#rpinformation

Clan Formation and Past

It started with the purge.

Cats had lived with humans peacefully for many lifetimes. But when disaster befell humans, as the first wave of the black plague hit, they blamed cats. It was believed that cats were the carriers of the plague. Of course cats scoffed at that. Ridiculous! Some of them had even died from it themselves! But popular opinion had turned against them. At first a few, then many, then almost all cats were driven from the town, with the hope that the sickness would stop spreading. Some were killed, but more died from sickness and starvation.

Driven to the wilderness, they fought bitterly amongst themselves. In order to survive, they grouped together in small groups, with the stronger fighting off the weaker.

It was at the beginning of spring, when the first greens were shooting up, when prey was beginning to be more common, one pregnant she cat laid to rest in a Grove. Her mate and their companions set up a guard, but to everyone's surprise she went into labor. The toms immediately freaked out, but even though they gave her space, they still stayed close to defend her. Her mate approached her, this was his mate, and his kits after all, why would he be aggressive and why would she? He promised her his love, to protect her, and that all the others would do the same. But she was so weak, everyone feared for her.

At that moment Devas moved. They lent energy and life to the queen, helping her give birth to her kits. All three were born strong and mewling. It was a miracle. The queen, filled with Devas strength, thanked them, and the other cats in the group, and vowed that together they would all make their lives here. No more looking to the past. After this they would look to their future, and build it under the benevolent gaze of Devas.

And so Pineclan was born. Of course it would not be named so for many seasons, but the seeds of it existed, the first monarch, a queen with her kits, and her mate who helped her to recruit and train new cats, to protect camp. She went on to mother many more kits, many who weren't her own. Under her direction they pushed cats outward, back into the human town, and deeper into the wilderness.

Humans no longer hunted cats. After having lost so many to the plague, the rats were out of control. They were forced to accept cats back in order to keep rats from completely taking over.

With the plague mostly gone, trade started back up again. With the ships came new cats, cats from far away places. After many cats had been forced back in the city, they were now very much more hostile to outsiders. A few of the foreigners took shelter with Pineclan, but they just never seemed to quite fit in. So, the outsiders gathered as many cats from around the docks and ships as they could, and headed north past Pineclan. They made their home along the bank of the Firth. It was they who first designated Pineclan as such, as “that clan from the Pines.” Eventually to differentiate between the two groups, they became known as Pineclan and Firthclan.

As the two clans grew, so did their territory. Slowly, the native wild cats were pushed further and further until they were forced out of the forest completely. At this point, Firthclan and Pineclan had begun to skirmish over borders and territories, though it wasnt too violent quite yet. But for the wildcats, forced to trek across the open fields until they could find a place of shelter it was devastating. It was the middle of winter, cats died of starvation and sickness left and right. And on top of that, the faeries of the normally isolated area stalked them, stealing their kits and causing havoc. They were forced to band together, to hole up in a rock formation, hide their young deep in the stones. The other clans referred to them as the Moor Clan, even though they had not taken on the position as a group quite yet. They were simply a splintered group of cats sheltering together. But as the next generation grew, they forged bonds and ties strong as any of the other clans.

Pineclan and Firthclan’s war escalated. Pineclan wanted all the territory on this side of the firth. Firthclan wanted their original camp, a place called Salmons rest to remain theirs, as well as a strip of land. The two clans fought over it bitterly.

However, with the appearance of the wild cats in faerie territory, the faeries began to explore, to push outward, particularly the brownies. They began to play mischief on the other two clans, worsening the war by taking on the appearance and even sometimes the place of certain cats. When one jet black tom became the deputy of Firthclan, a battle in which a kit was killed took place. The clans discovered that the tom was a Faerie merely impersonating a cat. All the animosity which had been turned towards each other suddenly turned towards a new target. The Faerie.

The clans, all of them hunted faeries that they found, killing or harming them. In turn the faeries enacted revenge. It was almost as dark a time as the purge.

It would be Moorclan who would become the mediators. They would bring all together in the ruins at the gathering place, including the representatives of the brownies, the group of faeries which had been part of most of the meddling. Moorclan hoped that in close quarters the cats would have the advantage, so when the faeries inevitably broke the truce (which they always did in Moorclan’s eyes), the clans would wipe out the brownies. But the truce held, and negotiations began. Eventually after rigorous debate and discussion, the Pact was established.

The Pact was a powerful magic, binding them to the Faerie and granting them an afterlife, while also giving them tools to protect themselves against the faerie. The clans agreed to hold a gathering every full moon, in the gathering place, a night on which faeries could move more freely between realms. The hope was that the clans might commune with those who had passed away, or ask benevolent faeries for favors. However, faeries rarely appeared, or kept hemselves hidden, and their lost loved ones, if they appeared, never spoke to them. The clans still kept the gathering nights, but the original more mystical element slowly faded from the custom. It became a way to address issues between clans and provide shows of strength and prosperity.

Pineclan and Firthclan returned to their camps, their war put aside for the time being, content that the faerie would have less desire to continue to meddle.

But after all the effort, all of what they had had to sacrifice, Moorclan was not content with the outcome. The pact had not completely protected them from the faerie. So they returned to their territory and sought another more radical solution. Moorclan sought out one of the named faerie, and formed a smaller pact with him, but they paid a terrible price.

When they came to the gathering the next moon, they informed the other clans. Their territory was no longer accessible to faeries. In return any black kit, who could potentially be a faerie in disguise would be left out to be consumed by the earth and sky. The other two clans rioted, but Moorclan had their minds made. Their bond with the named faerie was established.

What followed were many seasons of peace. So far, no major devastating wars have broken out. Skirmishes, and small rivalries lasting years at a time, but nothing else.

Moorclan routinely sends out spies to keep track of the various factions.

Pineclan sneakily expands in the summer, counting on more common food to keep the other clans careless in checking their borders.

And Firthclan draws ever closer to the realm of faerie, distancing themselves from the other clans.

Recent points in history to include in Biographies:

(New history points will be accepted based on when high positions are accepted and what parts of their histories are considered relevant)

Firthclan:

60 moons ago: Heavy rains flood Firthclans camp. Firthclan moves to new (current camp). Previous camp used to be in Salmon’s Rest. Clan begins to become more distant from the others.

44 moons ago: First border skirmish since moving to a new camp. Firthclan is attacked after being wrongfully assumed to be a Moorclan patrol. Firthclan leader negotiates an appropriate repayment of the blood debt of the cat who fell during the battle.

38 moons ago: A black kitten is rescued from just inside Moorclan’s border and adopted by a Firthclan queen. They are not told of their origin.

22 moons ago: A sickness strikes Firthclan. Some believe it to be a curse brought upon by someone disrespecting a faerie, or a cat aligned with evil faeries. Some cats are lost, although the oracle manages to save many.

8 moons ago: The more spiritually attuned Firthclan cats notice that local sprites and faeries are becoming more agitated and worried, some randomly disappearing and new ones appearing more frequently than normal.

Pineclan:

59 moons ago: Previous Monarch takes charge of Pineclan, begins an era of internal focus, allow more outsiders to join the clan and help it prosper.

48 moons ago: Battle with Moorclan due to discovery of spy attempting to seduce the Monarch.

46 moons ago: Truce with Moorclan lasting the lifetime of the then monarch, promising no spies on either side and no unnecessary aggression. Birth of Current Monarch.

12-14 moons ago: Four cats disappear, all in completely different locations, but all in the same way. It is suspected a dangerous rogue faerie is involved. The disappearances suddenly stop, so nothing more can be done.

6 moons ago: Death of previous monarch, suspicious death of chosen heir, current Monarch takes charge of Pineclan.

Moorclan:

56 moons ago: Moorclan dispatches spies to Firthclan, Pineclan, and the human town.

48 moons ago: Spy is discovered in Pineclan, and executed. Moorclan treats it as an act of aggression.

46 moons ago: Truce with Pineclan, no more spies there, but the other two spies are still active.

35 moons ago: Firthclan spy informs Moorclan of the black kit. No actions are taken.

27 moons ago: An avalanche buries several cats beneath rubble, and the place becomes a place haunted by the spirits of those who could not reach the afterlife.

15 moons: An odd earthquake shakes the territory, and for a short time, the sky has the wrong color. But it returns to its average normal self. Loireag refuses to explain what happened.

Starclan

Unlike most other warriors worlds, Starclan does not play a huge involved role on our site. It does still exist, and is where cats are believed to go after death, however, they have little to no interaction with the living, and the only ones who have ever truly spoken with them, are the Healers of Pineclan who must travel through the Faerie realm to complete their training. They never speak of it.

In any case Starclan in this world is much like the halls of Valhalla, where is is said the worthy are sent at death. No one truly knows what happens to spirits who are not worthy of Starclan, or dont reach whatever prerequisites were set during the Pact. However many speculate that they become the small nameless faeries who haunt most of the clans.

The truth about Starclan is this. They are shades, wandering the faerie realm. If they are under the protection of the great named faerie of their clan, they are usually at peace, celebrating their new form of life. If they are under the influence of the brownies, they can be anything from a happy servant granted much joy and peace, or a mindless drudge with no memory of the joy of their past lives. It is disturbing really. But none of them suffer pain or sadness, they either suffer fulfillment, or have no memory of anything else they might have had.

The Pact

While each clan has its own unique pact with a major named Faerie, the clans as a collective made the Pact with the Brownies, the medium tier faeries who have their own civilization in the faerie. Due to conflict in the early days, with Brownies taking the place of kits to learn more about cats and what their life was like, to experience what they did, the clans offered an exchange. If the faeries gave them an afterlife, a place for their spirits to go once their physical bodies had passed on, the cats would serve them there, and then they would be able to learn and know more about cats. The brownies, eager for servants, particularly on a contract with so little stipulations and particulars, agreed. These were still the early days of interactions with faerie, and while the bond did give clan cats an afterlife, it was a dubious exchange and one which put them more at a disadvatage. They mistakenly had not included some clause to prevent faeries from meddling in the clans still. Over time, the Pact still proved beneficial, and the faeries kept their word, spirits who could survive the trip to the spirit world were allowed in. But very few truly know what happens then. In fact, there are rumors in Moorclan that Starclan cats hate the existence they have been relegated to. But Moorclan still is not sure how to break the Pact, none of the clans are.

The Faerie Realm

Unlike our world the Faerie realm is not entirely physical. It is both beautiful and haunting at the same time, with mesmerizing colors and shapes that change at will, and paths which shift in confusing and twisting ways. In this world, Faeries have immensely more power, and whenever one is encountered should be treated with extreme care, respect, and caution. There are plenty of dark faeries who enjoy toying with and destroying those from the physical realm, and even benevolent faeries can be fickle at best. A cat must use all their wits to survive this world, and few return who have entered it by accident, instead they often are destroyed.

The landscape is often a twisted mirror of the physical world. Where the are mountains, there are chasms, where there are oceans there are deserts, where things are green, things are red, things of that sort. Sometimes certain features will be familiar, but be in a completely different place. Sometimes time moves differently, and a cat who had been there a few hours might actually have spent a few days of the physical world. Cats from the physical world are told not to eat or drink anything from the faerie realm, as to do so, would ensure that the cat is immediately changed by it, and will no longer be satisfied by things from the physical realm.

Faerie Tiers

There are many kinds of faeries in the world, all which have different abilities and curses. The bigger they are the more dangerous they get.

Sprites

The smallest category, these are said to be the wayward spirits of cats or other creatures who survived and took a new form in the world. Sprites are a mere fraction of what true faeries are like, almost like broken pieces who can never really be made whole. As such they cannot fully communicate with cats to whom they find themselves attached, but are much like pets, cats can recognize their personality and even understand some rudimentary attempts at communication, but not full words or sentences. They take the shapes of the smallest creatures, insects, minnows, birds, frogs,etc. They are plentiful in Firthclan and Pineclan, and often are drawn to cats. If treated kindly, they will often grant small boons, little bursts of luck in hunting, knowing just the right words to say to another cat, a good mood, a good night of sleep, lots of little things. Of angered they can deliver small pinches or electric shocks, runs of bad luck, a daze of confusion, or making a cat get lost. Their forms are distinguihsable from other real creatures in that they are often weirdly translucent, sometimes with a faint glow of an odd color.

Brownies

These are the faeries that are the most dangerous to the clans as a whole. Brownies are what would be considered your typical Faerie from a faerie court. They have their own society, but covet those in the land of the living and wish to take their place. They never quite got over their fascination of the clans, and still will come and meddle in their affairs. Unlike sprites, they take somewhat larger forms, those of badgers, of foxes, of other animals cat sized and bigger. They are much better at replicating appearances of the tings they are taking the shape of, so often the only indication they are not the animal they appear to be, is that they speak cat. In one regard they are actually incapable of perfectly presenting themselves. For some reason, they can generally only appear as black cats, the Cat Sith, unless they learn cats secret name, at which time they can convincingly portray the cat they are impersonating, from personality to appearance. They are the ones able to communicate on the same level as cats, though some are more intelligent than others. One thing remains constant however, they cannot outright lie. This is how the clans prove a cat is no longer a cat but a faerie.

Brownies have more power than sprites, an as such offer greater rewards and curses. They can ensure good hunting for days, healthy kits for a pregnant cat, cure minor ills, and other such things. On the flip side, they can cause blindness, deafness, memory loss, sickness, etc. They are not to be toyed with.

The Named

The most dangerous and terrifying category, these faeries hold the power over life and death. Often they have certain domains or abilities, and there aren't as many of them as the other tiers. The three major ones for the clan are Ciuthach (corresponding to water), Loireag (whose domain is earth), and Devas(the collective mind and energy of nature). There are others, but they are rarely encountered. These faeries all have different origins, most of them created either from smaller fae, or born from the energies which they now control.

A more recent phenomena, which has happened because of the pact between the fae and the clans, is that a warrior who gives a brownie their own name, particularly in Scottish Gaelic, they can become a named Fae. They still draw power from something, and have power over certain things, but they are considered odd and almost wrong by the other named fae. Last Edit: Apr 19, 2018 at 2:27pm by Dreamer dreamer

Clan Faerie Bonds

Ciuthach

The named faerie who holds power over many of the waters in the area, particularly the freshwater ones. She appears as a giant translucent speckled trout, hovering above the water of the pool in Firthclan Territory. The Original bond with her was in the great past, when the first leader came to the pool to mourn the death of their kits. Ciuthach, a fairly inquisitive and benevolent faerie, offered the power of many lives to avenge the death of those lives lost. Thus the first leader of Firthclan gained their ability to heal and regenerate, which caused others to assume they had "nine lives." Later, after the Pact, healers in the clan sought help from Ciuthach when a young warrior fell grievously sick from an infection. The cat had been very respectful towards Ciuthach, and this faerie rewards cats who are faithful. She healed the warrior, and entrusted them as the first oracle, to give her gift of life and purifying water to those that were deemed worthy.

Loireag

The Faerie of earth and soil, this named faerie is both territorial and possessive, manifesting as a massive translucent badger. At first Loireag would have been displeased that the wild cats had stumbled onto his domain, but he soon recognized things in them which he appreciated. He tolerated them to be on his land. Soon however, Moorclan dared to enter his domain, his cave. He admired their courage, but was honestly surprised by their request. They wanted his protection? He eventually agreed, if only because he could now lay claim to their spirits to serve him in the faerie realm when the time claim, and he certainly did enjoy hoarding things. However, their request was that he banish all other faerie from his land. It would be tough, but eventually he agreed. He could further remove their territory from the influence of the faerie realm, but it would cost them. He could not risk a single faerie or faerie kit to find a way in, to break his magic. Any kit born with a solid black pelt would have to be sacrificed, left out to die. Their life energies would feed him, and allow him to continue doing what he did to keep them separate from the faerie realm.

Devas

Although Moorclan was the last clan to form, their ancestors lived in the wilds far longer than those of the other clans. Much of the clan descends from several wildcats who were forced out of their own territories by the new clans and had to band together to establish their own clan. They expanded by welcoming in a few cats, mostly those who had been disgruntled and turned away by the other clans, but also by breeding outward and requiring every cat who can bear kits to have at least one litter. Even so they are usually the smallest clan, due to their shunning of faerie connections, and their harsh and somewhat barren territory. For Moorclan, everything is about survival, which encourages rivalry, but at the same time requires trust. Much of their code involves practical decisions made for their own sake and safety, and they are often considered barbaric by other clans standards.

Culture

Moorclan is a rough and tumble group of cats. They highly value cats with a strong sense of endurance and perseverance. With their life style there is little room for weakness, if a cat can't make it in the clan they are encouraged to either go to humans and see if they will take them in or go to Pineclan. Moorclan thinks Pineclan is too open and accepting, and they have successfully sent a spy or two into their ranks before. Moorclan has a very no nonsense attitude, and drama, particularly the kind that interrupts smooth clan running and activity is frowned upon. Interfering with the clans ability to function is considered a punishable offense, although the punishment varies based on the individual and what they did.

With their camp and territory being open fields, these cats learn from a young age to keep a careful eye on the skies, it's often an amusing tick to the other clans, as Moorclan cats will flick their eyes to the sky casually in the midst of a conversation. They are also more aware of air changes and winds, with a more refined ability to sense changes in air pressure that could signal a dangerous storm or wind. They nest in the hollows between the stony cairn which is their camp, and their nests are as practical as their lifestyle, padded Moorclan plants and grasses.

In order to survive, Moorland has had to learn to be flexible when it comes to outsiders. So long as the cat is strong or shows potential, Moorland will not turn them away, and healthy pregnant cats are enthusiastically recruited. Yet at the same time they are the ones who most fiercely defend their borders, and if a cat who is not part of the clan is on clan territory they will be escorted or chased out without discussion. Even though Moorclan would be considered fairly welcoming of outsiders, it is at a price. One does not half heartedly join Moorclan, and the process of joining Moorclan is far more involved and stressful than the other clans. Even adult and fully grown and named cats (or warriors wishing to join Moorclan from another) must go through a period of time as an apprentice, sometimes even on a lower level than the actual apprentices. They aren't treated badly or abused, but they are given no rest, no breaks, no mercy. These new cats must understand the struggles of Moorclan, and their loyalty must be tested.

The first clan to form, Pineclan is the most diverse of all the clans. Cats from all backgrounds, including a small number of Noble's pets, came together to form the clan during a dark time when the humans were persecuting and driving cats out. They banded together for their own safety, and carved out their own place. As they grew, they were forced to expand, driving out the local wild cats to satisfy the hunger of their growing ranks. There is no one type or body shape in this clan, and in fact draw from many bloodlines, which introduced colors like chocolate, silver shading, and colorpoint into the clan. They are known for their ambition, their cunning, and their strong identity in their clan.

Culture

As the oldest clan, they have a long history of tradition and culture to uphold. Many outsiders consider them haughty and proud, as cats who like to lord over other their size, stability, and power. They like to boost that their roots are as old as those of the twisted pines. However, they do like to share their power, and are quite open to allowing outsider to join, as long as they pass the entrance requirements, where they must prove they are not faerie, they are allowed to join. Pineclan doesnt turn their nose up at new blood, and uses it quite well to protect and expand their influence further. However newcomers should be prepared for the highly competitive and strict nature of Pineclan. To be anyone in the clan requires a cat to actively make an effort to excel. Of course they will still be part of the clan if they are not, but they stand little chance of gaining acclaim or ever becoming a consort or warrior of import.

Pineclan is by far the most expansionist clan. Unfortunately they have for the most part expanded as wide as they can, being bordered by humans, Moorclan, Firthclan, and rocky cliffs. This means they often find themselves at odds with Moorclan, and often push at Firthclan, though with them they are more careful. They learned the consequences of pushing Firthclan too far, and they still regret it to this day. In times of need, they occasionally push into the human places, so they can get the vermin of the houses. However that often invites the wrath of humans, and the local cats. The vermin can often cause sickness, and humans can be more deadly than almost any other animal.

Most of their territory is deep shadowed forest. To outsiders it can be a very confusing place, and even some of the young cats in the clan can get turned around. There are scent and claw markers to help distinguish them, though many of those closer to the border are false, with the intent to lead enemies astray. It means Pineclanners instinctively watch where they are putting their feet, and have very sure footing. They are also avid tree climbers, who are good at avoiding sharp pine needles. Their camp is the most open area of territory, though even then the majority of the ground is covered by creeping juniper bushes. Their nests are unique, made as gestures of affection between cats, so that each one has different materials based on the cat receiving it.

Hikaru is talking when the text is written like this.