Kappa

Description
A popular myth of Japan, the Kappa are brutish, ugly, stupid, and murderous, possessing no redeeming qualities at all. The rivers are their domain, and in times past they would ambush passing travellers and animals, drowning them and eating their innards (considered a delicacy by the Kappa. Especially the bowels.) Fortunately, their lack of intellect has made them less than successful, and they are notoriously easy to outwit. While they make a show of being polite (and the exceedingly rare Kappa of Kagayaku aspect actually are), most are basically thugs who have no real time for civilised trappings. Boastful, loud-mouthed and swaggering, they practice Sumo wrestling as a test of strength, virility, skill and manhood, only respecting those that can give them a sound beating. Of course, the more brutal Kappa are very poor losers... Like all Japanese Sei they play no part in the western Court system. They care nothing for station, culture or religion, living lazy and worthless lives, looked down upon by most of Japanese Sei. Cucumbers are perhaps their greatest weakness, and eating one produces a great feeling of euphoria in Kappa. In fact, many Kappa will hire out their services (such as they are) for a payment of cucumbers.

Appearance
Kappa are grotesque Sei, standing shorter than the average Japanese male. Their skin is green and scaly, and their spindly limbs end in webbed fingers and toes. Their heads feature a flat depression on their crown, filled with chimerical water. Their nose and mouth form a beak, and their eyes are large and round. They all possess a turtle-like shell covering their back. Any hair they possess is sparse and black.

Seemings
Childling Kappa are small and awkward, spending their time swimming through the rivers, catching and eating fish. They take great delight in fouling fishermen's lines and nets and stealing their catch. They tend to behave like wicked children.

Wilder Kappa are notorious bullies, becoming violent as they gain in strength. They spend most of their time tipping over small fishing boats, beating the fishermen and wrestling with each other.

Grump Kappa make the greatest effort to be polite, but it's till a very shallow affair. In fact they are even more brutal than their wilders, going as far as drowning people and animals and devouring their flesh.

Lifestyles
Kappa are incredibly lazy, rarely working for a living. Instead, they live by the river catching their food, practising Sumo, and creating havoc among local fishing communities. Several have tried to become Sumotori (Sumo wrestlers) but have faced difficulty due to their dependence on water, the fact that they tend to get banned for brutality, and the fact that they aren't very big in their mortal seemings.

Affinity
Nature

Birthrights
ShellBack - Their hard turtleshell provides them an Armour rating of 3 against attacks from the rear.

Unusual Power - Despite being small and comically thin, the Kappa are surprisingly powerful. Add +1 dot to Str when they reach Wilder seeming (not above 5).

Watery Realm - Kappa are at home in the water, swimming at their full movement rate, can see with perfect clarity, and can hold their breath for Sta x 5 mins.

Frailties
Bad Attitude - Exactly like the Redcap Frailty, no one likes a Kappa; they suffer a difficulty penalty (+2 or more) in any social situation except browbeating.

Water is Life - Kappa must be very careful to avoid dehydration. They suffer 1 Health Level of damage for every day they remain away from a source of fresh water, and don't immerse themselves. They must immerse themselves for at least a day to heal each Health Level lost this way.

Quote
'Kappa strong!'

Outlook
As with all Japanese Sei, the Kappa have only really met the Eshu.

Eshu: Are all gaijin so easily beaten?
'These brutes have no desire to talk or hear stories. It took my arms weeks to heal after they broke it.'

Hengeyokai: Weak but tricky. Their tricks make my head hurt, so I hurt them.
'Vicious, ignorant and worthless. They don't even have a sense of humour to redeem them.'

Oni: Big and strong. Why do they waste time with thinking?
'They know their place'

Tengu: They cheat! Use their heads! Grumble...
'Primitive thugs, but easily dealt with.'