No? Too bad, you get one.

This is Baka-takoak! (Baka tako(stupid octopus)+oak(tree)) he's based on the "northwestern tree octopus"

A sort of "cryptid" that's so obviously fake, it went on to become a tool in teaching American kids about critical thinking in computer class! XD

Those inspirited by this weird wooden octopus suffer from a sudden drop in intelligence. They become dumb enough to believe any scam, lie or conspiracy theory. Never let this thing be in the same room as a politician!

Baka-takoak is an E rank earth attribute. He's a Merican yokai of the Slippery tribe, and has the soultimate "brain strangle" which inspirits his opponents.

I hope you enjoy this literally stupid yokai! And if you do, commissions are open! Details on the blog

Theme Animal (Tree Octopus)

Prompt List

Creature Codex Art Challenge

Commentary

See now this would've been perfect for yesterday. The tree octopus is a hoax whipped up in the 90s. For this piece I was thinking of rendering of a octopus actually up in a tree but instead decided to go for a travel poster design. I really like it and will be trying to make more in the future.

Palette Picked

Hoax of the Day: Tree Octopus

Image © Lyle Zapato, accessed at ZPI here

[ @glarnboudin​ reminded me about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus in conversation, and encouraged me to consider it a separate creature from the squibbon (which I’ll stat up whenever I get around to doing a Speculative Evolution block). If you haven’t seen the website (linked above), I highly recommend it, both as a very straight faced hoax and for its delightfully web 1.0 layout. The site has been used by media literacy groups to teach school kids about trusting internet resources, making it a hoax with an overall positive impact on the world.

My statistics hew very closely to the Pathfinder 1e octopus, with a few changes based on the environment. The one major difference is with the Charisma score. Pathfinder’s octopus have a Charisma of 3, which is wild considering how inquisitive, interactive and full of personality many octopus are. Sure, they’re not social animals in the wild for the most part, but they clearly have something approaching a sense of self.]

Tree Octopus CR 1 N Animal This brown, spotted animal has eight sucker-covered arms, wide staring eyes, and a bulbous body.

The tree octopus is a reclusive relative of ordinary octopus, adapted for life in the moist temperate rainforests. They are arboreal carnivores, hunting frogs, small mammals and birds, and feeding on eggs and insects as they come across them. Tree octopuses are inquisitive and curious, and may pick up shiny or intricately textured objects, stashing them in their nests to examine and play with. They are hunted by larger predators such as owls, eagles and mountain lions, and sasquatches find them to be delicious, if rare, treats.

Tree octopuses leave larger creatures, including humanoids, alone unless they are attacked. They can fight back with a venomous nip, causing swelling and muscle aches, as well as by shooting sticky ink in a blinding jet. Once a larger attacker is blinded and in pain, the tree octopus retreats, changing color and squeezing itself into a hollow tree or under a rock to hide.

The reproductive cycle of tree octopus is tied to water. They are solitary for most of their lives, but come down to rivers and lakes in order to mate and lay eggs. Males leave the female to guard the eggs, which she does at the cost of her own life. Juvenile tree octopus remain in the water for a month or so after hatching before instinctively crawling ashore and climbing into the trees.

Tree Octopuses as Animal Companions Use the statistics of a regular octopus animal companion for a tree octopus, except that it has a climb speed instead of a swim speed and no jet speed. It gains the ink blot attack instead of the ink cloud special quality, and gains hold breath as a special quality.

[Image ID. Stan and Ford Pines standing with Bigfoot in a forest.  Bigfoot is wearing a Mabel sweater that depicts a Pacific Tree Octopus in front of pine trees, with the top of the sweater done in a sunset gradient.  Ford is standing beside Bigfoot, gesturing towards him as if presenting him, like Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune. Stan is holding up an iPad as he Facetimes with Dipper and Mabel, to show them Bigfoot that Mabel sent for him to wear. Mabel has a look of delight on her face, while Dipper looks annoyed that she is in the way of him seeing what’s going on. End ID.]

And here we have the natural conclusion of the recent Hunt for Bigfoot series (part one here, and part two here) I’ve been doing -- a return to the Oregon coast, bearing a gift for Bigfoot from Mabel. 

The sweater depicts Bigfoot’s fellow PNW cryptid, the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, which has become a favorite of Mabel’s ever since a Sea Grunk adventure a couple of years ago.  (Seen recently again here.)  Dipper would like Mabel to get down in front, so he can get some sketching done for his notes.