Konaki Jijii

Kanji: 子泣き爺
Kana: こなきじじい
Pronunciation: konaki jijii

TRANSLATION: Crying Old Man
ALTERNATE NAMES: None
ORIGIN: Shikoku folklore

HABITAT: Mountains, Roads
DIET: None

ABILITIES:

• Weight manipulation
• Pertrification
• Crying

WEAKNESSES:

• Dropping it

OVERVIEW: Konaki Jijii is a deceptive spirit, known for crushing victims with its weight, and is often found on mountain roads.

APPEARANCE: It initially looks like an abandoned baby crying on the roadside. Upon closer inspection, it has the face of an old man. It wears a straw raincoat or baby bib. As soon as it is picked up, it turns into stone.

BEHAVIOR: It cries to lure sympathetic travelers to pick it up. Once held, it increases its weight to thousands of pounds. It crushes the victim to death under its mass. It never lets go once it grabs hold.

INTERACTIONS: Kind travelers are its primary victims. Humans learn to avoid crying babies in deep mountains. It is a warning against trusting strange things in the wild.

OTHER FORMS: None.