Kitsu-ne ★ Event on the horizon....

[Hoshi no Tama]

kitsu-ne

As you travel the busy streets of Kyoto you notice a young man standing at a small stall. You cannot see his wares from where you stand, so you approach the stall. Once you are closer, you see that he is selling what looks to be pearls in a myriad of colours. The pearls have small stars on them. The man smiles at you innocently.

"They're called hoshi no tama - star balls. Would you like one? I can find some that match your eyes."

You laugh, but respond that you don't like wearing pearls.

"These pearls are not meant to be worn. They're... a sort of good luck charm," he adds thoughtfully, flashing a grin. "Here, take one free - you'll see what I mean."

important links

guild
real-life commissions

[Hoshi no Tama]

1/19/2012

WE ARE HIRING!
CLICK HERE

8/12/2011

Our Zodiac and Constellations Event is up on page 2!

8/12/2011

BIG announcement! We will NO LONGER be forcing Japanese names! You will be free to name your Kitsu to your liking! Also our breeding and custom prices have changed!

3/21/2011

The way we grow kits has changed to an "automatic" growing, just save the link and check up on it. More detailed info here.

3/21/2011

The rules for naming kits non-Japanese names have changed. See the naming thread for what kits you can name a non-Japanese name.

2/21/2011

World of Warcraft event opens on 2/25!

1/4/2011

Lexenos the Knight is cleaning out the photobucket, please PM him if you find any broken links or images!

12/23/2010

Three Tailed Fox has taken on O L I V Extract as the new co-owner of Kitsu-ne!

12/11/2010

Color your owns are open! See HERE.

12/2/2010

Come check out our Holiday Grams! Link is HERE!

12/2/2010

TTF is taking an indefinite BUT temporary haitus because of health problems. She has named O L I V Extract her temporary replacement. If you have any questions, PM Olive!

11/28/2010

The Day of the Dead Event is officially over! Please check the guild to see if you've won!

11/01/2010

Instead of a Halloween event, Kitsu-ne are having a Day of the Dead event!

10/09/2010

We are hiring! If you've ever wanted to join the staff, please check out the thread - there are many positions we need filled. <3

09/17/2010

Grand opening event!

08/01/2010

Please welcome our new staff:
Naked Satan - part-time colourist
EverlastingRitz - part-time colourist, full-time manager
Tygress Dream - full-time colourist
A Rocket to the Maine - full-time colourist
yeomso - part-time colourist, full-time certist
Contumelious - full-time colourist
-- NekoGamer -- - full-time colourist
Shikamaru Silyvant - full-time colourist
alphagirl101 - full-time manager

07/30/2010

The shop thread was set up! Huzzah!

[Hoshi no Tama]

shop rules

01. Treat others the way that you expect to be treated. Be courteous and respectful to staff and customers alike.
02. Have patience. A polite reminder or question is fine, but please do not badger the staff about their workload.
03. Theft will not be tolerated. Do not, for any reason, use the pets, thread/guild graphics, layout, text, ideas, or anything else related to the shop if it was not created by or for you.
04. When you post in this thread, please make a conscious effort to leave your drama-llamas at the door. While it is perfectly acceptable to rant or vent to your friends in the thread when you've had a bad day, anything more than a few posts should really be taken to PMs.

roleplaying rules

01. Follow the Daisy Code.
02. Do not god-mode. If you suspect that an action your character will perform may have a god-moding effect on another person's character, make sure they are okay with it before RPing it.
03. Do not make your characters perfect or all-knowing. Also refrain from making a character with lots of very strong magical abilities. A realistic character that is fun to interact with is one that has both virtues and flaws.

[Hoshi no Tama]

the story

A young man living in Japan spent each season searching for the perfect woman. After many years, he found her near a moor, and he promptly married her. On the same day the woman gave birth to their first child, their dog bore a single puppy. This pup was hostile toward the woman and often attacked her. She begged her husband to give it away, but he refused. One day, the pup attacked her so viciously that she could no longer retain her human form. She transformed back into a fox and fled into the woods. The man was devastated, but called after her, "I know you are a fox, but you are also my wife, and I love you. You will always be welcome here, so come back when you please." Every night she returned to his house and slept in his arms. Because she leaves as a fox and returns as a woman, people called her Kitsune.

In Japanese, ki-tsune means always comes; kitsu-ne means come and sleep.

[Hoshi no Tama]

general information

Kitsune are magical fox spirits that can be benevolent (called zenko) or malevolent (called yako) in nature. A kitsune's magical ability increases over time, and their age is represented by the number of tails they possess - ranging anywhere from one to nine tails, gaining roughly one every millennium. Kitsune are immortal and can live forever, provided they never lose their hoshi no tama.

Stages: A new hoshi no tama will begin to overflow with the magic of the kitsune's life essence glow after three days of being received by a human. Seven days later, the kitsune will break free of the hoshi no tama, and will reach adulthood in another fourteen days.

Disposition: Most kitsune are playful and curious. Some spend their lives learning as much as they can, whereas others prefer to spend their time playing tricks on humans. Zenko kitsune prefer more harmless pranks, while yako have no qualms about finding violent ways to entertain themselves. Some kitsune choose to dedicate their lives to the patron deity of foxes, Inari, doing good (or evil) deeds in his name.

Magical Abilities: Aside from immortality, two magical abilities all kitsune possess are kitsune-bi (fox fire) and shape-shifting. The younger a kitsune is, the weaker his/her magical abilities are. Up to one millennium in age, a kitsune can produce small (baseball-sized) fireballs and become any animal no larger than a fox or a house cat. At two millenniums, a kitsune can produce basketball-sized fireballs and become any animal no larger than a horse or a cow. Around three millenniums, a kitsune can produce fireballs as big as itself and become any animal, including a human. After three millenniums, most kitsune don't experience a significant increase in magical ability. Most kitsune are also capable of flight and remarkable physical regeneration. Some kitsune can become invisible for a short time (30-60 minutes), "phase" through solid objects, or possess humans.

hoshi no tama

Every kitsune has a physical manifestation of their life essence, which is stored in a small, pearl-like ball called a hoshi no tama (star ball). A kitsune becomes weakened (and will soon die) if separated from their hoshi no tama for too long. For this reason, a kitsune's hoshi no tama is extremely important to him/her, and kitsune generally keep them hidden in a secret place. A human who finds a kitsune's hoshi no tama may request a favour from the kitsune in exchange for its safe return.

A kitsune can extract some of their life essence, from their own hoshi no tama, and combine it with another kitsune's life essence to create a new hoshi no tama. Not long after the creation of a hoshi no tama by two kitsune, the new hoshi no tama will break open, revealing a new kitsune. The hoshi no tama will then magically repair itself and become the new kitsune's own hoshi no tama - starting the cycle all over again, should this kitsune choose to give up some of their life essence and create a new kitsune.

chibi kitsune

From time to time, Inari creates a kitsune that is a little smaller and magically weaker than most kitsune. These kitsune are unable to grow past the kit stage of life, no matter what age they reach - but aside from this strange trait, they seem to be the same as any other kitsune in every way. We at Kitsu-ne call them chibi kitsune, affectionately nicknamed chibi-tsune. No one is entirely sure why they are created, but we can only assume that Inari has his reasons.

[Hoshi no Tama]

general information

The first thing you must realize if you are interested in obtaining a kitsune is that this is a breedable/changing pets shop, not a mini-shop. Things in the B/C forum do not work in the same was as in the mini-shops forum. The main difference is in the sale methods - mini-shops offer a single piece of artwork, coloured with a single, specific pattern, that is sold to multiple people. In the B/C forum, every single pet that is sold or otherwise distributed is completely unique. As in the mini-shops forum, the lineart and templates are reused, but the colour and patterns on each are not. This means that pets take time and effort to create, and that pets are not always available.

If you are looking for current sales or giveaways, check page 2 of this thread!

If you are new to the shop, or the B/C forum in general, please try to take care that your posts, questions, comments, and PMs are not demanding or impatient. The staff at the shop do their best to make sure there are lots of opportunities for people, especially newbies, to obtain a pet. In fact, most staff will, if they can, offer a custom or premade pet to newbies who seem kind and patient. Acting as if you are entitled to a pet right this second really takes the fun out of colouring pets as gifts for people.

Please do your best to make this shop a fun and enjoyable place to be!

flatsales

A flatsale is a speed-based sale where participants are given a task. Staff will request that you be the first to post a code or find an image in order to win a pet. Flatsale pets cost 5k.

flaffles

A flaffle is a raffle-based flatsale. You will be given a code and a time limit. If you post the code within the time limit (an average 18 hours) you will be entered into a raffle. At the end of the time limit, winners will be drawn raffle-style via the random number generator. Flaffle pets cost 5k.

raffles

Raffles are pretty straightforward. You will be given a code to post, either to purchase tickets (100g each) or to claim a free ticket. At the end of the raffle, winners will be drawn via the random number generator. There is no fee for winning.

auctions

Auctions are pretty straightforward as well. You use the provided code to place a bid on a pet. At the end of the auction, the highest bidder wins.

games & contests

Individual games and contests vary. Rules and information will be provided before the game/contest is held.

customs & bribes

See if custom slots are open here.

[Hoshi no Tama]

keeping with the theme

We at Kitsu-ne would love to see Japanese inspried names but it is not required. It is your choice if you would like a regular name or not, but try to keep it reasonable - no Fluffy's or Stripey... be creative!

Some suggested websites with Japanese words, names, and translations are:
Suteki - use "English word to Japanese" and "similar matches".
Asian Names
Behind the Name
20,000 Names
Japanese Names

[Hoshi no Tama]

certificates

This is the certificate, or cert, that we use at Kitsu-ne. The certificate displays a pet with its name, gender, its owner name, and other important information. Once you obtain a kitsune, the first thing you should do is have it put onto a certificate. You can do so by clicking here.

[Hoshi no Tama]

setting

Kyoto is located in a valley (the Kyoto Basin) and is surrounded on three sides by mountains - Higashiyama, Kitayama and Nishiyama - which gives the area cold winters and hot summers. There are three rivers in the basin - the Katsuragawa to the west, the Kamogawa to the east, and the Ujigawa to the south.

The area is littered with museums, temples and shrines, palaces, gardens, and other beautiful architecture. Of course, there are also schools, shops, and residential areas.

Roleplaying should take place in the guild.

[Hoshi no Tama]

item shoppe

As you wander the streets of Kyoto, you see Taro walking away from a small stall. He notices you and beckons you over. "It's nice to see you again!" he says. "I just purchased some new items that might be useful to the kitsune. Would you like to see?" He holds out his hands to you, displaying several different objects.

5 & 50 Yen Coins: free
Yen is a form of currency used to purchase items (or other goods) in this shop. You cannot purchase yen coins, but they can be randomly found in the shop threads/guild, given away as prizes, or given as a gift by a kitsune.

Inari's Beads: 10k or 20 yen
Donning this lovely, beaded accessory is said to grant a kitsune with particularly powerful kitsune-bi. (Your kitsune's image and cert will be updated to reflect this change.)

Shrine Token: 10k or 20 yen
Want extra kits next time you breed? Write your wish (or leave a pawprint) on this token and leave it at Inari's shrine. Who knows? Maybe your wish will come true! (Guarantees one extra kit per shrine token purchased per breeding. Limit 3 per breeding at colourist's discretion.)

Star Candy: 5k or 10 yen
A small pouch filled to the brim with delicious star candy. It reminds me of my childhood. In fact, maybe if a kitsune ate some, it would do the same for them? (Returns an adult kitsune to kit stage.)

Furin Bell: 25k or 50 yen
A beautiful, hand-made furin bell. A kitsune waiting for their tail to split (to symbolize their age) will often purchase a furin bell, write their wish on the tag, and hang it in their abode.
x
x
x
x
[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]Incense: 25k or 50 yen
[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]A simple stick of incense, which gives off the scent of sakura blossoms
[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]when lit. It is rumoured that a chibi-kitsune who burns one and basks in
[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]the smoke will grow into an adult kitsune.

to order

If you want to purchase items, fill out the following form and PM it to this account (Hoshi no Tama). You will receive a PM letting you know if someone is available to fill your order.

[b]Username:[/b] your username; please don't order for others.
[b]Item(s):[/b] name the items, and quantity of each item, that you're ordering.
[b]Kitsune:[/b] if an item is for a kitsune, include the kitsune's cert and uncert (if you have them) here.
[b]Description:[/b] if you're ordering Inari's beads, give colour, size, placement, and other details for the kitsune-bi you want.
[b]Grand Total:[/b] include the yen and gold price please, no matter what you're paying with.
[b]Payment:[/b] say whether you're paying in gold, yen, or both.

[Hoshi no Tama]

breeding

As you approach the shrine nestled between the tall cypress trees, you notice a slender young woman standing nearby. She walks toward you, and in the still summer air you can hear the gentle tap, tap, tap of her zori sandals on the stone steps. She bows and smiles softly.

"Konnichiwa! This is the Fushimi Inari Shrine, dedicated to the kami, or god, of fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes, industry and prosperity. People, and sometimes kitsune, stop here to make an offering and pray for a blessing." She lifts an arm to gesture at an old stone statue sitting nearby.

"If you'd like to make an offering, simply place your items at the base of that statue. However, if I may make a suggestion ... Inari tends to favour those who offer at least 10,000 gold coins." The woman smiles innocently at you, bows, and walks toward the shrine, leaving you alone to pray to Inari, should you choose to do so.

things to note

Breedings generally yield 2-4 kits.
A kitsune may only breed once a month.
The owner of the kitsune may only have 2 kitsune bred per month.
A kitsune must be an adult to breed.
Two kitsune of any gender may breed.
Breeding prices vary upon complexity, see the guild for more information.
To request a breeding, see if slots are open here.

[Hoshi no Tama]

frequently-asked questions

Q: The plural form of kitsune is kitsunes, right?
A: No, kitsune plural is still kitsune.

Q: What is the term for more than one hoshi no tama?
A: Hoshi no tama. P:

Q: You say that kitsune are "spirits". Does that mean that they are like ghosts?
A: No, kitsune should not be thought of as ghosts because of the word spirit. Think of them much more like European faeries/sprites/pixies/imps - magical beings that like to play tricks on humans.

Q: So does every single kitsune have a hoshi no tama?
A: Yes, every kitsune is born from a hoshi no tama that they keep for the rest of their lives.

Q: How long/far can a kitsune be safely separated from their hoshi no tama?
A: Really, it depends on the individual kitsune - but as a rough estimate, a maximum of 24 hours and/or 25 miles per 1,000 years of age. So, a 2,500 year-old kitsune could be separated from her hoshi no tama for two full days over a distance of fifty miles before she started to feel physically weakened. After that time, a kitsune would have 24 hours to return to his/her hoshi no tama before death, and upon returning, would require a "recharge period" of three days before making another long trip.

Q: So kitsune can transform into animals. Does that mean that they can turn into mythical creatures, too? How about non-animal transformation, like plants or objects?
A: No, very few kitsune (maybe 1 in 1,000) can transform into an animal that they have never seen before. A kitsune could, in times of need, transform into something other than an animal, but could only retain this shape for about 30-60 minutes.

Q: When a kitsune has transformed into another creature, how long can it remain in that form?
A: Provided that this form is that of an animal/human, indefinitely, should the kitsune choose to do so. They would still possess all of the magical properties they had as a kitsune, and would still need to stay near their hoshi no tama to continue to live. However, most kitsune will grow restless if they stay in one form for a long time and cannot resist transforming back into a kitsune after a while (if only temporarily), to feel like themselves again.

Q: How much of this stuff are you taking from lore, and how much of it are you making up? P:
A: It's about fifty-fifty. xD I get vague ideas and guidelines from Japanese mythology and expand upon it from my own (and others') suggestions in order to make it fit the roleplaying universe that I created for the shop.

Q: So, can I co-own with my friend?
A: Co-owning at Kitsu-ne must be staff approved, and not every kit will be approved. For instance, kits won from free games won't be approved.

[Hoshi no Tama]

last updated 09/12/2010

Owner's list has been moved to the guild here

[Hoshi no Tama]

affiliates

88 x 31

[url=http://tinyurl.com/2fjfcte][img]http://tinyurl.com/28vrafl[/img][/url]

200 x 40

[url=http://tinyurl.com/2fjfcte][img]http://tinyurl.com/2ahlt9q[/img][/url]

[Hoshi no Tama]

staff list

O L I V Extract - owner
Samuality - guest colourist
Three Tailed Fox - guest colourist
Naked Satan - guest colourist
Tygress Dream - full-time colourist
-- NekoGamer -- - full-time colourist
Robotic Redcape - full-time colourist
Kitty Sprightt - part-time colourist
Adona Benedicta - part-time colourist

credits

Kitsune Lineart & Templates - Samuality (with tweaking by Three Tailed Fox)
Pixelated Kitsune Lineart & Templates - Apolu
General Concept - Three Tailed Fox (with lots of help from awesome regulars!)
Thread Layout & Content & Graphics - Three Tailed Fox
Hoshi no Tama Lineart & Template - Three Tailed Fox
Shop NPC & Item Art - Contumelious
Certificates: Scoptic (with tweaking by TTF)

thank you

Samuality, for the beautiful lineart/templates, and for your patience with me while I stumbled through this project.
O L I V Extract, for the lovely pixelated fox lineart made by Apolu.
Contumelious, for the incredible NPC/item art, and for all of your generosity, kindness, and advice.
yeomso, for the adorable pixel art, the guild, your suggestions, and the encouragement
(lol) that you provided when I felt unmotivated.
Ruriska, for being a great friend and for always being there to help me through (many) tough times.
braxyBRAX, for coding and hosting our beautiful shop website!
Thy Reaper, for patiently helping with all of our image-map-related needs.
All of our former staff who helped us get the shop started. We miss you, and you are welcome back any time!
And everyone else who stopped by the interest thread or shop and expressed interest,
gave me ideas/advice/services, entered contests, and offered encouragement.

This shop would be nothing without you guys!