Category:Fox

From ShivaeWiki
Jump to: navigation, search


Biology

Males average five-foot-three-inches tall and females average five feet tall. They also have slimmer builds in proportion to their sizes. The Fox have only three fingers and a thumb, making it look as if they are missing a pinky. (They are genetically incompatible with Wolves and other canids, so were physically modified that way.)

Psychology

The Fox as a whole are not 'evil' in any sense of the word, just curious and too smart for their own good. Most of them would prefer to live their lives as they want to and most do without any limits. The scientists are free to explore any avenue they want to as long as it might benefit the monarchy, at least, that's how it has been for a very long time.

Culture

A name was an earned title and brought with it wealth and honor. It was something that every Cyantian Fox strove for, to uphold the past. A name was an heirloom passed on through the generations, as priceless as platinum and as long lasting as diamonds.

Last names are titles, usually bestowed in two ways. There are family line names and then there are personal names. Some names are passed down the female side of the family, some are reserved for only male members of the family. They are 'awarded' by the ruling class, usually the king himself and select members of councils in each village/city.

They're like a badge in history, marking a family as a line whose parentage has contributed greatly to the past and will continue into the future. They are worthy to be remembered. Having a last/family name at all is a privilege. Most Fox will have a single name and then state an unofficial clan name as their family name, making a distinction in that it is a clan name and not a 'family' name.

Names are usually unique to the situation. Family names that are to follow a line are ALWAYS unique. Awarded names for valor in battle or contribution involving groups will all be the same, but they identify with that group/contribution by the name.

The names can also work in a negative way, and if you are caught not using a given name, it is a severely punishable offense. Criminal names were at one time kept for up to two generations of kits following a parent. They'd say their name and what generation they were, but that one is slowly fading.

The Guttouve are the Gutter Fox, the lowest of those in the Fox caste system. Those are the ones whose desires do not match the colors of the fur they were born into.

  • They do all turn white in the winter though if it's cold. So you'll get a multitude of white foxes in the winter... except for the Black, Silvers and any that have Black, Silver or White lineage. This is among the only two ways to differentiate them by looking at them. The other way is that these three shine if they are pure. They have black or bluish skin. Most fox have white skin.

The Arctic Fox and the Fennec are separate species. There are Arctic Fox which mingle with the northerner column cities and Fennec/Desert Fox who live primarily in the plains and deserts with the Cheetahs. Both are usually very nomadic, the desert variation MUCH more than the northerners. They do not recognize the Vixinte royalty as their ruling class. They recognize no-one. They are capable of interbreeding with regular Fox though.

There was a difference in Foxes who lived in the city compared to those from the country. City Fox were hardened to their conditions. They were more likely to take bribes and be only concerned with themselves. Country Foxes were softer, a bit naive and they wanted to change the world. Fox guards who take bribes are referred to as 'Black Hands'.

Being the enforcers of the law, Golds couldn't get away with breaking ANY laws. Other Golds would kill them or punish them themselves. Their job was to enforce the laws without question, and they could lose their names and positions for violating any. (Gralen Cragg Hall, strip 53) Those golds who were street guards were only allowed to bear one litter of kits in the past, and were allowed only 10 years to raise them. (Gralen Cragg Hall, strip 54)

On courting a female: Basically the male must show that he's a good provider. The female lets you know if she accepts you by accepting all of the gifts given. If she returns even one, you'd best look elsewhere. Courtship is marked by always starting on the first day of the month and lasts for 15 days. You do other things as well - you must let the intended's family know, and have the father and mother's blessing to court. In the case of the Fox, a female will often get a jeweled bracelet or a ring as the final gift and she will wear it to seal her acceptance of a marriage proposal.

A female who is out and about while dropping scent is often thought poorly of, being nicknamed a Scent Walker, and accused of going around advertising themselves. (Gralen Cragg Hall, strip 70)

'Vix' is the equivalent title for 'Lady'. It's formal, and all unknown females are introduced by their color, then Vix. Males are referred to as 'Todds' or 'Vulpes'.

The term 'foxy' is demeaning amongst the Fox. It denotes animal.

Syrys Akaelae is considered a war demon by the Fox in their stories about him, often seen on a blood red war horse. Danie would also be considered an important figure.

Politics

The Fox people have ever since their first King, a White Fox, followed a caste system in day to day life, wherein, fur color dictates rank and jobs. Higher castes only talk to lower castes to order them around. The lower castes must always obey those higher then they.

It started when the Fox separated themselves from the others, in 155. Genetically, they higher Cast colors are superior so that's why it was set up. Genetics of course, don't know good or evil and those in charge originally manipulated it to their advantage. The original leaders didn't quite have the best interests of their people in mind, just themselves. The throne has been tossed back and forth between militant white foxes, red foxes, golds, silvers, black, etc to a point that a white Fox is a preferred ruler, but the throne doesn't know a set caste. Whomever has the gold fox in their hands is who will have the power. If they're smart, they brainwash those below them at a young age, at least, that's how most Fox operate. Occasionally, you have good leaders, like Medici.

The ruling class has been known to alter history books in their favor. They’ve done an excellent job of maintaining rule through keeping the lower classes ignorant. They let them learn only what they deem is necessary, and possession of old books telling the truth carries the threat of death if they were ever discovered. Though current books say otherwise, Wolves have never attacked Fox cities unprovoked. Fox on the other hand, have covertly incited engagements and stolen from them. (Genoworks Saga, strip 30)

The current King, Kiet, is much different from the past, but since the past weighs heavily still on the people's minds. King Kiet's adoptive father (who killed Kiet's real father who was ruler at the time) took over the thrown through coup and the use of the Golden Fox, who moved up in rank to take the top caste just underneath the king himself. Both Kiet and his father are a really dark red with black points (though in Kiet's case, he was dyed). Kiet has a few extra black markings around his eyes. Once Kiet's father took the throne, he called himself a Royal Red Fox and set himself apart from the normal reds. From that point, the system was put into extremes by the Golden Fox who went about to kill off all those elite with white, silver and black fur. (Wasn't very hard, there were only a half dozen white furred fox, a dozen silvers and maybe a hundred or so black fox.) Of course, just killing them off doesn't stop them from being born as any gold fox pair could have any of the three as offspring.

Kiet's adoptive father was a tyrant and killed his mother before Kiet's eyes when he was a tiny kit barely able to remember it. Family life wasn't that great either, several of his father's other wives and their male kits as they got older kept on trying to kill the king, and take the throne, and were killed for it. Kiet wasn't interested in taking the throne. He didn't want it either, because of all this trouble he saw. *Consequently, he's the first born kit and the ONLY male to live. Among the Fox, the king chooses who succeeds him and it's not always a firstborn son.. or a son at all. Queens are equally acceptable.*

Even though the system is abolished, mental habits die hard. The list in Fox Caste System is the current standings and the correct standings, although it has been warped as a whole in the past.

A plague brought about by the caste has almost all but wiped out the Fox, leaving only a handful in comparison to a mighty kingdom that once was. 99.94 percent of all fox in Vixinte (their capital city) were wiped out. Currently, Fox in general are scattered, with the Fox on Cyantia being pooled together under their new king and future queen, Tira. Uniting them is a horrendous job, one which Princess Tira Wrashoen will be helping out in by marrying King Kiet. Tira is at the Academy to help promote unity among their race and with others. The main threat to the peace are the Foxes who are NOT on the planet. They're grouping together into a small rebellion to keep the old ways and to continue advancing scientifically in the areas of genetic tampering. All told there are maybe 100,000 fox in existence.

Family

Births among the Fox, range from 1 to 2 kits equally. Identical twins are very rare. Tamera had considerably more though.

When kits are born they generally have a member of their religious order there to witness the birthing. (Campus Safari, strip 404) There is also a representative of each fur color of the fox kits to be born present to become Kimala, or Godparents, of the kits of their color. If not possible by color, the mother will choose someone to take the role. The Kimala is expected to take part in the kit's life and be a role model for it. (Campus Safari, strip 408)

The delivery tends to be easy and quick provided the mother is calm and relaxed. (Campus Safari, strip 405) There are few complications due to the kits being small. (Campus Safari, strip 406)

Traditionally, the husband helps with the delivery of the first kit. (Campus Safari, strip 406) The rest of the kits are delivered by fur color if possible. (Campus Safari, strip 408)

There is a tradition as well of a live-in midwife remaining with the family for a few months to help care for the babies after home delivery. (Campus Safari, strip 406) They tend to be run ragged.

Two fox of the same color will most likely have the same color of kits as they are, but it goes back several generations and there are more than two genes that determine fox coloration. ANY different colors within the past ten generations can show up in the current generation.

It's possible for the kit of two golds to have a blue brother. While in service, golds will strictly marry other golds, but outside of it they could choose any manner of mate, not to mention that there's always that handful that doesn't listen and produces illegitimate cubs, which could parent offspring with an infusion of different genes, that would still be a gold.

Of the elite colors, only Black Fox tend to dye their fur. They are considered the most dangerous and actually are the most numerous. They have a strong fear that their kits might be kitnapped.

Technology

Foxes tend to lag a short distance behind the Wolves in most fields, because most of their technology is in fact stolen from the Wolves.[1] The one area where they uniformly surpass the Wolves is in genetic enhancement mainly because the Wolves don't ALLOW the experimentation that goes on with the Fox. The foxes have created wildly inappropriate things with their genetic labs. As bad as Exotica Genoworks is, they don't create for the purposes of a pleasure pet. Of course, enforcing that is something they don't do because they can't. They just don't intend them to be used for those purposes. They're weird, they have no qualms about playing with genetic codes, but do have a sense of what's right and wrong. They consider it O.K. for someone to enslave another for a short period of time as long as they don't actually 'own' them and they are guaranteed that their product will not be violated. They're genetic artists, and they tend to believe that art is best seen and not touched. The Fox are also the masters of the technomages. They've perfected the use of a small mobile fusion reactor as an additional weapon and a very useful one at that. Fox Guards are typically armed with swords and control rods. Those on assignment, or traveling in dangerous regions will be equipped with energy bows.


Miscellaneous

Most fox did not travel through the woods that lie between Vixinte and Mounty territory due to the rumored Genoworks monsters that roam them from the old days. (In truth, they do exist, but tend to leave you alone unless you threaten them.) The journey through the woods takes about a week on horseback. (Gralen Cragg Hall, strip 56)

Old wars and constant upheaval have made the Fox of Vixinte apathetic to change. They accept it and live, knowing tomorrow may see yet another coup and ruler. (Gralen Cragg Hall, strip 49)

By the time of Akaelae, no black Fox had been seen on Cyantia for 10 years. (Akaelae, strip 75)

Fox in general don't seems to like Whips, but do make use of Gryphons and Shivae. (Akaelae, strip 531) Possibly because they're commonly used as Familiars by Fox Technomages, who are at odds with the Fox Government and do their own thing. (Akaelae, strip 532)

  • Guardians are the Fox name for ANY Gryphon large enough to carry a Fox mount. In the Fox settlement on Earth, Shooting Star is a night time flier, which are fast and not as silent as their stealthy cousins because of it. And for those of you who know how Gryphons on Cyantia can fly, the grounds on Earth where the portal used to be are rich in Cyantian metals and the creatures who live in that area are also full of it. It makes them larger than average Earth creatures as a side affect. Gryphon bones hold their lifetime supply of this metal, so when it's time to breed the gryphons the Swamp Fox have, they naturally go to a breeding ground that's been set up in this area so they eat nothing but animals rich in the metals, which are then passed on to the chicks. They are also fed meat from animals hunted in this area for the first six months of their life, when they do their most growing. When Darrik was young, these Fox have a breeding population of 24 adult gryphons, 2/3rds of which are permanently mated to each other. The remainder are younger males and females who mate more freely at the discretion of their handlers. Records are kept. (Pawprints, Darrik storyline)
  • Gryphons are not easy to come by on Earth, so not only do they wait until one is old enough to care for it, but the parents do supervise and make sure they are taken care of.


Black Fox must learn to release their energy properly, not doing so will result in a heart attack or aneurism. Typically the parents teach them basic control techniques for it.(Akaelae, strip 637) There had been so many generations of tradition of training Black Fox no one remembered what would happen if one was not. Those in the Mounty Holds and Halls were all trained, but when Black Fox were being hunted, a few parents held out of the training thinking the children would not be targeted if they did not display abilities, resulting in their deaths when they became young adults and their abilities manifested. (Akaelae, strip 663)

It's common among Fox to use heavily scented armor that disguises the bearer's normal scent.

During the reign of Parin they would hold a Liberty Festival, which was a week long festival to celebrate the tenth year of freedom from the previous Red Fox Dictatorship, and the benevolent reign of the new kings and queens. The streets would be filled with good food, music, and a general feeling of well being. (Gralen Cragg Hall, strip 1)

Royalty tended to reside in the Crystal Square, which was Vixinte's finest castle. (Gralen Cragg Hall, strip 2)

Though Gates to Earth have been mentioned to be in Fox territory at the time of Akaelae, the Fox government had no interest in Earth or using them.