Post by Tulf on Feb 27, 2016 13:11:14 GMT
JORŌGUMO INTRODUCTION
One of the numerous youkai species, jorōgumo are among the most feared of the beings even in the modern day. While masked as humans, they are in truth arachnid-based Mystic Kind; as their true forms are that of gigantic spiders. Typically, they are massive golden orb-weavers, but over time there are some that resemble other kinds of spiders – assumedly linked to foreign bloodlines or perhaps just mutations… assuming the race even has natural origins. That is perhaps the most disturbing matter for those dealing with jorōgumo – they are still shrouded in mystery, more so than most Mystic Kind – even amongst the secretive youkai. During the early feudal years of Japan and the early times after the end of the masquerade, many jorōgumo were hunted and killed for their predation; leading to them being one of the rarest kind of youkai, with their enigmatic natures and disguising capabilities only making them harder to keep track of.
Hidden in their human guises, jorōgumo appear identically to humans – albeit with lithe and attractive features; often compared to that of image of royalty within Japan. Left to their own devices, they create a nest in their homes, hidden away from prying eyes. Filled with webs and usually bathed in shadow, they make this their den for their monstrous habits… perhaps this seems harsh, but while their attitudes vary as much as any other Mystic Kind; the fact remains that they have an especially unsavoury trait: they are man-eaters by natural. Luring in humans or other Mystic Kinds via their illustrious demeanour or simply by clues and traps; or perhaps even just overly curious passers-by; jorōgumo bind their prey in their dens before consuming them. Once satisfied, they return to their human guises once more – perhaps to continue the hunt, or perhaps to return to regular life. It is unclear so far as to whether they require this diet to survive, or it is simply part of their instincts… or even just a matter of taste.
Notably, they are in many ways more akin to werewolves than most of their fellow youkai shapeshifters in their transformation from human to spider, as they are capable of revealing parts of their true form rather than being bound to just a binary change. This trait makes them terrifying in combat as they can go from being regular humans to suddenly being supernatural powerhouses; only adding to their manipulative image. In addition, they are capable of forming strong silk that can range in size and shape as per their will – though ‘conjuring’ is possibly a better term than ‘forming’, as they are recorded as being able to create it from their bare hands via their transformative abilities rather than directly using their spindles.
Due to their deceptive nature and poor reputation, most jorōgumo choose to simply live amongst normal humans and supernatural and avoid ever showing their true colours in public – thus their infamy has only made them more infamous due to the lack of truth. Some say they relish torturing their prey before eating them alive; others say they enthral others to act as their pawns with their enchanting guises; and yet more say they slumber happily amongst the skeletons of their victims. Perhaps they are just regular Mystic Kind caught up in these rumours, terrified to reveal their true colours for fear of being subjected to such hatred – or perhaps they really are quite so malicious. Their true feelings on the matter will probably never become clear so long as they are so loathed.
JORŌGUMO LIMITATIONS
- Weaknesses: All jorōgumo share these weaknesses.
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- Cannot be turned into any other supernatural kind.
- Cannot learn and use Ki.
- Cannot learn and use magic.