Arius Roan

At a glance, Arius seems like a somewhat unusual fox, spotting black and purple fur, twin tails, and being larger than most foxes yet smaller than a human. However, many who have encountered him would know that, despite his bestial form, his mind is that of a wise and respectable kitsune, one born from-yet isolated from-the Kitsune Caravan. He shows up in just about any major city, rarely staying in one place for too long, but also frequents natural areas such as forests. One wouldn't be wrong to assume there's more to this fox than meets the eye.

## Appearance

In his vulpine form, Arius is just about 2 and a half feet at shoulder height, weight 57 pounds. His fur is mostly black, though his ears, face, and the tips of his tails are a light purple in hue. Although resembling a fox, his abnormal features, such as the diamond-shaped symbol on his forehead, for a wild beast make him stand out. Unlike most Kitsune, his bestial form is his true form rather than a shapeshift he can assume.

His humanoid form retains multiple features of his 'true' self: twin tails, black hair with some purple, and overall fox-like appearance. He stands at 5 feet and 6 inches tall, weighing in at 138 pounds, and is otherwise a young adult Kitsune. His outfit typically consists of a grey tunic, black shorts, and a black sleeved vest that has its sleeves rolled up. In this form, his forehead marking is absent; instead, Arius wears a similarly shaped amulet around his neck.

Regardless of form, Arius always has a leather armband around his right arm (as a humanoid) or right foreleg (as a fox).

## Personality

Arius is calm, easygoing, and sometimes witty, often being easy to talk with barring issues arising from his vulpine form. While he keeps to himself, he enjoys the company of others, especially other druids such as Shahrhae.

Arius doesn't often like to fight, but if push comes to shove he will retaliate. However, even though it often takes quite a bit to anger him, he seems to have a short temper when it comes to his father, Roan.

## History

### Life in The Kitsune Caravan

On the 8th of Gozran, during the 2nd Year of the Age of might, Arius was born to the kitsunes Aria and Roan, his mother and father respectively. Born and raised as part of the Kitsune caravan, Arius was well-off for most of his life. Even in his youth, he showed a fascination towards natural aspects of the world, as did his older sister, Yula. However, while the rest of his family had a knack for magical talent, his father especially, Arius was not so fortunate.

Being born without magic, to most people, is just the way of life. For Arius, it meant being shunned by his father, who insisted they learn how to use magic. As each attempt failed, his relationship with his father grew with dis-contempt and, by the time he was in his early 20s, he was considering leaving his father behind.

### Was-Kitsune, Now-Fox

On a fateful day, one where his memory was foggy at best, Arius woke up in the middle of a forest, noticing how everything seemed larger around him. As he seemingly crawled over to a nearby river to get a drink, he saw a bestial fox in his reflection; he had been turned into a fox by means unknown to him. He also discovered a kitsune star gem by the riverside, a voice telling him that it would 'guide him when the time was right'. At the time, he believed he heard the voice of **Daikitsu, the Lady of Foxes**, and was convinced that he had been given a divine blessing from them, since he could feel magical power within him that he had never before. Arius was also convinced that his human form was willingly traded for the blessing, with his true form becoming that of a fox.

For a few years, he wandered the lands, straying far from the plains of **Tolreiya** as he traveled. Over his travels, he gained the favor of nature spirits with his affinity towards nature growing stronger, as did his magical prowess. Eventually, he could channel some power through the kitsune star gem, allowing him to summon the aid of a spirit by the name Wisp. Though Wisp often made fun of Arius, the two had a strong relationship and trust between each other. It wasn't long until he met some more noteworthy individuals, such as the Sarian Shahrhae, a man named Neji, and Miyuki Shiroyume. His meeting with Miyuki in particular was important; what started as a simple request for some magical gear turned into a reality-check. Daikitsu, being a neutral goddess, wouldn't have a good reason to turn someone, let alone a Kitsune, into a fox in exchange for power...

### Revealing the Truth

After confirming that his fox-shaped self was, in fact, his true form, Miyuki offered to try and transform Arius into a humanoid form. He agreed, and after successfully becoming a Kitsune once more, he started to suspect his transformation was not of good intent. His suspicions were only confirmed by Wisp who, after muttering something about Roan, explained how his magic powers were just latent until adulthood, and being stripped of his humanoid form was likely an attempt to get rid of him.

In a fit of rage, Arius threatened to crush the gemstone the spirit resided in, only sparing them once he learned who really sent Wisp: his mother, Aria, who was worried about the disappearance of their son. After letting his mind settled, he tried to break down what he knew to Miyuki Shiroyume, only to struggle with remembering the details. Once more, she offered to help the troubled fox, dispelling the magic modifying his memory of the day.

Arius felt the memories rushing through his head, how Roan denounced him for his inept magical skill, how his father attempted to assault him for talking back, how his sister, Yula, defended him and fought their father, how he saw her body start to shift into the form of a beast, their last words telling him to run, and how everything faded to black as he tried to flee for his life. Through these fractured memories, Arius knew two things: He had to find his sister, and bring his father to justice.

### What now?

Once he learned the truth, Arius is now living on the grounds of The Mage's League, studying his magics in various ways. He's working on utilizing scrying magics; while he could easily ask an ally for their aid, by the nature of divination magic, Arius would have the best odds of finding Yula with it. He's known her for his whole life, and if he wants to find them and, in the worst case, free her from his father's grasp, he would have to train long and hard...

## Family

Roan: Arius' father, the man who attempted to kill him, and the reason behind his fox-shaped self. Little else is known about him, besides being a black-furred kitsune.

Aria: Arius' mother, a purple-furred kitsune. She sent Wisp to watch over Arius for her, but hasn't been heard from since.

Yula Aria: Arius' older sister, her current fate is unknown. The last he saw of her was her body turning into a beast, likely suffering the same fate as he did.

## Friends and Associates

Wisp: a spirit residing in a kitsune star gem who accompanies Arius through his travels. While the two have had difficulties in the past, there's a strong feeling of trust between them.

Shahrhae: a Sarian druid he met on his travels; the two have a mutual friendship, with Arius visiting her Refuge near Gemini City from time to time.

Runar: a black dragon disguised as a human named Neji; he is surprisingly trustworthy towards Arius and Wisp.

Nazuna Shiroyume: A white-haired kitsune he met on a rather unusually expedition. She often refers to him as 'FoxFox'.

Miyuki Shiroyume: Mother of Nazuna and leader of Yasuragi. Through her help, Arius rediscovered the truth of his past.

Merituuli: Guildmate and friendly cat lass. The two met before, but truly became friends at the Mage's League.

## Trivia

* Arius was a member of Clan Galactic Fox, although his time there was short-lived; he's recently joined the Mage's League, finding it more fitting for his beliefs and goals.
* Both his amulet and armband are gifts from his mother, said to give him 'good luck'.
* Despite recently regaining a humanoid form, Arius more often than not assumes his vulpine form, claiming it to be 'comforting to be a fox'. As of now, he can shift between both forms at-will, albeit with a bit of nuance.
* Once he got his humanoid form back, Shahrhae started to teach him how to dance. It's easier to teach a kitsune to dance than a fox to dance, after all.