Alternative titles: Monarch, King/Queen, Matriarch/Patriarch, Chief, Commander, Ruler, Chieftain, Captain, Boss, etc

The Canon explanation of the leadership of the clans is fairly simple and easily explainable. You have a leader, and a deputy, and when the leader dies the deputy becomes leader. The only requirements when it comes to choosing a deputy (which are often not even kept to anyway) are that a deputy must be chosen by moonhigh if the clan has need of a new one, and the one chosen to be deputy must have mentored at least one apprentice. The thing is, this approach to leadership is honestly a bit shallow. Even the books on occasion will mention what might happen if the rules are broken or twisted or confused (like when Tallstar gives Onestar leadership rather than Mudclaw) or when different deputies are appointed despite not having mentored any apprentices, but there are barely any lasting consequences.

So now the question is, what can we do in our own clans to give the leadership system more depth and solidity? You can stick with the Canon approach and just add more detail, or consider other approaches when it comes to the type of leadership, how it is implemented, and how long it lasts. Let's take a look at some of the options.

Leadership Duties

First, it's wise to consider what your leaders do. Are they just there to order cats around, or do they have their own tasks, expectations and responsibilities? 

In canon, it seems that leaders are the top of the piramid, making general decisions for the entire clan, and running some things such as patrols, training for apprentices, choosing mentors, etc. Some leaders seem more involved in day to day than others, going on patrols or staying back at camp. Of those who do remain at camp, some are more invested in their clanmates lives directly, either by interfacing with various different members of the ranks, or assisting with tasks within and without camp.

So when you are building your clan, consider what purpose the leader serves, what their day to day looks like, what the clan would expect of them and what work they do. That will help guide you when you consider what type of leadership you want.

Types of Leadership

Specifically for the top position of leadership in the clan, deputy/equivalent will come later. 

Canon Leadership

This was discussed above, so I'll be brief. Canon leadership involves one leader, one deputy, the deputy chosen by the leader to succeed them upon death. This system relies on the leader having almost absolute power, as is evidenced by the code which says the leaders word is law. There could be many discussions about the pros and cons of this system, how it encourages nepotism and authoritarianism. While on the flip side it is simple and should, hopefully, not cause any issues with succession (except when a leader changes his mind last minute or both leader and deputy die at the same time). In any case, most people know this way of leadership, so let's look at others.

Inherited Leadership

This type of leadership is different, the premise being that the leadership is inherited through some sort of specific criteria. The most common one would be by blood, similar to a monarchy, where an heir to leadership is chosen among family members as closely to the current leader/monarch as possible. The next leader can inherit through other criteria as well, such as being chosen by a religious sign, or by some criteria of skill or personality. The important part is that these heirs are usually chosen young, and raised to be placed in their role, giving them time to be taught how to lead. At least that's the idea, it doesn't always work in practice. But the point of this is that the heir is not chosen based on skill or experience. In some ways it could be good to choose leaders young, give them the time and training to take on their role, though it would also be a heavy burden to bear. A smart clan would train multiple heirs to be safe, in case one were to not make it to adulthood or the chance to take on leadership.

Elected Leadership

This would be most in line with the way leadership is decided in modern times, though the way it works in a clan would be different. Elected Leadership would be a clan, or part of the clan, casting votes to choose the next leader or deputy, through casting stones, or spoken votes, or another method. This method would hopefully choose a leader which a majority of the clan agreed with. Either through casting votes in some sort of voting system, or gathering in a meeting to agree to the best option. This system would ideally allow for leaders to be replaced if they did not do their job correctly, as the leadership is chosen by the clan itself, and thus beholden to the well being and support of the clan.

Group Leadership

This one goes somewhat hand in hand with the previous one. Group Leadership would be a different set up, in which more than one cat held power. Perhaps the clan has two leaders, or three, or a council with one senior member from each rank. How they are chosen could be from any of the other methods, but it's different in how it's set up, because power is more evenly shared.

Earned Leadership

Earned leadership in this case is a situation in which a leader of a clan has to overcome a set of challenges or hurdles, or fulfill certain criteria. Perhaps the clan warriors all have a battle royale and the winner takes the leadership. Perhaps only cats with a certain age, skills, or renown can become a leader. This type of leadership could encourage a lot of competition, and mean the clan is unstable for a bit until a leader is chosen and establishes themselves. Either way, it's much more individual, and about the cat who becomes leader having enough ambition or at least reason to pursue the leadership, than about the broader clan and it's needs and ideals. It would work best in a more independent clan, than a more community driven one.

Religious Symbolism

Leaders chosen based on the religious symbolism/rites of the clan. This could mean they are directly chosen by Starclan, or through prophecy, or through the word of the religious figure within the clan. It would be the kind of situation with a lot of pomp and ritual and meaning, surrounding their religious beliefs. Perhaps the leader is even considered a religious figure, or the religious authority within the clan. I would give examples, but this one is as varied as the different expressions of religious belief and symbolism. Clans who use this would likely have a more predetermined view of life based on their beliefs, and try to curry favor with whatever religious authority would give them such a privilege. 

Some questions to help you get an idea of the type of leadership that would work best for your clan:

How religious is your clan? Does your religion affect how a leader is chosen? What sort of ritual or ceremony surrounds the naming or choosing of a new leader?

Is it expected that a leader have certain skills? Be a good fighter or something else? Are there specific criteria to be eligible, like mentoring at least one apprentice? Or is it a case by case scenario?

What is the average age that a leader is chosen? Are they chosen young and trained for the role? Or generally older and experienced? How long do leaders remain in their position? A certain period of time? Until retirement? Until death? 

Do they actually get nine lives? If so, how do those function? Where do they come from, how easy is it to lose one? Do they combat old age?

I have a soft spot for holidays in stories, and as such I always make sure to include them in my clans. They are a staple of all human cultures, so it only makes sense to include them in our clans as well. Holidays play into a clans mindset and culture, highlight that which is most important to them. Its honestly one of the aspects that I think canon really missed out on, there was so much potential. However its one of the aspects I consider vital for fanclans, even just to think of it in connection to the culture. It also helps to have other aspects of culture already defined to draw from them from your holidays. There are lots of different ways to do holidays, and although I'm  discussing general categories, many holidays are a mixture of a few of them, so let’s look at some options!

Historical Holidays

These are holidays tied to Historical Events, where the clans remember their past. Some real life examples would include things like Armistice Day, or any country’s Independence Day.

For the clans this could celebrate anything, from their founding, to a time when they overcame adversity, to the end of a war. So long as it points to a specific point in the past, it could be considered a Historical Holiday. These can be celebrated by one clan alone (such as a founding day), or by all clans (the end of multiple clan conflict). Of course each one will do it differently, such as the one on the losing side of a conflict may remember it as a vow of vengeance, or with remorse. The winning side may remember it as a victory, and mourn their losses but with a joy of knowing that they succeeded.

Some examples from my own clans include:

Moorclan celebrates the Remembrance, deep in winter they fast for two days, as they mark the time when their ancestors fled the cats (who would form Pineclan) encroaching on their ancestral lands. At the end of the fast they have a feast at the break of dawn, signifying the hope their ancestors found when the finally reached their new home and joined together to create their clan.

Im thinking about having my Oracle Clans celebrate the Truce Day, on the anniversary of the day on which the Great War was ended by truce. It serves as a reminder to Ashclan of the tragedy they inflicted,as well as a show of strength of the all the different clans that were seriously affected.They have a gathering during the day, with competitions and a feast which includes prey from every clan. It's also a way to encourage better relations between clans, and gives some couples a chance to improve the genetic diversity of a clan by mating. 

Religious Holidays

These are holidays associated with whatever religion or beliefs your clans may follow, such as holidays to honor Starclan or their deities. These would be holidays which would focus on aspects of the religion, anywhere from the after life, to the "code" of beliefs, to personal reflection. Real life religions abound with examples, to the point that many have their own separate religious calendar which doesn't necessarily correspond with secular holidays.

Maybe you have important figures in your history, and they did something which was directly connected to your clans religion. I’ll use Saints as an example. Maybe your clan has saints with unique stories, so your clan has special days where they reenact the stories of the saints, maybe encourage their youth to go on a form of pilgrimage, or an experience similar to that saint to test their resolve. Or maybe they take a day to perform religious rites for their members, or to honor their dead, or something along those lines. 

Canon is woefully lacking in any good examples, the closest might be the gathering, or the rituals surrounding visiting the moonstone, where the travelers took a day  and took traveling herbs but didn't really eat before hand, and it was a right of passage for most apprentices to visit it and see if they were granted a vision. You would think this would be a major focus for a clan who has a strong belief in Starclan but not in Canon.

In my fanclans I have a few, although as of yet there are not as many as I would like, since I am still building their religions. So I actually dont have any specific examples I can think of at the moment. 

Cultural Holidays

These holidays are ones that spring from your clans culture and practices.  Things like fall festivals, like county fairs, like carnaval in its extreme. They showcase local traditions, local knowledge, and crafts and work, cuisine, things which are unique to that place and that time. These are the smaller, much more personal holidays, just full of tradition. Maybe they do tournaments, or competitions based on clan skills, like swimming competitions for a water based clan, or climbing competitions for a forest based clan, or races. 

Again canon is quite pitiful when it comes to further developing each clans unique culture. I cant even think of any potential things off the top of my head. The closest canon came to actually developing culture was with Windclan’s tunnelers, but even then it was only the most basic these cats are diggers, when they could have expanded on so much. 

I have a few cultural holidays, but my favorite is the one from my clan, Rootclan. They have an event called the Hunt, which happens during the fall, where squads of Rootclan cats set out to hunt Weasels. The weasels are good prey, but the real reason is they are seeking the Weasel’s trove, since they hoard smaller prey. The Hunt prepares the clan for Leafbare by beefing them up a bit. Its just a unique event for their clan which none of the other clans have. 

Seasonal Holidays

These are holidays which are based on or connected to the season. For example,  you could consider Christmas to be something of a seasonal holiday, even though it does have religious connotations, since it is so strongly connected to winter and being a winter holiday. Other holidays which seem connected to seasons are things like halloween or easter, which have very strong connections to their seasons. 

Again I’m pulling from Rootclan, but they have a holiday in the spring which consists of cleaning out camp, including all dens, and replacing everything with new fresh bedding and generally just airing everything out. Its a symbol of rebirth in the clan as everything from the past year and winter is cleansed and a new cycle begins. 

Anyway, now that we’ve looked at potential kinds of holidays, here are a few questions you can ask yourself about your own clans.

Do your clans remember their founders/founding event? Do they celebrate it? Was it a positive or negative experience?

Have there been any great wars/schisms that occurred? Was the clan victorious or was it a great loss? Do they want to remember, and if they do how?

Were there any other tragedies/major events that occurred, such as natural disasters? Do they celebrate their survival?

Are there any major hero/villain figures? Do they exemplify any positive/negative traits which the clan might want to highlight?

Does the clan have any important religious traditions, ceremonies, or sacred days? Do they set aside a day to revere their religious figures? 

Are there any unique skills the clan has? Is there a way that these skills can be competitive?

Are there any special animals/plants/places in the clans territory which might have some sort of event/tradition connected to them?

Have your clans developed any traditions connected to the changing of the seasons?

Okay so originally this was supposed to be ceremonies AND holidays, but then it got really long, so I'm just splitting it up.

With the religion part out of the way we can discuss another major part of your clans culture, ceremonies and holidays.

As I have mentioned on the blog before, I think that personalized holidays and ceremonies would do great deal to improve Canon and make each clan unique.

We already see a little bit of that in how River clan sometimes calls their cats to meeting, “Let all cats old enough to swim gather…” but there is so much more to work with. So let's talk about Ceremonies and holidays.

Ceremonies

In any clan, naming and aging ceremonies are absolutely vital to both clan culture but also clan development. Whenever (and how) each ceremony was created and implemented show how each clan came to be as one. Each ceremony is a sign of respect and growth in the clan, and is intrinsically connected with naming and how it came to be as well.

So let's start with the possible ceremonies a clan may have.

Birth/naming Ceremony-- something curiously missing from Canon is any line of birth or naming ceremony. Of course the kits wouldn't remember but a ceremony celebrating the birth of kits in the clan would help improve morale and follow with the pattern of all the other ceremonies.

When it is held depends on the clan and the level of realism of the story. The wise approach would be to do it while the kits are still young but not too young that they might die. For my clans this is usually between 4 and 6 weeks, depending on if they follow the schedule of the moon. Usually this means that kits who are sickly will probably have died already, so that the clan will be less likely to have to collectively mourn a kit who has been named before the clan. The mother may have named the kits beforehand, but only she and the other queens (and perhaps the father/partner if they are close) will know the names.

Naming ceremonies are about presenting new members to the clan. At this point whoever is naming the kits (be it the traditional mother or another cat such as the elder, leader, oredicine cat) would reveal their names. It would be good to have the kits participate in some kind of ritual that cements them to the clan. In my water clan, they take their “first water steps.” The young kits are held above the water, and if the instinctively paddle it is considered a sign of health and strength in the kit as well as an indication of good clan blood. Other clan might have different approaches. Another clan of mine rubs the heads or their kits with dust and herbs, connecting them with the earth which is so important to the clan, as well as the herbs which are a hope of health and endurance for the kit.

The ceremony should definitely be deeply tied to the clans values and what they consider important, because it the very first ceremony they will ever participate in.

Apprentice Ceremony-- the first Canon ceremony I'm a cat's life, this is when they pass from being a kit to an apprentice. In Canon it's a simple process: the leader acknowledges the kits age and personality, and then calls forward the mentor that they have chosen, and they touch noses.

These are the bare bones of the ceremony, but it might be interesting for your own clans if you made it more personal.

For example, let's say that for the first few moons of apprenticeship that all of the younger cats are trained as a group. Instead of assigning a mentor at that stage, one clan has the apprentices called forward and named and then an elder agrees to sponsor each apprentice, or if there aren't enough elders, an elder sponsors the group. It's a symbol of respect for the youth of the clan and also offers the young cats a chance to have someone to confide in and seek advice from someone. The apprentices in the ceremony offer gifts to the elder in gratitude.

Or, if the clan is highly religious or superstitious, an apprentice ceremony could involve the medicine cat. Maybe the medicine cat examines them in front of the clan (not in an invasive way) and declares them healthy and fit to be apprentices. Or maybe they pray over them or bless their training.

It could also involve elements of the clan territory or terrain. Maybe for a water based clan, kits becoming apprentices have to show they can swim a certain distance to prove they can make it in certain areas of the territory. Or they have to climb a tree or cliffside to reach the area where the ceremony is being held. It wouldn't be a major test prep anything but it would be a small achievement, something to mark their move from kit to apprentice.

In any case it doesn't even have to be a big change. Maybe every clan or leader has a different way of working the ceremony, or a different order. Like lining up all of the apprentices, or all of the mentors. Or the clan responding at different times in different ways.

What this does is gives each clan a unique way to welcome their kits as apprentices.

Warrior ceremony-- very similar to the previous one. This is the ceremony though that welcomes youth as full adults. It should be treated with great respect and celebration, particularly for the new warriors.

We know that Canon at least has one attempt at this, in the form of the vigil, but it's a custom which doesn't always fit the clan culture. Personally I think it fits Thunderclan well. They are neighbors with Shadowclan, known to be more at home in the dark, and even perform ambush attacks. The vigil likely remains from the early days when ambushes might have still been common, and would be a symbol of trust, that the clan believes that they can sleep and rest because these cats are now warriors and adults, and understand their duties. But like I said it fits Thunderclan better than the other clans.

Let's say in Windclan that instead, their warrior assessment, or their first task, is to take down a large bird. Like in Tallstar's Revenge, it would show that the cat is capable of protecting their clan from the more common threat, a threat from the skies. A warrior brings back the kill and the clan feasts on it, and the warrior gets to keep the feathers, the sign and memory of when they became a warrior.

This is another element. You might have two separate aspects of the warrior ceremony. The initial assessment which proves that the cat is a capable warrior, and then their first task. Or you could have only one. Either way it is just more details to add richness to the story.

Of course you have the actual ceremony as well, which could be changed. It might involve the Canon way, or you could have other options. Maybe it's the mentor who presents their apprentices warrior name, their final act of passing on the culture and teachings of the clan. Or again if the clan is religious the medicine cat or seer presents the name as a religious blessing. Or maybe an elder or immediate family member, the cat who has been closest and means the most to the apprentice. (Reminds me of the idea of first salute which my husband had as an officer). The warrior might offer a gift or a gesture of gratitude.

Again there are lots and lots of options to work with here. I would suggest working with themes, like a water based clan having water based ceremonies, a more religious clan having certain religious rituals, a nature based clan involving nature, etc. Basically the most cohesive a clans symbolism the easier it is to relate and organize.

Leader ceremony-- this one partially depends on if you have a Starclan and how they interact with the clan. But Canon has always been a bit odd about this. They sometimes show the actual ceremony in Starclan, but the clan themselves hardly seems to have any kind of reaction or involvement. So what if they had their own ceremony/celebration? This could be before visiting Starclan or after.

If it's before you could potentially have the clan preparing their new leader. Maybe a collective grooming, or hunting for the new leader or preparing a new nest in the den for them. The clan is preparing for the transition by both honoring the previous one, maybe by telling stories of their exploits, and simultaneously bringing in the New leader with great fanfare.

If the celebration is after, maybe the new leader holds their first clan meeting, cementing their position, or a feast is held on their honor after the fast they made in order to unicate with Starclan. Their closest friends and comrades tell tales of their good deeds, of how they earned their leadership position. The leader tells the clan of their intentions and plans and gives a speech. Then they announce their deputy and they are included in the celebration.

This could but does not necessarily include deputy ceremonies. Depending on how a deputy or even leader is chosen the ceremony will of course be different.

For example in one of my clans in order to become deputy, there is something of a battle Royale event. The winner would be treated to a huge feast, and groomed and their wounds tended to before the clan. If possible, they encouraged to stand and take their place beside the leader while every cat cheers their endurance and strength.

I could give plenty of examples, but you get the idea. A deputy appointment should be treated with joy and celebration just as much as any leaders.

Medicine cat Ceremony-- another ceremony I believe is somewhat ignored is the medicine cat ceremony. Again it is mostly relegated to the Starclan aspect without any involvement from the clan. It would be very nice if they got some recognition at least once, considering normally how separate they are from the clan. If anything this would be the perfect opportunity to show the medicine cats that the clan supports them. For wither a day before or after the medicine cat would be pampered, and for the first time in a long time (maybe ever) the clan would be taking care if them instead if them caring for the clan. They might be groomed and decorated with flowers, offered their favorite prey, and other things they might desire.

I actually don't have too much to say on this one, since i haven't given it too much thought. But it definitely would be nice to have them have a day of gratitude and recognition.

Elder Ceremony-- I hate how Canon treats elders, absolutely detest it. If elders are supposed to be a position of respect, they deserve a ceremony for it.

Maybe cats tell their stories, or warriors come and thank them for the different things they have done. Maybe the leader awards them with titles based on their life experiences, or their old apprentices give them gifts. The whole clan helps build the new elder a nest in the elders den, contributing materials and sentimental things. Maybe the first story they tell, is their own story, or they retell the very first story they heard from an elder, continuing the cycle of stories and knowledge.

Maybe elders are announced at the warriors last gathering so that all clans can address them with respect and gratitude, because becoming an elder is a feat and a privilege and they deserve respect no matter where they are from.

In any case there is so much more you can do beyond Canon.

A few questions to guide you when thinking through these:

Do your clans have a script for different ceremonies? Are they different from Canon? Are they different from each other?

What role do families play in the different ceremonies?

When do kittens receive their names? Who names them? Who presents their names to the clan?

How are mothers involved with the naming and presenting of their kits?

Is there any way which kits are blessed or integrated into the clan when they are named?

Do apprentice ceremonies have any special elements to them? Are they private or public? How does the clan celebrate them?

Are there any special tasks or rituals which the clans have to integrate their apprentices into the clan?

Do the clans have any specific assessments which apprentices have to complete to become warriors?

Who presents the warrior with their new name? What role do mentors play?

Is there any action of gratitude involved in the ceremony? (Like from mentor to apprentice, apprentice to mentor, mentor to leader, apprentice to leader, etc)

Is there any assigned task for new warriors (like a vigil)?

How do the clans celebrate a new leader? And a new deputy?

Going on a quick side mission because I feel like religion impacts culture so I'm gonna do that then go back to culture.

Part of what makes warriors, well, warriors, is the presence of Starclan as an organized religious entity. And although most  of us can agree that Canon seriously struggles to stick to a consistent portrayal of them, without Starclan, or at least the belief in it, the clans wouldn't be really as unique as they are. So discussing Starclan and religion is important when looking into how your clan works. In this segment I'll talk about Starclan and religion and how to work out a religion that is ingrained into your clans.

Foundation

Something which is important to consider, and why I chose to discuss this before I  discussed more culture, is that religion shapes how a clan thinks and believes. What a lit is taught and embraces shapes the most basic of thoughts, beliefs and understandings. This is one of my biggest pet peeves with canons portrayal of Starclan. It's there, sure, and powerful, but what role does it actually play in the lives of clan cats? How could Mothwing possibly be an atheist when cats literally materialize to fight? It's inconsistent, with very little foundation, and barely seems to affect the clans at all.

A true complete religion would involve a lot more pervasive thought processes. For example, I would argue that Canon should treat death differently, since cats clearly have an afterlife, and even can interact with it. While it would be sad, the clan cats would look to it with hope. Their elderly parents would finally be able to live freely, their kits would live forever in the prime of youth, their apprentice gets a second chance. But Canon doesn't really do that. Of course Canon is a mess no maybe we shouldn't focus on that.

Anyway. So when you are building your religion, remember to figure out how it fits into their every day lives.

What are the virtues they most strongly follow?

Where do they get them within the religion?

What is their view on the afterlife?

Is there a duality to the afterlife? (I e heaven and hell)

Are there any rewards in the afterlife? Is there an afterlife?

How does their religious beliefs fit into their every day lives?

Does the religion instruct them to act in any certain way, or treat others or themselves in any specific way?

Is there an emphasis on fate or personal choices/responsibility?

Is faith personal or communal? ( Do they gather together to worship or worship alone in their own way)

What is considered appropriate worship?

Are there any words or ceremonies tied to their religion?  (This is important for naming as well)

Do all clans believe the same thing? Are there small differences in beliefs or in practice? (these can be as small as how to pray, looking up how different sects or parts of bigger religions do a same big ceremony but different in small ways, use that to formulate differences in beliefs and ritual for the clans)

Are there any major things it belief on which all clans agree or disagree?

Some of these questions may require information from a further section, but having them in mind as you build your religion is a good idea.

Starclan

In Canon, Starclan is the symbol of the religion of the clans, but in truth it is barely defined. No one is quite sure what powers they possess. Can they see the future? Where do the prophecies come from? How do they interact with cats?

There are plenty of things about Starclan which are interesting, and therefore could be used, but the most important thing with Starclan is to very starkly define, even if it's only for yourself as the writer, who they are and what they can do.

I've written several versions of Starclan in the past, from a Starclan who transcends time and can therefore see the many paths which they can encourage or discourage the clan from pursuing, to a Starclan that recognizes patterns, can sense a cats deepest desire and so can guess when a cat may go down a dark path. There are so many ways to write Starclan.

How you write Starclan and what powers you give them also affects what you can do plot wise. What bothered me most about Power of Three and Omen of the Stars, was that there was no explanation, no basis for cats suddenly having powers. They also suddenly introduced the concept of the Dark Forest and expected people to just naturally accept it. But if you build Starclan up from the very to have certain abilities and powers, who’s to say they can't bestow a gift to the clans? The key to making your Starclan believable is consistency,  and being very specific about what Starclan can and can't do.

It might be good to take a look at how certain cultures do ancestor worship. Why that is a part of their culture. Originally that seems to have been the point of Starclan, or I'm guessing, and so looking at how, say certain Native American tribes, versus Chinese ancestor worship works might give some insight into that kind of culture.

First of all, it is best to figure out how Starclan came to be.

Why did cats who were dying suddenly retain the ability to maintain their consciousness?

When did this happen?

How do spirits work? Is it attached to sentience, or do other creatures besides cats have their own afterlife?

What is this afterlife that Starclan lives in like?

Is reincarnation a thing?

How long do Starclan cats last, can they “die”?

How do they communicate with the living?

Do they have any power to influence/see the future?

Can they give a leader nine lives/how does that work?

What separates them from the living? Are they on a different plane of existence?

What qualifies a cat for being eligible to go to Starclan (ie do all cats go to Starclan? Do non clan cats have an afterlife?)

Are there cats who can be more sensitive to Starclan/spiritual energies?

How does rank work in Starclan? Is there a hierarchy?

Is it important for Starclan that cats be remembered?

Are names given certain status in Starclan or the clans? (Ie does remembering some cats name affect their existence?)

Do cats who have been evil have their names erased or forgotten?

How do the clans remember their past?

Are family members encouraged to pray to, or worship their immediate ancestors and family members in Starclan? If so, how?

Are names passed down in a family said to have greater meaning/power?

All of these aspects will help to make your Starclan more whole and solid. Of course you can always go the opposite direction, which some people prefer, to have Starclan not actually exist but be a fake hoax or religion.

Deities

Another thing which can be used to add more to the story, are deities. Deities can help very conveniently explain where Starclan came from, and there are plenty of fanfic writers out there who have already made use of this and come up with interesting and wonderful narratives.

In any case, deities are the foundation for many, if not most, religions. They serve the purpose of explaining that which humanity cannot explain, of giving a human aspect to that which is inhuman. They embody the power of nature, the mysteries of human emotion and ideals.

You can choose whether or not to have deities for your clans, I often don't, usually explaining my worldbuilding in other ways. But it's always useful to discuss all the possibilities.

If you do decide to have deities, you have several paths to take.

Monotheistic: This is the path where there is one single deity who created the world. It's not as popular in the  warriors fandom, so I don't really have much to say about it. While it offers a very deep and ingrained understanding of religion, it also is very black and white, you either believe or you don't, and the power is either clear and explicit, or not there at all, there's not really an easy way to he ambiguous. For this kind of world, the deity is that which created everything and is the ultimate power who sees and knows everything. How much they involve themselves or grant power to others is up to you.

Great Mother: I suppose this might count as a monotheistic approach, but it is such a distinct subset that I thought it best to address it alone. This is, along with polytheistic approach, the most popular in the warriors fandom, because it resonates so deeply with cats and their likely culture. Motherhood and mothers are essential to life. This also allows for a great mother deity who passed on her power to lesser beings, either more deities or simply animals and other creatures. It reinforces the idea that life comes from mothers and gives them better respect and status.

Dualistic: This is a setting where you have two major opposing forces such Good and Evil, Order and Chaos, Death and Life, light and dark etc. It can make for very interesting contrasts and conflicts. However it does often make for stark lines between positive and negative forces, not as much room for gray areas there, though it's not impossible to create them. It's important when creating these sorts of deities that you have two opposing forces, neither of then have to be inherently good per se, but they must be completely opposed to each other and have far reaching implications.

Pantheistic: This is the path where everything is a part of one thing such as nature or just general life force. I have used this approach before in one set of clans, and how Starclan separated themselves from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth made them unique. In any case, this is more holistic viewpoint. Everything is one, and one is everything. In this setting it is likely that life is held with great reverence and nature is worshipped.

Polytheistic: this is one of the most popular approaches for religion, besides the one where there is no specific deity. It's honestly one of the most fun ones as well. Having multiple deities is fun to play around with, and the stories and myths that are passed on to the clans are extra entertaining.

There are plenty of polytheistic religions out there, though likely the most well known are the Greek/Roman and Nordic pantheons. These are the ones who get up to plenty of shenanigans amongst themselves and humanity.

Unfortunately when the time comes to create a pantheon it can be a daunting task. I have my own take on a pantheon here, and it definitely took effort. Thankfully there  are a few broad paths you can take.

A deity for each virtue (and maybe vice) which the clans consider important and part of their code..

A deity for every rank in the clan, honoring the work and movement through life of the clan.

Deities for every small place and thing ( biiiig pantheon, maybe some deities appear as other animals, demand respect for what they represent)

Deities for the skills which are considered important for the clan ( a way to tie in traditional naming? Suffixes came to be as cats emulating the deities of those skills)

Deities of different aspects of nature, sun, moon, plants and growing things, storms, other natural disasters

Elemental pantheon, with aspects of water, and earth, and air, and fire and any other elements that might do well to be included.

In any case there are lots of options to choose from. Here are a few questions to flesh some of those paths out with detail.

Do deities actually exist or are they just creations of the clans collective imagination?

Which deity is considered the most powerful?

Are any deities related? If so how do they interact? And how are they related?

Are there any rivalries between deities, and do these affect the clans in any way? ( Think stuff like Trojan war which directly involved deities meddling and causing chaos)

How much power do deities have? How do they use/give away this power? (Can they maybe give their power to cats like in the Power of three?)

Do demigods exist? (Ie is there a Zeus god with like a bazillion half deity half cat babies running around)

Can deities be killed?

Do deities directly influence the world? (Like if a deity gets angry can they unleash their anger on the clans?)

How do the deities connect with Starclan? (We're they involved in creating Starclan, or are they completely separate, or something else?)

There are a lot of perks to working within the framework of Warriors clans. In most cases a decent amount of the work has been done for you, what with the warrior code, Clan structure, and main ranks and lifestyle being defined. But there is still enough freedom with room to personalize things in your own way. Before going into the nitty gritty details of all the tiny culture things, it can help to make sure you define some of the bigger things first.

This is the backbone of the clans. Without the code, and starclan, there isn't much to differentiate them from any large clowder or cat colony in the cities. The code affects their lifestyle in every way, from how they treat their young, to their elderly, to outside cats. Now the easy way to deal with it is to keep the original code. But if you want to add a little personal flavor, changing or tweaking some of the tenets of the code is a good way to a start. However if you do change, remember to make sure those changes are clear in the culture and behavior of the clan.

The code ensures that there are certain rules and laws which transcend unique clan culture and law. It takes common sense, and also a lot of finely negotiated points and combines them into something which all clans can live by. The code is the main set of ideals which the clans can say they share, and it is through the code that any disputes can be resolved and individual clan life can be guaranteed with minimal intervention by other clans. Rules exist to protect, for the most part, and so the code protects the clans. If a leader breaks the code itself, the clan knows it's time to deal with that problem, and potentially replace the leader, else they antagonize other clans.

Things which could and should be included in the code or at least common interclan law, are things which affect all or multiple clans.

A few things which might be tweaked:

Do they respect the other clans territory?

Are they constantly fighting for new territory? Do they expand outward into unclaimed areas?

Are there any neutral areas exempted or included in the code?

How do they view territory rights? Particularly in ambiguous places like rivers and lakes which can't be scent marked.

Do certain clans claim the right to certain prey?

Are there rules on over hunting or population control?

Are there rules on interclan breeding?

Do they maintain the rule about kits? What about injured outsiders?

Outsiders in general?

Are the clans encouraged/required to help one another in the the case of disaster in one clan, such as allowing them access to water, or temporary allowance to hunt, or taking in their kits for protection?

Does allowing another clans kits to starve count as breaking the rule about protecting kits?

Are clans required to offer safe passage to neutral entities like medicine cats/religious cats/hurt or pregnant cats?

Is killing in battle discouraged?

Are there protocols for surrender/parole/capture of enemy clan cats?

Are there any areas that it is forbidden or discouraged to attack? (Like a medicine den, nursery, or elders den)

Are there any guidelines for meetings to conduct talks and structure truces after a war/battle? (Think similar to gatherings)

Are there any required reparations for wrongful death? (How do the clans repay murders)

Are there any crimes which are considered interclan, and therefore require judgement by all or multiple clans?

Is there any requirement about who gets food/resources first? (The kits/elders/queens eat first rule)

Who is considered to be the authority on law and order? (Word of the clan leader is law rule)

How do the clans deal with cats who leave the clans/wish to join from outside? (Kittypets rule)

Are the requirements for deputy/leader universal or unique to each clan?

How do the clan treat freshkill? Do they hunt for sport or only for survival?

I'm sure there are more, but this is definitely a good starting point, and may very well be included in the warrior code as a guide for all the clans.

A useful exercise for determining clan cultures, is deciding how the parts of the warrior code came about. Was it all at once? If not what codes were discussed and when? Who suggested them? What situations caused the need for certain codes and how did the different clans react?

Working through each code will help to also build up some history as well as some past notable characters in your clans history.

So we have somewhat covered formation and beginnings, but what about other clan history? By this I mean, what stories do kits hear from the elders? What great events happened in the history of a certain clan? What heroes and Villains are kits taught to be like or admonished not to become?

Each clan culture will have its own understanding of knowledge and virtue, and each clan will thus have positive and negative examples of these. It is important to have some role models which can increase character and clan development.

Canon Examples in this regard would likely include stories in Thunderclan of Firestar, who might be seen as a great hero, and Villains would include Tigerstar and other Dark Forest cats.

But for non-canon  clans you have the opportunity to create these stories yourself.

Two quick examples:

Everyone in Ripple clan knows the story of Whiteface. A handsome charismatic tom, he fathered several litters of kits. But there was always one she-cat who had caught his eye, and who he had been frustrated not to call his conquest. Oriolestar was a beautiful shecat, and a capable leader, and he had spent many moons trying to woo her. But she had always been dedicated to her mate, Piketail, and although Whitefaces advances amused her, she always turned him down. One day Whiteface grew enraged, and attempted to attack Oriolestar, but she was too quick, and savage. She subdued him, and charged him with treason. By attacking his own leader, Whiteface had betrayed his clan, and attempted to force himself on another and cause them harm. As a result, he was brought before the clan and punished, forced to run a gauntlet of warriors should he wish to escape alive into exile. While he made it through the gauntlet, he succumbed to his wounds before he escaped the territory. Any kit knows the dire consequences of attacking another clan mate,  no matter the cause.

On the other hand, every kit also knows the story of Olive heart, the first code keeper. As a young she cat she was a fiery apprentice, filled with the desire to fulfill the code. However after she was framed for a crime she did not commit, she learned compassion and studied the law of the clan to defend herself before her leader and prove her innocence. She defended herself so well, solving the mystery and implicating the true culprit, that the leader made her a warrior. They granted her the name Oliveheart, for her steadfast devotion to the code, to the clan, and to prove herself. With her extensive knowledge of clan law and code, she became an advocate for justice in the clan, the first codekeeper. In this position she assisted the leader to make accurate judgements of punishment, as well as helped the deputy investigate each situation accordingly, to try and prevent what had once happened to her. The story reminds all kits that with persistence and loyalty, anyone can achieve anything, it is in giving up that the true problem lies.

Alright now with those two you have a good general understanding of personal stories told of cats. Of course these aren't the only ones, but most myths fall into these categories:

Creation Myths:

Every culture has a creation myth, a story of how the world began. In many ways these creation myths are both culturally specific yet often very similar. A creation myth is both the origin and the sum of that clans culture, because it defines the very essence and beginning of it. It affects how Starclan is viewed and even where they believe Starclan originated and why.  These can be anywhere from creation by a deity or deities, to an explanation of the seasons, the sun, the moon, the stars, the tides.

Coveclan believes that in the very beginning the world was in darkness, which is why cats have such good night vision. This darkness was a darkness of death and conflict. However one cat, the greatest warrior of their time, fought the darkness, fought death and won. Once they won they ascended into the heavens, and their eyes, filled with the breath and power of life, became the moon and sun, and gave birth to the tides and seasons. In the process, one of their eyes was injured, and although they can hold it open for a time, they must close it to protect it from further harm, this is how the phases of the moon came to be. Cats, the creature from whom the Great One came to be, are their favoured creatures, and those who follow them are also saved from death, and brought to the sky to become the Stars/Starclan.

For inspiration it's helpful to look at creation myths from different religions.  While larger religions are useful, smaller, more scattered religions, or sects of larger religions can also offer interesting possibilities.

Hero Myths

As mentioned before, these are the myths which involve the heroes of the clan, the role models of history. Each one will have very specific connotations to each clan, and usually each clan has a different interpretation based on what morals and behaviors are most valued. This can range from aspects of the code which the clans prefer, to how certain suffixes began in the clan.

One of these names which is remembered by Ridgeclan is that of Foxstep. They were the first to ever be given the step suffix, and their story is one that is told to every kit with an animal name. Foxpaw was an apprentice when they saw a fox one day from their perch in the trees. They became fascinated by the fox, but particularly from the fresh prey dangling from its jaws. So Foxpaw began to follow it, learned it's routine, watched it hunt, saw it's den. Then they waited for their opportunity, shadowing the fox one day as it hunted. When the fox caught it's prey, Foxpaw shot out from hiding and stole it from the fox, just as they had seen the fox do before to a wolf. Foxpaw was confident his speed would be enough, except he took a wrong turn and ended up muzzle to muzzle with the fox’s mate. Rookie mistake. They escaped, but lost a muzzle full of whiskers. When they returned to camp, triumphant, with both prey and the location of a fox family’s den, the leader decided that the ordeal could be considered the apprentices last assessment. After Foxpaw helped several warriors drive the foxes out, they were given their warrior ceremony. At the ceremony, the leader spoke:

“Your actions, patience, and skill would normally lead me to name you -whisker, for your exceptional hunting skills. However, seeing as you lost your whiskers to this brazen action, I think you deserve a fitting name. So from this day on, you shall be known as Foxstep. For you walked in the footsteps of the fox itself and survived, and brought glory and prey to the clan in the process.”

From then on, it has been said that those who are named for animals, and study them diligently through their life will take on some of the aspects of the animal itself, and be able to use them to better serve their clan, just as Foxstep did.

Finding examples in our own cultures, is easy as well, and can offer insight in how to incorporate hero myths onto culture. Just look at heroes like Achilles, or Odysseus, or writers like Shakespeare whose names and characters last throughout the ages. These are all names, heroes, characters which all show the culture of the time, and even get adapted as time goes by. It might help to 

Mystery Myths:

These are the myths told to explain what cannot be explained,or used as aids to educate young kits to dangers and include them in clan culture. These can be deities, or simply monsters and cryptids.

One example is the creature which the clans call Rot. While the story of its origin is different from clan to clan, ultimately what it is is the same. A malevolent force who is associated with poison and decay. It oozes across the ground in a stinky black mass or a fuzz like clouds, infecting mushrooms and eating dead creatures, and poisoning water and food. Rot holds a grudge against living beings because it can only destroy, not create, and the cats of the clans especially work to create life and happiness. Kits are taught how to scent and identify instances where Rot has touched the world, so that they can avoid it's tricks. Because cats who eat things touched by Rot, or their wounds are touched by Rot itself, risk death.

These stories are sometimes the most fun to write. I mean who doesn't love a good cryptid story? Or a mystery? What these do for a clan, is they address the curiosities which exist in life and in the clans specific territory. So a water clan might have some kind of fish, or an origin story for the pebbles and shells of an inland waterway, or a snake known for snatching kits, or a story explaining why bees sting, or a story about fire, or lightning, or storms. Stories about other predators who are less common, or creatures explaining things like death, disease, cold, pain, growth, birth, etc. So many possibilities to build on!

This step and the next, plot, are often intertwined, and should probably be considered together. But if you are simply building a clan for role play or for something which plot is not yet needed or defined, you still need a grasp of the history of your clans.

Each of the following categories can be combined or bounced off of one another to create a deep and unique history for your clans.

Clan Founding conditions:

Likely the first place you should look, how your clans were formed affects their later history. Were they somehow involved with humans? If so human intervention or activity could significantly affect them. How about the next clans to form? What rivalries happened from the beginning, what areas of territory are fought over and exchanged over time? Have any of the dynamics between clans been affected by any events? The early history is just as important to the clan as the later or closer histories, and so always need to be taken into account.

One way I implemented this is how my Ashclan views fire. Although the way they started was that a group of cats hid together from a forest fire, they respected and began to revere it. When they can, they put ash in their fur for ceremonies, and an entire unit of an apprentices training involves fire safety, prevention, and extinguishing. Their founding event shaped their culture and subsequent history, which happens to also involve a lot of wildfires, both human started and lightning started.

Temperature and Weather:

Both of these are incredibly important to history, and can cause events which lead to strife or peace. For example, how about looking at the very clearly different weather and temperature patterns of summers 2016 and 2017. 2016 was a drought year for Southeastern US, which was constantly plagued by fires and the dangers which come from low water levels. But 2017 is almost the opposite. Now we have massive amounts of rain which has led to flooding around the country.

And temperature can have the same effect. How about the weirdly warm winter which then turned to a ridiculously late spring and killed many flowers with frost, causing a shortage in certain fruits. How would this affect hunting for the clans? A good example of temperature is an event in my clans on my forum. A heat wave goes through the area, and the clan which is in the city is the most adversely affected. The lack of good water sources, and the extra heat trapped inside buildings made for a deadly combination. Over half the clan was treated for heat exhaustion and blistered paw pads, and several cats died of sun poisoning and dehydration. It was devastating, and prompted them to make an agreement with the non-urban clans to be allowed access to water in exchange for certain rare herbs if the need should arise again.

Outside sources:

Primarily this involves humans. People are everywhere. Even sometimes in the middle of nowhere, like a nature reserve they will go hiking or camping. If your clans are anywhere close to a city or a major road, there will likely be human activity and movement. And humans can be horrible. If they feel like a population is too big, or a pest, they will hunt cats, they will exterminate prey animals, etc. They also pollute, cause fires, and generally just meddle with the ecosystem. Human intervention and presence will significantly affect your clans. This can be particularly interesting for city clans, because to a certain degree, the survival of the clan is based on human interaction, or the lack of it.

One example of outside interference in my clans, is the oceanside clan, Waveclan, who ends up facing a significant lack of food due to an oil spill which contaminates their ocean and some of the waterways. For a while they have to change their hunting patterns and become desperate.

Inter-clan / outside cat conflict:

These are simple, like before, what rivalries exist between clans closer to present day, what territories are disputed. Also though, what relations do the clans have with outside cats or other animals? Are they incredibly hostile, do they have any rivals outside the clans?

My urban clan ends up forcing a sort of gang to form, to dispute their rights over certain dumpsters and hunting grounds because the clan makes those areas clan specific and chases out non clan cats, which frustrates outsiders who see that as unfair. So they form their own group to challenge the clans rights to those areas.

Continuity:

One more note on history, is that it is a continuity. The consequences of previous events will lead to other events in a cause and effect line that is continuous for the most part. That means that different historical events are not isolated, and they should connect in a fluid manner which correlated with clan attitudes and culture.

For example, during a war, one treacherous deputy takes it on himself to attack another clans camp, murdering the medicine cat apprentice and a few other cats in cold blood with no provocation. The event causes the first clan, Wave clan to end the war in a truce and the next few leaders avoid war at all cost, encouraging pacifist resolutions. After a while a younger generation feels like the other clans are simply stepping all over them and taking advantage of them, so they overthrow the leader in favor of a more hardline candidate. A direct cause and effect line including consequences which move the next event.

Depending on where your clan is history-wise, it may not be necessary to know how your clan was founded, but it is always useful. Knowing a clan’s beginning allows you to understand their name, as well as their initial motivations, and the significant parts of history since their beginning, allow you to have a base for current motivations and clan standings.

Depending on where your clan is history-wise, it may not be necessary to know how your clan was founded, but it is always useful. Knowing a clan’s beginning allows you to understand their name, as well as their initial motivations, and the significant parts of history since their beginning, allow you to have a base for current motivations and clan standings.

First Clan

There are many ways a clan may form, but here are a few of the more common possibilities.

Natural Disaster: Cats live in many places, and natural disasters can affect all of them, and cause them to come together to survive. From floods, to fires, to earthquakes, each one of these can significantly impact how your clan is created.

Apocalypse: Similar to Natural Disaster, but affects the entire world equally and likely wipes out the human population. Would allow for clans within a destroyed city setting or something similar.

Dwindling Territory: Cats who have congregated in a certain area, who begin to find their territory diminishing and must band together to share resources efficiently.

Human persecution: City cats who are being hunted due to overpopulation or other reasons, who escape to find a place of sanctuary.

Natural Growth: Growth of groups of cats either through extended clowders, colonies, etc.

Human Abandonment/escape: Cats who have been hoarded or abandoned by humans  who have to group together to learn how to survive in the wild.

Subsequent Clans

After the first clan, it is not uncommon for other clans to be formed, either alongside the first or in reaction to.

Competition for Resources: The first clan has managed to consolidate and carve out a territory, and other cats now have to fight harder in the smaller areas of territory. In order to compete, these cats also feel the need to form clans and establish territories.

Overpopulation: The first  clan becomes too large and thus must split up in order to keep the territory from being overly strained.

Political/Religious Split: After a crisis in the clan, or simply the accumulation of many small problems, there is a split in ideology. Whether it is peaceful or not, the clan splits and rival clans are created.

Exile/Travel: A clan, or even a single individual leave the original territory, for various reasons, and found a new clan through either passing on the knowledge of clan practices or setting up in a new territory.