THE PREMISE
In the woods between a crossroads of human kingdoms lies the Everdark Groves. Here, within these shadowed parts there is a mysterious and uncanny building made of... Bones? Yes. Large femurs wider than your forearm to tiny metatarsals, the entire thing is crafted with skill and delicacy. The entire building is a bleached bone white. This is the gathering place of the Kitsune. Fox Spirits may enter to rest from their travels, to trade tales and information, to recruit partners for petty crimes, or partners for a lifetime or two. Valuable artifacts and weapons and pre-crafted spells are also sold here. Whatever you are here for, know that you are welcome in the House of Kitsune.
Fare thee well, Fox...
Soon war will break out between the two kingdoms. The reason? Kitsune trickery. Manipulation of royalty. Anger and revenge. Be prepared to fight, for the Foxes' Den is about to be raided.
- KITSUNE BASIC INFORMATION-
*please read*
[COLOR= rgb(34, 34, 34)]"Kitsune are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. They are a type of [/COLOR][COLOR= rgb(34, 34, 34)]yōkai,[/COLOR][COLOR= rgb(34, 34, 34)] or spiritual entity, and the word kitsune is often translated as fox spirit." [/COLOR]
-Wikipedia
"In Japanese mythology, there exist 2 different classifications and 13 different species of kitsune.
Classifications - Zenko (Literal meaning, "good foxes"), benevolent, celestial foxes associated with the god Inari, sometimes called Inari foxes, (i.e., Kira) and Yako (Literal meaning, "field foxes", commonly referred to as nogitsune), mischievous or even malicious foxes. (i.e., Stiles) Physically, kitsunes are noted for having 9 tails. Generally, a greater number of tails indicates an older, more powerful kitsune. (In some folktales say a kitsune will grow additional tails after it has lived 100 years) 1, 7, and 9 are the most common numbers in folktales. When a kitsune gains its 9th tail, its fur becomes gold or white. These kyubi no kitsune (Literal meaning, "nine-tailed foxes) gain the ability to see and hear anything happening anywhere in the world. Other tales attribute to infinite wisdom. (Omniscience)
Species -The kitsune are an aspect of the elements, meaning that they have ties to their abilities from each of these. The elements are broken down into 13 categories and the kitsune are divided into each type: Kaze (Wind), Chikyu (Earth), Kasai (Fire), Kawa (River), Tengoku (Heaven), Sanda (Thunder), Yama (Mountain), Kukan (Void), Seishin (Spirit), Jikan (Time), Mori (Forest), Umi (Ocean), and Ongaku (Music). Each kitsune has its own strength and weaknesses, based on the element it is assigned to. The element reflects where the kitsune's power originates, what affinities it has in the elements. For example, a Fire Kitsune (Zenko Kasai) would be unaffected by fire, could easily feed from the element of fire to strengthen itself, and would use fox fire with ease. However, a water kitsune (Zenko Umi) would not use fire too well, but would be a natural healer, and would thrive near or in water."
Some info on normal foxes you may incorporate or not:
Foxes
Generally, foxes tend to travel/live in a small family pack; however, it should also be noted that arctic foxes live by themselves.
Foxes are omnivores - eating invertebrates such as insects and small vertebrates such as reptiles and birds. This also sometimes includes eggs and plants. They usually hunt excessively and store the extra for later consumption. They favor the pouncing technique wherein they crouch down to blend in with the surroundings and propel themselves to the air with their hind legs and use their pronounced teeth to sink into the prey.
Even if they are in a family, foxes tend to hunt by themselves. Because they hunt in excess and bury them later, they are slapped on with the title of 'sly'. Foxes, in general, are very bright, inquisitive and intelligent creatures.
Red foxes are the most widespread because they adapt well to the urban environment whereas other species die off. Because red foxes are now dominant in most countries, they are considered as a major pest as they are the cause for many deaths of smaller livestock like sheep.
--courtesy of co-GM @AI10100
The Unwritten Rules of Fox Spirits
- Attempting to trick a human is a killing offense.
- Foxes are outside human society, and their affairs make no permanent change to humanity.
- Foxes who take on human form are not expected to remain in human society for long.
- Foxes and humans agree that humanity is a preferable state and that humans are superior to foxes.
- Foxes have a sort of informal class system.
- Foxes cannot physically harm humans.
- Angry foxes can set house fires.
- At least part of a fox's gift is always trash.
Yes, yes, I know some of those don't make very much sense going by that alone. So read this: http://academia.issendai.com/unwritten-fox-rules.shtml
And also...
Common Misconceptions
- Foxes are associated with different elements.
- Fox spirits are a species separate from animal foxes.
- Foxes are inherently female.
- Foxes can transform into any kind of person, animal, or object.
- Foxes' half-human forms look like a human with fox ears and a fox tail.
- A fox gains tails as a sign of spiritual advancement or as a reward for great deeds done.
- Foxes store power in their tails.
- The child of a fox and a human is a half-fox. *
- In Japanese, a fox's bark is written, "Kitsu! Kitsu!"
*humanxfox= "big" human
"At fifty years of age the fox can turn into a human; at a hundred it can know something a thousand miles away; at a thousand years it can communicate with Heaven."
Also from http://academia.issendai.com/fox-misconceptions.shtml.
So, how is this going to work, you ask? There are some contradictions, you say?
All good questions that will be answered.
1) Foxes can have any number from 1-9 tails.
2) Fox types are non-elemental. Korean fox spirits are "kumiho" which means "nine-tailed foxes." Chinese foxes are either "huli jing" (exquisite foxes) or "huxian" (transcendental foxes, parallel to English terms "Saint" or "blessed"). Japanese foxes either serve the Inari (the myobu) or are wild "field foxes" (nogitsune). Myobu are ranked, nogitsune are not. This is directly from the last link above. You can either choose to have a Korean, Chinese, or Japanese fox character and must specify what kind if Chinese or Japanese.
3) This is going to run under the Chinese assumption that all things accrue power with age. Kitsune are just normal foxes that have gained wisdom and human intelligence with age.
4) Foxes can only transform into humans, nothing more, nothing less. As such they will have two forms (tailed-fox and human). These humans form may have something that gives them away as foxes: a tail, small fox feet, and triagular facial shape (although normal humans can also have this face shape).
5) Foxes can store porwer in kitsune balls, similar to a Chinese dragon's pearl. Capturing a kitsune's ball puts it in your power.
6) Housing-wise they can live in normal human habitations, in ordinary fox dens, in tombs or graveyards, and abandoned buildings.
7) For the rest, abide by The Unwritten Rules and read the information in the link.
8.) 9-tailed foxes have gold or white fur. PM me if you want to have a 9-tailed fox character.
9) If you so desire, you can have your fox practice a type of magic. Foxes can only learn one of the 13 different types: Kaze (Wind), Chikyu (Earth), Kasai (Fire), Kawa (River), Tengoku (Heaven), Sanda (Thunder), Yama (Mountain), Kukan (Void), Seishin (Spirit), Jikan (Time), Mori (Forest), Umi (Ocean), and Ongaku (Music).
10) Kitsune are typically matriarchal with few exceptions.
CHARACTER THREAD & STORY THREAD BELOW
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