CLANS OF THE LAKE

Welcome, newcomer! You have traveled long and far to find me here today. Please, come in, make yourself comfortable in my den. My name is Minerva, and I serve the Clans as their Oracle: seer, guide, and adviser to all.

You say your mentor sent you to learn about the history of the Clans by the Lake? Very well, young prospect. Let me tell you how the Clans came to reside by the water...

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Countless, countless generations ago, a large mix of loners and rogues began to band together, forming a huge mass of nomad cats. They traveled together for many moons, united in their effort to seek safety and security from the terrors of the world. By pure luck and happenstance, they stumbled across a sprawling expanse of land, defined by distinct regions, foliage, and terrain, wreathing a huge, sparkling lake. As the cats spread out through the new land and explored the lakeside, cries of relief, achievement, and celebration rang out into the night:

Their long and strenuous search had finally come to an end: the cats had found their new, permanent home.

As the cats began to settle into this new territory, filled with safe places to hide and prey to feed them, the large group found themselves splintering into four smaller, distinct groups, differentiated by their hunting skills and territory preference.

Those who carried the song of the swift breeze in their hearts and the speed of the rabbit in their paws settled into the seemingly endless rolling hills by the lake that neighbored a bustling twoleg farm, hillcrests open to the wide, blue sky. They named themselves ValleyClan, after the tall hills and dipping valleys they called home.

Those who fought with fiery spirit and strength in their claws and welcomed the challenge of danger settled into the jagged, perilous territory by the lake that led to the cold, unforgiving mountains. They named themselves RockClan, to demonstrate they had dominion over the dangerous land they sought refuge.

Those who found community and solidarity under the privacy of darkness with the ability to slip away under the most watchful gaze settled into the thick pine forest by the lake, close to the Thunderpath. They named themselves WoodClan, in homage to the woods that concealed their way of living and harmony.

Those who swam swiftly with ease and relished in the many different flavors life had to offer settled into the marshy streams by the lake that led to the endless ocean, stretching far beyond the eye can see. They named themselves StreamClan, to honor their source of life that fed and sheltered them from the many enemies of the Clan.

For a short amount of time, the four Clans knew peace with one another. Not long after they had made a name for themselves, however, growing pains began to crop up: arguments began to break out among the Clans. Proud warriors too stubborn to admit their mistakes or misconceptions squabbled over borders and prey, trying to assert their superiority to sway the dispute in their favor. These arguments led to skirmishes, skirmishes led to battles, and battles led to wars. And yet, despite it all, the four Clans always survived, strengthened by their support for one another. They were led by their starry ancestors in the sky, always watching over them: StarClan. With the guidance of StarClan, the four Clans began to develop a creed, so that they could live the most noble, honorable life a cat could live.

They called this doctrine the Warrior Code.

The Warrior Code

1: Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle.

2: Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory.

3: Elders, queens, and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.

4: Healers may take on mates, but may not have kits. Cats with mates must consume special herbs daily to ensure that no kits may be born to the Clan. Any healer who has kits renounces their healer duties to live their lives as a warrior.

5: Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.

6: A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.

7: Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.

8: A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.

9: The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires or is exiled.

10: After the death or retirement of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.

11: A Gathering of all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time.

12: Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.

13: No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan.

14: The word of the Clan Leader is the warrior code.

15: An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win his/her battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense.

16: Don't kill cats from your own Clan.

17: Each Clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect the four. Each Clan must help the others so that no Clan will fall.

18: It matters not the circumstances of one's birth, nor the blood that runs through their veins. It matters not whom their faith lies in, nor the ancestors they may follow. Any cat who caries the true spirit of a warrior may live this life authentically. 

Clan Ranks

Ranks are the social structure that the Clans use to organize themselves. Every Clan cat is recognized for their established rank. The rank a Clan cat is bestowed is based on a multitude of conditions, such as age, ability, etc. The following ranks below are recognized in all Clans.

Leader - A high rank in the Clans: The head of the Clan. While they work alongside the deputy and healer as consultation for direction forward, they will have the final say to direct the Clan through larger decisions and processes.​ They are responsible for assigning warriors as mentor to the Clan's newest apprentices, as well as bestowing their full warrior name once they achieve full warriorhood. In the event that the deputy retires or dies, it is the Clan leader's responsibility to choose the next deputy.

Deputy - A high rank in the Clans: The second-in-command, they organize patrols throughout the separate ranks, as well as relay Clan concerns and disagreements to the leader. They become the Clan's leader once the current leader passes.

Healer - A high rank in the Clans: The medic of the Clan, they both heal their Clanmates and receive messages from StarClan. They are the main connectors between StarClan and the Clans, interpreting StarClan’s dreams and omens.

Healer Apprentice - A high rank in the Clans: The in-training counterpart of the healer rank, the healers may delegate simpler tasks to their apprentice until they become a healer themselves.

Warrior - Defenders and supporters of the Clan, these are the only cats who have extensive fighting knowledge and receive extensive battle training. They perform daily patrols as instructed by the Deputy both around the Clan's borders, and within the Clan's territory, to scout for dangers. Warriors are also trained to hunt for their Clan, and have the responsibility of feeding the Clan through hunting patrols organized by the deputy. As warriors, they are expected to uphold the Warrior Code, and defend its honor.

Nursery Cats - They take care of the kits and young cats of the Clan, making sure every single one is taken care of, well fed, and healthy.

↳ May be temporary, such as the parents of a litter, or permanent, through formal dedication to the role.

Apprentices - At six moons old, kits in the Clan may become apprentices. Their sole purpose is to learn from their mentor, a specific warrior assigned to the apprentice by the Leader, and experience the world around them whilst training to hunt and for battle.

Kits - The youth of the Clans, unable to leave camp nor train. Kits are recognized as such, until six moons of age, when they are apprenticed to a warrior, known as a mentor.

Elders - A highly respected and honored role, they are treated as guides of wisdom and life by every rank within the Clan. They have served their Clan and now are allowed to rest and be tended to by the Clan. Elders may still hunt or patrol if they so wish, but they are not responsible for fulfilling these activities like the warriors of the Clan. Retiring to Elderhood becomes available when a non high rank character turns 100 moons old. Non high ranks must retire and become elders by 120 moons of age. High ranks may retire at whatever age they wish to elderhood past 120 moons.

Specialty Ranks

Specialty ranks are Clan ranks that are found unique to a specific Clan. All Clans have their own specialty ranks, that focus on a specific area of expertise to benefit their Clan.

Ranger - A stealth rank of StreamClan, these cats operate solely during the nighttime. They protect StreamClan from nighttime attacks, throughout their territory and by the camp, working closely with the leader to report any findings. Learn more about rangers here!

Sentinels - ValleyClan cats who patrol the outskirts of the clan’s territory to allow for quick detection of any possible threats. They are the messengers of the clan and swiftly relay information to the guardians. Learn more about sentinels here!

Guardians - ValleyClan cats who guard the inner territories of the clan, well adept in various types of fighting styles. They are the first line of defense surrounding the camp. Learn more about guardians here!

Sentries - Cats who excel in observation and climbing, they watch for any potential threats to RockClan from high vantage points. They are active at every hour, working in shifts either solo or with another sentry. They work closely with the deputy of the clan to keep them updated. Learn more about sentries here!

Counsellors - The counsellors of WoodClan are a specialized rank focused on helping their clanmates. They are there to ensure every cat is feeling well, without prejudice, and to relay concerns and issues between the clan and the leadership of the clan. Learn more about counsellors here!

Clan cats follow a unique way of naming their Clanmates.

Clan cat names are structured by a "prefix" and a "suffix" combined together. The prefix normally stays the same throughout a cat's life, while the suffix changes as they age through the ranks of the Clan. 

When a cat is born, or adopted into the Clan from 0-6 moons of age, they are given a prefix from their parents, and given the suffix "kit". This prefix will typically reflect a characteristic of the kit, such as their appearance, skills, or personality, but sometimes kits are given prefixes to honor the Clan or a Clanmate. As an example, a brown tabby kit that is highly energetic may be named "Mudkit, Barkkit, Sparrowkit, Sparkkit, Leafkit, etc.". Mud, bark, sparrow, and leaves are brown colored elements found in nature, while a spark is something exciting.

At six moons of age, it is possible for a kit to become an apprentice. To reflect this rank change, their suffix changes from "-kit" to "-paw". From the prior example, Mudkit would become Mudpaw.

When apprentices are at least 12 moons of age or older, they can become a warrior. The Clan's leader will bestow them warriorhood through a new Clan name. Traditionally, the "-paw" suffix is dropped and replaced with a name that reflects their skills, personality, or appearance. Rarely, this can also be in honor of a Clanmate or the Clan. If Mudpaw is a skilled hunter, a leader may name Mudpaw "Mudleap, Mudspring, Mudclaw, etc." or perhaps choose a suffix in honor of their brown tabby pelt, such as Mudstripe, Mudbranch, etc.

When the deputy becomes leader, they will drop their current name's suffix, and adopt the "star" suffix. From the prior example, Mudbranch would become Mudstar. There are rarely any exceptions ever to this, and to not adopt the -star suffix is seen as blasphemy to the way of living as a warrior.

While this is the tradition of the Clans to follow these conventions, exceptions can and do occur. For example, cats outside of the Clans may sometimes keep their old names, with approval from the Clan's leader. A warrior may at times request that their name be changed for a variety of reasons. When an apprentice becomes a warrior, sometimes they may request to receive a specific name. Other exceptions can and do very rarely occur, for reasons as unique as the cats themselves.

Gathering Schedule

Next Gathering: Check the group front page, or the official Rise of the Clans discord server. Thank you!

Gathering Information

Gatherings are held once every few months on the discord server. They typically run for about a few weeks time, with a week grace period afterwards to wrap up roleplays. The time may vary, and will be announced both here and on discord. During this time, anyone is free to roleplay with anyone, regardless of Clan! 

Some gatherings have mandatory attendance, which will be announced a month ahead of time. To be accounted for at mandatory Gatherings, it's required to post at least one roleplay post during the gathering for at least one of your characters. If you can't make a mandatory gathering, don't worry! Contact a mod ahead of time, and you'll be granted an extension to provide an RP post before the start of the next Gathering. See activity requirements here for more information regarding Gathering attendance!