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Korreds
The Korreds are creatures from Breton myth in France. They resemble small humanoid creatures covered in shaggy hair with wrinkled faces, red eyes, goat legs, and cat claws instead of fingers. They’re known to be skilled metalsmiths who make beautiful coins. They’re also known to build stone houses called dolmen. Often Korreds have large dance parties around their dolmens with small fires lighting the area. Travelers who come close to these parties are invited to join and given delicious food and drink. If a human accepts an invitation to dance, they become enchanted and dance until they die of exhaustion. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural…
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Kazenbō
The Kazenbō are ghostly yokai from Japan whose name means “monk in the flames.” They’re believed to haunt Kyōto around the mountain Toribeyama which has been a gravesite for centuries. In the 10th century, it is said several monks offered themselves up to sacrifice by burning themselves alive. They hoped to achieve enlightenment by burning away their ties to the material world and did so with public viewing. It turned out that these monks were not pure enough for enlightenment, and as such their tormented spirits now appear wreathed in the flames symbolizing their sins. They bring no harm but may appear suddenly in front of travelers while writhing in…
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Jingwei
The Jingwei is a bird from Chinese myth. Her name is thought to be onomatopoeia, and she’s seen as an ambiguous figure. She represents lone heroes and figures dealing with acts of futility. Her origin comes from a figure named Nu Wa, the daughter of another figure Yan Di. She was on a beach when she was suddenly washed away in the Eastern Sea where she drowned. She was reborn as a small bird whose call sounded like “jingwei. This bird remembered its past life and death and despised the ocean. To avenge her previous death she worked every day to try and fill the ocean with twigs and pebbles.…
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Imandwa
The Imandwa is a higher form of ghost from Bantu myth. They are referred to as the “kings of ghosts” and are typically seen as ancestors who want to be remembered by their living family. Typically they are known by name. They bring goodwill to those who honor their memories, but become spiteful or mischievous and move objects when ignored. They can take great energy to restrain and are sometimes even worshipped. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006. Werner, Alice. Myths and Legends of the Bantu. United Kingdom, Cass, 1968.
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Hwa Yih
Hwa Yih is one of the Lwan from Chinese myth. These birds resemble large, graceful pheasants, which have different names based on their changing colors. This form is the white version, and goes alongside the Fung, Yin Chu, To Fu, and Yu Siang. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Guild-Folk/Guild Neighbors
The Guild-Folk are a form of Trolls from Scandinavian myth. This term refers to the form of Trolls who dwell on land and beneath green hills. It’s believed the walls of their homes are lined in silver and gold. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Great Auk
The Great Auk is a cryptid in the form of a species, Alca impennis, believed to be extinct. It was originally classified by Swedish biologist Carl von Linné in 1758, most were killed by settler’s dogs, and the last reported pair was killed by an Icelandic fisherman in 1844. It was a large flightless penguin-like bird from Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and Norway. Despite being officially declared extinct, there have been several sightings of them since then. In 1867 residents of Greenland supposedly captured and ate a Great Auk. There were several sightings from the 1920s and 1930s in Norway, but investigations declared these were penguins imported by whalers. Despite…
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Fung
Fung is one of the Lwan from Chinese myth. These birds resemble large, graceful pheasants, which have different names based on their changing colors. This form is the red version, and goes alongside the Yin Chu, Hwa Yih, To Fu, and Yu Siang. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Elder Cyclops/Uranian Cyclopes
The Elder Cyclops are three beings from Greek mythology. They’re incredibly strong giant humanoids each with a singular eye in the middle of the forehead. Their names were Arges, Brontes, and Steropes, and they were the sons of Uranus and Gaia, and brothers to the Hecatoncheires. The name Arges means lightning, Brontes means thunder, and Steropes means storm clouds. They were locked in Tartarus by Uranus, only to be freed and then locked away again by Cronus, until eventually Zeus freed them so they could help him defeat Cronus and the other Titans. They helped in the war and created many treasures for the gods. They were eventually killed by…
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Dooligah
The Dooligah is a form of hairy hominid from Australia related to the Yowie. They stand four feet tall, have ape-like features, and can move incredibly fast through the woods. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006.
