Kitsune
(Werefoxes)
The Legend of the White-Faced
One
By Hiddenobu, Izumii and Kenneth
Mayer
The oldest record of the White-Faced One
can be traced back five thousand
years to China. Her origin is unknown. She
was a beast directly responsible
for the fall of the Chin and Sui
dynasties, and it is rumored that she
indirectly contributed to the fall of the
great Han dynasty. In human form,
the White-Faced One always appeared as a
woman, a concubine of unnatural
beauty who trapped the souls of many
emperors until they either became
insane or died mysteriously. However, when
faced with a direct threat, she
always transformed into an enormous
nine-tailed fox and wove powerful
spells, causing great havoc and
destruction. Despite her size, the creature
seemed to favor magical spells and special
powers over claws and fangs.
Sometime between the fourth and eighth
centuries, this magical beast found
her way to the Imperial Court of Japan,
but her usual method of destroying
empires saw no success there. The court
and nobles there employed sorcerers
who sensed the danger in the court, and
the emperor ordered the woman slain.
But even for the powerful spellcasters of
Kyoto, the White-Faced One proved
too powerful to be taken easily.
Nonetheless, knowing that she could not
weave her plots of destruction, she fled
the court.
Numerous tales exist to this day about the
fate of the White-Faced One, but
none can be verified; most believe she is
probably dead by now. There are
tourist sights across Japan where
shattered pieces of the great beast are
said to have landed, often in the form of
colossal blazing rocks spewing
poisonous volcanic gas, hazardous or
impossible to reach by normal means.
Since the arrival of the White-Faced One,
legends of shape-changing foxes--
called Kitsune -- started appearing. These
beings were known to trick humans
in many ways.
A lone traveller was walking in the
mountains. It was getting late, and he
had to get indoors before sundown or risk
the dangers of the night. As he
passed a hill, he saw a brightly lit
inn.
"That's strange," he thought. "I don't
recall there being any inns here when
I passed by last time.
However, he was too tired to care, and so
he entered the inn. The hostesses
were all beautiful, the food was excellent
and he soon forgot his
suspicions. He fell asleep in the bathtub.
The next morning, he awoke in a
tub full of dung. His travel food, fried
bean curds (a traditional favorite
of the Kitsune), had been stolen. As he
got up from the stinking pool, he
saw the golden tail of a fox disappear
into
the bushes.
The "Nine-Tails" are the descendants of
the great WhiteFaced One. They have
the ability to transform into foxes and
have inherited their ancestor's
great talent for magic as well as her
beauty. The Eastern shapeshifters
largely escaped the War of Rage that other
shapeshifters suffered, due to
their distance from the Garou; Japan has
never had as large a Garou
population as in other parts of the world.
The Kitsune are skeptical of the
Apocalypse that the Garou fear is
imminent. They owe no allegiance to Gaia.
Instead, they follow the ways of the
ancient Wyrm of Balance, ways that were
established before the Wyrm was corrupted
into the pattern Web. The spread
of the Weaver is not at all
uniform.
Organization
Like foxes, Nine-Tails are basically
solitary. They have no tribal
organization. However, there is an
extensive network of Nine-Tails. The
"elders" are the chief organizers, as well
as advisors to all the young
members. Kitsune do not trigger the
Delirium in humans, and they do not want
the human population to know of their
existence. Anyone who tries to
disseminate this fact in any way will be
"dealt with." This usually means a
memory alteration ritual, but it can mean
outright assassination. While the
elders are wise and respected, they do not
command and have no political
power to enforce any rules or judgments.
An elder will teach a younger Fox
new Jyu-Ho (Gifts) and rituals if she
feels that the young N ine-Tail is
capable of controlling the power and using
it with wisdom. This
determination may involve a test of some
sort.
Breeds
Kitsune have three breeds: kojin, or homid
(born from a Kitsune union with a
human), roko, or fox (born from a Kitsune
union with a fox) and shinju or
metis (born from a union between two
Kitsune). However, unlike werewolves,
when two Nine-Tails breed, the child may
be koijn, roko or shinja ("true
beast"). As with other shapeshifters, only
one out of ten offspring are true
Kitsune. Shinju are very rare; only about
one percent of the children
between two NineTails are shinju. They do
not suffer from mutations or
sterility. They are not cast out-- they
are often revered as the "pure
breed" of their kind. Shinjuare equally
comfortable in any shape, having no
natural or "default" form. The only real
similarity between shinju and metis
are the circumstances of their
conception.
Nine-Tails are always born singly. The
pain of birth is shared by both
parents through a supernatural bond, and
non-Nine Tails are usually
incapable of living through the intense
trauma of bearing a Nine-Tail; thus,
the non-Fox parent almost always dies
during the birth of the Nine-Tail
Child, regardless of the parent's sex. The
Fox parent also faces a
significant, though much lower, risk of
death in childbirth.
Awakening
Soon after the Fox first becomes aware of
her powers (about 14-18 years for
kojin, 1-2 years for r6ko and shinju), she
receives a sign. A supernatural
being, not necessarily one of her own
kind, usually a local spirit, contacts
the Fox. It reveals to the Fox what she
is, and conducts a ritual called
"The Opening of the Eyes." After this
ceremony, the newly-initiated
Nine-Tail is aware of the supernatural
world and her place in it. At this
time she will choose a Path, a role in the
world of both practical and
spiritual significance, much like an
auspice. A guild-like organization is
run by the elders to assist and guide
younger Foxes, but it makes no attempt
to restrict their actions.
The Fox will start to form friendships
with many spirits around her,
developing an immediate bond with the
network of the supernatural. Many sp
irits are bound to an area, so Nine-Tails
are often reluctant to move away
from their spirit·friends. This is
one reason why they have not spread out
over the world like the Garou.
Character Creation
Breeds:
Kojin (homid; initial Gnosis 3),
Roko (fox; initial Gnosis 5),
Skinju (metis; initial Gnosis 4)
Initial
Willpower: 6
Backgrounds: 6 points, which may be spent on anything except Totem and
Pure
Breed (Nine-Tails are already considered
to be of the purest breed, but get
no advantages in dealing with other
werecreatures from this).
As Nine-Tails are not physically imposing
beings, the Physical Attributes
are usually not primary.
Forms
Homid (Hitogata, "human shape"):
Shift difficulty: 6
It is rare for a Nine-Tail to have an
Appearance lower than three, and all
are masters of seduction in Homid form.
Most Nine-Tails are of the kojin
breed and usually appear as humans.
Nine-Tails can perform rituals only in
this form.
Glabro (Sambuhenge, "partly transformed"): Appearance -2,
Manipulation -2;
Shift difficulty: 7
A Nine-Tail looks silly and even comical
in this form. Body mass does not
change, but the ears point upward, the
eyes become thin and slanted, the
nose protrudes out of the center of the
face, and whiskers appear. A
dangling, fullsized fox tail appears on
its rear end. Assumption of this
form usually means that either a rake pup
is still learning how to take
Homid form, or the Fox is trying to pull a
joke on another of his kind. For
many of the rake breed NineTails, the
retracting of the tail is the most
difficult part of the Change, and even the
experienced forget from time to
time.
Crinos (Koto, "fox-head"):
Dexterity +1, Stamina +2, Appearance 0,
Manipulation -1; Shift difficulty: 7
In some old documents, there are drawings
of the White Faced One with afox
head, wearing a kimono. There are no real
advantages in taking this form,
except perhaps to scare people. Sometimes
Nine-Tails in their private lives
assume this form because it has long,
elegant-looking fur that provides
warmth during the winter, while retaining
the useful hands of a human. Their
size increases only slightly, enough so
that fitting into their clothes may
be a little difficult. The Nine-Tail can
speak normally in this form.
Hispo (Jiiko, "fox-beast"):
Strength +1 Dexterity +3, Stamina +3,
Manipulation -2; Shift difficulty: 6
When a Nine-Tail assumes this form, she is
in her most physically dangerous
state. While not as strong as a Garou in
Hispo form, the Fox can use some
powerful Jyu-ho prohibited in other forms.
A magically experienced Nine-Tail
in this form is a match for a Tremere and
even some mages. The body mass
increases by approximately 200. 300%, the
end result being a lean fox about
8-12 feet long, one-third to one-half of
which is a single, enormous tail.
Most Nine-Tails have different winter and
summer coats, and many have a
stripe or two on the back. Nine-Tails
usually do not like biting and raking
like an animal when fighting in this form,
preferring instead to use human
weapons (usually blades) clutched between
their jaws. They still think like
humans, although they may have more ofa
tendency towards violence. They
cannot speak in this form, but many learn
the Jyu-h8 of M indspeak to
telepathically converse.
Vulpus (Kyiibi, "nine-tail"):
Dexterity +4, Stamina +2, Manipulation -1;
Shift difficulty: 6
Although small, Foxes in this form should
be dealt with most carefully. Upon
transformation, the Nine-Tail becomes a
fox of slightly larger than average
size. Those of higher Rank have multiple
tails, enabling them to cast all of
the complicated Jyu-ho available to them
with full effectiveness. A score of
Jyu-ho sorcerers could not kill the
nine-tailed White-Faced One. She is the
only NineTail have ever reached that level
of achievement, so no one even
knows the kinds of wonders of which she
was capable.
Paths (Auspices)
Doshi The Sorcerer
Initial Rage: 3
The sorcerers that eventually defeated the
White-Faced One used demons,
creatures of corruption cast away from the
rest of the spirits to curse her.
The lesson that evil can Se used to defeat
evil was learned well by the
White-Faced One's descendants.
Doshi are experts at understanding evil
and corruption. They know what the
Garou call the "Wyrm". They have seen
enslaving its servants for
generations. But the sorcers have another
name for it: Yami, the darkness.
Sorcerers often live alone, in abandoned
monasteries and other retreats from
human civilization. There they ractice
dark rituals, hoping to counter the
even darker infulences of Yami.
They are constantly trying to balance
self-control and re hatred that
corruption brings, which results in a
hard, human demeanor and extreme
cynicism. Many people mistakenly think of
them as evil. Although they are
often riven by hate, they are not slaves
to it.
Eji - The Warrior
Initial Rage: 4
The Eji are those who have chosen to act
as caretakers of e world. Like
scissors in the hands of a gardener, the
ades of the Eji trim the world,
cutting away branches harmful to the tree
of life. They value life highly,
and are luctant to kill. They often adopt
the demeanor of gallant :hters to
hide their sorrow at their purpose in
life.
They use their powers to hunt down those
who kill in excess and disrupt the
balance between man and nature. Crazed
spirits and, recently, European
witch-hunters have been their prime
targets. In their human identities,
thel: are often religious figures, working
to destroy threats to natural
harmony.
Gukutsushi : The
Dreamweaver
Initial Rage: 2
Gukutsushi are masters of the mind and
illusion. They are well aware that
their illusions cannot solve problems, for
though illusions can alter a
person's thinking and senses, they cannot
change reality. Gukutsushi see
themselves as the bringers of solace to
those who suffer. They heal wounds
of the heart and of the mind. They can
bring those who have lost all hope a
dignified death. But they are not helpless
in battle; they can be even more
vicious than the Eji in putting an end to
those who hurt others needlessly.
Dying within the mind can be extremely
painful.
Kataribe The Bard
Initial Rage: 2
The Kataribe are constantly looking for
stories to interest them. They seek
stories of love, hate, pain or pleasure
and write them down. They also
listen to the tales of old spirits, for
such beings are extremely wise. By
the time they have ended their long lives,
they have piles of legends
collected from around the world. If
information is needed, especially
ancient lore and the like, they will have
it, or know where to find it.
Healing
The Nine-Tails, while being more vital
than humans, do not have the rapid
healing of a Garou. Thus, every wound is
an aggravated wound. Short of
magic, the only way for them to heal is
through rest. Each day of relative
inaction (avoiding any activity that could
open up a closed wound) heals one
wound level. They have no particular
vulnerability to silver.
Rank
Rank is not earned through challenges or
renown, but through experience. All
characters start at Rank 0, with one tail
in Vulpus form. Rank is gained by
spending [current Rank x 7] experience
points. Renown is not kept. A rise in
Rank grants the ability to use the Jyu-h6
of the same level as the new Rank
(for this purpose, Rank O characters can
still cast Rank 1 Jyu-ho). After
Rank i, each Rank gained bestows the
character with an extra tail in Vulpus
form, so that the number of tails equals
Rank (Rank O being the obvious
exception). Ability as a spellcaster is
the closest thing to a "pecking
order" the Nine-Tails have.
The Nine-Tails age differently from other
beings. All breeds may live to be
a hundred years old; however, ifa Foxhas
more than one tail, he only ages
one year over a number of years equal to
the number of tails he has (i.e. a
six-tailed Fox will age one year for every
six years that pass).
Furthermore, age does not weaken the
Nine-Tails. They become more powerful
and more beautiful as the years pass, and
when the time comes, they die
peacefully and alone. It is rumored that
the White-Faced One never aged.
In order to be considered an elder, a Fox
must have more than five tails.
Despite the term, age is not important,
but not all five-tailed Foxes become
elders. Many Foxes simply lack the
capabilites to Become an elder, no matter
how much experience they attain, and so
Fox elders are rare.
Combat
Nine-Tails are, on the whole, curious but
cautious. They are very playful
beings when they can afford to be so. They
3 dislike uncivilized violence
and rarely use such base techniques in
battle as biting or ambushing
(although "civilized" violence is another
matter). Most of them know how to
4 control their Rage. This is usually
through either Zen-like practices or
the use of specific mantras. They also
train themselves in a special form of
sword use. A trained Kitsune can wield a
blade in his mouth in Hispo or
Vulpus form. This can be declared as a
Melee specialty.
Jyu-ho
Jyu-ho is Japanese word meaning "mystical
law." These are the Foxes'
equivalent of Gifts. Some Jyu-hi, are
drawn from the forces of nature itself
and either expend Gnosis or require Gnosis
rolls. Others draw power from
destruction and chaos, requiring
Rage.
The Kitsune have many Jyu-ho that resemble
Garou Gifts. At the Storyteller's
discretion, Kitsune characters may choose
from the Gifts given in the
Werewolf rulebook with a few restrictions:
homid Gifts are available to
Kojin, and lupus Gifts can be purchased by
Roko. Each Path has Gifts
corresponding to an Auspice. Doshi use
Theurge Gifts, Eji use Ahroun ones,
Clukutsushi steal from the Ragabash Gifts
and Kataribes use the Gifts of
Galliards. The Shinju may choose Philodox
Gifts.
Kojin (Homid)
Seduction (Level One) -- The Nine-Tail can cause humans to fall in
love with
him to varying degrees. In fact, many
Nine-Tails often use this Jyu-ho
unintentionally. The Storyteller may wish
to create an interesting situation
by arbitrarily rolling this Jyu-ho. Roll
Charisma + Subterfuge, difficulty
6, versus the target's Willpower. The
number 3f success is the degree to
which a target is enamored of the
Kitsune.
Moon Dance (Level Two) -- With this Jyu-ho, a Kitsune can become
completely
invisible at night as long as noonlight
does not shine on her. If the Fox
steps into noonlight, she can then be seen
until she steps out of the sight
of the moon again. The Kitsune spends one
Gnosis point and the effect lasts
for one night.
Silver Tongue (Level Two) -- As the Fianna Gift: Glib Tongue. The
Kitsune
can use this Gift to outright lie, making
the target believe he is telling
the truth.
Call of the
Dead (Level Three)-- By spending one
Rage point and successfully
rolling Manipulation + Occult (difficulty
8), the Kitsune may case a target
to suffer an unfortunate "accident" that
causes some sort of injury.
# suscesses Accident
1
Light injury: pulled muscle, etc. Person can still function but is
in
pain.
2
Heavy injury: sprained or broken ankle, etc. Target is Wounded on
the
health level chart.
3
Crippling: surgery may be required, hospitalized for a month. Target
is at
Crippled.
4
The target takes aggravated damage from the injury and is Wounded. At
the
Storyteller's discretion, a human target
could be killed (hit by a truck,
electrocuted, etc.)
5 The target is Crippled with aggravated
damage (gas main blows, engulfing
the victim in flames, etc.)
Walking Between
Worlds (Level Three) -- This Jyuho,
allows the Kitsune to
"step sideways" into the Umbra as the
werewolves do. Without it, a Kitsune
cannot enter the Umbra. However, once this
power is learned, the Kitsune can
do it anytime she pleases, just as Garou
do.
Forgetfulness (Level Four) -- This power will erase one piece of
information
(an address, a fact, etc.) or one specific
event (meeting the Kitsune) from
a target's mind. Kitsune do not trigger
the Delirium, and so must edit
humans' memory to avoid the spread of
knowledge of their existence. This
requires the expenditure of both a
Willpower and a Gnosis point and a
Manipulation + Subterfuge roll, difficulty
6. The target may make a resisted
Willpower roll (the difficulty is equal to
the number of tails the Kitsune
has plus 3).
Roko (Fox)
Burrow (Level One) -- The Kitsune can
burrow a tunnel into the earth. The
tunnel is relatively permanent, and others
can follow the Kitsune through it, although
it is tight and only one person at a time
can go through. However, no being larger than the Kitsune can travel
the tunnel. The Kitsune must be in Crinos, Hispo or Lupus form to use
his Gift, but the tunnel will only be as large as the form he assumed
while burrowing it (only Fox- or smaller-sized beings can travel a
tunnel burrowed by a Kitsune in Fox form). The tunnel is not
structurally sound and will collapse over time. This Gift is taught
by a Mole-spirit.
System: The Kitsune rolls Strength +
Athletics against a difficulty
depending on the substance to be excavated
(4 for loose mud, 9 for solid rock). One yard per turn can be
burrowed for each success.
Cloak of
Shadows (Level One) -- By spending a
Gnosis point and rolling
Manipulation + Stealth versus any viwers
Perception + Alertness, the Kistune
can cloak himself and anything he touches,
in shadow. The success of
cloaking depends onn the number of
successes.
# of Successes Area Cloaked
1
Just the Kitsune
2
An additional human/human sized person or Object
3
Three other humans/human sized things or a small car
4
Eight or more humans/human sized things or a small van
5
12 or more humans/human sized things or a tractor trailor
truck
Moon Dance (Level Two) -- With this Jyu-ho, a Kitsune can become
completely
invisible at night as long as moonlight
does not shine on her. If the Fox
steps into noonlight, she can then be seen
until she steps out of the sight
of the moon again. The Kitsune spends one
Gnosis point and the effect lasts
for one night.
Blind (Level Three)-- By spending one Gnosis point and
successfully rolling
Manipulation + Medicine (difficulty 7),
the Kitsune can make a target blind
for one day. The blindness is accompanied
by a stinging pain. The target can
make a Stamina roll (difficulty 7) to
resist.
Walking Between
Worlds (Level Three) -- This Jyuho,
allows the Kitsune to
"step sideways" into the Umbra as the
werewolves do. Without it, a Kitsune
cannot enter the Umbra. However, once this
power is learned, the Kitsune can
do it anytime she pleases, just as Garou
do.
Call to Allies (Level Five) -- There is an extensive network of
the
supernatural in Japan. If a spirit,
Kitsune or similar being finds itself in
danger, its allies may help it, in turn
calling on their friends for help.
This is the Kitsune's call for aid. The
situation must be grave to make such
a call, but no rolls are necessary. Many
spirits are bound to their locality
and so may not be able to come; however,
they will hear the call and do
whatever they can in their area. If the
danger is not deemed sufficiently
dire, the spirits may become angry or
refuse to heed future calls. A person
who makes an enemy out of a Kitsune who
has this power may find himself
being attacked by supernatural beings no
matter where he goes. This can be
an interesting opening for a story.
Shinju (Metis)
Flow of Aura (Level One) -- The Kitsune can "read" the emotions of an
area
-- the past events of high emotional
content or violent nature. This is
similar to psychometry. For example, the
Kitsune may see the flow of fear
and hopelessness from an old gallows. Roll
Perception + Empathy, difficulty
7.
Moon Dance (Level Two) -- With this Jyu-ho, a Kitsune can become
completely
invisible at night as long as moonlight
does not shine on her. If the Fox
steps into noonlight, she can then be seen
until she steps out of the sight
of the moon again. The Kitsune spends one
Gnosis point and the effect lasts
for one night.
Regal Authority
(Level Two) -- As the Gift:
Staredown, but this affects all
creatures native to Japan, including
supernatural ones, and causes an
attitude of subservience rather than
terror.
Speak the Remnants of
Thought (Level Two) -- This is
similar to Flow of
Aura, but the Kitsune can hear the
thoughts that also passed through the
area. Only the strongest thoughts, or
those which affected the area, can be
heard. For example, a Kitsune might hear
voices tell her of the suffering at
an old concentration camp. Roll Perception
+ Occult, difficulty 8.
Walking Between
Worlds (Level Three) -- This Jyuho,
allows the Kitsune to
"step sideways" into the Umbra as the
werewolves do. Without it, a Kitsune
cannot enter the Umbra. However, once this
power is learned, the Kitsune can
do it anytime she pleases, just as Garou
do.
Marionette (Level Five) -- The Kitsune can cause a target to do
whatever she
wants by mimicking the desired actions.
She must spend a Willpower point and
roll Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty
7) opposed by the target's
Willpower roll. She can manipulate the
target however she pleases for one
turn per success.
Doshi
Blessing the
Blade (Level One) -- This Jyu-hi,
consecrates a bladed weapon
(daito, tanto, katana, etc.), allowing it
to do aggravated damage to its
targets. Spend one Gnosis point and roll
Wits + Rituals, difficulty 7.
Swarm of
Servants (Level Three) -- This
summons a swarm of little creatures
(the type is up to the easter) from the
fur of the Kitsune's tail. Spend one
Willpower and roll Stamina + Occult,
difficulty 8. Each success summons 25
of these creatures. They are under the
mental direction of the easter, and
can perform simple tasks, such as lifting
things (Strength 1 per 10 of
them). They must stay within 20 feet of
the Kitsune at all times. They can
also be used to harass foes, though they
cause no damage (-1 from Dice Pool
for every 25 beings). The creatures
disappear after one scene.
By the Light of the
Moon (Level Four) -- By spending one
Gnosis point and
making a successful Perception + Alertness
roll, the Kitsune can see any
hidden creature who is under the
moonlight. This includes Garou using Gifts
(such as Invisibility, Blissful
Ignorance), spirits in the Penumbra and
Obfuscated vampires.
Ju-fu Sorcery
Japanese sorcerers often write runes on
small pieces of parchment to empower
them with magic. Such papers must be
placed at a certain location or on a
target and activated by a mantra (or
sometimes by setting the parchment on
fire). Destroying the parchment ends the
effects of the spell.
Parchment of the Labyrinth
(Level Two)-- When placed in a closed
room, the
parchment causes that room to become an
inescapable jail. Opening the door
will Lead to another room exactly like it.
Placing it in a hallway will
cause the hallway to become endless.
Making the parchment requires the
expenditure of one Gnosis point and an
Intelligence + Occult roll,
difficulty 6. Whether the creation has
worked is not known until the
parchment is first activated, so the
successes are kept secret from the
player until he tries to use the
parchment. Activating a pre-made parchment
requires one Gnosis point.
Parchment of
Banishment (Level Three) -- This
parchment allows the Kitsune to cause a spirit to return to its realm
of origin (or the Near Umbra if it has no particular home realm). The
parchment is destroyed after activation.
Eji
Sense
Hostility (Level One)-- A successful
Perception + Alertness roll,
difficulty 6, allows the Kitsune to sense
the presence of hostile beings
within approximately 100 feet.
Bolt (Level Two) -- By expending Rage and rolling Dexterity +
Occult,
difficulty 7, the Fox causes a lethal bolt
of thunder, fire, ice, wind or
any other force (choose one effect when
learning this Jyu-ho) to strike the
enemy. The damage level is equal to the
number of successes, and causes
aggravated wounds that cannot be soaked.
This is only usable in Hispo form.
Enduring
Warrior (Level Two) -- This Jyu-ho
allows the Kitsune to heal as
quickly as a Garou: one health level per
turn. It acts as Garou healing in
every way. The Kitsune must spend a point
of Rage and the effect lasts for
one scene.
Dragon Ally (Level Five)--A successful Gnosis roll at difficulty of 9
and
the expenditure of one Rage point creates
an Oriental dragon from a nearby
element. Water, fire or strong winds are
needed to summon it. Its size
depends on the number of successes (5 feet
in length per success). This
dragon is capable of bite and body slam
attacks. Its length determines the
amount of damage it can cause: two dice of
aggravated damage for every five
feet. The dragon is friendly to the
summoner's wishes, but intense
concentration isrequired to maintain its
form; it will dissipate if the
Kitsune summoner is distracted
(Storyteller's discretion).
Gukutsushi
Clear the Mind (Level One) -- This calms the mind of a confused,
scared,
raging or otherwise mentally disturbed
creature. A Gnosis point and a
successful Manipulation + Empathy roll
against a difficulty of the
opponent's Willpower (even if the subject
is willing, such emotional
extremes are difficult to control) are
necessary in order for this to take
effect. In addition, if the target is
anyone other than the Kitsune himself,
direct eye contact must be established.
This Jyu-ho will not cure insanity.
Mother's Touch (Level One) -- The Kistune is able to heal the wounds
of
others, aggravated or otherwise, simply by
laying hands over the afflicted area. The
Kitsune may not heal herself with this
Gift. This Gift is taught by a
Unicom-spirit
System: The Kitsune spends one Gnosis
point and rolls Intelligence +
Medicine (difficulty of the wounded
individual's Rage, or 6 for non-Garou) Each
success heals one Health Level. Even
battle scars maybe cured in this manner, but
this must be done in the same scene the
scar was obtained and requires the
expenditure of a Gnosis point. There is no
limit to how many times this may
be used on a person, but each use requires
a Gnosis point.
Read the Soul (Level Two) -- By rolling Perception + Empathy against
a
difficulty of the opponent's Willpower and
spending a Gnosis point, the
Kitsune will be able to tell when the
target is lying or trying to trick
her. This does not grant any insight into
what the truth actually is.
Illusion (Level Three) -- One target in visual range of the Kitsune
will see
things in her head and believe them to be
real. One Gnosis point is
necessary and a successful Manipulation +
Empathy roll must be made against
the target's Willpower in order for this
to take effect. The illusion is
perfectly detailed and cannot be dispelled
unless the target is can be
convinced that it is an illusion (the
relevant roll is up to the
Storyteller; difficulty should be adjusted
for the credibility of the
illusion). The illusions last until the
Kitsune's concentration is broken.
Kataribe
Fable (Level One) -- The Kitsune tells an appropriate fable or
story and
spends two Willpower points; all who
willingly listened to the story are
implanted with a suggestion (much like the
similar vampire Discipline:
Dominate) for a number of days equal to
the Kitsune's Manipulation +
Performance Dice Pool.
Lore (Level Two) -- Many Kataribe collect old lore and tales. In
fact, they
are far too many stories for the Kitsune
to remember in detail; therefore,
many Kitsune learn this Jyu-ho, which
allows them to access the memories of
other Kataribe, living and dead. Those
using this Jyu-h8 will remember
specific lore related to a certain
artifact or location, usually in Japan,
in fair detail. The Kitsune must look at
the target in question (or a
picture of it) and make a successful
Intelligence + Rituals roll against a
difficulty provided by the
Storyteller.
Seek (Level Three) -- This opens contact with a local spirit,
enabling the
Kitsune to ask about the location of one
individual. If the individual is
outside the territory of the spirit, the
spirit will answer so. Spend one
Gnosis point and roll Wits + Occult
against a difficulty of 6.
Rites
The following Rites from the Werewolf
rulebook are known to the Kitsune:
Rite of Cleansing (a Shinto cermony),
Gathering for the Departed, Rite of
Talisman Dedication, Rite of Binding (used
only with the spirit's
permission), Rite of Summoning, Rite of
Ostracism, The Badger's Burrow, Rite
of the Shrouded Glen.
See Garou Rites for info on Garou
Rites.
Kitsune Fetish
Dokko
Level 5; Gnosis
4
A sorcerers dagger. This has three short
blades on each both ends of the
handle. On a sucessful melee attack roll,
along with an expendiure of a
Gnosis point, it bites into the flesh of
an oppent and will remain embeded.
The sorcerer can cast spells at the
Victiam through teh dagger no matter how
far away they are. If the dagger is pulled
out it cause 2 health levels of
Damage, but the "homing" affect is
negated. If the owner ever loses the
dagger it will show up in thier
possesitions within 3 days.
A Nine-Tails Vision of the
World
Before cars and electronics became the
trademarks of Japan, the archipelago
was filled with supernatural beings.
Neglected spirits took terrifying
forms, while others be came foci of
popular worship. There are legends after
legends of spirits and elementals,
preserved and inherited even today.
Although some supernatural beings have
crossed the boundaries of men and
nature and actually caused harm, the two
usually lived in harmony, humans
respecting nature and nature protecting
and benefiting the people.
In Europe, nature and humanity were
adversaries. This fate helped create the
corrupted Wyrm. The White-Faced One could
be characterized as something
closer to the Kindred than the Garou. She
was the shadow of the overgrown
empire of China and the doom it brought
upon itself. The pieces of the great
beast still spew poisonous gas, and even
weeds will not grow near them.
The source of the Nine-Tails' powers is
dark and infernal, but they are a
part of nature as well. After all, Japan
exemplified such coexistence up
until industrialization and the
introduction of European technology. The
offspring of the hellish creatures have
mastered the "center road" between
what the Garou call the Weaver and the
Wyld. They represent the Wyrm's
original function, to destroy the
creations of the Weaver and the Wyld that
grow beyond their borders. Of course, the
Foxes are not con sciously aware
of their role, but they continue to wreak
destruction ultimately for the
sake of harmony. These things are not
taught to them by parents or elders;
each Fox knows the purpose he is to
fulfill from childhood.
Unlike Garou, whose Rage is drawn from
their anger at the rape of Gaia, the
"rage" of a Fox stems from an internal
struggle between their role as
preservers and their birthright as
destroyers. This conflict generates a
raw, violent energy which Kitsune can use
much as the Garou use Rage.
Now the Foxes are drawn into the Garou's
battle against the Corrupter Wyrm
from the West. As the restorers of
balance, the Nine-Tails now find that
their distant ancestor's master, the Wyrm
of entropy, is their greatest
enemy. However, the Nine-Tails must keep
the Garou from de stroying too much
and upsetting the natural balance in the
zealous pursuit of their own
destiny. The Nine-Tails' somatic forces
are drawn from the Wyrm's powers,
but they are also children of Gaia. What
path will they choose!
