Kitsune

Physical Description
A kitsune’s natural form resembles an anthropomorphic fox with dense, counter shaded fur that can be red, brown, tan, gray, black, or white. Kitsune have one tail at birth; however, those who master magic or achieve exceptional deeds in their lifetime sometimes grow additional tails, to an assumed maximum of nine tails, though reports of nine-tailed kitsune since the Gap are unsubstantiated.

Society
Kitsune are a diverse people, curious and fond of travel and change. Most live among other societies, sometimes openly as kitsune, more often passing unseen in their humanoid forms and revealing their natural form only to those they trust. Many others wander endlessly. Kitsune regularly live in Absalom Station, the Diaspora, Preluria, and other worlds with loose societal structure. Kitsune don’t tend to be particularly religious, but they favor deities like Daikitsu, Desna, Eloritu, Flux, or Weydan.

Kitsune have a knack for reading social cues, forging friendships, and identifying biases, helping them quickly blend into other cultures and societies. Kitsune can usually recognize other kitsune instinctively, regardless of form. However, it’s taboo to out a kitsune’s identity when they’re in humanoid form, and kitsune have developed sundry tools to communicate surreptitiously.

Kitsune have a fluid and diverse concept of self, gender, and identity, and they judge people based on their deeds and legacy, rather than on appearance. Kitsune relish surprises and discovery, enjoying riddles, puzzles, jokes, and tricks. They value friendship, loyalty, and self-expression, and have a fondness for creative pursuits such as storytelling, acting, music, and art. Many have a “playful” relationship with the truth and are skilled at lying.

Adventurers
Kitsune are curious and eager to travel, making them natural explorers and entertainers. Less scrupulous kitsune often act as con artists, thieves, and pirates. They chafe at rigidity and tend to avoid hierarchal institutions. Kitsune make exceptional envoys, operatives, precogs, and witchwarpers.

Names
Kitsune usually adopt names that fit within the society they were born and raised, or match their humanoid form. Those who maintain their kitsune shape openly adopt traditional names or colorful nicknames. Some sample names include Cybermoon, Enmity, Kabura, Shizu, Tomomi, and Verve.