It is said that the fifth toe of a kitsune's forepaw can gift the ability to change fates.
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| You thought it was a simple fox? Wrong! |
For some reason, people think that kitsune are bipedal humanoids. Probably because they can shapeshift, and often change into people. There are also rumors that kitsune have a tell, either that their ears or tails are still visible. This is false. But there is a sign; their sixth digit (when fooling you). It's a thumb when they're in their standard vulpine form. And this digit is the cause of a lot of problems for people. And a lot of fun for the kitsune.
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| The extra finger does a lot more than look interesting |
Some History
Magic has been around forever. It's saturated in the air. It permeates the earth. It's everywhere. Except the Mana Wastes. But it's in everyone, for the most part. Magic also has a habit of concentrating. In forests heavy with magical excess, it can taint ponds that creatures drink from. This is a leading cause of magical beasts in the World Forest, as they lap the magical succor from the Grand Lakes. This is the origin of kitsune, as magic is heavily correlated to intelligence, size, longevity, and sarcasm. And magical ability of course.
Nearly all creatures that eventually get categorized as magical beasts are anywhere from one and a half to one hundred times the size of their original counterpart. Smaller things grow quicker, and bigger relative to their initial form. All creatures still have to obey the pesky square-cube law, though, so there is an upper limit to size among the fauna.
However, to keep growing in size, one must consume progressively more magic. It gets to a point of diminishing returns for size as well as all aforementioned benefits. In the case of kitsune, they are actually only about twice the size of a standard fox. More a small wolf, really. The biggest change that magic has gifted them is seemingly benign and underwhelming in the form of an extra digit.
In "fox form" (which is silly, because they are foxes), this manifests as a thumb-like digit. It is fully opposable, and they can grab and articulate tools to certain degrees (the rest of their paw is mundane in appearance), as well as climb better. It is also a profound source of luck.
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| Climbing allows them to hang in treetops where they will watch you |
In any other form, they bare an extra of something. For humanoid shapes, it is always and unchangeably a sixth digit on each hand; a duplicate of the ring finger. They like people, because people are easily fooled.
Abilities
A kitsune's thumb is unique, in that it concentrates the magic within the fox into two points. In other words, if you were to use detect magic, only the thumbs would ping as magical (aside from the trace amounts that all life has). Further, the magic that is condensed alters depending on which side of the sagittal plane it is on. The left paw concentrates magic that can charm, bolster, and otherwise aid. The right paw, conversely, can dominate, diminish, and trip up others.
People often simplify this to "luck magic", which is reasonable. It is why a kitsune cannot be caught if it is aware of you. It is also why the stories characterize them anywhere from puckish trickster to malicious saboteur. Kitsune take great pleasure in unwinding the plans of man. Kitsune hold grudges readily, but by default enjoy harmless (by their definition) pranks.
The ability to assume another form comes from using both digits in conjunction. This allows them to neutralize the "polarity" and create novel magic. This is far from universal, but it can recreate many kinds of magic from all categories. They prefer illusory magics only so far as shapeshifting and distractions go. It's actually far from their favorite to actually use, which is fire magic.
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| Though they love fire, they're vehemently against pyromania |
Something Tricky This Way Thumbs
If a kitsune loses their thumb, it restricts that half of the magical spectrum forever, even if later restored. This has a number of ramifications depending on which thumb is taken. More accurately, it matters which one remains. If the right thumb remains, the Kitsune turns foul and vindictive. They begin looking for people to domineer, and they seek to sew discord. If the left thumb remains, they grow complacent and lethargic. Though still capable of charming people, they see no purpose in it. Think of it like having a lot of options in front of you, but no ambition to do any of them.
Long term exposure to these conditions leads to a penchant for darker magic, including necromancy in extreme cases, in the case of the right thumb's sole presence. Else, death by sedition in the case of the left thumb's sole presence. Should both be removed, a rather bizarre occurrence happens where the pent up magic within them transforms them gradually into elemental conduits. Usually of fire, but often of wind as well. These are called "Dire Fauxes".
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| In either case, they get a breath weapon and other abilities. |
A Dire Faux's disposition is correlated to how long it spent with one of its thumbs and not the other. More time spent with the left thumb makes them docile. More time with the right makes them territorial and violent. In either case, they readily use their elemental affinity to fight if needed or pressed to.
As it turns out, kitsune are prized by witches and other magical users more concerned with their craft than with ethics. The thumbs are, indeed, valuable to this end. Herbal alchemy can yield tonics of healing, amulets with transmutative abilities, and fortune-boosting trinkets all from the left thumb. From the right thumb, scholars can create powerful invocational magic, sometimes strong enough to disintegrate matter. Using both together can create extremely powerful results, with some rumoring that it can alter reality.
In both cases, the yield a thumb will give heavily depends on the learnedness of the mage in question and the method utilized. But even just carrying the thumb on a simple necklace is said to dramatically alter the wearer's luck, depending on which thumb it is. Rumors state that it will draw or repel misfortune towards the wearer, such that it can manifest accidents that would otherwise not occur (with the right thumb worn, of course).
This all said, since the harvesting of fox thumbs often leads to horrific results, the practice is banned, which stops as many people as you would expect (that means zero). Local legends don't help either. Some spread that it cures infertility. Others say it can make someone fall in love with you (that one's true). The illicit market isn't all that popular, but enough so to cause issue.
Regarding People
As stated, kitsune like tricking people. The simple, but big, fox has quite a bit of intelligence, enough to pick your pockets. Or it could curse you to grow ill at the sight of your current love. Often times, kitsune will rob sleeping campers of their clothing so that they can go into town without problem. When on these escapades, they'll often steal, run up tabs, impersonate others, and other drunken frivolities. It's hard for most people to notice a kitsune, which excites them. Even if someone were to notice the extra digits, that doesn't conclusively mean you have found a kitsune.
People make easy targets. They congregate en masse with heavy pockets, they get angry when you take their things, and they're quick to point the finger at the wrong person. Kitsune are to common folk what jesters are to kings; if jesters also pinched the king's coin purse for a few nights out on the town here and there.
They're not so single-mindedly devoted to pranks, though. There are stories of kitsune who took pity on the destitute, enspelling them with fortune enough to turn their lives around. Others speak of times where kitsune have cursed abusive authority figures who soon after fell on hard times. Perhaps these are just rumors.
Or maybe kitsune just like to shake things up.
Afterword
I'm going to pre-emptively clear a few things up first. I like the bushy multi-tailed fox myths a lot, but I also like making allegedly benign things considerably more impactful than they seem.
So if you want to use this in your campaign, go nuts! Include the tails/ears as part of their tell. Or maybe as a kitsune grows in power, it gains more tails in its normal form (but only ever up to nine, of course).
If it were me, I would probably divide up how to use these into three categories:
- Tricksters
- Tragic enemies
- Dire Fauxes
The tricksters (standard kitsune with both thumbs intact) are easy to fit into any campaign or setting that allows for them. Just have them terrorizing the drunks, or attempting to steal from the party at night (It's said that they often possess unique knowledge, but maybe they just say that to save their skin fur). They're very charismatic, self-serving, and willing to agree to something in the moment only to flake later.
The tragic enemy angle would best be reserved for a left-thumbless kitsune. These have dangerous magic, would likely be dominating people foolish enough to be nearby, and would actively seek to spread misery. A kitsune in this position with enough time and not enough action against it could probably raise an army within a few fortnights, if proximity to people was advantageous. This could have all the hallmarks of a zombie scenario, with none of the unambiguity about killing the people.
Dire Fauxes are a classic "big game" enemy. Need to hunt a trophy (perhaps a Dire Faux tail?)? How about a need to cease the cause of forest fires in the area? Perhaps travel is restricted due to the overly territorial nature of one?
In the last two cases, I would strongly recommend hunting down the person responsible. That's an incredibly potent magical item they have or have made since. AND people get to feel good about dealing with the heartless villain. Win-win.
As always, thanks so much for reading. Feel free to use this, just direct people here if you do.