Youkai

Yōkai, also Youkai, (妖怪, ghost, phantom, strange apparition) is a general term for a broad class of beings that are created by a synthesis of ambient energies, most typically human fears and superstitions, or at least, that is the most common case known thus far. They range from fairly animalistic, to sophisticated and civil, even to the point of forming their own civilisations, and typically have significant powers at their disposal, at least when compared to the average human.

Youkai are the dominant species of Gensoukyou, but are found all across Earth, and similar creatures exist or have existed on other worlds as well. Gensoukyou itself was indeed created to function as a “land of Youkai”.

The simplest way to understand Youkai is to consider them “the embodiments of fears”, but that may be simplifying somewhat.

Description
The academic qualities of what makes something a Youkai, rather than a god, or something else, can be found in an understanding of the three primary energies found within living things - Jīng (精), or creative vitality, Qì (氣) or living vigour, and Shén (神) or enlightened mentality. Youkai, at least when born, possess great quantities of jīng and qì, but almost no shén. As such, they are shaped by the thoughts and beliefs that give them form.

As such, Youkai require the existence and continued fear and belief of humans in order, not only to increase in numbers, but to justify the very basis of their self-identity. A Youkai deprived of this guiding influence will, unless it has reached some degree of enlightenment, collapse into a basic spirit and probably fade away within a few decades or centuries.

If they can maintain a source of belief in their existence, however, or achieve enlightenment and transcend this limitation, a Youkai is far more powerful than the vast majority of humans, and can be incredibly long lived - their natural lifespans are often measured in millennia, and the most wise of them can even achieve immortality in a similar way to humans.

Youkai tend to be hostile towards humans for the most part - humans are their natural prey, after all, and many Youkai continue to actively hunt and kill humans on a regular basis, although they are typically kept in line by a combination of pressures from their leaders, and by human efforts to defend themselves. More civil Youkai, however, can be met and spoken to without too much risk, and in fact there are some Youkai who may even be benevolent and bring good fortune to humans who should approach them. In rare cases, humans may even befriend Youkai, and gain their assistance and protection.

Typical Abilities
Due to their natures, Youkai tend to wield, what would be by humans standards, incredibly powerful abilities. They are intrinsically stronger, faster, and more durable than humans, and are naturally attuned with magic. In some cases, they can even be linked with, or actually embody the concepts underlying reality - giving them enormous power.

Their physiology also often makes them naturally more adept at combat than humans - with many Youkai having razor sharp claws and fangs, and some possessing other adaptations, such as bladed wings, prehensile tentacles, additional limbs, or horns, all of which they could use in combat to great effect.

Youkai are capable of surviving far more extreme conditions than humans, and can even recover from what should be grievous injuries without too much difficulty - a Youkai might be inconvenienced by the loss of a limb, but it will grow back with time. However, being that they are essentially spiritual beings, they are far more affected by spiritual attacks, such as through charms, seals, and enchanted objects. Powerful attacks of this nature can damage Youkai in much the same way as powerful physical attacks can injure humans, and with sufficient preparation and knowledge, it is possible to even kill Youkai through these means.

However, as humans can overcome their inherent weaknesses through certain practices, the same holds true for Youkai. In general, a Youkai old and wise enough to have risen beyond the need for human belief to define their existence will also be far more resistant to spiritual attacks, and some may even use similar methods of their own.

Common Habits and Mannerisms
As Youkai are born from fear or superstition, they tend to develop personalities in line with what these fears would expect of them - a Youkai born from the fear of travelling alone may develop a fondness for long walks, for example. This tends to aid them in finding prey, but also forms a part of their conception of self, and thus these habits may stay with them throughout their lives, even in the case that they no longer require fear or belief to sustain their existence. In extreme cases, these habits can become almost like compulsive behaviours, such as the subspecies of Youkai known as Azuki Arai, who are almost always found washing azuki beans.

Youkai behaviour can range from the malevolent to the mischievous, and in rare cases they may even be kind. Their personalities can be every bit as diverse as those of humans, and so one should exercise all due caution when meeting a strange Youkai for the first time. Determining whether a given Youkai would be helpful or harmful is something that can only be done on a case-by-case basis.

Youkai societies tend to be more loosely organised than those of humans, and large scale social groupings tend to be rarer, as the average Youkai is far more self-centred and prideful than the average human, which makes it difficult for them to form larger organisations. Generally speaking, however, Youkai tend to recognise the authority and leadership of their “Sages” - typically older, wiser, and (usually) far more powerful Youkai, who tend to lead by example more than by direct authority. Some of these figures may even have other, lesser Youkai sworn or magically bound to their service, while others lead solitary lives away from Youkai and human alike.

Origin
As the fears and superstitions that give rise to Youkai will often be structured differently - focused around a story, or a rumour, or something rarely seen, or even an abstract idea, the possible ways that these can lead to the creation are equally diverse.

Youkai can be born from animals - should humans develop sufficient superstition in a given animal or species to generate the energy required to create Youkai. These animal Youkai also often share powers with others of their kind - whatever the original superstitions attributed to them, although rare individuals may manifest other abilities, as well.

Youkai can also be born from stories - in which case they tend to take on whatever characteristics the tale attributes to them. These types of Youkai often have the most well developed habits and mannerisms, as they tend to, at least initially, obey whatever circumstances their originating tale set out for them, and develop from there.

Lastly, Youkai can be formed from abstractions, ideas, and fabrications. These are often the most variable, as there’s little fixed detail for the superstitions to revolve around. This class of Youkai thus gives rise to both incredibly powerful, and remarkably weak individuals, dependant on how closely their original superstitions can align with powerful concepts or forces.

Animal Youkai
Animal Youkai can be one-off individuals, such as what may arise if a particular animal develops its own legends or becomes a focus for superstitions, or various subspecies, which happens when a particular kind of animal becomes the focus of folklore or myth. These Youkai often share certain traits with the animal they were born from, and may act in a similar way to how humans might envision these animals acting.

Animal Youkai which have the power to shapeshift are known as Obake, or Bake-mono. Most can only switch between their animal and a more humanoid form, although they may retain certain animal features even when appearing otherwise human. Others can change their shape more freely. The more powerful obake, most specifically the Tanuki and Kitsune, also possess potent illusionary powers, and can sometimes, in the case of Tanuki, especially, changes the shapes of other things as well.

See also: Tanuki, Kitsune, Tsuchigumo, others.

Oni
Oni are amongst the most physically powerful of Youkai. Typically, they tend to be tall, muscular individuals, with sharp claws, wild hair, and a varying number of horns growing from their heads. Originally they were actually gods, but they became Youkai over time as the powers they controlled, including disasters and diseases, were often cause for fear amongst humans.

Many Oni continue to serve the Celestial Bureaucracy, often as enforcers in Hell, but whether living there or on Earth, Oni tend to be similar in their habits. As a rule, they are raucous, energetic individuals, who enjoy long parties, often with excessive amounts of alcohol, and tests of strength, which often include playful, at least by their standards, brawling. They tend to be honest and forthright individuals, and tend to be disdainful of liars, cheaters, and weaklings, while somewhat more admiring of honest and strong individuals.

Despite their seemingly simple, uncouth nature, they are often very wise, and it would be rare to find an Oni not well versed in the philosophy and practices of Zen.

Tengu
Semi-deified avian Youkai, who have also at times interbred with their canine cousins, the Tiangou, as well as other Youkai, and even humans, making them a rather diverse group. As a result, the term “Tengu” can in fact refer to several subspecies, such as the canine Wolf Tengu, the avian Crow Tengu, the more humanoid Daitengu, or others. Tengu tend to live on mountains and in forests, and often act as guardian spirits of those places. They tend to be fairly well versed in both magical methods and the martial arts, and are often powerful warriors.

In the past, they were often subservient to the Oni, and even today many of them hold mixed feelings regarding their former masters - ranging from respect, to fear, and even resentment in some cases. On average, they seem to be somewhat wary where Oni are concerned.

As they have kept to themselves for much of their history, they are somewhat cautious when it comes to outsiders, and often go to lengths to keep them away. They also tend to have the most organised communities of most varieties of Youkai, with each mountain they inhabit being home to a well organised and regimented society, with the various subspecies functioning almost as castes - each with their own role.

Tsukumogami
With a name that literally means “Kami of [a] Tool”, these are Youkai born from ordinary items, typically on the one-hundredth anniversary of their birthday, or day of creation. Having reached such an age, the spirit of the object attains a measure of sentience, and thus it becomes a Youkai-like being. The attitude of a Tsukumogami will generally depend on how it was treated as a tool, with those that were well-cared-for and used often remaining loyal to their owner (or the owner’s family), while those that were neglected or discarded often seeking vengeance.

As Tsukumogami are an incredibly diverse group, it’s almost impossible to list even a small subset of them - everything from straw sandals to paper screens can become Tsukumogami, if they are not properly disposed of at the end of their useful life.

Magician
Although humans can and do practice magic, their abilities often pale in comparison to the class of Youkai known as “magicians”. Unlike most Youkai who find it incredibly difficult, if not outright impossible, to gain other types of supernatural power outside of the ones they are born with (it’s very much a question of their own wisdom and determination), Magicians can use any kind of magic given the chance to study and understand it. In a sense, they have no natural “affinity” or attunement pulling them in a particular direction, and so are free to determine it for themselves.

As a downside, however, they typically have little in the way of physical capabilities, generally being no stronger or faster than a human, and in many cases being even weaker, as they get little exercise.

As a subspecies of Youkai, Magicians can either be born as such, or they can be humans who have become Youkai through magical development. Typically, one is considered a Youkai once they have cast a series of spells that removes their need to eat or sleep, and have begun sustaining themselves purely through magic.

Human Youkai
There are also other categories of Youkai which are born from humans. Despite their ordinary beginnings, they were transformed into something else through a combination of intense emotions, superstitions and fears, or magic interference.

They typically retain their human appearance most of the time, but can demonstrate a variety of seemingly bizarre abilities, from altering their bodies in unusual ways, to interacting in unnatural ways with their surroundings.

Others
As there are well over ten thousand types of Youkai, it’s almost impossible to list them all, and quite likely that no single person, aside from the Bai Ze knows of even half of them to any real degree of detail.

Yaoguai
Yaoguai (妖怪 yāoguài), also called yaomo (妖魔 yāomó, "demon") or yaojing (妖精 yāojīng, "sprite") can be considered a special subtype of Youkai.

Although most commonly, the term is simply used to refer to Youkai native to China, and indeed, the words “Youkai” and “Yaoguai” are written with the same characters, it can also refer to Youkai who have begun a process of Daoist self-cultivation, and attained a number of powers through these practices, above and beyond that of ordinary Youkai.

As the term “Yaoguai” could be used in both ways, the latter are also sometimes called Shenguairen (神怪人 Shénguàirén, "Supernatural People") or less commonly, Yaoren (妖人  Yāorén, "Sorcerer"), which could also refer to humans who have practiced the same forms of Youkai-Daoist magic. The Yaoguai who have reached the highest levels of cultivation are considered Yaoxian (妖仙 Yāoxian, "Immortal Monster").

In practical terms, they tend to be much like other Youkai, and indeed could be any type of Youkai, with the addition of whatever powers their cultivation has given them. In some ways, they could be considered to be to Youkai what hermits are to humans. Typically, their additional powers include various forms of sorcery, including the use of the natural world and their surroundings; the ability to disguise their forms and natures; to ride on clouds or mist over vast distances; and to bind, seal, or banish spirits. The most powerful actually attain a measure of immortality, in the way hermits attain limitless lifespans through the practices of becoming Xian or Celestials.