Su Daji, Nine-Tailed Fox [Assassin, Chinese pantheon]

[GongsunYiru]

Su Daji, Nine-Tailed Fox
蘇妲己, 九尾狐

For further information about the nine-tailed fox, a type of shapeshifting being that originated from Chinese mythology, see...

• Kang, Xiaofei (2006). The cult of the fox: Power, gender, and popular religion in late imperial and modern China. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Huntington, Rania (2003). Alien kind: Foxes and late imperial Chinese narrative. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

PANTHEON: Chinese

TYPE: Melee, physical

ROLE: Assassin

PROS: High single target damage, medium crowd control

LORE: Su Daji was the human embodiment of a nine-tailed fox spirit, who Nuwa herself had summoned to destroy a mortal king for his depravity (including lusting after Nuwa) but not to bring harm to the people. Nevertheless, the spirit had killed the real Su Daji and taken her physical form to achieve her goals. Entranced and corrupted by Su Daji, the king increasingly neglected the affairs of his state and indulged in depraved pleasures to the detriment of the populace. Su Daji had digressed from the divine order, while satisfying her own personal hunger for malice. Many people—including upright ministers, aristocrats, common folk, and even the queen herself—were brutally tortured and executed through the machinations of Su Daji, as was many directly violently murdered by her. In the end, it was deception of beauty that led to the inevitable downfall of a once-great kingdom.

APPEARANCE:

OVERALL

• Su Daji appears as a young lady of noble heritage (as the supposed daughter of marquis Su Hu), said to be a captivatingly beautiful femme fatale. She may display telltale physical traits like the white nine tails as she's a demon shapeshifter (between two forms, humanoid and foxlike). This kind of being was known as the NINE-TAILED FOX (九尾狐) in ancient Chinese works--such as the Shanhaijing and others--so that would be her ingame title.
• Her recolor or tier 2 skin could be named CELESTIAL FOX (天狐). These were fox spirits who had been admitted to the heavens (because they had cultivated virtue over the many centuries) and contrasted with those spirits that ultimately became demonic. The Youyang Zazu described celestial foxes to be golden of color, so Su Daji's tails would have a celestial golden hue.

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PERSONALITY

• Her behavior and personality ranges from sweet/innocent to seductive/alluring to deceptive/manipulative to malevolent/sadistic. For example in lore, this deceptively sweet attitude is explicitly mentioned when facing her executioners, who were charmed and enchanted by her.

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ATTIRE

• She wears a hanfu (漢服, see images) dress, including a flowery-embroided waist sash and a large-sleeved upper-garment that bares her shoulders. Hanging below the sash, there could be a bixi (蔽膝), which is a decorated front panel of fabric (designed like the main image above, see also 4th image below).
• She has long loose black hair, perhaps decorated by a flowery buyao (步摇, 2nd image below), which is a type of hairpin with pendants that dangle as its wearer walks.
• She's sometimes depicted with a huadian (花鈿, 5th image below), a type of flowery decorative cosmetic on the forehead.
• Her weapon would be her claws, which has a grotesque and sharp anatomy. It shapeshifts back to her delicate female hands out-of-combat.

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ANIMATIONS

• Her nine tails exude a bit of a spectral demonic aura of fox energy (like in the main image above). In Su Daji's lore, it was said that this aura could hide the Moon itself when the spirits hovered through the night sky and that she rode on spectral winds when attacking an encampment. The latter could be designed smoke-like.
• In her death animation, her physical humanoid body collapses and forms cracks where ghostly light shines through, while her spirit dissipates into a dark ghostly smoke. In general lore, the fox was a sort of ghostly vessel that was bounded by a humanoid skull to a physical human form.
• Her walking animation is light and seductive, physically touching the ground, reflecting to her alluring but deceptive nature.
• Her idle animation would be like a hovering humanoid specter (like in the main image above).

Reference images for details:




ABILITIES:

PASSIVE - SEDUCTRESS: Su Daji entices Gods around her. She gains fox energy per Enchantress (ability 2) tick affecting opposing Gods. This gradually starts depleting after a certain period, healing Su Daji.

• Affects: Self
• Heal: 2% of total health per 1s (Per energy meter)

_____________________________
Lore: Malicious fox spirits were said to entice people, so they can deplete the person's energy for their own while the person falls weak and ill.
Mechanic: She basically heals 10% of her health back per God hit, which goes up to 50% when she manages to hit all five Gods of the opposing team.

• The passive meter would have 5 separate meters (one for each opposing God).
• Each meter gets filled per Enchantress tick, up to a total of 5 ticks to fill it completely.
• All meters begin to gradually and simultaneously deplete at 5s after activating Enchantress.
• A full meter depletes over a duration of 5s.

Appearance: The passive meter could be designed like a bleeding heart, enveloped by an ethereal demonic aura.

ABILITY 1 - HEART TAKER: Su Daji starts to gouge out her enemies' hearts with her basic attacks, which have increased damage and speed for the duration of this ability. The ability also cripples on the first basic attack upon activation.

• Basic attack damage increase: ??? for 6s
• Basic attack speed increase: 25% for 6s
• Cripple: 1/1.5/2/2.5/3s

_____________________________
Lore: The heart is an allusion to minister Bigan who had noticed tails sticking out from behind intoxicated guests during a lavish royal banquet, thus realizing that an evil presence surrounded them, so he had all the guests followed and killed. In vengeance, Su Daji caused Bigan's heart to be ripped out of his chest. Such deeds are a recurring motif in fox myths.
Appearance: As an shapeshifter, her delicate hands turns into grotesque claws, enveloped by a demon aura of fox energy.

ABILITY 2 - ENCHANTRESS: Su Daji causes madness in the minds of enemies.

Passive: Enemy gods lower their physical protection for the first 3s when they come within her vicinity. It can not reoccur on the same target again for 15s.

• Type: Area
• Affects: Enemies
• Radius: 20ft
• Protection reduction: ???

Active: It applies damage over time and a slow to nearby enemies around her.

• Type: Area
• Affects: Enemies
• Radius: 25ft
• Damage per tick: ??? per 1s over 5s
• Slow: 40% for 3s

_____________________________
Lore: Fox spirits are said to corrupt people's mind, bewildering and confusing them. In her lore, Su Daji couldn't be beheaded, speaking with a sweet voice to her executioners who felt nothing but sympathy for her.
Appearance: A smokey fox demon energy aura emanates from Su Daji, with glowing eyes.

ABILITY 3 - TORTURESS: Su Daji propels herself forward on the winds of her demonic aura, maiming all enemies that that she passes.

• Type: Line
• Affects: Enemies
• Range: 55ft
• Damage: ???

She stops at the first enemy god hit, rooting the enemy god and all nearby enemies.

• Type: Area
• Affects: Enemies
• Radius: 12ft
• Duration: 1.5s

_____________________________
Lore: In Su Daji's lore, people were chained and burned alive, had their eyes gouged out, had their hands and feet cut off, had unborn babies ripped out their mother's body, were fed their own offspring, were thrown into a venemous snake pit, etcetera. Su Daji is very creative in being violent.
Appearance: As a visible fox energy impulse discharges through her body, Su Daji shifts into a humanoid demonic specter, leaving spectral smoke-like trails (alluding to the spectral winds in her lore), while her claws and eyes glow.

ULTIMATE - VIXEN: Su Daji shapeshifts into her spectral fox form to haunt enemy Gods, damaging and stunning them.

• Type: Ground target (leap)
• Affects: Enemies
• Damage: ??? within a 20ft radius
• Stun: 1s within a 20ft radius

Upon impact at the ground target, the winds of her demonic aura will also push all enemy Gods within the nearby area closer to the center.

• Type: Area
• Affects: Enemies
• Radius: 35ft radius (excluding the 20ft radius center)
• Distance of push to center: 5/7.5/10/12.5/15ft

_____________________________
Lore: General Huang Feihu and his soldiers were the ones responsible of killing the malicious spectral guests after the banquet (mentioned at the notes for ability 1). For that, Su Daji tried to assassinate him herself in spectral fox form, but was fought off by the general's magical hawk. Also, Su Daji belongs to a class of beings (e.g. nine-tailed foxes) that's something in between the physical and spirit world.
Mechanic: The spectral aura push affects those in the outer ring (beyond the 20ft radius center). The push is kind of like a reverse Aphrodite Back Off!
Appearance: Su Daji shapeshifts into a white-colored nine-tailed spectral fox (for the leap). Upon impact, each respective enemy in the target area become enveloped by a dark smoke-like aura of fox energy (that pushes them towards the center).

[Undefiable]

Lore: Su Daji was the human incarnation of a fox spirit, who Nüwa herself had summoned to destroy the king of Shang for his depravity (including lusting after Nüwa) but not to bring harm to the people. Nevertheless, the spirit had killed and possessed the real Su Daji to achieve her goals. Entranced and corrupted by Su Daji, the king increasingly neglected the affairs of his state and indulged in depraved pleasures to the detriment of the populace. Su Daji had digressed from the divine order, while satisfying her own personal hunger for torture. Many people including upright ministers, aristocrats, the common folk, and even the queen herself were brutally tortured and executed through the machinations of Su Daji.

Appearance: Su Daji appears as a young noble lady, but she may display telltale physical traits like the nine tails if the form is incomplete (like other fox spirits).


(Image source: nothingmilk)


(Image from the mobile game Tower of Saviors)

Pantheon: Chinese

Type: Melee, physical

Role: Assassin











Relation to other gods:

• Nezha and six others protected a military encampment from Su Daji and her two sisters wielding swords and riding horses on spectral winds.
• Nüwa captured Su Daji, bringing her downfall.

I actually also have an idea about this god but in my version she appears as a range Mage confusing those with illusions and trickery.

Passive Demonic transformation
For every 10 successful basic attack Su Daji comes closer to her true form revealing her tails. By 100 successful basic attacks Su Daji transforms into her true form which lasts for 50 seconds, while in her true form she cannot use all of her skills accept for her ult which will change when she transforms and changing her basic attacks to melee. In her human form when a tail comes out it will help Su Daji to shoot out her basic attack this can be stacked up 9 times. The stack will go back to 0 once she reaches 100 successful basic attacks.

[Kresono]

This reminds me a bit too much of Ahri from League

[GongsunYiru]

I actually also have an idea about this god but in my version she appears as a range Mage confusing those with illusions and trickery.

Passive Demonic transformation
For every 10 successful basic attack Su Daji comes closer to her true form revealing her tails. By 100 successful basic attacks Su Daji transforms into her true form which lasts for 50 seconds, while in her true form she cannot use all of her skills accept for her ult which will change when she transforms and changing her basic attacks to melee. In her human form when a tail comes out it will help Su Daji to shoot out her basic attack this can be stacked up 9 times. The stack will go back to 0 once she reaches 100 successful basic attacks.

You should go for it, it sounds really creative and quite interesting in how it would work, especially the shifting aspect.

This reminds me a bit too much of Ahri from League

Fox spirits are native to and originated from the mythology of China. One of the earliest appearance is in the text Shanhai Jing of the 4th century BC (coincidentally, Hebo and Nüwa are also in it), but there may be older Chinese inscriptions that I don't know of. And Su Daji's abilities are based from events in the text Fengshen Yanyi.

Considering that this concept's gameplay abilities are very different, this can't remind you of League of Legends in that aspect. So does this concept's theme remind you of League of Legends? Because it's actually historically Chinese in origin. It's safe to say that Ahri of League of Legends reminds me of Chinese mythology as it's inspired by a culture's appropriation of that native mythology of China. I've never heard of Ahri before anyway as I don't play League of Legends.

[Clumsallw]

Oh quite the insteresting character (it actually amazes me that a nine-tailed fox hans't been added yet to smite) and its overall gameplay seens balanced and quite original aswell , when i saw it was a nine-tailed fox i thought to myself (ok,here we go bet is going to be an Ahri copy --') but you sir made an awesome character nice job.

[ilkidan]

mi goddes its poor and she have to kill everivody to take the power? and she is magical instead assasin and i have kit thelore to dont ctrl+c ctrl+v from WIKIPEDIA

[GongsunYiru]

^ Uncool, man. You copy-pasted sections of my concept word-for-word into yours.

[Undefiable]

You should go for it, it sounds really creative and quite interesting in how it would work, especially the shifting aspect.



Fox spirits are native to and originated from the mythology of China. One of the earliest appearance is in the text Shanhai Jing of the 4th century BC (coincidentally, Hebo and Nüwa are also in it), but there may be older Chinese inscriptions that I don't know of. And Su Daji's abilities are based from events in the text Fengshen Yanyi.

Considering that this concept's gameplay abilities are very different, this can't remind you of League of Legends in that aspect. So does this concept's theme remind you of League of Legends? Because it's actually historically Chinese in origin. It's safe to say that Ahri of League of Legends reminds me of Chinese mythology as it's inspired by a culture's appropriation of that native mythology of China. I've never heard of Ahri before anyway as I don't play League of Legends.

Fox spirits aren't only in Chinese mythology you know. They are also in Japanese mythology and they are called kitsune. They say that the more powerful a kitsune is the tails it has and a nine tailed kitsune has god- like powers.

[GongsunYiru]

Fox spirits aren't only in Chinese mythology you know. They are also in Japanese mythology and they are called kitsune. They say that the more powerful a kitsune is the tails it has and a nine tailed kitsune has god- like powers.

I'm sure of it, but I said that fox spirits originated from Chinese mythology; not that it's only in Chinese mythology.

Reference: Gubler, Greg. "Kitsune: The Remarkable Japanese Fox". Southern Folklore Quarterly 38(2):121-134. Cited in: Bargen, Doris. A Woman's Weapon: Spirit Possession in The Tale of Genji. University of Hawaii Press.

And they are called Huli jing (fox spirit), Huxian (fox immortal), Jiuweihu (nine-tailed fox) in Chinese culture, but I'm rather disinclined to use foreign terms for clarity sake.

[ilkidan]

well not sure, i ctr from wikipedia at spanish and traductit and the abilities all are from mi imagination but well, i dont care it, just with this good in smite it would be fine isn it?
and sorry for put the same lore, wikipedia just sayed that nuwa created him, a king sho something depravated nuwa and this king wanted to marry a famous comander son, su daji was a tipe of violator and su daji possesed him to change kins mind to her own maniere that was what put at spanish wikipedia :S