Buy me a coffeeYara-ma-yha-who, the Red Hunger of the Fig Tree
“The Yara-ma-yha-who drops from trees, slurps your blood with finger suckers, and turns you into one of its own — no bites, just pure nightmare fuel!”
The Yara-ma-yha-who is a squat, humanoid creature standing about 4 feet tall, with wrinkled, reddish skin reminiscent of sunburned leather. Its disproportionately large, round head features bulging, lidless eyes and a toothless, frog-like mouth that constantly glistens with thick saliva. Its most disturbing features are its suction-cupped fingers and toes, each tipped with pulsing, leech-like pads. These appendages twitch rhythmically, as though always thirsting for contact. Its limbs are gangly and sinewy, allowing it to hang motionless from fig trees like a fleshy fruit waiting to drop.
Behavior:
The Yara-ma-yha-who is a patient ambush predator that uses stillness and timing over brute strength. It is nocturnal but will strike during the day if prey rests beneath its tree. It does not use tools or weapons, nor does it speak in any known language, though it occasionally emits a low, gurgling hum before a feeding. It displays an eerie, almost playful curiosity about its victims and will toy with prey before feeding.
Habitat:
Yara-ma-yha-who are found in dense rainforest regions, particularly in the fig trees of Eastern Australia. They dwell in the upper branches, camouflaged among the foliage, and rarely leave the canopy unless disturbed. Their lairs are marked by the absence of wildlife sounds, and the ground beneath is often littered with strange, red-tinged bones and withered plant matter.
Modus Operandi:
Rather than using violence, the Yara-ma-yha-who drops silently onto unsuspecting travelers who rest under its tree. It uses its suckers to drain blood, inducing a paralytic, trance-like state. Once weakened, the victim is swallowed whole in a grotesque, slug-like gulp. After several hours, the creature regurgitates the victim—alive, confused, and marked by a reddish hue. Victims subjected to this process repeatedly will gradually shrink, lose body hair, and eventually transform into Yara-ma-yha-who themselves, joining the forest canopy in patient silence.
Motivation:
Unlike predatory creatures driven by hunger, the Yara-ma-yha-who appears motivated by an instinctual compulsion to convert others, as if propagating its own kind through ritualized consumption and regurgitation. It does not kill for pleasure or territory, but rather seeks to perpetuate a cycle, as though obeying an ancient biological or magical imperative. Some Aboriginal legends suggest the Yara-ma-yha-who are cursed spirits or guardians of the forest, punishing those who disrespect sacred trees.
Yara-ma-yha-who 5e
Yara-ma-yha-who, Pathfinder
Yara-ma-yha-who
Small Aberration, Chaotic Neutral
Challenge: 4 (1,100 XP) Proficiency Bonus: +2
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 67 (9d6 + 36)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) | 6 (−2) | 14 (+2) | 7 (−2) |
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4
Skills Stealth +7, Perception +4
Damage Resistances Psychic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed (while attached)
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
Languages — (Telepathy 60 ft. with other Yara-ma-yha-who only)
Traits
Treebound Lurker.
While motionless and clinging to a tree, the Yara-ma-yha-who is indistinguishable from natural foliage. A creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Nature) check to notice it.
Blood Suckers.
When the Yara-ma-yha-who hits with a Claw Sucker attack, the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. A creature can only gain one level of exhaustion from this trait per turn.
Inhuman Regurgitation.
When the Yara-ma-yha-who regurgitates a swallowed creature, that creature lands prone, is restrained until the end of its next turn, and has disadvantage on its next attack roll or ability check.
Actions
Multiattack.
The Yara-ma-yha-who makes two attacks: one with Claw Sucker and one with Tongue Lash.
Claw Sucker.
Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion.
Tongue Lash.
Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 13). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the Yara-ma-yha-who can’t use Tongue Lash on another creature.
Swallow Whole (Recharge 5–6).
The Yara-ma-yha-who attempts to swallow one Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed.
A swallowed creature is blinded, restrained, and takes 9 (2d8) acid damage at the start of each of the Yara-ma-yha-who’s turns. If the creature deals 20 or more damage in a single turn while inside the Yara-ma-yha-who, the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or regurgitate the target, who lands prone in a space within 5 feet of it.
Corruptive Rebirth (Mythic Trait).
If a creature is swallowed and regurgitated three times by the same Yara-ma-yha-who, it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw each time. On a failure, the creature gains a permanent mark of transformation (chosen or rolled):
- Reddish skin tone
- Suction-like scars on fingers
- Reduced height by 1d4 inches
- Ability to sense fig trees within 1 mile
A creature with three marks becomes a larval Yara-ma-yha-who within 1d6 days unless cured by greater restoration or remove curse.
Tactics
- Ambush Predator: Drops silently onto targets resting or unaware beneath fig trees.
- Exhaust and Convert: Uses Blood Suckers to exhaust and weaken prey before attempting a swallow.
- Retreats with Food: Once a target is swallowed, it flees up the canopy to digest/regurgitate in safety.
- Avoids Clusters: Avoids melee-heavy groups, using stealth and terrain to isolate targets.
Lair Signs
- Red fig fruit with pulsing or sticky surfaces.
- Silence or sudden absence of birds and small game.
- Roots surrounding fig trees stained with rust-colored streaks.
- Strange footprints or handprints near tree bases with sucker-like impressions.
Yara-ma-yha-who
This peculiar dwarfish creature has red fur and bulging, frog like eyes. Its arms and legs are long and end with spindly digits lined with suckers. Its mouth gapes impossibly wide.
Taken from Creature Codex
They are a reclusive race of tropical humanoids with a bizarre and parasitic reproductive system. They prefer to live in lush jungles and typically make their nests among the branches of fig trees.
Yara-ma-yha-who are excellent climbers, swinging from branch to branch with their long, muscular arms. Yara-ma-yha-who are very territorial creatures and rarely associate with one another. Humanoid creatures within their territory are closely watched, and anyone approaching their nest is viewed as an enemy.
Yara-ma-yha-who do not feed on meat or vegetation—rather, they feed on the vital energy of animals. They drain this energy via their suckered fingers and toes, leaving the prey enfeebled and weary but not permanently harmed. Predatory beasts of the jungle often follow the yara-ma-yha-who in hopes of picking off its weakened victims.
The reproductive habits of the yara-ma-yha-who are highly unusual, because they are themselves asexual. They require a living humanoid in order to reproduce, changing them into a new yara-ma-yha-who with a cocktail of magical fluids found in their stomachs. As the yara-ma-yha-who strips away the mind and identity of its chosen victim, the victim slowly shrinks, grows reddish hair all over its body, and becomes more rubbery and flexible.
Yara-ma-yha-who will often regurgitate their victim partially transformed and then retreat. Such partially-transformed victims are often viewed with scorn and pity, and may seek out complete transformation if only to end their shame.
Yara-ma-yha-who CR 6
XP 2,400
CN Small monstrous humanoid
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +12
Defenses
AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 16 (+1 size, +4 Dex, +5 natural); uncanny dodge
hp 76 (9d10+27)
Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +6
DR 5/piercing
Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Melee 2 slams +14 (1d3+2 plus attach), bite +14 (1d4+2)
Special Attacks create spawn,strength damage, swallow whole (AC 12, 7 hp)
Statistics
Str 15, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 8, Wis11, Cha 10
Base Atk +9; CMB +12 (+20 to maintain grapple); CMD 24
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Lunge, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +8 (+16 when climbing),Climb +18, Perception +12, Stealth +20; Racial Modifiers +8 to Acrobatics checks when using Climb speed
Languages Sylvan
Ecology
Environment warm forests
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure incidental
Special Abilities
Attach (Ex) When a yara-ma-yha-who hits with its slam attack, its suckers automatically latch onto its opponent. An attached yara-ma-yha-who is effectively grappling its prey, with a +8 bonus on all CMB checks made to maintain the grapple. A yara-ma-yha-who does not suffer any penalties to its Dexterity score when attached in this fashion. A successful CMB check or Escape Artist check allows a grabbed foe to escape, as normal.
Create Spawn (Su) Any humanoid reduced to 0 Cha by a yara-ma-yha-who’s swallow whole attack transforms into a yara-ma-yhi-who over the course of 1 minute. The transformed humanoid does not retain any class features or memories of its former life. A creature transformed into a yara-ma-yha-who can only be returned to its normal self via a limited wish, wish or miracle spell.
Strength Damage (Ex) Every round a yara-ma-yha-who is attached to an opponent, it deals 1d4 points of Strength damage.
Swallow Whole (Ex) A yara-ma-yha-who can only swallow whole pinned or helpless opponents, but it can use this ability on creatures up to Medium size. A creature swallowed by a yara-ma-yhi-who takes no physical damage, but suffers from 1d4 points of Charisma drain each round. A humanoid that suffers from 6 or more points of Charisma drain is reduced in size by 1 category if Medium size. This is a curse effect—a remove curse spellagainst DC 14 must be cast successfully before Charisma drain inflicted in this manner can be removed with a restoration spell. If the curse is removed, the creature’s size returns to normal. The DC is Charisma based.