Vulpine fluff, unedited for now

Right, Tempest Fanatic was promised that I’d write some fluff for his race, the Vulpines, and so finally I’m going to actually write up there back ground.  Now I wanted to base them on the Volsci people of pre Roman Italy, but there is very little known about there culture and customs, so I just made up a lot of the details. The Volsci were a nearby tribe who constantly harassed the Roman when they are a small regional power.  So I am using what elements of there culture I could find (if anybody has any good sites about them, let me know) and make the rest up.  Bear in mind, this is the Vulpine’s in my game, where they are trapped between a rather hard savaged land, and a powerful expansionist empire.  Also based it off the fox perception in tales, and the expression “A fox many know many little things, a hedgehog will know one big thing”

            The Vulpines are a hill tribe, but unlike most, they are not nomadic.  Instead, their civilization is a stationary one, with large communities being set up when they can.   However they are often mistaken for nomadic, because they are forced to wander in order to find good land to set up their communities.  Thus small bands of Vulpines are often found moving through their hills or swamps in order to find a suitable place to build.  More confusion is caused due to the nature of their villages.  With the exception of their grand temples, all of the houses are not build out of stone, but are instead tents, or made of wood, or even tree houses, as the Vulpines make a conscious effort to not disturb the environment around them, and try their level best to avoid conflict.  The society is highly communal, with the entire society dedicated to helping each other out, but there is a strong society hierarchy within the community, based very much around how much attention an individual can gain himself.  While officially, there are only three social levels within society, Druid, Warrior, and Citizen respectfully (some societies keep slaves, through only the richest and most decedent, as slaves can’t be obtain in a large enough number to be used for anything other than showing off wealth), in reality, a Vulpine’s position is assured not by their birth or position so much as their ability to call attention to themselves.  Vulpine society is a constant popularity fight, as every indivisual tires to draw attention to themselves in order to make a splash and establish themselves in society, as truly popular Vulpines are able to direct and take charge of the community and act with impunity.  A Vulpin who has establish himself as a social kingpin can decide when the society moves, goes to war, or makes treaties, simply by “suggesting” a certain idea, which there many friends and partitions will take up the cause until it becomes reality.  The only counter to these cults of personality are the Druids, who’s word is law and can at any time override any “community decision”.  Only the most daring and influence Vulpin will challenge a Druid’s veto, and those that do will often find themselves in trouble, often finding their lands stormed upon, their animals rowdy, or, in some of the more shadowy communities, simply “disappear”.

            Vulpines are thus constantly trying to draw attention to themselves and make a splash in their communities.  Great care is taken by ambitious Vulpines to try to attract as much attention as possible to their every action in order to advance up the social ladder, however Vulpines at the top will in turn take great care to try to nip any possible threats in the bud and will try their best to limit the acclaim of lesser Vulpines, often trying to arrange a way to steal other’s credit entirely. In short, Vulpine society is a constant popularity contest, as each individual tries to stay in the public eye so as to increase there personal prestige.  Thus, the Vulpine views on art, writing, poetry, and philosophy are dictated more on how they get attention of the public and keep it.  Thus, a young wealthy Vulpines will learn to play music, and will show off his talents at a party, but most will not learn professionally, nor bother with pieces that are too obscure or complicated to bring positive acclaim, but will instead learn simply for the ability to show off that they are talented.  Singers and poets will produce based on what will get the crowds attention and, if the community is wealthy enough to have a music industry, money.  Dancing is never pursued as an art form, merely as a way to make an impression.  The average Vulpine will know plenty of tidbits about various interesting facts but will mostly focus upon showing off before anything else.  However, Vulpines’ aren’t necessarily shallow, for all of there pretensions, they are a vibrant people, but the view social class as an elaborate game to be played rather than real interactions, (Vulpines are much more honest with the nuclear family), but they find this “game” endlessly amusing, through, unlike humans, Vulpines don’t take it as seriously, as the real details of the community are taken care of by the druids.

 In order to keep this society actually functional, most of the “real” responsibility within the community is given to the warrior and druid class.  The warrior “class” isn’t just any Vulpline who can fight, which is most of the population, but instead professionally trained Vulpine who’s are committed to making sure that the society actually works, and maintaining the order.  Technically speaking, professional warriors, called shield maidens, as they are all female, are apart from the elaborate social structure of the Vulpines, through they have no official authority apart from that granted to them by the Druids, in reality, they act as enforcers of the Druid’s will.  The real masters of the society, through they would prefer not to have to deal with the political intrigues are the Druid/priests, who manage the great temples and try to keep the Vulpine race focused upon the importance of nature worship.  And for all of their foolishness, the Vulpines are deeply committed to the worship of nature, through rumors exist of Vulpines settlements that have departed the worship of nature and have embraced a fully decedent society, through other speak of society where the druids have taken a more active role in controlling society, often mentioned along with rumors of human sacrifice and cruel rites.  The Druids generally however, work to keep the society in check, and all major decisions will need their support, but otherwise focus mostly upon their religion and trying to help maintain the society. 

Due to their urban nature, Vulpines are somewhat reluctantly accepted, earning a well-earned reputation as charmers, as well as tricksters.  But Vulpines do generally attempt to stay on good terms with those who live near by, but they are perfectly willing to fight to protect their land, surrounded as they are by hostile forces.  However, Vulpines are know to try to nip off chunks of enemy land that they use for building community and farming, as their own lands tend to be hard places to set up farms.  Vulpines dislike straight out war with any fraction, preferring instead to raid and harass larger border nations, and will often unite with other fractions when they do go to war.  For example, if a neighboring human kingdom comes into conflict with a Vulpine tribe, the local tribe will send diplomats to all of the local groups in the area to try to pit them against their enemy before attacking themselves.  Vulpines prefer to attack nations who are already weak and struggling, as their small populations and generally peaceful life style mean they aren’t disposed to straight fight with well-organized foes.  However they are dangerous threat if riled and Vulpine raiders can be a plague upon a society for decades if they aren’t stopped.  Vulpines prefer not to go to war against foes who haven’t actually wronged them, or are generally good societies, but if they feel that the community has offended them or mistreated them, and they will have no compunctions about raiding and harassing the outlying settlements.  The tactics of the Vulpines differ from tribe to tribe, the mostly Good tribes will reserve their wraith to enemy solders or theft rather than murder or pillaging, the neutral ones will fight those who resist but otherwise leave the native alone, focusing mostly on taking land, and obtaining food, while evil tribes will try to destroy as many communities as possible until their enemy has had enough and tries to come to terms.  As a rule, Vulpines have no interest in excessive cruelty, even the evil ones, and focus instead on “getting the job done”. However, their raiding tactics, coupled with the fact that they have no problem about allying themselves with gnolls or goblins, lead to Vulpines being lumped with he former as nothing more than “demi human pests” to be exterminated, which has led to intense human/Vulpine tensions.  Vulpines do unite with gobliniod races, but in all honesty, they tend to unite with any race if it will help them in times of war, they aren’t particularly prejudice against any non Vulpine.  They refuse to unite with any race that they feel is “disrespecting nature” however, which normally leads to conflict with both humans, and orcs (and occasionally gnomes).  The only race Vulpines seem to generally like better than others are halfings, due to there witty and urban nature, through halfings have commented upon being disturbed by the Vulpines obsession with social standing.  Vulpines hate Kenders, finding them, as one ArchDruid put it “really annoying…just annoying little buggers.”, and will often try to lead them away from their settlements using what-ever means possible.  Otherwise, Vulpines try to stay on good terms with everyone in the area.  

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