Aki no Momiji

**General:** Aki no Momiji, better known as simply "Momiji," is a Chaotic Good Rogue, Fighter, and Shadowdancer currently working alongside the party. Momiji is a Kitsune hailing from an island nation beyond the shores south of the ruins once inhabited by the Olympians.

**Appearance:** Momiji's true form is that of a Kitsune standing about 5' 10, weighing approximately 180 lbs aged 215 years old (a young adult by Kitsune standards). Looking like a fox walking on two legs, he has vibrant green eyes, almost unnaturally red fur along his face and back, black fur on his arms and legs, white fur from his neck to his groin, and 3 red tails tipped with white. He dresses in well-worn brown-green adventurer's garb and a faded black cloak clasped with a red maple leaf pin.

As a shapeshifter, Momiji can also adopt a human visage or that of a small fox. As a fox, his fur and eyes are the same colors, but he would be nearly indistinguishable from a natural animal, save for it having 3 tails. Appearing as a human, Momiji stands at the same height with the same eye and hair color and appears as a somewhat frail, pale-skinned man with Asiatic features aged about 21 years.

**Personality:** As a member of a shapeshifting race, Momiji acts very differently depending on whom he is with. Among his own kind or those he trusts, he will act rather friendly, is very loyal, and always has a sarcastic quip to add, happy to adopt his natural form. Among those whom he distrusts, he will act somewhat cold and suspicious towards that person until he is certain he can trust them, doing all he can to hide his true nature. That is, unless he needs to earn *their* trust, in which case Momiji will attempt to persuade, charm, or outright lie to them in order to get them on his side. In either instance, Momiji is somewhat duplicitous and inquisitive and can typically be found reading. Ancient stories, fairy tales, or even religious texts are frequently read and then subsequently forgotten as he moves on to another subject.

**Abilities:** Momiji can shapeshift into a hybrid, humanoid, or animal form, although his natural form is that of the "hybrid." While in this form Momiji can bite his enemies with his jaws. As an animal, Momiji can track others by scent, see in total darkness, and travel more swiftly. His human form offers no other benefits other than being much harder to discern as a non-human. Like others of his race, Momiji can summon Dancing Lights, appearing as flames, can disguise himself magically allowing him to adopt other forms for a limited time, and can charm people into doing his bidding. Thanks to his training, Momiji can be very hard to find when hiding, and is adept at feats of cat-burglary.

 **Goals:** Momiji serves as a member of a group of hunters tracking the fugitive Kitsune Sorceress, Tamamo no Mae. Standing orders are to take her back alive, but her level of power and her personality would make this an incredible feat to accomplish. He was tasked by the old ninja Sumire to leave his homeland of Hanashima and head north across the mainland to join the Illuminators Guild and uncover any knowledge they had on Tamamo no Mae. If no useful information was retrieved, he would be recalled after 100 years. Momiji knows that if this evil Sorceress becomes well known, it could cause unwanted visitors and potential invasions of his homeland. It could even lead to his people losing their dominion of his homeland and even threaten the existence of his entire race. As a more personal goal, Momiji is intrigued by the other people outside his nation and wishes to learn all he is able to of them.

**History:** Born just over two hundred years ago, Momiji was raised in the Imperial City of Hanashima.  The city was kept from experiencing the full effects of the Ice Age at a dear cost to the religious priests and druids and the post-Thaw streets were his home.  His parents are members of the Emperor's council of advisers.  Having a more adventurous streak than his parents, Momiji has wandered much of his island home before heading north.

Momiji was a troublesome young Kitsune, never able to comfortably live in the high court setting his parents wished to groom him for. His parents made sure to instill the beliefs of his culture in him: To honor the Emperor, revere his family, and serve his people.  While his parents wished him to live his life at the palace and one day take a position within the court, he instead spent most of his time playing with other young children in the streets.  He watched many of them grow older and kept his appearances up as well, staying in court only when he was forced.   Taught the art of conversation by the court and taught by the streets to steal things he wanted as a game, Momiji grew ever more restless over the years, assuming other identities as he grew.  It was when he saw another Kitsune attacked by more superstitious humans over an accusation of swindling them that he had decided to leave the streets and look for other paths to follow, at the age of 78.

Momiji traveled much of Hanashima,  as many of the Kitsune do from time to time in order to assume new identities later in life.  He went roving across the mountains, signed up with a group of monks trying to dredge relics from some of the lost shrines for a time, and clashed with a goblin warband whilst staying at one village. He quite enjoyed working with the monks, but the routine began to get to him once again.  Momiji continued his wandering for little over a century and eventually returned to the Imperial City.  There he tried to settle back into court life, but found himself more drawn to the palace library and spent more and more time there.

Studying books and texts kept by the clergy in the libraries of the palace, he dreamt of other places besides the courts which he saw as dull.  He learned of the mainland and some of the civilizations on it. Travelers to Hanashima were exceedingly rare, but in ages past, they had had relations with some of the other kingdoms.  Coming across some of the ancient Kitsune legends, Momiji learned of the one called Tamamo-no-Mae, disguising herself as a human and causing all sorts of misfortune and wars among the humans of Hanshima.  She had been sealed up many 1000s of years ago, but had escaped the temple prison she was kept at, leaving it a ruin.  No one had seen her since, and it was believed she had either died somewhere, fled to the mainland, or even fled the very plane.   Tamamo was a truly ancient being and, it was rumored, even as powerful as the Emperor of Hanashima himself.  If she did still exist, she could endanger many lives, and if it was discovered that she had come from Hanashima, their island could be threatened, and even his race's secret dominion of it, as well.

Other Kitsune have made it their mission to find her as well, travelling the world over the centuries.  Their efforts were overseen by the Emperor himself, and with his ties to the court, he could ensure recruitment.  Momiji finally had his reason to leave.  He would join them in their quest to determine her whereabouts and recapture her if possible.  Assigned to an old kunoichi (female ninja) named Sumire, he was tasked with joining the Illuminators guild in order to discern their knowledge and report back with his findings should he uncover anything, otherwise he would return in 100 years should the search prove fruitless.  Sumire told him there were about 20 other active agents on the mainland throughout the world, though contact had been lost with several of them.

Bidding goodbye to his father Take and his mother Asago, once again, Momiji sailed north to the mainland feeling enthusiastic about getting the chance to explore more of the world and hoping to serve his people and the Emperor.

Travelling through the dangerous ruins of the Olympians, Momiji encountered a group of several treasure hunters looking for relics before returning north through the Mournwood forest. He convinced them to allow him to help and after a couple of weeks uncovering little of value, they had headed north. During the night, some bestial horror of the woods had torn one of the members asunder and scattered the group. Momiji survived in the forest disguised as a fox for sometime while slowly making his way towards his destination. Finally, reaching the edge of a village Momiji shifted into his human form and learned there of an upcoming contest to join the Illuminators guild.