Classification: Legendary & Supernatural Humanoids

Temporal Range: 17th - 19th Century

Geographic Range: Mountain forests, Japan

Diet: Whatever she can hunt or forage near her hut, including the flesh of those who intrude upon her sanctum

Deep in the forest, lives the solitary mountain witch, Yama-Uba. Living in a lonely little hut, she keeps to herself and spins thread. Described as a haggard old woman, she has shaggy white hair and dresses in a worn and ripped red kimono. Many more detailed reports of her appearance are extremely unkind and state she has greasy skin, sagging breasts and basically every other stereotypical idea of “ugliness” that witches are branded with across the world.

Yama-Uba does not seek out the company of others but for those who cross the mountain passes nearest her hut - especially those stupid enough to actually seek her out or even just approach her home - she is known to turn incredibly nasty. Often, she will pretend to offer these strangers shelter and then eat them as they sleep. Those who escaped her clutches are the ones who have spread these tales. Our reporters have spoken with one or two and they were all utterly terrified and have sworn off ever traveling through the mountains again.

She is not all bad though and has been known to help out those in local villages from time to time. But even those she has helped know not to cross her as her sweet old lady demeanor can change as quickly as the wind and you’ll be facing a fearsome monster before you know it.