Yara-ma-yha-who
A small red man with a big head and octopus-like suckers, the Yara-ma-yha-who drops from fig trees to drink blood and swallow victims. It spits them out slightly changed—over time turning the careless into one of its kind.
Story beats
- 1) Travelers rest beneath a fig tree despite warnings; the creature drops silently.
- 2) It uses finger and toe suckers to drain blood, then swallows the victim whole.
- 3) After a nap, it spits them out shorter and redder; repeated attacks transform them.
- 4) Pretending to be dead even after the creature leaves is key to survival—it might return if you move too soon.
Context & symbolism
This tale warns children not to wander alone or nap under certain trees. Transformation through repeated feeding underscores that heedlessness changes you—slowly becoming what you fear.
Its method (no weapons, just patience) flips predator tropes: the danger is subtle watchfulness rather than overt force.
Motifs
- Red skin, large head, huge mouth
- Finger/toe suckers draining blood
- Fig trees as ambush sites
- Spitting victims slightly altered
Use it in play
- Jungle rest becomes an ambush; players must feign death to avoid a second swallow.
- Rescue someone mid-transformation; time is measured in how red they’ve become.
- Gather sap from a fig tree guarded by the creature; stealth and patience win.
- Use its transformation spit as rare alchemy—if you can stomach the cost.