Kitsune (AST)

**Kitsune** is the Japanese word for fox but within the story is largely used to refer to the magical version of same. All Kitsunes, for nearly two thousand years, have been born as female due to a curse on their race placed on them by an unknown divinity. The curse on the kitsunes is pretty strict. Any hint of female on a person means they cannot fall in love with them. That includes things such as the nyannīchuan. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. As yōkai they are infamous for being mischievous tricksters. Kitsunes, for a variety of reasons, some deserved, many not, are often hunted. Sometimes for slaves, even more often for material, and even more often than that simply to eliminate them.  For this reason Kitsunes are a tight-nit community.

Kitsune are high level natural magic users. They were once referred to as the favored of the Gods themselves, acting as messengers and enforcers. Their abilities include, most notably, shapeshifting, which allows them to take on the appearance of anyone or anything they choose. However, they are often given away by their mesmerizing beauty, red hair and tail, which they have difficulty in hiding. In fact, using that beauty is how they en-spell you. Being seduced by a kitsune actually causes a chemical shift in the brain that goes beyond magic, very much like a drug. You would become entirely dependent on it.

## Default Form

While the true form of the Kitsune is that of a fox, they also have a human form which they refer to as a low energy default. They train at it heavily and their body gets used to taking that form so it takes no real effort. Kitsune still recover at their fastest in their fox forms, but the default form is close enough most of the time. Older kitsunes, especially those with the tail for transformation, can regain energy in any form.

## Ranking

The age and ability of a Kitsune are determined by the number of tails they have, each tail growing over the course of one hundred years until they reach their maximum of nine. It is said that at the highest level their power rivals that of the gods. Young Kitsune's, despite their magical nature, have poor mana generation and using their magic is thus incredibly draining, allowing them to do little more than shapeshift and even that requires a lot of energy. This is why they mostly remain in their natural fox form, or low energy default human form.

## Tail Powers

Each tail of a kitsune is imbued with a certain power set granting them a huge boost in that particular ability. For example the enchantment tail greatly enhances the enchanting power of a kitsune to the point they can en-spell entire crowds of people by merely being present. While the tail for transformation enhances their shape shifting ability. Which one you get is pretty random, although it is believed that the real powerful ones tend to only come out pretty late.

## Hybrids

Due to their curse, a large number of kitsunes are no longer pure breed and are instead human kitsune hybrids of varying levels. It is unclear how this affects their tail growth, or if they even grow tails in the same manner, but they do retain at least their shapeshifting ability, at least until they become very thin blooded.

## Mating

Kitsune are by nature very monogamous. While humans choose to be monogamous, kitsune don't. It's built into their very instincts, their very being. They mate for life, and the only way they ever get another mate, usually, is if their original dies.