The Fox

“	One last deal. I will give you something more coveted than anything else in this world, or the next. Something folks have fought for, killed for, lost their minds for, and it will be yours. In exchange I want only one thing. Ratau.	”
	— Fox, during the final deal

The Fox is an NPC in Cult of the Lamb.

Description[]

The Fox is a red fox that can be found in several overworld areas in Cult of the Lamb.

Questline[]

The Fox can only be encountered at night, at the places where there is a green moon symbol. Standing on the moon symbol and "Peer into the Darkness" prompts the Fox to rise out a puddle of darkness and speak to the lamb. Note that the moon symbol is required for the quest and it does not spawn every day. You can find Fox at four locations:

Each time you meet the Fox, he will give you one quest:

The first appearance, he will ask the Lamb to give him a "big fish". He can be given any fish except Minnow. Afterwards he gives the lamb a Holy Talisman fragment and says he will appear elsewhere at night.
In the second encounter, he will ask the Lamb to sacrifice a follower to him. Choosing yes will open up a list of your followers and pick which one to kill. Afterwards he gives you another Holy Talisman fragment.
In the third encounter, he will ask to sacrifice either 2 followers, or permanently remove half a red heart. Sacrificing either will earn you a Holy Talisman fragment.
In the final encounter, he will ask you to sacrifice Ratau. Choosing yes will permanently kill Ratau, meaning you cannot play Knucklebones with him anymore (also causing the Master of Chance achievement to be unobtainable if you haven't already defeated Ratau). Doing so will earn you a Holy Talisman fragment and the Wolf follower form.

ARG Appearance[]

The Fox appeared in the pre-release Cult of the Lamb ARG, or Alternate Reality Game. In a hidden page on the website, solvers had to input into a textbox, which opened another page that feature the Fox glitching about in the background, as well as blue Fox that looked slightly different. Afterwards they would sacrifice their Discord usernames. The next day, a discord user named Ravenousnight with the Fox as their profile sent users audio files and hints to solve the ARG. After calling a phone number a robotic voice would tell them that they needed to sacrifice Ratau in exchange for something extremely valuable. Fox repeats the exact phrase word for word in his 4th encounter. Inputting "Ratau" into the other website would solve the ARG.

Dialogue[]

First quest[]

"A little Lamb, all alone… careful. You never know what lurks in the night. And yet I smell no fear on you. How curious. Ah, I see. You wear the Red Crown. I knew your predecessor. He was a weak and cowering thing. Not like you, I should think. Little Lamb, you've made a deal before. How about another? Fear not, I won't ask for anything as valuable as your eternal servitude. I'm hungry. Starving. RAVENOUS. I want a fish. A big fish. And I will give you something in return. Do you accept?"

[Yes - Gives the Fox a fish]: "Clever creature. Take this and look away, won't you? I'm afraid I'm a bit of a messy eater. You will not see me here again, but our paths will cross elsewhere. In moments of chance, in the cover of night."

[No]: "No? I shouldn't be surprised. Just a little Lamb after all… Seek me out in the dark, should you change your mind. It will be worth your while…"

[Don't have that - Player does not have a fish]: You don't have it? Then I strongly suggest you go and GET IT.

Second quest[]

"Little Lamb. We meet again. A beautiful night, is it not? Does your Cult flourish? Are they devoted? Are they strong? Well, you know what they say. The best thing a Follower can do… is follow. Say, how about another deal? I'm afraid the hunting tonight is sparse. Too many predators, not enough prey. If you give me one of your loyal Followers, I will give you something in return. Do you agree?"

[Yes - Permanently lose 1 Follower]: "Another… satisfying deal. Here, take this. Now do excuse me—I'm FAMISHED."

[No]: "Hmm. Perhaps you are not the Leader I thought you to be. Seek me out once should you change your mind. I'll be waiting…"

Third quest[]

"Little Lamb! Your kind are not usually so fond of the dark, but I suppose you are unlike the rest. How fare your Followers? Do they love you? Do they fear you? The nights are getting longer. The monsters grow more fierce. Tell me, how does another deal sound? I promise to make it worth your while. I have something of great value. Something that is one of a kind. No matter how hard you look, you will not find this item again. And all I want in return is… well, it's nothing really. Nothing at all. A simple choice—two measly Followers. Or if that causes you unease, then how about… half of a heart from the great Leader themselves? A fair equivalent, I think. Come now, a great Leader must make sacrifices. Two pathetic little Followers, or a pound of your own flesh?"

[Yes - Permanently lose 2 Followers or half a heart]: "You are a pragmatic sort. That's what I enjoy about you, little Lamb. Here, as promised. Now I must take my leave… I have dinner plans."

[No]: "You disappointed me, Lamb. I thought better of you. After all, a life pledged to you is yours to do with what you wish."

Fourth quest[]

"Little Laaaaaaaaaamb! Do you feel it? We stand at a crossroads. And this will be the last time we meet—so the darkness has decreed. One last deal. I will give you something more coveted than anything else in this world or the next. Something folks have fought for, killed for, lost their minds for—and it will be yours. In exchange I want only one thing: Ratau. The rat is old, and of no use to you or anyone else. Give Ratau's death meaning… Give Ratau's death to me. What say you?"

[Yes - Sacrifice Ratau]:
Ratau
It's you! No, wait! Lamb, don't trust this murderer—
[The Fox captures Ratau.]
Fox
Ha. Hahahaha HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Fox
Little Lamb! Truly, a beast after my own heart! While we may seem like different breeds, we are brethren to the bone. And as our bargain has been struck, allow me to make fair return. I give you this: The gift of clarity. You know exactly the kind of creature you are. You should count yourself lucky. Many go their whole miserable lives without ever gleaning such a divine truth. Farewell, Little Lamb. I never thought to meet another like me in this life, and you have proven me wrong. May your kills keep you fed as they have me, and may the Night hold you close.

[No]: "I have come to like you, Little Lamb. So I shall not take your refusal for the insult that it is. I will give you a chance to reconsider. In time, you shall realise that I am right. Should you change your mind, you know where I will be."

Trivia[]

The Fox is implied to have killed (or made a deal with) the leader of the Lighthouse Keepers. The followers would mention that they have warned her about "Teeth in the Darkness", yet she insisted on leaving in the middle of the night and disappeared off the dock.