Baku
Overview
While many yokai are feared in Azuma, the baku is welcomed and respected, though rarely seen. Appearing as hybrids of bear, elephant, tiger, and ox, these shy yokai largely stay hidden in dense forests, but almost never stray far from human settlements. This is because they are most likely to find their exclusive diet in these spaces: bad dreams.
Baku watch over humans, and at night, sneak into their homes to sniff out any bad dreams the inhabitants might be experiencing. With their trunks, they suck the bad dreams from the sleeper's breath, and in the morning, the sleeper only remembers that the nightmare occurred, not its contents. Not only do the baku ward off nightmares, but their presence also wards off weaker, malicious yokai. Fearsome baku images are often carved into the pillars and doorways of Azumese shrines for this reason, and talismans portraying them are slipped under pillows to help ward off recurring nightmares. Some braver baku even act as familiars for priests.
Like with many yokai, however, a baku's services cannot be demanded without respect. If a person wakes up from a nightmare and calls on a baku to help them, one may appear and eat the person's bad dreams if a hungry one is nearby. If the baku remains hungry after being called, however, it may continue to feast, eating the person's good dreams - and with it, their hopes, desires, and all that would lead them to live a full life.
