Hu hsien

Hu hsien were a type of shapechanging feminine spirit native to Kara-Tur.

Description
Hu hsien could take one of two forms, and could shapechange freely between the two. The first form was that of a fox with rusty or silvery fur, though unlike a fox a hu hsien could stand on her hindlegs and hold objects with her front paws.

The second form was that of a human maiden of exceptional grace and beauty, with long and flowing hair and wearing silken robes. However, they retained a fox-like tail in this form, though they typically took care to hide it under their robes. In this form, hu hsien were about tall.

Personality
Hu hsien were cunning, manipulative, and cruel, though not entirely ungrateful to those were were generous or kind to them. They valued wealth.

Abilities
Hu hsien could use a number of spell-like abilities at will, including ones akin to: become invisible, polymorph self, disguise, chameleon, know history, hypnotism, read magic, comprehend languages, ventriloquism, apparition, ESP, and hypnotic pattern. Once per day, a hu hsien could use spell-like abilities akin to possess, servant horde, and major creation. Thrice each week, one could use either reward or ancient curse. While in human form, a hu hsien had the power of fascination.

Hu hsien also possessed certain defensive abilities: they could only be harmed by strongly enchanted weapons, possessed limited regeneration, were immune to fire, and were resistant to the cold and ice. However, they were vulnerable to electricity.

Society
Hu hsien were lesser spirits and cousins to the hengeyokai. They typically lived around the outskirts of human villages, inhabiting either abandoned houses or normal fox dens. They used their illusory abilities to create the illusion of a manor of great wealth and luxury on the inside.

Hu hsien were always dangerous, for they lived by draining the life force of humans. First, a hu hsien would would her fascination ability to make a victim fall in love with her, then feed on their life energy. Because the victim was madly in love with the creature they would not realize what was happening; once the process began the victim could only be saved by either destroying or driving away the hu hsien.

However, hu hsien were also capable of rewarding those who were kind to them, most often with good fortune, success on an examination, or rescue in a moment of danger. They were also attracted to scholars, both as friends or as victims; if a scholar managed to befriend a hu hsien (typically by giving her regular offerings of gems and coins), they could request the hu hsien's help with research by lighting a stick of incense in their study and leaving the room for the night. When the scholar returned in the morning, the hu hsien might have left a particular volume or document displayed more prominently than before, and which contained the information they sought.

Hu hsien, because they valued wealth, were sometimes worshiped by wealthy people who attributed their own material success to the spirit. Worshipers would build a small clay shrine bearing the image of a fox embracing an elaborately-dressed human near their mansion, and give offerings of coin, gems, and/or prayers daily.

Hu hsien had a weakness for wine of all kinds, and a tendency to revert to their fox form when drunk.

Homelands
Outside of Kara-Tur, hu hsien were known to occasionally be found in the western regions of the Hordelands.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #9, "The Golden Bowl of Ashu H'San" • Dungeon #27, "Bride For A Fox"
 * Novels
 * Horselords • The Maelstrom's Eye