Akane -- Kitsune Rogue
Akane is a relatively typical kitsune, sharing a love for beauty, art, adventure and mischief. In her human form, which she rarely wears unless necessary, she has pale skin and deep auburn hair. Except for slightly pointed ears she looks human enough, though she may be mistaken for a half-elf. Her eyes are a brilliant shade of rich amber in both her human and true forms. Both forms also share a slender gracefulness that her childhood dance training has only enhanced. In her true kitsune form, her fur is much as a red fox, a rich russet coat accented by white and black markings.
Akane was born in the mysterious and mythical Forest of Spirits. She grew up there in relative peace, protected by the forest's powerful kami. Instilled with her kind's love of art and beauty at a very early age, she learned the ritual spirit dances of her people. Quick to learn, with beauty and grace to match her skill, many thought her to be favored by Shelyn and certain to serve the Lady of Chrysanthemums when she was older.
But then the oni came.
They emerged from the House of Withered Blooms and all the Forest's denizens were needed to help to drive the evil demons back before they could destroy the ancient forest. Although successful with the aid of the kami, the fey, kitsune and others who dwelt within the Forest found themselves now flung into a war they could not afford to ignore. For not far away, across the narrow straights of the Bay of Xidao, lay Chu Ye, Kingdom of the Oni.
Many kitsune and fey chose to aid those in Chu Ye fighting against the rule of the evil oni Shogun, Tsuneni. To this end, Akane's father decided to assist the Mizu Ki Hikari, a Chu Ye resistance movement. The rebels hid in the Chuyokai Forest which ran along Chu Ye's southern boarder.
Honor bound to obey her father's decision, Akane abandoned her studies of dance and instead learned the arts of stealth and trickery. She was not very strong and too small to make a good warrior, but she learned how to move silently, to remain hidden, to strike unseen, to be alert for ambush, and to avoid the traps the oni set.
The province of Chu Ye had always been renowned for its healers before the oni invaded and there were many skilled healers among the rebels. Unfortunately their talents were needed as many were wounded and sometimes killed battling the oni Shogun and his many warbands.
One day Akane's father and brother were brought back badly wounded. They had stumbled across a warband and the fight had not gone well for them. Akane stayed with them, even managing to learn a thing or two about healing as she helped tend to them. However, neither the healer's skill or Akane's constant care was enough and her father died. Fearing the war was taking a seriously dire turn, the Mizu Ki Hikari decided to smuggle Akane's remaining family out of the Chuyokai Forest to safety.
With her father dead and her brother recovering from his injuries, Akane made other plans. Sending her mother and younger sister along to care for her brother, she returned briefly to the Forest of Spirits, then traveled north to Hongol, the land of the horse lords, to hire a guide across the Top of the World. Eventually she made her way to Magnimar in Varisia. There she discovered and boarded the ship the Jenivere to embark on a new adventure...
