Kitsune

Appearance

In their natural form kitsune are anthromorphic foxes. Kitsune have fur in various shades of red and brown. Their eyes have vertical slit pupils that have an arrange of colors from cobalt blue to golden yellow. They also have a tail that helps them balance on their legs. Some kitsune have multiple tails but they never have more than nine tails. Due to their diditigrade feet they have a hard time wearing shoes like a human. They also have claws that are more pronounced than a normal humans fingernails but they are impractical to use in combat due to the victim having a shallow scratches as a result. Their fangs on the other hand are deadly if one is not careful. The kitsune uses their fangs as a last resort in close quarters combat. Zenko Kitsune have white or golden fur and golden eyes due to being born with Inari's blessing. Most Zenko kitsune don't bother switching to a human form due to the calming aura they emit to others.
Nogitsune have black fur and blood red eyes. Their fangs are more pronounced and a lot more deadly than ordinary kitsune. They use their fangs to drain the life-force of the target and feed on it to heal their wounds.

Mental prowess

Kitsune have great mental fortitude that is on par with the high elves. They have remarkable cunning that they use solve problems in the most unlikely solutions imaginable. Due to their familiarity to illusions and enchantments, kitsune often use honeyed words or pranks to oppose their enemies. They can use what humans called 'foxfire', a harmless blue flaming orb that floats above the ground. Skilled kitsune can weave illusions using this ability. Striking with a bargain with a kitsune is dealt with caution. They will find loopholes in every agreement to bypass.

Tailed scion

Kitsune are descendants of their nine-tailed Deity Inari . While its not uncommon to see a kitsune with multiple tails. It is very rare for kitsune to acquire their ninth tail. Kitsune can gain additional tails through hard work and enlightenment. In special circumstances Inari rewards tails to kitsune who has done a good deed. The amount of tails also shows the amount of authority they have in the kitsune political structure. It is rumored that some kitsune can channel their magic through their tails

Shape shifting

Due to their nature, kitsune had an inborn ability to take a form of a human. Their human form is unique as their natural form. They can shapeshift into a specific human of the same gender. Like humans, both natural and human forms are heredity. Some kitsune master their shapeshifting art to the point where they can shift into a fox or shift into a person they have seen recently. While this fools most people, the natural disguise can been circumvented by a keen sense of smell or intuition.

Society

A kitsune society is not much different than most humans. The "government", if one can call it that, is based of the number of tails. The main difference in kitsune society is that they are free spirited. They don't subjugate their own kind unless its absolutely necessary. The nine tailed kitsune are leaders where the one tailed kitsune being the commoners. Nogitsune are the rouge elements of the kitsune society. Therefore causing an eternal kin-strife between the notgitsune and the other kitsune.

Marriage

Once a kitsune reaches adulthood around the age of 16, the kitsune will have an annually time of lust. This time usually occur during the spring and lasts for a whole month. It is common for a kitsune to find a spouse during this time.
In the old days, all kitsune have to do in order to get married is to declare their marriage. Now they have adopted human customs of matrimony for fun an amusement. During a ceremony there will be ghostly lights called foxfire and a sunshower to ward off intruders. One rumor is also partly true. They don't like uninvited guests during this ceremony. But when an unlucky soul stumbled into their mist, they take that person and put into a hot pot of water only to be cleaned and then invited to the ceremony.
Kitsune also can mate with humans. While it is rare, the fact is that humans are compatible to create offspring with kitsune. If this the case the human has to go through a kitsune wedding as if he/she is a kitsune. The offspring of the kitsune in this fashion is always kitsune.

Life

A normal kitsune woman can give birth to average of four kitsune per pregnancy. Due to the high mortality rate for newborn kitsune, only a kit or two will survive the first five years of its life. Because of this a kitsune doesn't get a formal name until the age of five. Once they reach this age the kitsune's family celebrate privately. Once a kitsune reaches adulthood, a coming of age celebration occurs. During this celebration mischief befalls the town the kitsune congregate in for the ceremony. One custom requires the kitsune in their natural form for the whole night.

Death

When a kitsune dies from natural or unnatural causes, the proper thing to do is to cremate the remains. This is to prevent necromancers to animate the corpse. Then the ashes are distributed back into the nature. Lastly the remaining family members would receive a scroll that tells them about the life of the deceased. These scrolls are written by Inari herself and warded with powerful protection wards. One must have this scroll in order to preform a Resurrection or similar based ritual. Necromancers beware! Trying to create an undead kitsune always results in a Nogitsune . Those who are unfortunate to create them always ended up as their lunch.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

• Common 
• @sylvan

Lifespan

3000

Average Height

4ft-5'6"

Average Weight

70-100lbs

Related Organizations

• Bergslagen

Related Ethnicities

• Nogitsune
• Yako Kitsune
• Zenko Kitsune