spin their deceitful webs. These hari-onago publicly act friendly to one another, but scheme constantly to gain an advantage over their “sisters”. A hari-onago conforms to the dimensions of a human woman, and always wears her hair long.

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[fmahalem]

[littlemonstar]

High enough for this to be fascinating.

[littlemonstar]

Before Halloween

We're switching over holiday stock. Very nice. I am hoping this night goes faster.

[littlemonstar]

Anxiety Cramps and Beach Bum Santas

This is the first night I will be blogging. My stomach hurts because of anxiety and a sense of what-next-what-next-what-next. Stocking overnight tonight I have been introduced to a holiday decorating style that I can only describe as "Christmastime Mermaid." The worst offender? Two boxes of garland made using actual-sized starfish. What.

[littlemonstar]

New Reason to Blog

I have recently started an overnight stocking job. Because I am always up late, I've decided to keep a little scrapbook of random thoughts I have late at night. Tonight is the first night I will blog. Enjoy.

[littlemonstarfit]

No bien

So it’s been a week or so since I wrote last, and I have to say that I haven’t done any better, nor have I lost any weight. Currently I am on my period, and I hate it. I have always hated it, and I feel like I could never have another and be super happy about it. I haven’t been going to the gym like I wanted to, and I certainly haven’t been eating properly. Not even well. I’m kind of disappointed in myself, not to mention that I am probably more emotional about this than I need to be. Ugh. Anyway, I’m going to be moving out with my boyfriend in about two weeks (we’re actually supposed to do this on Valentine’s day), so I’m excited about that. I don’t know. I feel like a jumble of emotions and cramps. Ick.

[littlemonstar]

Monster

I am so tired of being this way. I am unwilling to be this way anymore. And no, I don’t fucking mean being fat, though I am tired of it. I mean being worried about what people think of me. Or if I say something stupid, or am unfunny or uncool. I feel like at age 21, almost 22, I should not being worrying about whether or not I am cool. How fucking juvenile is that? What is the point? I have no idea how to make this anxiety go away. If only I were better at this life thing. I don’t know. I’m hungry, but have eaten my fill today. Ugh.

[littlemonstar]

Useless Monster

Not so good at eating healthy lately. I’ve been eating the right amount of calories, but not the right foods. I am seriously terrible at healthy eating. But it’s a process. Get exercising and calorie counting down, add healthy eating and drinking, repeat for rest of life. I am… confident in my ability to lose weight now. I was always making ultimatums that this time is the time, but now I don’t feel I have to at all odds, but that I want to, to be happy and healthy. I like myself, and my body is not myself. Or, it doesn’t make me who I am. I am just interested in being a healthy person for the rest of my existence. I am not reporting here, just so you know. I can report at least this: I have lost 7 lbs since I started. Yay me.

[littlemonstar]

This is me, right now. 270. This is.my before photo. I will update in a month with the after.

[littlemonstar]

[littlemonstar]