Obake

Obake hail from the Spirit World, the swirling etherealness that surrounds the Material Plane. All obake come from the Feywild or the Shadowfell, and its influence can always be seen in their forms, even when they make an attempt to hide it. Obake from the Feywild typically have colors that mimic the rising sun, vibrant oranges, and yellows, eye-catching and inviting. Obake from the Shadowfell, on the other hand, are usually very dark, appearing in blacks and other dim hues.

Obake also vary wildly in size, running the gamut from short and stout at 3 feet, to taller (although still typically stout) at closer to 5 feet.

Most obake hide what they are, but leave clues on their person or wear symbols on their clothing to signal to other obake what they truly are. This can come in the form of ancient spiritual designs or significant colors.

True obake have three forms that they assume at will, which leads to further confusion in attempting to document or study them. There is a humanoid form; one which can pass amongst other human societies unhindered. They also have an animal form; the ability to become an animal of a type associated with their specific race. And finally, they have a middle form that usually walks on two legs and has hands, but has physical features based on its animal form (so a cat obake will have fur and a tail in this form, for example). It is this middle form that obake typically consider their "true" form, with the other two being temporary diversions from this true self.

While they have been known to live among others, most obake who choose to live on the Material Plane are very secretive, forming tight-knit communities amongst themselves. Obake form small towns and communities deep in the wilderness, far away from prying eyes. There are travelers who have reported stumbling upon a small town in the middle of a dense, deep forest, with no inhabitants. A town that looks as though it was lived in recently, but with no one there. These are obake villages, whose members have disguised themselves as woodland creautres until the intruder passes on.

Many obake are incredibly long-lived, and it is unknown if they ever truly die. It is known that obake who live on the Material Plane do age, and yet their lives are still centuries long. It is rumored that some obake can live for over millennia, watching nations rise and fall, traditions form and die. These long lifespans allow obake a unique view into culture and folklore.

Obake are lovers of games and fun and have laid claim to having invented many of the world's games that have been passed down through the ages. The truth of such statements is difficult to verify, as though obake are not untruthful, they are lovers of tricks and secrets, and what may seem to be a lie to someone less long-lived may simply be jesting fun for an obake.

While obake are generally secretive and secluded, it is quite common for obake to be included among other communities, although rarely do they reveal their secret identities. As incredibly long-lived entities, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly why obake choose to do anything, especially leave their communities behind and travel the world. The inner workings of an obake's mind can be a mystery, even to the obake themself, and are rarely understood well.

Obake are generally referred to by two names throughout their life. When an obake is born, it is given a name by its family. These names are often ancient, and their true origins are unknown. Obake who still go by their family's given name are considered children, even those who are hundreds of years old. The concept of young or old in regard to the term child is not well understood by obake.

An obake becomes an adult when it is given a name by another creature. The other creature may be another obake who has referred to it by its family name for years. Or it may be a member of another community or race, who has never heard of the obake's true name and so calls it something else. While an obake is never to explicitly encourage another creature to give it its adult name, the moment when an obake becomes an adult is one that is rarely forgotten.

Male Names: Akaname, Ebisu, Fujin, Futsunushi, Hachi, Inari, Izanagi, Jimmu, Kagutsuchi, Koyane, Mikaboshi, Momonjii, Niniji, Oyamatsumi, Raijin, Ryujin, Sarutahiko, Suijin, Tajimamori, Tenjin, Tsukiyomi, Yamatsumi

Female Names: Ama, Benzaiten, Byakko, Chimi, Hashihime, Iwanaga, Izanami, Kejoro, Kijo, Kuebiko, Kuraokami, Momiji, Myobu, Okami, Omoikane, Sakuya, Shirayama, Sukuna, Terasu, Toyotama, Tsuki, Ukemochi, Uzume, Yurei

Obake are great lovers of jokes, tricks, and pranks. They can be quick to welcome others into their secretive societies or can be just as quick to exclude them. How obake feel about individuals can change rapidly, but how obake feel about other races as a whole is often more grounded.

Fire Folk. "I love fire folk festivals! Of all the people in the world, the fire folk are most likely to be holding some kind of party at any given moment! Of course, I can never tell them where I live, spirits know what they might do. But it's the best place to disguise yourself as a human and just have a good time."

Air Monks. "I don't think many understand the air monks quite like we do. Sure they appear boring and ordinary on the outside, but they actually love pranks. There's nothing like a prank war with an air monk, especially one who doesn't know what you really are."

Water Clan. "People from the water clan are malleable, that's what I like about them. They can roll with the punches, never getting too hung up ont tradition and whatnot. Sure they have their history, and some of their ideas can be a little wack, but spend enough time with someone from the water clan, and you might see real change in them. That's not something you see often."

Earth Kin. "Out of everyone, the earth kin can be the most stubborn. This isn't always a bad thing, but their unwillingness to budge isn't exaclty fun. Lighten up, right?"