> A fox spirit (but not a ghost) that originates from Japanese folklore.
> Kitsunes are servants of Inari (the Japanese God of fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes, industry and worldly success) and can have up to nine tails. They are said to gain a tail every 100 years, but this was never proved and no Kitsune will agree or deny this fact. The more tails a Kitsune has, the older, wiser and more powerful it is.
> Kitsunes possess long-life, superior intelligence (though this is more out of date in the modern world) and magical powers. These powers include the ability to possess people at will and the ability to transform into a human form (this can be a copy of a pre-existing being, and they are not limited to gender). However, Kitsunes have trouble hiding their tales in human form, and some keep their fox ears in adition to their human ones. When drunk, some Kitsunes become careless and reveal their tale and their true nature in the preocess.
> In all forms, Kitsunes have a great dislike and fear of dogs.
> At full moon, Kitsunes must feed on the life or spirit of a human, generally through sexual contact. The person doesn’t have to be fully human, but cannot be spirit or another Kitsune. Also, if they drink their spirit they are not killed; they are convinced they drank too much or were drugged and must stay in bed for three days to recover.
> Each Kitsune have a hoshi no tama (star ball) which represents their soul; the Kitsune cannot be separated from it for more than nine hours before they die, and grow weaker every hour. When in fox form, they carry this ball on their tale or in their mouth. Kitsunes with two tales or more are able to hide the ball inside their chests when in human form.
> Kitsunes are known to be mischievous, and stories tell of them playing tricks on overly-proud samurais, greedy merchants and boastful commoners.
> Kitsunes keep their promises and strive to return any favours.
> A Kitsune’s relfection shows their true form.
> Kitsunes can be male or female and both can become pregnant. Their pregnancies last a month and Kitsunes are able to change during their time. Most do not, though, as it can lead to miscarriages.
For more information please PM Roxine MacBeth/Axe Megami
Subject: Kitsunes 
Sat Oct 06, 2007 7:31 am