The Warrior Code

The Warrior Code is a strict set of rules enforced by the Clans to keep a balance between clan cats.

## The Original Warrior Code

1. Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle.
2. Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory.
3. Elders, queens, sick or injured cats and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders.
4. Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.
5. A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.
6. Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.
7. A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.
8. The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires, or is exiled.
9. After the death, retirement, promotion (to a leader status), or exile of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.
10. A Gathering of all Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time.
11. Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.
12. No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan.
13. The word of the Clan leader is the warrior code.
14. An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense.
15. A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.
16. Each Clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect the each other. Each Clan must help the others so that no Clan will fall.
17. Medicine cats may not have a mate or kits, as they must be able to heal all cats equally.
18. Kits must stay in camp until they are apprenticed, and are not allowed to hunt.
19. The safety of the Clan as a whole is more important than the safety of one cat.
20. Clans must not unite together to drive out another Clan.
21. Clans must not force another Clan to share territory.
22. Enemy patrols must not attack cats if they are on a mission that all four Clans have agreed upon.
23. Cats cannot eat when going to the Moonstone or Moonpool to speak with StarClan.

## Exceptions

1. Cats on their way to the Moonstone or Moonpebble are allowed to cross other Clans' territories to get to their destination.
2. Cats may travel on other Clan territories if they have something to report or to ask for help.
3. The code is flexible about leadership challenges. Cats may challenge a weak or cruel leader if their Clan is in danger, and if their leadership threatens the Clan, the code expects a warrior to challenge their leader.

## Examples of Breaking The Warrior Code

1. Rule 1 was broken by Mossdawn when she decided to help FireClan instead of staying loyal to her clan.
2. Rule 2 was broken by Branchwood when he ran away to EarthClan territory after his warrior ceremony.
3. Rule 3 was broken by Firepaw when catching prey for Yellowfang after she was exiled from ShadowClan.
4. Rule 4 was broken by
5. Rule 5 was broken by Brokenstar of ShadowClan when he forced kits to become apprentices before they were old enough. He also trained them too hard, killing some of them. Some were made warriors before they were even six moons old. This rule was also broken when Bluestar apprenticed Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw before they were six moons old.
6. Rule 9 was broken by Bluestar when she waited for too long to name a new deputy.
7. Rule 10 was broken by all clans when they fought numerous times at gatherings.
8. Rule 12 was broken by Foxpaw when she did not help to save the EarthClan kits from the wolf pack.
9. Rule 13 was broken by numerous cats against the reign of Tigerstar.
10. Rule 14 was broken by Tigerstar and Brokenstar when they killed cats to win their own battles.
11. Rule 15 was broken by Pinestar when he became a kittypet.
12. Rule 16 was broken by ThunderClan when they did not help FireClan during Mazefall's Fire.
13. Rule 17 was broken by Leafpool when she became mates with Crowfeather and had kits.

## Punishment

### General

These can be a scolding, giving a warrior apprentice duties, or giving an apprentice an unpleasant task.

### Losing their rank

Breaking the code can also result in a cat being stripped of their duties, or role. An example of this is when Treepaw's warrior ceremony was put off when she broke code 13.

### Exile

In severe cases, the cat may be exiled from the Clan. This has happened multiple times, and some examples are:

* Tigerstar exiling Mossdawn from ThunderClan for not listening to his word and aiding an unknown clan.

### After-death Punishments

Cats who would murder for no reason, or have caused pain to others for nothing other than their own enjoyment would also go to the Dark Forest upon their death. Some cats also went to the Dark Forest for breaking the code many times and having bad intentions.

   Examples of these cats are:

* Mazefall, who let her clanmate burn in Mazefall's Fire.
* Moonclaw, who killed Bluestar, and tried to kill Black.
* Clawstar, who killed Featherpaw and Yellowstar.
* Tigerstar, who lead ThunderClan into an evil reign and began war with FireClan.
* Foxtail, who killed Mazefall and abandoned her clan and family for a different clan.