Clan Cultures

## CliffClan

**Warriorhood -** Amongst CliffClan cats, strength, observation, and loyalty are the most important traits that a warrior can have. Due to the jagged and precarious landscape of CliffClan's territory, it's important that warriors have physical strength, agility, or both, in order to avoid the Clan's warriors getting injured or killed on their own territory. Similarly, warriors need to be observant and attentive to their surroundings in order to survive in the mountains, so both the physical attribute of keen eyesight and the ability to be perceptive in other matters such as battles strategy are useful and valued within the Clan. Above all else, however, loyalty is the key marker of a warrior – the dedication with which warriors serve the Clan and adhere to the Warrior Code is very telling. It is not uncommon for mentors to give their apprentices moral questions to answer from time to time as part of training, things like "who would you save in this situation" questions, or quiz apprentices on their memory and understanding of the Warrior Code as a minor assessment.

**Medicine Cats & Healing -** CliffClan has access to more herbs than ShoreClan, but not quite as much as VineClan, and their mastery of healing is not quite as good. Most warriors are expected to look after their own health to some extent; since being able to physically look after oneself is important in CliffClan due to the cliffs, warriors are expected to be the ones to approach the medicine cats if anything happens to be wrong, even if it seems minor. With the altitude of the cliffs and the perilous nature of the terrain, it is always preferable that warriors keep themselves in top working order, as even a light cold could be distracting enough to cause a cat to slip on the rocks and fall to their death. Medicine cats therefore mostly employ preventative tactics, trying to treat patients in the infant phases of their sicknesses to prevent it from getting worse or causing other problems. CliffClan is also the most strict about recovery times, requiring warriors to be fully healed after being injured before they are allowed to return to warrior duties, as a limp or risk of reopening a wound could also be deadly on the cliffs.

**Spirituality & StarClan -** CliffClan cats view themselves as the Clan closest to StarClan, both because their physical location on the coastal mountains makes them "closer to the stars," and because of their devout following of StarClan's will and the Warrior Code. However, even if the Clan is "closer" to StarClan, these is a clear separation between the living world and the afterlife in CliffClan culture; once a spirit is carried out over the ocean by an albatross and passes to the stars, they cannot visit the living world physically, and can only communicate with the medicine cats through dreams, prophecies, and omens. It is believed that StarClan can affect the living world in the form of omens interpreted by the medicine cats, but it is believed that the presence of prey, illness, fortune, etc. is unconnected to StarClan. Passage to StarClan after death is not seen as a guarantee for all cats, Clan-born or otherwise. Instead, it is believed that cats earn their place in StarClan throughout their lives through dedication to the Warrior Code. Killing other cats to win battles, premeditated murder, forbidden romance, and other such offenses are believed to immediately sever a cat's connection to StarClan, but even things like laziness or carelessness are seen as signs that a cat isn't fit to enter the ranks of StarClan – if a cat is not loyal, hardworking, and diligent, they may not have a chance at earning entry to StarClan, even if they haven't broken the Warrior Code. Because belief in StarClan promotes loyalty to the Clan and more hardworking warriors, faith is seen as very important, and thus CliffClan primarily takes in outsiders when they are young (ideally when they are still kits), so that they can be raised into belief in StarClan properly. All apprentices are also required to take a journey to the Fire Mountain with the medicine cats on a half-moon before they can become warriors.

**Courtship & Romance -** CliffClan's views and practices in courtship and romance tend to be rather rigid. CliffClan cats are heavily reliant on their customs in order to find mates – in fact, gifting pebbles is the only method of courting someone seriously, whereas approaching someone without a pebble would be seen as only a fling at best, or an insult at worst. Cats in courtship tend to follow patterns, as well, with the cat who approaches the other to give a pebble first taking the "active" role in wooing the other, while the receiver of the first pebble takes a more "passive" role in being slowly won over by a suitor's attentions. Pebbles are the most important romantic tokens, but gift giving in general (especially of prey, animals pelts, or nesting material) is an important part of the courting process, as most gifts require some level of skill as a warrior to obtain, and thus double as shows of strength. It is not uncommon for a cat to be courted by more than one other cat at a time, so proving strength by giving the best gifts is important in winning over that cat. Suitors may sometimes even engage in spars to "fight off" rivals, but this is mostly understood to be more of a theatric gesture than a serious one – winning a spar doesn't guarantee the victor will impress the cat they are trying to court, and it's sometimes seen as overdramatic or old-fashioned. Personality, skills, and loyalty are usually emphasized as more important than looks or blood when it comes to seeking out romance, so suitors usually initiate courtship if they like a cat's personality, see them as loyal warriors, and/or have heard about some impressive feat the other cat performed that caught their interest. Courting cats don't always know each other very well when courtship begins, and thus take the courtship period to slowly get to know each other, but childhood friends getting together is also pretty common. Romance (so long as it's not forbidden) is generally accepted in various shapes and sizes, but there's usually talk of "rushing" a relationship if the courtship takes any less than a year before mateship is announced, and cats getting another mate after the death of their first one is generally quite frowned upon.

**Family Life -** CliffClan is the most traditional in terms of family structures. Families with two parents and a litter of biological kits between them is the most common sort of family, though adoption and surrogacy do happen as well, under certain circumstances. However, most couples don't settle down to start families until they are a year or two into warriorhood – in fact, some don't have kits until they're already senior warriors. Due to the Clan's dangerous territory, most cats don't have families at a young age, waiting to gain experience and essentially ensure that neither of the parents will be torn away from the family by some unfortunate accident on the cliffs. It is not uncommon because of this practice for kits to not get the chance to meet their grandparents. Families tend to be much smaller than they are in other Clans as a result of all this, especially since couples usually only have one litter of kits. Family life also intersects a bit more with Clan life and the Warrior Code, as queens are required to name the father of their kits – anonymity in that regard is all but taboo. However, it is not only the queens that are scrutinized; if a queen bears kits from a tom outside of CliffClan, and a CliffClan tom lies and acts as the father to those kits, the blame falls to the tom, as this is seen as a sort of "aiding and abetting" which is also heavily frowned upon. Regardless of where kits come from, however, the raising of kits is seen as very important, and CliffClan does not hesitate to take in any and all abandoned kits that they come across, even if they're not as welcoming to older outsiders.

**Warrior Code & Rule-breaking -** CliffClan is likely the strictest of the Clans on enforcing the Warrior Code. Warriors are expected to take the Code to heart and live by it; they challenge all trespassers on their land, check their borders daily, follow their Clan leader's orders, and apprentices do not eat until they have fed the elders, queens, and kits. Breaking the rules is heavily frowned upon, and always met with punishment, without exception, though the severity of the punishment will depend upon the offense – for example, an apprentice eating before feeding the elders, kits, or queens will often be confined to the camp and forced to take on extra responsibilities for a while, while an apprentice who crosses into another Clan's territory may have their warrior ceremony suspended. Anyone who kills another Clan cat, even by accident, is almost certainly going to be banished from the Clan, and having a forbidden relationship may result in the same treatment, depending on the circumstances. Rule-breakers very rarely get second chances once they've broken the rules, and even if they do, they are likely to become heavily socially stigmatized within the Clan.

## ShoreClan

**Warriorhood -** Amongst ShoreClan cats, compassion, bravery, and resourcefulness are the most important traits that a warrior can have. Due to Shellstar's attitude and philosophies within the early days of the Clan, a compassion for others and compulsion to be kind has been instilled in ShoreClan's culture – the Clan is a place of loyalty and support for one another, and there is a general sense of camaraderie amongst Clanmates that leads to the Clan or friend groups within the Clan being quite tight-knit. Bravery is also greatly admired, as cowardice tends to lead to selfishness, which does not foster a strong Clan nor much trust between Clanmates (if some cat thinks another will abandon them if things get scary, they aren't likely to trust them much, after all). Resourcefulness is important to ShoreClan, as the ocean can be unpredictable and cats need to learn how to navigate it quickly, lest the waters catch them unawares and they end up hurt or killed, whether by ocean predators or simply a tenacious riptide. The lack of cover on ShoreClan's territory also forces warriors to be adaptable, as in battle they need to rely on their own strengths, their Clanmates, and strategy in order to win, since they can't use their surroundings to do so.

**Medicine Cats & Healing -** Due to ShoreClan's territory having a smaller amount of herbs available to medicine cats with which to heal certain ailments and injuries, medicine cats have to ration their supplies a bit more than other Clans' medicine cats would. Though compassion is encouraged within the Clan, ShoreClan cats may not seek herbal treatment from their medicine cats as readily as cats of other Clans; since certain herbs are harder to come by in ShoreClan, cats may keep minor injuries like scratches, thorns in a paw pad, or minor illnesses like a little sniffle or a cough, to themselves. ShoreClan cats are hardier than cats of the other two Clans, often able to let sicknesses run their courses through their systems and recover without herbal treatment, though they are also less likely to get sick in general. Apprentices are also instructed to learn a few very basic elements of medicine cat training before they become warriors, so they can deal with things like wrenched claws or thorns in their paws by themselves without having to get the medicine cats to use herbs on them. Medicine cats are treated respectfully within the Clan, but most cats don't need to interact with them on a regular basis.

**Spirituality & StarClan -** ShoreClan is likely the least devout out of all the Clans. Belief in StarClan is pretty common in ShoreClan, but with how often the Clan tends to take in cats from outside of it, levels of belief tend to vary, and so long as cats are loyal and productive warriors who follow the Warrior Code, it is not viewed as necessary for cats to believe in StarClan to be part of ShoreClan's community. The Clan's general attitude towards StarClan is positive – after all, they are the ancestors of the Clans, and most look to the stars with fondness – but there is a strong belief that StarClan's will should not dictate the Clan's actions, and that StarClan can't be looked to for solutions for everything. StarClan's wisdom is respected, and prophecies or omens from medicine cats are taken very seriously, but the belief is that the Warrior Code was created by living cats, and should be managed by living cats, too. StarClan's presence is most strongly felt in connection to the ocean, as ShoreClan's dead are typically given water burials, and the manta rays that are believed to carry their spirits to rest also live in the ocean. Most ShoreClan cats believe StarClan communicates with the living world primarily through the ocean, with currents, high and low tides, storms, etc. all being ways for StarClan to show its presence. StarClan isn't viewed as inherently connected to the Clans or the living world, however: it is the process of water burial and having cats' spirits ferried into the ocean by manta rays that brings cats to StarClan. It is believed that it's a huge gamble if a cat will end up in StarClan if the traditional burial methods are not followed, whether a cat is faithful to StarClan or not, and anyone who is buried in the proper way can get to StarClan even if they don't believe in it in life.

**Courtship & Romance -** Romance in ShoreClan is not rigidly structured, and couples within the Clan may differ pretty dramatically from each other in terms of how they got together, but there are still some common threads that link couples in the Clan together culturally. ShoreClan cats firmly believe that actions speak louder than words in any circumstance, but this concept is taken especially seriously in regards to romance. Getting verbal confirmation of a cat's affections is nice, of course, but most cats don't see the point in saying it all that often when they can show that they care, instead. Dolling oneself up before spending time with someone, being there for someone after something bad happens to them, and making sure to invite and include the object of one's affections in things – along with utilizing moano, pearls, and other customs – is seen as the best and most genuine way to show affection for someone, rather than through declarations of love, sweet nothings, or pet names. Generally, thoroughly and consistently showing someone affection is accepted as courtship, so dependence on customs is not in any way required, simply one way of going about courting. Because being there for others and gestures of unspoken affection are most common in romance, cats who are friends first are typically the most inclined to become romantically involved. Breakups aren't uncommon, as cats are generally encouraged to end bad relationships rather than sticking it out in something that isn't making them happy, and cats who have broken up, along with widows and widowers, are treated the same as everyone else, and are not hindered from taking another mate after a breakup or the death of their first mate.

**Family Life -** ShoreClan is essentially the hotspot on the island for unusual families. Because the Clan's first leader was raised by a single mother, all different types of families are welcome and supported by the Clan; single parenthood isn't even blinked at, siblings raising siblings is easily accepted, grandparents raising kits is totally normal, and adoption is very common, especially considering ShoreClan's tendency to take in lost kits and other young cats. Cats do not believe that any family is "lacking" if it does not have the typical two-parent structure. Because of the abundance of unique family dynamics, families within ShoreClan vary greatly in size. However, generally speaking, large families are more likely to be built, not born; couples typically have only one biological litter (regardless of that litter's size), and if they intend to grow their family beyond that, adoption is usually looked to instead. Even families who use surrogates typically adopt after the firstborn litter. It's not forbidden to have more than one biological litter, but it is considered a bit strange.

**Warrior Code & Rule-breaking -** ShoreClan is perhaps the most lenient of the Clans when it comes to adhering to the Warrior Code. Obviously, the principles of the Warrior Code are very important to all warriors, but ShoreClan tends to put more emphasis on the moral rules, such as helping kits in need, rather than the technical ones, like strictly patrolling the borders every day and challenging all trespassers. ShoreClan cats are also the most likely to bend the rules for moral or personal reasons – for example, if they happen to see another Clan is suffering, they might make an offer of land or prey to help out, depending on how well off their own Clan is at the time. ShoreClan isn't keen on forbidden relationships between Clans, but if one cat moves to the other's Clan, they are usually at least willing to let the warriors go to be with their significant other. If warriors in a forbidden relationship are unwilling to make that commitment, though, ShoreClan will make that decision for them by kicking out their warrior; loyalty is still expected, after all, and if a ShoreClan warrior chooses to leave their Clan rather than have a forbidden mate come to join ShoreClan, the warrior will never be welcome in ShoreClan again.

## VineClan

**Warriorhood -** Among VineClan cats, strategy, intellect, and cooperation are the most important traits that a warrior can have. Since the jungle can be rather treacherous at times – quicksand, poisonous plants and animals, and lots of winding, twisting paths that cats can get lost in – it is very important that warriors cultivate intellect and a sense of direction, so they can successfully navigate the jungle without running afoul of anything that might be lurking amongst the underbrush. Strategy is important for similar reasons, as cats need to stay alert and observant to stay out of danger, and if they do encounter danger, they need to be able to handle the situation adequately. The cover of their territory is both a blessing and a curse, as the cover allows them to use stealth to their advantage, but the same can be said of potential attackers, so VineClan warriors are pressured to be smarter and quicker thinkers than any potential opponents they encounter. Cooperation is key in VineClan because their size is one of their most important advantages in battles; VineClan use the quantity of their warriors to overwhelm opponents, so cooperation and teamwork between all warriors is expected in order to make strategies work smoothly. Group training of apprentices is common.

**Medicine Cats & Healing -** VineClan has access to plenty of herbs, which is useful considering the occasionally perilous nature of their territory (at least to those that are unprepared or unfamiliar). However, unlike in CliffClan where warriors are expected to look after themselves, VineClan medicine cats typically take on a more involved role in their Clanmates' lives; it is not uncommon for the medicine cats to visit the nursery as often as every quarter-moon to perform little check-ups on the kits and queens, and apprentices are given an examination once every moon to ensure that they're in good health during training. Warriors are not always subjected to such routine check-ups, but oftentimes, since warriors grow up with that sort of treatment, they continue to visit the medicine cats of their own volition, whether they are seriously ill or hurt, or are simply getting checked up on. Medicine cats are also often treated as trusted advisors and guides to the whole Clan, so medicine cats often have strong bonds with their Clanmates and are sought out for advice as well as healing. Medicine cats are also highly respected for their spiritual connection to StarClan, possibly more so than for their healing abilities.

**Spirituality & StarClan -** As the first of the Clans to make contact with StarClan and develop knowledge of healing and herbs, VineClan is generally a very spiritual Clan. VineClan cats tend to see the presence of StarClan in their everyday lives; it is generally accepted within the Clan that StarClan can affect the natural world, capable of influencing the weather (such as sending clouds to cover the full moon), whether some cat will find prey when there's little around, and general instances of good fortune. StarClan is not believed to be able to directly control the living world – StarClan can't smite cats on the spot for breaking the rules, for instance – but through concentrated efforts of the ancestors, StarClan can reveal its presence to living cats. Things like pueo eggs are considered physical vessels of spirits, and worldly things are generally considered good ways of communicating with StarClan – nightstones, the Shimmering Tree, feathers, and other such things – since the jungle canopy usually obscures most stars. Things like giving thanks to StarClan after catching prey is a very common way for cats to connect to their ancestors, and cats from outside the Clan who are brought into it are usually taken to the Fire Mountain at some point to bring them "closer to the ancestors," though it's anyone's guess if any cat who hasn't already proven to have strong spiritual abilities (like the medicine cats) will actually see StarClan cats or not. The general belief in VineClan is that Clan cats who live by and believe in the Warrior Code are guaranteed a place in StarClan after they die, and that they only lose that guarantee if they commit heinous crimes against the Warrior Code, such as homicide, conspiracy, neglecting kits in pain or danger, forcing kits into apprenticeship too early, or abandoning the Clan, with other offenses like breaking the Gathering truce, disrespecting prey, or entering into forbidden romance calling access to StarClan into question but not immediately revoking access.

**Courtship & Romance -** Because cooperation between warriors is so heavily emphasized in VineClan's culture, romance values chemistry between cats the most when it comes to starting a courtship or searching for a mate. Typically, cats pursue romantic prospects that they believe will work best with them– be it mellowing someone out, keeping up with them, bringing someone out of their shell, or bringing a new and needed perspective into someone's life – even if they do not know the cat they choose to pursue prior to courtship very well. Relationships vary wildly in the pace they move at, as some cats find balancing chemistry and commitment over time works best for them, while others "click" more immediately and form attachments faster. There is a general consensus that cats who already share strong friendships shouldn't become romantic partners, though – the risk of a romantic relationship not working out isn't worth potentially losing a friend, as far as VineClan cats are concerned. Cats who are already friends don't usually become romantic partners as a result, whereas love triangles and rivalries are considered almost cliché with how romantic they're made out to be. Having multiple suitors courting someone is pretty common and accepted, and sometimes rather than "pick" one cat over another, a polyamorous relationship is the more obvious solution. In all romance, emotional openness, communication, and eloquence are emphasized, with long, flowery confessions being generally more important than utilizing Clan customs. Breakups are not uncommon, but aren't always approved of, as most believe the couple didn't communicate well enough, or that promises made were later broken. Widows and widowers do not receive the same skepticism, and their situations and potential future new mates are respected.

**Family Life -** Families in VineClan tend to be rather large. The Clan utilizes its large size as one of its key strengths in battle, so large families are generally considered to be normal, and may even be encouraged. Family structures are not as varied as they are in ShoreClan, but it is pretty common for kits to be raised by their birth parents, aunts or uncles, or a parent and a stepparent, depending on the family's circumstances. While it is more rare, polyamory is generally considered normal as well, and in times of prosper and plenty, it is not terribly unusual to see three or four cats all raising kits together. Most families have more than one litter (but no more than three), and surrogacy, rather than adoption, is generally looked to as the preferred method of having kits for couples that can't have kits on their own.

**Warrior Code & Rule-breaking -** VineClan follows the Warrior Code and enforces it as necessary, but is not quite as strict as CliffClan about it. VineClan warriors dutifully follow the Warrior Code, even mundane things like patrolling, and they are fervent about giving thanks to StarClan for prey that they catch, but they may be inclined to give second chances to rule-breakers, and aren't always quite as severe with punishments for breaking rules. For instance, in an incident that results in a warrior harming a Clanmate in some way may be punished but ultimately forgiven so long as they really are accidents, but repeated offenses would lead to exile; and forbidden romance may not immediately result in banishment, depending on how long the relationship has been going on when it is discovered, and the level of commitment involved (whether or not there are kits in the picture is a big factor).