for my favourite kitsune

In Houses of the Blooded the Ven consider certain animals to be sacred in an almost totemic fashion. So I immediately turned to those animals that I most strongly identify with. While it is without little doubt that I most strongly identify with the Serpent... Like most primal animals, it was said Serpent had great power, but he gave that power up for Wisdom, surrendering it to the Well at the Center of the World. He was asked to give up his arms. He did. He was asked to give up his legs. He did. His ears. His beautiful hair. Then, his poison. That was one thing Serpent would not surrender. And so, he carries the Wisdom of the world… but not all of it. And he is cursed. Every question he answers leads to more questions. ...I do have to admit that I utterly adore the following extract from the description of the nature of the Fox. Foxes are not hunted in Shanri. The ven know better. As beautiful as the fox may be, her anger is even greater. And the fox does not gain its Revenge through force or martial means. Oh, no. A fox hurts you where the wound will never heal. In the heart. The world, and culture of the Ven, does indeed looks interesting, at least as far as I've read.