#hiderigami

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Name: Hiderigami Origin: Japanese Myth Description: Three foot tall hairy creature with one eye, one leg, one arm in the middle of its chest, and is always female Behavior: Lives in the mountains, normally stays away from people Powers: So hot all water will evaporate around it, will die if throw in a toilet 26th day of the Obscure Monsters Challenge 2018 by GoldandSliverDragon. 

The hiderigami is a yōkai from Japanese folklore. Depicted as a humanoid covered in hair, with one eye, one arm and one leg, it is uniformly female. Despite its lack of limbs, it can run as fast as the wind.

The hiderigami is reclusive, living deep in the mountains. When they do travel near human civilisation, they cause terrible droughts, drying the ground and preventing rain. Despite this, it is said that a hiderigami can be killed by throwing it in the toilet.

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Monster master list.

Hiderigami

RARITY: ★★★★☆ | THREAT: ★★★☆☆ SIZE: Diminutive, reaching only a few feet tall.

HABITAT: 

Most commonly found in agricultural areas, including Gatlin Fields in Wicked’s Rest, where their presence can cause heavy financial losses for those whose crops are impacted.

OVERVIEW: 

Hiderigami are drought-causing demons, first described in Japan, that have long plagued agricultural centers and farmers over the centuries. These small creatures have outsized abilities, capable of destroying livelihoods and causing food shortages if left unchecked. Hiderigami have an ursine appearance and are covered in brown fur, with a bushy tail and pointed ears. Some individuals – the most powerful ones – have only a single eye. They are rarely noticed first for their physical presence, however; most often it’s the signs of their destruction that lead to their discovery. Wells might dry up, crops may wither overnight, and livestock can grow dangerously thirsty, ranging elsewhere for water. When hiderigami are not removed from an area, there may eventually be desiccated animal and human remains strewn about, even the soil cracking from being too dry.

Hiderigami may be temporarily appeased with certain rituals and offerings, but inevitably, the hiderigami must die or the people must evacuate. The good news is they tend to not expand their range. Sometimes they only impact a specific plot of land or farm, screwing over one farm in particular but leaving the others nearby alone. At times, their destruction may be blamed on wraiths, but wraiths have a smaller locus of effect, and their abilities are more cruel and personal in nature, while hiderigami do not directly attack.

ABILITIES:

Their presence in an area will remove all moisture, drying it out over time. This is subtle at first, with the hiderigami’s power increasing the longer it remains in the same place. There are records of them drying up entire lakebeds and preventing rainfall for months. 

Their touch will dessicate, but this ends up being a defensive measure more than an offensive one, as hiderigami avoid direct conflict. 

Though they can’t speak, they are smart enough to understand when an offering is being made to them, or someone is attempting to strike a deal.

WEAKNESSES:

Hiderigami dislike water and will scurry away for a while if doused, though they always come back. They try to dry up nearby sources of water to avoid this.

Exorcists can destroy hiderigami with relative ease. The ritual is on the more simple side and lower risk as far as demons go.

Their presence does eventually cause some distinctive red flags that can alert people that it’s a hiderigami responsible for prolonged drought (though still sometimes confused with wraiths).