.-~* Chokwe Troupe - General Info *~-.

[Chokwe Troupe]

Basics…
There is a place by the sparkling waters of the sea a

“Think of your friends. Think of your families. And fight for them!”

And kissed by the goddess of wind herself where those who were once broken are made whole once again. Warriors weary from war, those who’s lives have left them broken and empty, and those who have found no other place within the world gather. Alone they are nothing to the world, but together they can alter the threads of fate itself.

The Chokwe are an assorted bunch of every race and background. The one bond they share is each other. They know the evils of the world and won’t hesitate to offer their assistance to those that ask.

░Culture…
The Chokwe are more or less a melting pot of cultures, traditions, religions, histories, and experiences from across the savannah. They exist together, sharing their culture and building up something truly unique. There are, however, impositions and restrictions on the troupe‘s culture that were created to help maintain a strong structure within the troupe. While the Chokwe are welcoming of anyone from any culture, there are things they ask remain in the past. Things that they see as dividers, distractions, or hindrances to the outside cultures are asked to be left to those outside cultures.

→ Mating

I don’t care about breeding. A sword doesn’t need a fine lineage, it just needs to be sharp.

• The troupe is pretty lax in regards to mating in most regards. Flings aren’t looked down upon though it’s not promoted either. Everyone has their own reasons for it.
• Life mating is encouraged but not required.
• Mating between species is not much of an issue- so long as they are like-species. Feline species with feline species, canine species with canine species. Romantic mingling between felines, canines, reptiles, and avian are seen as…some form of mental illness.
• Mating between individuals of the same gender is another one of those things observed on the outside that is forbidden within the troupe. Individuals who have embraced this lifestyle have been observed resorting to creating families through rape or depriving a litter of one of their parents.
• Incest is another one of those things left on the outside. This creates offspring that are…mentally broken and physically weaker.
• Under-aged individuals mating with elder individuals is perhaps the observation from the outside that troubles the troupe the most. This is absolutely not permitted.
• Regarding Mix and Match months- feel free to enter! Flings are just fine. There doesn’t have to be an agreement to have the cubs/pups/etc. come to the Chokwe, but the offspring would be very welcome!

→ Different Species

You cannot separate the world into “people“ and “monsters“.

• Any species is allowed! The Chokwe don’t see species, they see comrades.
• Some ranks are better suited to some species than others. However, no one will be discouraged away from training to fulfill whatever rank they feel fits best.
• Familiars of all kinds are encouraged but don’t count towards the member count.

→ Leaving the Troupe

Time changes people‘s hearts...

• Members are allowed to wander as often or as long as they feel the need to. They are asked to inform one of their leaders prior to leaving.
• Members who do not return or depart without leave are considered deserters. If they return,t here may be consequences.
• Wandering is encouraged if it brings in new members, new missions, or new stories.

░Religion & Beliefs…
The troupe does not have a collective religion. They don’t believe in one set god or goddess, they don’t have any rituals that they perform or prayers that they recite. Everyone is free to believe in what they want to, pray to whomever they want to, and so long as the rituals don’t interfere with the life of the troupe- they are free to exercise their faith as they see fit.

They acknowledge gods, but they don’t devote themselves to any one god as a group.

Collectively, the troupe believes that each member of their troupe has a role to play and through the strength they find in each other, they can alter fate itself.

░History…
The troupe originated in the Anasi- a group of predatory beasts that dwelt in the underground. The Anasi were fond of stories and worshiped the god of Trickery from who they gained their name. Their queen, a blind lioness, mistook a cheetah cub for her own son and returned to the pride shortly after giving birth above ground. When the king of the pride returned, Taban was refused by the pride and forced to return to the surface where he belonged.

Taban was accompanied by four others.
Fubar had been orphaned at a young age. Taban had discovered the maned wolf pup huddled near his mother’s corpse on a hunting trip in his youth. Seeing as the cub had no friends of his own within the underground pride, the queen had allowed him to adopt the pup as a companion.

Lucia had been the beta of a powerful pack of hyenas, sister to the alpha, when their territory was invaded by pale two-legged creatures with sticks that shot thunder. The pack had been driven from their territory, their alpha killed, and Lucia wounded. She had been allowed to serve as Taban’s nanny whenever his adopted mother was otherwise occupied with the pride.

Bai Feng had been a powerful coursing cheetah from a land beyond the sea. He was the emperor’s prized hunter and would often travel to exotic lands to compete against other royals and their champion coursers. Feng was separated from his handler and soon found himself lost in the African wilds. A young female cheetah had helped him find his feet once again, teaching him how to survive apart from man. She, and nearly all of her offspring, had perished when Feng had left to hunt for the small family.

Finally, Nyak joined the small group when his idle travels brought him into the company of the exiled prince. The lion had lived without purpose or direction and found himself inspired by the ambitious youth and his company.

The small ragtag group of outcasts found strength in eachother's company. Together, they helped defend the Umande'mfuni Lands when they faced potential invasion. Through their efforts, the struggling pride was able to keep on their feet, at least for a time. When the pride began to struggle with internal affairs, the troupe took their business elsewhere.

As time went on, wayward souls of every shape and form began to find their place within the troupe. Lucia mothered a large litter, most of which have remained within the troupe and serve as killed combatants. Nyak had fathered a single cub though sadly, the cub deserted the troupe.

In more recent days, the troupe's leader, Taban, managed to complete his own personal mission to catch the goddess of the wind a total of three times. First asking for a token, his second encounter earned him the goddess' name, and in his final encounter she agreed to mother a family of cubs for him. Fate has begun drawing the threads of destiny together…

 

[Chokwe Troupe]

Ranks:
Stars of Heaven
The stars of heaven are the significant roles within the troupe. Most roles require a lot of development to earn and a lot of role play to maintain.

Tenkai:
Chief Star of Heaven
The Tenkai is the overall leader of the troupe. While the generals make collective decisions. the Tenkai represents the troupe itself. He/She is the face and voice of the army and represents them when meeting with allies, potential allies, or even enemies. The Tenkai is largely responsible for recruiting new members into the troupe.

Tengou:
Star of Conflagration
The Tengou serve directly under the Tenkai. All decisions of the troupe are made through the gathered Tengou and Tenkai before put into action. The Tengou each have a unit that serves directly under them. They are in charge of training, caring for, and directing their unit. The Tengou can choose to act on his or her own, so long as they have the approval of the Tenkai.

There can be as many Tengou as the troupe needs. This is a rank that is earned only after a recruit completes his or her training, recruits a unit for themselves, and gains the favor of the Tenkai.

Tenken:
Star of Idleness:
The Tenkai is one of the most important members of the pride. The rank was given originally to Leknaat, the most powerful seer born to the troupe's first leader. The Tenkai is normally a seer, but there will be rare exceptions. The Tenkai's job is to oversee the new members of the troupe and assign them to their rank. Some say they can sense those who have a weighted destiny...

Tenki:
Star of Wisdom
The Tenki is essentially the chief strategist of the troupe. They are non-combatant though they have the strongest paw in dictating and organizing the battles and movements of the troupe. There is normally only one Tenki within the troupe.

Tenei:
Heroic Star:
The Tenei serve under an assigned Tengou. They are the soldiers of the troupe, trained by each of the Tengou in the arts of strength, speed, and tact. They make up the brunt of the troupe. It's very rare for a Tenei to change units, but it's not unheard of. A recruit will not be promoted to Tenei until they have completed their training. The Tenei are highly respected, often considered heros in their own right.

Tensoku:
Speedy Star
The Tensoku is a position open mainly to cheetahs and cheions. They train under Bai Feng. Their duties are to carry messengers between the troupe and their allies. They also serve as scouts for new recruits and new missions for the troupe.


Stars of Earth:
The stars of earth are the 'common' or default ranks for the troupe. They are unlimited and require little rp to obtain and maintain.

Chiraku:
Star of Music
The Chiraku are non-combatant. Their primary role is to gather stories and perform them for the troupe. They are the keepers of the troupe's history and culture. They are not limited to performing songs and stories based on troupe members, they are more than welcome to travel about the land to gain tales of heros and events far from the troupe.

Chisou:
The Walking Star
The Chisou are the scouts of the troupe. They secure the perimeter of the troupe's current location when they make camp and often run ahead of the group when they're on the move to assure that they won't enter into hostile territory.

Chihi:
The Orphan Star
The chihi are the caretakers and nannies of the pride. This rank is not limited to age or gender, but it's common for non-combatant females and the elderly to take up this rank. The chihi are responsible for watching, caring for, and grooming the young members of the troupe. In times of combat, they also care for the sick and wounded.

Chikai:
Star of Gathering
This is the default rank for recruits who are unwilling to undergo the strenuous combat training required for the Tenei. The Chikai are the hunters of the troupe.

Chibun:
The Learned Star
The standard rank for juvenile members. At this stage they are expected to have settled on their aspiration rank and to select a master to train under, if one has not yet stepped forward. Chibun will accompany their master from morning to dusk, learning the tools of their future trade. Newcomers to the troupe are automatically assigned to the Chibun star until they have decided on, and have succeeded in training for, their future position.

Chikyou:
Star of Ambition:
The standard rank for cubs and pups born into the troupe. At this stage they can decide whether or not they want to strive to become Tenei, Chiraku, or Chikai. They will often learn their future profession from one of the older members of their aspired rank. They are not expected to begin their training until they grow into Chibun.

 

[Chokwe Troupe]

IC and OC Questions and Answers

question What is the theme of the troupe?
A: The troupe is loosely based off the Suikoden game series. If you’re not familiar with the game, basically the ‘backbone’ of the games is that through the gathered ‘destinies’ of 108 characters, fate itself can be altered. In every game a force of virtuous individuals strives to bring peace to their homeland. The characters come from all walks of life and each of them brings a different story with them.

question Do I have to know anything about the games to fit into the troupe?
A: No, we’re taking the basic idea of the games and turning them into a fun group idea for our soa’s. A lot of the members are cosplays, but it’s not a requirement.

question Can I contact you for a plot?
A: Please do! We need enemies, allies, new recruits, you name it! Keep in mind that the troupe will not meddle in internal affairs. They’ll protect lawful prides, fight unlawful ones, route invaders, or defend boarders- but once the outside threat is gone, so are they.

question What are the prides they won’t help?
A: Aikanaro'hini, Antianeira , Bhanu'Ecchumati, Kucha'ujamaa, Kunanda'Nakhun, Mtango'bui, Mwako'bi'Giza, & Umande'mfuni.

question Any particular reason?
A: Either because the prides would be seen as unjust/morals clash with those of the troupe, incidents in the past, or the pride leaders aren’t respected by the troupe’s leaders.

question Can a god join?
A: Yes! Gods are allowed to join however, they will not get a special rank or more respect than anyone else within the troupe. Everyone earns their own way.

Troupe Vocabulary:

- Wind-Chaiser: The common term for a cheetah.
- Bone-Crusher: The common term for a hyena.
- Beast King/Queen: The common term for a lion or lioness.
- Moon-Caller: The common term for a wild dog.
- Howler: The common term for a maned wolf.
- Shadow-hunter: The common term for a leopard.
- Wind-lord/lady: Cheetah/lion hybrid