The Kitsune are a subspecies of Chimera—a mystical race straddling the boundary between the humanoid and beast-born, embodying the essence of both worlds.
Though their numbers are few, the Kitsune are an essential pillar of the Empire of Soga, having inhabited the northern reaches of Calad long before the first human settlers arrived. It is whispered that the Old Gods themselves taught them their ancient magic. While no written records survive from the time before men, their vast knowledge endures through an unbroken lineage of oral tradition, passed with reverence from master to apprentice for countless generations.
Where the monks of the Rishinkyō faith tend to the daily spiritual needs and well-being of the people, it is the Kitsune who stand vigil over the greater tides of fate. They serve as custodians of balance, performing rituals that appease the primordial spirits of the land, forces older and more powerful than gods. Though this sacred duty often places them at a distance from the common folk, one must remember: without their intercessions, the Empire—and perhaps the world—might suffer calamities beyond comprehension.
Among their kind, the youngest initiates are known as Spellmaidens, recognizable by the presence of twin tails. These apprentices are traditionally placed in the care of a Hon’ōtsukai—a high shaman, most often aligned with fire. Their education is immersive, rooted in ritual and observance. Spellmaidens assist in the fox-dances of purification, elaborate moonlit ceremonies filled with ethereal fire, ancestral chants, and luminous spirits summoned in rhythm with sacred instruments. So mesmerizing are these rites that they draw pilgrims and curious onlookers from across Calad and beyond.
Though Kitsune are known to shun all things profane, the path of a Spellmaiden often leads into the heart of turmoil. Young initiates are regularly dispatched with warrior clans on expeditions, acting as wardens against arcane corruption and spiritual imbalance. These journeys are not merely symbolic; they are trials by ordeal, where wisdom is tested and tradition is forged anew in fire and peril.
Like all Chimeras, the Kitsune are born with the innate gift of shapeshifting and live far beyond the span of ordinary mortals. Their arcane prowess is revealed in their form: the number of tails they bear is said to mirror their magical mastery. Among them, none is more exalted than the First Empress of the Empire herself, wielding the strength of nine tails—a living embodiment of Kitsune might and divine favor.
