Mistaken for a Returnee

Kitsune are a rare sight to behold - well, that's what they would have you believe, anyway. The truth is, Kitsune are all around us. They are your neighbors, your teachers, that pickpocket who stole your wallet. With their shape changing ability, Kitsune have done a remarkable job of infiltrating society without drawing attention to themselves. And for good reason, since a rumor that Kitsune were actually the descendents of a long dead God led many people of the past to covet them for their 'divine' magics and beautiful appearances.

Despite an almost irrepressible desire to deceive and prank others, Kitsune value loyalty and family above all else. The epitome of an extrovert, Kitsune prefer making friends over enemies.

Kitsune weren't always social butterflies. Millennia ago, the Kitsune hid away from the world in clans usually composed of three to five families. The typical Kitsune family consists of four generations: the grandparents, the parents, the children, and the children's children. Depending on the age of its members, it wasn't uncommon to add another generation in either direction.

Matriarchal by nature, the Kitsune clans pass down their legends and traditions by word-of-mouth, usually in classrooms led by the oldest mother in the clan. All Kitsune children grow up learning about the mythical Queen, and mother of all Kitsune — the Nine-Tailed fox.

There are many legends floating around the world relating to the godlike nine-tailed kitsune. Powerful and wise, the nine-tailed kitsune was said to have white or golden fur and was an extremely powerful sorcerer. In the legend, it was said that she had nigh-infinite power by the time she fully matured, placing her on the same level as the gods.

This led to the mistaken belief that the only way to kill a Kitsune is to cut off all of its tails, believing them to be the source of their power, but that is incorrect. A kitsune will die from an arrow or a knife to the heart, just like many other races.

Because of the legend stating that a kitsune's tail contains power, poachers aiming to take their tails nearly caused the genocide of the kitsune race. This is the primary cause for the Kitsune's millennia of hiding.

Some people still practice the act of ritually sacrificing Kitsune tails in the hopes of gaining power.

Most Kitsune - especially the males - believe the nine-tailed queen to be nothing but legend, a mere myth to explain their creation to children. But a select few girls in every generation are raised with a different belief and trained in the magics of their ancestors. These girls are known as "Nine-Tailed Heirs" and are trained in the hopes that one day, the beloved Queen of the Kitsune will return to lead them out of the shadows and into the light once again.

However, the existence or nonexistence of the nine-tailed Fox matters little to the average Kitsune. Many of them have other dreams, ambitions, and desires that take precedent over a legend hardly anyone believes in. They would much rather run their shops, drink with their friends, and spend time with their incredibly large families.

Lithe and attractive to almost everyone. Kitsune are one of the most aesthetically pleasing races to look at, with appearances rivaling even that of the ethereal elves. They stand between four feet tall on the low-end and around five foot five on the high. Their lack of height and narrow frames means they are physically weaker than most other races. But they make up for a lack of strength with incredible dexterity, charm, and a penchant for mental magics.

All Kitsune gain the ability to shape change at the age of five — until that moment, Kitsune children or 'Kits' appears no different from the average fox. A Kitsune can shape change into almost any race they want, in doing so they take on not only the physical aspects of the race but also their more magical traits. However, a Kitsune can only determine their other race once — once they change shape for the first time, whatever race they chose becomes permanent and they will only be able to shape change into that form for the rest of their lives.

Most Kitsune, about seventy percent, will take on the appearance of the human. But elves, dwarves, and others are also possible. But no matter the race, Kitsune are always among the most attractive 'members' of that race.

With their unearthly grace and delicate features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. Most elves are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet, though certain elves are much, much taller. All elves are more slender than humans of similar size, with many weighing only 100 to 145 pounds.

Male and female elves of the same sub-type are about the same height, with males only being marginally more muscular and heavier than the females.

Elves' coloration encompasses the normal human range and beyond: skin shades ranging from copper and bronze to ebony and ivory, while their hair and eye colors mimic every shade of the natural world. The color of an elf's hair is said to represent which two elements they are most closely favored by. Eyes representing the first element, hair representing the second.

Elves, like most other races with a close tie to the primordial elementals, can grow neither facial hair nor body hair.

Most elves can live well over 700 years, which gives them a much broader perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races. It is rare for an elf to feel true hatred for another, regardless of what might have occurred. Likewise, elves are far more likely to be swayed by objects that sate their curiosity than objects meant to fill their greed. Many races think Elves aloof or even cold-hearted. This couldn't be further from the truth. They are simply harder to faze by things they consider inconsequential. But once something has captured their interest, whether positively or negatively, Elves can be as focused and relentless as a bloodhound in pursuit of prey. Elves are slow to make enemies, slower to make friends, and almost never forget – or forgive either. Like the branches of a sapling, elves are flexible in the face of danger. They place their hope in the diplomatic abilities of their leaders and the grace of the elements who protect them, and should those fail, they place their trust in the might of their sword arms and bow strings. While an elf would usually rather run or hide from an intruder to their home, confident in their ability to simply wait them out. But should the need arise, elves are capable of fantastic combat ability, demonstrating high levels of skill in elemental magic, sword play, bows, and a keen mind for strategy.

Most elves dwell in small villages hidden amongst the elements. They are taught to hunt game, forage for food, and farm for whatever they cannot find on their own from a young age and leave no trace of their presence in the natural world — which is aided by their skill with elemental magic, which allows them to support themselves without the need for clearing or destroying land.

They are talented artisans, crafting finely tailored clothes and beautiful sculptures. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though a few elves make a good living by trading crafted items for metals (which they have no interest in mining).

Elves encountered outside their own lands are commonly traveling minstrels, artists, or sages. Human nobles compete for the services of elf instructors to teach swordplay or magic to their children.

Elves are considered children until some time after their hundredth birthday, and before this period, they are seen as merely an extension of their parents, and so share their name (Sons share their father's name and daughters share their mother's.) until they are allowed to create one of their own upon reaching adulthood.

Once they have been declared an adult, elves are given a year to come up with a name for themselves or risk being stuck with their parent's name forever. Each elf's adult name is a unique creation, though it might borrow from the names of respected individuals or other family members. An elf's name is always a reflection of their true nature.

Elves also possess family names, though, since they're almost always impossible for non-elvish speakers to pronounce, they actually have two family names: Their true elvish name, which they only use while among other elves, and a common translation of their family name.

Family Names and their Common Translations: Amakiir (Gemflower), Amastacia (Starflower), Galanodel (Moonwhisper), Holimion (Diamonddew), Ilphelkiir (Gemblossom), Liadon (Silverfrond), Meliamne (Oakenheel), Naïlo (Nightbreeze), Siannodel (Moonbrook), Xiloscient (Goldpetal), Haranthraea (Silverowl)

Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, minors, and shapers of stone and metal. Though most dwarves never reach five feet in height, dwarves are impossibly broad shouldered and compact. This means they usually weigh as much, if not more, than a human. Their bravery and tenacity are also easily a match for any larger species.

Most dwarves, at least the ones not killed in battle, can live upwards of four hundred years. The oldest living dwarves often remember a much different time than their descendants. The wars, the famine, while the younger races may have forgotten and even moved past these troubling events. The older dwarves still hold those times close to their hearts. They remember the loved ones they'd lost, and the atrocities they'd committed and had committed against them. But dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic tenacity and little in the way of change. On the whole, they respect the traditions of their clans. Tracing their ancestries back to the founding of their most ancient strongholds, back when the world was young and the elves not so arrogant. And the dwarf will not abandon those traditions lightly. Part of those traditions is a nigh unending devotion to their gods and goddesses. They who uphold the dwarven ideals of industrious labor, honor in battle, and a love for gold only rivaled by their love of clan and country. Individual dwarves vary in their goals and ambitions. But mostly, dwarves are determined and loyal to their word, decisive in battle, and stubborn as stone. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice and are long to forget the many injustices committed against them. With their strong commitments to clans from which they hail, a wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the entire clan. It's not uncommon for a single dwarves' quest for vengeance to become a full-blown clan feud.

Dwarven kingdoms stretch deep beneath the mountains and hills where dwarves mine precious gems and metals to forge wondrous items. They love the feeling of creating things with their own hands so much that the act of forge making, and gem cutting has become national sports for the dwarves. In some dwarves, this love of precious metals and resplendent gems festers into avarice. Whatever wealth the dwarves cannot find within their mountainous kingdoms, they gain through trade with the other races. However, their seemingly inherent distaste for water has led to enterprising young humans and merfolk forming trade agreements with the dwarven kingdoms to ship goods along water routes. In recent years, this has led to the dwarves welcoming trustworthy members of the other races into dwarven settlements, though some areas are off-limits even to them. The primary unit of Dwarven society is the clan, and dwarves highly value social standing. Even dwarves who live far from their own kingdoms cherish their clan's identity and affiliations, recognize related dwarves, and invoked their ancestors' names in oaths and curses. To be Clanless is among the worst fates that can befall a dwarf. Dwarves in other lands are typically artisans, especially weapon smiths, armorers, and jewelers. A few even become mercenaries or bodyguards, and such dwarves are highly sought after because of their courage and loyalty.

Though dwarves get along passably well with most other races. "The difference between an acquaintance and a friend is about a hundred years, give or take a few decades." And while this statement might be an exaggeration, it certainly points to how difficult it can be for a member of a short-lived race to earn a dwarf's trust.

"If jack of all trades but a master of none were a race, it'd be a human."

Though the youngest race by centuries, it didn't take long for humans to outnumber the other races 10 to 1. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that humans strive to achieve as much as they can in the comparatively few years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the older races, and that is why they build their mighty empires on the foundations of conquest and trade. Whatever ambition drives them, humans are the innovators, the achievers, and the pioneers of the world.

"Uglier than sin, as proud as a Devil, and as honorable as a Knight"

Half-Orcs are outcasts from two worlds. A fact as sad as it is true, but one they've come to accept as a matter of course. Though neither humans nor orcs are keen to get along with one another on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes an alliance is all that stands between them and destruction, and 95% of the time, a new generation of half-orcs will follow the creation of said alliance. Whether through marriage between a human and an orc, or a simple midnight tryst between two drunken people. The end result is almost always the same; an infant that will inevitably be rejected by both races.

You may have heard one of the countless tall tales about orcs being mindless brutes. But this is simply not true. Orcs may not be as refined as the elves, or as industrious as the dwarves, but Orcs are far from the savages they're often depicted as. Orcs are raised to be military minded from a young age. Their training is often brutal, to the point most races would consider it cruelty, but only because they know other races could not possibly survive to see the end of it. But Orcs thrive in this type of environment. Their vast strength comes, not only from the size of the muscles and the animalistic rage that constantly bubbles beneath the surface, but also from the intense discipline this training imparts on them. A fully trained orc is worth six soldiers from any other race, and this makes them high desirable as bodyguards and bounty hunters.