Knossos Armed Forces

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*“If you will not die for us, you cannot ask us to die for you."*

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**THE KNOSSOS ARMED FORCES** is one of the playable factions within TMS. Located within the cities of Crete. It is loosely based on the various military ranks that existed within Greece in ancient times.

Created back during the Minoan Age, **The Knossos Armed Forces** are currently lead by the Strategos, Alesandro. Meant to be a hard balance for The Roman Army, this group of felines will be predominantly fighting for resources and acknowledgement in the city against The Astynomia while also dealing with a literal war on their doorstop. This faction in particular is best known for it's "brother at arms" attitude towards each other and it's ability to fight both at land and at sea.

As far as beliefs go, this faction tends to put Athena on a pedestal while simultaneously taking note that without Ares, war would not be needed. The two are often pictured together, being seen as two parts to a whole, one being much more volatile than the other. Zeus tends to follow shortly behind as the father of the Greek pantheon, while other felines may tend to bring in worship of the other gods they've seen in their own home lives.

## History

### Foundations

It is a known fact that Knossos and it's cities have, for many, many years, been plagued with pirates. They have made their living off of stealing from the many small trade vessels that move between the many islands of the Mediterranean and have found the ports of Crete in particular to be a bountiful resource in their quest for money. Because of this, the King of Crete decided that it would be wise to build up a defense against them.

This was long before the current King ruled upon his throne, back when the original Minotaur roamed the maze and felines weren't often expelled to their doom in it's terrible vastness. Over the decades it has been in existence, the Knossos Armed Forces has slowly but surely changed it's handling of criminals and how it policed it's city. The felines that were brought in where given simple directions: keep the city streets clear of the scoundrels and law breakers and ensure that the seas were safe to sail. Most of the felines chosen were more than capable of apprehending humans and felines alike in their duties, and for awhile they prospered.

### A Change of Pace

The the original purpose of the armed forces was to be the law enforcement. Their purpose was to protect the city and it's traders out at sea from the dangers of raiders and looters, but in recent years that purpose has become... unclear. With the rise of the Astynomia in 76 BC, the felines have felt a... shift... in their duties. What was once clear and easy to follow for rules has become much more complicated as the Astynomia have begun to handle the issues within the cities walls more and more. Competition hasn't exactly been *big*, but it's not uncommon for a feline of the Astynomia to take a cat under custody while a Knossos Army feline was in clear pursuit.

Difficult times were ahead, and it seems the council has done nothing but muddle the lines further. What is the job of an Armed Forces feline if they can't keep pirates out of their cities?

### Current Timeline

   Trouble has been brewing for a long time. Tensions between the Astynomia and Armed Forces are high. There are whispers that the council has received threats from their "Roman Rulers" and have refused every request to accept that Rome is their true leader, not the King. Worries that a war is about to break out have begun to circulate in the city, reaching the felines of the Armed Forces one by one. Rumors continue to spread and danger seems to be lurking around every corner.

Now, war is on the horizon. The city is in uproar as it's people ignore the idea that the Romans and their overbearing attitudes could cross the sea and attack the island. Rumor has it that there are soldiers coming, as traders and laborers alike begin to worry over what this means for the future of Knossos and the island of Crete. The army has stepped up to prepare, turning their eyes away from the pirates and other scoundrels in the streets to worry over war plans and train their new recruits.

## Joining The Ranks

To become a member of the Knossos Army, a feline must succeed in the very same battle as the Astynomia felines. Once they have completed the event, another member of the military evaluates their capabilities before returning to the council for final judgement before the King of Knossos or his Council of Felines. The fighting Circuit opens up mass fights where prospective members for the Army and Astynomia are pitted against seasoned Olympians who have fought in the arena most of their lives for the glory of Zeus. These large battles only occur twice a year, allowing new blood to potentially show their worth before the council and the King. Winners are then taken to their respective leaders to evaluate whether their performances matched the expectations of their respective faction since these prospects are for both the Army and Astynomia.

The city has always held a "whoever can prove themselves may join" view of both the Army, and because of this, a wide variety of felines rub shoulders within the ranks of the army and navy alike. Families who have been in the city's upper crust of nobility can work alongside street urchins who come from very little. It is expected that you leave behind any bias you may have upon joining the Armed Forces, as you never know who you may be working with. Big or small, wealthy or poor, you're all in this together whether you like it or not. As long as you have proven yourself in combat, nothing else should matter.

**Staff Note:** The next in-game qualification period is set to occur in an **unknown time period**, as we are still in June of 72 BCE. If you're looking to set a character up on this path, please message the staff so that we are aware and can either allow your character to take part (if you're okay with waiting) or discuss options on how your character would stand out to the Strategos to allow you to join sooner. Since TMS works in a slower time-frame (as we advance our months based on plot), we want to find a good balance between both options to work to your needs.

## Lifestyle

The life of the Knossos Army felines is regimented, they eat, sleep, and work as a unit at all hours of the day. While the Astynomia focus heavily on self preservation, these felines build a sense of community and commitment to one another as soon as they step into the program. Loyalty and discipline are by far the most important aspects of their lives, but that doesn't mean that these felines aren't allowed to have fun or train among other felines in the city. There are designated hours for different types of training.

It isn't uncommon for a schedule to appear as follows:

* Sunrise: Wake & share a meal with the other felines at [LOCATION CURRENTLY UNDETERMINED]
* Post Meal: Train with felines within your rank
	+ Sometimes a feline may be tapped to work with a Sophronistai and the Ephebes during this training block instead
	+ It is not uncommon for felines to split into groups of 2-6 for training in this block either
	+ Occasionally the Ilarch and Trierarch will give out small tasks to be completed during this training period
	+ On small festival days this training is often the one that is ignored and the felines are allowed to leave to spend time with their families
* Noon: Break, either enjoy another meal (if hungry) or spend time in the city before the next training period.
	+ It is generally expected for felines to return before the sundial reaches 2 unless otherwise stated or requested
* Post Break: Large group training or complete various assignments from the Ilarch, Trierarch, or Strategos
	+ Large group trainings often involve battle games of some sort
	+ Assignments normally revolve around general upkeep for the armed forces.
		- A short list of assignments are as follows: shine/inspect armor, inspect the boats, clean the training grounds, go on patrol, deal with a pirate seen in the city, etc.
		- Assignments (whether listed above or made up by yourself) can be completed as a weekly mission for members if they so wish. Just confirm that the assignment you have in mind makes sense with a staff member first.
	+ Group trainings are ignored on larger festival days and on days celebrating Athena, Ares, or Zeus.
	+ It is not uncommon for Olympians to join in on the war games to give the felines a chance to practice against different fighting styles
* Sundown: Evening meal & downtime
	+ Open Forum often occurs in the evening where a feline can bring up their concerns to their leadership

If the city is dealing with higher criminal activity, it is often expected for felines to forgo their normal schedule to deal with the threat. The Ilarch, Trierarch, and Strategos will often inform the armed forces if they should ignore their schedule and go on patrol or if an active attack is happening. It is expected for all felines to be ready for battle at a moments notice.

They look after the cities under Knossos' control, hunt down rogues, and deal with the small factions of felines that live in the world surrounding civilization. Their chain of command is strict, as no feline would ever want to speak out against a superior in even the most dire of times. However, if done well, concerns can be brought up and discussed in open forum, and often are used to help fix issues within the community and help strengthen the Armed Forces at large.

### Culture

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Culture is a big WIP - Below are the details posted from the original journal that used to exist

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It should be noted that the Army of Knossos does *not appreciate* the way that the Astynomia handles their dead. They are *real Greeks* that handle *death properly* and believe that if a soul is not buried or cremated properly, they are forever cursed to wander the river Styx with no return.

Arranged pairings exist within this group, but most felines are under the understanding that their home life is not fully accessible while at war. Felines fall for who they want to, and although some masters may attempt to pair their feline with another they think it suitable, it's not as common practice here as it is in the city or with the Astynomia.

Since felines here do not always have access to the temples to bathe, ceremonies in the faction are predominantly more like small festivals, with much rejoicing during the day that the couple in question officially states that they belong to one another. There is no priestly procession and no blessing of the engagement, merely a couple of quick prayers to Artemis, Hera, and potentially a few other Gods/Goddesses for good will. When it is accessible, the two will attempt to bathe their old life away similar to that of Astynomia.

If it isn't obvious by now, the felines of the Army *really* like to compare themselves to the Astynomia. It's almost like they're meant to be rivals or something!

Much like the other city factions, members of the Knossos Army often take part in the Greek tradition of the symposium. The symposium in ancient times was basically a large party that gathered to drink and eat in merriment with exchanges of wit and words being the main form of entertainment... aside from the actual entertainers -who may have been more like courtesans in some cases- that would dance, sing, juggle, or do other acts to accompany the discussion. In Greece, males were the ones who took part in this... In TMS, we're going to go with the fact that cats view gender differently than humans do. Cool? Cool. However, unlike the other factions, the Knossos army is more than happy to invite one another to enjoy a symposium together.

Greece was known for it's small time festivals, and because of that, the Knossos Army is known to have their own small faction festivals throughout the year... but because the Greeks were crazy and had around 60 festivals a year (according to some of the books the staff has in their possession), we're not listing those out until we officially build a calendar of events for the group (which may not be until we're actually open) Deja Vu! (Obviously we're lazy admins who don't want to explain the same thing fifty times in fifty different ways. If this is your first time reading this, awesome but beware you're going to see this again in the city and astynomia faction journals)

When home and not out on the battlefield, the Knossos Army enjoys spending time watching the Olympians train or sparring together in the gymnasium, working on their techniques and fighting style to the best of their ability.

As far as Gods and Goddesses go, the Knossos army tends to put Athena on a pedestal, while simultaneously taking note that without Ares, war would not be needed, as all felines have an untamed side to them that is willing to lash out. The two are often pictured together, being seen as two parts to a whole, one being much more volatile than the other. Zeus tends to follow shortly behind as the father of the Greek pantheon, while other felines may tend to bring in worship of the other gods they've seen in their own home lives. There is no set "right or wrong" choice on who to worship though. It is expected to leave Athena and Ares both gifts of good will before leaving the city in war times.
Births are often a big deal among the army, especially when it's two felines from within their ranks that give birth to children. It's a three day long celebration for the group as they shower the new additions with gifts and find ways to help the new parents adjust to their lives. Common themes are a large symposium for the new parents as another nursing feline at the time watches their children, though the symposium is normally the last event that occurs for the newly-made parents.

### Vernacular

**Maze-Stalker:** Term used for the Astynomia; derogatory

**Ares' Peasants:** Felines who go to war without thinking of the strategy and importance of it; derogatory, meaning somebody who is not sharp in mind but strong in body. *Only Ares' peasants are dumb enough to rush into a mess like that.*

**Athena's Planners:** Felines who go to war and speak of strategy and understand the importance of it, representing those that are both keen in mind and strong of body, basically the opposite of Ares.
**Lone Wolf:** Similar to our own term of a lone wolf, though he's seen more a social pariah in the army because a lone feline that doesn't treat anybody like family is more akin to the Astynomia.

## Religious Structure

### Life & Death

Close connections and familial-like bonds are the core of the Knossos Armed Forces beliefs. When a feline dies in battle, they are either returned home so that their family may properly bury them and care for them, or they are buried on the battlefield, surrounded by those who loved them and cared for them. Before they are buried, their fur is cleaned, armor is shined, and they are given a coin to be buried with them in the hopes that they will find their way to Hades.

These felines believe that if a soul is not buried or cremated properly, they are forever cursed to wander the river Styx with no return.

## Group Ranks

### Leadership

Strategos

Ilarch

Trierarch

Kosmetes

### General Ranks

Hippeis

Kubernetes

Hoplite

Sophronistai

## Locations

Gortyn

Knossos

## Faction Relations

### The City Factions

Relations with most city felines are pretty good but there are some issues with the pirates and thieves...

### The Roman Army

Soon to be mortal enemies... but we haven't met them yet.