Nakshatra Meenu means “sea star” or “brittle star” in the Kannada language of Karnataka, India.
In the 16th century, an army of giant brittle stars came out of the sea to invade the land. The biggest among them had arms that were 4 meters long; they killed people by coiling an arm around the neck, another arm around the feet, and tearing them in half. The brittle stars could also separate their arms from their main bodies, sending the disembodied arms into human buildings where they strangled anyone they encountered. The detached arms would later regenerate.
They faced the armies of the Vijayanagara Empire, who fought the echinoderm invaders fiercely. The brittle stars were finally sent into retreat in 1514, under a barrage of flaming arrows.
It has been suggested that the gentle Yam Bhaya Akhoot of Chittorgarh is actually the ghost of the leader of the brittle stars.
References
Bhairav, J. F. and Khanna, R. (2020) Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India. Blaft Publications, Chennai.
A Book of Creatures 
Sounds like a b- movie! I’m glad it mellowed out in the afterlife.
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Maybe one of the Godzilla or Gamera movies?
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Origin story of the famous Yam Bhaya Akhoot! An army of giant brittle stats really would seem like an alien invasion. They’re alien enough regular-sized. That said, isn’t Chittoor, like, on the exact opposite side of India? His journey across the country as a shamed brittle star ghost is one story I’d definitely want to hear …
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So there is an army of starfishes that are lead by a ghost and they’re still down in the sea trying to form their underwater empire?
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Any day now
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Giant killer bristle stars, wow a new monster to add to the comics
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I mean, DC already has Starro. But I bet he can’t detach his arms, now can he?!
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… this is actual mythology?
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Yup
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Or folklore, oral tradition, call it what you will
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So the badly misnamed Yam Bhaya Akhoot used to be a general for these guys. Supposedly.
I have a few questions lol. I’m starting to think Yam resembles a blanket octopus.
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Man, if a brittle star can tear a person in half, I shudder to think of what a tough star can do 😛
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Hey, @abookofcreatures, is it cool if I use this as a reference to make a homebrew D&D monster? I’m not posting it anywhere or making any money off it. I just liked the creature concept and may or may not torment my player group with it.
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Just as long as you credit me, of course 🙂
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Of course! I love a lot of the creatures listed here, so I’ll probably end up making more eventually if that’s fine.
Although I now imagine my players reading this site like a bestiary, trying to research the monsters they might face. Still, that’s probably the most fun way to learn monstrology/mythology/folklore.
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IDK if anyone is still here, but slight correction from the text, in Southern Indian language Nakshatra means stars in relation to astrology and Meenu means fish. Therefore, Nakshatra Meenu is just starfish lol. – Tamilian
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I don’t speak the language, just going with my source. Literally “starfish” though, that’s excellent 😀
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