Chongwu Character Guide

The Chongwu are advertised by their makers, the Empire of Daqin, as superior pets for superior people, but in actuality are a cheap and affordable source of mostly obedient slave labor for a nation in a hurry to expand. In general, they are either animals who have been genetically uplifted and given intelligence, or are entirely new creatures that have been made with various snippets and bits of DNA carefully woven together by Daqinren science. The difficulty and learning curve of the Chongwu can vary greatly, especially depending on their type and classification.

There are several Chongwu Types available for selection, however, this is not referring to what animal they are based off of. Instead, this is directly referring to the typology into which they are categorized, with each being very different from each other. As a result, they will often be used for different purposes,

• Type 1s are 'smart pets', basically animals that are WiFi compatible, are a little bit smarter, programmed with training, and can communicate via text or other owner preferred method - not recommended for players to RP as they are literally pets
• Type 2s are uplifted animals, which are bipedal, have opposable thumbs, human intelligence, and can talk - recommended for more challenging RP
• Type 2s are typically used as as companions, entertainment, and similar roles in areas restricted to 1st Class Citizens of the Empire of Daqin
• Type 2s are typically used as slave labor in small, confined places everywhere outside of the aforementioned areas where drones are not available
• Type 3s are anthropomorphized animals that are generally human sized, and are recommended for RP
• Type 3s can be found everywhere within the Empire of Daqin and outside it as well, being a popular purchase made by humans

Chongwu Classes are effectively a grading system meant to measure their general quality, ranging from ideal servants to test tube failures. Due to the nature of what it means to be highly regarded in this manner though, 'the best' are generally not going to make for the best or easiest of player characters.

• Classes S-SSS are generally very well trained and disciplined to the point of fanaticism
• Classes S-SSS can be difficult to play due to their perfection as servants/slave units and are not recommended for roleplay
• Classes A and below have had corporal punishment used as part of their training to accelerate the process
• Classes A through C are vulnerable to 'degradation' and therefore individualism, making them potentially better player candidates
• Class D's discipline and training are either degraded through a backstory of service and labor, non-existent due to being fresh out of the vat and not programmed, or are born free outside the Empire
• Class D Chongwu are recommended for RP, as they are relatively blank slates easy for players to hop into
• Class F are failures ranging from units which degrade into deformed messes over time to monsters that are too horrible to die

The origins of a Chongwu determine a lot of their background and options available to them, and choosing the right one to fit the player and their desires is key to making sure the character is fun to role play. In general, they face many major difficulties and obstacles to overcome due to being an artificially made species, an irony that the Daqinren themselves are aware of.

• Chongwu were originally made by The Empire for use as high-end pets, and continue to be made for this
• Characters that were formally pets may have found themselves without an owner due to being lost during transit or their owners passing
• First Class Daqinren are typically the 'best' owners due to their own nefarious reasons, with all others being much more 'human' in their variance
• Culture of former pet Chongwu will likely be that of the former owner's preference
• Laborer Chongwu are typically used in border districts with many immigrants and foreigners, and will often have a more grounded world outlook as their programming wears off
• The culture of a Laborer may start out as Chinese based, but may deviate over time due to exposure, or be customized to have the customer's culture instead
• Freeborn Chongwu are almost always born outside of the Empire, and may face dubious socio-eocnomic situations depending on the nation that they are in
• Freeborn are often considered "Unpersons" that exist outside of the governmental system despite what contributions they may make
• The culture of a Freeborn is most often influenced by where they grew up and who was around them in childhood
• It's worth noting that only Freeborn Chongwu have conventional childhoods, with all others being decanted from their tanks in physically mature bodies

The vast majority of Chongwu are given programming shortly after decanting from their vats covering everything from their vocation to language and mannerisms. The strength of this depends on their class, with SSS Class Chongwu being unshakably set, and D Class being either completely regressed or blank slates fresh out of the tube. Freeborn are typically born naturally, and will not have any of this to rely on, requiring conventional education and raising from childhood.

• Programming is the information directly downloaded into the Chongwu on creation so that they know how to perform their job
• All Chongwu have programming on their intended job
• Training is the practice they've been given on how to do their job and use their programming effectively
• They can all do their intended jobs with or without training, but with training, they are better due to the familiarity
• Discipline is how much a Chongwu is inclined to obey and follow orders
• The degree of all of these determines a Chongwu's class