Sugar Foxes Lore

The Origins of the Sugar Fox

The town of Silverbrook has always been rooted in magic. The first residents were wizards, and their descendants took over from there. Magic now runs deep in every resident’s blood, as does curiosity. Those two factors led to a lot of experimentation in the realm of spells.

What would happen if we laced this sugar with magic? What if we used the magic sugar in baked goods? What happened was that the magic treats attracted the local omnivorous wildlife: the bears, raccoons, and of course, the adorable foxes. Because of their large size, the bears were unaffected by the magic, and it turned the raccoons into tanuki, their magical cousins from a faraway land. The most interesting result, however, came from the local foxes. Their coats turned the colors of the treats they consumed, and they became a lot friendlier. These new “Sugar Foxes” became a common sight in Silverbrook. 

The Sugar Fox as a Pet

One day, a young wizard of Silverbrook wanted a familiar, but he was allergic to cat fur and raven feathers. Unsure of what to do, he went into the forest. A Sugar Fox approached him, gently nuzzling him. The fox didn’t cause a reaction, so the young mage had an idea! He took the fox, a red-velvet-colored female, home with him. “Velvet,” as he named her, was the first domesticated Sugar Fox. Other wizards saw this and recruited their own Sugar Foxes. Upon closer study, it was determined that the foxes had a natural attunement to magic, which led to them becoming the most popular familiars in Silverbrook.

Declan’s Study of the Sugar Fox

Third Day of Orangeleaf 

I’ve had Velvet for about three weeks now, and I’ve learned quite a lot about her, and about Sugar Foxes in general.

Firstly, they are omnivorous, like any fox. They can eat just about anything, but seem to be particularly drawn to sweets. When my wife made pumpkin cookies, Velvet stole a few off the windowsill. I thought it amusing, my wife not so much.

Second, they are very curious creatures, eagerly investigating any new stimuli. I brought home some magical tools from my mentor’s house and as soon as I put them down on the table, Velvet was sniffing and pawing at everything. The little furball nearly broke one of my potion vials! I had to send her outside for the safety of both herself and my tools, upon which I learned just how clingy a Sugar Fox can be. Velvet whined at the door for nearly ten minutes, until she decided to pester my wife for attention.

Tenth Day of Orangeleaf

My friend brought his Sugar Fox over to play with Velvet. His fox is male, a strawberry shortcake tod. The male, named Astrophel, seems to be bigger then Velvet, but gentle for his size. The two seem to be bonding, cuddling and playing as if they’d been friends forever. Could Sugar Foxes be a social species? Or is this their mating behavior? This requires further study, and my friend is eager to learn too.

Twelfth Day of Orangeleaf

Today, I learned something truly extraordinary. Sugar Foxes, despite their small size and usually friendly disposition, are rather fierce fighters when needed. Case in point: Velvet and I were gathering mushrooms in the forest when we ran afoul of a wild boar. Though I tried to pick her up and run away, Velvet refused. She jumped from my arms to drive the boar away. As I watched, afraid I’d have a dead Sugar Fox on my hands, she proved my fears wrong. Velvet dove at its legs, biting relentlessly, then would dodge its sharp tusks nimbly before returning for another bite. With a final headbutt to the chest, she sent the boar squealing away and stood proudly. Needless to say, I was quite surprised by this. I’ll have to tell the rest of the town about this.

Seventeenth Day of Orangeleaf

Today, I learned how Sugar Foxes reproduce, and I must say, it’s… interesting. Velvet’s been restless the last few days, so my friend brought Astrophel over to see if some play could settle her down. The two started acting differently this time. They rubbed heads, then ruffs. As they finished rubbing ruffs, a baby Sugar Fox appeared between them, with red velvet fur and a strawberries-and-cream ruff. I can only assume that it’s magic.

Twentieth Day of Orangeleaf

Though the Sugar Fox cannot speak English, due to its vocal cords being different, it can understand English almost perfectly. Case in point: I was making some potions yesterday, and as I read the ingredients off a list, Velvet would bring them to me. She even knew the difference between two different mushrooms I labeled. Can she read? (Edit: Yes, she can. I put two cups on the counter, with different labels, and asked her to bring me the cup labeled for food. She did!)