Archive:Appati
Appati (Achiyitqan: appáti [ap̚ˈpá.ti], sápmos [ˈsáp̚.mos] ; Vodholk, isap pos [isap mos]) are fantastical creatures originating in vodholk mythology which have spread into the folklore of other north Mirarian peoples. They have many different names. In most stories the appati are fairly harmless beings, mischievous tricksters most notable for minor annoyances, but some of the older vodholk stories include more frightening and dangerous elements that have occasionally been repurposed in modern horror genre media.
Names and etymology
The Achiyitqan term appáti seems to come from áppa-ti (liar-DIM, or 'little liar'). However, it is unclear why the word's pitch-accent would have shifted from initial to medial, so this etymology is sometimes considered dubious. The Achiyitqans do sometimes also refer to them as sápmos, derived from the Vodholk term (see below). This name may be reserved for stories where the creature is more dangerous or ominous.
The Vodholk name is isap pos [isap mos] or, rarely, pos isapot [mos izaboθ], both literally meaning 'ember fox'. This name reflects the mythological origins of the creature, which are said to be born of forgotten embers and unattended fires. The plural is isap posol, which may be followed by a variety of case endings.
Names from other vodholk languages, some of which predate isap pos, do exist; but this form has become the standard, especially due to cross-linguistic contact with Achiyitqan. The Vodholk may also sometimes use an Achiyitqan-derived term, apati [abaði], but there is no meaningful difference between the two names.
Mythology
Appearance
Appati take a variety of forms in the different legends and tales from which they originate, but they tend to have in common that they are small (<50cm in height), dark, and have large, bright eyes, typically yellow or orange. They are variously described as furry, sleek, or 'smoky', with hazy edges. Their shape is often a simple round form with stubby legs and talon-like feet, resembling a perching owl; but is sometimes more obviously humanoid in nature, or, as the name suggests, fox-like. Despite their frequent owl-like portrayal, they are not commonly held to have wings or the capacity for flight.
Life cycle
The appáti are described as being born of deserted fires. When a vodholk or human leaves a fire unattended to burn out, if the resulting embers remain live for over a day, there is a chance that they will consolidate into an appáti. Alternative tales say that they come only from fires that use bones as a fuel source, or from the burned remains of arctic foxes.
Regardless of the circumstances, typically only one appáti is born from a given fire. In some tales, they are able to further reproduce with other individuals of their species, while in others, they are only born of these neglected fires.
Appáti are not typically described as aging, although they may grow larger the longer they live, or the more they consume.
Appáti can die of starvation, prolonged loneliness, intense cold, or in some tales, by being doused in water or another specific liquid. Their corpses solidify into lumps of charcoal or piles of soot.
It is commonly held that the creation of a new appáti can be prevented by watching fires carefully, and fully dousing them in water, snow, or sand instead of leaving them to burn out.
Behaviour
The behaviour of appati is as varied between sources as their appearance. However, there are four more or less universal commonalities: their near-sapient level of intelligence, their noted fascination or obsession with sapient species, their mischievousness and trickery, and their association with fire, embers, ash, and soot.
Appati are sometimes considered solitary creatures, but many tales feature them congregating in large numbers. Interestingly, there seems to be a negative correlation between larger numbers of the creatures and how harmful they are, with the solitary appati being much more ominous and dangerous than larger groups. This may be because of where they are encountered; in stories in settled communities, which are also more likely to be more modern, settlements are likely to be home to a large infestation of overall harmless appati, while tales that take place among nomadic peoples or, especially, lone wanderers, it is more likely that one will encounter a solitary and more dangerous appati.
Intelligence and communication
Most myths hold in common that appati are intelligent enough to trick or outsmart only the most unwary or witless of people. They are often compared to corvids, foxes, dogs, or sometimes very young children; they are able to learn, make short-term plans, communicate simple messages, deceive others, use simple tools, and operate simple machines. In short, they are capable of being a minor menace.
Most stories indicate that appati are capable of some level of vocalization; they are most often silent, but also described as hissing in warning, growling in frustration, giggling when they are up to mischief, and on occasion, speaking one or two words of human or vodholk languages. Depending on their physical features in a given tale, they may also have communicative body language and, in a small handful of legends where they have a near-humanoid appearance, may also be able to communicate in sign language. However, in most tales, Deaf vodholk (or humans) have an advantage in avoiding the tricks of the sápmos, as they are unable to hear their attempts at communication.
Vodholk and human fascination
Appáti are considered to be fascinated by or even obsessed with the sapient species whose territories they are said to share. It is sometimes said that they do not exist in areas that are devoid of people—they are birthed only from man-made fires, and tend to follow their accidental creators around; they may even die without some form of contact with people.
All stories feature the appáti trying to get the attention of people or otherwise to interfere in their lives to some degree. They may be content to mess with a person's belongings and watch reactions from a safe distance or hidden space. By comparison, in most tales appáti either completely ignore, or are overtly hostile towards other animals.
Fire affinity and other powers
Although a common trait across most legends, the fire-related powers possessed by appati do vary in their specifics. All or most appáti are born from fires (see Life Cycle, above) and it is often said that they are attracted to fire and other heat sources, or even that they feed off of it.
In many legends appáti can glow or appear like fire, but typically do not produce any heat when they do so. This is often used to trick lost people into thinking they have found a source of warmth. However, in one notable story, a genuinely benevolent appáti seeks to help a lost and hypothermic vodholk by turning itself into a fire; it is capable of only offering comfort for the dying individual, since it produces no heat.
Habitat and mischief
Domestic 'infestations' of appati are often used as a comedic device. In these stories, they have many aspects of rats and other common pests, as well as (to an extent) domestic cats. While they may be present in large numbers, they do not seem to have any group hierarchy, being loosely cooperative with one another as it suits them, but often accidentally sabotaging or even injuring one another.
Their trickery is often relatively benign; rearranging or hiding objects, letting indoor pets outside, stealing food, making frightening noises in the night, or setting up harmless 'traps' of the sort that children might buy in a joke shop. They are often described as setting up elaborate nests in forgotten corners of the house, such as unused drawers, under furniture, over cabinets, or in the fireplace or furnace during summer; the nests are typically made of textile scraps, hair or fur shed by residents or their pets, paper products, lost socks, and dust bunnies. They seem willing to eat anything.
The appati or sápmos in wilderness areas, who are more likely to appear alone or in only small groups, indulge in more malevolent tricks; they are known to lure lost or foolish people into dangerous situations by mimicking a campfire, showing the person a berry or other source of food, or simply telling the lost person to follow them. Their victims, often children, end up falling through thin ice, into deep caves or crevasses, or simply freezing to death on the open tundra, where they are then slowly consumed by the sápmos that tricked them.
In some tales, the motivations of appati are actually benevolent, even when they result in deaths; in these cases the appati are simply considered too simple-minded to help effectively.