Kitsune
Kitsune are Fox spirits, notorious tricksters, and mercurial dealmakers, who are closer to Fey than Mortal, but even more so than a standard Elf.
In reality, while many Kitsune enjoy messing with unsuspecting mortals, especially as it is in Fey nature to do so, Kitsune society is one of rigid rules and processes to things, especially among the ruling class of Tenshitsune or 'Highest Fox Spirits.'
The majority of Kitsune society takes place in a mutual zone in space/time known as The Rivers Reflection, where energies from the Material and Feywild planes mingle and weave together, allowing creatures to slip in and out if they know the way, such as Kitsune do. Mostly, this area is in Western Kaguya, although some Kitsune travel far afield and find entrances elsewhere.
Most Kitsune are magical professionals in one way or another, as complex magic comes innately to them. As such, their magic prowess is shown by the number of active tails they can reveal. However, it is currently impossible for a Kitsune of any kind to achieve Nine-Tailed Status. No one is quite sure why, as multiple Kitsune have been shown to utilize Ninth Level Magic, but there is an ancient legend of the very concept of the 9th tail itself being severed and stolen from all Kitsune.
But, since the apparent thief was a beautiful woman who was only described as evil for being cunning as well, most modern individuals agree that the myth is a little sexist and there's most likely another reason.
There aren't many different variants of Kitsune, and all can be referred to as the umbrella term, however, there are a few sub-types that tend to have different magical capabilities.
- Zenko/Reitsune/Dawn Fox Spirits - Fox spirits with Orange tails. Generally, good-natured spirits that awaken with the break of the dawn, tasked with protecting the Rivers Reflection from the Kitsune's side, skilled at defensive and supportive magic of all kinds, from Clerical Domains to Abjuration Wizards
- Tenko/Tenshitsune/Midday Fox Spirits - Fox spirits with White tails that grow Golden. Generally, strict and bureaucratic spirits, who are tasked with maintaining the balance and rules of The Rivers Reflection. They are innately talented with contract and warding magic, such as magical contracts and arresting magic.
- Yako/Nogitsune/Midnight Fox Spirits - Fox spirits with Black tails that grow Violet. Generally, trickster spirits, who are more drawn to fooling and contracting with mortals on the Material Plane. They are more innately skilled at Attack and binding magic.
- Nibiiko/Gintsune/Dusk Fox Spirits - Fox spirits with Gray tails. Generally, calm and secretive spirits, they watch over the entrances to The Rivers Reflection from the Material Plane. They are typically skilled with illusion and deceptive magic and use it to stay hidden from prying eyes.
Naming Traditions
Unisex names
Kitsune, due to being from Kaguya, tend to take their naming culture from the Kaguyan language [Real life: Japanese on the mainland, Korean on the islands] and follow the rules as such. Typically, when a Kitsune reaches a certain milestone, either in their magical advancement or merely age, they choose a name for themselves based on what is important to them. This can be different from their birth name, and both can be accredited as legal names for the terms of magic and bureaucracy, but typically the chosen name is given more weight.
Family names
It is uncommon for Kitsune to maintain family lineages for long periods of time. Gintsune take a form that they can use and an alias along with it, Reitsune are usually lower on the hierarchy totem and give themselves a title upon reaching 100 years, and Nogitsune tend to focus on their mortal persona more than their Kitsune blood, and in many cases have mortal children and heirs. The exception is Tenshitsune who have strong and occasionally oppressive ideals on family and bloodline lineage.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Most Kitsune speak Kaguyan tongues of many varieties, a common dialect in their own realm is Kaguyan Sylvan. Many of the important laws and courtly debates, however, are done in Kaguyan Celestial and then translated for the common classes.
Shared customary codes and values
While more "common" or modern types could care less for this ideal, Traditional or high-ranking Kitsune are always playing a game of supremacy with one another. The more masculine types must be more scholarly or composed or have a higher position in the bureaucracy, while the more feminine must be more artistically talented, possess finer clothes, or have better-trained servants.
Common Etiquette rules
When it comes to professional or political interactions, it's common etiquette for the speaking parties to fully display their tails, both as a sense of laying everything on the table and also as a show of power and status. Other than that, there's no strict rules for etiquette that can't be found elsewhere, like rules of hospitality.
Art & Architecture
Kitsune are fond of long, sprawling stories and paintings alike, with the most skilled of artists being known to create murals around entire palaces or against entire mountainscapes.
Coming of Age Rites
When a young kitsune reaches 10 years of age, an elegant birthday party is thrown with all family members and family friends able to attend, and the child along with any of their similarly aged peers have their currently short tail covered in paint dust for the color it will turn once they reach their 1000th year, as a sort of hope for future longevity and prosperity.
When they reach 21 years of age, they then are given their Rite of Severance, in which their current tails are once again covered in paint, but they then wash it off in the river, to symbolize one step away from childhood and adolescence into adulthood, and paving the way for the future. It is usually the power of the river that allows the child to transform into a fox and step into the Material or Kitsune realm, depending on where they grew up.
Funerary and Memorial customs
When a Kitsune passes naturally, a rare occurrence, they are cremated and their ashes are mixed with gold dust, diamond dust, and redwood shavings. Following that, they are buried in a hidden glade no matter their class, and a religious ceremony is held to appease the Kitsune progenitor deity, Inari, to tend to the passed individual as an honored guest.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Kitsune are focused on maintaining a calm and well put-together appearance at all times. Robes always smooth, faces always calm, hair always in place, and battles should be done quickly to avoid the damage of clothes.
Gender Ideals
While the general modern consensus is that there shouldn't be a difference in genders, especially since Kitsune are roughly 85% AFAB, 20% AMAB, and 5% Intersex, but more traditionally-minded Kitsune, many of whom hold bureaucratic positions Tenshitsune or otherwise, keep the idea that "male" Kitsune should take command and busy themselves with academic endeavors of magic, whereas "Female" Kitsune should focus on the arts and homecare first with magic as a secondary.
Courtship Ideals
While courtship is different for the different types of Kitsune cultures, the general formula is that the courted is gifted an ornament, piece of jewelry, or other appropriate accessory made of fine metal, gems, or wood by the courter, and while their agreement is all that is necessary, older traditions actually dictate that it's the Matron of the respective families who have the final word, as the theory goes that while the Patron was working, the Matron observed and therefore would be a good judge of character for the associated parties.
These days, people use that as an excuse to have big parties and gossip between future mothers-in-law instead.
Relationship Ideals
Even in traditional ideas, the relationships of Kitsune are intended to be 50/50. One partner cares for the home and land, the other provides for the home and their family, while children are intended to be raised evenly by the parents, although it's extremely common for multiple generations of family to live together and raise the younger ones by the "it takes a village" mentality.
There is no room for abuse or mistreatment in a Kitsune relationship, as anything more than a raised-voice-argument can get a bureaucratic agent to the home in order to assess and (hopefully) counsel the issue.
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