Siffrin

MAGIC IN FOXCRAFT: There are many different kinds of foxcraft, the "skills of cunning and guile known only to foxes". Below is a list of all of them. Using certain Foxcrafts can cause a fox's white tail tip to turn silver.

Foxcrafts: Slimmering Karakking Wa'akkir Maa-sharm Gerra-sharm Shana-sharm Pashanda Pleaching Reverse Foxcrafts: Kia-Sharm (opposite of Shana-Sharm-makes a forcefield that traps a fox) Pakkara (opposite of Pashanda-puts a fox into a trance) Tu-Maa-Sharm (opposite of Maa-Sharm-takes maa from a victim).

Slimmering: is a part of the art of Foxcraft and probably the most common. The Elder Brin is best at this. There is a Glossary definition, which is as follows: Stilling the breath and mind to create the illusion of invisibility. Used to avoid detection. Slimmering requires a chant to work, and the chant is as followed. It can be recited mentally or vocally, but the user must have stilled their breath and mind for it to work properly: "What was seen is unseen; what was sensed becomes senseless. What was bone is bending; what was fur is air."

Karakking: Karakking is a part of the art of Foxcraft. The Elder Kolo is best at this. There is a Glossary definition, which is as follows: Imitating the call of other creatures. The technique allows the fox to "throw" his or her voice, so it appears to come from elsewhere. Used to attract prey or confuse attackers.

Wa'akkir: Wa'akkir is one of the higher arts of Foxcraft. The Elder Jana is best at this. There is a Glossary definition, which is as follows: Shapeshifting into another creature. Misuse of wa'akkir can lead to injury and premature death. Its practice is subject to ritual and rites that are closely guarded by the elders. Additionally, if the user shifts into the appearance of someone who then sees a double of themself as a result, the original's mental and physical state can be negatively impacted. The Chant: "I am the fur that ruffles your back, I am the twist and shake of your tail. Let me appear in the shape of your body: no one can tell; others will fear; dare not come near!" After the chant, it is common to say: "I am (whatever the fox's name is), I am changing, I am (whatever the fox is turning into). When the fox wants to change back, it is common to say: “I am (whatever creature the fox turned into), I am changing, I am (whatever the fox’s real name is). A well-known rule to users of wa'akkir is that a fox may only safely assume the form of another cub of Canista (a canine). The consequences of breaking this rule can be very dangerous. Also, the reflection of the fox stays the same and their shadow vanishes. Siffrin is good at wa'akkir, and Karka seems to be skilled at it as well.

Maa-Sharm: Maa-Sharm is a part of the art of Foxcraft. The Elder Shaya is best at this and shana-sharm. There is a Glossary definition, which is as follows: Maa is the energy and essence of all living things. Maa-sharm transfers maa from one fox to another. Used to heal frail or wounded foxes. The Chant: “With my touch I sense you, with my eyes I heal you. By Canista's Lights I share what I have; we are knit together, and you are whole.” Reverse Foxcraft: Tu-maa-sharm.

Gerra-Sharm: Gerra-Sharm is a part of the art of Foxcraft. There is no Elder best at this, as it is a "rare, forgotten art". There is a Glossary definition, which is as follows: Gerra is the thinking center of living beings- the mind. Gerra-sharm shares gerra with another fox. Gerra-sharm is rare -- a forgotten art -- and can only be performed by foxes with an intense, intuitive bond. Shana-Sharm: Shana-Sharm is a part of the art of Foxcraft. The Elder Shaya is best at this and maa-sharm. There is a Glossary definition, which is as follows: The fusing of wills to weave shana. Used by the Elders to protect the Elder Rock during malinta and the gloaming. The Taken invaded the Elder Rock so the Elders try perform shana-sharm, but one of the Taken attacks Shaya, the Elder who is best at creating a shana. The Chant: "Come together, rays of light; comfort me in the deadly night. Weave a wall of thickest mist; every fiend and foe resist." Reverse Foxcraft: Kia-sharm, also known as Tu-shana-sharm.

Pashanda: is a part of the art of Foxcraft. The Elder Mika is best at this. There is a Glossary definition, which is as follows: A trance where knowledge is summoned from the winds. Used to sense the approach of friends or foes. Pleaching is a part of the art of Foxcraft. The Elder Keeveny is best at this. There is a Glossary definition, which is as follows: The weaving of minds (Gerra) with another creature. Pleaching is to the mind what Wa'akkir is to the body. Its practice is perilous, as the stronger will can overwhelm and dominate the weaker. In The Elders it is known that the Mage can pleach any fox to do his bidding, though the Narral pleach most of the Taken. The Taken are pleached foxes. The chant is recited over a bundle of tail-tip fur from a fox and the fox they are going to pleach that is buried under a blood-bark tree. Keeveny, though, is the Mage. The Chant: “Your thoughts are mine; my will is yours, You are my eyes; I am your paws.” Reversal Chant: “Run fast, be safe, live free.”

Kia-Sharm: Reversal of shana-sharm; makes a field of energy that draws a fox in and ensnares them. Also called tu-shana-sharm. Haiki reveals that the Mage is using kia-sharm to guard against intruders. The Elders use kia-sharm to protect the Rock from intruders. The Chant: “Feel my gerra, share my glance -- calm your terror, enter trance.” The Reversal Chant: "When you feel my gentle claw, you shall be in trance no more.”

Tu-Maa-Sharm: Reversal of maa-sharm. Maa is leeched from the body of a unwilling victim.

THE ELDERS: The Elders are a group of foxes who live in the Wildlands. They meet at the Elder Rock rarely, only during the Gloaming and Malinta, the time when maa is strongest. During this time when the Elders meet, a shana-sharm is woven to protect the Elders from unwanted foxes (or possibly other creatures, like furless). During the rest of the year it is mentioned in one of the books that they spend the rest of the year in different skulks living secret lives. They are very wise and are experts at foxcraft, not even the Narral (the Mage's innner guard) are more skilled in foxcraft than the Elders. Members: Jana (Master of Wa'akkir) Brin (Master of Slimmering) Shaya (Master of Maa-Sharm and Shana-Sharm) Mika (Master of Pashanda) Kolo (Master of Karraking) Keeveny (Master of Pleaching) (deceased) Metis (previous Black Fox) (deceased).

THE TAKEN: It started with the Mage, later revealed to be Keeveny. Keeveny is the Elder that is the master of pleaching, a foxcraft that is very dangerous to practice. Keeveny wanted to test the limits of pleaching. He captured free foxes and pleached them. Later on, Keeveny decided (for some odd reason) that he should bring back The White Fox. He kept on capturing free foxes, and with the help of the Narral, created an army of Taken. Known (former) Taken: Aril (The Mage (Book)-page 277) Nirap (The Mage -page 277) Karo (The Elders (Book)-page 170) Flint (The Elders -page 170 Freeing of the Taken: to free the taken They dig up the ball of hairs from the foxes' tail tips and say the reversal chant of pleaching near a blood bark tree. but some who were controlled for too long still fightt for the Narral.

MAIN VILLANS: Keeveny: he was a former Elder, who was best at pleaching, but is later revealed to be the mysterious fox called The Mage, who scarred the Taken and Siffrin with the rose symbol and is the main antagonist. He is also called 'The Tailless Seer' by the skulks in the Wildlands. He is the leader of the Taken, whom he pleached, and the Narral, who serve him freely. He lived in the Darklands. He was scruffy, with deep blue eyes. His tail was a stump, which gave him the title 'The Tailless Seer'. He bit it off to prevent the Elders from doing gerra-sharm with him. Keeveny was a cruel and power-hungry fox who abused his pleaching skills to enslave innocent foxes while killing those that stand in his way or foxes he deems inferior. Keeveny strove to bring back the White Fox in order to gain access to it's power. Keeveny's craving for power had also clouded his judgment as the White Fox would've eventually overpowered Keeveny and destroyed everything and every fox in it's path had it not been for Isla and co's intervention. According to Metis, Keeveny had always been foolish. Keeveny also had a longstanding rivaly with Metis the Black Fox both before and after he became the Mage.

The Narral: they were the Mage's inner guard. They were free foxes who chose to do the Mage's bidding of their own will. They captured and pleached The Taken for the Mage. There were about a dozen of them, but the only known Narral are Karka and Koch. The rest are unnamed.

Karka: is a muscular vixen, with round ears and a large frame. She is described to have one gray eye and one missing eye. She has dark fur and a very intimidating personality, as her missing eye appears to have been clawed and has left a scar. She is shown to be capable of Wa'akkir, and took the form of a large dog.

JANA: Jana is a female fox, and part of the Elders. She also seems to be their leader. Jana is the master of wa'akkir. She is one of the Elders. Jana has thick gray fur and silver eyes. Jana lives somewhere in the upper wildlands. Jana is shown to be caring towards cubs. She shows anger sometimes, but it quickly fades. Jana is mildly understanding, as shown in The Elders. Shes the adoptive mother of Siffrin.

SIFFRINS MISSION: find a new powerfull fox who can take the role of one of the elders, specifically the deacesed black fox Metis. Everything Janas and the elders tell him.

LANDS: The Wildlands: the wildlands are a huge forest where most foxses and the elders live, it has the upper wildlands and the lower wildlands. The lower Wildlands are under the Darklands. in the Lower Wildlands 'The Marshes' is located, thats a swamp. The upper Wildlands is above the Darklands, the Elders Rock and habitat is in the upper Wildlands.

The Darklands: the Darklands are a dark and death part of the Wildlands, there is almost no plant live left. Its in the middle of the upper and lower Wildlands. 'The deep forest' and 'the ghost alley' are located in the Darklands. 'The deep forest' is a deep forest, 'the ghost alley' is a way so dead that you don't even hear the birds chirping. Its where the Taken live.

The Greylands: The Greylands also knows as the great Snarl is the city where humans live. Humans are known as the 'Furrless'. The streets in the Greylands are called 'the deathway' since so many foxses always get killed on them. At the outside of the Greylands it also has 'The Beasts Den', thats a zoo with many locked up and sad animals.

The Freelands: The Freelands is a flat land huge and long meadow that goes straight from the Greylands to the Upper Wildlands, it only has one street going up there called 'The Wildway'.

The Ragging River: The Ragging River is a Long and wild river that separates the Snowlands from the other places. It leads into a dangerous the sea.

The Snowlands: The Snowlands is the northern part and full with icy cold snow, its where the wolves live. In the snowland it has 'the white mountains'; that are Big mountains, 'Ice Razors'; a place full of ice and ice parts that come up like blades, 'Bubbeling Geysers'; a place with 5 hot Geysers, 'Taku Ground'; a place dominated by the dangerous Wolve group Taku, 'Growl wood'; the only place with some trees and where most wolves live.