The Dominion

## National Flag

The Dominion of Visha'Toka, otherwise known as simply "The Dominion" is a country that exists within COI and is heavily based off of the concepts of imperialistic Britain in the 16th century and Victorian Britain in the 19th century. Built up from the invading Saber Races during the age of destruction, the Dominion has been ruling the whole of Visha'Toka since the second age. A large and formidable group, with a military power that can only be rivaled by the eastern fleets of the Embassy, the Dominion's seat of power is on an island off of the mainland of Visha'Toka and is considered to be the birthplace of the Saber Race.

### Things to note

The Dominion is the only faction within COI that doesn't have any sub-factions that can count themselves as singular "states" or "ruling powers". However, that doesn't mean that the Dominion should go ignored for the lack of "unlockable factions" or "choices". There may or may not be a secret hiding within this country's unexplored lands... or even hiding in plain sight that can be unlocked by creating a character and pursuing a story within the faction. Instead, the sub-factions within this group revolve around the Ruling Class (aka the Saber Houses), the Military powers they tend to bolster, and the Rangers that protect the commonplace populace and farmers from the dangers of the jungles of the mainland.

#### Pros for Choosing the Dominion

* Technologically advanced compared to the other two factions
	+ Only rivaled by the Silver Trust in the Insurgence
* Largest and most expansive military power of the three factions
	+ Soldiers are well cared for, are well supplied, and! it's paid!
	+ Rivaled by only the Embassy's Navy
* If you're rich, are a member of a Saber House, or have old money, you're going to do just fine here
* Farming communities remain largely untouched by the war and by the government at large
	+ Aka: we don't care as long as you feed us... we will even *pay* you to feed us
* The rangers are basically a combination of forest protectors/guides and "Witchers"

#### Cons for Choosing the Dominion

* Classism abound; the Saber Families make up the top 1% and make at least triple that of the richest family under them (aka Eat the Rich)
* Racist
	+ Sabers are the best, everybody else can suck it
	+ Pure bred felines are technically the second best but they're not as good as the Saber Races
	+ Anybody who is a combination of races? You can suck it. Yes, even if you're a saber combo, you can suck it.
* Segregation
	+ If you're a weird combination of two+ feline species, you're probably not treated the best and given lower jobs if it's obvious that your lineage isn't pure
	+ Except in the military, you may have a chance to rise in the military. We will do anything for the military here
* "We have healthcare and dental" (but it's going to cost~)

## History

### The Age of Destruction

```
Years 1 - 150 of the Felid Calendar

```

The age of destruction is thought to be the start of the calendar as we know it and runs from the years 1-150 approximately. It is during this time that the Saber Race and it's armies first landed upon Visha'Toka's mainland and started their period of conquest. For the next 150 years, historians believe that the world as we know it was rocked by tragic battles and unneeded bloodshed. It is thought that the beginnings of the Dominion are rooted in the Saber Race's landfall, as the Tataway family can trace back their lineage to the "very first sabers".

### The First Riots

```
Late November 1805 - December 1805

```

In November of 1806, tensions had begun to rise with the general populace of the Dominion. Felines were sick and tired of constantly being berated for not having a "pure blood" heritage or for not being rich enough to avoid the issues of poverty. Action seemed to be the only way, and so the felines rose up. When Baron Vinitus Tataway was sworn into office as the new baron, Victarian Antaric, enraged by the speech of this newly appointed bureaucrat, spoke up in a hushed crowd and paid the price with his head, as a public execution took place shortly after he interrupted the Baron.

Pandemonium hit the streets almost immediately as riots broke out throughout the city of Vangard and a police state ensued shortly thereafter. By December, the new Baron created the first law forcing families within the city of Vangard to give up one of their children to work for the City Guard. After a few days, the city goes from having a soft police state in place to that of a total police state put into effect. Curfews and laws against social gatherings crack down on the populace to ensure obedience within the lower social classes is taken seriously. After five days straight of rioting, peace is returned to the city, but at the cost of many lives and the freedom of most of the city.

Law and order is restored within the capital as the forced draft causes families to either flee the city or be jailed when they do not agree to the law.

It is thought that these first riots would spark the Insurgence movement, as only three months later Baron Vinitus would be found dead.

### Vinitus' Fall

```
Mid-March 1806

```

On March 15th of the year 1807, Baron Vinitus is found dead in his bed. After three days of testing and investigations, the family coroner announces that he died of natural causes. It doesn't take long for rumors to start flying through the city as members of the Baron's staff start to whisper about how he hasn't been seen. By the time his death is announced, most of the upper crust is convinced it was poisoning. When the official press release offers that the baron died of natural causes, the city flies into overdrive. Many believe that poison was used against him.

Spoiler, it *was* poison that killed the late baron, but to avoid scaring the upper crust into their own kind of panic, the coroner and commodore agreed to keep it quiet. Marvin Tataway, aware of the risks he would take by moving into power, agrees to step into the position of Baron for the Dominion. As the only surviving direct descendant of Vinitus, and as the commodore of the Dominion under his uncle, some felines believe that Marvin was the one who killed him in order to gain power.

This rumor is put to rest quickly, either through quiet executions or bribery.

### The Spark

```
April-October 1806

```

As soon as his position is secured and the rumors of his rise to power have been quelled, Marvin Tataway repeals his uncle's rules about the city guard in early April, allowing felines to once again breath at ease. In order to ensure that the city guard still gets new recruits and to avoid losing over half of the new recruits that have been gained since the ruling went into effect, he sets up a stipend for military families. He hopes that this will give poorer families reason to join the city guard.

This, however, isn't enough to keep the mass exodus of recruits from happening. The governor of Vangard retaliates by heavily taxing the families of the felines who deserted the city guard and military. Tensions are high as the governor and Baron fight over rules and regulations, by mid-July, in the midst of the farming season, taxes and prices for goods are so high that over half of the population can barely afford to purchase food to feed their families. Only military families and the Sabers are capable of caring for each other.

Riots break out.

By October, the Eastern Sector (modern day Ferid Embassy) experiences the worst famine in decades. As the main supplier of exotic goods, costly products that could only be afforded by the higher society felines anyway, jump up to extreme prices. Only the great Saber Houses are capable of affording most foods other than the general slop.

Finally, enough is enough. As the prices have risen in Vangard, the towns outside of the capital finally decide that it's time to react. Slowly, governors of the northern sector recede from view as one by one they agree that something must be done and the city of Vangard must be freed.

War is on the horizon.

### A City Torn

```
Early November 1806 - 1807

```

In November, Marvin tries to avoid the spark of war by snuffing the flames to the north with a promise of peace. Tax cuts and a relief effort are made to try to stabilize the broken economic structures of the Dominion at large, but most efforts are held with disdain by most of the richer cities of the Southern Sectors. The governor of Vangard directly contradicts the Baron's efforts by raising taxes one the poorest families. Fighting breaks out in the streets and members of the lowest income families demand for the governor's head.

They don't get what they want and families who can no longer afford the "bullshit of the capital" leave in droves to the farming towns. The governor tries to put a stop to this by attempting to put in his own kind of police state.

Peace, it seems, will not be an option.

As another police state reigns throughout the city of Vangard, Marvin has to figure out how he's going to fix the issue as the governor continues to make a mess of the city. Laws demanding that any rioter or protestor be jailed indefinitely begin to cause the city's only jail to overflow. It only comes short of public executions when Marvin finally makes a move to remove the governor from power.

It almost ends badly for both of them, as many want to see the governors head on a pike. As Marvin and the governor are leaving the governor's mansion, they are attacked by unknown assailants. Protests for representation within the capital for the northern and eastern sectors have caused tensions to rise even higher, and as the north threatens to start a war, Marvin is fighting a battle within his own walls for the city he lives within.

The public execution of the Governor is the only thing that stops the riots. Marvin devises a plan to fake the governors death to ensure he can stay alive while still allowing him to get retribution for everything that has happened in his city.

## Culture

### Social Organization

The average Dominion household is made up of *normally* one male and one female alongside their offspring. Occasionally homes may house up to three generations, though generally it is because the oldest generation is in need of care by their offspring. Although the dominion does not have any rules against those of the same gender living with each other (or multiple people of the same age living together as a singular family unit), it is rare to see these families within the dominion’s social structure, as society tends to heavily frown upon these instances.

The head of the household is generally the oldest, most capable to work male figure. When one is not present, this title often falls upon the mother of the household, or, occasionally, the grandfather or grandmother of the household. The head of household is often held in high regard and is often expected to dictate many parts of the family’s social dynamic. Their biggest concerns are maintaining the family fortunes and, for the higher class families, arranging marriages to ensure their offspring marry into the best possible position their station grants them.

There are three main social classes within the Dominion’s culture defined by how much quartz a family earns. The upper class is made up of the rich crust, and often includes the bureaucrats, doctors, lawyers, judges and high military ranking families. One may see the occasional well off merchant in this tier as well, though they are few and far between. The middle class is the shrinking backbone of the Dominion, as the bulk of most occupations fall into this category, though it seems that a good paying job is slowly becoming difficult to find. The lower class is made up of farmers, herders, and other small time jobs that often trade their goods in exchange for services within their specific village. Each class can be easily spotted in the Dominion based off of their clothing and how "presentable" they may look in society. The more clothing the felines wear and the more dignified they act in social circumstances, the higher class they are.

The further away from the large cities, you get, the more generational family dynamics you begin to see, as most villages are made up of a singular family and their farm hands normally.

### **Etiquette**

If you don't bow to the upper crust, you'll be punished. I mean it.

### **Laws**

The way the laws are decided is via the Baron and their council and because of this, the laws are *always* changing. It's a fun time to be alive. This is also a sort of fancy way of me saying that the laws are currently a big old TBA

#### Crime and Punishment

Small Crimes

Medium Crimes

Large Crimes

Terrorism

### **General Fashion**

If you're in the military YOU DO NOT DISRESPECT THE SUIT. You wear that on special occasions and otherwise keep it PRESSED AND WELL KEPT OR THE POLICE WILL COME FOR YOU. Also fancy hats and dresses are IN.

### **Foods**

WE SPENT ALL THIS TIME TAKING OVER THIS PLACE FOR SPICES AND DECIDED THAT THEY WERE TOO MUCH SO WE WILL KEEP TO OUR BLAND FOOD THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE DO WANT TO TAKE YOUR SPICES TO SELL THO. ONLY SELL. NO EAT.

### **Marriages & Other Ceremonies**

Marriages within the dominion are often completed under The Divine Sanctum of Felis. They are often long and tedious, often involving a ceremony the day before where the two individuals celebrate (or mourn) the fact of their marriage, a ceremony the day of, and a period where the couple enjoys some alone time to ensure that they can consummate their love and hopefully bring new life into the world in the name of Felis. The general ceremony normally allows the two felines in question to appear in church to be married before family and friends in "ceremonial attire" that varies region by region within the dominion. If the feline has served in any branches of the military, he or she is expected to wear their military outfits. They then say their vows and give one another a trinket (normally a necklace or ring) as a way to promise their feelings are true and that they are only devoted to one another. Generally after this occurs, there is a period of time where the family partakes in their normal marriage costumes and then there is a feast. Divorce is generally frowned upon in the Dominion.

## Jobs & Positions

### **The Upper Crust**

As was previously mentioned, the upper crust is considered to be the richest class within the Dominion, and because of that, they often bolster the "higher paying" jobs and build them up.

#### The Baron/Baroness

Winston Tataway, the currently missing, probably murdered by his daughter, baron and his son, Adam Tataway, come from a large family of Sabers who have been "in charge" since the age of Destruction, shortly after the Dominion first formed and came into being. The family tree for the Tataways is Sprawling and it permeates most every aspect of the upper crust. Most saber families can boast being related to the Baron Family, and almost all of them have some wager for an arranged marriage that needs to be cashed out at some point or another. The below list is felines who bear relation to the Tataway line.

#### **The Commodore**:

Commodore Norrington is probably the closest friend to the baron and often seen as a trusted advisor. Though the older feline has been missing.

#### **The Council**

Felines who advise the Baron/Baroness that are from the various towns

#### Aristocrats:

General rank that holds bankers, doctors, lawyers, and those kinds of positions

### **The Military of the Dominion**

Brigadiers: Engineers of the Military

Officers -

Cadets -

### **The Lower Crust**

Rangers - Mercenaries that sell themselves out when traveling through the dense jungles of visha’toka,  also sell and trade goods they catch while out

Citizens - General Rank (can have various made up ranks within it ranging from teachers to merchants to police to thieves)

Mobsters - ranging from leaders of the mob to a lowly lacky, members that create mobsters have the option to form their own mafia’s/gangs if they so wish and build their own ranks to suit what the mafia does

Ferals - the poorest members of the dominion’s society - general rank ranging from indentured servants (who really are just slaves with a better name, as there is no way to get out of this rank) to hunters and gatherers that live in the surrounding villages of the dominion

## Religion

### **Felism**

Members are welcome to create their own denominations of this religion.

Felines who practice Felism often are considered to be a part of the "divine sanctum".

#### Felis the Almighty

Felis is similar to the real world’s general “God” that is spoken of within Jewish, Christian, and Islamic culture. He has had many prophets since the religion’s founding in the early 1000s and there are multiple different denominations within this religion. (All of which are free for members to create. Think about it as the multiple different denominations within Christianity. There are the Lutherans, Catholics, Baptists, etc).

#### **Key beliefs**

The key beliefs in Felism are very similar to the ten commandments and pulls heavily from the “book” religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

There are many differences of interpretation and opinion of the Holy Scriptures written by devoted messengers of his holiness over the years. The sacred traditions and ideas of Felism can be difficult to follow for many when looking at every denomination and faith as a whole, as a lack of consensus on the core texts often causes the various denominations to deny others of their right as members of the Divine Sanctum that will ultimately lead to a place in heaven.

In order to gain the holy right to the land of the eternal, one must live a relatively sin free life and follow in the commandments sent down from Felis himself. These commandments are relatively easy to follow, as most are generally considered unlawful by most governments. However, some denominations have come to question various texts and have, through interpretation, added and removed various commandments from their beliefs to better fit what they are trying to bring forth in this world with their beliefs.

The Commandments are as follows:

* Do not murder others
* Do not steal
* Do not have intercourse prior to marriage
* Respect others
* There is only one god and He is the creator of all
* Sunday is a holy day of worship
* Do not envy your neighbor for the things they possess
* Honor your mother and father
* Respect Him as you do yourself. He is a part of you and thus you are a part of Him.

However, everybody agrees, by listening to various preachers and by following the holy scripture, you will find yourself in the eternal bliss that is heaven.

#### **Key Customs**

Sunday is generally a day of worship across all denominations and more often requests that all families spend the day with each other on the holy day so that they can bond. Worship is generally done at a church of sorts before a preacher, but some families elect to worship at home by reading from the holy texts of the sanctum.

The well known holiday of Holy Creation is celebrated by this religion. The holiday starts generally the week before the winter solstice and spans the week, ending on the night of the solstice, when the world is closest to their creator as he breathes new life into the world. Generally families will bring a tree into the house and treat it as their own world as children create and add new crafts to it every day to signify Felis’ creation of the world. Depending on which denomination is followed by the family, the creations that are made can range from day to day. Presents are also given out during this time to younger members to let them know how much they are loved by their family throughout the year. It is a time of thanks and a time for rejoicing.

More to be announced via denominations

#### **Clergy**

Various denominations have different kinds of clergymen. See approve Denominations for further information. (If there is no information that fits what you’re looking for feel free to create your own denomination to best fit what you want for your character)

#### **Head of Religion**

Various denominations have various leaders of these religions and it’s mostly up for interpretation. The best known head of the Religion is the Sovereign who stays in the cathedral of Felis, thought to be the birthplace of the religion itself.

See approved Denominations for further information. If there is no information that fits what you’re looking for feel free to create your own denomination to best fit what you want for your character.

#### **Foundings**

It is assumed that the religion of Felism was founded prior to the Saber's landing upon Visha'toka, as it is predominantly the religion of the Sabers and those who were pushed to follow their bidding after the age of destruction.

#### **Extra information:**

* Felis is thought to be a mixture of all felines, and yet looks like no felid ever before seen. Various translations show him with tiger stripes, saber teeth, and a lion’s mane, but there are other versions that have him as smaller felines. It all depends on which sect and what people were showing him off.
* It took seven days to create the world which is what the holiday of Holy Creation is about.
* Felism was created within the Dominion and is the main religion of the Dominion