OOC Notes

The Chongwu! The Superior Pet, for the Superior People. The Chongwu are possibly the DaQin's greatest achievement, and their greatest folly! The Chongwu are either animals who have been genetically uplifted and given heightened intelligence, or, are entirely new cretures using animal, and sometimes human, or DaQin genetics to create humanoid peoples capable of most everything people are capable of!

One of the things you must keep in mind when writing a Chongwu, is that they are slaves. There are very few naturally born Chongwu, most having been made in Chongwu Factories and sold off to the highest bidder. Their lives, no matter how kind their Owner may be, are likely not the greatest. They are chattel, sub-human, and lack even basic rights. Additionally, even humans agree, the Chongwu are chattel, and actively participate in the market. There are very few places that are safe for a Chongwu, and respect their status as people.

The second challenge, is the understanding that your characters brain, at some point, was genetically programmed. They were programmed with a specific demeanor, the were programmed with a specific job specialty, and they were likely programmed with various different orders. How well these orders have taken hold and how strong this genetic programming is, is entirely dependent on the class of Chongwu you decide to make your character.

Classes player characters can be, range from Class D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS. Class A, for simplicity, is probably the easiest Class, and I will explain why.

Class D: Programming is basic and the Chongwu lacked the continued indoctrination to make the programming stick. While they do have a natural inclination to certain tasks, that's all it is. A knack for performing their intended task. Most owners keep these Chongwu in line with very direct and physical means, and the class is typically best suited to hard labor work as they tend to act out. Typical methods of discouragement are explosive restraints, starvation, sleep deprivation, physical and mental abuse of varying degrees. They are largely uneducated, often finding even simple academics impossible.

Class SSS: These are the best Chongwu money can buy, and are often exclusively used for domestic purposes. Not only was the Programming top of the line, but the indoctrination after "Birth" was designed to make the programming stick. Chongwu of this class are entirely brainwashed, to the point where they have a physical addiction to completing their tasks. A Maid Chongwu of this class, if needing to pick one or the other, would choose completing her task as a Maid, over food, and the slightest scolding from their owner will cause signs of depression and anxiety, which will cause them to throw themselves into their work to make up for whatever they did to be scolded. They are highly educated in any and every subject that could make them better at providing service to their owner.

Now, of course the classes are a scale. Though, to put it in better terms, as a Character, a D Class Chongwu, will likely be unskilled, and while lack any signs of brainwashing, they will have likely lived a life of abuse and neglect for a vast majority of their life. On the other hand, SSS Class Chongwu will likely have been raised well and treated like beloved pets, but to effectively play the Character as an independent free thinker, they will have had to have gone through an intense rehabilitation process which will often leave them confused about their identity. Depression and Anxiety are likely to be a permanent marker of their character personality, and they can actually relapse, undoing the rehabilitation, and making the suffering for nothing.

This is why Class A is likely the easiest point for someone looking to play a Chongwu. They are right in the middle. Their level of Programming allows them to be controlled with a more delicate touch, but they are free thinking enough to have a personality of their own, and any rehabilitation they may go through isn't likely to completely erase any sense of identity they have. Other classes can be played well, but are certainly more challenging to write authentically.

There is definitely a Darkness to the DaQin that is most potent when it comes to the Chongwu. While it doesn't need to be at the forefront of all writing you're involved in, it should still be there, somehow. Let it influence your writing, but don't let it strangle it.