Kowai

Kanji: 狐者異
Kana: こわい
Pronunciation: kowai

TRANSLATION: Strange Fox Person
ALTERNATE NAMES: None
ORIGIN: Edo period folklore

HABITAT: Towns, Shops
DIET: Garbage, Food

ABILITIES:

• Gluttony
• Scavenging

WEAKNESSES:

• Hunger

OVERVIEW: Kowai is a hungry ghost, known for its insatiable appetite, and is often found near food stalls.

APPEARANCE: It looks like a grotesque, disheveled man. It has bloodshot eyes and a long, drooling tongue. Fox-like whiskers or features distort its face. It is thin and looks perpetually starving. Its appearance gave rise to the word for "scary" in Japanese.

BEHAVIOR: Kowai raids restaurants and dumps to find food. It eats anything, even rotten garbage or filth. The spirit attacks food vendors to steal their wares. It is driven by an endless, painful hunger.

INTERACTIONS: Shopkeepers chase it away from their stores. Humans are disgusted and terrified by its behavior. It represents the karmic punishment for greed and gluttony.

OTHER FORMS: It was formerly a human glutton.