Sishu is a Kitsune - A special type of Monster who specializes in illusory and trickery magic. Kitsunes are also capable of using Fire, Wind, and Spirit magic, making them the most magically-adept Monsters in recorded history, however the other elements do escape them. They typically build shrines to increase their magical abilities, to use as homes, and to perform rituals required to further increase their power. The power of a Kitsune is usually indicated by the number of fox tails they possess: In order to gain more tails, a Kitsune must draw power from some source and add it to her own. Constructing a Kitsune Shrine and binding it to her boosts her abilities, automatically granting her a second tail, and from there she must use the shrine to further add to her power. If a Kitsune’s shrine is ever destroyed, she will revert back to a single tail, and have to rebuild the shrine before she can build her power again.
In the modern day, Kitsunes have discovered a way to draw power from offerings and other processes offered willingly by other people, and nowadays often build their shrines close to Human civilization as a result, often helping people and being kind to them to encourage them to give offerings in return. However, in the old days, they were a lot more mischievous; They would often use their magic to trap lost travelers in their forests and play tricks on them, leading them astray and generally having fun tormenting them. When they’re finished, they will either let their prey go, show themselves for a small chat, or if the victim is particularly magically adept, lead them to their shrine where she then captures them and performs a special ritual to absorb their power and body. She will then keep their possessions in her shrine as trophies of her catch as she appreciates the extra tail gained from the ritual. If a Kitsune reaches nine tails in total, she has reached the absolute peak of her power, and is able to perform nearly any kind of magic she desires. Nine-tailed Kitsune were considered very dangerous, as they often used their power to continue toying with Humans even in the midst of their villages, with even highly skilled mages having trouble overpowering them. Nine-tailed Kitsunes can even cheat death in a way; Using their powerful magic, they bind their very being to their Kitsune Shrine, and should they ever be killed, they will be reborn in the shrine. However, they will be missing all but two of their tails, meaning they have to start all over again, with the magic that brought them back to their shrine lost. Only Nine-tailed Kitsunes can perform this magic.
Sishu doesn’t deviate from these behaviors much. Although only having five tails in total (The image above is simply her hiding four of them using magic) she is still fairly powerful. Unfortunately for her, the magic users in her area are aware of her presence, and avoid her forest as a result. So she mostly spends her time toying with the Humans and Kemos that wander into her forest, and one or two of them have even come back seeking friendship with her.
In the modern world, the Humans built a city near her forest, and she has been visiting the city to meet more and more people willing to venture into the forest to offer her food and personal belongings. She takes a cheerful demeanor, and isn’t afraid to talk to someone she believes could offer her more power.
