Agathion, Vulpinal

From the black “socks” on its cheerfully bouncing legs to its large, perked ears and the whiskers at the end of its muzzle, this creature looks like nothing so much as a small, humanoid fox. Bits of clover and dew cling to its loose traveling clothes in places, but dirt and dust are nowhere to be seen, even on its feet and hand-like forepaws. Its amber eyes radiate a sense of supernatural calm as it puts a golden flute to its lips and plays a hauntingly beautiful melody.

ECOLOGY

Environment any land (Nirvana)
Organization solitary, pair, or team (3–12)
Treasure standard (masterwork musical instrument, other treasure)

Among the smallest of the agathions, vulpinals tend to be the most outspoken and friendly of their kind, and also the most far-ranging across the planes. A vulpinal looks like a humanoid fox, often with brilliantly colored fur (usually red or red-brown, though silver is not uncommon) and a tail as long as its height. As the bards and sages of the agathions, they dress in functional clothing, typically embellishing a single article to show their creativity and personality. Most appear to be adults, though others look more like fox kits (with shorter stature and larger eyes) while some look much older (leaner, with gray fur on the muzzle, chest, and tail). Their hands are humanoid in shape, with tiny clawed fingers.

A typical vulpinal prefers a life of solitary travel, though they have been known to pair up or travel in groups if they find like-minded individuals who have much to teach and share. They are particularly fond of lillends, and these winged azatas can easily carry the child-sized vulpinals, giving vulpinals many opportunities to share stories. Indeed, for a vulpinal, there are few greater pleasures than sharing their knowledge—acting as sages of the planes, teaching songs and dances from exotic places, and composing poems about beautiful places in the natural world. Though they are gentle by nature, they fight to defend beauty, especially if their magic can bolster the more martial celestial races.

A vulpinal stands about 3 feet in height and weighs 50 pounds.

Among the smallest of Nirvana’s agathion celestials, vulpinals tend to be the most reclusive of their kind, and also the most far-ranging across the plane. While their avoral and leonal kindred might restrict themselves to mountaintop aeries and monasteries, as well as to the guardianship of the plane’s gates, portals, and other important locations, vulpinals can be found anywhere.

Like other agathions, vulpinals look like humanoid animals, specifically bipedal anthropomorphic foxes that stand about 3 feet tall. Individuals may vary in coloration, length of ear or muzzle, and so on. True to their roles as wandering bards, sages, and unassuming sorcerers, they typically dress in loose clothing, usually of a simple and functional appearance. Despite this, their often brilliantly colored fur (usually red or red-brown, though silver is also common) more than makes up for any sense of drabness, especially with tails as long as the vulpinals are tall. In addition, they tend to have a f lair for the dramatic, and individual vulpinals often pick a single article of clothing and grant it some signature artistry as an expression of their creativity and personality.

True children of Nirvana, vulpinals possess a unique status among the mortal souls that enter their native plane. As with all the agathions, vulpinals began their existences as mortals. Vulpinals usually appear to be adults, but some look younger (with larger eyes, shorter stature, and kit-like proportions) or older (with an overall leaner look and gray fur about the muzzle and tail). Vulpinals say they appear as the age they felt most defined them during life, or the age at which they were most happy during their mortal existence, though they avoid the question of just how much of their mortal lives they still remember.

While there are male and female vulpinals, and they are affectionate among their own kind and with other good creatures, vulpinals cannot reproduce; they only originate directly from mortal souls arriving in Nirvana. This also means that every vulpinal is a unique individual, and they do not have strong family ties to other vulpinals (though they of course form friendships with other vulpinals and other good creatures).

Habitat & Society

Vulpinals tend to be solitary creatures, perpetually wandering across Nirvana, experiencing whatever they find, sharing, teaching, and learning from whomever they come across before moving on to continue their temporal and spiritual journey. Despite this wandering life, likeminded vulpinals inevitably find that their journeys cross paths time and time again, especially for those who form more intimate or romantic associations (including such pairings outside of their kind). Such meetings allow them to share their journeys and new insights, and once they part ways once again, they do so knowing that their plane will guide them back together. Vulpinals are kindred spirits to lillend azatas; both are wanderers and devotees of art and music. Because vulpinals are small and light, it is an easy matter for a lillend to carry one while f lying, and they sometimes take soaring journeys together, appreciating the scenery, and composing poems or songs about the beauty of the natural world.

Rather than engaging in a self-absorbed journey of personal enlightenment, vulpinals freely share their collected knowledge as sages, perform songs, dances, and stories as bards, and spread a thousand miracles as sorcerers. Though they usually travel alone, vulpinals within a given area often congregate together, collaborating in their music or storytelling, debating in their areas of focus, and even sharing spells. Such meetings are not exclusive to their own kind, and as they travel, their ears and whiskers remain keen to the needs of the plane as a whole, and they feel drawn to such places in times of need. When a flood of proteans emerges from the Maelstrom borderlands or an Abyssal chasm erupts near Nirvana’s borders, groups of vulpinals inevitably appear to provide aid to the besieged leonal and angelic defenders, oftentimes with a zeal and ferocity that stands in stark contrast to their small stature and mellow reputation.