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SUGGESTION BOX



A compilation of generalized facts about the main societies present in this here group.



G E N E R A L




Despite their society being split in two, with each half having convinced themselves that they are the more “civilized” of the duo, remarkably little has changed in the intervening years. Cats and Dogs have retained much of the Senate-House system that existed pre-war, with a few minor differences. Even many social norms have endured -- not that either side is likely to ever believe that they could have so much in common with the enemy.

First and foremost, it should be noted that among their own kind, both Cats and Dogs tend to make every attempt available to de-escalate conflict; issues with control/ownership/dominance are fairly uncommon and largely only have their place in fairytales. When they do come up, these issues are not resolved with fighting, unless the involved parties are unusually aggressive. Neither side smiles upon murder of their allies. Come now, none of them are animals -- and whyever would you do the enemy’s work for them?

In the event that tensions are present, it is generally recognized that showing one’s teeth is… rather unwise. The hindbrain of both societies recognizes such actions as threat/weapon displays and instinct tells them to act accordingly; conveying happiness is generally done via appropriate body language and a smile involving the mouth only. As an extension of that, teeth being positioned near the vital points of another being is almost universally considered a big No, with a capital No, for hopefully obvious reasons.



H O U S E & S E N A T E




Houses make up the backbone of both cat and dog societies. Without Houses, the masses would be little better than scattered family lines, nomadic and wary of all that is unfamiliar. “United we stand, divided we fall.”

It is such a shame this line of thought only extends as far as their own species.

Nevertheless -- each side is divided along house lines. Most of the City is considered “neutral” territory where all houses of a given species may pass through freely, but all Houses are given a small piece of land to do with as they please. Each House may also contain multiple family lines; they do not all have to be literally related to be united under a common banner.

Naming conventions follow thusly: [first name] of [house.] For example: Naenia of House Kingsley. Middle names are uncommon and considered excessively formal or even rude in most settings. Use with caution.

Each House is “led” by at least one Alpha. Who this Alpha is is up to the preference of their house; some houses only have Alphas from a specific family line. Some have alphas open to choosing their successor from any line within the house. By and large, this is considered a personal house decision and they have their own little ritual or preference. (Some houses even have multiple alphas! More than two is considered quite unusual, however.) (Alphas are also not meant to be dictators. Their word is not irrefutable law. More than one ambitious leader has been ousted by an angered house for going too far.)

Generally, an Alpha’s duties encompass being the public “face” of their House. They monitor the image their house presents (and take measures to adjust it if needed), keep an eye on and delegates finances, manage deals and alliances with other houses, oversee petitions to join their house, and ensure every member is taken care of, among other things.

The Government that watches over each house is simply called the Senate. Every House is permitted only one Senate Representative/Senator, chosen by that house’s Alpha. Houses are not Houses unless they have been granted this Senate seat; in the past, some apolitical Houses may have held an official chair and then declined to show up at meetings, but that has been unheard of for over a century. To not show at a Senate meeting is to deny your House a voice. That is dangerous to give up.

The Senate convenes on matters concerning all houses; it is not supposed to interfere or be influenced by in-house laws and rivalries. Much of Senate business is tied up in managing war and overseeing the creation and enforcement of City laws. The Senate does not convene on inter-house squabbles. Not unless -- and this is unlikely -- said squabble has resulted in a bodycount.

Quick Notes:
  • Houses sometimes combine together for a mutually beneficial reason -- usually because the two original houses are small and failing. Other times a smaller House is absorbed into the structure of a larger House structure.
  • Each House has its own connections. The biggest advantage someone in a House has over a loner -- indeed, the biggest reason why Houses were created, really -- is that an individual wields the full influence their House has garnered. Individuals may have their own jobs and source of income, but their House is there to break their fall should things go south.
  • Most House alliances fulfill simple supply-and-demand. House A has access to a valued material, House B possesses artisans that produce a valued product. House A offers a discounted price on the material in exchange for a discounted price on the products of House B, etc, etc.
  • The Senate is supposed to be neutral and unbiased. Supposed to be.



C A N I D S





Historically speaking, the canids of Alpha War have viewed themselves as the more “valiant” of the races that have roamed the earth, even beyond the typical “history is written by the winners” fare. This is likely caused by their tendency toward groupthink; no one wants to think badly of their peers and/or family, after all. It should be noted that “a proclivity toward groupthink” does not automatically translate “dogs will always blindly follow the leader,” as the cats sneeringly believe: individuals can and will dissent if they’re convinced they have a better idea. But unless the group in question isn’t well-socialized together, dogs will instinctively veer toward harmony by going with the majority without (much) complaint.

That being said, obviously most dogs will prefer to side with others of their House over strangers or even their friends; loyalty, too, is something that most canids believe that they have that the cats lack.

This loyalty, many believe, is why it is often so difficult to petition to join a pack. The process is long and deliberated over by several people, and the applicant is forced to exist in limbo for the duration of the entire dreary process. Oftentimes applying to another House while your application is already being considered by one is considered a grave enough insult that your application will be denied on the spot by both Houses, but being in limbo also means that you are, technically speaking, a loner. No family to back you. No funds to support you. You are subjected to interviews and background checks as the House pleases.

And yet -- the moment a petition clears, you immediately become a full member of the pack, no holds barred. You will be accepted as if you have always been one of the House, surrounded by other dogs who care about your wellbeing. You are One Of Them.

In the case of unions and civil partnerships, the dog(s) that come from a pack with lesser power will leave their old House and join the dog with the strongest/most influential pack. The level of power is determined through negotiations between the parents or the Alphas of the houses involved. Although unlikely, houses may occasionally be unable to come to an agreement as to who is to receive the new member(s) and, in such a case, the union/civil partnership is often dissolved. Alternatively, the members of the partnership may also be technically married while still technically part of their original pacts. It’s... a confusing legal situation. Luckily, it’s also a rare one.

Despite all of this House muckage, canines (of course) consider themselves to be the better of the two races. The more friendly, certainly; many House-packs engage in friendly (?) rivalries and competitions, sometimes escalating into tourneys that are a welcome distraction from the ever-present looming of the War.

Please keep in mind that the above information is merely a generalization of aggregated facts. Because canid characters in Alpha War are not limited to only one specific species, there are several alternative pack structures/species mentalities that one can and should take into consideration:
  • Packs that consist mainly of or with heavy African Wild Dog ancestry are based on large sibling-groups. Males tend to stay with their birth pack for their whole lives, whereas females are more likely to leave and join other packs when they reach adulthood/decide to form a partnership with a non-pack member. This would be otherwise unremarkable save for the fact that in such Houses, the children are considered the most important members of the group, with the secondmost important being the Queen(s) that essentially occupy the role of Alpha(s).
  • Coyotes, left to their own devices, will form only small packs consisting of immediate blood relatives. When beneficial, loners will be allowed into these ranks, but it rarely lasts for any significant length of time; because of this tiny membership combined with a dislike of outsiders, Coyote-dominated packs are often reluctantly absorbed into a larger pack structure while still attempting to maintain as much of their own identity as possible. As one can imagine, this is a common source of tension in internal pack relations.
  • On the flip side, packs with a majority of Dhole members may be difficult for some to identify as a singular pack at all. Packs with majority Dhole members that live close together will intermingle freely and, comparative to other pack structures, have a significantly higher rate of members joining or leaving. They also have a remarkably tolerant nature for outsiders that trespass onto their land and sometimes forget that other packs may not share the same friendly attitude on a great many issues, such as their reportedly higher rates of engaging in polyamory. On a good day, a kind person might use “eccentric” to describe the Dhole stereotype. On a bad day, well... “hedonistic” is a polite way of describing it.
  • Ethiopian and Maned Wolves are one of the few marked divergences from mainstream society in that neither species will instinctively form close packs at all. Those of Ethiopian Wolf descent still defend the land or interests of the pack that they consider themselves a part of, but will otherwise rarely interact with them. Maned wolves stray from traditional pack structure altogether, preferring to either run alone or with their (often monogamous) mate. This makes them the source of much distrust or disdain even if they do manage to find their way into pack membership. Nearly all successful packless wolves have been of Maned Wolf descent.
  • Similiar to Coytoes, Jackals tend to only form packs with their genetic relations, with members owing allegiance to the (usually singular) breeding pair. Children will either stay to assist said pair or leave to join other packs. However, unlike Coyotes, Jackals have a greater rate of pack harmonization if or when they are absorbed into a larger pack structure as long as said absorption is treated with delicacy. The formally singular pack will still prefer the company of each other over the larger pack, but are generally more willing to accommodate.
  • Last but not least, it should be noted that Short-Eared Dogs are regularly the target of scrutiny and suspicion. For many good, upstanding canid citizens, those that share this ancestry simple act too catlike to ever really be a true canine, what with their solitary and reclusive nature, often abstaining from society as a whole if they believe they can get away with it.



SOME NOTABLE HOUSES:

House Velasquez ›› Primarily of African Wild Dog descent. Renowned for their metalwork and weaponsmithing. Many things from before the war have been lost -- but House Velasquez have managed to hold and secure a valuable mine not far from the walls of The City; a remnant from the old days from which they draw the materials used in their pieces -- many custom-made and each a work of art. To own a blade stamped by House Velasquez is to own a companion that will see you to the end of your life, and the        lives of many cats. They have a very public alliance with House Buchanan. Their Alphas are the sisters Despina and Margaret. Their Senate Rep is Theresa.

House Buchanan ›› Primarily of Rottweiler and Akita descent. An old House, although they have moved from protecting residences and caravans to protectings person of interest, staffing the Wall, and, due to their longstanding contract with House Velasquez, watching over a mine. Security is the name of their game, and House Buchanan is the cream of the crop. They are also noted to produce several skilled Mechanics a generation. Their Alpha is Revazi. Their Senate Rep is Daniel.

House Pennington ››  Primarily of Poodle descent. Clever minds and clever hands fill this house to bursting, responsible for an impressive amount of the current technology canines possess and appear to be determined to continue on the course. House Pennington has bred more Mechanics than it knows what to do with, each dreaming to come up with the next Radio or revolutionize electricity. Their Alpha and Senate Rep is Christopher.

House Blanchard ›› Mixed/undefined descent. Brutal and unyielding to those who oppose them, more than one canine has spread the rumor that when the dogs win, they will have been carried on the backs of soldier from House Blanchard. Few argue with this assumption; many acclaimed 5☆s have come from these halls, and they don’t seem interested in letting that tradition die anytime soon. To come from House Blanchard is to have a heritage synonymous with strength, bravery, and leadership. Their Alphas are Samuel and Okoro. Their Senate Rep is Anika.



F E L I N E S




If you want something barked at, get a dog. If you want something to be done, get a cat. ...At least, that’s what any prideful, self-respecting Feline would say, as it’s common sense among their kind. Cats, after all, don’t shy away from the hard facts of life. They face them -- no, they revel in them, and they win, because that’s the only acceptable outcome for this dreadfully long war. They’ve sacrificed too much to do anything as dissatisfying as lose.

Despite what the dogs may think (not that anyone asked for their opinions), cats, too, are raised primarily in family groups. Colloquially called “colonies” rather than “packs,” these Houses are normally held together by feminine-presenting cats and the young children they work together to take care of. Masculine-presenting cats tend to wander around the fringes of the colony structure and more prone to vanishing from the grounds for days at a time. However, they usually come back, and most still consent to take a House name as their own.

This results in a House structure that is oftentimes more... lax than those encountered by canids, especially when it comes to applications -- switching Houses is far more easily done, for one. It doesn’t happen quite as often as one may suspect, but very few applications are ever denied (barring the cases of a few prestigious Houses.) However, these new entrants experience a degree of... adjustment. A period of time where the established members of the House take their own measure of the newbie and form their own opinions... and these opinions are not always positive. It can take weeks, months, or even years for a feline member to fully integrate into a House.

So why bother at all?

Because the biggest vice of the felines is that they all love a good gamble, of course.

Felines tend to adore games of chance, especially when they can win something off of it; Cat curiosity is alive and well, and the plans that have gone off without a hitch go down in history as feats even some dogs are grudgingly admiring of. On the other side of the coin, this means their failures tend to be... spectacular. As long as you live to see another day, though, what does it matter, right?

So let it be said: poker is a considered a high-brow game for the true intellectuals of cat society. Logically, this means that most cats prize those with a good poker face, and a hard-to-read face is often stereotyped as “Oh, you’ll go far, kiddo.”

A note: the vast majority of feline Houses are, in a sense, “ruled” by those of domestic feline descent. Aside from a few exceptions, their wilder cat counterparts are much more prone to want to lead life alone -- even if, as in canine culture, this means depriving themselves of a whole House’s resources, influence, and connections. Wildcats, however, are decidedly outnumbered, making up a third of the total Cat population at best; it’s by unspoken agreement that they generally agree to follow the lead of their “tamer” cousins and live with them in the family-groups of Houses. They have a tendency to stick to the fringes, but cat society has as few true loners (i.e., houseless loners) as the dogs do.

This also means that there are very, very few Houses that have a larger population of wildcats than it does domestic/feral. Most of them are a mix; the sole exception to this rule are lions, which are inclined to form family groups. Lion-dominated Houses tend to be on the smaller side, tending to accept only lion-blooded members, and populated largely by females and one or two males that are the “leaders” of these Houses. Male children are offered a choice to stay with their birth House or attempt to petition and join a different one; most choose to leave.

SOME NOTABLE HOUSES

House Sloan ›› Mixed/undefined descent. While this house contains some of the oldest recorded cat bloodlines -- and competition for petitions to become a scion of this House would be fierce for that reason alone -- their true claim to fame is their history of unusual sigilmancy aptitude. Many children born in these halls possess a higher-than-average compatibility with the sigilmancy arts and offer a sizeable advantage over those born without. Their Alpha is Bartholomew. Their Senate Rep is Sasha.

House Herrera ››  Primarily of Norwegian Forest Cat descent. Unusually for the times, the general interest of this house lies not in the battlefield, but in dusty memoirs. While carrying on informally at first, they have more or less been appointed official record-keepers and have done much legwork in piecing together the known history from a feline perspective. Their younger members still serve, of course, but retired soldiers often pursue careers in wheedling & authenticating documents from other houses. Their Alpha is Andrew. Their Senate Rep is Marius.

House Maddox ›› Primarily of Snowshoe descent. It’s said that scions of Maddox learn smithing before they ever learn of warfare. Whether this is true or not (and most do believe it to be the truth), there is hardly a feline soul alive that does not ache to possess a piece of craftsmanship shaped by the hands of a Maddox member. These weapons sing for canine blood, this armor does not falter. Their Alpha is Nessa. Their Senate Rep is Laxmi.

House Carlucci ›› Primarily of Lion descent. They are discreet. Once bought, they stay bought. And they guarantee a job well done. These three things solidify the core of this lion-blooded house that famously produces steadfast bodyguards and premium weaponry. Yes -- many of their workers are female, but let’s be honest... are you going to be the one to tell a lioness what they can and cannot do? Their Alpha and Senate Rep is Nicolai.



H Y B R I D S





To preface: yes, it is possible for cats and dogs to mate and have viable children together. Before the war took root, it wasn’t entirely uncommon to see houses of mixed lineage; it certainly didn’t happen everywhere, but it was a generally accepted fact of life until situations became… complicated.

As evident given the setting, of course, there are no existing public records (and even then, very few private documents) of such unions, which only logically leads to the majority of the population assuming that cats and dogs are as different as, well, cats and dogs. Even among those of the upper echelons of the military and political branches, the secret is rigorously restricted knowledge, and the few who do know will swear to their graves and beyond that they know nothing of the hybrids.

Taking that into consideration, by the time the present setting has rolled around, first generation hybrids -- i.e., their direct parents were a cat and a dog -- are incredibly rare, if they exist at all. Most hybrids present today are third or fourth generation minimum, and thoroughly unaware of their ancestry. In fact, if hybrids have no visible “deformities,” which are generally passed off as random chance mutations, they go their entire lives without ever knowing something is different about them. They make good shadows and operatives for their respective armies, however.

Notable physical “mutations” that are strong sign of mixed blood:

  • cats with button, half-pricked, or otherwise “dog-like” ears
  • cats with merle coats
  • cats with curled tails normally attributed to dog breeds like pugs or shiba inu
  • dogs with calico coloring
  • dogs with abnormal eye colors and/or slit/oval pupils
  • Etc, etc -- basically, colorations or characteristics normally found in only felines or canids being found in someone supposedly of the opposite species tends to be a strong indicator of someone with a hybrid background.
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