Mab here, Prospero Inc. company gumshoe.

As part of my campaign to protect you woefully-uninformed humans from your own folly—in hopes of saving even one of you from an elf-induced death, or worse—here is some of my gathered wisdom concerning the supernatural world.

Read. Pay attention. And maybe you’ll live.

For those of you who are just coming in, we’ve started with Tsukumogami, Japanese household objects that wake up after their 100th birthday and become animate.

Name:  Ch?chinobake

Description:   Chochinobake are seldom malevolent, but they are mischievous. They pretend to be paper lamps, then they abruptly come to life and dance around their terrified victims, jerking their phantom limbs and slapping bystander’s faces with their long slimy tongues.

Some are friendly towards humans and assist or even give their hosts gifts of alcohol or food.

Where To Find It: At festivals and places with pretty lanterns

Frequency: Not very

Danger Level:  Low but annoying

Mab’s Eye View: Look, these guys are just gross. Do you want a slimy Chochinobake tongue on your face?

I knew a family that kept one of these around. They liked the gifts and the help. But, Man, the tricks just were not worth it. Cousin of mine blew through their house one day, found them all upside down, duck taped to the ceiling, their faces all wet from being licked.

Gross, Man!