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Mythos:
One of Yamato's most elusive but terrifying yokai is the Isonade, or Beach Stroker. They are monsterous sharks, or at least shark-like creatures, with tails covered in hooks and barbs that they use for deadly effect against any unwary humans in their presence. Just as humans cast their fishing hooks into the water to drag fish onto land, the Isonade hunts around boats and beaches, using its hooked tail to snag humans or land animals and drag them into the inky depths of the ocean, where it drowns and devours them. Unlike mundane sharks which chomp and thrash when they attack, Isonades are completely silent and stealthy at all times. The only warning you would get of an Isonade attack is when it leaps out of the water or lashes with its tail to snag its prey, and even then, they can strike so quickly that its victim may not have the wherewithal to even cry out before they're dragged under, giving the impression that they simply disappeared without a trace. The vast mythos of Yamato's yokai is crowded with insanely bizarre creatures, and in this company, the Isonade is all the more terrifying because of how biologically plausible it is. Even mundane sharks have skin made of teeth, which give them a rough grippy texture and reduce water drag making sharks faster and quieter than other fish. The hooks on the tail of the Isonade might be evolutionarily similar to the spiked rostrum of sawsharks.
Alt Names: Beach Stroker, O-kuchi-wani, Same-oni, Samebito, Kojin, Sharkopath, Sharkzilla, Sharkenstein, Sharkaiser, Megalodon, Hooktail, Dragger, Man-Fisher, Fisher-of-Men,
One of Yamato's most elusive but terrifying yokai is the Isonade, or Beach Stroker. They are monsterous sharks, or at least shark-like creatures, with tails covered in hooks and barbs that they use for deadly effect against any unwary humans in their presence. Just as humans cast their fishing hooks into the water to drag fish onto land, the Isonade hunts around boats and beaches, using its hooked tail to snag humans or land animals and drag them into the inky depths of the ocean, where it drowns and devours them. Unlike mundane sharks which chomp and thrash when they attack, Isonades are completely silent and stealthy at all times. The only warning you would get of an Isonade attack is when it leaps out of the water or lashes with its tail to snag its prey, and even then, they can strike so quickly that its victim may not have the wherewithal to even cry out before they're dragged under, giving the impression that they simply disappeared without a trace. The vast mythos of Yamato's yokai is crowded with insanely bizarre creatures, and in this company, the Isonade is all the more terrifying because of how biologically plausible it is. Even mundane sharks have skin made of teeth, which give them a rough grippy texture and reduce water drag making sharks faster and quieter than other fish. The hooks on the tail of the Isonade might be evolutionarily similar to the spiked rostrum of sawsharks.
Alt Names: Beach Stroker, O-kuchi-wani, Same-oni, Samebito, Kojin, Sharkopath, Sharkzilla, Sharkenstein, Sharkaiser, Megalodon, Hooktail, Dragger, Man-Fisher, Fisher-of-Men,
Insight:
My mind boggles at how I can somehow write a mythos blurb twice as long as usual about a creature with virtually no lore or tales to its name. I found the Isonade because I wanted to create a shark-like creature, and mythical sharks are surprisingly absent. One of my first successful 3D anthro characters was a shark, and the Acheron Series is based on the lessons I learned to make that. I thought about doing Megalodons instead, but ultimately, I wanted something more fantastical to pal around in a mythical creature collection. I mention in the mythos blurb that Isonades are surprisingly plausible, I don't think they are considered a cryptid like many of the other creatures, but maybe they should be. To an English-speaker, the word "Isonade" looks like it would be pronounced "Ice-O-Nayd", but it is Japanese and therefore the correct pronunciation is "Ee-so-nah-deh". If you prefer, you can always call it the Beach Stroker, which is what Isonade means, but it does sound a little like an adult film title.
My mind boggles at how I can somehow write a mythos blurb twice as long as usual about a creature with virtually no lore or tales to its name. I found the Isonade because I wanted to create a shark-like creature, and mythical sharks are surprisingly absent. One of my first successful 3D anthro characters was a shark, and the Acheron Series is based on the lessons I learned to make that. I thought about doing Megalodons instead, but ultimately, I wanted something more fantastical to pal around in a mythical creature collection. I mention in the mythos blurb that Isonades are surprisingly plausible, I don't think they are considered a cryptid like many of the other creatures, but maybe they should be. To an English-speaker, the word "Isonade" looks like it would be pronounced "Ice-O-Nayd", but it is Japanese and therefore the correct pronunciation is "Ee-so-nah-deh". If you prefer, you can always call it the Beach Stroker, which is what Isonade means, but it does sound a little like an adult film title.