Post by ● ѕнannara on Jul 27, 2016 20:26:34 GMT -5
GENERAL CLAN INFORMATION
RIVERCLAN,
RiverClan is one of the five major Clans, and consider StarClan to be their warrior ancestors. They used to live on the reedy, pebbly plain near a river with very few trees, but now live in in a patch of land surrounded by two streams. RiverClan cats are known for their amazing skill at fishing and love for water. They also love beautiful things, and are known to collect rocks, shells, and feathers to decorate their dens. They eat mainly fish, but they can also eat water voles, shrews, and mice. They are contented, sleek, well-fed cats with well-groomed fur. They are known to be clever and graceful but are perceived outside their Clan as being stubborn and lazy. Their long fur and glossy coats are an asset while swimming. RiverClan gets by in leaf-bare, because according to other Clans, they fatten themselves on fish during greenleaf in preparation for leaf-bare. RiverClan cats dislike adding birds to their fresh-kill pile. Sometimes other Clan cats call them "fish-faces", or "fish-breath". They are quite strong swimmers and move through the water as if they are part of it. Their lightning reflexes help them scoop fish from the bank. RiverClan cats often go well-fed, even during leaf-bare, and their sleek and handsome pelts are often something Twolegs are attracted to. Many Twolegs see this, and often take these cats to live in their homes, although RiverClan keeps quiet about it, as many of those cats do not come back. RiverClan is currently led by Troutstar with --- as deputy.
SHADOWCLAN,
They have always seemed to be the "darker" Clan, with fierce, more disagreeable warriors. This dark reputation has been earned over the years by an unfortunate run of corrupted leaders, twisted minds, and bitter plots. They are proud, loyal, defensive, and slightly arrogant; often seem to be misunderstood and portrayed by the other Clans as battle-hungry, aggressive, ambitious, and greedy for more territory. It was often said when the Clans were in the forest, that the cold north wind of the mountains chilled the ShadowClan warriors' hearts. However, as Rock states in Cats of the Clans, ShadowClan have the smallest amount of territory and prey, which may justify their readiness to add anything to the fresh-kill pile. Even though their fierce warriors and hostile leaders earned ShadowClan its reputation, the leader Dawnstar led Firestar to believe ShadowClan were not always as unfair and cruel as they seem now. Ever since the current leader, Newtstar has taken up leader, she has done many things to lessen the rumors surrounding ShadowClan and are now seen to be indifferent to the affairs of other clans. In recent light, they seem to prefer staying out of other clans' business and sticking to their own. Their main prey are reptiles and amphibians, such as lizards and frogs. A secret food source is the carrionplace, though they are careful not to eat crow-food. ShadowClan cats hunt best at night, and are better than others at sneaking through undergrowth. ShadowClan is currently led by Newtstar with --- as deputy.
THUNDERCLAN,
ThunderClan is a mainly peaceful Clan, respectful of the other Clans as well. In battle, ThunderClan is fierce, courageous, and loyal. They normally take in loners and kittypets into their Clan to either swell their ranks or because the cat is in need of help or shelter. For this, they are at times looked down upon by other Clans and thought of as weak. However, with the rise of the new leader Ryestar, the stereotypical views on ThunderClan may change in the near future. The Clan's main prey are mice, voles, squirrels, and the occasional rabbit, as well as birds such as starlings, magpies, wood pigeons, blackbirds, and thrushes. They have excellent stalking techniques, creeping across the forest floor. They have the sense to keep upwind of their prey in the thick bushes. ThunderClan cats are noted to be especially strong. They are the only Clan to bunch their hindquarters before leaping to catch their prey. ThunderClan is currently led by Ryestar with --- as deputy.
WINDCLAN,
WindClan cats are known for their love of open spaces. They live on open fields, or moorland, where they catch their main prey of hares and rabbits. Of all four Clans, they are the least used to wet ground, preferring the grassy ground of the moors, which they sleep on. They do not like to sleep in the shelter of dens because they prefer the fresh air. They are fiercely loyal and tough. They can also be nervous and quick to flee, due to lack of cover on the moor. In the old forest home, they took pride in being the closest Clan to the Moonstone, where the leaders and medicine cats went to share tongues with StarClan, and they often find themselves blessed to be the closest Clan to StarClan, both physically and spiritually since they do not live in an environment surrounded by trees or many shrubs that block their view of Silverpelt. They are considered the fastest of the Clan cats, and are considered to be the most quick witted amongst the other Clans. They are also the easiest to be offended and are the least likely to start battles between other Clans. The pelts of WindClan favor shades of gray and brown, perhaps as a natural outgrowth of the camouflage those colors provide. Of all the Clans, they have the deepest knowledge of Twolegs from seeing them on the farms that surround their territory. WindClan is currently led by Curlewstar with Sheepheart as deputy.
CLAN HIERARCHY,
Each Clan (excluding BloodClan and StarClan) shares the same basic ranking system, consisting of nine distinct ranks.
Leader
Leader -
A Clan leader is charged with the responsibility to watch over and manage an entire Clan, maintaining discipline, order, and protection. Leaders are normally granted nine lives and a new name with the ending "-star" (e.g. Firestar, Bluestar) in a ceremony where nine StarClan cats come to them in a dream at the Moonstone/Moonpool. However, a leader may not receive all nine lives if the previous leader of his or her Clan is still alive; in this instance, a leader will have a life taken off the original total of nine for every life the previous leader still possesses (e.g. Sunstar ). Sometimes StarClan will not accept a leader (e.g. Nightstar ), if this happens then the Clan is usually thrown into turmoil.
Deputy -
The deputy is the second-in-command to the leader, and may be considered an apprentice to the art of leading the Clan. They serve in the leader's place in situations where the leader is unable to fulfill their duties. They are in charge of organizing patrols and they are often called on by the leader for advice, but other than that, they retain the normal duties of a warrior.
To become a deputy, a cat must have trained at least one apprentice. However, in the New Prophecy Arc, Brambleclaw became deputy of ThunderClan without an apprentice, but he was granted the promise to train one.
Upon the leader's death, they become the leader and go to the Moonstone or the Moonpool, so StarClan can grant them nine lives. Deputies may also retire and give up their place as deputy if they wish (for example, Tawnyspots).
Medicine Cat -
The medicine cat serves the Clan as both their spiritual leader and healer, making them akin to the idea of a 'medicine man' in a tribal society. In addition to their responsibilities to their Clan, they have responsibility to one another and StarClan. They carry out their responsibilities to StarClan once every half-moon, meeting together to discuss matters privately and share dreams with StarClan. Clan leaders often rely on them to carry messages from StarClan, as medicine cats have a link no other cat has to the deceased.
As a healer, they gather herbs and dispense them as an apothecary would. They handle diagnosis and treatment of both illness and injury for all the cats in the Clan.
In their role as spiritual leader, they teach the code, interpret omen and prophecy, and generally serve the Clan as a conduit between the earthly cats and their ghostly counterparts.
As a medicine cat, they are not allowed to have a mate or kits, but this rule has been broken by certain medicine cats (For example, Leafpool, Yellowfang). Medicine cats also exist outside of typical Clan rivalries in order to treat all cats fairly.
Medicine Cat Apprentice -
A medicine cat apprentice is the cat that is being trained to follow in the pawsteps of the medicine cat. They learn healing and spiritual lore from the medicine cat. Medicine cat apprentices also accompany their mentors in their visit to the Moonstone/Moonpool every half-moon to receive dreams from StarClan.
Frequently, a medicine cat apprentice who has full training will be given a warrior name ("-paw" replaced with another ending); however, medicine cat apprentices remain apprentices even when fully trained so long as the current medicine cat is still practicing the arts.
At the time the old medicine cat either dies or steps down, the medicine cat apprentice becomes a full medicine cat, somewhat like the leader/deputy relationship. In the exception with Alderpaw, Leafpool, Jayfeather, or Willowshine and Mothwing. When the apprentice becomes the full medicine cat then she/he can have an apprentice of their own.
Warrior -
A warrior is a cat trained in the arts of fighting and hunting. Warriors make up the bulk of a Clan, and provide that Clan with the protection and food supply that keeps it safe and well-fed. Typically, a cat is made a warrior at or over the age of twelve moons. In their oath to become a warrior, they promise to "uphold the warrior code and protect and defend their Clan, even at the cost of their life."
Warrior dens are very often near the front of the Clan, where they can protect the rest of their Clan from attacks.
There are also senior warriors — older, highly respected warriors, typically mentioned to have a good bond with the Clan's leader (e.g. Whitestorm to Firestar).
Queen -
A queen is a she-cat nursing or expecting kits. Their primary task during this time is the raising of their kits.
Some queens stay in the nursery after they have kits (e.g. Daisy, Goldenflower, and Ferncloud). They are thought to do this because they feel they can help the nursing queens. Some queens, such as Daisy, do not feel suited for Clan life aside from helping the other queens. They most often help other queens when no milk is available, or when the mother is ill or deceased (e.g. Squirrelflight to Leafpool)
Kits are protected from attacks and the nursery is often situated at the back of the camp, away from the entrance.
Elder -
An elder is a retired warrior, deputy, queen, medicine cat, or leader who is too old or not in suitable shape to continue with their duties. Elders are taken care of by the whole Clan, and are given respect for the time they have served as part of the clan. They are responsible for taking the body of a dead cat out to be buried.
Some cats don't become an elder only because of old age; if there is ever a condition which prevents the cat from fulfilling their duties to their Clan, it usually leads to the cat's decision of retiring (e.g. Longtail, Heavystep)
Apprentice -
An apprentice is a cat in training to become a warrior. Their names end in the word "-paw" (e.g. Tawnypaw, Bramblepaw, Firepaw, etc) to signify the "path their paws are now on." One exception to this is Boulder who opted to keep his loner name upon joining ShadowClan, and becoming an apprentice, and Egg, who kept his name upon joining SkyClan, becoming Sharpclaw's apprentice. Most usually are at or over the age of six moons. They have a mentor appointed to them at their ceremony and most days are taken out battle training or hunting. They are also given the task of cleaning out bedding and removing Elders' ticks and fleas. Apprentices are not allowed to have a mate or kits, likely because of their young age or not to interrupt their training.
Kit -
A kit is a cat who has not been made an apprentice yet. Their names always end in "-kit" (e.g. Dovekit, Lionkit, Blossomkit). Most often, they are under the age of six moons, though sometimes they are held back from being an apprentice for a certain amount of time, sometimes due to injury or misbehaving. (Crookedkit, Deadpaw)
They stay in the camp and are forbidden to leave it, unless accompanied by an older cat, such as a warrior, a medicine cat, or any kind of apprentice.
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