Post by Accalia on Jul 31, 2011 14:41:09 GMT
Here, each of the Clans is described in depth. This is optional reading, unlike the Rules and Plot, so you don't have to struggle through all of this if you don't want to, don't worry! This thread is just to explore and build upon the ideas of the Clans, and for reference if you need to look up any particular Clan trait.
- physical
ForeverClan cats are large and muscular, heavily built and strong-boned. Their coat colours have the largest variety among all the Clans, due to their territory being composed of both thick forest and airy meadows; however, medium colours are most plentiful, with most ForeverClan cats wearing fur of medium browns, dark golds, or dull russety reds. Markings are very common and most ForeverClan cats are striped or tabby; plain, unmarked pelts are rare. They have the most comfortable and prey-rich territory of all the Clans, and this makes them well-fed and strong.
ForeverClan cats usually have no special beauty, and are plain in appearance. They are solid, not graceful, with heavy bodies. Their faces are broad and flat, with strong noses and large eyes. Their fur tends to be medium length.
These attributes are just guidelines- some ForeverClan cats are exceptions, but this is what is most common among the Clan.
- attitude
ForeverClan are survivors. They believe in surviving anything. While they are decent cats and have honour, they will do anything for life. They accept and obey the Higher Cats, as they know the consequence for not doing so would be death. They will join the Higher Cats if not doing so would mean execution, but they never volunteer to join their ranks; those that do are considered traitors to ForeverClan.
They believe that all hope is lost and that they can do nothing to change the Higher Cat regime; to them, NeverClan are nothing but a bunch of traitors, DawnClan is foolish to think hope still exists, and DuskClan are a shivering group of cowards. Perhaps they are right.
ForeverClan have given up, but they believe in making the best of what they've got. They survive, they forget, they carry on. They are determined to adapt to anything; life is the most precious thing in the world, they think, not honour or morals or love- though all are fine things indeed.
- territory
ForeverClan's territory is comfortable, prey-rich, and peaceful. There are few predators there, and their territory consists of both thick forest and long-grassed meadows, offering the strong Clan a variety of prey. ForeverClan thrives very well on its territory. However, there are disadvantages; its mixed terrains mean that ForeverClan have no particular strengths- while DawnClan grows fast in their open spaces and NeverClan grow stealthy in their shaded regions, ForeverClan's territory is peaceful and comfortable and the Clan has acquired no special skills from it. Also, the territory's borders are not the clearest; with no ridges or rivers to give the territory an end, ForeverClan's territory is shaped like a vague diamond, using treelines in some parts of the border, and in others, simply scent-marking and hoping for the best. Without a clearly defined shape to their territory, ForeverClan sometimes feel as though their lands are just a random patch of land in the middle of nowhere, and unlike other Clans, can take almost no pride in them.
- strengths
ForeverClan is a very strong Clan. Their rich territory makes them well-fed, strong and healthy. Disease is rare among ForeverClan and whitecough or greencough is almost unheard of. Their survival rate is the highest among all the Clans.
ForeverClan cats are able to keep their thoughts to themselves and can put their survival above their pride. They are humble, stoic, and can take hits and carry on. These cats are level-headed, calm in a crisis, responding sensibly and logically to most situations. ForeverClan are adaptable and resourceful, true survivors, and can take hits and keep going. They are very physically strong and powerful.
- traits
ForeverClan cats are physically strong and powerful. They are humble and able to swallow their pride or honour or morals to survive. Surviving is the most important thing to this Clan; all else comes second, which invites accusations of cowardice from DawnClan, who would rather die than give up what ForeverClan has already lost and forgotten. ForeverClan adapt to anything and are extremely resourceful. They are an extremely powerful Clan; while they are in no special favour from the Higher Cats, they aren't disliked either, and they are a healthy, disease-free, large Clan with physically powerful warriors, a territory abundant with prey, and healthy kits. ForeverClan's threats and promises hold a lot of weight, and if any Clan was ever in trouble, ForeverClan would probably be where they went for help- especially since this Clan likes helping others; after all, it is very good at making sure the debts owed to it are repaid.
- physical
NeverClan cats are generally medium-sized, but extremely wiry and toned. Though well-fed, these cats spend huge amounts of time training and exercising, meaning that their muscles are corded and their bones strong. They aren't huge and muscular like the ForeverClan cats, just very fit.
Dark-coloured pelts are most common in NeverClan, due to their shadowy territory and their valuing of stealth. Most NeverClan cats have black fur, although some are dark brown tabbies or very dark greys. A cat's eyes will often give it away while creeping up on somebody in the dark; less so with NeverClan, as most NeverClan cats have narrow, hooded eyes in dark colours.
- attitude
NeverClan cats are ambitious and want power. They follow the Higher Cats wholeheartedly because that's the route to what they want. Often they are ruthless and coldhearted. Those who don't follow the Higher Cats so willingly are killed or cast out when they are young - there is almost no exceptions to their attitude, seeing as a young cat often has trouble disguising their loyalties and would be seen and cast out while still young. The only way around this would be if a cat grew up supporting the Higher Cats all his/her life and then something happened to make her change allegiance, but for some reason he/she wanted to, and managed to, hide it.
NeverClan cats believe they are better than the other Clans, because the other Clans are too stupid or disloyal to obey the Higher Cats. They do not respect the other Clans' borders at all, and often steal prey- the warrior code is meaningless to them. What is important is obeying the Higher Cats and getting power, not following some stupid set of rules. However, they defend their own territory with ferocity, power, and fighting skill.
- territory
NeverClan's territory is large and mostly shadowy, giving these cats amazing stealth. Mostly the floor is soft and muddy, perfect for fighting training. There's not abundant prey, but there's enough, and since NeverClan don't mind stealing, the main thing they look for in territory is how easy it is to defend- not its prey. Their own territory is certainly easy to defend, with muddy floors to weigh down enemy paws, a river in the southwest of their territory, and darkness to conceal the defenders.
- strengths
NeverClan have the backing of the Higher Cats, and that means a lot- they're the most powerful Clan in the forest. What they say pretty much goes. They rule the Gatherings and they can disrespect other Clans' territory borders without fear.
Their fighting skills are rivalled by few, because they have Higher Cat training. Every cat among this Clan is highly trained, elite, ferocious, ruthless, and a dangerously good fighter. Hunting comes way behind in their priorities, but as they don't hesitate to steal, prey usually isn't a problem.
Not everybody can take the heat- those born clumsy, stupid or weak are put through ruthlessly intensive training programs until they improve, and if they don't, they are thrown out.
Elders are rare- the position is given only to those warriors who have served truly outstandingly and are so old that any more training and patrols would kill them. Anybody else remains a warrior, though the intensity of their training and patrolling may be let up- NeverClan don't mind losing cats, but overworking their wisest and most experienced warriors to death would be stupid.
- traits
NeverClan cats are fierce, proud, ruthless, ambitious, and aligned with the Higher Cats (read: evil.) - there's really not much else to say.
- physical
DawnClan cats are normally small and wiry. They are fast and agile. Their fur is long and glossy, to guard them from the cold ocean winds and fogs which often sweep across their territory. Most can swim, though not all. Their fur tends to be light or bright colours; gold, bright ginger, white, light brown, silver, russet, and so on, though there are exceptions to this rule. Their fur is long, thick and sleek. Their eyes are bright and jewel-like, most often emerald green, although bright blue and medium teal are also common.
- attitude
DawnClan cats are always optimistic. They never give up and are very determined. They are the only Clan which truly holds out hope for the future. They believe strongly in themselves, their Clan and their cause. Most are loyal to the death. They are fiery, spirited cats with big dreams and a strong sense of honour and the warrior code. They are a bunch of ambitious dreamers, but don't covet rank or titles. They are generally intelligent and quick-witted, able to think on their feet. They are always brave and calm in a crisis, and they will stay hopeful until the very end.
As for their views on the other Clans- well, they have a kind of mixed pity and derision for them. Pity at the despair of those who have given up, derision at their cowardice. They have a special hatred for NeverClan, who are (secretly) their sworn enemies.
- territory
DawnClan territory is a huge sweep of open space overlooking the sun-drown-place. It's usually windy and fog often sweeps in from the water. It can be cold and miserable, but the DawnClan cats love its beautiful views, rolling meadows, soft grasses, and abundance of small mammals. Rabbits are there aplenty, but there's also many birds, due to the territory being so close to the sundrownplace. There's a kind of bird which the DawnClan cats call a watersweeper (twoleg name is seagull) which is plentiful in the territory, but there's a lot of birds, rabbits, and some voles and mice as well. DawnClan cats don't exactly grow fat on it, and the prey is more sparse than they'd like, but they don't starve. Because they hunt mostly birds and rabbits, DawnClan cats are light, fast and agile.
- strengths
DawnClan cats are light, fast and agile, able to chase down rabbits and birds with ease. When fighting, they use skill rather than strength. Their warriors are better trained than most as part of their rebel training programs. The Clan doesn't carry a lot of influence with the others as they are very different from the other Clans, so don't get on particularly well, and because they are always out of favour with the Higher Cats. Despite this and their lack of physical strength, the Clan is still strong; partly because of their rebel training and partly because of the strength and inspiration instilled in them by their Clan's unique sense of hope and loyalty. This is one of the most friendly and accepting Clans.
- traits
DawnClan prize beauty and often DawnClan cats can be seen up before the dawn patrol watching the sunrise, or the sunset over the sundrownplace. They love their oceanside territory with its beautiful views. They are quick and agile in both mind and body. Their hunting techniques normally involve being very fast and light on your feet, since their main prey is rabbits and birds. DawnClan cats all share a strong bond of hope and belief in the same dream; this unites them more strongly than almost any other Clan, despite ForeverClan and NeverClan prizing and demanding loyalty more.
- physical
DuskClan cats are physically weak. Their strength is based around stealth and healing, not physical strength or speed. They are precise in their movements and stealthy, but slow, with low stamina and no strength in their muscles. They take much more care over their minds and pelts than their physical well-being. They have good motor control, which is why they are stealthy and precise, but apart from that they're almost completely physically useless.
Their pelts tend to be in shades of grey- from silvery and shiny down to dark, matte, almost-black grey, and everything in between. Their eyes tend to be pale greys or blues. Their fur is short but thick; since they are generally less well-fed and hardy than other Clans, they need their thick fur to keep them warm and comfortable.
DuskClan prize beauty, and spend large amounts of time grooming themselves. Some even adorn their bodies with feathers or other such ornaments.
- attitude
DuskClan try and stay out of the way of the Higher Cats. They are very stealthy, moving their camp every day and sneaking around their territory like wraiths. So long as they don't bother anybody, which they don't, they're mostly left alone. On the occasion that the Higher Cats see fit to punish them, they heal the wounds afterwards. The Clan has a love for beauty and peace and elegance.
They prize healing skills above all, and have two medicine cats, who hold a rank equal to the deputy and are treated with respect and obedience which surpasses anything given to medicine cats in other Clans. Even their warriors know some herbs- they have to, as the medicine cats cannot carry a full herb store around with the daily camp changes, and warriors who are sent to get herbs have to be able to come back with the right herb in time to save a life.
- territory
DuskClan take great pride in the northern part of their territory, which, with its thick undergrowth, is perfect for them to sneak around in. However, DuskClan's southern territory is almost useless to them. Though they technically own the hills, they don't go there because the space is too open and it's ingrained in DuskClan cats to not like being seen, to prefer to prowl invisible; even at Clan meetings or gatherings most of their cats sit in shadow. They are trained from birth to be stealthy and discreet; they hate it when anybody could come along and see them, even if somebody seeing them would do no harm. While apprentices occasionally play around in the hills, and DuskClan warriors sometimes go there for prey, when it's scarce, or herbs, DuskClan cats mostly avoid the south of their territory. The rest of their territory is mostly made up of former ThunderClan territory. They have no true northern border; DuskClan patrols just check around north for any scents, rather than following a specified line, and DuskClan cats don't stop at a line, their activity and scent just peters out as you get further north.
DuskClan's southern, hilly territory contains a lot of rabbits and not a lot else, whereas DuskClan's northern territory contains a good variety of squirrels, mice, voles, finches, chaffinches, thrushes, shrews, pigeons, wrens, starlings, blackbirds, robins, occasionally magpies and rabbits, and, rarely, pheasants or moles. However, DuskClan don't take advantage of their territory's variety of prey; they hunt all the same way, using their stealth to creep up on it before pouncing, and spend less time hunting and more time on herbs, moving camp and finding moss, grooming themselves, sharing tongues, appreciating beautiful things and suchlike.
- strengths
DuskClan are a Clan with a magnificent tradition of healing. They are absolutely stunning healers; their medicine cats know more than any other Clan, every warrior knows basic herbs, and their skills and knowledge are unmatched throughout the known world. They are also very stealthy; they move quietly and unseen, excel at hiding in shadows, and most gain the kind of elite skills which mean that you don't know they're there unless they want you to. DuskClan cats are also often very beautiful.
- traits
DuskClan tend to love peace and beauty. They spend a lot of time sharing tongues and grooming themselves. A large part of their day is also taken up by moving their camp daily, and all this leaves little time for hunting or training apprentices. As such, DuskClan cats are often not particularly well-fed, and are not physically strong or skilful in fights. They would certainly lose in any battle with other Clans, which is why they prize peace, stay out of the other Clans' way, and use their healing skills so much; they lose the battle, but survive anyway because of their healing skills. DuskClan can let the other Clans batter them to pieces, safe in the knowledge that there's almost nothing their medicine cats can't deal with.
- physical
Tribe cats are scrawny but strong. They have long pelts, which in addition to the mud they smear on them, protects them from the cold winds at higher altitudes. Tribe cats tend to have fur in dull colours like greys or browns. They are small and wiry, with strong jumping legs for leaping across crevasses and between ledges or jumping up to slash at eagles.
- attitude
Tribe cats are far too busy surviving to decide on an attitude. Their lives are very harsh; they know how to survive in the mountains, but now, living in the inbetweenybit between the mountains and forest, they haven't got a clue. Prey is scarce and the land is cold enough for surviving to be difficult, but it's different enough from the mountains for the Tribe cats to have no clue how to do anything. Most Tribe cats, more than anything, want their mountains back.
They resent the Higher Cats for forcing this against them, but they know that their fighting skills are nothing against trained Clan cats, so don't dare to even think about moving against them. Showing the Tribe's typical indecisiveness, they mostly do nothing and try and preserve their traditions and beliefs even when their territory, the spirits over them, and the way they are forced to live ... all of them are wrong.
- territory
The Tribe lives in that useless halfway house between the mountains and the Clan territories; the foothills. They have a little bit of rock at the east of their territory, some forest in the west and in between they have a great big slope. They hate it; they miss their mountains, because however cold, unforgiving and harsh the mountains might have been, they were home, and this stupid slope is not. The territory is low enough for there to be almost no eagles and high enough for the rabbits and mice to boycott it; this, unfortunately, means that the Tribe has a very, very hard life. They struggle to retain their mountain traditions, but this means that they can't adapt to their new life and this in turn means that most of the time, being a Tribe cat means being very hungry. Life is one long leaf-bare.
- strengths
Tribe cats do have some strengths; they are powerful jumpers, and if it wasn't for their absolute refusal to adapt to their territory and learn new things, they could easily evolve into a kind of SkyClan, hunting squirrels and birds through the trees. High up in a decently huge oak, a Tribe cat might almost feel at home; they really do miss the soaring altitudes and cold, clear mountain air. Tribe cats are extremely loyal, and obedient to their Teller; it's utterly unthinkable that a Tribe cat would question a decision. While this can be a mistake, it at least means that there's always cohesion in the Tribe. Cats are bound very tightly by tradition, honour and obedience; this also shows in the way their life is laid out for them from birth, as either prey-hunter or cave-guard. This, too, is a good thing, though Clan cats would hate it; it means that they have been training in their discipline their entire life. Trying to be jack of all trades often results in being king of none, but in the Tribe, where every cat specialises in either fighting or hunting, every cat is a king or queen of his or her art.
- traits
Tribe cats are often seen as a strange lot, clinging to traditions that don't suit their environment and barely surviving each day because of it. They are forced by the Higher Cats to change some of their ways- for instance, the Teller must have a -shadow name like Clan leaders- but for the most part, Tribe cats suffer for their beliefs.
- physical
Timekeepers live underground; there's very little prey there, aside from moles and earthworms, the occasional rabbit, and termites. As such, Timekeepers tend to be very small, scrawny and thin. They're also naturally small because it helps them fit through even the smallest tunnels. Their fur tends to be black or very dark brown/grey; this is the best camouflage, since it's dark underground! Also, because there's no light to see by in most of the tunnels, they have larger eyes than most cats, with large pupils to draw in light, and long whiskers. About half of all Timekeepers are blind. Their fur is long, fluffy and thick - it gets very cold underground.
They aren't very strong or fast- their hunting techniques involve keeping still and pouncing on things, and working in teams, not using strength or speed. And underground, there isn't much opportunity to work out.
- attitude
Though it doesn't seem hard, the Timekeepers' lives have their own challenges. Yes, there is nobody on their borders; but any badger that got it into its head to stray from its sett into the network of tunnels could cause enormous havoc. Living deep down, so close together, tempers often fray. There's no light to see by and scents are muffled beneath the smell of earth. Hunting is difficult and often the Timekeepers have nothing to eat but earthworms, especially since they spend more of their time 'gallivanting about in history' than actually hunting.
As such, Timekeepers are rather harsh. Though they learn to get along, this is more of a don't-cause-problems arrangement than any sense of actual friendship. They strive for knowledge. If you're not smart, you learn to be or you get out. If your hearing isn't perfect, you improve or get out. If you can't hunt well enough to at least partially support yourself, you improve or get out. If you cannot get on with your fellow Timekeepers, you improve or get out. If you display any of a number of flaws that Timekeepers hate, you get out. If you put your fellow Timekeepers in danger whilst wandering the mists and streams of time, you are exiled and left for the badgers.
Some Timekeepers do develop actual friendship and love between each other; but others simply force themselves to get along because of the Timekeepers' strict attitude towards such things. Everybody is, of course, expected to get along with the Nobles and Teller. If you don't, you may wake up with toothmarks in your neck and blood on the floor of your den. Timekeeper politics are not nice affairs.
- territory
The tunnels are not exactly a great territory. With little to no light, most Timekeepers are blind, and all have much thinner pelts than above-ground cats; many of the older ones are hairless. They do not learn to use their sense of smell as other cats do; underground, everything is muffled by the scent of earth. They are forced to rely on their hearing, and that is something Timekeepers are capable of; they can hear sounds that no above-ground cat ever could.
The Timekeepers not-too-great physique means they hunt in teams of four to take prey down. One Timekeeper approaches the prey from one direction and makes a lot of noise, chasing the prey towards the other three Timekeepers. Those three take it down. This will work on rabbits, moles, termites, earthworms... well, anything works on earthworms. Timekeepers consider earthworms in the same way that ShadowClan used to consider frogs; 'yes, nobody else would, but we do and they taste OK.'
Some of the deeper tunnels are very wide and contain bats, and when the Timekeepers are low on prey, eight Timekeepers will go down. One scares the bats and the other seven get to have a field day leaping and pouncing in a swarm of bats. Bat is a delicacy among the Timekeepers.
It's not a great territory; but it's incredibly sacred and symbolic to the Timekeepers, and besides... the Timepool is there.
- strengths
All Timekeepers can swim. All Timekeepers are also good at teamwork- whilst they might not be inherently very friendly, underground, you learn to coexist or you go mad. There is no such thing as private space in the tunnels. There is no such thing as 'alone time' and loner is not in the Timekeeper's vocabulary. If you wander off, you are susceptible to flooding tunnels or underground predators, such as badgers- there are some badger setts connected into the tunnels, and if you go near them you're toast. Because there is so much danger in the underground life, and because of the sacredness and importance of the Timepool, all the Timekeepers live in a network of interconnected caverns close to the Timepool. Because there is simply no privacy, and because the Timekeepers' answer to everything is teamwork, you have to learn to get along with other Timekeepers.
Having said that, the Timekeepers do work in teams incredibly well. Because they aren't strong or fast, they have to work together to deal with things, and they do this well.
Timekeepers also tend to be reasonably smart- they are taught about history and the mysteries of time from a young age, and curiosity is encouraged among their young cats. Intelligence is highly valued.
- traits
All- ALL- Timekeepers can swim, in case the tunnels flood. There are higher tunnels which they retreat to when there are floods, but all Timekeepers know how to swim anyway. In an emergency, they are trained to let the water carry them up and head to the nearest place of safety.
They tend to be rather odd individuals, in appearance as well as personality. The time-travelling can send them a little bit round the bend. The older ones often resemble Rock, with bulging eyes and hairless pelts.
FOREVERCLAN - ForeverClan are almost exclusively descended from the crushed remains of former ShadowClan, the Clan with the keenest instincts for survival. ForeverClan cats are much larger and stronger than former ShadowClan, but this is because their new territory feeds them much better. But they have none of ShadowClan's pride or fearlessness- these cats have given up.
NEVERCLAN - contrary to popular belief, these cats are not descended from ShadowClan and hold almost no relation to them. ShadowClan weren't evil- just proud, and desperate to survive. Think about it- ShadowClan never give in, never let anybody tell them what to do. NeverClan are just the Higher Cats' slaves, for all their supposed importance. NeverClan's ancestors are mostly from the crushed remains of RiverClan (though cats from other Clans were also among the founders of NeverClan, especially those WindClan cats who had agreed with Onestar), who, desperate to retain their precious supremacy, 'undefeatable' behind their river, pretended to throw their lot in with the Higher Cats. The original plan was to become so close to the Higher Cats that they had knowledge of their inner workings and were in positions of importance in Higher Cat ranks, giving them the advantage when they rose against them. But the Higher Cats corrupted the pure motive, turning former RiverClan's pride into arrogance and ambition and using that to turn the Clan truly evil. They are really in league with the Higher Cats now, not just pretending- NeverClan are evil and willing slaves.
DAWNCLAN - DawnClan are a mixed bunch. They have some similarities to RiverClan as they live by the sea, appreciate beauty, and most can swim, though badly, in the river which goes through their territory. They are very similar to WindClan in their independence, speed, agility, and firm belief in StarClan, their lack of physical strength, their (often) rabbit prey, and so on. They have ThunderClan's dreams and idealism, and ShadowClan's ferocity and pride. They eat birds like SkyClan, and have SkyClan's unwavering hope for the future and keeping-going. This is because they were formed from those with the dream, and that meant cats from all backgrounds. They have ancestors in all four Clans, but have plenty of loner, rogue and kittypet blood too.
DUSKCLAN - DuskClan was founded by the medicine cats of the time. Littlecloud of ShadowClan, Kestrelflight of WindClan, Mothwing of RiverClan and Jayfeather of ThunderClan came together to form the Clan, with Littlecloud [made Littleservant] as first leader, Kestrelflight as deputy, and Willowshine (Mothwing died when the Higher Cats crushed RiverClan) and Jayfeather as medicine cats. The Clan was one of the earliest to form out of the chaos that came after the Higher Cats' destruction of the original Clans. It was intended as a sanctuary of peace and healing where members would not be bothered by Higher Cats due to their evasion techniques. It's a mixed bunch, descended from cats of all Clans as well as quite a few Loners. They do have RiverClan's prizing of peace and beauty as well as ShadowClan's stealth.
THE TRIBE - The Tribe of Once and Again is almost exclusively descended from the Tribe of Rushing Water.
ForeverClan
- physical
ForeverClan cats are large and muscular, heavily built and strong-boned. Their coat colours have the largest variety among all the Clans, due to their territory being composed of both thick forest and airy meadows; however, medium colours are most plentiful, with most ForeverClan cats wearing fur of medium browns, dark golds, or dull russety reds. Markings are very common and most ForeverClan cats are striped or tabby; plain, unmarked pelts are rare. They have the most comfortable and prey-rich territory of all the Clans, and this makes them well-fed and strong.
ForeverClan cats usually have no special beauty, and are plain in appearance. They are solid, not graceful, with heavy bodies. Their faces are broad and flat, with strong noses and large eyes. Their fur tends to be medium length.
These attributes are just guidelines- some ForeverClan cats are exceptions, but this is what is most common among the Clan.
- attitude
ForeverClan are survivors. They believe in surviving anything. While they are decent cats and have honour, they will do anything for life. They accept and obey the Higher Cats, as they know the consequence for not doing so would be death. They will join the Higher Cats if not doing so would mean execution, but they never volunteer to join their ranks; those that do are considered traitors to ForeverClan.
They believe that all hope is lost and that they can do nothing to change the Higher Cat regime; to them, NeverClan are nothing but a bunch of traitors, DawnClan is foolish to think hope still exists, and DuskClan are a shivering group of cowards. Perhaps they are right.
ForeverClan have given up, but they believe in making the best of what they've got. They survive, they forget, they carry on. They are determined to adapt to anything; life is the most precious thing in the world, they think, not honour or morals or love- though all are fine things indeed.
- territory
ForeverClan's territory is comfortable, prey-rich, and peaceful. There are few predators there, and their territory consists of both thick forest and long-grassed meadows, offering the strong Clan a variety of prey. ForeverClan thrives very well on its territory. However, there are disadvantages; its mixed terrains mean that ForeverClan have no particular strengths- while DawnClan grows fast in their open spaces and NeverClan grow stealthy in their shaded regions, ForeverClan's territory is peaceful and comfortable and the Clan has acquired no special skills from it. Also, the territory's borders are not the clearest; with no ridges or rivers to give the territory an end, ForeverClan's territory is shaped like a vague diamond, using treelines in some parts of the border, and in others, simply scent-marking and hoping for the best. Without a clearly defined shape to their territory, ForeverClan sometimes feel as though their lands are just a random patch of land in the middle of nowhere, and unlike other Clans, can take almost no pride in them.
- strengths
ForeverClan is a very strong Clan. Their rich territory makes them well-fed, strong and healthy. Disease is rare among ForeverClan and whitecough or greencough is almost unheard of. Their survival rate is the highest among all the Clans.
ForeverClan cats are able to keep their thoughts to themselves and can put their survival above their pride. They are humble, stoic, and can take hits and carry on. These cats are level-headed, calm in a crisis, responding sensibly and logically to most situations. ForeverClan are adaptable and resourceful, true survivors, and can take hits and keep going. They are very physically strong and powerful.
- traits
ForeverClan cats are physically strong and powerful. They are humble and able to swallow their pride or honour or morals to survive. Surviving is the most important thing to this Clan; all else comes second, which invites accusations of cowardice from DawnClan, who would rather die than give up what ForeverClan has already lost and forgotten. ForeverClan adapt to anything and are extremely resourceful. They are an extremely powerful Clan; while they are in no special favour from the Higher Cats, they aren't disliked either, and they are a healthy, disease-free, large Clan with physically powerful warriors, a territory abundant with prey, and healthy kits. ForeverClan's threats and promises hold a lot of weight, and if any Clan was ever in trouble, ForeverClan would probably be where they went for help- especially since this Clan likes helping others; after all, it is very good at making sure the debts owed to it are repaid.
NeverClan
- physical
NeverClan cats are generally medium-sized, but extremely wiry and toned. Though well-fed, these cats spend huge amounts of time training and exercising, meaning that their muscles are corded and their bones strong. They aren't huge and muscular like the ForeverClan cats, just very fit.
Dark-coloured pelts are most common in NeverClan, due to their shadowy territory and their valuing of stealth. Most NeverClan cats have black fur, although some are dark brown tabbies or very dark greys. A cat's eyes will often give it away while creeping up on somebody in the dark; less so with NeverClan, as most NeverClan cats have narrow, hooded eyes in dark colours.
- attitude
NeverClan cats are ambitious and want power. They follow the Higher Cats wholeheartedly because that's the route to what they want. Often they are ruthless and coldhearted. Those who don't follow the Higher Cats so willingly are killed or cast out when they are young - there is almost no exceptions to their attitude, seeing as a young cat often has trouble disguising their loyalties and would be seen and cast out while still young. The only way around this would be if a cat grew up supporting the Higher Cats all his/her life and then something happened to make her change allegiance, but for some reason he/she wanted to, and managed to, hide it.
NeverClan cats believe they are better than the other Clans, because the other Clans are too stupid or disloyal to obey the Higher Cats. They do not respect the other Clans' borders at all, and often steal prey- the warrior code is meaningless to them. What is important is obeying the Higher Cats and getting power, not following some stupid set of rules. However, they defend their own territory with ferocity, power, and fighting skill.
- territory
NeverClan's territory is large and mostly shadowy, giving these cats amazing stealth. Mostly the floor is soft and muddy, perfect for fighting training. There's not abundant prey, but there's enough, and since NeverClan don't mind stealing, the main thing they look for in territory is how easy it is to defend- not its prey. Their own territory is certainly easy to defend, with muddy floors to weigh down enemy paws, a river in the southwest of their territory, and darkness to conceal the defenders.
- strengths
NeverClan have the backing of the Higher Cats, and that means a lot- they're the most powerful Clan in the forest. What they say pretty much goes. They rule the Gatherings and they can disrespect other Clans' territory borders without fear.
Their fighting skills are rivalled by few, because they have Higher Cat training. Every cat among this Clan is highly trained, elite, ferocious, ruthless, and a dangerously good fighter. Hunting comes way behind in their priorities, but as they don't hesitate to steal, prey usually isn't a problem.
Not everybody can take the heat- those born clumsy, stupid or weak are put through ruthlessly intensive training programs until they improve, and if they don't, they are thrown out.
Elders are rare- the position is given only to those warriors who have served truly outstandingly and are so old that any more training and patrols would kill them. Anybody else remains a warrior, though the intensity of their training and patrolling may be let up- NeverClan don't mind losing cats, but overworking their wisest and most experienced warriors to death would be stupid.
- traits
NeverClan cats are fierce, proud, ruthless, ambitious, and aligned with the Higher Cats (read: evil.) - there's really not much else to say.
DawnClan
- physical
DawnClan cats are normally small and wiry. They are fast and agile. Their fur is long and glossy, to guard them from the cold ocean winds and fogs which often sweep across their territory. Most can swim, though not all. Their fur tends to be light or bright colours; gold, bright ginger, white, light brown, silver, russet, and so on, though there are exceptions to this rule. Their fur is long, thick and sleek. Their eyes are bright and jewel-like, most often emerald green, although bright blue and medium teal are also common.
- attitude
DawnClan cats are always optimistic. They never give up and are very determined. They are the only Clan which truly holds out hope for the future. They believe strongly in themselves, their Clan and their cause. Most are loyal to the death. They are fiery, spirited cats with big dreams and a strong sense of honour and the warrior code. They are a bunch of ambitious dreamers, but don't covet rank or titles. They are generally intelligent and quick-witted, able to think on their feet. They are always brave and calm in a crisis, and they will stay hopeful until the very end.
As for their views on the other Clans- well, they have a kind of mixed pity and derision for them. Pity at the despair of those who have given up, derision at their cowardice. They have a special hatred for NeverClan, who are (secretly) their sworn enemies.
- territory
DawnClan territory is a huge sweep of open space overlooking the sun-drown-place. It's usually windy and fog often sweeps in from the water. It can be cold and miserable, but the DawnClan cats love its beautiful views, rolling meadows, soft grasses, and abundance of small mammals. Rabbits are there aplenty, but there's also many birds, due to the territory being so close to the sundrownplace. There's a kind of bird which the DawnClan cats call a watersweeper (twoleg name is seagull) which is plentiful in the territory, but there's a lot of birds, rabbits, and some voles and mice as well. DawnClan cats don't exactly grow fat on it, and the prey is more sparse than they'd like, but they don't starve. Because they hunt mostly birds and rabbits, DawnClan cats are light, fast and agile.
- strengths
DawnClan cats are light, fast and agile, able to chase down rabbits and birds with ease. When fighting, they use skill rather than strength. Their warriors are better trained than most as part of their rebel training programs. The Clan doesn't carry a lot of influence with the others as they are very different from the other Clans, so don't get on particularly well, and because they are always out of favour with the Higher Cats. Despite this and their lack of physical strength, the Clan is still strong; partly because of their rebel training and partly because of the strength and inspiration instilled in them by their Clan's unique sense of hope and loyalty. This is one of the most friendly and accepting Clans.
- traits
DawnClan prize beauty and often DawnClan cats can be seen up before the dawn patrol watching the sunrise, or the sunset over the sundrownplace. They love their oceanside territory with its beautiful views. They are quick and agile in both mind and body. Their hunting techniques normally involve being very fast and light on your feet, since their main prey is rabbits and birds. DawnClan cats all share a strong bond of hope and belief in the same dream; this unites them more strongly than almost any other Clan, despite ForeverClan and NeverClan prizing and demanding loyalty more.
DuskClan
- physical
DuskClan cats are physically weak. Their strength is based around stealth and healing, not physical strength or speed. They are precise in their movements and stealthy, but slow, with low stamina and no strength in their muscles. They take much more care over their minds and pelts than their physical well-being. They have good motor control, which is why they are stealthy and precise, but apart from that they're almost completely physically useless.
Their pelts tend to be in shades of grey- from silvery and shiny down to dark, matte, almost-black grey, and everything in between. Their eyes tend to be pale greys or blues. Their fur is short but thick; since they are generally less well-fed and hardy than other Clans, they need their thick fur to keep them warm and comfortable.
DuskClan prize beauty, and spend large amounts of time grooming themselves. Some even adorn their bodies with feathers or other such ornaments.
- attitude
DuskClan try and stay out of the way of the Higher Cats. They are very stealthy, moving their camp every day and sneaking around their territory like wraiths. So long as they don't bother anybody, which they don't, they're mostly left alone. On the occasion that the Higher Cats see fit to punish them, they heal the wounds afterwards. The Clan has a love for beauty and peace and elegance.
They prize healing skills above all, and have two medicine cats, who hold a rank equal to the deputy and are treated with respect and obedience which surpasses anything given to medicine cats in other Clans. Even their warriors know some herbs- they have to, as the medicine cats cannot carry a full herb store around with the daily camp changes, and warriors who are sent to get herbs have to be able to come back with the right herb in time to save a life.
- territory
DuskClan take great pride in the northern part of their territory, which, with its thick undergrowth, is perfect for them to sneak around in. However, DuskClan's southern territory is almost useless to them. Though they technically own the hills, they don't go there because the space is too open and it's ingrained in DuskClan cats to not like being seen, to prefer to prowl invisible; even at Clan meetings or gatherings most of their cats sit in shadow. They are trained from birth to be stealthy and discreet; they hate it when anybody could come along and see them, even if somebody seeing them would do no harm. While apprentices occasionally play around in the hills, and DuskClan warriors sometimes go there for prey, when it's scarce, or herbs, DuskClan cats mostly avoid the south of their territory. The rest of their territory is mostly made up of former ThunderClan territory. They have no true northern border; DuskClan patrols just check around north for any scents, rather than following a specified line, and DuskClan cats don't stop at a line, their activity and scent just peters out as you get further north.
DuskClan's southern, hilly territory contains a lot of rabbits and not a lot else, whereas DuskClan's northern territory contains a good variety of squirrels, mice, voles, finches, chaffinches, thrushes, shrews, pigeons, wrens, starlings, blackbirds, robins, occasionally magpies and rabbits, and, rarely, pheasants or moles. However, DuskClan don't take advantage of their territory's variety of prey; they hunt all the same way, using their stealth to creep up on it before pouncing, and spend less time hunting and more time on herbs, moving camp and finding moss, grooming themselves, sharing tongues, appreciating beautiful things and suchlike.
- strengths
DuskClan are a Clan with a magnificent tradition of healing. They are absolutely stunning healers; their medicine cats know more than any other Clan, every warrior knows basic herbs, and their skills and knowledge are unmatched throughout the known world. They are also very stealthy; they move quietly and unseen, excel at hiding in shadows, and most gain the kind of elite skills which mean that you don't know they're there unless they want you to. DuskClan cats are also often very beautiful.
- traits
DuskClan tend to love peace and beauty. They spend a lot of time sharing tongues and grooming themselves. A large part of their day is also taken up by moving their camp daily, and all this leaves little time for hunting or training apprentices. As such, DuskClan cats are often not particularly well-fed, and are not physically strong or skilful in fights. They would certainly lose in any battle with other Clans, which is why they prize peace, stay out of the other Clans' way, and use their healing skills so much; they lose the battle, but survive anyway because of their healing skills. DuskClan can let the other Clans batter them to pieces, safe in the knowledge that there's almost nothing their medicine cats can't deal with.
The Tribe
- physical
Tribe cats are scrawny but strong. They have long pelts, which in addition to the mud they smear on them, protects them from the cold winds at higher altitudes. Tribe cats tend to have fur in dull colours like greys or browns. They are small and wiry, with strong jumping legs for leaping across crevasses and between ledges or jumping up to slash at eagles.
- attitude
Tribe cats are far too busy surviving to decide on an attitude. Their lives are very harsh; they know how to survive in the mountains, but now, living in the inbetweenybit between the mountains and forest, they haven't got a clue. Prey is scarce and the land is cold enough for surviving to be difficult, but it's different enough from the mountains for the Tribe cats to have no clue how to do anything. Most Tribe cats, more than anything, want their mountains back.
They resent the Higher Cats for forcing this against them, but they know that their fighting skills are nothing against trained Clan cats, so don't dare to even think about moving against them. Showing the Tribe's typical indecisiveness, they mostly do nothing and try and preserve their traditions and beliefs even when their territory, the spirits over them, and the way they are forced to live ... all of them are wrong.
- territory
The Tribe lives in that useless halfway house between the mountains and the Clan territories; the foothills. They have a little bit of rock at the east of their territory, some forest in the west and in between they have a great big slope. They hate it; they miss their mountains, because however cold, unforgiving and harsh the mountains might have been, they were home, and this stupid slope is not. The territory is low enough for there to be almost no eagles and high enough for the rabbits and mice to boycott it; this, unfortunately, means that the Tribe has a very, very hard life. They struggle to retain their mountain traditions, but this means that they can't adapt to their new life and this in turn means that most of the time, being a Tribe cat means being very hungry. Life is one long leaf-bare.
- strengths
Tribe cats do have some strengths; they are powerful jumpers, and if it wasn't for their absolute refusal to adapt to their territory and learn new things, they could easily evolve into a kind of SkyClan, hunting squirrels and birds through the trees. High up in a decently huge oak, a Tribe cat might almost feel at home; they really do miss the soaring altitudes and cold, clear mountain air. Tribe cats are extremely loyal, and obedient to their Teller; it's utterly unthinkable that a Tribe cat would question a decision. While this can be a mistake, it at least means that there's always cohesion in the Tribe. Cats are bound very tightly by tradition, honour and obedience; this also shows in the way their life is laid out for them from birth, as either prey-hunter or cave-guard. This, too, is a good thing, though Clan cats would hate it; it means that they have been training in their discipline their entire life. Trying to be jack of all trades often results in being king of none, but in the Tribe, where every cat specialises in either fighting or hunting, every cat is a king or queen of his or her art.
- traits
Tribe cats are often seen as a strange lot, clinging to traditions that don't suit their environment and barely surviving each day because of it. They are forced by the Higher Cats to change some of their ways- for instance, the Teller must have a -shadow name like Clan leaders- but for the most part, Tribe cats suffer for their beliefs.
The Timekeepers
- physical
Timekeepers live underground; there's very little prey there, aside from moles and earthworms, the occasional rabbit, and termites. As such, Timekeepers tend to be very small, scrawny and thin. They're also naturally small because it helps them fit through even the smallest tunnels. Their fur tends to be black or very dark brown/grey; this is the best camouflage, since it's dark underground! Also, because there's no light to see by in most of the tunnels, they have larger eyes than most cats, with large pupils to draw in light, and long whiskers. About half of all Timekeepers are blind. Their fur is long, fluffy and thick - it gets very cold underground.
They aren't very strong or fast- their hunting techniques involve keeping still and pouncing on things, and working in teams, not using strength or speed. And underground, there isn't much opportunity to work out.
- attitude
Though it doesn't seem hard, the Timekeepers' lives have their own challenges. Yes, there is nobody on their borders; but any badger that got it into its head to stray from its sett into the network of tunnels could cause enormous havoc. Living deep down, so close together, tempers often fray. There's no light to see by and scents are muffled beneath the smell of earth. Hunting is difficult and often the Timekeepers have nothing to eat but earthworms, especially since they spend more of their time 'gallivanting about in history' than actually hunting.
As such, Timekeepers are rather harsh. Though they learn to get along, this is more of a don't-cause-problems arrangement than any sense of actual friendship. They strive for knowledge. If you're not smart, you learn to be or you get out. If your hearing isn't perfect, you improve or get out. If you can't hunt well enough to at least partially support yourself, you improve or get out. If you cannot get on with your fellow Timekeepers, you improve or get out. If you display any of a number of flaws that Timekeepers hate, you get out. If you put your fellow Timekeepers in danger whilst wandering the mists and streams of time, you are exiled and left for the badgers.
Some Timekeepers do develop actual friendship and love between each other; but others simply force themselves to get along because of the Timekeepers' strict attitude towards such things. Everybody is, of course, expected to get along with the Nobles and Teller. If you don't, you may wake up with toothmarks in your neck and blood on the floor of your den. Timekeeper politics are not nice affairs.
- territory
The tunnels are not exactly a great territory. With little to no light, most Timekeepers are blind, and all have much thinner pelts than above-ground cats; many of the older ones are hairless. They do not learn to use their sense of smell as other cats do; underground, everything is muffled by the scent of earth. They are forced to rely on their hearing, and that is something Timekeepers are capable of; they can hear sounds that no above-ground cat ever could.
The Timekeepers not-too-great physique means they hunt in teams of four to take prey down. One Timekeeper approaches the prey from one direction and makes a lot of noise, chasing the prey towards the other three Timekeepers. Those three take it down. This will work on rabbits, moles, termites, earthworms... well, anything works on earthworms. Timekeepers consider earthworms in the same way that ShadowClan used to consider frogs; 'yes, nobody else would, but we do and they taste OK.'
Some of the deeper tunnels are very wide and contain bats, and when the Timekeepers are low on prey, eight Timekeepers will go down. One scares the bats and the other seven get to have a field day leaping and pouncing in a swarm of bats. Bat is a delicacy among the Timekeepers.
It's not a great territory; but it's incredibly sacred and symbolic to the Timekeepers, and besides... the Timepool is there.
- strengths
All Timekeepers can swim. All Timekeepers are also good at teamwork- whilst they might not be inherently very friendly, underground, you learn to coexist or you go mad. There is no such thing as private space in the tunnels. There is no such thing as 'alone time' and loner is not in the Timekeeper's vocabulary. If you wander off, you are susceptible to flooding tunnels or underground predators, such as badgers- there are some badger setts connected into the tunnels, and if you go near them you're toast. Because there is so much danger in the underground life, and because of the sacredness and importance of the Timepool, all the Timekeepers live in a network of interconnected caverns close to the Timepool. Because there is simply no privacy, and because the Timekeepers' answer to everything is teamwork, you have to learn to get along with other Timekeepers.
Having said that, the Timekeepers do work in teams incredibly well. Because they aren't strong or fast, they have to work together to deal with things, and they do this well.
Timekeepers also tend to be reasonably smart- they are taught about history and the mysteries of time from a young age, and curiosity is encouraged among their young cats. Intelligence is highly valued.
- traits
All- ALL- Timekeepers can swim, in case the tunnels flood. There are higher tunnels which they retreat to when there are floods, but all Timekeepers know how to swim anyway. In an emergency, they are trained to let the water carry them up and head to the nearest place of safety.
They tend to be rather odd individuals, in appearance as well as personality. The time-travelling can send them a little bit round the bend. The older ones often resemble Rock, with bulging eyes and hairless pelts.
Relations with Old Clans
FOREVERCLAN - ForeverClan are almost exclusively descended from the crushed remains of former ShadowClan, the Clan with the keenest instincts for survival. ForeverClan cats are much larger and stronger than former ShadowClan, but this is because their new territory feeds them much better. But they have none of ShadowClan's pride or fearlessness- these cats have given up.
NEVERCLAN - contrary to popular belief, these cats are not descended from ShadowClan and hold almost no relation to them. ShadowClan weren't evil- just proud, and desperate to survive. Think about it- ShadowClan never give in, never let anybody tell them what to do. NeverClan are just the Higher Cats' slaves, for all their supposed importance. NeverClan's ancestors are mostly from the crushed remains of RiverClan (though cats from other Clans were also among the founders of NeverClan, especially those WindClan cats who had agreed with Onestar), who, desperate to retain their precious supremacy, 'undefeatable' behind their river, pretended to throw their lot in with the Higher Cats. The original plan was to become so close to the Higher Cats that they had knowledge of their inner workings and were in positions of importance in Higher Cat ranks, giving them the advantage when they rose against them. But the Higher Cats corrupted the pure motive, turning former RiverClan's pride into arrogance and ambition and using that to turn the Clan truly evil. They are really in league with the Higher Cats now, not just pretending- NeverClan are evil and willing slaves.
DAWNCLAN - DawnClan are a mixed bunch. They have some similarities to RiverClan as they live by the sea, appreciate beauty, and most can swim, though badly, in the river which goes through their territory. They are very similar to WindClan in their independence, speed, agility, and firm belief in StarClan, their lack of physical strength, their (often) rabbit prey, and so on. They have ThunderClan's dreams and idealism, and ShadowClan's ferocity and pride. They eat birds like SkyClan, and have SkyClan's unwavering hope for the future and keeping-going. This is because they were formed from those with the dream, and that meant cats from all backgrounds. They have ancestors in all four Clans, but have plenty of loner, rogue and kittypet blood too.
DUSKCLAN - DuskClan was founded by the medicine cats of the time. Littlecloud of ShadowClan, Kestrelflight of WindClan, Mothwing of RiverClan and Jayfeather of ThunderClan came together to form the Clan, with Littlecloud [made Littleservant] as first leader, Kestrelflight as deputy, and Willowshine (Mothwing died when the Higher Cats crushed RiverClan) and Jayfeather as medicine cats. The Clan was one of the earliest to form out of the chaos that came after the Higher Cats' destruction of the original Clans. It was intended as a sanctuary of peace and healing where members would not be bothered by Higher Cats due to their evasion techniques. It's a mixed bunch, descended from cats of all Clans as well as quite a few Loners. They do have RiverClan's prizing of peace and beauty as well as ShadowClan's stealth.
THE TRIBE - The Tribe of Once and Again is almost exclusively descended from the Tribe of Rushing Water.
