Roleplaying Guide

[-Kuniku- Inari]

Learn all about the Kuniku so that you can roleplay them accurately! If you just want to know the basics then the first post has the most important info.
If you were directed here by a staff member you were breaking a part of the Kuniku canon- read up and you should be fine C:
And if you have a question about Kuniku and their world that isn't answered here, feel free to pm Come Down Carousel or the mule (me!) Your question will probably get added to the F.A.Qs unless you request that it isn't.

Contents
The Basics
-Diet, Habits, Body Language
The Social Kuniku
-Humans, Other Animals, Conflict
Lifespan
Pro-creation
-Relationships, Pregnancy
The Gods
F.A.Q

 

[-Kuniku- Inari]

The Basics

Diet

Kuniku will never hunt or kill to eat; and will only eat meat when it has been prepared by human hands. Despite this Kuniku do enjoy meat and it is a part of their healthy diet, so staying close to areas of human settlement is always a good thing for a Kuniku. Human food such as soups, tofu, rice etc. is perfectly fine for a Kuniku to eat.
Away from humans they will forage for food such as berries, roots, fruit or edible flowers.
In dire situations a Kuniku may stoop to eating insects; however this usually burdens them with a great amount of guilt and they will distance themselves from other Kuniku for a long time due to the shame. Other Kuniku will look at them with a mix of pity and disgust, the way we would view someone who had to resort to cannibalism to survive.
Kuniku will drink anything, and alcohol has the same effect on them as it does on humans.

Habits

Kuniku generally view themselves as the strongest thing around, so most think nothing of sleeping in the open at night. Of course, humans houses or a den is always preferable.
Some Kuniku may choose to stay in one location for their whole life, while others prefer to wander.
Despite the fact that some Kuniku may be afraid of demons and unwilling to fight them, they will always put other creature's lives before their own; it's the way they were made.

Body Language

Kuniku have the same body language you would see in a dog. They tuck in their tail and slink close to the ground when scared or ashamed, will snarl when angry, pant and jump about when excited, etc.
They are also capable of more complex and human-like signals, such as rolling their eyes or pointing at something with a paw. This is the main way they communicate with humans when the need arises, as they can't speak to them.
Jumping on and slobbering all over another Kuniku is a perfectly fine display of affection whether it be for a family member or friend, and doesn't carry romantic connotations the way it would for a human.  

[-Kuniku- Inari]

The Social Kuniku

Humans

While Kuniku will do anything to protect a human and can feel great affection for them, at the same time they view them as a little slow; sort of the way you would feel about a baby.
Humans themselves are well aware that Kuniku are the creations of the Gods, and will do anything they can to ensure their favor. This means that a human will never act badly toward a Kuniku; a starving family would even give up their last meal to one if it looked hungry. (although the Kuniku in question would have to be pretty cold-hearted to accept it)
This doesn't mean however that humans will wait on a Kuniku hand and foot the moment it enters their village; humans have been co existing with the Kuniku for a very long time and will usually go about their normal business unless the Kuniku approaches them first.
Kuniku cannot speak to humans so they have to be resourceful when attempting to convey a message to them.
And of course- humans can't be roleplayed in this store. You can write that a human approaches your Kuniku and gives it food, but you can't then write what the human is thinking about the Kuniku.

Other Animals

Kuniku can't talk to other animals, even dogs. Generally they ignore them except for the occasional chasing of chickens or guarding of a flock. Animals will never be frightened of Kuniku as they can sense their divine presence- unless of course the Kuniku is feeling playful and scares it on purpose.
Kuniku view dogs the same way humans would view a monkey, they're aware that there is some connection there but to them the dog is less evolved and intelligent than themselves. Dogs themselves view Kuniku somewhere close to how they see humans, and generally stay out of their way.
Kuniku CAN talk to demons- although not all demons are really the talkative type.

Conflict

Kuniku make use of their teeth and claws in a fight, and can also use their tail to deliver heavy blows as it is composed mostly of muscle.
They think nothing of killing demons; it is what they were created to do; and some Kuniku can be very violent.
Conflicts do arise between Kuniku, and although they try to avoid physical fights sometimes they will happen. In this case it's generally anything goes, however a Kuniku will never kill another Kuniku.  

[-Kuniku- Inari]

Lifespan

To Kuniku there is no 'old'. There is simply 'adult' and eventually perhaps 'dead'. When a Kuniku has reached an old age (40-50 years) it is considered by other Kuniku to be more mature and knowledgeable, but never 'old'. For example a relationship between a 1 year old Kuniku who has reached adulthood and a 70 year old Kuniku is perfectly acceptable, as no Kuniku ever really ages past maturity.
Kuniku can only be killed through battle or by some diseases- they are immune to most but every now and then a Kuniku will fall ill.  

[-Kuniku- Inari]

Pro-Creation

Relationships

Kuniku differ widely in the way they approach relationships. While some Kuniku may find a unique bond and mate for life, flings are not uncommon at all, and they will often mate and never meet again without thinking much of it. Most Kuniku believe that at some point they will find a life mate, although for some this idea isn't appealing.
Kuniku that are in a relationship show affection through cuddling, and touching of their foreheads which is like a kiss. Think eskimo kisses but with your head! Kuniku's lips are far too tiny for any human type kissies.
Same gender pairings are perfectly acceptable to Kuniku, there is no stigma attached to it.

Pregnancy

Some males stay with the female for this, whereas others don't. It doesn't make much of a difference to the female; a pregnant Kuniku will usually find a nice human dwelling and take up residency there for the duration. Once the humans realise she is pregnant they will do their best to care for her- keeping her warm and comfortable and bringing her regular meals.
Once the eggs have been laid (or delivered by Inari in the case of same sex couples) they can either be cared for by one or both of the parents until hatching, or abandoned; Kuniku eggs will hatch regardless.
It is also up to the parents whether they wish to care for the pups or leave them to their own devices- both are perfectly acceptable.  

[-Kuniku- Inari]

The Gods

In the world of Kuniku there are countless gods. For basically anything you can think of, there's a god for it. Of course some gods are more powerful than others; the god of say fallen leaves is virtually powerless- whereas the god of the sun is possibly the most powerful.
Most of these 'small gods' reside on the earthly realm- that is on Nippon down with the humans and Kuniku and other life. They can't be seen and very rarely make their presence known.
The more powerful gods live in the heavenly realm, watching over Nippon. They hold command over all the others and created the Kuniku with their combined raw power. The Kuniku don't know much about the gods- they have never seen them and have only heard from them through Inari.  

[-Kuniku- Inari]

F.A.Q

For questions and answers that don't really have a place in the rest of the guide.

Do demons talk?
All demons can talk, it's just a question of whether they decide to or not. Lesser demons will mainly make snarly/grunty type noises, but they can indeed talk to kuniku. They can also talk to humans. Generally if a demon does bother to say something, it's gonna be something pretty nasty.

Can Kuniku write/do Kuniku have a written language?
While some Kuniku can devote their lives to being able to hold a brush in their mouths and paint, this will always produce very sloppy markings- nothing with form etc. Kuniku have no written language of their own and so can't write. They rely mainly on telling stories etc. to pass down their history.

Can Kuniku read Japanese?
Some Kuniku can learn to read Japanese, although it takes a long time and a lot of effort and isn't a very useful skill for a Kuniku, so most don't bother.