Kitsune (Kit-soon-ay)
Alka native to the jungles of Ixuil, the kitsune resemble foxes instead of dogs. Crafty and mischievous, the kitsune are able to alter their appearance magically to appear as other humanoids. Fearful by nature, the kitsune prefer to remain hidden in the jungle rather than interact overtly with the rest of the realm.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
A kitsune is much more likely to speak additional languages than a standard alka, with many picking up Ignan.
Average technological level
The kitsune prefer to utilize magic and nature rather than technology. They are fearful that the onset of technology will damage the natural order and slowly drain the world of its magic.
Common Etiquette rules
Revealing their true form is an act of extreme trust for a kitsune, and a kitsune always expects those who know of their true form to keep it a secret.
Common Dress code
In their natural form, a kitsune has little need for extensive clothing, as their fur and the heat of the jungle keeps them plenty warm. When they do wear clothing in their natural states, they usually done sets of simple robes. A kitsune always keeps a set of clothing that is typical to their mimicked race either on their person or nearby, so that they can easily slip into their hidden roles.
Art & Architecture
Most kitsune don't craft large buildings, instead preferring to live in the settlements of other races. When in ancestral kitsune territory a kitsune families will often carve a large but simple burrow underneath a large tree to raise their pups.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
The kitsunes love for pranks and natural deceptive tendencies means that they often compete with each other; working to outmaneuver and humiliate other kitsune and poke fun at other races. While usually not malicious and rarely moving beyond harmless inconvenience, when left unchecked a kitsunes pranks can sometimes escalate and spiral out of control, causing long-lasting effects that was not part of the kitsunes original intentions.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
Kitsune parents check their newborns tails for signs of deformities or mystic portents, often consulting with priests or other mystics should they find something. Occasionally, this leads to the youth being shunned or abandoned shortly after it is capable of moving on its own. Such outcasts usually are left near a village of another race, usually adapting that race as their disguise and attempting to live among them without fully understanding their natures or the reason for their existance.
Coming of Age Rites
It is common for an of age kitsune to travel the realm and spend time living among whatever humanoid they have chosen to mimic. Many live out their entire youth in this society, never even revealing to their close friends their true natures, only to mysteriously disappear as the kitsune returns to its homeland in its older age.
Funerary and Memorial customs
The kitsune perform simple burials in the woods, preferring to let nature reclaim their bodies upon death. Sometimes, a kitsune will die in their mimicked form, reverting back to their natural form, surprising their friends and even sometimes family members to their true nature.
Common Taboos
Ousting another disguised kitsune to others is a unforgivable crime, as well as revealing the location of a hidden kitsune den to outsiders. The kitsune are hunted viciously by the Tiko Neko, and thus aiding one is considered by most an act of treason. Black-furred Kitsune are considered bad luck, and are often shunned or abandoned.
Common Myths and Legends
A majority of kitsune worship Ono, the alkan goddess of Nature and Magic, but can still be found worshiping other members of the alkan pantheon. It is believed that after ascending, Alka attempted to join one of Yef's great dances of fire, and in the process burned of all but one of his tails. From his severed tails, Ono grew with the knowledge of nature and magic burned into her mind by the mighty revel.
Historical figures
One of the members of the villainous Darkmoon Alliance, the group that brought about the Sundering, was a kitsune assassin named Kyku. She would later turn against the Alliance, joining the Band of the Sunlit Sword and helping them prevent another Great War.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
In their natural forms, the kitsune groom their fur to ensure that it remains sleek and beautiful. As creatures who enjoy both physical beauty and the beauty of the natural world, a kitsune never chooses to disguise themselves as races that value corruption or foulness, as they would not wish to stoop to such means to hide amongst them.
Gender Ideals
Kitsune are generally matriarchal, with female kitsune considered slightly more adept at concealing themselves and holding slightly more sway in a household, but this difference is relatively minor.
Courtship Ideals
Courtship between kitsune in their ancestral territories often looks similar to normal alkan courtship. However, when kitsune suspect that their is other kitsune living in the same mimicked area, they will often attempt elaborate games to catch and learn the identity of the other kitsune. Such games often develop into romantic feelings, and the winner of this game often takes on the more dominating role in the relationship.
Relationship Ideals
While the kitsune trust each other implicitly, they fear that other races would harm, control, or exploit them if their true natures are revealed. This leads to them being secretive and unrevealing, even around those who consider them close friends.
Major organizations
While a few kitsune live among Human tribes or even in the Tribe of the Eternal Way, most prefer to remain isolated and away from large scale orginizations.
Random Kitsune Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-60 | Jungle | Nine-Tailed Scion |
| 61-80 | Swamp | Strong Stomach |
| 81-94 | Tribal Settlement | Among Humans |
| 95-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
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