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Above is the elusive 'Kappa' of Japanese folk lore. They are generally about the same size as small children, however they are much stronger and usually depicted as humanoid tortoises. The Kappa has a varied reputation, generally considered mischievious, they are known to fart loudly or behave like peeping toms! However, the Kappa is also known for some extremely terrible crimes such as rape, kidnapping and more notoriously eating children! The natural habitat of the Kappa are normally ponds, lakes and springs in the forests of Japan, perhaps they were created to explain accidental drownings and to warn children of playing irresponsibly by ponds, as Kappa are described to grab children by the ankles and drag them into the water. Kappa are notoriously tricky characters, their main source of weakness is contained within the bald patch of his head-sometimes simply a bald patch, a small dish or even a leaf in the parting of his hair where it holds water! The idea is to out smart the damn demon and make it knock the water out of the recipticle. All Kappa are suckers for formailty and etiquette and cannot resist bowing if they are bowed to first, done Japanese style this would mean that the head is bowed far over out of humble courtesy, thus spilling the water from the spot! All this said, not all Kappa are supposed to be bad, and if you happen to save one from danger or befriend one, they will become your best buddy and carry out all manners of services in reward!
