The Family

> *Before leaf-bare coats the grounds and skies,
> the **Family** hunts for a mighty prize.
> For blood stolen can only be payed by blood spilled,
> and sweet dreams are wrecked by those whose parents' killed.
> Defend your young and all may die,
> or stand strong as all martyrs must try.*
> The fateful choice is Lunarstar's to make. Tell her to choose wisely; the dead cannot atone for their mistakes.
>
>

- Canarythroat's prophecy to Hailsmudge, delivered to Sundrizzle with the help of Jasmineleaf

## **Environment**

### **The Ruined City**

The Family resides on the edge of remnants of a large, abandoned city that has long since been overtaken by nature. Rumours say you can still hear the screams of destruction from when the city fell on a starless night; some say you will only hear it during the moon leading up to your death. Neither have been proven... but rumours always start from a truth.

The Family takes pride in reigning over the entire city. There are a few strays within the city that do not belong to the Family, and any caught by the Family are either forced to submit or are killed on sight. Those strays left in the city are extremely evasive and secretive. You will not find them by looking for them - only by chance.

The city itself seems to constantly be shrouded in mist and shadows, and there is almost always clouds in the sky. The sun usually filters through every once in a while, but it never stays long. The entire place is dull, and seemingly void of most colours. The only touch of colour within the city seems to be the glimmer of eyes as cats slip through the city's cracks, and the old florist shop towards the other side of the city, almost outside of city center. All the flowers that were once sold at this shop now grow in this area (although it is a mystery how since the sun rarely ever seems to shine through the clouds within the city). The array of flowers grow in what appears to be a perfect circle, and some say in the dead of night, they glow as bright as the stars. This is called the Agora and is considered a sacred place by the Family, and those permitted to leave the Compound may come here to meditate or heal from wounds - both physical and mental. Any cat caught vandalizing the Agora will be subjected to torture for the rest of their life, regardless of whether they belong to the Family or not.

#### **The Sewers**

*Storm Dwellers.*

The information about this place is currently unknown, and access to it is not yet available; more will be added as the story progresses.....

### **The Compound**

A place where darkness hangs in the air and the scent of fear makes its home, the Compound is the name of the vast area known as the Family's camp. It is completely surrounded by a wall of bones from animals as small as mice to those as big as Badgers and dogs - this includes cats. The Compound is made up of three areas (Outskirts, Main Area, and Concrete) upon which the entire Family lives. Because it is an open space, there is no shelter from the rain, wind, or snow (fortunately, the latter never lasts long here). Any shelter is typically fought over or heavily guarded, and those clever enough to make their own are at risk for vandalism and thievery, and even outright attacks. Instead, the Family generally huddle together sort of like penguins to shield each other from the undesirable weather conditions. If the weather is deemed extreme enough, the Family may seek shelter in the city - but only by order of their leaders.

#### **The** **Outskirts**

After the wall of bones, the Outskirts is the entire area along the edge of the Compound. This area is slightly downhill from the rest of the Compound and is subjected to flooding during heavy, constant rainfall. This is where most of the waste inside the Compound will be brought to until it can be moved out of the Compound, though most get left here. Because of this, the Outskirts almost always has a thin layer of slimy, murky water on its surface. The water is tainted with mud, gasoline, and some other liquids that make it undrinkable if one wishes to live. Closer to the City, there is piles of garbage surrounding the wall. Cats may sometimes search through the garbage for cool trinkets to show off or materials to build their nest/shelter/space up with.

The Removed reside in the Outskirts. All other members of the Family are generally only in the Outskirts if they are passing through on the way in/out of the Compound, or if they are in charge of the Removed.

#### **The** **Main Area**

As you move from the Outskirts further inward in the Compound, there's a short span of mud before it thins out into solid, dry ground. The air here begins to clear, and the closer you get to the center of the Compound, the easier it gets to breathe. The majority of this area is similar to that of a well-kept field with short grass and some stray, common flowers here and there in the right season. There are patches of dirt scattered about where the grass has been worn down by weather, and in some areas there are small dirt pathways that fade in and out of the grassy area leading everywhere and no where.

The Infants reside in between the Main Area and the Outskirts, and the Family reside within the Main Area. The Removed are not allowed to cross into the Main Area or beyond unless they are working or have been summoned by the Children or the Mines (must have an escort). Although the Infants may wander wherever they'd like within the Main Area, they are often forced to stay at the border between the Outskirts by the Family due to the troublesome nature the rank is known to possess.

#### **The Concrete**

The final section of the Compound, the inner circle is known as the Concrete. It is made up of an old, very large parking lot that seems to go on forever. The main thunderpath entrance into the City is visible from here. At the edge of the Main Area, most of the Concrete is cracked, overturned, ripped up and crumbling due to growth and weather. The farther inward you go, the more solid the ground, although potholes and cracks linger most everywhere (which are usually filled with rainwater that cats will drink from).

The Children reside upon the Concrete, with the Eldest Children closest to the Den. During times of extreme heat, the Children will move into the Main Area to prevent their paw pads from burning on the Concrete, although most have found blankets and scraps of wood and cardboard to lay down on their area and help them stay cooler. The Removed and Infants are not allowed upon the Concrete unless summoned or for work, and they must be escorted at all times. The Family may enter the concrete to chat, spar, groom, or share prey with the Children they are friends with, but they must stay away from the Den (the nests of the Eldest Children are generally the cut-off line). If the Family has business to discuss with the Children, they will be allowed to the Eldest Children only for the duration of their meeting. The exception to this is if they have been summoned, by which case they will be escorted.

##### **The Den**

In the most solid, most center part of the Concrete resides the Den. The Den is a gigantic heap of mud, bones, stones, sticks, and other mysterious items that stretches higher than any cat has ever seen before. At the bottom is a hole big enough for cats to fit through, and the base inside is hollow for cats to fit in. The base of the Den is a mess of lots of feathers, moss, and blankets - so the extreme heats never bother those within it. It is visible from all parts of the Compound, and when a cat sits up at the top, they, too, are visible. This is where the Mines will hold meetings.

The Mines reside within the Den, and are the only ones allowed inside. Children and Eldest Children may poke their heads inside to request the Mines' attention, but there is no guarantee that they won't suffer minor repercussions for it. Exceptions to this rule are the Removed who serve directly under the Mines may enter only to bring prey and remove remains, to tend to the Mines' nests, or see to any other orders of the Mines - but only when a Mine is present inside or nearby the Den. The mates of Son of Mine and Daughter of Mine are allowed to sleep in the Den with their mates, but the Mother of Mine and Father of Mine reserve the right to tell them to leave at any time for any reason.

## **Culture**

### **Ranks**

The Family is divided into five ranks (highest to lowest): the Family of Mine (the Mines), the Children, the Family, the Infants, and the Removed. There is nothing that really sets the ranks apart aside from where they nest and spend their time within the Compound, but rumours travel fast within the Family, and there's always at least three sets of eyes upon a cat at all times. Trying to deceive one's way through the ranks would be a very unwise gamble.

#### **The Family of Mine**

Informally called the "Mines" (but *never* to their faces), these are the four cats that run the Family: a mated pair known as Father of Mine and Mother of Mine, and a siblings pair known as Son of Mine and Daughter of Mine. When one passes away, both are striped of their title unless they present a worthy replacement that meets the criteria (i.e. a male mate for Mother, or a female mate for Father; a blood brother for Daughter, or a blood sister for Son). Although it almost never happens, any cat may challenge a Mine for their role provided they meet the criteria for the rank.

The Son and Daughter are the most at risk for challenges, but it is still rare. These cats have fought and bleed and earned the respect and fear of the Family to gain their role, and all of them will do whatever it takes to keep it. Losing it oftentimes means death, or constant ridicule to suicide. The only exception to this was NAME (*see History*). If the siblings die, the mated pair chooses a new Son and Daughter, but the rank is still open to any challengers.

Although all four cats rule together, final decisions and overruling belong to the Mother and Father. Generally, there is an "alpha" one of the pair who is at the absolute top, but there have been pairs known to be completely equal (rare). When one dies, the other must either take up a new, worthy mate, or follow their previous mate in death. When this happens, either the Son or the Daughter may step up to take their place with a worthy mate. If only one has a mate, that pair becomes the new Mother and Father. If both have a mate, they would either peacefully decide who would step up and who would step down (not recommended due to the ridicule) or they would fight to the death for the title. If neither has a mate (which has never happened), it is assumed to be an all out blood bath for the titles... No real rule has been set in place for this occurrence.

The Mother and Father are addressed only by their full titles (Mother of Mine, Father of Mine). They may address each other as Wife of Mine and Husband of Mine. Only in very private, rare, intimate moments might they call each other by their real names.

The Son and Daughter are addressed only by the title of Brother of Mine and Sister of Mine by each other and by the rest of the Family. Only their blood parents, the Mother, and the Father will refer to them by Son of Mine and Daughter of Mine. All members of the Family including blood parents may not address the siblings by their real names - the only exceptions are the Mother and Father, but this is extremely rare and only done in private moments if the mated pair are the blood parents of the siblings, or when the siblings are in trouble/about to be striped of their title, or at least challenged for it.

#### **The Children**

Each Mine has their own posse of cats that are loyal not only to the Family as a whole, but more specifically to them for one reason or another. As most of the lower ranks need help and connections to climb to the higher ranks, most of the cats found here will be blood/chosen relatives, friends, and other cats who they may owe a debt to for saving their life or helping the Mine reach their rank - whatever the reason is up to the individual Mine and does not have to be disclosed unless issues or suspicions have risen around said cat. These are often very tough and aggressive cats, and if you mess with one, you mess with the entire posse.

The rest of the Family refer to these cats as the X's Children/Child (replacing 'X' with the corresponding Mine, i.e. the Son's Children/Child). They refer to each other by their real names, and the Mines will each call them by their real name as well (though during official business or if they are in trouble, they will be referred to by their title only).

Within the Children, each Mine also has their own 'inner circle' - the cats they would trust with their lives, the ones who they seek advice from in times of turmoil. These cats are known as the Eldest Children, and are addressed as the X's Eldest (i.e. the Son's Eldest) by the rest of the family. The rest of the Children and the Mines address them the same as the regular children.

#### **The Family**

The rest of the Family fall under this rank. They have no special titles, and all ranks call them by their real names. Although most of them share at least a side of aggressiveness and violence, all other personality types may be found here as well. For the most part, the Family is fairly laid back and share a relationship similar to that of clan or tribe cats. Sparring matches are common practice, and different groups can be found hunting together. Most of the Family of this rank do not resort to thievery, although sometimes during leaf-bare desperate times call for desperate measures. The Family is allowed to take care of these matters among themselves. If it becomes a huge scene or horrible disturbance, the Children may step in, or worse, one of the Mines.

#### **The Infants**

New recruits and those that have managed to crawl their way out of the Removed rank belong to the Infants. They are mostly referred to by "kit" regardless of their age, although those close to them within the rank may refer to each other by real names. It is fairly chaotic, and those within this rank have to live a survival of the fittest lifestyle 24/7. This is where the weak get weeded out. Any cats with disabilities or deformities are normally ganged up on, and therefore do not survive in the Family. During leaf-bare, some Infants have been known to resort to cannibalism of other infants who are deemed too weak. Thievery and fighting is very common among this rank, and those bold enough will try their tactics on the Family in an attempt to rise in rank.

In order to be fully accepted into the Family, an Infant must gain their trust. The details of this are subjected to the individual Family, Children, and Mine members depending on their individual views, wants, and needs. This usually happens by gaining the trust of Family members and/or forming a strong bond with them. If they feel you are worthy enough, they will approach the Children and vouch for you to a group (including at least one Eldest Child). The Children will decide whether to accept or not (with the Eldest Child/Children having the final say). One Eldest Child would let a Mine know, then return to the Family member to tell them the decision. The more Family members an Infant has to vouch for them, the better their chances.

While Infants are allowed to take on a mate, they are not allowed to bear kits. The only exceptions are if they joined the Family when pregnant/with kits already born, or if the pregnancy came from an unwilling encounter (for which the offender would be punished accordingly). However, there have been some known cases where the latter has not held true.

#### **The Removed**

The mistreated, the punished, the unkempt, the grotesque, the sinners. Although they are still part of the Family, they are considered removed, apart from, unclean; they have sinned and wrought pain and hurt upon the Family, and for that they must be punished. The Removed are treated as less than dirt, forced to live in the disgusting Outskirts of the Compound. They are slaves, weak and depressing, oftentimes beat up for no reason other than simply existing. Most serve by taking care of the Compound, cleaning discarded prey bits, blood, scat, and other bodily fluids and pieces away from living areas. They stock up on supplies (new bedding, herbs, sometimes prey if they are strong enough) and help reinforce and build up the bone wall around the Compound.

All Removed are under a certain Mine's care, and that Mine's Children are in charge of keeping watch, of reinforcing punishments, of making sure they do their job. Oftentimes, the Children will pass on this responsibility to certain members of the Family so they can laze around the concrete or spar or hunt with their friends. The Removed must be under watch at all times, so the Children are careful who they place their trust in, and the Family know that gaining the favor of a Child is often the start to their own rise into the higher ranks, so most of the time, things work out.

Certain Removed are specifically assigned to serve their Mine - a huge honor that can quickly be lost, and subjects the Removed to the horrendous treatment of the Children. These Removed keep their Mine fed, keep their nests clean and soft, keep their living quarters including the Den clean (although the Den is a special privilege that is only allowed to be utilized under the watchful eye of a Mine), and tending to any other need they may have. When the Mine is away, the Eldest Children will take advantage and have the Removed serve them until the Mine's return. If there are enough Removed, some Eldest Children may even get their own.

The Removed are not allowed to take on a mate or bear kits. They are barely afforded the chance to forge friendships, aside from those rare instances among their own rank. All other ranks look very far down on the Removed, and are oftentimes known to spit upon them as they pass. Due to all of these conditions, the Removed usually have unkempt and matted fur (some have been known to even lose their fur due to the conditions they work in) and are easily subjected to sickness. Any cats within the family that may have a deformity or disability belong to this rank.

#### **The Keepers**

> And Jehovah said unto Cain, *Where is Abel thy brother?* And he said, *I know not: am I my brother's keeper?*
>
>

- Genesis 4:9, American Standard Version
A whisper. A myth. A queen's tale used to scare misbehaving children, and frighten those who dare go against the Family's rules... or is it?

The Keepers of the Family is not a tale of cats, but a tale of shadows drifting through the darkness, of whispers slipping past on the breeze, or mysterious disappearances and unknown spillers of blood. It is said that even if you manage to escape the Family's wrath, you will not be able to escape theirs. A price must be paid for sins committed against the Family, and it will be paid in blood one way or another, no matter how long it takes.

#### **The Strays**

A name given to all those outside the Family, but specifically used against those who live within the Ruined City and refuse to submit to the Family's ways. They are extremely evasive and secretive - it is likely you will never see one unless they want you to see them.

### **Attitude**

**External -** Vicious, merciless, aggressive, bloodthirsty. The Family is often described with strong, unfriendly adjectives, and any cat who happens to cross paths with them can attest that their reputation suits them well. Within the Compound, unless an outsider is escorted in, they will be killed immediately. Outside of the Compound, an outsider will be offered the chance to join the Family. If that outsider is on one of the Family's claimed territories (or territory they seek to claim) and they refuse to join, then they will be killed. The only exception to the offer are the strays that the Family know live within the Ruined City and evade their wrath - in which case, any stray found is to be immediately murdered, and their corpse brought back to the Compound to show the entire Family your victory and loyalty.

**Internal -** Although terror stills the heart of any Family or Infant who crosses paths with the Mines (and sometimes their Children too), when times are good, the majority of the Family treats each other well - similar to that of a clan. Only the Removed are treated badly due to the crimes they have committed, and most other cats enjoy living within the Family rather peacefully. The only cause for concern is that cats are not allowed to leave the Compound unless their group has at least one Child or Mine with them, and the Children must inform the Mines of their leave. Children are allowed to come and go as they please, but they must go in pairs or more. The Removed are not allowed to leave the Compound at all for any reason unless they are working (must have their escorts and a Child with them), but even then they are usually never brought far from the Compound.

There is no leaving the Family. Once you are deemed a member, you are considered bound to the Family by blood. Therefore, the only way out is to sever the bond and bleed your way out - in other words, the only way out is through death.

### **Activities**

The Family hunts, spars, trains, grooms, and play much like that of any clan, although they spar way more often due to their inherent violent nature. They also celebrate the coming of the seasons on each equinox and solstice - more details on these rituals will be released later.

Although they have no religious requirements, most of the Family follows their own religion (deities listed under *Jargon*). There are no requirements to practice their religion, and each cat is free to practice or not practice their own beliefs. However, it will be much harder to rise in ranks and gain other cats trust if you do not follow their practices. The entire Family is expected to participate in the coming of the seasons celebrations (more of a party/feast type thing then a religious service - aside from the ritual itself). Again, more details on this will be released later.

#### **Jargon:**

* *"The Family Gathers!"* - used only by the Mines to call a Family meeting from on top of the Den
* *"The Family whispers."* - news and rumours spread throughout the Compound
* *"The Cold Season"* - leaf-bare; winter.
* *"The Green Season"* - new-leaf; spring
* *"The Heat Season"* - green-leaf; summer
* *"The Orange Season"* - leaf-fall; fall; autumn
* *"Scintillula"* - kits; young cats under six moons of age. May also be used by parents to refer to their blood children at any time
* *"Astrificus"* - queens; pregnant and nursing mothers of young cats under six moons of age
* *"Fatifer (male)/Fatigera (female)"* - reaper; death; another name for the Keepers
* *"Pampinator"* - medicine cat; the call for a healer/to be healed. The Family has no rank dedicated to healers (usually passed down through blood and chosen relatives), but those skilled in the arts of healing may be called in addition to their real name
* *"Perviren"* - cat goddess of the Green Season and fertility; bringer of flowers and greenery. She is the leader of the Pantheon
* *"Niniver"* - cat god of the Cold Season; bringer of snow and ice
* *"Viticomus"* - cat god of medicine/healing; bringer of good fortunes and health
* *"Procellosus"* - cat god of the Heat Season; bringer of storms
* *"Auricoma"* - cat goddess of the Orange Season; bringer of warmth and early harvest
* *"Luculenta"* - cat goddess of the Sun; bringer of good fortune and warmth; aids mothers in helping watch their scintillulas
* *"Noctifer"* - cat goddess of the Moon; bringer of omens and dreams; aids mothers in keeping their scintillulas safe inside their own nests
* *"Nubivagus"* - cat god of the sky; maker of rainbows and stars; son of Noctifer and Luculenta
* *"The Agora"* - the circle of glowing flowers in city center; the place where the deities may make contact with the mortal plane, and, if one is lucky, vice verse; a place of healing and comfort

## **History**

Not much is known about the Family's history yet. More will be added as their story is revealed...

The loner Rubble used to live upon a grand territory with his mate Sugar and their kit, Dream. At the time, Jax was Father of Mine and Monstre Charmant was Mother of Mine. Their kits, Eclipse and Umbra held the titles of Son of Mine and Daughter of Mine respectively. Unfortunately for Rubble, his territory was in the way of the Family's expansion. The Family came to him one day - Monstre among them - and offered Rubble a proposition: the three of them would join their ranks, or the three of them would die! The three refused, and so they fought with the Family. Amidst the chaos, Rubble watches Sugar die at the claws of Monstre. Terrified for his life and the life of his daughter, he took Dream and fled. By some miracle, he got away. The Family chased after him, but eventually decided he was not worth the energy. They took over his territory, integrating it as part of their own, and life went on as usual.

Unbeknownst to either Rubble or the Family, a tainted well leaking into the the rabbit's holes where they'd get their water from caused a disease to spread through the rabbits and soon other prey on the land. It caused them to seemingly rot from the inside out, and sure enough, any cat that ate them became poisoned, deadly sick, and perished. Among those that passed was Umbra. The Mines were, understandably, distraught. They reasoned this was the reason Rubble refused to give them his land, and they were enraged by the fact that he failed to inform them of how sick the land was. They vowed to avenge their daughter.

\*\*Even more angered than his parents, Eclipse had not only lost his beloved sister, but he had also lost his title. His parents may have vowed vengeance, but he vowed revenge. He will do whatever it takes to gain his title back - and since he has no more living siblings, that means he must either convince the new Daughter of Mine, Bumble, to take him on as a mate, or to kill her and her brother Titan when the time came for them to take over his parents' throne. He still holds the support of all of his Children from when he was a Mine, and holds the support of most of Umbra's Children, although not all of them know the full extent of his envy.

By chance, a patrol of five Family members exploring the edges of the Clans territories happened to stumble across Rubble, who'd sought refuge in GlideClan. Once again, Monstre was among them. She had the patrol kill Rubble, but not before the ex-loner let slip that his daughter, now named Dreampaw, still lived. The Family plans to march on GlideClan and demand Dreampaw on the night of No Moon. Should GlideClan fail to give the Family what is theirs, they will attack. Choose wisely indeed, Lunarstar.

## **Known Members**

**The Family of Mine**

Mother of Mine - Monstre Charmant (@KaalaSmallteeth)

Father of Mine - Jax (@Kiaboneea)

Daughter of Mine - Bumble (@Juniperleaf)

Son of Mine - Titan (@sophia)

**The Children**

The Mother's Children - Eclipse (Eldest - @wind)

The Father's Children - Chip (Eldest - @Richie)

The Daughter's Children - Cobble (@Bill), Comma (@Swan)

The Son's Children - N/A

**The Family**

Apep (@Poppy), Peach (@fala), Pixie (@Kiaboneea)

**The Infants**

Viola (@clover), Hawkblood (@Kiaboneea), Lynx (@swan), Silver (@sophia), Archer (@krill)

**The Removed**

Zira (@Kiaboneea) DECEASED, Spot (@bill)