Deviation Actions
History
Many years ago, cats began defecting from Rome. Cats that did not appreciate the fame and glory that the coliseum battles gave them, the adoration from humans, the safe living quarters...
But there were still cats that had sense. That knew that Rome's way was the right way.
These cats were called Bounty Hunters.
The Hunters began when a stranger from Massilia who went by the name of "Scaeden" grabbed a handful of trainees. Scaeden took a special interest in a male named Benedictus- perhaps he saw himself in the young cat.
The cats had been training hard when the first outbreak occurred since the hunters had been formed.
Cats fought, and many were killed, hunters and defectors alike. It was a dark time. But from the ashes, the hunters grew even stronger.
The hunters walked towards the Ferox camp and were promptly ambushed, but Scaeden had another plan up his sleeve. They were going to pretend to be fellow Defectors.
The Ferox fell for the plan almost the whole time they were there. And then, one night, in a gathering, they attacked.
It was a victory for the hunters, but amidst the fighting, Scaeden disappeared and Benedictus took leadership. They'll tell you that Scaeden died that night, slain by a Defector, but perhaps there is another part of the story...
After all, a coin cannot exist with only one side.
You can read a more in-depth story of the Roman Hunter's beginnings in the story "Straight from Legend", written by the group's founder, Staniqs: staniqs.deviantart.com/gallery…
Culture
The Hunters have always been a loyal faction, dedicated to preserving Rome's traditions and united as one family fighting for the same cause. A Hunter may be merciless in battle, but they will never leave a fellow friend behind.
There is the leader, who makes patrols and gathers cats up for gatherings or events and keeps the Hunters united. Then there is the leader's silver hunter, who acts as a right-hand man and is second-in-line to become the leader. They often provide their leader with moral support and can oftentimes be seen walking around with them in their spare time. That being said, the leader and silver hunter almost always have a very strong bond.
And then there are the Elites. The Elite Hunters are a step above the rest and are all possible candidates for the next Silver. The Elite Hunters are a group of cats, generally older and more experienced.
And then Hunters, apprentices, and tribunes come after. When a tribune turns six months old, they are given to a Hunter to train until they know all they need to. Apprentice and Hunter relationships can be strong but sometimes are not.
Hunters are cats that take pride in themselves, their cause, and their abilities- it is a very prideful faction. Hunters also use slang and mannerisms more common in humans, since they live beside them whilst in Rome.
The Hunters are a rowdy bunch that loves to compete, celebrate, and pushes themselves to the limit. Celebrations usually involve parties, running through the city, and wine or meat.
The Hunters were bred to serve their cause and serve it well, and they won't let you forget it.
Religion
The Bounty Hunters, much like the humans, believe in the Roman gods, such as Jupiter, Neptune, Mars, Venus, and Minerva, to name a few. It is not uncommon to see a Hunter named after a God, in fact.
There are Gods for many things, such as war, volcanoes, wisdom, and wine. There is a person that the cats pray to for just about any little thing, and it takes apprentices a long time to memorize who is who.
Of course, with so many, most all cats have a favorite- this God they pray to the most and bless with the best offerings.
You'll oftentimes see the Hunters jokingly telling each other why their favorite God is better, and before a raid, several cats will visit the Pantheon, a place by the captured cats' room, to go and pray to the statue of their favorite God.
Favorites aside, all Gods are treated with respect and admiration by most all Hunters- of course, there are nonreligious cats or those that believe in different deities, and they are all treated like family. Some cats may even pray to their God to look after a nonbeliever "just in case".
Geography
You will often see some people referring to the main living space of the Hunters as ‘the Garden’. The Garden is where the Hunters sleep, eat, train, socialize, and basically everything else.
The main center of the Garden is the actual garden part. In the center is a small temple with a single marble statue inside depicting Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt. On the outside of each corner of the shrine is a small birch tree. Flowing out from the center of the Garden are numerous stone paths that wind and intersect with each other. Wherever there is not a path, however, there are small bunches of wildflowers, grasses, and even a few more trees here and there. This is a peaceful area for Hunters to relax, sunbathe, socialize, and a favorite spot for the Tribunes to play.
On the south end of the main garden is an old arena that used to be used for small Gladiator battles, but has since then been transformed into a training area for the Hunters. There is only one way inside; from the Garden. It is open all the time to the Hunters to use. In the center area of the arena, humans have piled up old crates, rocks, and piles of rubble for the Hunters to use as practice for woodland and mountainous terrains. Apprentices and mentors will spend a majority of their days in this arena, especially early on in their training. The seating area around the edges of the pit are used for Elites, the Silver, the Leader, and mentors to observe apprentice training sessions. Sometimes the Hunters will bring in dogs, human Gladiators, and sometimes Coliseum felines to train against apprentices. Coliseum cat owners see the opportunity to let their cats fight against Bounty Hunters as an honor, and are almost always willing to let their cats fight.
On the north end of the Garden is a long building filled with a random assortment of rooms. Though there are many entrances into the building, the main one leads into a long and narrow room with a high ceiling and circled by balconies from the two floors above it. On the other end of the room, there are high, open windows that are used as natural lighting, with potted trees between each one. There is a pool in the room that Hunters use to practice swimming or to relax in. Along the two long-sided walls there are a series of entrances that lead to hallways or rooms, typically filled with pillows for sleeping or private socializing. There are a few rooms that are specific to food, water, healing, and armor fitting. Humans work in this building as healers, cleaners, feeders, blacksmiths, and more. There is a specific room for the Tribunes to sleep with the Caretaker if they have no parents to be with, as well as unofficial main sleeping rooms for apprentices, regular Hunters, and Elites. Again, the only way to enter or exit this building is through the Garden itself.
The entire Garden is closed off to anyone except Bounty Hunters; guards would know each Hunter and know who to let in and who to not let in. Tribunes are not allowed to leave the Garden, and apprentices can only leave with their mentors or if given permission.
There is a city outside the Garden, however, which makes up Rome. The city is filled with buildings and markets and a cobblestone floor, and it is never not alive with people buzzing about.
Right outside the Garden is the room for captured cats, oftentimes referred to as a "prison". The room is a stone building with an arch that acts as a door- it is guarded with a gate that can be opened and closed. There are stairs leading down to the bottom of the room, and along the stairs, there are cages lining each side. Cages are kept barred in by rusty metal bars and the smell of mold, dust, and decay is enough to make anybody gag. It sounds like hell, and any cat that's lived there will tell you it feels like hell, too.
Right by the prison, there is the Coliseum. The Coliseum is massive and always roaring with noise. Captured cats are transported into little cages within the Coliseum before being let out to fight. The floor is covered with sand and dirt, and the floor is cleaned only at the end of the day. That means that more likely than not, you'd have to fight on top of sand soaked in blood from the last fight.
Finally, surrounding the city of Rome is its walls, towering and made of stone. They overlook the forest and any cat sitting there would be able to spot an intruder from quite a distance away, which is why cats stand guard there day and night.
The walls all connect to the gates, which, of course, open and close. And then there are the roads which lead away from Rome to far-off cities in the distance, roads that Hunters may travel if they are on patrol or escorting a caravan. More often than not, though, humans will be seen on the roads instead of cats.
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About God-Modding + A Couple Other Things
Winter Assignments // Olum
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one question tho: if the Coliseum is right besides the Garden and it's always roaring with noise, shouldn't that automatically make the Garden less peaceful? XD Or are the cats just already used to the noise?