Fandom Fruit Tree (Fruits Basket) Lore

[KiKi Kitsune]

• Aldis - Norse
• Doukas - Greek
• Tahan - Egyptian
• Balian - Armenian
• Hayashi - Japanese

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  ALDIS
  

  
  
  
  
  The Aldis family resides in Visby, Sweden. In a town surrounded by 700-year-old walls and many other ancient sights, it's no surprise that the Aldis family is big in tradition. Despite whatever hardships come their way, they hold tight to their heritage of Vikings. while they refrain from sailing across the seas to pillage people, they are taught how to ride a horse, read runes and sometimes even how to hold a weapon. It took them a bit longer to get used to the idea of gender equality. As such, some of the elders are still stuck in their ways (but isn't that true for all societies).
  
  With majority of the Aldis family being raised in a rather closed circle, they often find it difficult to readjust to different places and cultures. Even so, they are taught to learn and adapt. Despite being quite particular about what to teach, teenagers are sent to regular schools, those under that age being home-schooled first. If they wish to attend further education, they are allowed to do so and helped on their way. Being one of the oldest families and always having skilled money keepers, Aldis is a wealthy family. However, they try to keep luxuries to a minimum, preferring to fend for themselves instead of buying from others.
  
  
  
  The Aldis family is currently run by Freydis. Being one of the youngest to inherit the name of family leader, she comes off as rigid to assert her position. She is strict and doesn't take lightly to disobedience. While she doesn't use her actual power over the family very often, her mere presence does a similar job. She is hot headed and sometimes loses her temper. Even so, no one can deny that she is doing well as the family head with all the responsibilities it comes with.
  
  Freydis is not easy to get on the good side of, and even when you do, she does not see past any indiscretions. She is hard to please, but does it all for the good of the family. She may be hard on others, but is equally - if not, more so - hard on herself. Some speculate she's always in a bad mood because she barely sleeps and is always working.
  
  Traits: Members are usually pale and look Scandinavian... because they are. Women are very rarely of petite standing.
  
  

  
  

  Fenrir​

  
  

  Wolf​

  The Fenrir wolf is the son of Loki and brother to Hel, and the Midgard serpent. The Gods feared his strength and bound him with the leash "Gleipnir" to a chain called Gelgja. When Fenrir tried to bite at the Gods in retaliation, they stuck a sword in his mouth. He waits until Ragnarok where he will kill Odin.
  

  

  
  

  Eikthyrnir​

  
  

  Deer​

  Eikthyrnir is a deer that stands on the roof of Valhalla. It eats from the leaves of the great oak tree Lærad. From the horns drips water, which is were all the rivers in the world come from.
  

  

  
  

  Gullinbursti​

  
  

  Boar​

  Gullinbursti is a golden boar made by the two dwarves Brokk and Eitri. Gullinbursti is made from pigskin and thousands of pieces of gold wire. Gullinbursti was given to the God Freyr, the boar is faster than any other horse over water and through air. Gullinbursti has golden rays that shine like the Sun and made plants grow everywhere.
  

  

  
  

  Huginn and Munin​

  
  

  Twin Crows​

  The two ravens that fly over the world, Midgard. The two ravens fly out over all the world every morning and returns every evening. When they return, the Ravens whisper all that they have seen and heard to Odin.
  

  

  
  

  Ratatosk​

  
  

  Squirrel​

  Ratatosk is the squirrel that spends a lot of time each day, running up and down the tree Yggdrasil. Ratatosk does whatever he can, to keep the hatred between the eagle and Nidhug alive. Ratatosk loves to gossip which is the reason why the eagle and the serpent remained constant foes.
  

  

  
  

  Sleipnir​

  
  

  Horse​

  Sleipnir is a gray eight-legged horse. It is the symbol of the wind and can just as easily gallop through the air as on land. The horse has the marks of hell written upon it. Sleipnir was later on given to the God Odin as a gift from Loki himself.
  

  

  
  
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  DOUKAS
  

  
  
  
  
  The Doukas family resides in Mykonos, an island of Greece. The family doesn't care much for its heritage except when they can use it as a tourist attraction. While the family is quite old, more recent generations ignored their history in favour of modern convenience. And they are conveniently placed in one of the best locations to come for a holiday. The Doukas family is fairly wealthy, especially under the last two-family heads.
  
  The family members are sent to regular schools and are well equipped for the modern world. As such, they can easily adapt to different places. If they want to continue their schooling, they are made to earn their own way to pay for it. Generally, the rest of the family cares little for what they decide to be their path and are allowed large amounts of freedom as long as they don't go against any rules.
  
  
  
  The Doukas family is currently run by Adrian. He is a snide and snarky man. While many are far from fond of his personality, no one can complain about his intellect. Thanks to him and the head before him, the family has grown in wealth. However, this wealth comes at the price of harsher treatment. Adrian has no patience and will not hesitate to use his power. He ignores the current happiness in favour of long term success. Unfortunately, only the older members can see this and it leaves many of the younger members resenting Adrian.
  
  Adrian is difficult to read and even more difficult to please. With his sharp mind, very little can get past him. He keeps a tight rein on all the members, cursed or not. Rules have become stricter and punishment for breaking them have become harsher since he became family head.
  
  Traits: Members usually have an olive skin tone and dark hair and eyes.
  
  

  
  

  Cerberus​

  
  

  Dog​

  Cerberus is said to be fierce enough that the gods fear it. Cerberus is flesh-eating, but he serves as a watchdog in the land of the already dead. What distinguishes Cerberus from ordinary dogs is that it had three heads.
  

  

  
  

  Minataur​

  
  

  Bull​

  The minotaur was half man and half bull. Unlike the centaur, his bull half is usually shown as his head. His mother was the human Queen of Crete, Pasiphae. His father was a bull Pasiphae fell in love with. The minotaur ate young Athenian men and women.
  

  

  
  

  Chimaera​

  
  

  Lion, Goat, Snake​

  The Chimera was a fearsome, fire-breathing monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail. She terrorized the people of Lycia until their king, Iobates, asked the hero Bellerophon to slay her.
  

  

  
  

  Harpy​

  
  

  Small Bird​

  The Harpies had the form of a bird with a human female face; often agents of punishment they abducted people and tortured them on their way to Hades’ domain, employed by the God as instruments for the punishment of the guilty. They stole food from their victims and would carry evildoers to Erinnyes of the Furies
  

  

  
  

  Griffin​

  
  

  Lion, Eagle​

  Griffins had the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and sometimes an eagle's talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds by the Middle Ages the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature.
  

  

  
  
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  TAHAN
  

  
  
  
  
  The Tahan family resides in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. By far the oldest of all the families, they are also the richest. The Tahan family live in luxury in the capital of their country. Many members hold high positions in government or own businesses. While not openly known for the curse they carry, the Tahan family is recognised by most as modern-day nobles. Thanks to their vast riches, their main home is like a palace in size and grandeur. All the cursed members are schooled by the top tutors in the country.
  
  As most of them are kept concealed from the outside world, their world view is very small. They are also used to high luxuries, making adjusting to anything less than the best rather difficult for them. Even so, they hold a heavy burden to uphold the family name and become someone amazing, be it a politician or a media star.
  
  
  
  The Tahan family is currently run by Hetepi. As most of his family, Hetepi lives in the lap of luxury. More so than the rest. He is greedy and money hungry as to pay for his expensive tastes. A rather lazy young man, Hetepi is rarely seen doing anything for anyone else. Furthermore, he has no qualms using his power to get his way. Since the family head is meant to be respected above all else, no one taught him otherwise.
  
  Hetepi is selfish and cares only for his fancy clothes and food. Even so, he acts on this in discreet ways with subtle sentences. He is very aware of outward appearances and makes sure all his family members are groomed properly to be in the face of media. However, this is not a trait only held by Hetepi. Many of his predecessors were similar in the way they ruled.
  
  Traits: Members are usually darker skinned and shorter than average.
  
  

  
  

  Anubis​

  
  

  Jakal​

  Anubis was represented as a jackal-headed entity associated with the rites of embalming the deceased and the related afterlife. And like many contemporary Egyptian gods, Anubis did have other aspects, but his core attributes were seemingly always related to the matters of death.
  

  

  
  

  Amun-Ra​

  
  

  Falcon​

  Amun was the divine entity who represented the air and the sun. Sometimes portrayed as the king of gods. Ra, on the other hand, was considered as one of the powerful ancient Egyptian gods who was associated with the Pharoah. Over time, the thriving Amun cult merged the two entities Amun and Ra into a composite god known as Amun-Ra, who was hailed as the “Lord of truth, father of the gods, maker of men, creator of all animals, Lord of things that are, creator of the staff of life.”
  

  

  
  

  Hathor​

  
  

  Cow​

  The ancient Egyptian goddess of joy, feminine love, and motherhood; Hathor was closely associated to Mehet-Weret, the primeval divine cow entity/goddess who was perceived as being responsible for bringing the floods to the Nile, thus in the process fertilizing the land.
  

  

  
  

  Sekhmet​

  
  

  Large Feline​

  A goddess of the home, love, fertility, joy, dance, women and secrets, Bastet with her cat-like head and woman’s body was considered as a benevolent deity. Egyptians regarded Bastet in the form of her ‘alter-ego’ Sekhmet – the warrior lioness. She was often given the epithet of ‘Sekhmet the Powerful’ and represented as the fiercest hunter in all of Egypt whose very breath formed the desert.
  

  

  
  

  Thoth​

  
  

  Ibis​

  Thoth was an important deity of writing, magic, wisdom, and the moon. He was also closely associated with the principles of balance and equilibrium, which was often symbolized by his title "Lord of Ma’at".
  

  

  
  

  Set​

  
  

  Aardvark, Donkey, Fennec Fox​

  Set was originally regarded as a more-or-less benevolent and esteemed entity who sometimes served as an ally of Ra, and was tasked with the protection of oases in the deserts. But over time, he was also associated with peculiar and frightening phenomena like eclipses, storms, and thunders – thus suggesting a dark side to his personification. The strange’nature of Set as one of the dualistic ancient Egyptian gods is also manifested by his depictions. They often showcase a creature which is simply known as the Set animal, which could be a composite of an aardvark, a donkey, and a jackal (or a fennec fox)
  

  

  
  
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  BALIAN
  

  
  
  
  
  The Balian family resides in Sevan, on the shores of Lave Sevan. The family is the smallest and youngest of all the families. While Armenian culture is rich and ancient, the Balian family is only a few generations old. Due to that, they are still very unsure about the curse and all the intricacies of it. The members are more likely to panic if they transform. However, they aren't set in their ways and are open minded.
  
  Due to their small size, they are far from wealthy. As generations pass, they are slowly getting into more local businesses. Thanks to being so close to the lake, fishing is big for them. As such, they currently can't send their members to higher education, but everyone pulls together to get the kids to finish high school at least.
  
  
  
  The Balian family is currently run by Narek. Only having a few predecessors to learn from, Narek is trying to figure things out as he goes. He is a bit clueless on many things, having to trust his gut for most of it. As such, he doesn't realise the power he holds as family head.
  
  Narek is pretty goofy and just wants his family to succeed and be happy. He is always cracking jokes, trying to make people laugh when times get dark. It's difficult for him to get serious, which sometimes puts the family at risk when he makes decisions based more on immediate happiness rather than long term benefits.
  
  Traits: Members are usually of darker, middle eastern complexion and have dark hair and eyes. Both males and females have a lower than average height.
  
  

  
  

  Aralez​

  
  

  Dog​

  The oldest gods in the Armenian pantheon, Aralez were invisible, dog-like creatures with powers to resuscitate fallen warriors and resurrect the dead by licking wounds clean.
  

  

  
  

  Devs​

  
  

  Snowy Owls​

  The Dev are air-composed spirit creatures originating from Zoroastrian mythology (the Daevas), and share many similarities to angels. They reside in stony places and ruins, and usually kept to themselves.
  

  

  
  

  Shahapet​

  
  

  Snake​

  The Shahapet were usually friendly guardian spirits who typically appeared in the form of serpents. They inhabited houses, orchards, fields, forests and graveyards, among other places. The Shvaz type was more agriculturally oriented, while the Shvod was a guardian of the home. A Shvod who is well-treated may reward the home's inhabitants with gold, but if mistreated might cause strife and leave.
  

  

  
  

  Nhang​

  
  

  Seal​

  The Nhang was a river-dwelling serpent-monster with shape shifting powers, often connected to the more conventional Armenian dragons. The creature could change into a seal or lure a man by transforming into a woman, then drag in and drown the victim to drink its blood.
  

  

  
  
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  HAYASHI
  

  
  
  
  
  The Hayashi family mainly resides in Kamiichi, of the Toyama prefecture. The town is deep into the countryside, surrounded by forests and mountains. Being a full 5 hour drive from Tokyo, The Hayashi family knew well of the Sohma family, but their interactions were kept to a minimum. Occasionally having the family heads meeting to discuss various matters. As most of the members cursed transformed into animals that would cause little suspicion out in the forest, members were not punished for transforming as long as no normal humans saw. In fact, they were encouraged to use the time they were transformed to see what their animal bodies could do in case of emergencies. The weasel could hide easily, while the wolf and fox were swift to run away in the cloud of smoke transformation caused.
  
  As most of them are raised in the countryside, a lot of the members take a while to adjust if they relocate to a city. They are sent to school much like regular kids, so have a normal education. The Hayashi family mostly live off the land, farming their own crops. As such, luxuries aren't common as money is not bountiful. They are able to live comfortably, but are one of the poorer families.
  
  
  
  The Hayashi family is currently run by Izumi Hayashi. After seeing what Akito had done to the Sohma family and hearing may stories, Izumi made sure to use her power over the Hayashi members as little as possible. As such, she is seen as a bit of a pushover. She doesn't particularly mind, as long as her family is happy and healthy. She only exerts her power when it is absolutely necessary, such as a member refusing to tell who saw their transformation or other occurrences that prove dangerous to the rest of the family.
  
  Hayashi herself is a mother figure who treats all the family members as her own children. She will help in the fields with the crops and has no qualms getting her hands dirty. While she may be a bit of a doormat, the family - for the most part - loves and appreciates her.
  
  Traits: People in this family are generally fair skinned with a tan from working in the sun.
  
  

  
  

  Raijū​

  
  

  Wolf​

  Its body is composed of lightning and may be in the shape of a wolf. It may also fly about as a ball of lightning and its cry sounds like thunder. Raiju is the companion of the Raijin, the of lightning. While the beast is generally calm and harmless, during thunderstorms it becomes agitated, and leaps about in trees, fields, and buildings
  

  

  
  

  Kamaitachi​

  
  

  Weasel​

  A a beast with fur like that of a hedgehog and a cry like that of a dog, and one that flies through the air with wings, they are said to attack people with limbs like that of a sickle or razor. The Kamaitachi are depicted as weasel yokai.
  

  

  
  

  Kitsune​

  
  

  Fox​

  Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing paranormal abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. According to Yōkai folklore, all foxes have the ability to shapeshift into human form. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick others—as foxes in folklore often do—other stories portray them as faithful guardians, friends, lovers, and wives.
  

  

  
  

  Komainu​

  
  

  Lion Dogs​

  Komainu, often called lion-dogs in English, are statue pairs of lion-like creatures either guarding the entrance or the inner shrine of many Japanese Shinto shrines or kept inside the inner shrine itself, where they are not visible to the public. The first type, born during the Edo period, is called sandō komainu, the second and much older type jinnai komainu . They can sometimes be found also at Buddhist temples, nobility residences or even private homes.
  

  

  
  

  Mujina​

  
  

  Badger​

  In Japanese folklore, like the fox and the raccoon dog, badgers are frequently depicted as yōkai that shapeshift and deceive humans. These badger demons (mujina) often take the form of an attractive woman with a promiscuous nature, usually causing mischief in their partners lives.
  

  

  
  

  Wani​

  
  

  Crocodile, Shark​

  Wani (鰐) was a dragon or sea monster in Japanese mythology. Since it is written using the kanji 鰐 (from Chinese e 鰐 or 鱷 "crocodile; alligator") wani is translated as "crocodile", or sometimes "shark"