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 Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:27 am
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:27 am
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The History of Doma
In Ancient times, the world was void, and water. In this void, a great kami came to the world, and spied the vast emptiness - and chose to act. The stars were first, placed in the sky, followed by the moon and the sun. Next was the land - islands at first, and them mainlands, forming the earth. Then, the great one birthed of itself the first kami, the gods of their new realm. Finally, the great one made the mortals, or so it was told.
For countless generations the mortals roamed and squabbled, pitting the kami they followed against one another as they fought amidst themselves. One Kami, troubled by the fighting, decided to find peace, and descended as a mortal, and stole to the other side in the night, selecting a male of kind eyes to sire her mortal children.
When this Great Kami returned to her followers and gave birth to cubs obviously born of a lowly male of their enemies, there was shock, until she spoke it was time for peace. Her eldest son, named Jimmu, soon became respected as he grew -- and known more for his compassion to all. Jimmu bargained for peace among the tribes fightiung, and brought them together to one land, considered consecrated by the kami. And here, the seer declared the kami bade the pride live as one people. The people, in return, chose to declare Jimmu the first King, and his brothers and sisters princes and princesses. When Jimmu died, there was a cave his body was placed in, and the den consecrated as a shrine holy to Jimmu,m believed to live on as a kami himself in his own bones.
As time passed in the pride, the differences that brewed war melted into a culture that unified and strengthened the pride, and those whom joined it. They came to respect those whom embodied honor and goodness and eschew those whom destroyed and wrought misery, and knew prosperity for their choice.
It was during the reign of Lord Kaien that the prsperity known by the Doman pride was due to change. During his reign a group of rogues fleeing plague and despair came to the Domans seeking a haven - sanctuary. The king, wishing to help, took them in, welcoming them to stay iun his den as private guests. However grateful, however, the pride was struck by plague. The pride grew ill and the illness spread, forcing Kaien to send his only child, Hien, away. Kaien, whom stood as a beloved king, did not survive. When the majority of Doma lie dead, it seemed the remainder, as the prince, scattered.
But the Doman ways were not lost. Early in Kaien's reign, a young female, running away from home, stumbled on the prince, and was brought before Kaien. Hearing of the girl's home and her reason to leave - to find help for her people - Kaien adopted the female as his own. The female, known then as Laif, was taught as any Doman; raised as one of the royal litter despite her external birth. As the pride then was prosperous, as a very young adult, Laif confided in her kin her wish to retrieve her own kin, and to bear them unto Doma for their freedom.
Laif did not return until after the plague wiped a majority out - and after many and more fled. She had been unable to find her kin, hearing only tales of her half siblings, and saw to the dead of Doma, giving their last rights. Finding her adopted brother missing with his retainer, and finding Lord Kaien dead, the female chose not to leave Doma to ruin - instead accepting that if she was to save her family, discovering her adoptive father's form meant the gods, the kami, wished for her to serve her duty as the princess of the Domans - to rise as the pride Shogun until Hien was found dead or alive, until the prie restored, and, if need be, until divinity was returned to the royal house, and so, turned to begin seeking to rebuild her chosen home, by restoring both old houises whom scattered, and those anew.
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:30 am
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Doman Culture
Domans are all about bushido - a code of morality that guides all, from the Royal House, to the lowest peasant. Bushido is a moral code, and while those whom do not fully embrace it are welcomed, it makes proving one's worth to a higher house is extremely difficult, although it does happen and has before. While many will often seek to right wrongs or repair debts, Bushido can and often does lead to hari kiri... Ritualized suicide under watch to ensure one does not back out, in the most dire circumstances - this, however, is extremely rare, and highly discouraged. More often, the dishonoured will be placed in servitude to those whom they have wronged until the debt is repaid.
Day to day life is often relaxed and easygoing - Domans come and leave as they please and some seek peaceful relations with outsiders. Rogues are openly welcome, and color is of no importance.
Doman Family Life
Family is very important in Doma - moreso than Bushido. The parents of litters are often supported in old age by their eldest children, and the young are expected to learn from their elders. The elderly are not expected to hunt or provide anything but their wisdom, and are respected (even if they're sometimes senile). Families will take in the orphaned or abandoned cubs of parents or siblings often - as well as any foundlings.
Domans favor marriage over flings -- but flings do happen. When flings occur, the female and her cubs are looked after an elder relative - especially cubs. Often a pride member may step up and offer to wed the female and adopt her cubs as his own - in these cases, however, the female does not get to accept nor decline -- this decision will be made by the family seeing to her and her cubs. Sometimes, however, a female has no family, or the one with cubs is a male. In such cases, the cubs are given the single parents' rank, and the parent may decide for themself to accept any mating proposals.
As marriage can occur between any species or gender, adoption is quite common in Doma -not only by families, but single parents. Nobles are especially known to adopt, often bringing in those of lower rank to train and claim as their own kin and to preserve the family. While those not yet considered adult are often chosen, adult adoption is very muich accepted in the pride as a means to preserve the old ways.
Bushido - The Doman Way
Bushido is a code of morality broken up into 8 tenants, which the pride attempts to live by. Those held closest to Bushido in rank are the Royal family, followed, surprisingly, by the Samurai, whom are expected to live - and die - by these tenants where those least expected and often allowed leeway are the shinobi, should it become necissary.
Bushido is composed of 8 tenants; Rightiousness, Respect, Courage, Compassion, Integrity, Honor, Loyalty, and Self Control. These tenants are held to be those of pride members with a good moral core and a strong grasp of what is good and right. While some flexibility is accepted in the right circumstances, it is often in tandem to other tenants of Bushido - for example fleeing the plague, while not the couragous option, preserved many bloodlines -- and was thus explainable as respect to the will of Kaien and the Kami that the pride's beliefs endured. Bushido often shaped many of the pride's young since birth, and while to some now it is seen as the cause for the plague, to others it is the salvation of the pride.
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:31 am
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The Royal House
The originalk royal bloodline is and was born from a mortal male and a female goddess. While that female's identity is lost to myth, the bloodline persists as did the name -- often by both adoption and cub birth. When times of dire need occur an adopted member of the royal house may step in as Shogun and must, after an acceptable time, seek out a god to birth cubs and restore divinity to the line. The royal family does not differentiate between adopted and born-in cubs and a child with no mate or in an infertile relationship may adopt a cub to serve as the Doman heir. The rulers born from a divine line of the royal house are thus the King or Queen; however, non-divine blood are known as the Shogun.
A King or Queen and a Shogun - Is there difference?
When the Shogun is called to power, it means one of divine blood is missing, or dead. In such times, a member of the royal family whom was adopted will step into the ruling state of Shogun. In that respect, a Shogun is nothing more than the pride's leader until a King or Queen is found -- or a cub of divine parentage is born to the Shogun whom is to fill the role of ruler. While in control the Shogun is treated similarly to a King or a Queen - many as well were raised alongside the heir(s) or groomed to be Shogun, thus retaining their own traditional retainer or guard, and protecting the royal house's ways.
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:32 am
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The Doman Beliefs
In Doma, the land is sacred and the pride surrounded by gods. The gods, called kami, may be the major winged gods, or ancestral, heroic, or venerated spirits found in bones, stones, locations, and more. As an example, First King Jimmu was believed to become a kami in his own right - his bones lie deep within Doman territory and in a sacred cavern and are often tended to by the priests. A more recent example of a mortal considered to become a kami os Lord Kaien -- whom died tending to the sick and dying od the Doman pride, and his soul is now the kami of a smooth white stone found by his body. Many families will preserve ancestral treasures as protective sigils, and some sacred artifacts dot the pridal borders -- believed to allow the ancestors to protect the pride.
When gods visit the pride, more often than not, most pride members will be in awe or shock and the gods are permitted to roam as they please -- to a point. Malicious gods are treated quite seriuously as demons instead of as gods and may be attacked by the Samurai and Shinobi, before the priests attempt rituals to expel them. Tokens, such as feathers, or baubles, will often be placed in shrines after the recipient is passed on, and pride members will often leave offerings at shrines to the kami. If a god visits in a mortal form, they are usually treated as mortal -- mostly because mobody can tell.
The Domans recognize seers as a result of god-mortal couplings, often due to the result of Shogunate states. As such, seers are considfered of divine blood - including seers not born of gods. These pride members often enjoy slightly better life options, including children of lower classes, as seerts may select any rank not of a royal standing (unless adopted), and sopmetimes, they enjoy adoption by noble houses... Including the royal house, as a seer-Shogun already bears cuba of divine blood.
Doman naming traditions
The Domans practice a rather old naming tradition that began during Jimmu's reign. When cubs are born, or rogue cubs adopted, they are raised with a child's name. These names are traditionally short and may reflect a virtue or trait the parents wish for their child to grow or develop. However, at adolescence, a Doman youth will begin training in their rank for adulthood -- and when they complete training, they recieve an adult name reflecting the end of adolescence. These names may be of any length, and adult names are a token of pride, while using a childhood name is seen as a cutesy childish nickname from one's youth.
Cubs brought into the pride will usually be treated as having a child's name - for example the current Shogun, Laif, is considered as still bearing he child name, and is expected to change to an appropriate adult's name as soon as able. However, one exception is when adults join. Adult species arte believed to have sufficient life experience to not be a child -- and as sucgh usually maintain their names and instead use the Doman tradition for their children. Child names are a critical part of a DomaN'S LIFE -- as it is believed to affect how a child grows and matures. Similarly, Domas favor traditional names- usually, think Japanese, Chinese, or Korean.
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:36 am
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Ranks
Nobility
King/Queen
Any royal family member of divine blood. The eldest cub of the previous king will become the next ruler, bar catastrophe, while the same applies to any adoptions when there is no heir born to the king and queen.
Shogun/Consort
Members of the royal house without divine blood ascend as the Shogun, and their mate, their consort. The shogun is expected to bear a litter of cubs by the gobs to restore the royal king and queen after an acceptable time has passed, and step down when the eldest cub is an adult.
Oji/Hime
Prince and Princess respectively. All children of the reigning shogun or king and or queen inherit the titles of their gender, however, only the eldest may inherit -- the others are usually encouraged to take the path of the Samurai. If the heir is missing or dead, the next edlest of the reigning king, queen, or shogun's litter will instead become the next ruler on the same terms.
Retainer
A samurai or Shinobi of exceptional skill may become a sworn retainer to the King, Queen, or Shogun, or may protect their heir or the heir and any siblings. The number of retainers is determined by the current ruler, and it is a very rare rank at all -- although there is, usually, one or two.
Samurai
Samurai are the highest non-ruling class. Samurai are unparrallelled warriors whom embody the pride values of cushido-- enough that for a time many would suicide for slight infractions alone. Samurai are the pride's visible warriors, and for service to their brotyhers, are considered the nobility. Becoming a Samurai is possible for a great service to the royal house, or if a samurai adopts to pass on their knowledge.
Middle Classes
Shinobi
The shinobi are the unseen warriors of the pride. Far more numerous, Shinobi answer to the royal family and work alongside samurai. However, their skills and techniques for sneasking and getting their job done any way possible means they are no noble -- but do offer many commoners the ability to serve and work to protect with many considerations simply due to being good people.
Saishi
Saishi are the pride priestsd. The priests maintain shrines, offer rites for the deal, aid in communicating weith the gods, offer blessings, and lucky charms, and preserve relics believed to hold kami. Priests are encouraged to avoid combat, and male and females both are expected to serve the gods, even above their families. However, priests may enter shrines freely, and work most closely with the Kojin.
Kojin
The Kojin are descended from a very spiritual tribe that joined the pride. Kojin seek to honor the deceased by collecting treasure occupied by kami, which they then bring to the priests to preserve and care for. Kojin often roam far and wide to other prides, offering to collect treasures to protect and to aid in enshrining. Because they seek such things, the kojin are also highly sdkilled traders, offering goods that are declared to lack kami, and services within their skills, all to receive items that do contain kami. Kojin-recovered treasures are often delivered with red or blue scraps of cloth, to denote them as foreign/
Shokunin
Shokunin are crafters, musicians, and general creators. Many successful shokonin work within the nature of the Doman territory, and the plants and found treasures they can acquire. Some even ask kojin to retreive kami-free goods to work into art, or use dark coloured berries and saps and similar as inks to create tattoos and den paintings. Shokunin are a broad rank, but valued very greatly by the pride for bringing more nature into the home.
Kariudo
Kariudo are the common hunters and providors that make up the bulk of the Doman pride. When in doubt, most commonly default to Kariudo.
The Lower Class
Fumeiyo
Those whom commit wrongs that require a strong punishment are the Fumeiyo -- the Dishonoured. The Fumeiyo are those who violate their own honor so grievously by another that they arte stripped of everything, and given to those they have wronged to serve punishment as a humble servant. While the Fureiyo are both not a class one is born into, nor a rank one may select willingly, it is rarely permanent either - although permanent cases exist in history and myth, such as a time the god Susanoi'o was placed into the care of the second Emperor Hirotsune to serve until his first litter was a mature adult, or the permanent sentence of the traitor Yotsuyu. It is, in respects, a provided alternative to suicide.
Gakusei
Students! Basically, adolescents. Until fully grown, Domans are not considered middle class, but rather the lowest class, in order to learn from their elders. Even a Fumeiyo is expected to teach the Gakusei, and as such Gakusei are among the lowest, but certainly not least.
Ko
Ko are children not of the Royal house. Ko only have chores and learning from legends and stories at the paws of the Saishi to worry about, and have the least expectations until Adolescent.
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 11:56 am
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:16 pm
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Off the Cuff Q&A!
question Doma? Just Doma? Is that a place or the pride name?
exclaim ...The Pride is called the Doma to outsiders, but Domans just call their home that. They call themselves Domans/ So technically Doma is the correct name.
question That's an English name!
exclaim N O P E. Doma is two kanji in japanese, meaning 'Dirt Floor'.
question Where are the Domans?
exclaim They live in a territory by the ocean. They're off the beach in a small valley that leads TO beach, but the other 3 directions are mountainous -- the area nearest the Savannah, however, has a pass the Domans use to reach the serengeti, so they do have access to food there.
question I don't play FFXIV/haven't hit Stormblood, what reference do you offer?
exclaim Originally I was assuming there were mixes of China, Japan, and Mongolia in the pride but everyone smart sniffed and got excited about... Feudal Japan! A large chunk of the Doman culture is Japanese, with borrowed elements from China and Mongolia - especially with the ideas running in my peabrain. Doma isn't 'pure' however -- there's a lot of modern thought in the pride relating to love and gender, but that's personal preference..
question Does the Doma have any allies?
exclaim Nothing formalized. They're a friendly pride, if interested -- and also well capable of getting into a fight, if you wanted.
question OH MAN DOMA! Are you going to add Cyan, Gosetsu, Yugiri, Yotsuyu, or others?
exclaim ANOTHER ANSWER TO UPDATE OH BOY. Currently this is upo to what people quest! Hien is obviously in-pride, and there's quests for Cerina and Yugiri, among others. So we'll probably see them as cosplays but general life plans are up to RP. Except Lord Kaien -- he perished during the plague that ravaged Doma, and is considered among the kami for his sacrifice tending to his pride.
question All species?!
exclaim Mmmhmmm. Doman familiars usually get tattoos... Like the full species Domans. XD
question Can you adopt my SoA into the Royal House?
exclaim The current plan is no - the pride is too weak. Not even Lifa's biological siblings were adopted. When Doma is stronger that may change but for now the Royal Family will be breeding-only from Hien or Lifa. Mostly Hien.
question Just one person running the pride?
exclaim NOT ANYMORE. I have Das Tor and MangoMeow to help me oiut in the background with ideas, and eventually metas. biggrin
question Can Domans breed before getting adult names?
exclaim Yes but it's seriously frowned upon as irresponsible, and the cubs may be raised by another family. and told to do better. The cubs aren't punished though but you sure won't get to keep them. YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM THE SHINOBI.
question Cubnapping? Kidnapping?
exclaim Possible with a plot, but for a lark? SHINOBI OR SAMURAI TO THE FACE.
question What are these kami I keep seeing? I am lazy and want an easy answer.
exclaim There's no super-easy, accurate answer. The Kami, however, are the Gods (Such as the God of Rain or Sand), and a myriad of lesser gods -- the souls of deceased mortals believed to protect the pride as lesser gods as payment for good works. Mortal Ascension is relatively unknown but if/when they learn that it's happened they'd venerate those gods as equally as any other. And probably celebrate their mortal families.
question How are god spawn and seers handled?
exclaim About the same? They might be nudged towards the higher ranks by their parents. Seers and Godspawn are a mark of honor among Domans, as the royal family can be traced to the gods themselves, barring adoption cases. And those are considered adopted by the gods, so.
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 6:20 pm
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 6:49 pm
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MangoMeow For honor!Username: MangoMeow SoA Name: Usahtiel Desired Rank: Retainer or (if not possible) Saishi Want to meet the lady Shogun or wander in on your own?: I’d love to have them meet~ [*] Usahtiel - [url=https://i.imgur.com/DS1kVDN.png]x[/url] *her name isn’t Japanese (least as far as I know) but if I need to, I can change it. She’s a blank slate that I got from being rehomed.
ACCEPTED though as for Retainer since she's meeting the Shogun we can see if it works? Her name's fine really. ouo starter plx |
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:18 pm
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 7:32 pm
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