LichenClan is regarded as somewhat mysterious and confusing. They like to keep to themselves and do not often involve themselves in the affairs of others unless they have a strong reason to compel them. They tend to be quiet when it comes to outsiders, typically not speaking unless spoken to and having few words to say even when they do. Their beliefs can come across as somewhat fantastical to those unfamiliar with them; without a deep understanding of LichenClan beliefs, their superstition and actions that stem from them can be incredibly confusing.
While not unkind, they like to play their cards close to their chest and look warily at cats who are too eager to get involved. They can come across as cold and unfeeling at times, with outsiders joking that LichenClan cats are as icy as the snow that tops their mountains. Overall, they're unpredictable and hard to read-- by far the most intimidating cats of the three clans, something not helped by their large intimidating stature and the fact you never seem to see one walking alone.
That being said, the cats who take the time to get to know LichenClan cats learn quickly that once they open up, they're incredibly interesting and kind cats. Being so enmeshed with one another and dependent on their clanmates, LichenClan cats truly enjoy the company of others and sharing tongues, they just aren't typically the type to initiate outside bonds when they're already so content with the life they already have within their clan.
As intimidating as the land they occupy, LichenClan cats are known for being larger than the average cat with dense, thick coats. Their pelts are dark and dramatic, often blending in with the shadows of the trees they surround themselves with. LichenClan cats are known for being effortlessly strong, though they tend to be on the slower, more bouldering side as well. They pride themselves in blending into the background, frequently presenting themselves in a quiet, slinking type of way.
To outsiders, LichenClan is exactly what they imagine when they're asked to consider the concept of "wild cats," they're quiet, narrow-eyed looking brutes who seldom venture father than the tree-line. To those who like the rugged type, LichenClan cats are exactly what they'd be looking for, but most would think twice about ending up on the bad side of a LichenClan cat. Within their ranks, they tend to favor cats with dramatic expressions, especially markings that alter the face. The more your appearance can strike and confuse your foes from afar, the more cats would look towards you with awe and admiration.
In the dark woods of the mountains beyond, a group of cats lay claim to the stone beneath their paws despite its harsh, unforgiving nature. LichenClan haunts the tall, spanning coniferous trees of the east. There is no question that of the three clans, LichenClan's territory is the most perilous, with severe weather and gnarling, spanning terrain that could quickly claim any cat unwise enough to not treat it with the respect it deserves. A stark contrast to the other arid climates of the other two clans, LichenClan occupies a montane woodland that quickly bleeds into rich conifer-oak forests, sporting a much harsher seasonal cycle and weather patterns. Snow is heavy during the colder seasons where the summer seasons are incredibly dry and hot-- LichenClan cats must be prepared for anything the wildnerness throws their way as it's never easy to predict what's in store the next day.
On the verge of their territory there is a mostly-abandoned twoleg settlement, though it seldom makes itself known to the cats that occupy the denser, less traveled parts of the land. While the territory itself is cruel and unforgiving, their territory is frequently rife with plant and animal activity due to the dense coverage of the tall, spanning trees. Most of the deeper parts of the territory are near completely covered in shade, which offers some reprieve when the sun becomes particularly grueling in the warmer seasons.
LichenClan believes in the living consciousness of the world around them, manifesting around them as invisible spirits that feed off the energy that surges through the earth. Everything is interconnected and keeps score-- it is the goal of LichenClan cats to live in harmony with these spirits, making great effort to appeal to them in their day to day life. They don't believe that any one spirit is malicious or benevolent, but that strong connections endear spirits to those who make the work to form them. Cats will often devote themselves to a single spirit, or a handful of spirits, that they feel they have a particularly strong connection with. They will perform specific rituals to commend themselves, from offerings to occasional sacrifices of prey or other objects of deep meaning to the cat.
To a LichenClan cat, there are as many spirits in the world as there are forces that inhabit it. From the wind, the trees, the soil, the river, the seasons, and any other natural force a warrior could observe around them. In times of great need: drought, floods, famine, or other times of hardship, particularly religious cats may devote great efforts to appeasing the spirits back in their favor-- even at great personal cost. The greater the request you have from the spirits, the greater the price you must pay. The most faithful of cats have a trust so great in these forces, it can come across as destructive and concerning to cats who don't share those beliefs as strongly.
Death is seen not as a loss, but a part of the natural cycle of the energy of the earth. It is seen as a change in form rather than death in the traditional sense. While LichenClan cats do mourn their fallen, those who miss their loved ones look towards the energies they commended themselves to in life and leave offerings to them as a means of sharing tongues with them and wishing them well from the other side of the plane that separates them.
LichenClan cats are incredibly tight-knit-- they believe strongly in the concept of working as a group, just as all the different, chaotic energies of the world come together to create unity, so too do the different paws of LichenClan come together to create a unit. Incredibly communal and dependent, it's not common to see a cat occupying the vast reaches of the territory alone. LichenClan cats commonly decorate their pelts and camp/the territory with flowers, stones, leaves, and other trinkets they come across.
This comes in part due to the incredibly superstitious nature of LichenClan cats-- going out into the forest alone is seen as a challenge, a testing of the spirits' good nature to let you return in one piece; it is suggested if you are to be so bold, you bring something to appease them when in their domain. It is commonplace for cats to make shrines out in the territories for offerings and as places of worship. Some shrines will even be passed down from cat to cat, or down through families. These rituals are considered incredibly personal and significant-- to disrupt them is considered incredibly rude and looked down upon, with some cats believing such disruption comes with otherworldly consequence.
Unlike the traditional leader structure seen in other clans, LichenClan operates on a court system. There is one permanent leader who is elected when the previous leader dies, and they are the figurehead of the clan. They are responsible for interclan politics, representing LichenClan during gatherings and times of political importance, though they are always speaking on behalf of the court rather than their own personal opinions. The three members of the court represent the three major facets of warriorhood-- patroling and fighting; camp-tending and kitten rearing; and healing and spiritual harmony. Each member of the court overlooks their respective discipline for six moons-- elections are held every leaffall and newleaf on the respective equinoxes. The leader and the court members are regarded by the clan of having equal standing, the leader exists primarily to overlook ceremonies and serve as a confidant for their clanmates to bring up amongst leadership, as well as step in any time there is a gap in court leadership for any reason.
LichenClan does not have healers; all warriors are trained in the art of healing alongside their other skills. LichenClan apprenticeships often last a bit longer on average than other clan apprenticeships, both to account for the sheer amount of knowledge they are expected to master, as well as due to the especially dangerous nature of LichenClan's territory. However, in the place of healers, LichenClan has mediums. These are cats who are specially trained in the ways of reading the ways of nature around them, both from a spiritual and concrete perspective. Mediums learn to read the weather, the growth patterns of the plants, the behavior of the animals, and the turning of the seasons to consults with the leaders of their clan. They maintain the shrines in the territory and leave offerings and tend to the territory as they read the world around them. To their clanmates, they are seen as cats who read and predict the ways of the spirits and, on some level scry the future.
There is an incredibly heavy emphasis on rites of passage in LichenClan. Each ceremony is regarded as a celebration of survival, and a transition from one phase of life to another is one worth memorializing. Cats will decorate camp and their pelts, hunt in excess for feasting, and shout the names of the cats lucky enough to make it to the next stage in their life so loud, their names echo through the trees for all to hear. This includes the birth of new life-- LichenClan parents typically name their kittens after spirits they want to look after their children in life, as a type of sacrifice to endear their kits to their goodwill.
LichenClan, like their sister clans, celebrate the Leafbare and Greenleaf Solstice, viewing the former as a means of spreading goodwill and good fortune, offering trinkets and small prey pieces to friends and loved ones both within and outside their clan as items of protection and faith for the upcoming year. During the latter, they use this as a time to decorate the pelts of themselves and others during festivities, sharing stories of the hardships of the difficult months as well as playing games and hosting contests with the celebrating clans.
After the leaffall elections, once the sun sets, LichenClan cats like to dress up as spirits and scare their clanmates, playing pranks and getting into mischief. The recently elected cats will typically be especially easy targets. Cats playfully refer to this time as "Mischief Night."
As the final stage of their warrior assessment, apprentices will be sent out into the territory at dusk for a single night on their own. Their safe return at dawn is considered to be a blessing from the spirits that a cat is ready climb the LichenClan ranks.
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