Everything has a beginning. As grand as the stories of Inktail eventually became, his start was as humble as anything else.

Once upon a time, there was a thief. A fox equal parts charming and cunning. Quick-witted and sharp-tongued. No stories reveal anything about his childhood, or who he was before he began calling himself Inktail. Hidden, perhaps. More likely, the man before Inktail was of no relevance, completely unremarkable.

What was remarkable was Inktail's skill at what he did. The stories concerning this early time in his life are all fairly similar in vein, spread mostly through word of mouth among bards, parents in slums. Precious few of these stories are written down, likely made up on a case by case basis. There is always a noble, corrupt, oppressive, undeserving of their station. Inevitably, Inktail arrives in their demesne, learning of the strife caused. He concocts a plan and, staging a daring heist, steals something precious from the noble. This typically leads to the financial or social ruin of the noble in question, freeing the common folk from the boot at their neck. The day is saved. Inktail moves on. The thefts get more elaborate, more difficult. As Inktail's name grows, so too do the challenges arrayed against him. Always, always, it's never enough. The roguish hero always prevails.

Eventually, the world of mortals grows tiresome for the fox. Needing something to challenge him, he sets his sights higher.

Desiring something to challenge himself, Inktail eventually turns his attention to the world beyond his own. He chooses a target, a deity many foxes look up to. He boasts that he will steal from Inari Ōkami, and sets off. This section of his story is something akin to a saga; Inktail's journey into the realm of the divine is a lengthy and dangerous one, placing him in a reality where he is insignificant compared to the behemoth powers around him. There are trials, and tribulations; he is almost killed, he is almost captured, he is almost enslaved. Always, Inktail escapes. Always, he moves towards his goal.

Eventually, he finds Inari Ōkami in the realm of the divine. The stories diverge here, depending on the storyteller. He steals one of the kami's tails while she is sleeping, parents say to their young children. He steals that, and a kiss from her as well, fathers say to their older listeners. He seduces her and, after an impassioned tryst the likes of which would leave a sailor blushing, steals a tail from her while she sleeps off their encounter; this is the version told in taverns, by bawdy bards among men deep in their cups, crude limericks about just what the pair get up to common in those cases.

Once stolen, he makes the tail his. With it, Inktail ascends past his mortal boundaries. He becomes divine, himself. He becomes a Kitsune. He remains in the realm of the divine, with occasional forays back into the world of mortals, his stories taking a much similar beat to what they were before. Grand thefts, to those who deserve it. He becomes something of a trickster kami. A kami of thieves. A creature that punishes the wicked, the overconfident with thefts defying reality or expectation.

Since their inception, the stories of Inktail have always been believed to be just that; stories. Fanciful tales for people to enjoy. To take pleasure in the corruption of nobility, getting their comeuppance. Within roughly the past year however, this has taken a turn.

A masked fox appeared, naming himself to be Inktail and making himself known with the audacious theft of top secret technology from an underground bunker run by the Leporidan city-state. The theft was brazen and showy, and while the true nature of what he stole was never revealed, there are wanted posters to this day posted around the Leporidan capital promising a hefty reward for his capture.

In another capital city, not far from Bruinswald, more wanted posters can be found; in this case, concerning the theft of an ancient and powerful artifact stolen from the Mage's Guild's own vault. Little is said on what was stolen in this case, but the reward is great indeed.

Since then, the stories about this thief have become more supernatural in nature. Believing them, it becomes harder and harder to assume this man is truly mortal. Creatures from another plane are whispered to appear in the thief's wake, searching for him. The stories say those who view these creatures go mad. Those who side with the thief claim these creatures were likely the victims of one of his heists, or bound to service by the Mage's Guild. Detractors claim he is in league with them; that he uses them to make following him dangerous. Whatever the case, the thefts have continued; noble houses, keeps, castles, guilds. Nothing has proven safe from this thief yet, and some of the tales whispered of how he gets in and out of certain locations, situations .. sound impossible. Works of divinity.

Some are starting to believe he is the real thing. Inktail, manifesting in our reality.

In the present day, Inktail is viewed as a kami of secrecy, deception and luck. This has made him a very attractive source of worship to those who steal, those who sneak, those who con and cheat. This has made him the patron kami of thieves within the region surrounding the central continent.

Originally a small cult within a pair of cities, the practice of asking for Inktail's protection before hitting the streets has become more and more common as time goes on. It is not uncommon to find small shrines devoted to Inktail in places frequented by those that rely on subterfuge and trickery; thieves' dens, gang hideouts, small alleyways where city guards rarely tread.

Shrines are small, and typically take the form of a small bowl placed in front of an equally small statuette of a twin-tailed fox with one black tail. Offerings often taken the form of some small trinket, or coins; these goods have often been stolen expressly for such an offering. The belief tends to be that such offerings draw Inktail's attention and - if he deems what the individual is trying to do worthy of him - will assure the kami will gently nudge fate, luck and chance in the right direction.

The stories say that sometimes, there is an additional cost to this; that occasionally, Inktail expects just a little more from those who would ask him for help. At times, these prices can be very steep indeed. When the alternatives are considered, however…

Inktail is a character that may be listed as another character's Deity. He is a minor kami, and his assistance takes on much more supernatural flavors when he is called upon.

His major spheres of influence are secrecy, deception and luck, although his assistance is not limited to only those spheres.

He is best suited for characters that steal, employ trickery and stealth, and other such strategies, but he will of course accept followers from any walk of life.

Gaining favor with Inktail typically involves offering to him things that have been stolen; not limited to just coins or objects, Inktail also strangely seems to enjoy offerings of secrets and things more .. abstract, if one is able to steal such a thing. Losing favor tends to be shows of gracelessness, being caught; especially due to one's own thoughtlessness or lack of planning. Preying on those that are undeserving in particular is a quick route to gaining the kami's ire.

If a follower falls during an adventure, Inktail will intervene. He may do this directly or indirectly, depending on the nature of the follower's defeat. Whatever the case, there will be a price to pay for forcing the kami into potential danger. This typically involves the theft of something important to the follower; a beloved weapon, a favored trinket. Memories and experiences. Knowledge on how to perform certain combat maneuvers or how to cast certain spells. Even their very strength, social grace or dexterity could be robbed of them. In all but the most extreme cases, Inktail returns these to their rightful owner; however, he frequently requires something of the follower in return. A feat performed. An object stolen. An offering made. Inktail will name the price. It is up to the follower to pay it, or what was stolen may be forever lost to them.

[b]Deity:[/b] [url=http://kamisekai.space/wiki/doku.php?id=inktail]Inktail[/url] / Send notices to: [user]Inktail[/user]