#the common codes

The Common Codes are sets of rules decided by the Clans and refined through generations on. They define what a certain rank is, what its tasks are, and any other directions on what one of that rank should or shouldn’t do. Unlike the Star-Code, the Common Codes are always subject to change based on current events.

The following Code is about nurses, cats that have devoted their lives to raising kits and taking care of their youngest Clanmates.

1. A nurse is a cat who has finished training under a mentor, has passed their assessment, and has recieved their full adult name. A nurse remains that rank until they decide they’re ready to retire and become an elder.

2. An apprentice must meet several requirements before they can train under a nurse. They must show great compassion and care for those around them. They must show potential in skills related to soothing and teaching younger cats. They must enjoy the company of other cats. They must be patient, kind, and able to stay calm in the most dire situations.

3. A nurse does not need to have the ability to bear kits themselves, nor are they obligated to provide the Clan with them as long as they continue their duties.

4. A nurse’s word is above that of the leader in matters surrounding the safety of the Clan’s kits. If the leader’s plans may endanger the kits under a nurse’s care, they are in their right to refuse to follow orders and may seek refuge outside of their Clan if they feel threatened.

5. Whenever a litter of kits is born within the Clan, a nurse is assigned to take care of them. The choice of which nurse takes care of which litter is discussed among currently serving nurses, with a nurse’s own litter taking priority for that nurse.

6. If the litter is not a nurse’s own, a nurse is to share care with the litter’s own parent until they believe the kits are independent enough to be seperated, or until the parent decides to return to their own duties. If the litter has not been weaned onto prey by the time the nurse fully takes over their care, and the nurse is not able to produce milk, a nurse capable of such may step in and help during feeding.

7. Nurses are held fully responsible for the safety and well-being of the litter they are assigned to. If a kit is injured or goes missing, the nurse in charge of taking care of that kit’s litter is the first to be questioned about what happened, and will be punished if it’s ruled that the nurse is at fault, whether through intent or negligence.

8. Though the nurses are the ones in charge of officially giving names to kits, it is encouraged to ask for the opinions of the litter’s parents beforehand. This includes the other parent of the litter if the litter is the nurse’s.

9. A nurse not currently in charge of taking care of a litter may decide to help out the Clan in other ways, such as help in soothing the sick and injured in the medic’s den, provide comfort to cats in need of a listening ear, and join in watching the training of apprentices.

The Common Codes are sets of rules decided by the Clans and refined through generations on. They define what a certain rank is, what its tasks are, and any other directions on what one of that rank should or shouldn’t do. Unlike the Star-Code, the Common Codes are always subject to change based on current events.

The following Code is about warriors, cats that make up the majority of a Clan, and is often the basis for the individual Clan Rules that each Clan’s specialized ranks follow.

1. A warrior is a cat who has finished their training under a mentor, has passed their assessment, and has gone through their warrior ceremony. A warrior remains that rank until they decide they’re ready to retire and become an elder.

2. The warrior ceremony involves the change of the new warrior’s name to include a suffix related to something that’s unique to that cat, as discussed between the new warrior, their mentor, and their leader. It is customary for a newly made warrior to participate in a task that reminds them of the importance their new role has.

3. A warrior answers directly to their leader and deputy, and is to prioritise the tasks given by them over other tasks they are required to do, unless these tasks can be seen as directly harmful or humiliating if given outside of punishment.

4. A camp warrior is a warrior that is den-bound or camp-bound for long periods of time, most commonly due to an injury or other disability. Camp warriors are not required to do many of the territory tasks other warriors are bound to, however they still are to fulfill their camp tasks whenever they’re able to.

5. During their on duty time, warriors are to attend to at least one of their territory tasks. Most commonly a deputy will call a patrol of warriors to fulfill the most important duties, however warriors are also allowed to fulfill their tasks on their own if possible. The territory tasks are as follows: renewing border scent markers, checking borders and landmarks near them for signs of intruders, fighting intruders if any found having crossed the borders, hunting prey for the Clan, gathering resources for the Clan, training apprentices, participating in battles.

6. Warriors should also fulfill camp tasks on both their on and off duty time. Those tasks include: maintaining the camp’s defenses, guard duty, distributing water, as well as any apprentice duties that weren’t attended to at that time and more.

7. A warrior that has an interest in becoming a future mentor should seek out their deputy and ask to be included in the next few together-lessons held for the youngest apprentices. If approved, the warrior will be informed of the subjects that are planned to be discussed during those lessons, and should prepare themselves accordingly.

8. A warrior may decide their current rank doesn’t fit them, or they may wish to learn the skills of another rank. Such warrior should inform their leader of their decision, and upon being approved may begin their secondary training under the mentorship of a cat of their rank of choice. This training usually takes less time than the training of an apprentice, and will not lead to a ceremony if the cat decides to stay a warrior. Other than that, an assessment is held as normal, and if a rank change is requested, a corresponding ceremony will be held.

9. A pregnant warrior may decide to temporarily step down from their duties to birth and nurse their litter. At its longest, a warrior may step down from the moment their pregnancy is confirmed, and must come back to their duties when their kits become apprentices. At its shortest, a warrior must step down at least a half moon before their birth is predicted, and may come back to their duties as soon as the nurses decide they can take over taking care of the kits.

The Common Codes are sets of rules decided by the Clans and refined through generations on. They define what a certain rank is, what its tasks are, and any other directions on what one of that rank should or shouldn’t do. Unlike the Star-Code, the Common Codes are always subject to change based on current events.

The following Code is about apprentices, young cats that are ready to learn the skills they need to help their Clan.

1. An apprentice is a cat who has reached six moons of age and has gone through their apprentice ceremony. An apprentice remains that rank until they finish their training with an assessment and recieve their full name, becoming part of the adult ranks of their Clan.

2. A kit may be held back from becoming an apprentice in the case the nurses believe there’s any reason they might not be ready. In such a situation, the kit may stay in the nursery for up to two additional moons before they have to attend their apprentice ceremony.

3. In rare cases, a young kit may show maturity, talent, and intelligence of a level highly above their peers. If the nurses unanimously decide it’s the best course of action, a kit may become an apprentice earlier by one moon at most.

4. The apprentice ceremony involves the change of the new apprentice’s name by their Clan’s leader to include the suffix -paw. Afterwards, the apprentice is led by the leader to their Clan’s Sanctuary, which the apprentice must enter alone. Upon entrance, the apprentice recieves their enhanced Ability, marking them as a full member of the Clan.

5. The first half-moon of training involves an activity called together-lessons. During this time, apprentices are taught in groups about things most important to all Clan cats regardless of rank, as well as what jobs each of their Clan’s ranks hold. At this point apprentices do not have individual mentors, and are instead taught by a group of cats that are aspiring to teach an apprentice in the future.

6. The skills and information an apprentice is expected to learn during together-lessons are as follows: the layout of their Clan’s territory and the location of borders; the Clan’s route to the Fourtrees; distinguishing different scents, sights and noises; basic defensive maneuvers; correct ways to act in the presence of a predator; other languages*; the identities of the highest ranks of all Clans.

7. Upon finishing their together-lessons, apprentices are to be assessed on their knowledge and interviewed regarding what ranks they aspire to become. Using that information, a council is formed of the leader, the deputy, the nurses, and the elders, which discusses what mentors each apprentice will recieve.

8. Apprentices are assigned to their new mentors during a ceremony on the first night of a claw-shaped moon since the council’s meeting. From this night on, the apprentice is referred as a “rank” apprentice, for example a warrior apprentice or a medic apprentice.

9. During their full training, an apprentice answers directly to their mentor, and is required to follow their orders. If the apprentice, or any other cat, notices the mentor abusing their power, a report should be made to the Clan’s deputy or leader. If the report is found out to be true, the apprentice is to be assigned to a different cat of the same rank, while the previous mentor is to be punished.

10. Outside of training, an apprentice has additional tasks and responsibilities to fulfill around camp before they can be considered off-duty for the day. These tasks can be: cleaning up and replacing nests, maintaining cleanliness around camp, bringing prey to nurses and elders bound to their dens, searching for and removing ticks and fleas in den-bound cats’ fur, collecting moss and nesting material. An apprentice doesn’t need to finish every single one of these tasks, but at least one has to be done by them every day.

11. Once off-duty, apprentices are to be allowed to have free time to play and talk with each other. They may leave camp on their own, but cannot go further than the Clan’s Training Area without their mentor’s or another adult cat’s supervision.

12. Traditionally, an apprentice’s training lasts six moons, though certain circumstances may cause it to last either less or more time. It is up to the apprentice’s mentor to decide whether they have learned all there is to know. At this point, the mentor will hold an assessment, in which the apprentice has to successfully finish the given tasks within one day and one night. The assessment differs from rank to rank, but each one tests both basic and advanced skills.

The Common Codes are sets of rules decided by the Clans and refined through generations on. They define what a certain rank is, what its tasks are, and any other directions on what one of that rank should or shouldn’t do. Unlike the Star-Code, the Common Codes are always subject to change based on current events.

The following Common Code is about kits, the youngest members of a Clan.

1. A cat becomes a kit when they are born, or when they join the Clan and are below apprenticeship age, which is six moons. A kit remains that rank until they are apprenticed.

2. Every kit must be looked after by a nurse, whether they were born of them or not. A kit whose nurse retired or passed away will be raised by another, currently available nurse.

3. Kits may not leave camp without supervision. However walks not far away from camp are allowed and encouraged as long as the kits are supervised by their nurse and one additional adult Clan member.

4. Kits are to be taught to speak by their nurse as soon as they open their ears and eyes. Their nurse decides when the kits are no longer confined to the nursery, at which point they are to be encouraged to explore the camp and play with each other.

5. While a nurse may decide to give their kits nicknames as soon as they are born, the kits will not officially recieve names until they are a quarter-moon old, or when they first open their eyes.

6. Kits have no responsibilities other than learning about Clan life and enjoying their kithood. They are allowed, and even encouraged, to ask questions of their older Clanmates, who are required to answer if they can, or direct the kit to someone who may know if not.

7. A kit who shows interest in the work of a certain rank may be allowed to help out with a few small tasks, however this curiosity is not to be abused to get out of doing these tasks. Allowing a kit to help is meant to give them beginning experience with that rank’s job and incentivise them to decide to train for that rank once they begin their apprenticeship.

Kit: *freshly born*

That One Cat: TELL ME THE CODES. TELL THEM TO MEEEEEEEEE

ASFDGHFGDFSD

It was more like.

Kit: *just recently able to leave the nursery* Who is that big cat?

Some cranky seasoned warrior: How DARE you not know of our leader! You were BORN in this Clan, you should know who you're meant to follow!

Kit: Huh? I'm supposed to follow someone?

In general cats who join from outside are allowed and encouraged to ask about Clan culture so that they can have an easier time becoming a part of it! Unlike kits though, it's not really something stated in the code, just more of an idea that all the Clans agree on, since it's such a no-brainer to them.