The False Guides
17 figures A family: figures with traits in common
The will-o'-the-wisp's light and the curupira's borrowed voice belong to the bestiary's largest family, the misdirection specialists, who imitate whatever a traveler trusts and then let the terrain do the rest, a lamp where no house stands and a call in a familiar register and a path that was never a path, so that the victim walks willingly and the crime when it finally happens has already been committed by the map in his head. In other words the family industrializes a single insight. You do not need to chase anyone whom you can invite.
voice mimics and ghost lights that lead travelers astray (will o'-the wisp, curupira, alicanto, ekek)
What binds them
- Vocal mimicry · 17 of them
- Mimics human voice to mislead · 15 of them
- Confuses travelers into losing their way · 8 of them
- Confuses travelers · 6 of them
- Emerges at night to attack · 3 of them
- Phosphorescent glow · 2 of them
- False luminous lure object · 1 of them
- Leaping locomotion · 1 of them
Drawn from 9 groups of traditions: Middle eastern 4 · South american 4 · East asian 2 · Celtic 2 · Other 1 · Mesoamerican 1 · European 1 · Southeast asian 1 · Slavic 1
Members
- Ahuizotl
- Alicanto
- Boi-tatá
- Curupira
- Fachen
- Hamou Ukaiou
- Ittan-momen
- Jackalope
- Kapre
- Kikimora
- Manticore
- Nasnas
- Peuchén
- Shellycoat
- Shiqq
- Tsuchinoko
- Will-o'-the-Wisp
Resemblance is not descent; descent is drawn only as the gold lines on the constellation. All families.