Kitsune

The Kitsune are a mysterious race, they having the smallest population outside of their own empire due to religious tenants and isolationism. Despite this, they are one of those most technologically advanced races, rivaling that of Devron with a navy rivaling that of the Skiatyr. Despite their great strength, their isolationist tendencies and pacifist nature means that they very rarely interfere in the world

## Culture

It goes without saying that the kitsune are a religious society with over 95% of the population being such, 99% of them being worshippers of the church of the life goddess. Their core tenants are mild in some ways and strict in others. There are 9 core beliefs in the church and are as such:

1. All should follow the life goddess and believe in her for she is the bringer of life and without her, the world would be nothing but darkness and death.
2. Those blessed by her holiness should be revered and are her truest servants (This refers to White haired Kitsune, and to a lesser degree, nine tailed kitsune)
3. One should enjoy life, for it is her-holinesses gift to all. Do not shame others for their enjoyment, unless it is in the taking of life for it is no mortals right to take the life goddesses gifts. (This rule is often stretched and broken by white haired kitsune and nine tails but is pushed to the side as saying it is their birthright)
4. Those who would take the lives of others needlessly are heretics and should be executed for their misdeeds.
5. The Five horrors of the apocalypse are brought by the faithless and sad. These should be converted as quickly as possible and if not converted, shunned.
6. War is a necessary evil. The faith should be protected, but never should a war be waged in its name for the sake of attack. Only for defense should those of the holy faith wage war.
7. The faith has been brought by ancestors of old. They are both generous and wise. Do not worship and pray to them as holy but revere them for they have great wisdom.
8. Do not talk against your betters, there is a reason they are above you.
9. Slavery takes the joy in life and is tantamount to taking the gift of life from someone. It should be abhorred.

The Kitsune and their empire have a caste system, separating the different types of Kitsune based on tail numbers and hair color due to the second tennent of their religion.

* At the top of the caste are the white haired nine tail kitsune. These Kitsune are said to be closest to the Kitsune god and thus are considered holy. Due to this, the white haired Kitsune are primarily the clergy of the empire and the imperial family are white haired kitsune.
* Black haired nine tailed Kitsune are the nobility of the Kitsune as well as warlords and land owners.
* One tail Kitsune make up a majority of the population and are often farmers, merchants, and traders. They can get rich but hold no political or religious power in the empire.
* Humans are in a strange place in Kitsune society. They are outside the caste system but the native humans, the islanders, are very adept in magic, more so than the kitsune themselves and make useful mages and commanders in the Zao military. They are given the same rights as one tailed kitsune save two things: They can not enter churches or holy ground and are not allowed into the capital city without approval by the empress.
* Five tailed Kitsune are the children of human’s and any Kitsune. They are considered lowborn and unholy for several reasons. For one, they are technically only half-kitsune and two, the number five is considered bad luck by the Kitsune and having 5 tails, tails being the Kitsune’s tie to their goddess, is considered a mockery of the goddess. There is a law that a human and Kitsune should never breed for this exact reason.

In the caste system there are some outliers, for example, a one tailed mother who bares a nine tail is called Hankamra and seen as a holy-woman despite being one-tailed. She isn’t on the same level as a nine tail and holds no political power but is treated like nobility with her own servants. Once a woman bore a white haired nine tail and she became not only a Hankamra but was deemed worthy of marrying a white haired nine tail, they baring the most diverse population of children ranging from one tails to white and black haired nine tails.

Kitsune biology is quite different from other species in that genetic diversity doesn’t benefit them and lacking it doesn’t harm them. In other words, incest does not lead to birth defects in Kitsune and since keeping genetic diversity low in nobility and clergy lowers the risk of baring lower born young. For this, incest is practiced regularly in Kitsune society, especially in high born society, and there is no social backlash as there was and is no need for it in their society, unlike in human society where incest leads to vile birth defects.

Kitsune’s belief that the number five is unlucky comes from an ancient legend that is similar to the idea that there are four horsemen of the apocalypse. For the kitsune, however, there are five: Death, Famine, Faithlessness, War, and Nothingness. Though their myth has some similar characteristics to the human legend, it lacks pestilence - as kitsune are immune to disease- and adds Faithlessness and Nothingness. Faithlessness is shunned in Kitsune society as they worship the life goddess, and believe that without her that the apocalypse would surely come. Nothingness is believed to mean a depression, sadness and discontent. In their myth, Nothingness lead to Faithlessness which lead to Famine and War then finally, Death.

This belief has lead to their culture not shunning hedonism or Self-gratification for without these, one could fall into nothingness and inch themselves ever closer to their own death. Many practices that are considered taboo and sinful in other cultures, particularly in followers of the church of Krissi, are fully accepted by the Kitsune. Prostitution, drug-use -to a point - and gambling are all practiced throughout the Zao Empire, though they are regulated to a degree.

The Kitsune don’t necessarily practice ancestor worship as ancestors are not considered to be holy beings, but they are considered to be wise and the Kitsune view of the afterlife states that ancestors stay with their family to help them so long as the family remains faithful. If the family strays from the faith, the spirits of their ancestors disappear. Kitsune will pray to their ancestors and ask for advice.