- Jun 7, 2022
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At the head of it all, a leader makes all of the major decisions for the clan - such as where to hunt, when to fight, when to retreat, when to put up a front of strength, or when to beg for help. The leader has immense power over their clanmates. They assign mentors to apprentices, have the final say over when an apprentice will become a warrior - as well as choosing what their name will be. They call meetings, get to choose their second-in-command and successor; and all in all, the leader stays involved in all aspects of clan life, from kits and queens to elders. Their top priority is keeping their clan running smoothly and efficiently, so you may often find a leader listening to their clanmates’ problems to help find solutions and keep the clan tension-free.
Upon becoming leader, a clan leader’s suffix is replaced with “-star” and they are granted nine lives by StarClan. However, the power they hold comes with a cost. Having nine lives to spare, leaders are expected to be the first into battle and the last to take prey from the fresh-kill pile. They have to make hard decisions that determine the fate of their clan, and responsibility for their clan’s safety and protection rests on their shoulders. The leader’s council comprises of their deputy and lead warriors, whom the leader may confer with over various issues. The leader also consults the medicine cat on issues surrounding StarClan.
On top of all of these responsibilities, leaders also take on the tasks of regular warrior, such as hunting, patrolling, and mentoring an apprentice if they assign one to themselves. It is an honor to be selected as the leader’s apprentice, and they will typically only mentor cats they consider special, such as a loved one’s kit. When the leader falls ill or is nursing kits, the clan deputy often fills in for them temporarily.
IC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Choosing a deputy to succeed them when they die
— Selecting lead warriors to serve on their council
— Calling meetings to update the clan on news
— Performing ceremonies, such as making kits into apprentices, naming warriors, retiring elders, name changes, etc.
— Representing their clan at Gatherings and sharing news with the other clans
— Maintaining discipline and order
— Overseeing the daily operations of the clan and giving orders
— Counseling with the deputy and lead warriors and listening to their reports
— Discussing prophecies and omens with their clan's medicine cat, and listening to their advice surrounding the signs
— Solving conflicts within members of the clan and with other clans
— Deciding if a non-clan cat may join the clan
—Exiling clan members who severely broke the Warrior Code or who present a danger to the clan
OOC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Making all of the final calls in terms of running the clan
— Promoting and demoting HPs and SHPs based on OOC or IC reasons
— Keeping the clan and discord organized and maintaining a friendly environment
— Assisting staff in enforcing site rules in their clan
— Running clanwide plots and events
— Remaining active IC and OOC -
The deputy is the second-in-command to the leader, and may be considered an apprentice to the art of leading the clan. They are in charge of organizing patrols and are often called on by the leader for advice. Otherwise, they retain the normal duties of a warrior. Upon the leader's death, they travel to the Moonstone with a Medicine Cat so StarClan can grant them nine lives. Deputies may also retire or give up their place as deputy if they wish. Warriors are expected to respect their deputies and follow their orders, as long as those orders aren't contradicted by their leader. In cases where the leader is ill, injured, or otherwise unable to properly lead, the deputy steps in temporarily. When the deputy is ill, a lead warrior is expected to step in for them temporarily.
IC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Organizing daily patrols
— Overseeing the training of apprentices
— Assisting their leader with the day-to-day running of the clan
— Listening to the reports of border patrols and relaying the reports to the leader
— Organizing warrior training sessions to keep skills sharp
— Substituting for the leader if they are ill or injured
— Serving on their leader’s council
OOC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Assisting the leader in running the clan and discord
— Assisting with clanwide plots and events
— Maintaining a friendly environment
— Remaining active IC and OOC
— Handling the OOC organization of patrols -
Every clan has at least one medicine cat in their ranks. Medicine cats are revered by their clanmates for the important role they play in their clan. Their job is to utilize herbs to heal the sick and injured among their clanmates, which makes them invaluable in a society that sees so much war and danger. In addition, a medicine cat is their clan’s link to StarClan. It is a medicine cat’s job to read and interpret signs from StarClan and to use the wisdom passed down from their starry ancestors to protect their clan. Unlike warriors, medicine cats are not bound by the same strict divisions between clans. They live by their own separate Code and often share advice and herbs with their fellow healers from the other clans. Every half moon (end of the month), the medicine cats of all the clans meet at the Moonstone to share news and commune with their ancestors. They share the same loyalty to each other and to StarClan as they do to their own clan. They are highly respected by all the clans and few of their clanmates would dare to argue with them.
Medicine cats walk a separate path from that of a warrior, so they do not partake in patrolling or hunting. Their authority exists separately from the authority of the other HPs, so they do not have the power to make decisions involving day-to-day clan life or disciplining cats. Instead, they are in charge of keeping their patients safe and relaying StarClan’s will to their leader to offer advice. However, they do learn basic battle training in case they ever need to defend themselves in an emergency. In some cases, a cat may give up the life of a warrior in favor of training as a medicine cat instead. Medicine cats often serve in their role until death, although there are rare exceptions.
IC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Using herbs to heal the sick and injured
— Receiving and interpreting signs from StarClan and sharing these with their leader privately
— Gathering herbs and maintaining their herb supply
— Passing on their knowledge to an apprentice
— Meeting with the other medicine cats every half-moon at the Moonstone to share news and share dreams with StarClan
— Traveling to the Moonstone in emergencies to commune with StarClan
— Holds vigils for Clanmates who have passed away
OOC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Assisting the leader in running the clan and discord
— Assisting with clanwide plots and events
— Maintaining a friendly environment
— Remaining active IC and OOC
— Leading the search for a medicine cat apprentice and discussing the promotion with the other HPs
— Coordinates vigil threads for deceased Clanmates -
A medicine cat apprentice is the cat being trained to follow in the pawsteps of the medicine cat. They learn healing and spiritual lore from the medicine cat, in preparation to one day take their place. Medicine cat apprentices must be accepted by StarClan in order to be trained, and will accompany their mentors in their visit to the Moonstone every half-moon to receive dreams from StarClan. Medicine cat apprentices deserve respect; however, as they are still only apprentices, they do not have any authority or power until they are full medicine cats.
Medicine cat apprentices are often chosen by the medicine cat due to their affinity for healing, but some are chosen by StarClan. Medicine cat training takes longer than warrior training as it’s an incredibly difficult and time-consuming job, usually taking at least 10 moons. However, a medicine cat apprentice may earn their name early if their mentor dies before they finish their training. A medicine cat apprentice who has full training will be given their full name similar to warriors; however, this name is given to them by their mentor at the Moonstone rather than by their leader. Medicine cat apprentices may share some chores with warrior apprentices, like tending to the elders.
IC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Learning how to diagnose and treat several diseases and injuries from their mentor
— Memorizing herbs and their uses
— Learning how to interpret signs from StarClan
— Tending to the elders by removing their ticks and changing their bedding
— Accompanying their mentor to the Moonstone every half-moon to meet with the other medicine cats and dream with StarClan
— Assists medicine cat with vigils
OOC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Assisting the leader in running the clan and discord
— Assisting with clanwide plots and events
— Maintaining a friendly environment
— Remaining active IC and OOC
— Assisting medicine cat with vigil threads as needed -
Lead warriors are warriors who have proven themselves to be trustworthy assets to the clan and have thus been promoted to the leader’s council. They have earned their leader’s trust and respect and in return are granted authority within the clan. While not given as much responsibility as the deputy, they assist in helping the clan run smoothly by maintaining order and discipline. They are often entrusted with leading patrols and filling in for the deputy if they are unable to perform their duties. They are well-respected by their clanmates, but please note that lead warriors are not guaranteed any further promotion, making them SHPs or Semi-high-postions.
IC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Serving on their leader’s council
— Maintaining order within the clan and disciplining cats when necessary
— Filling in for the deputy if they are unable to perform their duties
OOC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Assisting the HPs in running the clan and discord
— Assisting with clanwide plots and events
— Maintaining a friendly environment
— Remaining active IC and OOC -
Warriors make up the bulk of the clan. They hunt for and protect the clan, and are extremely important for the overall survival of it. Warriors have been trained in the ways of fighting and hunting in addition to the ways of the Warrior Code. They are charged with the responsibility to feed and protect those cats who are elderly or unable to spend time out of camp. When the leader deems a cat ready to mentor an apprentice, a warrior is assigned a young cat to train in the ways of warriorhood, which is considered an honor. Normally, warriors are named at 12 moons. However, they can become warriors as early as 11 moons in some clans if they accomplish an incredible feat to earn it. They can also have their ceremony delayed up until they’re 18 moons due to punishment or if they need more training. Warriors each gain a suffix that describes something about them, whether it be about their appearance, personality, skill, or something special to them.
The warrior rank is the highest most cats will ever reach in the clan hierarchy. Cats can serve as warriors from the day they earn their warrior name to the day they die, unless they’re one of the lucky ones who live long enough to retire. Upon being given their warrior name, they must swear an oath of loyalty to their clan, and promise to defend it even at the cost of their life. This promise of loyalty is expected to be upheld throughout a warrior’s life - any less is seen as cowardice at best, or treachery at worst.
ADDITIONALLY... there are some subsets of warriors:
— Senior warriors are warriors above the age of 70 moons. While not holding any true authority, they are highly respected in the clan due to their age, experience and wisdom. They are often entrusted with leading patrols and cats may go to them for advice. These cats often sleep in the middle of the warriors’ den (when applicable) where it’s warmest, while younger warriors sleep along the sides.
— WindClan warriors are divided into two subsets: moor-runners and tunnelers.
—Moor-runners make up the bulk of the clan’s warriors. They are “regular” warriors that hunt and patrol the territory like any other clan’s warriors would; Tunnelers are a small, elite team of cats that work underground. They are the tiniest, skinniest cats of the clan and learn to navigate the tunnels beneath the moors. The full guide for this rank can be found here— Daylight warriors are specific to SkyClan. These are kittypets that sleep in their twolegs’ nests at night, but live a warrior’s life during the day, such as hunting, patrolling, and mentoring apprentices. Their warrior names are unique in that they keep their kittypet name as their prefix.
IC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Patrolling and marking the borders to ensure the territory is secured
— Chasing out trespassers
— Standing guard of camp and defending camp when necessary
— Ensuring camp is secure by keeping the walls, entrance, and dens strengthened
— Providing food for the clan by hunting and delivering fresh-kill to camp
— Mentoring apprentices
— Carrying out orders given to them by their leader, deputy, or lead warriors -
Apprentices are typically young cats training to be warriors. They are assigned to a mentor who teaches them how to hunt, fight, and honor the Warrior Code. They take on “-paw” as a suffix to signify that their paws have started down the path to becoming a warrior. Apprentices are expected to obey their mentors, to respect the warriors, to keep up with their training, and to look after the clan’s elders by bringing them prey and cleaning out their bedding. Apprentices are forbidden to eat until they have fed the queens, kits, and elders. They are also not allowed outside of camp without the permission of their mentor or another warrior, such as when they need to collect moss or if they need to retrieve a clanmate. Apprentices are worked very hard, spending all of their time training, hunting, patrolling, or doing chores.
They must pass a final assessment to become a warrior; this assessment is carried out by the leader or the cat’s mentor. In some cases, if the apprentice has accomplished something great, they are made a warrior without going through an assessment. It is tradition that an apprentice must accompany their leader to the Moonstone at least once before becoming a warrior. Apprenticeships and warrior ceremonies can be delayed due to punishment, injury, or illness.
IC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Obeying and training with their mentor
— Accompanying their mentor on hunting and border patrols
— Tending to the elders, such as removing their ticks and clearing out their old nests to replace with fresh nests
— Delivering prey to the elders, queens and kits
— Collecting moss -
A queen is a cat who is expecting, nursing, or raising their kits. They move into the nursery halfway through their pregnancy and have fresh-kill delivered to them as they become less mobile. Their pregnancy lasts two moons, after which they give birth to a litter from anywhere between one and five kits. They care for the clan’s kits, but return to their warrior duties once their own kits are apprenticed. However, some queens choose to remain in the nursery even after their kits have been apprenticed, helping inexperienced mothers and nursing kits for other queens. A queen must have had their own litter at some point before becoming a perma-queen. They are relied on when another queen’s milk will not come, or when a kit is orphaned and needs caring for.
Queens have a vital role in continuing the clans' survival as they give birth to the next generation of warriors. Their contribution to the clan is full-time care of the clan's young, and thusly, queens are typically not seen performing warriors duties, such as hunting or patrolling. When a clanmate dies, the queens prepare the body with herbs for the vigil. If a queen does not wish to tell who the father of her kits is to the clan, that is her choice. Queens are generally not selected for promotions until they resume their warrior duties as they are busy enough raising their kits, but this is not always the case!
IC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Caring for their kits until they are apprenticed
— Helping the other queens with their own kits
— Nursing other queens’ kits to give them a break
— Taking in kits who have been orphaned
— Preparing bodies for vigils with herbs to mask the scent of death -
A kit is a kitten who has not been made an apprentice yet. Their names are given to them by their parents and always end in "-kit.” Kits are forbidden to leave camp and are protected by all members of the clan. They are allowed to play and do whatever they wish with their day, as long as they remain within the safety of the camp. Kits are the clan’s most vulnerable members and are always the first to eat. They sleep in the nursery with the queens. Kits are not allowed out of the nursery until their mother feels the time is right. After that, they can go around the camp, though never far from their mother. While in the nursery, kits gradually learn about their clanmates, clan ways, traditions, rivals, and the Warrior Code as they age. Their mother, the other queens in the nursery, and the elders will tell them stories of great battles, journeys, and cats. The care of the kits is shared by all of the queens.
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An elder is a retired clan cat who is too old to continue with their duties. Elders are taken care of by the whole clan - most notably apprentices - and are given respect for the time they have served as part of the clan. The clan’s elders are responsible for taking the body of a dead cat out to be buried. Elders offer their wisdom to all clan cats, including the clan leader. Cats will often turn to the elders for advice because of their age and experience - kits and apprentices especially love to hear the tales elders have to tell of moons long past. They stay in their den most of the day, and most of them enjoy meeting new kits. However, they may leave the camp if they wish to do so, such as to take a walk to stretch their legs or to hunt. Sometimes, they participate in Gatherings, usually to gossip with other elders. Cats typically decide to retire anywhere between 100-120 moons of age; after this, it is often up to the clan leader to force them into retirement for their own good.
IC RESPONSIBILITIES
— Helping the queens prepare bodies for vigils with herbs to mask the scent of death
— Carrying the bodies of dead clanmates to the graveyard to be buried
— Sharing advice and wisdom to guide their clanmates
— Telling stories of moons past
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