Kitsune

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Kitsune's initial appearance was humanoid with more fox-like facial and body features as they quickly evolved due to their celestial creation they began to resemble how they are seen today.

Unlike humans, however, Kitsune have two key features that they do not: Fox Ears, which grant them vastly increased hearing, and their signature tails. Kitsune tails are big and fluffy things that can vary wildly in color, attached to the rear of the Kitsune's body and integrated into their skeleton and musculature to allow them to control them like extensions of their own body. Otherwise, Kitsune's anatomy is relatively similar to that of humanoids.

Genetics and Reproduction

Kitsune reproduces through normal sexual reproduction but Kitsune females can also control their ability to conceive. Female Kitsune carry their children to term in 12-16 months once conceived, and Kitsune have almost an identical capacity to reproduce with other races as humans do thanks to their flexible and similar biology. However, as their lifespans are drastically increased, their sexual drive is even less compared to Elves, who have a minimal amount of sexual drive.

To the Kitsune, reproduction is a sacred and deeply personal thing and something done exclusively with another being as an important and deeply personal step along their life journey with their partner. Many rumors abound that Kitsune who have a sexual experience forced upon them might go so far as to die or become incredibly ill, as such a thing goes so contrary to the influence of Shizen no Otome that it can run harmful to their health.

Growth Rate & Stages

Kitsune tails grow as they continue to age. After around 1200 years they will acquire their 8th and final tail.

Ecology and Habitats

Kitsune can thrive in any environment they happen to inhabit as they learn to quickly adapt their survival to the place they make their home.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Kitsune are omnivores but prefer to lean toward a more herbivore diet out of respect for the beasts and creatures of nature. They will only resort to eating the flesh of beasts if they have no other options. Kitsune will always over a blessing over any flesh they eat to honor the beast's sacrifice.

Biological Cycle

Kitsune once reaching adulthood tends not to show signs of age beyond the adult stage and because of this, it can be hard to judge the exact age of a Kitsune with an observer's only reference of age being their tails.

The only noticeable measure of the age of a Kitsune is their tails; the longer a Kitsune lives, the more tails they will sprout up to a maximum of 8 tails once they become old enough. Kitsune tails are not just a sign of age and wisdom, but a potentiality of a massive amount of magical and divine power.

After living quite an extended lifetime some Kitsune tire of their current life. Those seeking enlightenment or attempting to try and evolve into the Nine-Tails will go through a ritual of reincarnation returning themselves to the astral to be reborn again to live a new life.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Among the Kiyokans, the Kitsune are treated as nobility and honored when in the presence of any caste of their society. While the Kitsune do not actually have any political power, the nobility stems more from religious belief than political affiliation.

Their religious significance and status has led them to be protected frivolously by the imperial government. Any Kitsune found to have left the borders of Kiyoka are tracked down and aggressively persuaded to return for their own protection.

Facial characteristics

While generally human-looking, a Kitsune does sport a set of fox ears in various shapes, sizes, and colors. Kitsune also have a set of fangs such as those of a fox.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Kitsune are primarily found within the Kiyokan Empire. It is extremely rare for one to be seen outside of Kiyoka when not on official governmental business.

Average Intelligence

Kitsune are naturally cunning and charismatic and are as intelligent as baseline humans.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Kitsune have incredibly sharp senses thanks to not only their Fox Ears, but their overall sharpened sense of smell, sight, and more. Their noses, tongues, eyes, ears, and more are highly sensitive, much more so than humans, and allow them overall enhanced senses but also low-light vision, allowing them to see much further than humans in conditions of low light.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

A kitsune has a given name and a family name. The given names are usually Kiyon words for nature or natural phenomenon that remind the kitsune’s parents of their child. A kitsune’s family name often reflects some mark of pride for one of the kitsune’s ancestors, such as the descendants of a skilled runner having the family name Swiftpaw.

• Example Female Names: Beku, Chitori, Fuyo, Hanako, Hakara, Kinzami, Kumisa, Mizayuki, Nami, Ozuru, Rikaiyu, Rizumi, Shira, Tayano, Tamoko, Waraba, Zuki
• Example Male Names: Akusai, Baisuo, Daitsugo, Fushiro, Hien, Hiru, Ihan, Isao, Kaimoru, Masaaki, Noshika, Ryu, Satoshi, Shinaro, Takori, Tsumei, Yoji
• Example Family Names: Akiharu, Autumngale, Cherrywind, Chimato, Dancingbreeze, Fusato, Gemmiko, Ichihara, Ironwrought, Joumei, Luckystar, Masei, Sadanako, Sunblaze, Silvertongue, Swiftpaw, Yoshitaka

Relationship Ideals

Kitsune mate for life and tend to only form a permanent bond with another Kitsune. Due to their long lives though they will show interest in other races, however, they do not form the same attachments as they know they far outlive their non-Kitsune partners.

Historical Figures

@Shizen no Otome - the mythical progenitor of the Kitsune.

Common Myths and Legends

In the ancient tales of the Kiyokan's a long ago in distance past the great animals of the world were merely beasts of the land. Hunting, survival, and breeding were all they know while being hunted by the Elves for their skins and meat. The elves were savage in their hunting to point of nearly wiping out the beast in some sections of land they hunted within. The goddess of life saw the beast's sparks of life being extinguished en mass and sent down her Deva in the form of a 9-Tailed Kitsune, Shizen no Otome , spreading her blessing across all of Rinas. Random beasts across the continent began to show more intelligence and cunning and while the elves continued to hunt them it begin to take a toll on the lives of the Elves in greater numbers and ferocity. Those select animals evolve into the Kiyokans of today. Finally, before returning to the heavens Shizen no Otome blessed the foxes with her very essence naming the watchers of their people.

Tamamo no mae by Yu Cheng Hong

Nanako by Moria

Lifespan

Believed to be immortal, as none have been know or publicly acknowledged to have died outside of sickness or injury.

Conservation Status

Kitsune are extremely rare in numbers. It is believed there are as few as a couple thousand in all of Liria. As representatives of the Kiyokan people, they are treated as nobility as well as given noble status. Kitsune's arcane connection also has led to rumors of them being a source of power arcane reagents and because of this, they are rarely known to leave the empire. When one does leave, they are tracked down and brought back for their own protection.

Average Height

1.6 - 2.1 m

Average Weight

45 - 77 kg

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Kitsune comes in many varieties of colors and markings. Their skin color ranges in the same variety seen among most of the humanoid races. The coloring of their tails and ears tends to be two-tone, with a main color and highlight color which adorns a side and tip of their tail and the tips of their ears.

Related Ethnicities

• Kiyokan

The Ninth Tail

The Ninth Tail, only seen in depictions of the great @Shizen no Otome, is believed among the Kiyokan people to be the ultimate blessing of nobility for the Kitsune. If a Kitsune were to ever appear with nine-tails before the emperor, he would hand down his crown to that Kitsune. It is prophesied that the Nine Tails will bring peace once more to all Kiyokan and the world.

To this date no kitsune has attained the divinity said to be granted by the ninth tail, none are sure how one would obtain such a blessing. There has been speculation and rumors for years on how one might obtain it, but results never came to fruition from attempting them.

Kitsune

ability score increase: +2/+1

age: 1200+ years, possibly immortal.

Size: Medium

speed: 30 ft

Languages: Common, Kiyon, Sylvan

race features:

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in the dark within 60 feet of you as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks regarding hearing or smell.

Agile. You gain proficiency in Acrobatics.

Natural Weapons. You have sharp fangs in your true form. Your bite deals 1d4 + (Str mod) piercing damage.

Inherent Nobility. Kitsune's life among the nobility has become a boon with dealing with nobility and royalty. Add +2 to any Persuasion (Charisma) and Deception (Charisma) check against nobility or royality.

Shapechanger. You can use your action to magically assume the shape of a fox, human form, or your true form, which is a fox-humanoid hybrid. You can stay in the fox form until the next dawn. You then revert to your normal, fox-humanoid hybrid form. You can also revert to your normal fox-humanoid hybrid form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. And you automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die.

While you are transformed into your fox form, the following rules apply:

• Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the fox, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the fox. If the fox has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the fox’s bonus instead of yours.
• When you transform, you assume the fox’s hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. For example, if you take 10 damage in fox form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren’t knocked unconscious.
• You can’t cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn’t break your concentration on a spell you’ve already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as call lightning that you’ve already cast.
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can’t use any of your special senses or attacks, unless you're in fox/hybrid form.
• Your equipment merges into your new form. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the fox form.

Once you’ve changed into a fox or human and changed back, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.