Kitsune (species)

> *For information on the group, see Kitsune Tribe.*
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**Kitsune** are a rare species of magical foxes that have the ability to transform into humans as well as ancient monsters.

Because of their reclusiveness, they are quite rare in the eyes of the rest of the world, and are highly sought after in the black market as slaves and the like.

## Characteristics

Kitsune in their fox forms are generally larger than regular foxes, varying anywhere from 2’4”-3’6” tall. Males typically have vibrant red fur (rather than orange), while females generally have a dark gray, almost black fur. Those with the Curse of the Creator are the only ones who have pure white fur, with the mark visible on their forehead. Many of them will try to dye their fur/hair to a red or black color to blend in, but it often fades away quickly and reverts back to white. Although uncommon, fur and hair colors will not always correlate with each other. A Kitsune with black fur may have hair that is brown, red, or another color in human form.

Kitsune are able to grow more tails the longer they live. While there are legends of multi-tailed foxes existing, current day Kitsune have much shorter lifespans of around 90 years. Once they reach 100 years of age, a Kitsune’s tail can split into two.

## Abilities

### Shapeshifting

While all of them have the ability to shapeshift into a human, the amount of time they can stay in that form varies. Only the tribal chief’s family and some of the elders can stay as humans for extended periods of time, while the rest are only able to hold it for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours at a time. Many stay as foxes in their daily lives as transformation takes up a large amount of energy and magic. The longer the transformation, the longer the recovery time. They have also evolved such that they no longer need an item in order to transform.

### Communication

They're known locally as the protectors of the forest; lots of smaller animals go to them to seek help. Legend states that they were also given the power to converse with most of the forest creatures by the Creator in order to protect them better.

### Illusion

Kitsune have the ability to create illusions that can last for various periods of time, depending on the amount of magical energy the user possesses. These illusions appear almost indistinguishable from reality at first, but there will always be one thing that is “off” about them. Thus, they may be broken by spotting and becoming aware of the "off" thing in question.

### Curse of the Creator

Those with the Curse of the Creator also have the ability to transform into giant, carnal creatures capable of destroying everything in their vicinity.

Legend has it that when the world was still young and in chaos, enemy forces seeking to destroy the Infinite Forest (the planet) encroached on the current land. The Creator took upon a monstrous form in order to combat these enemies, and along with the help of the forest creatures, won the battle. As a reward for their bravery, the Creator allowed the creatures to ask for one wish to be granted. The foxes were a cunning bunch and wanted the knowledge and power of the Creator. Thus when it was their turn, they slyly asked to be in the likeness of the Creator. Displeased with their obvious trick, the Creator answered:

*“You mortal foxes attempt to outsmart your Creator, the One who made you, in order to become like Me. I will grant your wish, but know this: to seek what you cannot obtain only leads to destruction.”*

Instead of the knowledge and power the foxes wished to obtain, the Creator bestowed upon them the power to transform into a giant and grotesque version of the Creator, not dissimilar to a monstrous nine-tailed fox, able to wreak havoc on the land. Furthermore, this transformation was only to be used in dire times, as the user would die after the transformation was over due to the immense amount of energy it needed. Although the Creator was upset at the foxes, the Creator still cared for them. This curse is also a blessing in disguise; a last attempt method to protect the forest when faced with unprecedented danger. In addition, the curse is such that only those worthy of protecting the forest have this power.

While Inari’s family has been known to possess this power for generations, once in a while a new Kitsune from another family will be born with the mark. It is not exclusively hereditary. The mark is described as three leaves (representing the forest) in between four dots (representing knowledge, power, wisdom, foolishness) pointing downwards (warning of a path of destruction).

## Location

All known Kitsune are a part of the Kitsune Tribe located in the Sozang Forest in Arinthia.

## Trivia

* Their tails are the hardest part of their body to conceal as it requires the most magic. It is almost impossible to keep it completely hidden, hence why the easiest way to discern whether or not someone is a kitsune is to check their shadows as you can usually see the faint outline of a tail.
* Most kitsune are afraid of canines as they can identify kitsune in their human form easily.