Post by Niti(Gaia) on Apr 10, 2011 4:53:39 GMT -5
Celestials:
Celestials are former humans, hermits that can be divided in two classes: those who gained immortality and ascended to heaven, and those who attained enlightenment and entered Nirvana. Unlike humans who have daily hard lives on earth, they live in a carefree manner enjoying music, fishing and playing games. They usually descend to earth to say absurd things that trouble normal humans and then return to heaven. Celestials' bodies are poison to youkai, and beasts are awed by them. They can also fly and ride the clouds giving them a frightening, god-like appearance.
According to Komachi Onozuka, celestials are not truly immortal. Instead, they manage to defeat the shinigami that comes to collect their souls on a routine basis, continually extending their lifespan. Celestials are also very tough creatures being able to take on many creature without worry of being harmed but their attack power usually is lacking.
"I wonder what this says about the Shinigami that come to collect their souls..."
devils:
Devils are a mighty race that inhabit Gensokyo, mostly in the Makai. Like magicians or vampires. It was once said that they lived in different parts of our world until mass appearances of Demon Hunters and other Christian Zealots who hunted them to extinction.
Vampires are considered to be a type of devil in Gensokyo. Youkai or Oni might be some kind of devils as well.
In some cases, Devils are strong enough to take down a Dragon, since they once attempted a invasion on Gensokyo, but the Dragon made the Hakurei Border with the first Shrine Maiden of the Hakurei family (possibly Reimu Hakurei's ancestor) to protect it from them.
Dolls:
Doll: An artificial object most often of small size and with human/humanoid appearance. Although normally inanimate in the outside world, Gensokyo dolls seem significantly more mobile. This is usually (though not always, as in the case of Medicine Melancholy) due to being magically controlled by a puppeteer, such as Alice Margatroid. The dolls that Alice uses seem unlimited in number, as she regularly sacrifices them in explosive attacks and never seems to run out. It's no wonder certain dolls feel like victims.
Dragons:
Large reptilian like creature with the elements imbued in them in a more focused manner than most living creatures. They are the children or descendants of a Creature known as Dragon a creature so powerful he was said to have conquered the other gods with his own strength.
Dragon is said to be the highest-order god of Gensokyo. Based from Perfect Memento that he lived anywhere and he looks like a serpent with hands and horns. He was also said to be last seen during the Creation of the Great Hakurei Barrier.
Both Humans and Youkai worship him, due his capability of creating and destroying anything.
Evil Spirits:
An evil spirit is a special type of ghost created under special circumstances. When a person dies, they must wait on the Sanzu River for a shinigami to ferry them across. However, if a youkai steals their body away before they cross the river, that person will become an evil spirit. Unlike normal ghosts, evil spirits are hot to the touch.
Certain corpse-stealing youkai, especially seem to be capable of both creating and controlling evil spirits. Rin Kaenbyou sent evil spirits under her control above ground during Subterranean Animism, and also used them with her danmaku when she battled the heroines.
In some cases evil spirit develope great powers.
Fairy:
A fairy ("yousei") is a simple creature of magic that represents some aspect of nature. Many of them are also simple-minded.
Fairies may have abilities relating to the four seasons, weather, emotions, longevity, decay, fertility, or other aspects of nature. The power exercised by a single fairy is usually harmless and small scale, so they're more suited to playing around, rather than causing major happenings. Fortunately, most fairies are easily amused.
Ghost:
Becoming a ghost is what happens to humans when they die and are unable to rest in peace. Being dead, one might think that they no longer have any need for food, sleep, physical pain, or other inconveniences of the living condition. Whether any of that is true is currently unknown. What we know is that they like to party, eat, behave cryptically, continue doing the same activities they enjoyed in life, and generally have a good time.
Within the safely guarded borders of the Netherworld, ghosts live out the days of their afterlives pursuing whatever happens to come to mind. There are some vague hints about a chain of command that even the dead must follow, but it doesn't seem like specific details have been worked out. Ghosts are easily distracted.
The downside on being a ghost seems to be not having a real body. In fact, Ghosts seem to be able to drink and eat because they're able to touch objects but they never have a feeling of satisfaction on it. But it still isn't obvious.
Although ghosts and poltergeists are usually thought of as same species, in actuality they are not, according to ZUN. Likewise, ghosts aren't phantoms, though the two are often confused.
Hakutaku:
The hakutaku is a mythical, spiritual beast, said to advise only kings of virtue. It is generally depicted as looking somewhat like a massive lion and can be distinguished by the presence of single or double horns. Often it will have extra eyes on its face or back. It is usually considered to be quite intelligent and well-read.
In Japanese folklore, it is said that a hakutaku visited Emperor Koutei (koutei is the Japanese word for emperor, so this is a fictional account). The creature could talk and explained that he only visited the greatest and most auspicious of rulers. The hakutaku went on to explain to the emperor that there were 11,520 youkai in the world; it also taught the emperor how to escape and exorcise the bad ones and deal with the good ones. The emperor set all that knowledge down in an encyclopedia of youkai.
There are some cases of Were Hakutaku that are simmilar to Lycans in biology.
Human:
Humans (ningen) in the land of Gensokyo are physically similar to humans in our world, but are remarkably different in terms of abilities. In ancient times, brave humans, who knew how to deal with supernatural entities, traveled to a youkai-infested area that we now call Gensokyo. They settled there in order to watch the youkai and keep them from terrorizing the rest of the countryside. These capable humans battled the youkai often. One day, Gensokyo was sealed away from the rest of the world. Having been separated from the rest of humanity, Gensokyo humans have ignored scientific advances and developed formidable innate spiritual power to survive. Today, the normal Gensokyo human is probably a little more powerful than the average youkai, but the population of youkai greatly outnumbers humans. Most humans live in the Human Village, but a few live in other notable locations.
Of course, there exist exceptional humans who can fight on equal terms against the most powerful beings in Gensokyo.
Kappa:
Kappa are a type of water sprite that live in rivers. In oversimplified term, they are aquatic goblins. Often portrayed as having a turtle shell and beak, they're known for having a curiosity about humans, sometimes challenging humans to tests of skill, eating children, and having a love of cucumbers. They have an unique body structure called "dish" on top of their head, and it must be filled with water for the creatures to function properly on the land. Kappa are known to pull out shirikodama(anal ball) out from human and killing them in process. Shirikodama is an imaginary gland that is said to exist somewhere near anus or around stomach, although where exactly is open to debate. This story seems to originate from the tendency that drowned corpses often having their anus wide open like something were pulled out from there. Kappa is sometimes depicted as creature with strength, as in case of stories where human not being able to withstand against match of sumou wrestling when it is done fair and square. Kappa in Gensokyo seem to think they're on good terms with humans but some of the folklore humans handed down over the generations suggest that humans think otherwise. Around the time the Hakurei Border was formed, the kappa constructed the dragon statue in the Human Village that people there worship every day. The kappa even installed a weather prediction device into it.
Gensokyo's kappa live mostly around the base of Youkai Mountain.
Kaapa's actualy have a very human appearance in contrast to the stories of them it seems there are a lot of misconceptions about them.
Kedama:
Kedama (hairball) as their name would suggest, they resemble white balls of fur. Not much else is really known about them.
Kistune:
Generally, kitsune is just the Japanese word for fox. However, when used in Japanese folklore, the kitsune is a type of youkai, and is believed to possess great intelligence, long life, and magical powers. One of the more notable features of the kitsune are their numerous tails; they may possess as many as nine. The more tails a kitsune has, the older and more powerful he or she is, for every one hundred years they live, another tail grows. Once they have lived for eight hundred years they will have nine tails, one of them the one they were born with, and the other eight grown through the ages. A kitsune's greatest power is that of illusion; they are able to trick a human into seeing almost anything. Because of this ability, they are regarded as playful tricksters in many stories.
Some legends say that once a person has won the trust of a kitsune, it will be difficult for others to convince that kitsune otherwise. They are extremely loyal to those they trust, and would often do anything for those people.
Lunarian:
The Lunarians (tsukibito; literally "moon people") are the people living on or coming from the moon. They resemble humans in most ways, and are classified as human, in Strict Sense. Lunarians naturally live much longer lives though, and are even said to live forever. They possess some of the most advanced technology that there is and are supposedly, according to Kaguya, the originators of magic. Of course most of this is false there technology isn't much more advance that the present Earth's and They only stumbled upon magic by chance.
Magician:
Magicians in the world of Gensokyo are powerful beings that have the ability to learn and practice any type of magic that exists in the world. Most magical beings can use only the innate magical power that they were born with, but magicians can develop any power they wish after studying and analyzing it.
"Natural" magicians are a subclass of youkai, and inherit this unique ability as being part of the magician race. Human magicians are not born with this special ability, but instead have practiced and trained to master the skill of a magician. However, human magicians must work much harder than natural-born magicians to achieve the same results.
A magician's home is usually filled with books, notes, or artifacts, due to the amount of studying and work required to learn any type of spell. Because of this, magicians are generally seen as indoor-loving, bookish types of people. So some are humans who have become Youkai.
Nekomata:
According to Japanese folklore, a cat (neko) that has lived for a long time can become a kind of youkai called a nekomata. It was believed that after a cat reached ten years of age, its tail would slowly split into two tails, and, along the way, it would develop magic powers, primarily those of necromancy and shamanism. Nekomata also have an ability to shape shift into a human form and are generally hostile to humans.
There is also one kind of Nekomata that lived in Nabeshimahan, which lived long enough to split its tail six times, resulting in seven tails. It is the most powerful nekomata in Japan.
Night sparrow:
The night sparrow is a folk legend in western Japan. According to legend, if you're out at midnight, the night sparrow will follow you while singing "Chin Chin." The appearance of a night sparrow is a prodigious sign that you will meet a wolf/stray dog soon. Legend also has it that if you catch the night sparrow, you'll suffer from severe night-blindness. These are Youkai that tend to ahng around the Magic forest.
Nyuudou:
A creature born from Following Buddism The creatures have fantastic variable powers. Often considered holy.
Oni:
Oni are fabulous creatures from Japanese folklore, similar to Western demons or ogres. They are almost always depicted as beings with incredible strength and power; physically, two long horns are said to grow from their heads. The earliest folktales of oni generally described them as benevolent creatures able to ward off evil and punish the wicked. However, over time, oni began to be seen as cruel, malevolent creatures, content only to destroy.
In the Touhou world, oni are generally jolly and love to drink, feast, and compete with humans in any kind of contest, from simple physical fighting to drinking games. Long ago, when an oni found a human that they liked, they tempted that human into challenging them in any way the human desired. Should the human lose, they were abducted. Because normal humans were nowhere near an oni's level of ability, humans resorted to sneaky underhanded tactics in order to beat the oni. Tired of being tricked and killed all the time, the oni swore off humans forever and left for a place beyond human reach, or so the legend says. It was later on revealed in Subterranean Animism that the oni have taken refuge underground.
According to Patchouli Knowledge and Yuugi Hoshiguma, oni are weakened by fried beans.
Oni are feared above ground and Most will flee in the face of one.
Phamtom:
Phantoms are spirit entities often confused with ghosts. However, all ghosts are the spirits of dead people, whereas phantoms may not be; many are born as phantoms from the start. Conversely, multiple phantoms can come from one body and they may originate from beings other than humans. Phantoms possess some common characteristics, being intangible and known for their freezing temperature which can be used to one's advantage in hot weather. These are the blobby white "ghosts" that populate the Netherworld as well as other realms and systems of the afterlife.
They are also similar to poltergeists, though those too are technically different.
Some actualy have a human form They can be classified as Half ghosts where they have a real body with it's own concious but the body is followed by a white blob with is there other half making them confusing creatures.
Poltergiest:
A poltergeist is a being very similar to a ghost, and is often seen announcing its presence by introducing disorder. They are able to remotely manipulate objects. They can also manifest themselves visibly, audibly and solidly to the material world (it is assumed that not all ghost-like beings have such an ability).
Poltergeists seem to have a talent for discovering and causing the kind of interference that will raise the greatest commotion in any sane situation.
Speculatively speaking, their talent with interference potential may be what allowed the Prismriver sisters to become famous as the Phantom Ensemble. They make music that strikes all the right nerves in the audience.
Although ghosts and poltergeists are usually thought of as same species, in actuality they are not, according to ZUN. Likewise, poltergeists aren't phantoms, but are similar enough to be categorized with them.
Rabbit:
In the Touhou world, rabbits (usagi) living in Gensokyo seem to be able to cast attack magic naturally. Also, a rabbit can become a type of youkai after existing for a long period of time, gaining sentience and increased abilities in the process.
There are also moon rabbits (tsuki no usagi) who seem to be more powerful overall than normal rabbits. Moon rabbits seem to be used as capable soldiers in the Moon's war effort, and can communicate telepathically between each other across extremely long distances (like from the Moon to the Earth). In the Touhou world, the use of rabbits as part of the Moon's population comes from ancient tales in East Asia, possibly related to the fact that ancient Japanese people saw a rabbit in the moon pounding mochi, as opposed to a smiling face (the "man in the Moon").
Even though they may have a humanoid appearance, you can identify earth and moon rabbits alike by the two elongated ears on the top of their heads
Satori:
Satori ("consciousness") is a type of mountain-dwelling y¨kai in Japanese folklore that holds the power to read human thoughts. The creature is said to approach travelers on mountain paths in hominid form and speak their thoughts aloud.
It said that only way to counter a satori is to empty one's mind, in which case the creature will grow bored and leave, run in fear, or even die.
However satori aren't exactly evil though some can be most are just annoyed by their ability rather than using it to trick others.
Shikigami:
Shikigami is the term used for the summoned spirits of an "onmyouji", a Japanese sorcerer. Shikigami are used to protect and serve their master, much like the Western concept of the wizard's familiar. There are many types of shikigami described in legend, the most common type being enchanted paper cutouts that can produce the illusion of another real-life object. The type of shikigami seen in the Touhou world are distinct entities, not initially created by the onmyouji that, through some circumstances, have agreed to or have been bound to assist the onmyouji.
Shikigami often share a special link to their masters, which may cause their onmyouji to receive sympathetic injuries dealt to the shikigami. Because of this link and the enormous amount of energy needed to maintain shikigami, onmyouji do not usually summon more than one or two shikigami at a time.
Shinigami:
Shinigami (Death Gods): The role of a shinigami may seem similar in certain ways to that of the Grim Reaper in western folklore. In Gensokyo, that means bringing souls to the Yama (or Enma) Shikieiki Yamaxanadu. Gensokyo's only known shinigami, Komachi Onozuka, ferries souls to the Higan. This is apparently done by crossing Sanzu no Kawa, a river in Japanese Buddhism analogous to the Greek River Styx.
While Komachi is a ferryman of the Sanzu, not all shinigami occupy this position. For good reason, most people assume their life is over at the sight of a shinigami, but only a few are actually charged with taking the souls of the expired. These shinigami may be fought with just as any other creature, allowing stronger youkai to continually prolong their lifespan. Celestials are notorious for this, disguising their victory as guaranteed immortality.
Shinigami bodies are similar to Celestials being incrediably durable and strong Shinigami however have a little more stock in attacking rather than defense.
"If this is true how do the Celestials beat up Shinigami?"
Tengu:
A tengu is a form of youkai common in Japanese mythology. In general, tengu are analogous to the Western idea of goblins.
Two main subspecies of tengu exist. The karasu tengu, or crow tengu, are similar to anthropomorphic crows with a humanoid body structure, whilst the yamabushi tengu are more human-like, but with red skin and very long noses.
Tengu are said to be mischievous and sometimes malicious, with a propensity for playing pranks on humans. Although they disdain the proud and arrogant, they are often guilty of those same flaws. They are also associated with the arts of war and politics.
Objects often associated with the tengu include the shakujo, a ring-tipped staff used for magic or physical combat; the tokin, a strangely-shaped hat which can also be used as a divining cup; and the hauchiwa fan, which can be made from the leaves of the Japanese Aralia or from feathers, and is said to have the power to create gale-force winds.
The tengu of Gensokyo are known for their love of gossip and writing newspapers. Also, according to Aya they are great drinkers, only rivaled by Oni.
Tiangou:
The Chinese equivalent of the Tengu These creature are Dog like Gods who make a sound like thunder where ever they go. They gave their name to The Japanese tengu out of respect. The Taijou are powerful creature who are proud and powerful and comparable to Oni in most ways. There actual comaparison to the Tengu are the name and their dominance over the skies. The Taijou are canine while the Tenguare avian.
Vampire:
Vampires are among the least popular non-human creatures living in Gensokyo. They are usually self-centered, enjoy provoking strangers, drink the blood of humans, and specialize in creating disasters that affect the entirety of Gensokyo.
They are the beneficiaries of great physical enhancement as well as magical power. However, they do have several weaknesses, among them sunlight, running water, and broken holly branches.
They are kept in check by an agreement with youkai that states they cannot attack humans living in Gensokyo.
Their weaknesses only really affect the younger of the Vampires the only enduring weakness is sunlight which doesn't kill them as it does weaken them and make their lives misireble.
Youkai:
Youkai is a term mostly associated with Japanese folk creatures and ghosts. The term can also apply broadly to anything that is a supernatural being or legend, from any culture. Because there are thousands of stories of magical beings around the world, the different types of youkai are endless. Fairies, vampires, oni, and nekomata can all be found in Gensokyo. Alternatively, it is a common Japanese belief that after a certain amount of time, ordinary objects and animals gain life and personality, becoming a kind of youkai as well. In some cases even a normal human can become a youkai under the right conditions.
Gensokyo youkai tend to live within the wilderness, far away from human settlements. Normal youkai seem to behave like wild animals, attacking humans within their territory on sight. Exceptional youkai are less common, but they often enjoy speaking to humans, and are much stronger than an ordinary Gensokyo human, one on one. These youkai are almost always humanoid in appearance, and can be quite unpredictable; friendly one moment, hostile the next.
Many, though not all, youkai are known to eat humans on occasion, if not on a regular basis. Many youkai are also stronger and live longer than an average human, with lifespans often reaching into hundreds of years (or possibly more in some cases). One common trait often seen among youkai is a weakness to various faith based and spiritual attacks, charms, wards, etc. In Gensokyo it's therefore natural for the resident shrine maiden to become involved whenever there's trouble being caused by a youkai.
However, despite the danger certain youkai present, humans and youkai can and do live together. Some, such as Tewi Inaba, are even helpful to humans. Deciding if a youkai is harmful to humans or not must be done on a case by case basis.
It seems that youkai, like fairies, may not be able to die permanently; Hieda no Akyu, Reimu Hakurei and others regularly discuss 'extermination' of youkai as if it were only a temporary measure. While this may be merely a quirk of language, it seems like Gensokyo's humans would rather do away with many youkai completely, were they able.
Yuki-onna:
A Yuki-onna is the Japanese word for snow woman. They are a spirit or a youkai, associated with winter and snowstorms. It is said in some legends to be the spirit of an individual who has perished in the snow and cold. Yuki-onna are often described wearing a white kimono (or any clothes resembling such), or naked, with only their hair and face standing out. Despite their inhuman beauty, they are hostile to humans and kill them unsuspectingly. In Gensokyo, they only appear in winter and are rarely encountered.
Celestials are former humans, hermits that can be divided in two classes: those who gained immortality and ascended to heaven, and those who attained enlightenment and entered Nirvana. Unlike humans who have daily hard lives on earth, they live in a carefree manner enjoying music, fishing and playing games. They usually descend to earth to say absurd things that trouble normal humans and then return to heaven. Celestials' bodies are poison to youkai, and beasts are awed by them. They can also fly and ride the clouds giving them a frightening, god-like appearance.
According to Komachi Onozuka, celestials are not truly immortal. Instead, they manage to defeat the shinigami that comes to collect their souls on a routine basis, continually extending their lifespan. Celestials are also very tough creatures being able to take on many creature without worry of being harmed but their attack power usually is lacking.
"I wonder what this says about the Shinigami that come to collect their souls..."
devils:
Devils are a mighty race that inhabit Gensokyo, mostly in the Makai. Like magicians or vampires. It was once said that they lived in different parts of our world until mass appearances of Demon Hunters and other Christian Zealots who hunted them to extinction.
Vampires are considered to be a type of devil in Gensokyo. Youkai or Oni might be some kind of devils as well.
In some cases, Devils are strong enough to take down a Dragon, since they once attempted a invasion on Gensokyo, but the Dragon made the Hakurei Border with the first Shrine Maiden of the Hakurei family (possibly Reimu Hakurei's ancestor) to protect it from them.
Dolls:
Doll: An artificial object most often of small size and with human/humanoid appearance. Although normally inanimate in the outside world, Gensokyo dolls seem significantly more mobile. This is usually (though not always, as in the case of Medicine Melancholy) due to being magically controlled by a puppeteer, such as Alice Margatroid. The dolls that Alice uses seem unlimited in number, as she regularly sacrifices them in explosive attacks and never seems to run out. It's no wonder certain dolls feel like victims.
Dragons:
Large reptilian like creature with the elements imbued in them in a more focused manner than most living creatures. They are the children or descendants of a Creature known as Dragon a creature so powerful he was said to have conquered the other gods with his own strength.
Dragon is said to be the highest-order god of Gensokyo. Based from Perfect Memento that he lived anywhere and he looks like a serpent with hands and horns. He was also said to be last seen during the Creation of the Great Hakurei Barrier.
Both Humans and Youkai worship him, due his capability of creating and destroying anything.
Evil Spirits:
An evil spirit is a special type of ghost created under special circumstances. When a person dies, they must wait on the Sanzu River for a shinigami to ferry them across. However, if a youkai steals their body away before they cross the river, that person will become an evil spirit. Unlike normal ghosts, evil spirits are hot to the touch.
Certain corpse-stealing youkai, especially seem to be capable of both creating and controlling evil spirits. Rin Kaenbyou sent evil spirits under her control above ground during Subterranean Animism, and also used them with her danmaku when she battled the heroines.
In some cases evil spirit develope great powers.
Fairy:
A fairy ("yousei") is a simple creature of magic that represents some aspect of nature. Many of them are also simple-minded.
Fairies may have abilities relating to the four seasons, weather, emotions, longevity, decay, fertility, or other aspects of nature. The power exercised by a single fairy is usually harmless and small scale, so they're more suited to playing around, rather than causing major happenings. Fortunately, most fairies are easily amused.
Ghost:
Becoming a ghost is what happens to humans when they die and are unable to rest in peace. Being dead, one might think that they no longer have any need for food, sleep, physical pain, or other inconveniences of the living condition. Whether any of that is true is currently unknown. What we know is that they like to party, eat, behave cryptically, continue doing the same activities they enjoyed in life, and generally have a good time.
Within the safely guarded borders of the Netherworld, ghosts live out the days of their afterlives pursuing whatever happens to come to mind. There are some vague hints about a chain of command that even the dead must follow, but it doesn't seem like specific details have been worked out. Ghosts are easily distracted.
The downside on being a ghost seems to be not having a real body. In fact, Ghosts seem to be able to drink and eat because they're able to touch objects but they never have a feeling of satisfaction on it. But it still isn't obvious.
Although ghosts and poltergeists are usually thought of as same species, in actuality they are not, according to ZUN. Likewise, ghosts aren't phantoms, though the two are often confused.
Hakutaku:
The hakutaku is a mythical, spiritual beast, said to advise only kings of virtue. It is generally depicted as looking somewhat like a massive lion and can be distinguished by the presence of single or double horns. Often it will have extra eyes on its face or back. It is usually considered to be quite intelligent and well-read.
In Japanese folklore, it is said that a hakutaku visited Emperor Koutei (koutei is the Japanese word for emperor, so this is a fictional account). The creature could talk and explained that he only visited the greatest and most auspicious of rulers. The hakutaku went on to explain to the emperor that there were 11,520 youkai in the world; it also taught the emperor how to escape and exorcise the bad ones and deal with the good ones. The emperor set all that knowledge down in an encyclopedia of youkai.
There are some cases of Were Hakutaku that are simmilar to Lycans in biology.
Human:
Humans (ningen) in the land of Gensokyo are physically similar to humans in our world, but are remarkably different in terms of abilities. In ancient times, brave humans, who knew how to deal with supernatural entities, traveled to a youkai-infested area that we now call Gensokyo. They settled there in order to watch the youkai and keep them from terrorizing the rest of the countryside. These capable humans battled the youkai often. One day, Gensokyo was sealed away from the rest of the world. Having been separated from the rest of humanity, Gensokyo humans have ignored scientific advances and developed formidable innate spiritual power to survive. Today, the normal Gensokyo human is probably a little more powerful than the average youkai, but the population of youkai greatly outnumbers humans. Most humans live in the Human Village, but a few live in other notable locations.
Of course, there exist exceptional humans who can fight on equal terms against the most powerful beings in Gensokyo.
Kappa:
Kappa are a type of water sprite that live in rivers. In oversimplified term, they are aquatic goblins. Often portrayed as having a turtle shell and beak, they're known for having a curiosity about humans, sometimes challenging humans to tests of skill, eating children, and having a love of cucumbers. They have an unique body structure called "dish" on top of their head, and it must be filled with water for the creatures to function properly on the land. Kappa are known to pull out shirikodama(anal ball) out from human and killing them in process. Shirikodama is an imaginary gland that is said to exist somewhere near anus or around stomach, although where exactly is open to debate. This story seems to originate from the tendency that drowned corpses often having their anus wide open like something were pulled out from there. Kappa is sometimes depicted as creature with strength, as in case of stories where human not being able to withstand against match of sumou wrestling when it is done fair and square. Kappa in Gensokyo seem to think they're on good terms with humans but some of the folklore humans handed down over the generations suggest that humans think otherwise. Around the time the Hakurei Border was formed, the kappa constructed the dragon statue in the Human Village that people there worship every day. The kappa even installed a weather prediction device into it.
Gensokyo's kappa live mostly around the base of Youkai Mountain.
Kaapa's actualy have a very human appearance in contrast to the stories of them it seems there are a lot of misconceptions about them.
Kedama:
Kedama (hairball) as their name would suggest, they resemble white balls of fur. Not much else is really known about them.
Kistune:
Generally, kitsune is just the Japanese word for fox. However, when used in Japanese folklore, the kitsune is a type of youkai, and is believed to possess great intelligence, long life, and magical powers. One of the more notable features of the kitsune are their numerous tails; they may possess as many as nine. The more tails a kitsune has, the older and more powerful he or she is, for every one hundred years they live, another tail grows. Once they have lived for eight hundred years they will have nine tails, one of them the one they were born with, and the other eight grown through the ages. A kitsune's greatest power is that of illusion; they are able to trick a human into seeing almost anything. Because of this ability, they are regarded as playful tricksters in many stories.
Some legends say that once a person has won the trust of a kitsune, it will be difficult for others to convince that kitsune otherwise. They are extremely loyal to those they trust, and would often do anything for those people.
Lunarian:
The Lunarians (tsukibito; literally "moon people") are the people living on or coming from the moon. They resemble humans in most ways, and are classified as human, in Strict Sense. Lunarians naturally live much longer lives though, and are even said to live forever. They possess some of the most advanced technology that there is and are supposedly, according to Kaguya, the originators of magic. Of course most of this is false there technology isn't much more advance that the present Earth's and They only stumbled upon magic by chance.
Magician:
Magicians in the world of Gensokyo are powerful beings that have the ability to learn and practice any type of magic that exists in the world. Most magical beings can use only the innate magical power that they were born with, but magicians can develop any power they wish after studying and analyzing it.
"Natural" magicians are a subclass of youkai, and inherit this unique ability as being part of the magician race. Human magicians are not born with this special ability, but instead have practiced and trained to master the skill of a magician. However, human magicians must work much harder than natural-born magicians to achieve the same results.
A magician's home is usually filled with books, notes, or artifacts, due to the amount of studying and work required to learn any type of spell. Because of this, magicians are generally seen as indoor-loving, bookish types of people. So some are humans who have become Youkai.
Nekomata:
According to Japanese folklore, a cat (neko) that has lived for a long time can become a kind of youkai called a nekomata. It was believed that after a cat reached ten years of age, its tail would slowly split into two tails, and, along the way, it would develop magic powers, primarily those of necromancy and shamanism. Nekomata also have an ability to shape shift into a human form and are generally hostile to humans.
There is also one kind of Nekomata that lived in Nabeshimahan, which lived long enough to split its tail six times, resulting in seven tails. It is the most powerful nekomata in Japan.
Night sparrow:
The night sparrow is a folk legend in western Japan. According to legend, if you're out at midnight, the night sparrow will follow you while singing "Chin Chin." The appearance of a night sparrow is a prodigious sign that you will meet a wolf/stray dog soon. Legend also has it that if you catch the night sparrow, you'll suffer from severe night-blindness. These are Youkai that tend to ahng around the Magic forest.
Nyuudou:
A creature born from Following Buddism The creatures have fantastic variable powers. Often considered holy.
Oni:
Oni are fabulous creatures from Japanese folklore, similar to Western demons or ogres. They are almost always depicted as beings with incredible strength and power; physically, two long horns are said to grow from their heads. The earliest folktales of oni generally described them as benevolent creatures able to ward off evil and punish the wicked. However, over time, oni began to be seen as cruel, malevolent creatures, content only to destroy.
In the Touhou world, oni are generally jolly and love to drink, feast, and compete with humans in any kind of contest, from simple physical fighting to drinking games. Long ago, when an oni found a human that they liked, they tempted that human into challenging them in any way the human desired. Should the human lose, they were abducted. Because normal humans were nowhere near an oni's level of ability, humans resorted to sneaky underhanded tactics in order to beat the oni. Tired of being tricked and killed all the time, the oni swore off humans forever and left for a place beyond human reach, or so the legend says. It was later on revealed in Subterranean Animism that the oni have taken refuge underground.
According to Patchouli Knowledge and Yuugi Hoshiguma, oni are weakened by fried beans.
Oni are feared above ground and Most will flee in the face of one.
Phamtom:
Phantoms are spirit entities often confused with ghosts. However, all ghosts are the spirits of dead people, whereas phantoms may not be; many are born as phantoms from the start. Conversely, multiple phantoms can come from one body and they may originate from beings other than humans. Phantoms possess some common characteristics, being intangible and known for their freezing temperature which can be used to one's advantage in hot weather. These are the blobby white "ghosts" that populate the Netherworld as well as other realms and systems of the afterlife.
They are also similar to poltergeists, though those too are technically different.
Some actualy have a human form They can be classified as Half ghosts where they have a real body with it's own concious but the body is followed by a white blob with is there other half making them confusing creatures.
Poltergiest:
A poltergeist is a being very similar to a ghost, and is often seen announcing its presence by introducing disorder. They are able to remotely manipulate objects. They can also manifest themselves visibly, audibly and solidly to the material world (it is assumed that not all ghost-like beings have such an ability).
Poltergeists seem to have a talent for discovering and causing the kind of interference that will raise the greatest commotion in any sane situation.
Speculatively speaking, their talent with interference potential may be what allowed the Prismriver sisters to become famous as the Phantom Ensemble. They make music that strikes all the right nerves in the audience.
Although ghosts and poltergeists are usually thought of as same species, in actuality they are not, according to ZUN. Likewise, poltergeists aren't phantoms, but are similar enough to be categorized with them.
Rabbit:
In the Touhou world, rabbits (usagi) living in Gensokyo seem to be able to cast attack magic naturally. Also, a rabbit can become a type of youkai after existing for a long period of time, gaining sentience and increased abilities in the process.
There are also moon rabbits (tsuki no usagi) who seem to be more powerful overall than normal rabbits. Moon rabbits seem to be used as capable soldiers in the Moon's war effort, and can communicate telepathically between each other across extremely long distances (like from the Moon to the Earth). In the Touhou world, the use of rabbits as part of the Moon's population comes from ancient tales in East Asia, possibly related to the fact that ancient Japanese people saw a rabbit in the moon pounding mochi, as opposed to a smiling face (the "man in the Moon").
Even though they may have a humanoid appearance, you can identify earth and moon rabbits alike by the two elongated ears on the top of their heads
Satori:
Satori ("consciousness") is a type of mountain-dwelling y¨kai in Japanese folklore that holds the power to read human thoughts. The creature is said to approach travelers on mountain paths in hominid form and speak their thoughts aloud.
It said that only way to counter a satori is to empty one's mind, in which case the creature will grow bored and leave, run in fear, or even die.
However satori aren't exactly evil though some can be most are just annoyed by their ability rather than using it to trick others.
Shikigami:
Shikigami is the term used for the summoned spirits of an "onmyouji", a Japanese sorcerer. Shikigami are used to protect and serve their master, much like the Western concept of the wizard's familiar. There are many types of shikigami described in legend, the most common type being enchanted paper cutouts that can produce the illusion of another real-life object. The type of shikigami seen in the Touhou world are distinct entities, not initially created by the onmyouji that, through some circumstances, have agreed to or have been bound to assist the onmyouji.
Shikigami often share a special link to their masters, which may cause their onmyouji to receive sympathetic injuries dealt to the shikigami. Because of this link and the enormous amount of energy needed to maintain shikigami, onmyouji do not usually summon more than one or two shikigami at a time.
Shinigami:
Shinigami (Death Gods): The role of a shinigami may seem similar in certain ways to that of the Grim Reaper in western folklore. In Gensokyo, that means bringing souls to the Yama (or Enma) Shikieiki Yamaxanadu. Gensokyo's only known shinigami, Komachi Onozuka, ferries souls to the Higan. This is apparently done by crossing Sanzu no Kawa, a river in Japanese Buddhism analogous to the Greek River Styx.
While Komachi is a ferryman of the Sanzu, not all shinigami occupy this position. For good reason, most people assume their life is over at the sight of a shinigami, but only a few are actually charged with taking the souls of the expired. These shinigami may be fought with just as any other creature, allowing stronger youkai to continually prolong their lifespan. Celestials are notorious for this, disguising their victory as guaranteed immortality.
Shinigami bodies are similar to Celestials being incrediably durable and strong Shinigami however have a little more stock in attacking rather than defense.
"If this is true how do the Celestials beat up Shinigami?"
Tengu:
A tengu is a form of youkai common in Japanese mythology. In general, tengu are analogous to the Western idea of goblins.
Two main subspecies of tengu exist. The karasu tengu, or crow tengu, are similar to anthropomorphic crows with a humanoid body structure, whilst the yamabushi tengu are more human-like, but with red skin and very long noses.
Tengu are said to be mischievous and sometimes malicious, with a propensity for playing pranks on humans. Although they disdain the proud and arrogant, they are often guilty of those same flaws. They are also associated with the arts of war and politics.
Objects often associated with the tengu include the shakujo, a ring-tipped staff used for magic or physical combat; the tokin, a strangely-shaped hat which can also be used as a divining cup; and the hauchiwa fan, which can be made from the leaves of the Japanese Aralia or from feathers, and is said to have the power to create gale-force winds.
The tengu of Gensokyo are known for their love of gossip and writing newspapers. Also, according to Aya they are great drinkers, only rivaled by Oni.
Tiangou:
The Chinese equivalent of the Tengu These creature are Dog like Gods who make a sound like thunder where ever they go. They gave their name to The Japanese tengu out of respect. The Taijou are powerful creature who are proud and powerful and comparable to Oni in most ways. There actual comaparison to the Tengu are the name and their dominance over the skies. The Taijou are canine while the Tenguare avian.
Vampire:
Vampires are among the least popular non-human creatures living in Gensokyo. They are usually self-centered, enjoy provoking strangers, drink the blood of humans, and specialize in creating disasters that affect the entirety of Gensokyo.
They are the beneficiaries of great physical enhancement as well as magical power. However, they do have several weaknesses, among them sunlight, running water, and broken holly branches.
They are kept in check by an agreement with youkai that states they cannot attack humans living in Gensokyo.
Their weaknesses only really affect the younger of the Vampires the only enduring weakness is sunlight which doesn't kill them as it does weaken them and make their lives misireble.
Youkai:
Youkai is a term mostly associated with Japanese folk creatures and ghosts. The term can also apply broadly to anything that is a supernatural being or legend, from any culture. Because there are thousands of stories of magical beings around the world, the different types of youkai are endless. Fairies, vampires, oni, and nekomata can all be found in Gensokyo. Alternatively, it is a common Japanese belief that after a certain amount of time, ordinary objects and animals gain life and personality, becoming a kind of youkai as well. In some cases even a normal human can become a youkai under the right conditions.
Gensokyo youkai tend to live within the wilderness, far away from human settlements. Normal youkai seem to behave like wild animals, attacking humans within their territory on sight. Exceptional youkai are less common, but they often enjoy speaking to humans, and are much stronger than an ordinary Gensokyo human, one on one. These youkai are almost always humanoid in appearance, and can be quite unpredictable; friendly one moment, hostile the next.
Many, though not all, youkai are known to eat humans on occasion, if not on a regular basis. Many youkai are also stronger and live longer than an average human, with lifespans often reaching into hundreds of years (or possibly more in some cases). One common trait often seen among youkai is a weakness to various faith based and spiritual attacks, charms, wards, etc. In Gensokyo it's therefore natural for the resident shrine maiden to become involved whenever there's trouble being caused by a youkai.
However, despite the danger certain youkai present, humans and youkai can and do live together. Some, such as Tewi Inaba, are even helpful to humans. Deciding if a youkai is harmful to humans or not must be done on a case by case basis.
It seems that youkai, like fairies, may not be able to die permanently; Hieda no Akyu, Reimu Hakurei and others regularly discuss 'extermination' of youkai as if it were only a temporary measure. While this may be merely a quirk of language, it seems like Gensokyo's humans would rather do away with many youkai completely, were they able.
Yuki-onna:
A Yuki-onna is the Japanese word for snow woman. They are a spirit or a youkai, associated with winter and snowstorms. It is said in some legends to be the spirit of an individual who has perished in the snow and cold. Yuki-onna are often described wearing a white kimono (or any clothes resembling such), or naked, with only their hair and face standing out. Despite their inhuman beauty, they are hostile to humans and kill them unsuspectingly. In Gensokyo, they only appear in winter and are rarely encountered.