Kappa

Kappa
January 2007 (original)
May 2008 (digital)

A kappa, as they appear in the Snipe Hunt universe, swimming through the ocean.

Kappas possess intelligence greater than other cryptids, and thus graduate to a demi-human level of classification, such as the sasquatch. Existing in an undersea colony near Japan, the youngsters enjoy sneaking into the human cities, interacting with schoolchildren, the elderly, and others that respect the old ways.

The oldest kappas distrust the humans and discourage interaction with them, owing their prejudice to memories of a time when kappas were hunted. Snipe Hunt kappas have hair composed of a special, fibrous material that absorbs oxygen, allowing for deep-sea dives that can last hours. Their adherence to Japanese tradition led to them often being tricked into bowing in an encounter, which left them open to surprise attack, where they were often killed and scalped by honorless men.

The image of the bald kappa, as shown in toys and artwork of the modern day, is actually an offensive stereotype to living kappas, as it depicts them post-scalping. To them, such imagery is considered extremely hurtful. However, the young kappas who interact with human society do not begrudge humanity its commercialized interpretation of them.