Post by Aphelyon on Feb 27, 2017 16:09:33 GMT -5
We Hunt Like Wolves
WolfClan is a Clan of large, hardy cats who live in the pines forests and tundras of the cold north. Their large size, shaggy pelts, and exceptionally long fangs and claws almost make them resemble the wolves with which they share their home, and for which their Clan is named. Because of their sheer size as well as their endurance and strength, a group of WolfClan cats can hunt prey that normal cats could hardly dream of, such as beavers or even small deer, which is integral to their culture, and their survival as a Clan. Still, WolfClan cats don't rely on their strength and durability alone. WolfClan cats pride themselves on being quick-thinkers and efficient planners- after all, they need to be in order to be able to survive the harsh leafbares of the tundra with enough food and warmth. Even with all their adaptations though, it is still difficult to survive, and in this harsh and unforgiving land only the strong can survive.
Traditions
WolfClan has a few unusual traditions, most of which reflect the harshness of their environment. Some are meant to weed out the weak, while others are meant to celebrate cats' accomplishments. In many ways, WolfClan has adopted the traditions of the wolf packs that live nearby, emulating their behavior both as a homage to them and as a survival tactic.
WOLF HUNTS
One of WolfClan's most defining traditions, and one of the most important, is the concept of a "wolf hunt." It is called this because they learned it from watching wolves hunt in groups, chasing down prey and killing as a group as opposed to hunting alone or- sometimes- in pairs as cats do. However, a wolf hunt is dangerous, as they prey is much larger and stronger, and cats are often hurt this way, even if not badly. Due to the limited supply of herbs on the tundra, though, the Clan tries to minimize injuries as much as possible. Thus, wolf hunts are only done for special occasions or when small prey is particularly scarce, such as in the depth of leafbare. During a wolf hunt, a large group of cats- usually five or even six- will go out with the intent of finding large prey such as eagles or small deer, stalking and chasing them much like wolves do before dragging the prey back to camp for a feast. In leafbare when it is snowy, large carcasses can be buried in snow to keep them cool and edible for days afterwords. Of course, frozen meat is not as good as fresh meat, but at least it's food.
NAMING
The style of WolfClan names are the same as any other Clan, with a suffix and prefix and rank-specific suffixes. However, the way cats earn their names is a bit unusual. Most kits, when they are born, are named quickly and simply- whatever comes to the parents' minds first. Kit names are usually something about the kit's appearance, such as their color. There are two reasons for this: the first is that many kits do not survive, and most parents are reluctant to give them an especially meaningful name if they won't make good use of it in their life. The second reason is that apprentices are allowed to choose their own prefix at their apprentice ceremony, which means every cat's name is something personally meaningful to them. However, their parents then get to choose their suffix when they become a warrior; this is usually the time when parents give meaningful names to their kits, now that they have earned them. If the parents are no longer alive, then the apprentices' mentor will give them their suffix.
THE PROVING
WolfClan has a special rank, or rather a sub-rank, which is referred to as "proven warriors." A cat must be a proven warrior to be chosen for deputy, given an apprentices, or allowed to have kits. The former is so that the Clan will have a resilient and able leader, and the latter is so that only the strongest cats will reproduce, making the strongest kits, and giving the kits and the Clan as a whole a better chance of survival. There are a few requirements that must be fulfilled before a warrior can even attempt to "prove" themselves. First, the cats must have been warriors for at least two winters, and must have a good reputation within the Clan. They must have performed some feat of resilience, strength, or cleverness: things like recovering against all odds from a terrible injury or overcoming a dangerous enemy alone. It doesn't have to be something spectacular or heroic that will go down in history, just something that proves their proficiency at survival. If they have fulfilled these requirements, and the Clan leader approves, then a cat may attempt to go through the Proving.
The Proving begins in the middle of leaf-fall, and a cat must try to complete it before leafbare truly sets in, or they will almost certainly fail. The Proving involves traveling to a specific place in the nearby mountains and taking a colorful stone from a mountain pond. Then, they must carry the stone back to the Clan and leave it in a pile with the stones from every other proven warrior. There are a few ways to fail this trial, however: a cat may give up at any point during the Proving and return to the Clan, but they will not be allowed to attempt to Prove themselves again. Therefore very few cats choose to give up, and it is far more common for cats to will die trying to finish than to give up. It is a difficult trial, and only the strongest in the Clan dare to attempt it. Of those, about 2/3 make it through without dying or giving up. Cats are not allowed to tell others of their trials, as the exact dangers of the journey are meant to be secret from those who have not gone through it. No more than three warriors may go through the Proving in a year, and with the exception of possibly meeting up with each other at the stone pool, they may not interact or help each other during the trial. If a cat is saved by another during the Proving, the saved cat must immediately return to camp and forfeit the rest of the trial.
NEWLEAF LITTERS
Kits in WolfClan are always born in newleaf, and it is considered extremely irresponsible to have a litter at any other time of year. This is so that the kits will have grown enough by leaf-fall and leafbare that they have a very good chance of survival. It also means that she-cats will generally have enough food during their pregnancy and when nursing for their kits to be born strong and grow up healthy. One of the effects of this is that kits are generally born within two or three moons of each other, and therefore are raised together almost like littermates. Thus, generations from different years tend to be very close to each other, which of course contributes to the overall loyalty and cohesiveness of the Clan. Unlike in regular Clans where a litter's father may remain secret, she-cats are almost required to tell who fathered her kits, as having a strong lineage is very important to WolfClan cats.
APPRENTICESHIP & GRADUATING
Because kits are born around the same time, this means they are also generally apprenticed and made warriors around the same time. This has contributed to a few other traditions revolving around their apprenticeship and graduation to warriors. First of all, leaders of WolfClan do not simply assign apprentices to mentors like they do in other Clans. Instead, cats who wish to become mentors- any proven warrior- will spend time with the kits, playing with them and getting to know them. Then, the mentor will choose one kit that they would like to train and inform the leader of their decision. In the rare case that a kit is chosen by multiple mentors (which is rare), or by none (which is even rarer), the kit will be allowed to choose their mentor.
Past that, apprenticeship goes much like it does in any other Clan: they learn to hunt and fight, care for the elders, and grow in skill and maturity. However, generations usually become warriors together, and part of the test to see whether they are ready is taken as a group. Of course, if a particular apprentice proves themselves beyond a doubt ready to become a warrior, they will be made one alone, but generally, they must all prove themselves together, with their final trial being a wolf hunt done only by the apprentices. How well they do on this hunt- the quality of the prey, the speed and efficiency with which they caught it, and the number and severity of sustained injuries- determines whether or not they will become warriors. The way that they organize and who takes charge also helps the older cats of the Clan determine which apprentices will likely someday prove themselves and even become deputy or leader. Generally, they pass or fail as a group- however, if the mistakes made are obviously the fault of one or two apprentices and the rest of the group otherwise performed well, they may be allowed to progress while the others stay behind. Similarly, if one or two apprentices perform well but are held back by the group, they may graduate while the others do not. This is rare, however.
SOLSTICE FEASTS
The last major tradition of WolfClan are the Solstice Feasts. On the Longest Day in greenleaf, the cats spend the day hunting. Generally, about half the Clan will wolf hunt, while the rest go after smaller prey. Then they feast as the sun goes down, thanking StarClan for the bounty and warmth of summer and the strength of the surviving kits, and asking for the survival of the Clan. On the Longest Night, the cats wolf hunt the day before, but refrain from eating for the entire night, though the prey is there. Then, they feast at dawn. The night is a time of reflection, paying respects to all the cats who have died and the animals who have given their lives to feed the Clan. The Longest Day is generally focused more on hope for the future and appreciation of kits, while the Longest Night is for remembering the past and thanking the elders and the dead for their service.
Roleplay Rules
❄ Follow all forum rules, as always. ❄
❄ No flaming, bashing, trolling, spotlighting, powerplaying, godmodding, etc. ❄
❄ No mary sues/"perfect"characters. Your character is almost never going to be the absolute best in the land at anything. Being very good at some things (not everything), however, is entirely acceptable. Your character will be bad at some things. They will have some flaws. They will lose sometimes. Similarly, though, please don't make your character so awful that they have no good aspects and are mopey and depressed and annoyingly flawed. Give them some space to develop and improve, but also let them develop and improve. ❄
❄ As always, keep things pg. So, no excessively graphic violence, language, or other inappropriateness. If you desire any of these things please take it to PM where it is legally out of my control. ❄
❄ Please try to be literate and original. Make your characters and their actions unique and meaningful rather than making them from a cookie cutter with nothing personal going for them. Contribute to the plot and roleplay in a meaningful way that is enjoyable for everyone. Use good grammar, spelling, etc. At the same time, please don't write a novel every post. If you try to make things too long and complicated it gets boring and tedious. Find that comfortable middle where it's entertaining for you to write and entertaining for us to read. ❄
❄ Please keep characters realistic in appearance. Obviously things don't have to be 100% realistic- there are plenty of tortoiseshell toms, and somewhat unrealistic pattern combinations exist, such as gray and black spotted❄ but keep the cats believable. So no purple eyes, blue stripes, or perfect star-shaped marking on their forehead. ❄
❄ If you are gone for more than two weeks without prior warning, you will be suspended and your characters moved to the "inactive" slot. If you are gone for two weeks after this, your characters will be entirely removed. If you have any ranks- such as a leader, deputy, or medicine cat- then that character will be available for other people to claim, or (in some cases) the character may be killed off entirely. ❄
❄ I reserve the right to reject or remove people who are not literate enough, who do not contribute well to the roleplay, who are not active, who do not keep in the spirit of the roleplay, or who do not adequately follow the above rules. ❄
The Warrior Code
❄ 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.
❄ Do not hunt or trespass on another cat's territory.
❄ 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.
❄ Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.
❄ A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.
❄ Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.
❄ Only proven warriors who have mentored at least one apprentice fully can be chosen as deputy.
❄ The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires or is exiled.
❄ After the death or retirement of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.
❄ Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.
❄ Only proven warriors may take apprentices or have kits.
❄ No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from outside the Clan.
❄ The word of the Clan leader is the warrior code.
❄ 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.
News
In-Character
-
Out-of-Character
2-27-2017 - WolfClan is created and opened for joining.
Environmental Info
Season: Greenleaf
Weather: Reasonably warm (probably ~70°), with a cool mountain breeze and warm sunlight. A few clouds in the sky, but mostly clear.
Moon Phase: Crescent Moon
Relationships
♥ = mates
+ = had kits but are not currently mates
♦ = mentor/apprentice
♣ = littermates
♠ = siblings but not from the same litter
= = parent(s) of
[symbol] = adopted relationship
name = outside the Clan
(symbol) = secret/unknown relationship
Honeystar ♥
Pinetooth ♥
? ♦ Crowpaw
? ♦ Songpaw
? ♦ Blossompaw
Joining
1) Please delete categories that don't apply. So if your cat has no mate, please just delete the mate category.
2) Please state the age in moons, not years or months.
3) Skills & weaknesses mostly refer to physical traits, not personality strengths/flaws (those should be described in personality, after all). Please have a balance of strengths and weaknesses. Obviously some cats will be overall better at being a warrior and some overall worse, but all cats should have at least one natural strength and one natural weakness.
4) The "virtues" category is only for cats who have been made warriors (or full medicine cats). These would be the traits identified by the leader at their warrior ceremony, with "StarClan honors your _ and _." This serves to sort of summarize the cat's personality at a glance.
5) Keep in mind that in order to be a proven warrior, cats must have been through two winters as a warrior. Most cats will not earn their warrior name until after their first leafbare, and then they must survive two more after that. Then, the leaf-fall before their fourth leafbare will be the one where they go through the Proving. That means the minimum age of a proven warrior currently is 36 moons, but most will be older than that.
6) Because kits are born around the same time and only in newleaf, here is a guide to the current age clusters cats will have: 1-3 moons (kits); 13-15 moons (apprentices, ready to graduate); 25-27 moons (first-year warriors); 37-39 moons (second-year warriors; youngest possible proven warriors); 49-51 moons (third-year warriors); 61-63 moons (older warriors/elders); 73-75 moons (elders). Please fit your cats into these age groups; if you do not, I will change their age to the closest one.
Name:
Birth Name:
Gender:
Age:
Rank:
Mate:
Kin:
Appearance:
Personality:
Skills/Weaknesses:
Virtues:
Other:
2) Please state the age in moons, not years or months.
3) Skills & weaknesses mostly refer to physical traits, not personality strengths/flaws (those should be described in personality, after all). Please have a balance of strengths and weaknesses. Obviously some cats will be overall better at being a warrior and some overall worse, but all cats should have at least one natural strength and one natural weakness.
4) The "virtues" category is only for cats who have been made warriors (or full medicine cats). These would be the traits identified by the leader at their warrior ceremony, with "StarClan honors your _ and _." This serves to sort of summarize the cat's personality at a glance.
5) Keep in mind that in order to be a proven warrior, cats must have been through two winters as a warrior. Most cats will not earn their warrior name until after their first leafbare, and then they must survive two more after that. Then, the leaf-fall before their fourth leafbare will be the one where they go through the Proving. That means the minimum age of a proven warrior currently is 36 moons, but most will be older than that.
6) Because kits are born around the same time and only in newleaf, here is a guide to the current age clusters cats will have: 1-3 moons (kits); 13-15 moons (apprentices, ready to graduate); 25-27 moons (first-year warriors); 37-39 moons (second-year warriors; youngest possible proven warriors); 49-51 moons (third-year warriors); 61-63 moons (older warriors/elders); 73-75 moons (elders). Please fit your cats into these age groups; if you do not, I will change their age to the closest one.
Name:
Birth Name:
Gender:
Age:
Rank:
Mate:
Kin:
Appearance:
Personality:
Skills/Weaknesses:
Virtues:
Other:
