The Ferox- Determined and Headstrong

Apr 9, 20179 min read

Deviation Actions

TheRomanDefection

TRD-Staff

Published: Apr 9, 2017

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-- The Solus -- The Olum -- The Hunters --

History

_{Tales of the renegade masses of felines thriving outside of the Republic city of Massilia were kept expertly hidden for many years from the fighting Coliseum cats of Rome. Only a select few would have heard of them, and they rarely spread the news for fear of being discovered and killed. The only felines who openly knew about the struggles the humans were having in Massilia were the ones loyal to Rome. Massilia was a smaller city, unprepared for the rapid onslaught of idealistic freedom-fighting felines, and cats were escaping quickly, faster than they could keep up with. The officials in Rome were careful not to make the same mistake. When the first signs of resistance began to sprout, they were immediately crushed. That is, until the cats began to plan better.

By the time the first mass escape plot had spread throughout the cages and holding rooms of the Roman felines, the humans and their loyal felines were far too overpowered to stop it. The first mass break-out was an overwhelming success for the Coliseum cats; very few of their comrades were captured or killed. This first group of felines banded together like they had heard about the Massilian escapees doing. In their freedom, they became organized. Order and authority was something familiar to them, and it was only natural for them to fall into the same system they had lived in their entire lives. They created separate tasks for cats of varying skillsets; healers, protectors, fighters, and leaders. Each group had a leader of their own, known as the Head. They formed the four new ranks in their group...Anecdotists, Gatherers, Falcons, and Strategists. Together, these groups formed the Ferox.

Some felines, of course, were tired of the old ways that the Ferox wanted to instill. The Ferox did not argue with them as they slipped away to live on their own or in small groups in the wild; they became known as the Solus. The loyalist felines within the city became frustrated with this new Defection in their seemingly perfect system of life. The humans started a program to mock the one existent in Massilia; Bounty Hunters. Highly-trained elite felines pulled from the Coliseums to be assigned a new task; hunt down and capture the Defected cats to bring them back to their rightful place within the city walls. When the Ferox caught news of this dangerous force, they decided to change their tactics. Instead of being a safe haven for newly escaped cats, they formed a new mission; defy the Bounty Hunters and their human leaders, break back into the city to wreak havoc and release the masses of cats still trapped underground. They quickly became a powerful force; after all, most of their members had trained the majority of their lives to be brutal killers. In retaliation of this new aggressive Ferox, the Hunter force began to grow as they quickly recruited new fighters.

The Ferox have been in a constant neck-and-neck struggle with the city felines, and they plan on continuing their struggle for freedom until the last one of them is slain. But ideals and morals have a hard time ever dying out completely.}

Culture

_{Never should one mistake the life of a Ferox feline as an easy one. They train hard for long periods of time. Most of their members go through interviewing and questioning when they join because of a bad situation they once had when the Hunters infiltrated their ranks, pretending to be Defectors like them. The event led to the capture of many of their members and the deaths of a few others. To be on the safe side, new members will go through a period of heavy guarding, intense speculations, and near-confinement. Of course, if a cat wishes to leave the ranks during this period to become Solus, the Ferox do not stop them. They only wish to have the strongest-minded and dedicated cats on their force.

The Ferox follow the rules set in place by their Heads, and do not disobey them. After the council of Heads, the Strategists hold the most power and influence within the Ferox. This is because they are in charge of plans, tactics, and patrols. Strategists may start to overstep their boundaries of power at times by giving orders that they are technically in no position to be giving, such as disciplinary threats or orders for other Ferox to get back to work. Anecdotists may easily get annoyed by Strategists; as the most knowledgeable felines in the Ferox, they often are irked that the Strategists think they have the authority to tell them how to do their jobs. The Anecdotists are helpers and storytellers. They teach morals and ideals and are very studious. They crave knowledge and understanding, but are typically skilled fighters as well. The Falcons are protectors and providers. They are the ones in charge of hunting for prey and feeding the Ferox. A few Falcons will almost always accompany an out-of-camp training session with apprentices so they can stand watch and make sure no one is preparing to attack them. Swift and silent felines are highly appreciated within the Falcon rank, as Falcons are the ones who are often the ones to attack caravans for supplies. They will also occasionally go with the Gatherers into the city to steal supplies. They may see Gatherers as hot-headed and arrogant brutes. The Gatherers, on the other hand, are often annoyed with Falcons because they also seem quite arrogant; the Falcons may see more fights, but the Gatherers' jobs are far more dangerous. The Gatherers might think of the Falcons as weaker and less critical to the Ferox cause. The Gatherers are the cats in charge of missions to break into the city for various reasons; disrupting the Hunters, breaking out Coliseum cats, and assassination attempts. An Anecdotist and Strategist is always with them, and sometimes a few Falcons will be present with their own mission. The Gatherers are also in charge of educating and looking after Initiates, though the Heads are the ones who do all of the questioning. Members of all four groups may take on apprentices.

Despite the groups' differences and disputes, they all have one goal in mind; save everyone trapped inside the city, and teach them to survive in the wild, where they are meant to live.}

Lore

_{The Ferox do not follow an official religion as much as they have old folklore they use to teach lessons. It is widely debated whether these tales are true or not. They are used to teach the history and ideals of the Ferox and Solus.

The tale begins with three friends; Efferus the leopardess, Nedria the cheetah, and Artemisia the tigress. All three felines were owned by the same human in the Roman Coliseum. They were all mighty and feared fighters. Efferus was strong and powerful. Nedria was swift and brave. Artemisia was tactful and smart. All three were successful and made their owner one of the richest humans in the city. He rewarded them all with fine meals, comfortable living spaces, and beautiful armor. For a while, these prizes kept all three cats comfortable with their lives. But Efferus one day was sent to the nearby city of Massilia to fight and train in a new place; there is where she met the felines of the great Empires. She heard tales of them living in the wild, fighting for their freedom and for their rights to live their lives as they wanted. When she returned, she told Artemisia and Nedria the stories she had heard. Nedria was enthralled, as she was had been fighting for longer than either of her friends. She and Efferus were tired of fighting and killing. They longed to see the sky and the forests Efferus had heard about in Massilia.

Artemisia saw her friends as ungrateful. How could they turn away from their life of fame and glory? From their generous human who gave them everything they'd ever need in life? On the night that Efferus and Nedria escaped, Artemisia got the attention of their owner and some guards. There was a fight. Efferus and Nedria managed to escape, but not after each getting a few new scars. Artemisia was furious. How could they turn away from their great life in the city? How could they leave their friend behind? Her angry human notified the Roman Counsel of the recently escaped Coliseum fighters, and they made Artemisia the first Bounty Hunter of the city.

Efferus was angry at Artemisia. She had betrayed them. She had tried to get them killed. She decided that she had to dedicate her life to helping every last willing Coliseum fighter out of the city to live in the wild where they truly belonged. Nedria, who was tired of all of the fighting and conflict, wanted to live her life by herself, enjoying the forests and wild territories. Efferus didn't try to stop her, and they made a pact to agree to always help each other if they were ever in need. Efferus was the first Ferox. Nedria was the first Solus.

There are many tales surrounding the three friends. Your feline may choose to believe whether or not they are true.}