Hungry Ghosts (new monster idea)

[Uratoh]

I was thinking about the japanese tradition of hungry ghosts, and a way to bring them into the game....I was inspired by the anime 'Laughing Target', in that they could possess a person. So here's my idea:

Hungry Ghosts are (for the most part) the spirits of those who are eaten by cannibals. They have a cursed existance, reduced to almost nothing, they gather into large groups and influence/possess people to kill others so that the ghosts can feed on the corpse. The possessee will not need food during the time of the possession, but they will slowly become more and more sickly (much like a victem of Baba Yaga's influence) unless they do eat, until they simply die and join the ghosts that possessed them. Those who continue to eat (normally or cannibalisticly, though the ghosts would be hard pressed to give up their meal...) can continue to grow up normally, albiet as a puppet of the ghosts No matter how they die, they will join the 'herd' when they do.

I'm working on this monster type, and any suggestions are appreciated, including ways to stop them permanantly...killing the host simply sends them searching for a new one. I think they're a really good idea, and if you ever saw the laughing target anime, you'd see just how scary these things can be...

[Uratoh]

Wow, no one has ANY suggestions, comments, ideas, or anything??

or is this place just dead as of late?

[Mike Holmes]

Hmmm. How was the problem dealt with in the Anime?

I'd say the way to banish the hungry ghosts would be for a brave child to explain to the ghosts that feeding their hunger only keeps them alive to contiue to be hungry. They should relinquish their desire for revenge and be at rest. Lots of innocence would help on that one.

This is not a particularly active forum, but some of the ideas are great.

Mike

[Uratoh]

well in the anime, the 'host' was shot in the heart with an arrow, then in typical monster movie fashion came back and had to be bashed in the head repeatedly. then the ghosts just left.

maybe they cant be stopped?

the ghosts were represented as little leechlike things with large eyes.

[Uratoh]

Keeping this topic alive, here is the legend behind the hungry ghost festival:

This great priest (or warrior, depending on the version) went off on a journey, and while he was gone, a group of traveling monks came to his house and begged his wife for food. She agreed, and prepared food for them....

Now, when monks ask for food, you must NEVER serve them meat, due to their beliefs and diet. The man's wife thought this silly, and secretly sprinkled meat into the monk's meals to spite them..

They were horrified, and killed her, and her soul went into the underworld.

Her husband returned, and fought down to rescue her, and found her torment was to be surrounded by food, but whever she tried to eat it, it would turn into blood.

The man returned, and prayed for days for his wife's soul. Buddah must have taken pity on him, for he dreceed that one night a year, the hungry souls of the damned could walk the earth and eat food which had been specially left out for them.

Basicly, 'hungry ghosts' are the ghosts of people who were gluttons in life, or committed food related crimes, like the man's wife. The violent bent on them is taken from Rumkio Takahashi's 'The Laughing Target', as mentioned earlier.

I dont know the exact date of the festival, sorry.

[Mike Holmes]

I guess the real question is why have the Hungry Ghosts come to pester the children. And then it hits me.

Eating disorder. The plagued child has to beat his bulimia or what ever to rid himself of the ghosts.

Season to taste.

Mike

[Jason L Blair]

Baba Yaga in effect.

[Uratoh]

I just remembered the first victem of the ghosts in the anime, it was the girl's mother. She was yelling at the girl for never doing anything right, and the ghosts attacked and devoured her....

BTW, which part of what we've been posting is 'baba yaga in effect'? I realize the whole hungry ghost thing probably falls into her jurisdiction, but you're probably refering to something specific.

[Jason L Blair]

All of it actually. Though the comment about a child having bulimia is what sparked it directly. I'm gonna think on this for a bit and see what I come with for you.