World building that I don't think will come up much in the scrambled rewrite but that I want to write about somewhere: clan traditions regarding vigils.
Talkin' 'bout death, so be warned!
The vigils themselves are mostly the same, as this tradition stretches back to the dawn of the clans. There are minor variations, such as who speaks first or what herbs and flowers specifically are used, but most traditions are the same.
The main point of deviation is vigils when there is no body. A cat who is taken by a predator, swept away by a river, or goes missing and is confirmed or believed dead will still have a vigil.
Thunderclan As seen with Ravenpaw's vigil, Thunderclan uses a bundle of herbs to stand in for the body. They usually use the same herbs that are used to prepare the body, but may include the cats favorite flowers or herbs that the healer has extra of.
During herb shortages, a bundle of bracken, twigs, and regular non-medicinal plants are used. Catmint and other rare or valuable herbs are rarely ever used, although there have been some cases where a cat heroically saves someone but is lost in the process, and catmint was used to honor them.
After the vigil, the herbs, flowers, or twigs are burried as if they are a body. The reasoning for this varies from cat to cat, and the exact origins are unknown. Some believe it's just meant to give grieving cats a grave to visit, while others think it helps the spirit return to Thunderclan territory and join Starclan. Many cats attribute it to luck - it's bad luck not to have a burial after a funeral, and worse luck to reuse herbs that were used in a funeral.
Riverclan Riverclan's tradition is similar, at least at first. They focus more on using things to represent the cat rather than the tradtional funeral herbs, though. While a representational body might include some herbs, it's also common to see feathers, small stones, shells, and flowers.
Riverclan in SR does still decorate their nests, so often times one or more of the cat's personal decorations will be used, and friends and family may contribute some of their own decorations to represent the part of them that went with the cat who died.
In the case of any funeral, most of the cat's decorations are claimed by the cat's friends and family, and it can get just as messy as sorting out inheritance among humans. It's not unusual for elders, sick, or heavily injured cats to specifically give away some of their decorations to cats to avoid their loved ones arguing after they die.
Unlike Thunderclan, Riverclan does not bury their representational bodies. Instead, the collection of items are taken to the river, to either be swept away or sink to the bottom. For vigils with bodies, some objects may be buried with the body and others may be taken to the river.
It's considered very rude to intentionally recover an object used in a funeral. However, if a younger cat finds one of the objects used without realizing what it was, it's considered very lucky. It's believed to be a sign that Starclan is watching over the young cat. This is one of the reasons that even funerals with bodies often include giving objects to the river.
The other reason dates back to Riverstar, who was brought to the clan by the river. He had great respect for the river, and believed it would carry him to Starclan as well. Over the years Riverstar's belief that the river connected their clan to Starclan has remained in Riverclan, although not every cat believes it or believes as strongly.
Windclan Windclan does not use a representational body at all. If asked why, most cats would not know the answer, but the elders may remember that it is connected to the legend of the Grave-Crawlers. To have a grave without a body is to invite trouble, so they don't make a grave.
Instead, they gather around and hold a vigil over the empty space where the body would be. When it is time to bury the body, the elders walk outside together to the burial ground, as if they were carrying a body. They then step apart, symbolically releasing the body so the spirit is no longer attached to the ground.
Windclan is unique in that they take the weather into account for vigils. Rain or shine doesn't matter, but vigils held on windy nights are said to be a good sign. The wind will carry the spirit swiftly to Starclan. A still night without even a slight breeze is considered bad luck, and more superstitious cats might try to use their breath to speed the spirit along.
Shadowclan Shadowclan uses prey as a representational body, something the other clans find grotesque. However, Shadowclan does not see it as comparing their loved one to food. Instead, it's a representation of life, since cats need prey to live.
The cat's loved ones will usually hunt prey specifically for the funeral, with the best piece being chosen to represent the cat. The chosen prey is not eaten, not even during a famine, and is instead buried.
There was a brief period of time where cats argued that if dead prey represented live cats, then live prey should be used to represent dead cats. Cats would catch prey without harming it, bring it back to camp for the vigil, then release it afterwards. That particular type of prey would not be hunted for a few days afterwards.
However, this was difficult and led to some highly chaotic funerals, where cats tried desperately to keep a frog or mouse from escaping without hurting it. Arguments also broke out over how long they should wait before hunting that animal again. They went back to using dead prey.
Elders sometimes get the urge to wander off, especially when they're close to death. While other clans do their best to keep this from happening, Shadowclan believes it disrespectful to intervene. The belief is that cats know when it is their time, and standing in their way is the same as proclaiming that you know more than them about their own fate. An exception is made for cats who are clearly confused or not aware of what they are doing.
Elders who feel the urge to wander beginning will sometimes hunt or select their own prey for the clan to use in their funeral. Unlike with other funerals, the elder does often eat the prey as a way of exercising control over their own mortality. The bones are cleaned and left for the clan to use. The funeral for wandering elders is held either when the death is confirmed or one moon after they leave.
Because of this tradition, cats will notice if there are bones around camp. It often makes older cats nervous, and typically prompts the healer to make rounds checking on every cat (if they don't know where the bones came from) or the specific cat leaving the bones.
