Camp

A **camp** is a site where a Clan or Tribe makes its permanent home. It is where the cats sleep, meet, eat, bring back prey, get treated for injuries or illness, receive orders, share tongues/talk, make reports to the Clan leader or deputy, and have ceremonies. Some cats, such as does, kits, and elders, stay in the camp nearly full-time. However, the rabbit feet, lambdas, omicrons, deputy, and leader patrol and hunt in the territory. The healer and healer's apprentice also leave camp to search for herbs to make medicine. Each Clan or Tribe has one camp.

## Location

Each camp is situated on the Clan's or Tribe's own territory. The main criteria for choosing a site varies between Clans and Tribes.

### Clans

* Is difficult to attack, and easy to defend.
* Is at a safe distance from Red-Tails, Wanderrogues, and general society.
* Is large enough to accommodate all Clan cats, and possibly more should the Clan grow.
* Has a source of water in the camp or nearby.
* Has places for an omicron den, rabbit foot/lambda den, nursery, healer's den, elders den, and leader's den.

### Tribes

* Is difficult to access easily.
* Is out of sight of most others, while in cat and human form.
* Usually in a cave of some sort.
* Covered by bushes, trees, or other natural cover of some sort.
* Has a source of water in the camp or nearby.

## Structure

Most camps are surrounded by some sort of natural structure protecting them from intruders and weather. Very rarely will you see a camp that is clearly visible from the outside. Most camps also have some sort of cover in case a bird of prey comes along while cats are in their cat forms and are unable to switch into their human forms quickly enough. They usually have a single entrance, where only one cat can enter and exit at a time. There is usually a bathroom or outhouse hidden in a corner of the camp that is cleaned as often as necessary. In addition to the natural defense, one or two omicrons are usually placed on guard duty at night while the rest of the Clan sleeps, to protect from invasion or ambush.

### Main Clearing

All camps contain a large, open area in the middle. Cats gather here to meet each other, sun themselves, share tongues, and participate in Clan meetings. The main clearing usually also contains:

* A **cafeteria** or **cafe** where hunters come to deposit freshly-killed prey, and where prey is stored and sometimes dried for the winter. Usually during fair weather, prey will be deposited outside of the cafeteria for cats to take freely. During bad weather, prey is kept inside of the structure and is eaten in there rather than outside in the bad weather. Prey is usually stripped and dried for the winter, and the pelts are used to sell with cats outside of the Clans, or used to make clothing.
* A **vantage point** where the leader addresses the Clan during a meeting, such as the stone platform and the great stump.

### Dens

All camps also contain dens. Dens are usually a mix of being man-made and natural. Den sites are usually chosen because of their natural features, rather than destroying the area to form fully man-made structures like Red-Tails do. Dens may be caves, or weaved from branches, wood, strong grasses, and saplings. Because cats usually sleep in their feline forms, beds are usually made out of moss, grasses, feathers, fur, wool, ferns, or hay. The dens are usually cleaned and tidied by the rabbit feet and lambdas. Most camps contain all (or several, depending on the size) of the following:

* **Nusery** - the den shared between the does and kits, usually the safest, warmest, and most protected.
* **Rabbit Foot Den** - the den shared by the rabbit feet and lambdas, usually the second-smallest. Lambdas usually sleep in the center, where it is warmer, while rabbit feet sleep in the outside, where it is colder.
* **Omicrons' Den** - the den shared by omicrons and the deputy. Senior omicrons and the deputy usually sleep near the center, where it is warmer, while younger omicrons sleep near the outside, where it is colder.
* **Healer's Den** - the den that belongs to the healer and the healer's trainee. They store their herbs and other supplies here as well. Cats with severe injuries and illnesses may stay or rest here until they have become strong enough to return to their own dens.
* **Elder's Den** - the den shared by the elders, usually the smallest and second most protected. Also very warm.
* **Leader's Den** - the den where the leader stays, usually the nicest den in the camp. They usually spend most of the day here in seclusion and undisturbed; however, they can be visited by other cats, or choose to spend the night with their mate, if they have one.

### Outer Facilities

The following is usually within the vicinity of the main camp, but is not necessarily inside of the camp:

* **Burial Place** - a place where the Clan's dead are buried.
* **Dirtplace** - a place where the waste from the Clan is dumped, along with inedible or unusable waste from prey.

## Known Camps

### Near the Mountains

#### The Clan of Earth

The Clan of Earth's camp is located the furthest away from the Seeing Stone in relation to the other camps. The camp is located in a dip in the earth, surrounded by large boulders and rocks on all sides. The camp is bowl-shaped, with the dens all in the outer walls of the bowl. There is one extra den carved out in the top of the bowl in case it floods, where all the Clan cats can shelter. Directly above the leader's den to the north of the camp is the Ledge, where the leader makes their announcements.

* To the east of the camp is the nursery and elder's den.
* To the west of the camp is the rabbit foot and omicron's den.
* To the north of the camp is the leader's den and Ledge.
* To the south of the camp is the healer's den and the cafe.

#### The Clan of Fire

The Clan of Fire's camp is located closest to the Seeing Stone in relation to other camps, though they must travel around it to get to the bridge. The camp is located deep in the forest, and a tunnel of woven branches and stems leads into the camp.

## Life in the Camp

* Most cats usually wake at sunup, or dawn. This is when the deputy appoints and organizes patrols for the day.
* Border patrols leave at dawn and sunset. These patrols are usually the largest, comprised of three to five cats, and possibly their rabbit feet.
* Several hunting patrols leave daily. Hunting patrols are usually comprised of two to four cats, and possibly their rabbit feet. Some Clans prefer to hunt at night, while others hunt during the day.
* Some omicrons remain in the camp to protect it from invasion or ambush.
* Mentors train their rabbit feet in designated areas, or take them on patrol.
* Lambdas, while waiting for their assessment, usually aid in doing the chores around the camp along with rabbit feet who do not go out training or on patrols. Their chores include: tidying up dens, getting rid of dirty bedding, and tending to does and elders. The elders usually tell them stories while they give them moss balls soaked in water, fresh kill, or get rid of fleas and ticks. New healer trainees learn about herbs and medicine, while more experienced healer trainees help with minor sicknesses, kitting, and injuries.
* The healer treats and tends to sick or injured cats, trains their trainee if they have one, and occasionally leave to gather more herbs if they are running low (or requests a lambda or omicron to do it with them).
* The leader oversees what happens in the Clan, consults with omicrons, and calls a meeting if needed.
* Cats who stay in the camp usually rest, sunbathe in the clearing, eat prey or share tongues. Cats are most active during the morning and late afternoon; they often rest during the night and noon.
* At night, one or more omicrons stay awake to guard the camp while the others sleep.