Mizutsuke the Kappa

One of the characters from my Houshi Buri story (see the other Houshi Buri pictures in my gallery for more info). As the title of this pic implies, this is Mizutsuke the kappa. Kappa are japanese mythological water imps with indentations in their heads which hold water. If the water spills, they lose their powers, one of which is impressive strength. <br />
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Like many of the characters I create, Mizutsuke defies tradition both in appearance and personality. Most kappa, even though they are strong, appear scrawny and frail; Mizutsuke is quite built and muscular. To keep the water in his head from evaporating or spilling, he wears a sando-gasa (sedge hat) and carries water (not saké) in his hisago (gourd bottle). <br />
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Buri and the tanuki siblings met him at a tavern they had stopped at. There had been some recent disappearances in town, and Mizutsuke, being a kappa, was the prime suspect. I haven't decided how, but Mizutsuke is proven innocent and, having become friends with Buri, decides to join them on their travels. <br />
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Mizutsuke is semi-quiet and, at times, seemingly bored. He doesn't like to show off his muscles, but enjoys a good fight every now and again. He is not aggressive when insulted but will pound individuals he sees bullying or being unjust to others in a heartbeat. Naturally, his favorite foods include anything with cucumbers in it, with a little wasabi added. <br />
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Mizutsuke's one real fear is a female kappa named Kyuuri who is absolutely smitten with him. In kappa society, it's the girls that chase the guys (and quite aggressively I might add), so if Mizutsuke gets wind of Kyuuri being around, he disappears.