The Conversion Ritual

Creating a Kitsune from a human is no small task. In fact, finding an appropriate candidate for conversion within the human masses can be incredibly difficult on its own. In order for a human to be eligible for conversion, they need to mirror the Kitsune way of life; have a strong desire to learn, seek a place in which they can contribute to their community, and reject social hierarchy.

When a suitable human is selected, the ritualist must go out into the forest to find a wild fox that is both biologically and spiritually compatible with the human, capture both creatures, and bring them to the ritual site, alive. Both the human and fox are sedated, and incisions are made in the upper abdomens to draw out their souls.

The process to graft human and fox soul together begins. The ritualist plunges a needle into their own chest and draws out a thread of their own soul. This thread is then used to surgically attach and fuse the two souls, serving as a stabilizer to prevent rejection by the body. As of yet, current research has not determined the long term effects of the repeated soul injury of ritualists.

After the bondage of souls, the ritualist operates on the bodies, transplanting from fox to human and building the Kitsune form. This must be done quickly, before the blood loss kills either body, or the manufactured soul will also die. Common practice is for the ritualist to slice into their own bodies to determine how much blood their patients are losing, and the intermingling of Kitsune blood with the blood of the converted helps to facilitate body's acceptance of its new physiology. When the host body is ready, the new soul can be placed within it, and when they awaken, they will awaken as a new Kitsune.

So far, humans have been the only successful conversion candidates, though there exist rumors that some ritualists are experimenting with the conversion of other creatures.