If there’s one thing that unites all cats, regardless of whether they were born of ferals or housecats, regardless of whether they belong to a Clan, a Gang, or are loners or rogues all on their own. One would have a very hard time finding a cat that doesn’t think there’s something awaiting them after they pass on. The exact nature of the afterlife is as varied as the cultures the cats live in. Reincarnation, living on as a ghost, or even being sent to another plane of existence. However, it was not always this way.
The Tale of The Immortal One
Lifetimes and generations ago, in times long forgotten, death was final. There were no gates of heaven awaiting one’s soul, no bridges of rainbow or second chances. Once a cat was gone, they were gone for good. This led to a society so gripped by fear of the end, so tortured by grief, that it stagnated in its lack of curiosity and risk-taking.
One cat, their true name lost to time, decided enough was enough, and rose up to the challenge of finding a way to change the meaning of death itself. They would travel far from home, through plains under the scalding sun and mountains of cutting hail, until they would reach the highest peak that touched the sky. There, they would meet with beings beyond a mortal’s comprehension, so complex and otherworldly that a mere glimpse was said to curse and drive cats to instant doom.
The brave hero lacked sight, and thus was able to speak to one of those beings. They asked for a favor that only those above all mortals could provide. A second chance for all cats. The being, impressed by the cat’s courage, agreed to a deal. Whatever the cats believed would happen to them after death, the being would make it true. However, there was a price: the cat would have to give up their own right of joining their peers in the afterdeath. In a purely selfless act, the cat accepted, from now on being known as The Immortal One.
The Clans and The Afterlife
Of course, the Clans were no exceptions to this gift, and their belief would create an afterlife unique to them. Though the individual ideas of what awaits the cats on the other side may differ, all Clan cats believe in the same overall concept. The concept of The Two Planes and the importance of burials.
Exact rituals differ from Clan to Clan, however all four of them believe that the type of burial decides which Plane the deceased goes to.
An honorable burial sends a cat to Starclan, known by some as Silverpelt’s Plane. This is the Plane located high above the earth, within the darkness of the night sky. Cats who go to Starclan are expected to find lands made of pure starlight, filled with bountiful prey and the calming glow of stardust. It’s a place born of selflessness, but also governed by rules.
A dishonorable burial sends a cat to the Place of No Stars, known by some as Brightmask’s Plane. This is the Plane located deep underground, where the layers of earth eventually receede into a scorching realm of red. Cats who go to the Place of No Stars are expected to find lands made of ash and burning coals, embers glowing in the smoke-tainted air and with no life to be found. It’s a place born of selfishness, but also governed by freedom.
But what about if neither happens? The Clans believe that the spirits of those who were not buried within four days and four nights become detached from their bodies and continue to walk among the living, unseen and unheard. Many of these wandering spirits do not realise they are dead, causing them to get lost in search of their loved ones and often end up finding their way to one of the Two Planes. The cats of those Planes at first don’t realise the spirit is dead either, and treat them like any dreaming visitor.
That is of course, until the spirit realises on their own that they’re dead. This can happen in many ways. They can see their own body being mourned over by their family, or they may realise that calling to a still living cat yields no response, or even simply remembering they didn’t fall asleep before reaching the Planes.
Once the realisation sets in, the spirit becomes locked to whatever realm they happen to be in at that moment. If they’re walking the earth, they will become a ghost, watching their loved ones from afar as nothing more than a mist until they are satisfied enough to move on and fade away. If they’re within one of the Two Planes, well... they may find that they can no longer leave.
