Kaso

Kaso
カソ
SH1DCLD Artwork from Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Artwork from Devil Children Light Book and Dark Book
Other Name(s)	Lava RatDemiKids Light Version and Dark Version
Origin	Chinese culture Japanese culture
Race(s)	BeastShin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Shin Megami Tensei IV Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse Shin Megami Tensei: J Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers Kētai Akuma Densho KemonoDevil Children Light Book and Dark Book Devil Children Fire Book and Ice Book
Alignment(s)	Neutral-NeutralShin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux Shin Megami Tensei IV Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers

Kaso is a Demon in the Megami Tensei franchise.

Profile

Origin

Kaso, known in Chinese as Huoshu, is a creature mentioned in Book of Gods and Strange Things. It is said to live on the outskirts of the southern wastelands, where there is a volcano around 40 li long and 50 li wide. Huoshu are said to be born of wood that has been burned to cinders, live in volcanoes, and cannot burn themselves. They weigh around 1,000 jin, and have white fur around 2 chi long, which can be woven into a sort of silk that can be cleaned through immolation. The 3rd Century Records of Wu note Huoshu as existing in the Rinan Commandery, an area within Han-controlled southern Vietnam. The text details that clothes made with Huoshu's pelt would purify themselves when burned. Clothes made in this way were called 火浣布 huǒhuànbù.

Kaso, in Japanese folklore, appears in the monogatari known as Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Within the story, Princess Kaguya is told by an old man who raised her to answer five suitors who loved her. While she did not want to, she did so as he was getting on in years. The catch was that these tasks were essentially impossible. The third suitor, Abe no Miushi, Minister of the Right, was told to go to Tang dynasty China and bring back the pelt of Kaso. The impossibility was known to all, but Princess Kaguya made no compromises. Abe no Miushi, instead of going to China, mailed a merchant named Wang Qing and offered him any amount of money to receive Kaso's hide. He received it, and brought it to Princess Kaguya. While initially ecstatic, when tested by throwing it into fire, it burnt instantly: Abe no Miushi had been conned, and thus failed the condition given to him.

Design

Edo period illustration of Kaso from Wakan Sansai Zue (和漢三才図会)

Kaso's design is vaguely derived from its description in Book of Gods and Strange Things, but with the body being made of pure fire rather than being incombustible fur.

Gameplay

Shin Megami Tensei IV

EnemyAlly

	Name Level HP MP Kaso 13 95 104	Strength 14 Dexterity 16 Magic 20 Agility 13 Luck 19
Location Kasumigaseki - Sakurada-dori, Nagatacho Passage, Counter-Demon Force, Disaster Storage A, Disaster Storage B
Race AlignmentFactored with certain skills EXP Recruit Beg Speech RERandom Encounter Beast Neutral 250 ✔ ✔ Boy ✔
Drop Kaso's Hide (50%) Life Stone (20%) Maragi Stone (15%)
Resistances — — NuNull WkWeak — — — — ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1¼×1.25 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Ailment Resistances ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Basic Attack Element Hits(s) Target Effect Phys 1 Single enemy —
Skills Skill Cost Description Agi 5 MP Weak Fire damage to one enemy. Beastly Reaction — Increases user's agility by 25%. Stacks with Draconic Reaction.

	Name Level HP MP Kaso 13 108 104	Strength 17 Dexterity 19 Magic 23 Agility 16 Luck 22
Race AlignmentFactored with certain skills Speech C. CostCompendium Summoning Cost Beast Neutral — —
Resistances — — NuNull WkWeak — — — — ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Ailment Resistances ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Basic Attack Element Hit(s) Target Effect Phys 1 Single enemy —
Skills Skill Cost Description Level Agi 5 MP Weak Fire damage to one enemy. Innate Beastly Reaction — Increases user's agility by 25%. Stacks with Draconic Reaction. Innate Sukukaja 15 MP Increases all allies' agility by 1 rank. 14

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse

EnemyAlly

	Name Level HP MP Kaso 10 100 92	Strength 8 Dexterity 11 Magic 16 Agility 19 Luck 10
Race AlignmentFactored with certain skills EXP Recruit Beg Speech RERandom Encounter Beast Neutral — — — Boy ✔
Drop — — —
Resistances — — RsResist WkWeak — — — — ×1 ×1 ×½×0.50 ×1¼×1.25 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Ailment Resistances ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Skill Affinity — — +2 −3 — — — — — — — +1
Basic Attack Element Hit(s) Target Effect Phys 1 Single enemy —
Skills Skill Cost Description Agi 5 MP Weak fire damage to one foe.

	Name Level HP MP Kaso 10 107 92	Strength 11 Dexterity 14 Magic 19 Agility 22 Luck 13
Race AlignmentFactored with certain skills Speech C. CostCompendium Summoning Cost Beast Neutral Boy 1424
Resistances — — RsResist WkWeak — — — — ×1 ×1 ×½×0.50 ×1¼×1.25 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Ailment Resistances ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1 ×1
Skill Affinity — — +2 −3 — — — — — — — +1
Basic Attack Element Hit(s) Target Effect Phys 1 Single enemy —
Skills Skill Cost Description Level Agi 5 MP Weak fire damage to one foe. Innate Sukukaja 20 MP Buffs party's agility by 1 level. 12 Beastly Reaction — Increases accuracy and evasion. 13

Compendium

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Compendium Entries
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey	A rat said to live in fire in ancient Chinese myths. The fur of these creatures is said to never burn in fire. In the Japanese story "Taketori Monogatari," Princess Kaguya asks one of her suitors to obtain a robe made from the fur.
Shin Megami Tensei IV	A rat said to live in fire in ancient Chinese lore. The fur of these creatures is said to never burn in fire. In the Japanese story "Taketori Monogatari," Princess Kaguya asks one of her suitors to obtain a robe made from the fur.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse	A rat said to live in fire in ancient Chinese lore. The fur of these creatures is said to never burn in fire. In the Japanese story "Taketori Monogatari," Princess Kaguya asks one of her suitors to obtain a robe made from the fur.
Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers (3DS)	A rat that ancient Chinese myths claimed lived in fire. The fur of these creatures is said to be incombustible. In the Japanese story "Taketori Monogatari," Princess Kaguya asks one of her suitors to obtain a robe made from their fur.
Devil Children Light Book and Dark Book	火山の中に住んでいて　自分も　燃えている　ネズミの　デビル　カソの皮に　火をつけようとしても　絶対に　燃えない Translation: A rat Devil who lives in volcanoes and is also on fire. If you try setting Kaso's skin ablaze, it will never burn.
DemiKids Light Version and Dark Version	Rat-like demon with skin of burning flames. Often found sleeping in volcanoes.
Devil Children Fire Book and Ice Book	火山の中に住んでいて　自分も　燃えている　ネズミの　デビル　カソの皮に　火をつけようとしても　絶対に　燃えない Translation: A rat Devil who lives in volcanoes and is also on fire. If you try setting Kaso's skin ablaze, it will never burn.
Kētai Akuma Densho	中国の原始伝説に登場する、火の中に住むとされるネズミ。火の精であるとも言われる。 出身地：中国 古代中国において南海の果てにある火山に住んでいると言われる、火の中に棲んでいるとされたネズミで、その毛皮は決して火に焼かれることがないと伝えられていたため、この毛皮を求めてカソを捕まえようとした人達が多くいたと言われている。日本では「かぐや姫」の物語で、求婚者の一人である阿部右大臣に「唐土にある火鼠（カソ）のかわぎぬ」を持ってきることができれば結婚しますとかぐや姫が言ったことで知られている。 Translation:

Nomenclature

火鼠 Kaso literally means "fire rat". In Standard Chinese, it is pronounced huǒshǔ.

Names in Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
English	Kaso
Japanese	カソ Kaso	From 火鼠 Kaso (fire rat)
Korean	카소 Kaso	Transliteration of Japanese カソ

Gallery

• 
  Artwork from Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
• 
  Artwork from Devil Children Light Book and Dark Book
• 
  Sprite from Shin Megami Tensei IV
• 
  Sprite from the PlayStation version of Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
• 
  Sprite from the Nintendo 3DS version of Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
• 
  Sprite from Devil Children Light Book and Dark Book and Devil Children Fire Book and Ice Book