Social Norms in Crimson Regime

A note about Owned humans and witches  (as well as Bound witches and shifters)  and the concepts of slavery and discrimination in the world of the Crimson Regime.


In this world, vampires own people. Part of this is for their own power and status, part of it is a twisted idea that they are “protecting” the mortals by having them in their care. One note that must be stressed however is that this world is NOT Gor. A vampire or other supernatural who owns a witch or human may choose to command them to be naked within their private homes, but in public, it can get both the vampire and their property punished severely.

One must always dress as professionally as possible when in a government facility (clinic not withstanding), and kneeling is generally meant for punishment, educating one on their place, groveling, ceremony or fetish play.  However, modes of dress and forms of greeting may vary depending upon whom one is interacting with. Some very powerful vampires hold to older norms. Normally, servants of vampires are expected to stand slightly behind them or at the back of the room while they are in attendance in public, only sitting when they are given leave to do so.
 

In private, they may be instructed to do as one pleases, but let's be frank. If someone finds out that a vampire has bought into the whole Male Supremacist Fantasy World thing, they are going to think they're completely crazy and probably make fun of them. Most vampires have more dignity than that, and as they are a very social oriented race of beings, they generally try to fit what society expects of them.


As a whole,  the Crimson Regime is not a sexist ruling body. Men and women and those that do not conform to standard gender identities are treated as equals and can hold the same sorts of positions. The ones who are subjugated are non-vampires, and in varying degrees in regards to their race and usefulness. “Race” in this case means type of creature (human, shifter, mer) and not white, black etc. It seems that vampires have long moved beyond judging people by the color of their skin or cultural background, and those who think otherwise would be considered not only gauche, but ignorant in regards to taking advantage of every resource available to them.

In terms of sexual orientation, most vampires have explored various aspects of sexuality over their life, both for hunting and pleasure purposes. In addition, sexual deviance is just par for the course when one is immortal and has control of other people, and it is hardly going to be the sort of information that is going to ruin someone's professional career.

So in short: Discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation or race (outside of supernatural races) is not acceptable in this setting, IC or OOC.

In addition, a vampire who wishes to own people must have the power and wealth to do so. One must be able to afford the purchase (except in cases where an unowned witch or human willingly signs over their rights), house and feed their property. Those who cannot do so may find their property (except in the case of a bound witch, should they have one) confiscated and redistributed by the government.

Owned humans and witches are not allowed to earn their own income, but are given an allowance by their masters. They may be instructed to have jobs, but that income goes directly to their owners, who then decide how much their pets may have for their daily expenses. This allowance is given to them on a heavily controlled, monitored card. The vampire may choose to freeze or remove funds from the card at their leisure, or to require each purchase (or a purchase over a certain amount) be authorized by them personally.

In the case of Bound Shifters, the official behaviors of Vampires, differs.

While it is to be expected that a Shifter, regardless of their rank, attending their master be attentive to the Vampire's wishes and commands, they are not expected to keep their eyes cast downward, nor are they bound to show deference to those below them in rank. As a people, the Shifting Breeds are free members of the Regime and not owned beings. Politeness in a professional setting, however, is expected as is deference to those above them in rank. An Alpha shifter bound to a vampire would, for instance, show respect to the Questor or Governor. While there are some vampires that keep a tighter leash on their bound Shifter, it is important to remember that the higher the Shifter's rank, the more likely they are to be able to resist a command or act of their own accord.

It is considered intensely rude to expect a bound Shifter to perform a task for anyone who is not their master. On the same token, the expectations of respect should be shown to the vampire who is their master. In this instance, Shifters are expected to address their master as 'Master' unless instructed otherwise and they are still expected to stand at their Master's side unless commanded otherwise.

On the same token, Vampires who are not the Shifter's Master should address them with the respect due their rank and position within the Tribe. Titles are not necessary for address, but can be used as a show of respect. Again, however, there are some older vampires that consider shifters mere animals and treat them accordingly. While this is not the social norm, there is no law saying otherwise.

These things are what is expected of a witch or human in service / instilled in a bred witch, learned by owned/bound free range witches, bound shifters and owned humans. It is what is expected IC, and one is always allowed to RP still adjusting / learning the protocols or struggling against them (when appropriate. A bred witch, for example, would rarely be sold off if they didn't obey appropriately.)

Good posture with one's arms at their sides, folded before them or behind them as appropriate.

When speaking to a vampire, particularly their master, the witch or human servant keeps their eyes respectfully directed towards the floor unless instructed to make eye contact. If a vampire comes to the owned person, the owned person should greet them appropriately and ask how they might be of service. If the owned person comes to a vampire, they should remain silent until addressed, unless they have been instructed to behave otherwise.

An owned person is expected to obey their master and all authority figures, but does not have to take commands from other vampires unless it is appropriate to do so or they have been instructed to do so by their owner.

One's vampire master is referred to as “Master” or “Mistress” when addressing them directly, or “The master” or “The mistress” when speaking to someone else about them. Other vampires are referred to as “Sir” or “Ma'am”, or with their title followed by their name (Dr. Robinson, Governor Caldwell, for example). While no one is going to police your writing, it is best to capitalize when you are directly addressing someone, and keep it lowercase when it being used as a descriptor. You would write “Mom, you'll never believe what Jennifer's dad did!” and similarly, you would write “Mistress, you'll never believe what Jennifer's master did!”

A person in service's tone is always respectful and attentive, obedient to their master even at the detriment to one's person. One should always strive to keep their appearance neat and their countenance pleasant.

While attending a vampire, it is appropriate to stand unless a seat is offered. When attending a vampire who is with company not directly of their household, the servant is expected to stand at his side and slightly behind, eyes cast down and silent. Should the vampire offer command (such as requesting they retrieve something or  asking a witch to begin an incantation) the servant should bow slightly, voice their affirmation (Yes, Master, for instance) then perform the task. Unless instructed to speak freely or a question is asked of them, the attending servant may only speak by whispering to their master (or speaking telepathically to them, when appropriate). Generally, at such times, it's considered rude to ask a servant who has not been given leave to speak freely a question directly. Instead, the question is posed to the owning vampire, who may choose to answer for the servant or instruct them to respond. 


 

For humans who report suspicious behavior on other humans or unregistered humans, including family or friends, they can be given larger sums of government credits for a more comfortable lifestyle, as well as higher government positions in ISF or the Regime if they so want.

Humans reporting unregistered witches can be allotted high-standing positions in wealthy households where they can live comfortably, or high ranks in government such as secretary to the leaders, which all come with a nice bonus of credits monthly. This only happens once the witch is found and it is proven that they are indeed a witch. False reports are dealt with harshly and can lead to imprisonment or enslavement as the lowest class.

 

 Lower:
Blue collar workers and laborers - These are humans who work for farms, construction, factories, and other hard labor jobs. They are given no government credits and rely on their bosses for food and shelter. This class is only human, no supernatural is of this class, although one might be forced to live as one for a period as punishment.

Middle:
This class is reserved for humans with high standing who work office jobs as clerks and in the secretarial pool, or shifters and witches who run businesses such as fast food restaurants, the library, or other shops. Humans are not allowed to own businesses, they can manage or run them, but a supernatural being always owns them. They are allotted enough government credits to live comfortably without the help of another.

Upper:
This class is mainly vampires, mer and those who are bound to them. This class makes up the leaders of the government and is afforded enough government credits to live to a degree a lavish lifestyle. This is to allow them to own servants, as well as focus mainly on their government/leader duties.