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HWE Nekomata

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Name: Nekomata

Alias: Forked Cat, bi-tail, Ni-bi, 'In Japan Cat Owns YOU'

Alignment: Neutral Evil (aka True Lacking-Of-All-Fucks)

Rank: 2-3 Kaijin/Megafauna

Race: Yokai

 

Size:

Length: 13ft - 12 meters long (39 ft. long)

Height: same as length minus tail

Weight: 1350 - 4050 lbs (2 1/4 tons)

 

Powers:

 

Reanimator- Nekomata are masters of necromatic arts. They can raise the dead, fresh or otherwise, and control them like puppets. There isn't much of a flat cap to the number of dead a Nekomata can control, ranging around 2000+ corpses. The level of control per corpse wanes with the numbers however so while a group of five corpses could be lethal killing machines capable of doing almost anything they could in life, an entire legion of them is regressed to simple directions and very rudimentary orders like 'guard' or 'attack'. While this ability doesn't allow them to control Yurei or Onryo, (or undead things with an actual personality) it does give them some clout in rebuking them and actually negotiating with them.

 

Flames for Vendetta- Like Bakeneko, Nekomata can conjure up spiritual flames for defense or attack. Forming mantles of fire, applying it to their tails like a torch or launching it as fireballs. The difference is that Nekomata flames are entirely different level from those of a Bakeneko. These are flames fueled by the deepest and most hateful of grudges, they are so animated by malice that they are almost alive unto themselves. As such, the flames of a Nekomata are a vicious sort of flame that is tenacious and stubborn in the extreme. It quite literal EATS things that it burns and can spread into massive conflagrations that engulf entire regions, let alone people, fueled by a Nekomata's curse.

 

Little Lion, Giant Predator- Nekomata like Bakeneko can assume the forms of those they eat and that of smaller house cats. A Nekomata however has a particular disdain for humans however and only uses human forms for their various plots and schemes. The greatest of them often adopt the form of large predatory cats like leopards and tigers. Their actual size capable of being much ,MUCH bigger and their diet reflects this. That said, Nekomata can effectively become any human they have eaten and 'replaced' or any type of cat including predator big cats. Their true form as everything you'd expect from a cat of their size. A stealthy yet very large predator armed with big claws and bigger teeth.

 

Weaknesses:

 

Snip & Bob- Cutting a Nekomata's tail off returns it to being an intelligent but mortal housecat. However if only one tail is removed, then the other will eventually split again and the Nekomata will regain its lost power and be even more furious with those that sabotaged it.

 

Oriental Faith- Asian religions and their rites can sabotage many of a Nekomata's schemes from purifying a corpse and rendering it uncontrollable, to ending a curse, to rendering their spiritual flames inert or as normal flames that can be extinguished  with typical means. The Yokai itself is indifferent to anything but Gohei as the streaming paper distracts them. Strangely enough origami has a positive influence on Nekomata who can be appeased through gifts or burning of them either for their previous mortal existence or that or as a token of goodwill and respect. Birds in particular are among their favorites. The physical attributes and size are another matter.

 

Big Game Hunting- A Nekomata's physical form has no special qualities beyond their size and consequent increase in speed and strength. They can be technically killed by anything that could kill a cat of their size. The most common weapon that was used for this purpose in ancient times was a Katana, but at this point they could very well be killed with a high powered rifle. Blades were preferred because it made cutting the tail simpler. Something like arrows or knifes would get caught in their thick fur or utterly incinerated in their mantle of flame.

 

---

 

*After Ko-Dama*

 

Ruki was back at the shrine, grateful for a chance to finally sit down but at the same time perturbed over actually having to fold origami.

 

"Seriously Thero-Kun, what does origami have to do with dealing with Yokai?"

 

"Origami is an art that has many ties to fortunes and respect for both the living and the dead." Kaitheros explained. "It is one of the many traditional arts of this hemisphere and it has influence and surprising versatility. Paper has long been a sacred tool. Your gohei has streams of paper and the Shimenawa has streamers as well."

 

"I get that there is a tradition and maybe sacred reason why paper is so important but how am I going to use PAPER against a Yokai? Hope I give it a giant paper cut?"

 

"Many Yokai enjoy the art of cursing and lay misfortune on others. Sometimes for justifiable reasons and sometimes not. The second of the cat Yokai for example is well versed in the art of misfortune and dark arts, having a natural affinity for it. Such folded talismans a way to counter or even appease them."

 

"Cats like playing with all sorts of stuff so I guess that kinda makes sense." Ruki mused while trying to figure out an intricate fold.

 

"I speak of the somewhat nefarious Nekomata."

 

"Forked cat? So what does it run around with a pitch fork and play devil's advocate?"

 

"The fork its name refers to is the one in its tail. Some especially old Bakeneko, usually of a century or more in age, as well as the largest, longest tailed and most mistreated of felines will develop a tail that splits down the middle. Eventually forming two separate tails that move independently."

 

"Does grow more than two? Like a Kitsune?"

 

"It could but none we have ever encountered had the incentive or wish to reach such a state of development. Nekomata have a personality more on the Itachi end of than the Kitsune end."

 

"So they try to turn people into cats?"

 

"They have great disdain and sometimes outright malice towards humanity in general. One can think of Nekomata as the cycle of abuse come full circle as now it is the cat that is full of hatred and power and unleashes it back on humans."

 

"So these are like...REALLY bad Bakeneko that just ruthlessly hunt humans and eat them?"

 

"They predominately prefer humans as food for a variety of reasons but it's a bit more than that. You see Nekomata delight in subtler schemes and more ruthless plots than Bakeneko. They care little for pranks that aren't of an outright lethal or utterly demoralizing sort. Nekomata commonly engage in blackmail and exert their powerful influence to capture and enslave humans into working for them or serving them."

 

"Well that's...pretty evil. So in Japan cat owns you?" Rukia asked dubiously.

 

"They wouldn't have it any other way. However simply enslavement is not the full terrible extent of a Nekomata's power. For even if a slave dies...a Nekomata will still find use for it and in a way, death does not equal a 'termination' of service."

 

"Wow...so, this was the kind of cat Yokai you were talking about right? The ones that defile the dead."

 

"One of them yes. The other is...more flagrantly blatant and disrespectful but we'll speak of that horrible creature later. The Nekomata is in contrast more insidious and calculated. To a Nekomata a body is just a tool. They manipulate the bodies of the dead like puppets and their control and finesse over these corpses is great indeed."

 

"So it can make zombies, great. Next thing you'll tell me is that they can make whole hordes of walking dead."

 

"They can but many prefer to use smaller groups that allow them better control. The more bodies a Nekomata attempts to manipulate the less complex it's commands and directions must become. A small elite force can act much as they did in life or even greater because they feel no pain and are entirely controlled. But a legion of corpses would only have the simplest orders such as a direction to march in and being told to 'guard' or 'attack'. Not to mention an entire horde of zombies attracts attention and being found out is not to a Nekomata's advantage."

 

"Do they still make spirit flames and take the knowledge and form of people they eat?"

 

"They do, but not with the same enthusiasm Bakeneko might. Nekomata have such a disdain for humans that they will only take human form if its meaningful to their plots or in causing emotional trauma for their victims. Rather they prefer the form of big cats like lions or leopards, stalking the secluded wilds where their activities can be hidden with greater ease. The flames however...they are a different matter." Kaitheros ended grimly.

 

"This is where they get really bad don't they." Ruki guessed apprehensively.

 

"Compared to a Bakeneko the spiritual flames of a Nekomata are on another level entirely. They use them in a similar manner but the spiritual flames of a Nekomata are full of such malice and laced with curse that they are almost alive. It is a flame that literal consumes that which it burns and is a stubborn sort of fire that can spread like a holocaust of destruction from but a single fireball. You can imagine how this sort of inferno would scare entire classes of people into chopping the tails off their cats and limiting their lifespans."

 

"Geez...talk about pyromania. But sacred rites and stuff can stop all this nonsense right?"

 

"For the most part, it levels the playing field at least. Sacred arts like the ones you are learning now can lift curses, purify the dead and return them to blessed sleep, as well as subdue the malice in a Nekomata's flames, rendering them normal and subject to typical extinguishing methods."

 

"So they should work on the Nekomata itself right? Right?" Ruki asked. Kaitheros however shook his head.

 

"That is the extent of what actual rites and tools can do offensively little Miko. The Nekomata is not mere cat. It is a formidable predator in its own right and as they age they do not gain tails but SIZE. The greatest of Nekomata are felines that rival Theropods in size and can eat nearly anything native to the forests they hunt; including bears."

 

"Wha-What?! This is a cat that grows big enough to eat BEARS! A person I could see. The size of a tiger? Sure. But a kami-damned BEAR?!" Ruki shouted in disbelief.

 

"A giant cat yokai that is often covered or has its tail billowing with spiritual flames and can tear a bear to pieces...yes." Kaitheros summarized.

 

"I-I need to sit down." Ruki said as her head swooned at the revelation.

 

"Oh come now, you've seen and dealt with bigger!" Kaitheros rolled his eyes. "Besides, you're already sitting." He teased.

 

"Oh...I am...good. Please tell me they don't lurk in those forests back there." Ruki breathlessly pleaded.

 

"Ko-Dama would not tolerate a Nekomata near them. Nekomata likewise prefer mostly towns and cities, the urban sprawl working just as well for cover. They can still assume the size of a typical house cat if they need to. It is the young, the cautious, and the elder Nekomata that lair in forests and even then they are forests near urban areas that have often been cleared or had the Ko-Dama driven from them."

 

"That makes me think...if Yokai came back...then a public park would be a perfect lair for a Nekomata. Oh Kami it would be like a giant bear eating lion hiding in a tiny tomcat and no one would realize it!"

 

"That very well could come to pass Ruki. Or it could simply devour and replace its owner, manipulating an entire district to its own ends. There are several such groups that it could use to gain a foothold on a city without anyone being the wiser and still have a local park as a backup plan or a safe house of sorts for it retreat to."

 

"These cats are scary. So my rituals wouldn't work on them?"

 

"While they are creatures of vendetta and malice much of the time, Nekomata are not as such in a way humans would understand beyond outright physical abuse. Sacred arts hold little sway over them physically and even arrows and other sacred projectiles would simply enrage them. However beyond their flames and curses they are still very much a very big cat."

 

"So...do I just throw some yarn at them?"

 

"More or less." Kaitheros chuckled. "The strings of a Gohei can distract them and in ancient times Katanas were a common weapon against them for they could sever the tail or slay the beast outright...if one was daring. For a creature that likes to stand on two legs even more than a Bakeneko, it is at its heart an angry and distrusting but very large wild animal. In this day in age they might even be susceptible to being shot." Kaitheros muttered.

 

"That doesn't sound right...or fair. I mean a spear or a sword sure, but just shooting it isn't in the predator spirit at all. Especially something that smart."

 

"I tend to think so, even in regards to Yokai. At least samurai extermination squads faced the creature personally to do battle and cut it down with skill and efficiency. To shoot it to do death from afar with ammunition that leaves festering wounds...is only asking for the Yokai to mutate into something possibly worse on its deathbed or leave many people horrifically cursed."

 

"Wait...if it's a big cat...and it's distracted by paper...does that mean-?!"

 

"Yes Ruki, a Nekomata can be appeased with origami. It wasn't a known or particularly popular strategy but one of your ancestors, who liked the damn things flaming whiskers and all, figured out that as creatures connected to misfortune and malice, the Nekomata can be appeased with offerings of origami, often burned as a token of honoring its mortal death or as a sign of respect. They particularly love bird sculptures."

 

"So a 1000 paper cranes may not save you from illness but it can appease a Nekomata?"

 

"Usually two would suffice, one to burn and one to keep. But if anyone bothered making 1000 paper cranes for a Nekomata, it may just mollify the beast into granting the giver a favor. Sadly not many thought the way your ancestor did and many Nekomata were either driven back into the Toho Plane or slain. In general a Nekomata assumes nothing but the worst concerning humans and sees them as little more than two legged vermin to be manipulated and exploited for its personal interest."

 

"So they aren't ALL bad...but most of them cause a lot of problems. Also I forgot to ask but why do Bakeneko and Nekomata not fear Yurei or Onryo?"

 

"They can't control them, if that is what you're wondering. Most free willed undead with personality are not something a Nekomata can trifle with in such a manner. They can however rebuke them and negate much of their physical manifestation. This allows Nekomata to be able to be one of the few Yokai that can feasibly 'talk' to an Onryo. Being creatures that hold deep grudges, Nekomata understand Onryo better than most and know how to deal with them. Sometimes they'll even take up a Onryo's cause and seek to punish those that disturbed the powerful poltergeists or were the cause of their creation. Other times the Nekomata finds ways to redirect an Onyro's rage onto someone else by exploiting their grudge plague. An alliance between an Onryo and a Nekomata is a formidable one indeed. I am grateful it has not happened  more than a handful of times." This time it was Kaitheros's turn to shudder at the implications.

 

"Whew~I think I managed it." Ruki beamed proudly as she held up a delicate paper crane.

 

"Very good~ now you just have to make 999 more." Kaitheros said with a hint of mirth.

 

"You're a horrible slave driver you know that?" Ruki shouted up at him as she reluctantly drew forth another piece of paper.

 

"You won't buy off a Nekomata with just ONE crane little Miko. And you'd need all the fortune you can must against the two Yokai I have in store for you tomorrow." The onyx theropod hinted.

 

"Are they like walking piles of curses or something?"

 

"No, but one is the most profane defiler of bodies with a lust for fire and a maiden whose heart is as cold as ice."

 

----

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Comments8
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AkityMH's avatar
I have a bit if dislike for Nekomata, and not due to the fact they are inherently angry at humans and thus evil. I had a autistic friend who insisted greatly that he, was indeed, a two-tailed Nekomata... *sigh* and he drove it down my throat every single day... claimed to drink fish oil and all.

But irritations from the past aside, the Nekomata came out great. I feel bad for them, but it makes me sad that being nice to cats won't change their mind of you. Note to self: Learn Origami.