BurrowClan/Culture

BURROWCLANCULTURE

BurrowClan is a clan that thrives off of strict, militant culture and policy and religious devotion. They hold a rigorous lifestyle with several limitations and traditions, some of which would seem unusual to an outsider. They have a self-deprecating mindset of being "unworthy" of the sun's rays despite their worship of it, hence why they live underground.

## **Physical Traits**

*View physical traits and more in our character creation guide!*
## **Religious Culture**

### **The Sun**

Although BurrowClan believes in the existence of StarClan, they mostly reverently worship the sun itself. BurrowClanners believe that there are special StarClan cats, the Gods of Light, who have come to embody specific aspects of the sun itself. However, BurrowClan's reverence to these gods is self-deprecating and the reason they live in the tunnels in the first place. BurrowClan resides in the very darkness they consider unholy, because in their eyes, they are equally as unworthy of being in the presence of the sun's rays, and so, they remain within the tunnels, refusing to go to the surface level. To read more about BurrowClan's religion, click here

### **The Worthy**

The Worthy are considered to be the unspoken upper-class of BurrowClan, rooted largely in the clan's hierarchy of power and also their strong kin-bias. Most who obtain this title are high ranks, or have close ties and relations to a high rank. They are very respected and treated with a higher-degree of esteem than a regular, not Worthy cat of BurrowClan would be. They are led by the Leader and High Priests/Priestesses.

To become a Worthy, there are multiple pathways a cat can take. Some cats may become Worthy by being kin to a former high rank or a current high rank, which means if a family member gains the title they likely might as well. Cats may also enter The Worthy by obtaining a high rank themselves.

Originally a reward coined by Shadowstar, commendable cats within the clan would be declared the most "worthy" of the sun's light, and hence the term was born. However, it was simply a title and nothing more.

However, after being proceeded by his deputy, Scarabgaze (more commonly known as Scarabstar), the role of "The Worthy" within BurrowClan changed forever. He shifted what was once a mere title into a higher class of "religious role models".

Those born into The Worthy would lack in physical deformities and would hold their title to a higher level mostly due to heritage pride. Meanwhile, cats not born into the Worthy could very well have scars and other deformities as well as different viewpoints than those who have been vigilantly sheltered and supported by this society.

#### **High Priests/Priestesses**

The High Priests/Priestess is an extremely important position within BurrowClan. They are officially considered the third-in-command, but it's easily arguable that at this point in time the most powerful of the Priests/Priestesses has as much influence and control as the leader him or herself. The High Priests/Priestess have both a strong political influence, as well as a good grasp of control when it comes to BurrowClan's religion. They tend to enforce all of the clan's religious values and lead the clan to stay true to their religion and beliefs. Aside from being enforcers, they are also somewhat considered to be the clan's "historians," as they keep to and manage the Archive as well as the Chapel, protecting the existing Sun Scripts and writing new ones. Additional information about the High Priests/Priestesses can be found on our home page.

#### **The Council**

The Council is the "decision-making" portion of The Worthy. They are the ones who truly hold the power, and are made up of the High Ranks from Scaler to Leader. The council meets within the Leaders' Burrow and must be called by the Leader to gather.

### **Sun Scripts**

The Sun Scripts are an ancient form of writing used in BurrowClan; they were put together by our previous founder in order to document stories and information about BurrowClan's beloved Gods. Each symbol represents aspects of the clan's religion, mostly in relation to the "Sun & Moon", as well as other astronomical symbols and elements of their everyday lives.

The scrips are most notably located within the Chapel of the Sunlit Sector where they line the walls with various stories. However, the Chapel isn't the only place you may find them, small tablets can also be found within the Archive.

Sun Scripts are an important element to BurrowClan's storyline and will very often be used in and out of roleplay since they contain vague, but important information!

## **Speech & Language**

### **Positive Terms/Phrases**

Terms and phrases with a positive connotation.

 "Scaling (through/past)"

### **Negative Terms/Phrases**

Terms and phrases with a negative connotation.

### **Expletives**

Terms used as expletives (Feel free to get creative with these as long as they make sense!).

 "For StarClan's sake!""For the Gods' sake!"
 "Haredung"
 "Oh StarClan!" | See "By the Gods of Light!".

### **Distance**

Terms used to described distance, arranged largest to smallest from top to bottom.

 "Fox-length"
 "Hare hop/Hare-length "
 "Pawstep"
 "Kitstep" | About the length of a step a kit can take. (0.5-1.0 in / 1.25-2.5 cm).

*Referenced from the Warriors Wiki*

### **Time**

Terms used to described time can be found here. It is important to remember that BurrowClan cannot see the moon, so they do not call the monthly time-system "moons".

 "Half-cycle"
 Seasons
 "Sun-up""Dawn"
 "Sun-down"

*Referenced from the Warriors Wiki*

## **Bloodline & Youth Culture**

### **Kin Bias**

BurrowClan are strong believers when it comes to kinship and family relations which habitually creates a lot of biased stigma as well as a sense of superiority within the Clan’s society. Those who are considered to be “The Worthy” and their family members—whether having been born into the title or having obtained it—are treated with a great extent of bias. As generations continue and more Worthy Kits are born, they too will be treated as “special” and “important”, which ultimately leads to an even greater rift within the clan.

The "Leader Lineage" is also a prime example of the kinship bias. The Leader Lineage is a term coined to refer to the existing familial line of the past three leaders of BurrowClan and a strong representation of the familial biased engraved into the clan’s culture. Leaders on the clan tend to pass leadership down to cats they are related to. This was initially started by Scarabstar, who, on his death bed, switched his deputy to his granddaughter, Lightningbug, at the last second as a "preservation of legacy". Sometimes, arranged marriages are put in place to continue The Worthy bloodline.

BurrowClan does not care if parents mentor their children, seeing as children are often the parents successors.

### **Nursery Life**

BurrowClanners spend the earliest moons of their lives within the safety of the nursery in the Sunlit Sector. They are to be raised by their mothers or a permanent queen until the age of 6 moons, but many kits take on duties within the clan prior to exiting the nursery. From 1 - 3 moons of age, kits are not allowed to leave the nursery or the sandroom, a sandy hollow behind the nursery, without explicit permission. At 4 moons, kits begin their unofficial "pre-apprentice" education within the clan. Older family members or friends are encouraged to visit the kits in the nursery and teach them basic battle and hunting skills or games that develop these. The kits also begin to take on easy chores around the Sunlit Sector such as cleaning the chapel. Many older kits also enjoy visiting the elder's den for stories. At 6 moons of age, kits receive their apprentice names and mentors and move out of the Sunlit Sector to the Barracks.

### **Apprentice Curriculum**

The transition from kit to apprentice can be rather drastic, but most kits seem to be excited about their apprenticeship prior to moving out. Perhaps the hardest adjustment for these young cats is the shift from living in the warm light of the Sunlit Sector to the cold darkness of the Barracks. Apprentices rise early and receive the vigorous training required to inhabit BurrowClan's tunnels almost daily.

Apprentices must know how to:

* Navigate the tunnels.
* Identify if a tunnel is safe to pass through/dig out just by looking at it.
* Help dig and expand tunnels and dens.
* Find and catch the limited prey available within the tunnels.
* Fend off/kill trespassing foxes and badgers within the tunnels.

In addition to this, mentors should educate their apprentices spiritually and culturally, teaching them about StarClan and the Gods of Light as well as BurrowClan's general culture.

Many mentors will find clever ways to teach their apprentices to navigate the tunnels such as letting a vole loose into a tunnel and allowing the apprentice to track it based off sound and scent, the two primary means of tunnel navigation. They will teach their apprentices to notice landmarks and feel/listen to the direction of the wind to tell which way to go. There is a pre-designated training tunnel to help teach new apprentices navigation and digging that can be found in the Sandy Hunting Tunnels.

### **Fighting Style**

Battle training takes place in the Sandy Hollow within the Barracks. Because BurrowClan lives in the tunnels, they have no experience with the existence of other clans. However, the clan does face trespassing from badgers and foxes who find their way into the tunnels. For this reason, BurrowClan cats are trained to take on foes larger and stronger than them in the narrow spaces of the tunnels (often by using this smaller space to their advantage), which is what their fighting-style consists of.

## **Daily Lifestyle**

### **Rules & Discipline**

BurrowClan has strict sets of rules and discipline. The average warrior or apprentice is expected to wake up early and not dawdle or play until they have received and completed their tasks for the day. If they have not been assigned something, they are expected to find something to do, like finding someone to train, hunting, or visiting the Chapel. Among BurrowClan's strict traditions, however, lay a few kinder policies, written over top of older ones and a bit of place:

1. You may linger in the Sunlight Sector if you have finished your duties.
2. An underfed cat can eat more than the average fill.
3. Chatter is encouraged during work and within dens at night.
4. Any cat is welcome to linger outside the Elite Chambers, even without permission.
5. Any cat may travel to the Gate of Temptation if they desire such.

### **Militant  Lifestyles**

BurrowClan revolves around a militant life style, which often results in some cats being rather serious and purely focused on the aspects of working. They do not have very high opinions of themselves, and so, in order to please their Gods, they revolve their work and traditions around them because they seek their approval.
The authorities of BurrowClan are fairly strict when it comes to work as they do not like slackers and so, they enforce the clan to heavily contribute.

### **Diet**

BurrowClan lives in a very scarce environment, so finding a large amount of food is a somewhat difficult task, because of this, they have to eat whatever they can find lurking in the tunnels. The following are some of the foods they might find:

* Bugs, worms & other critters
* Snakes
* Small Voles
* Salamanders & other small reptiles
* Chipmunks
* Some moles (small in size)
* Rats & Mice

Occasionally, a lucky cat may stumble upon a burrowing hare in the Sandy Tunnels. BurrowClan will oftentimes skin the pelts from them before eating them for use in Fur Pelts.

### **Scalers & the Wells**

Dug-out wells and Scalers are a noticeably different aspect of BurrowClan's culture in comparison to the average clan.

#### **BurrowClan's Only Water Source**

Because BurrowClan lives underground, they have no access to a water source naturally. To gain water, the clan's earliest generations have dug out a deep well to reach the natural underground run-off of water, and another well was later dug out as well. This was done through the cats digging a rectangular section into the side of a tunnel, and then digging straight down from there. Upon hitting the underground river, the digging cats climbed back up the newly-created passage.
#### **Scalers**

The necessity for daring cats to collect water by climbing down the well led to the creation of the Scaler rank. The Scalers face the perilous path of scaling down the New Well, but not without benefits. Scalers are automatically considered members of The Worthy, and are regarded as heroes and elites within the clan. They also gain access to the underground lake that can be reached through the river at the bottom of the well, a sacred and beautiful place for the clan. A Scaler's duty usually persists of descending down the well, and using some of the hollowed out rocks placed at the bottom of the well to scoop water into one larger "bowl". Then, one scaler at the top of the well will pull the "bowl" back up using a root pully system to return the water to the top, before transferring it into the clan's reservoir, a collected pool of water for drinking and other purposes. Occassionally a Scaler may catch fish from the river and send that back up as well, if they're lucky. The cat will then finish their duties by climbing back up the well.
#### **The New Well**

The New Well is the newer of two wells within BurrowClan and the only one actively being used after the abandonment of the old well. Unlike its predecessor, the New Well has little to no controversy surrounding it, and is a well used as a means to access holy places for the clan. The well can be located at the bottom of BurrowClan's central winding tunnels, near the clan's reservoir.
#### **The Old Well**

The Old Well is the older of two wells within BurrowClan and has been abandoned. This was the well that was originally dug by BurrowClan's earliest ancestors, and it lies behind the leader's den as it was originally intended to be under the leader's protection. BurrowClan's dead have always been cast down the Old Well. It is believed that when casting deceased clan members down the well, those who are truly worthy will be saved by the Gods of Light. However, when troubled Scalers began to report encounters with "ghostly, drowning spirits" of their clanmates, later coined as "Well Wisps", the well was blocked off and forbidden, having been hypothesized to be a road to the deepest darkness, the Dark Forest, itself. To this day, cats avoid the well. No BurrowClan cat has come out of the well alive, and there are no recounts of the bottom of the well in the archives. No cat is allowed to enter the well (this applies outside of roleplay as well. Many rumors surround the Old Well, one of which states those who get too close are doomed to be stalked by curious Well Wisps.
### **Digging**

One major duty of warriors in BurrowClan is the construction and expansion of tunnels through digging. This is most common with BurrowClan's hunting tunnels–the Sandy Hunting Tunnels and Craggy Hunting Tunnels. The cats use their genetically strong claws to shovel the dirt back as they work together to dig into the area. An experienced warrior can tell where it is safe to dig and where it is not. For more information on the technology used in digging, see here.

### **No Medicine Cats?**

BurrowClan does not have Medicine Cats for several reasons. The primary reason for such is that there are no herbs for theoretical BurrowClan Medicine Cats to use due to the lack of sunlight in the tunnels the clan lives in. Instead, BurrowClan believes that the sun itself has healing properties, and laying in the sun can heal a cat. This is why in the Chapel there is a room known as the "Sunningroom", where ill or injured cats can go and rest. While there is some truth to this ideology, it is not a very effective belief usually. The spiritual role of Medicine Cats is instead handled by the High Priests/Priestesses.

## **Construction & Tools**

### **The Well System**

The wells of BurrowClan were dug by the first generations of the clan. The initial well, The Old Well, currently is not in use, however the the New Well is. The well features a pully-system to transport water up and down the well.

When Scalers are doing their duties, due to the pully-system it technically takes two of them to perform the task properly. The process is as follows:

1. One scaler will remain at the top of the well, by the reservoir, and the other will climb down the well, being spotted by the other Scaler. If the other scaler is to fall, the first Scaler can pull a vine which will pull a piece of fur pelt near the bottom of the well, and hopefully catch the cat. However, oftentimes cats are too heavy for the pelt and knock it down as they fall, so it’s not the most effective for preventing casualties.
2. Next, the Scaler who has climbed down will grab one of the carved-out stone “bowls” and begin scooping water into a larger bowl that can be found at the bottom of the well, large enough to hold a small cat.
3. When the bowl is full or becomes as heavy as the Scaler above can handle, the Scaler by the reservoir will bite down on a cave root for the pully system and begin to tug the stone bowl up.
4. When it reaches the top, the Scaler will empty the water into the reservoir, and lower the bowl back down.
5. The process repeats until the reservoir is as full as it needs to be.

### **The Technology Behind Digging**

Cats in BurrowClan dig with their strong claws, however this is not all the thought put into the process. Cave roots and cracked-off stalactites from the Craggy Hunting Grounds are used to line the walls of tunnels and keep them supported, especially where ground may be weaker/sandier and less firm.

### **Den Construction**

BurrowClan’s dens have been built similarly to their tunnels, using similar support, however the dens also contain other features designed for comfort. The floor of many dens has been covered in sand to make the hard, tunnel floors more comfortable, and cave moss that grows in the Sunlight Sector and some of the Main Sector is used in excess for bedding and additional padding. Animal hides and furs are also considerably useful for nests (and are softer as well), as they can be doused in water once they need cleaning, making for a more permanent solution to the limited supply of moss.

### **Block-offs**

Sometimes, BurrowClan uses block-offs to block certain sections of tunnels. These block-offs are usually temporary, such as block-offs in paused construction zones to keep out foxes and badgers, and block-offs of flooded tunnels when rainfall is high, however some are permanent. The most notable block-off is the block-off to the surface itself, known as the “Gate of Temptation”. This large block-off is one of BurrowClan’s best feats of engineering, and is described as follows:

Because of its location—directly above BurrowClan’s winding tunnel system—no cat is able to mess with the barrier or try to break it without risking the collapse of all the rubble above. However, there is rumored to be a proper method to opening the Gate of the Heavens.

### **Writing Sun Scripts**

High Priests/Priestesses use their strong claws to write Sun Scripts. The original tablet material comes from the dark and moist Craggy Hunting Tunnels, and is a cold, formable clay. Oftentimes apprentices will be sent to collect it as part of their training. After the clay has been retrieved, the Priest/Priestess will shape the clay into a slab and carve out the runes. Finally, they will leave the tablet out in the Sunning Room to dry in the sun. This may take up to several days.

### **Fur Pelts**

Oftentimes it can get cold in the tunnels, so many cats will wear fur skins/pelts. These pelts come from the occassional hares caught usually, but sometimes from badges and foxes that have had to be killed after they accidentally enter BurrowClan’s tunnels. Cats, especially those with little to no fur, may wear these furs wherever they please. If you’re looking for accessories for your BurrowClan character, use these!

## **Ceremonies**

### **Burial Ceremony**

BurrowClan’s burial ceremony is fairly simple. When a cat dies, they will bc wrapped in cave moss. The clan will have a few moments to grieve, and then will proceed to the leader’s den to the Old Well. The bodies of cats are then thrown down into the well under the belief that the Gods of Light will rescue those “worthy” of going to StarClan. Despite its obvious dark nature, most BurrowClan cats don’t see anything wrong with the ceremony and indifferently view it as just another rite of passage.

### **Rank Ceremonies**

#### **Leadership Ceremony**

The Leadership Ceremony takes place at the Sun Shard below The Glowing Lake. To reach it, the leader will make their way down the Well with the assistance of a Scaler (or multiple Scalers), either through climbing or by being lowered down on the pully system if they are small and light enough. After this, the leader will head to the lake and dive underneath to reach the Sun Shard. The leader will touch their nose to the shard and fall asleep, receiving their nine lives as they dream. With their new name and lives, they will return to the clan.

#### **Deputy Ceremony**

When a deputy dies, the leader must choose a new one immediately. The Council will meet and deliberate. The leader will traditionally present their choice and the council will agree or disagree. Although the council's opinion will be taken into consideration, it is up to the leader in the end. Once the Council has decided, the clan will be called to the Commons' Area and the new deputy will be promoted with the following words:

Leader: *I say these words before StarClan, so that the Gods of Light and (former deputy name) may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of BurrowClan is (cat's name).''*

 *— Modified from the Warriors Wiki.*
Following the ceremony a small feast will be held in the new deputy's honor.

#### **High Priest/Priestess Ceremony**

There is no apprentice role for High Priests/Priestesses. Cats interested may talk to existing Priests/Priestesses and shadow them, but beyond that there is no prior preparation. For this reason, many of the cats who wish to take on this role cite a certain "spiritual moment" or "sign" as their reasoning. If they are deemed fit, a candidate will undergo the ceremony. Much like Leaders, potential High Priests/Priestesses will be taken down with an existing Priest/Priestess to the Sun Shard. The cats will sleep by the warm, yellow crystal outcropping and will be either approved or disapproved by StarClan. Once a cat has received StarClan's blessing and both Priests/Priestesses wake up, the Priest will recite this chant:

#### **Scaler Ceremony**

Scaler promotions involve a test. Potential Scalers are lined up and instructed on how to scale down the well. Next, they must do so to prove their worth. There is no formal, long-term training for Scaling, only adding to its dangers.

Cats who successfully scale the well without backing down become candidates for the position. The Council will choose the next to hold the rank, and it will be announced to the clan. The Scaler will be welcomed to the "bravest of the brave" and the Worthy, and a feast will be held.

#### **Senior Warrior Ceremony**

The Senior Warrior ceremony tends to be the most informal of the high rank promotions. The clan will be called together, and the following words will be recited before congratulations are given and a small celebratory feast is undergone:

#### **Warrior Ceremony**

When a mentor believes their apprentice is ready to graduate, they will go to the leader and seek their approval. With approval, the clan will be called to the Commons' Area and the ceremony will be held. The following words will be recited:

Leader: *(Apprentice), do you promise to uphold the will of the gods and to protect and defend their word, even at the cost of your life?*
Apprentice: *I do.*
Leader: *Then by the powers of the stars and the sun, I give you your warrior name. (Apprentice), from this moment on you will be known as (new warrior name). StarClan honors your (virtues), and we welcome you as a full warrior of BurrowClan.*

 *— Modified from the Warriors Wiki.*
After the ceremony, a celebratory feast will be held and the cats will be congratulated. Afterwards, newly promoted warriors are required to stay the night awake (silently) in the chapel as a symbol of reflection and reverence to the Gods of Light for their blessing of their new title. The next night they will move into the the Barracks, where the Warriors and Senior Warriors rest.

#### **Apprentice Ceremony**

When kits are of apprentice age, they will be taken down to the commons area by their parents and will be presented to the leader. If the leader thinks they are ready, they will call a clan meeting and assign mentors to the apprentices. Parents are allowed to request mentors for their kits if the cat in theory is alright with it or mentor their kits themselves due to the strong kin bias and involvement of parents in BurrowClan kits. Mentors will touch noses with their apprentices' and the clan will celebrate the new pupils. Apprentices will move to the Apprentice Den in the Barracks the night of the ceremony. Although it is frowned upon, many of the older Warriors will dare the newest of their rank to do reckless, silly things during the celebration. These have ranged from harmless jokes to the clan having to stop a newly-promoted warrior from attempting to scale down the well.

#### **Kit Ceremony/New Litter Traditions**

When kits are born, there will generally be a consensus of celebration in the clan and a small "feast" in the parents' honor. A High Pries/Priestess will come to the nursery to give the kit a blessing for a better future, and the Leader and Deputy are also expected to come and give their congratulations toward the parents and approval of the new litter. The blessing the Priest/Priestess reads is as follows:

Writing & Graphics by  Fubsy with some help from ArkhamHood!