Leader

A  **leader** is a warrior who is highest in the Clan Hierarchy. The leader is responsible for everything that goes on in a Clan.

## Description

Leaders are the head of their Clan. Their personality is the same as their Clan's and describes how their Clanmates treat others. The word of the Clan leader is law, proclaimed by the Clan Code , and all other Clan cats must obey them. They have their own den, but can allow their mate to sleep in the den with them. They are responsible for the whole Clan, calling Clan meetings, appointing cats to new ranks, and making the toughest decisions. Each Clan has one leader, and their names end with the suffix *-claw.* (Examples: Sun*claw*, Smoke*claw*, Bay*claw'**.)***

## Qualifications

In order to become leader, a cat must meet these qualifications:

* Was appointed fairly by the Clan
* Mentored at least one apprentice/had one litter of kits
* Was a warrior when the leader was alive
* Was a warrior for longer than three moons at appointment

In order for a cat to become leader, the previous leader must also be deceased, have retired, have left, or been banished.

## Tasks

A leader has various tasks and privileges:

* Oversee the daily operations of the Clan and give them orders
* Speak on behalf of their Clan at Gatherings
* Lead the Clan in battles
* Appoint new apprentices and assign them to mentors
* Appoint new warriors once they've finished their training
* Counsel with their mate and the senior warriors and listen to their reports
* Discuss prophecies and omens with their Clan's medicine cat, and listen to their advice
* Solve conflicts between members of the Clan
* Dealing with politics/conflicts that happen out of the Clan, but can still threaten the Clan
* Decide if a non-Clan cat can join the Clan
* Exile Clan members who severely broke the warrior code or who present a danger to the Clan
* A leader is also expected to carry out warrior tasks, like going on patrols or mentoring apprentices
* Call Clan meetings if necessary for the good of the Clan
* Exiles Clan cats, when needed
* Punishes warriors and apprentices, when needed

If the leader cannot carry out their tasks (for instance, because of illness or injury), their mate will substitute for them.

## Appointment

Before the former leader dies or retires, they can choose to choose who will lead after them. (If the leader is being banished, they cannot choose the next leader.)

If the leader dies without choosing the next leader, the whole clan will cast stones on one or two cats they think should lead. Elders watch these piles carefully, and make sure the voting is not biased. While the cats are voting (over the course of a half-moon,) all the elders are clan leader. Once everyone in the clan has voted, the votes are counted, and whoever won becomes leader.

The ancestors greet the new leader with the following words: *Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader and StarClan grants to you the guardianship of your Clan. Defend it well, care for young and old, honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.*

### Nine LivesEdit

Upon sharing tongues with StarClan at their leadership ceremony, the new leader is granted nine lives by the ancestors. This does not necessarily mean they will live longer, but they can survive accidents or injuries that would claim the life of any other cat. Each of the lives are granted by a single ancestor, usually from the same Clan and whose life was meaningful to the cat, and a gift of an attribute. This process can be surprising and painful, but it is important for the leader to fight fiercely for the Clan. See for example Firestar's Nine Lives.

When the leader loses one of these lives, they black out and are taken to StarClan. There, a warrior ancestor speaks with the leader. The cat sees a pale outline of themselves that was their lost life. When the cat is revived back to consciousness, the wound or illness is removed to the best of StarClan's ability. If StarClan can't fix the ailment, each of the nine lives are ripped away, such as when Tigerstar was killed by Scourge in *The Darkest Hour*.

## Demotion

Leaders usually serve until the end of their lives, but there are some exceptions:

### Retirement

A Clan Leader can resign if they wishes to do so (or if they do not, as in the case of Talon .) This is approved by the spirits, and the Clan will appoint a new leader. The former leader loses their leader name, and gets their warrior name back.

When a leader decides to retire, their medicine cat must travel to the Star Hill to speak with the spirits about it. If the spirits say no, the leader will remain in power.

### Banishment

A Clan can demote a leader if they consider them unfit for the position (such as Bay when she told Talon he cannot lead, and threatened to banish him.)

## Day-to-Day LifeEdit

The Clan leader will take part in patrols and hunting, but usually leaves the actual organization of the patrols to the deputy. Most leaders take interest in all aspects of Clan life, kits, elders, warriors, etc. They also listen to cats' personal problems and attempt to help, most likely to keep their Clan argument-free. Their main job is to keep the Clan running smoothly. When something is wrong in the Clan, cats are to immediately tell the leader first. The leader also listens to recounts of patrols, making sure nothing threatens the Clan. Oftentimes, they will call Clan meetings if anything goes wrong, to be sure that their Clan is aware.