BloodClan/Beliefs

**This plot and rivalry religion was an idea created and written by Silverwhisker. Please do not copy it, even on another website. Get your own ideas, don't plagiarize.**

## Background

### Belief Formation

The religion rivaling the belief of StarClan and the Dark Forest has no real name by its followers in BloodClan, but StarClan-believers commonly refer to it as "Vega". This religion is said to have been dated before the time of the Clans, while others rumor that it sprung up only 20 or so years ago. Regardless, legend says that it was founded by a tom named Axel, who tirelessly recruited several felines by exhibiting his power, claiming that it was given to him by the stars. His strength was said to be unmatched, that he could take on an entire clowder and come out scarless. Some even say that he was invincible.
Axel aimed to surround himself by equally powerful cats, yet he was able to destroy all that faced him. So, he told those interested in joining him that getting his interest was simple: a sacrifice of a beloved one to prove that loyalty to Axel was above all things else. One by one, that offered him sacrifices, and in return, he gave them his blessing. Those blessed by Axel were claimed to have equal strength, albeit not invincible like Axel. He said that this new power would remain true to them and always exist, so long as they always obeyed and believed in him. Axel said that to keep their blessing, they must die an honorable death in combat. Never to show fear, never to show mercy, and never to cease. And if they followed those demanding laws, those who died honorably would forever be preserved among the stars, invincible like him. Perhaps not in feline form, but always remembered. However...the weakest who do not follow Axel, or those leaders who die in a challenge, are not preserved in the stars. They are, instead, thrown into the darkness, forgotten and forever lost as they set up a nice background so that those preserved in the stars may stand out proudly, and always be there. While those in the darkness are unseen, unimportant, and always forgotten.
And so they followed him, devoting their life to conquering land and slaying the innocent all in the name of Axel. So that they, too, could be forever remembered and always have unlimited power.
When Axel then gained enough territory, he met Bonnie, a seductive she-cat of equal power. She was what he wasn't: strategical. He had to have her. Together, they formed BloodClan to rival the new and forming Clans of those who believed in the ways of StarClan. Stories were passed down of BloodClan and its ways, but cats slowly lost faith. That last known believer was Bongo, who later revived the belief by telling the tales to the ambitious Murkykit, founder of BloodClan II.
### Customs

Major WIP (Sacrifice to enter, sacrifice to appease the deities/get their blessing, passing from kithood to adolescence, passing from adolescence to warriorhood, challenges, deputyship, advisorhood, chastity, etc)
**Acsend: Apprentice to Warrior**
The Acsend is the greatest and most dangerous day in the life of a young cat. It is directed by the Adviser, who gives the apprentice seeking to become a warrior their horrible task. Most often, the Adviser will ask for the head of an enemy. However, sometimes, it is much worse than that, as BloodClan likes to push its warriors to their limit. The task can be just about anything, and sometimes, the Adviser will even ask that they kill a family member or loved one to prove their loyalty to BloodClan. Every cat in BloodClan must Ascend sometime in their life. If they fail, they must die trying. If they succeed, they must bring whatever the Adviser has asked for, and present it to him or her. If they refuse to take on their assignment, they may ask to Acsend again at another time, when they are ready. However, if they refuse a second time...the Adviser will show no mercy on them.
**Sacrifices**
Sacrifices to appease deities happen frequently, especially sacrificies towards a specific chosen patron, or to the leader of BloodClan. Cats of all ages may offer up sacrifices to receive a blessing, but sometimes, it takes forever to receive it. Or they may never receive it at all. The bigger and more meaningful the sacrifice, the more the deity is pleased. For example, a simple piece of freshkill is often frowned upon, if not offensive to deities. The killing of another cat, or even a predator (fox, badger, bat, snake, etc) is usually much more pleasing.

In order to enter BloodClan, strangers must offer up a meaningful sacrifice. Most often, if offering a piece of fresh kill, the feline will be mocked and killed upon sight. However, offering up another feline, a dog tooth, a deceased predator, rare herbs, etc will usually catch the eye of the leader.
**Challenges**
Cats of all positions may be challenged, excluding the Medicine Cat. Challenges are risky business, because in the end, someone's bound to lose. The punishment for losing is death, while defeated leaders have their name revoked and are considered a shame to their bloodline. They will no longer become stars. Advisers can be challenged and defeated, however, the leader has the right to step in and cancel the challenge, seeing that the adviser is most often their mate.

Challenges for the deputy position are the most common, and happen very frequently with new and rising warriors who see themselves as fit for the position. Oftentimes, a single deputy only lasts for a moon or so. However, this doesn't concern BloodClan much: the deputy has little power in the Clan, and it's more of a title for "gloating".

Even warriors among the Clan can be challenged to honorary reasons. However, it's pretty uncommon. When a warrior challanges another, it's usually because he lacks faith in his Clanmate, finding him to either be a non-believer or lacking loyalty to his Clan. Essentially, this is a way for a warrior to protest and kick out possible turncoats.
**Chastity**
Chastity is very frequently sworn by leaders, or dedicated Clan members. They elect to put aside the life of a family to instead focus on attaining the highest power within their Clan, or instead they may simply focus on dying the most honorable death possible. Chastity is often sworn before the Leader and Medicine Cat, and when this happens, said cat gains a lot of respect for their sacrifice. Going back on their word, however, is often seen as a crime. Those who swear Chastity and then break it are often killed, because it is disrespectful to the deities.
### Clan Ranks

#### Leader & Adviser

The Leader is, most often, the strongest cat within the Clan. They have the option to add -star to their name, in honor of the deities in the stars. However, the deities will sometimes bless them with a new and empowered name through messages given to the Medicine Cat. The leader's word is obeyed by all, as they are usually "demigods" (descendants of the very few deities who reproduced). They can also bestow blessings, but their blessing may be seen as a curse if they are challenged and defeated. Their word is law, and sacrifices are often made to the leader for entry into the Clan, or to appease the leader. Seldom does the leader reproduce, more focused on dying an honorable death to become the brightest star in the sky. WIP?
The Adviser is the mate of the Leader, and can be any gender. They usually hold more power than the deputy, getting to relay messages from the Leader and receive blessings from them. They are greatly respected within the Clan, and often one of the strongest cats. The Adviser is to be protected at all costs. It is also their primary duty to oversee the training of apprentices, and regulate mentors. They get to announce to assignment of an apprentice when they Ascend. Rarely does the Adviser bear kittens of the Leader, as family is seen as a weakness. However, if two "demigods" are to reproduce, it is possible that a deity will be born. However, this is yet to happen.
#### Deputy

The deputy holds little power within the Clan, and is actually one of the most risky positions. More or less, the title of deputy is an honorary position to a good and faithful warrior, giving them some decision power within the Clan. They have minor jobs, such as organizing patrols and pushing the leader's demands forward. However, the deputy does get to stand as the head warrior in combat. Unfortunately, the deputy generally gets the blame when something goes wrong, so BloodClan has a tendency to run through them very...quickly. They are also commonly challenged by new and blossoming warriors who think of themselves as the strongest within the Clan.
#### Medicine Cat

The Medicine Cat of BloodClan is practically the exact same as that in a regular Clan. However, unlike those in the other Clans, the BloodClan Medicine Cat does not follow StarClan. Rather, he or she interprets messages from the deities, bestowing blessings and reading the stars to see if the deities are pleased with a sacrifice. They follow every word of the Leader, and often choose to neglect the weakest in the Clan. They actually rarely use herbs, rather believing that a strong warrior will heal on his own. If he does not, then he's too weak for BloodClan and is not meant to live.
#### Other Ranks

The rest of the Clan is devoted to Queens, Kits, Apprentices, and Warriors. However, unlike typical Clans, BloodClan follows a code of its own. Within the Clan, kittens are harshly trained as apprentices, starting as young as 4 moons and going up until 20 moons if necessary. The apprentice may choose to make the Ascend at any given time: either they will successfully prove themselves a warrior, or die trying.
### The First BloodClan

The first BloodClan was formed so long ago that most, except for Bongo, have forgotten. It was lead by Axel and Bonnie, the founders of the Clan. Axel led them well and strong, while his adviser slowly fell for him. However, she admired his power, and her interests began to change. While they had many kittens, a lot of them ended up passing on. Before long, Bonnie shocked Axel and challenged him for leadership, breaking the tom's heart. But to remain strong and respected by his Clanmates, he accepted her challenge and ultimately killed his mate.

The final leaders of BloodClan were Nimble and Mouseshade. It is unknown what force ended up destroying the rest of the Clan, but stories were passed down generation from generation. The most protected line was that of Bongo, who's family was selected as Storytellers by the deities, so that they mass pass on the knowledge from before, and recreate BloodClan once again.
### Original Leaders & Advisers

* Axel (L) & Bonnie (A)
* Chevy (L) & Diesel (A)
* Bluefang (L) & Smallfoot (A)
* Tallstar (L) & Jeepers (A)
* Nimble (L) & Mouseshade (A)

## Major Deities

**NOTE:** Some cats existed, some were based on living cats, and some were entirely made up by Bongo and his hallucinations.

### Axel & Bonnie

Axel indeed existed, as he was the original founder of BloodClan. He is seen as the main deity within BloodClan, and his blessing is known to be rare. Seldom does he offer it, normally only to well-deserving leaders who have become prolific killers, and deserve a seat among the stars. While most fail to receive his blessing, many like to think of him as their patron. Axel represents the misjudged, betrayed, and the clever. This is due to his unfortunate history with Bonnie, his lover who betrayed him and attempted to take his title as leader. However, the clever tom did kill her before she could cause too much damage.
Bonnie, while sometimes resented, is also deeply worshiped among BloodClan. While she was evil within her time, attempting to betray the one she loved to take the title of leader, she was smart and sneaky. These are qualities BloodClan praises. Her blessing is a little more common than Axel's, often bestowed among the intelligent and stealthy of the Clan. She is seen as the patron of the lustful, envied, and stealthy.
### Splashheart

Splshheart, they said, originally hailed from CaveClan, only to find that he was not satisified in the soft and simple Clan life. He was the strongest cat in the Clan, so strong, they said, that he murdered his leader, deputy, and medicine cat in a challenge. His Clan was horrified by his behavior, and Splashheart realized that they were too weak for him and his power. So he moved on to find a place he could call him, where his power could be matched and put to good use. That was when he came across BloodClan. Immediately he challenged the leader, calling himself the strongest cat in existance. The leader laughed, saying that he, too, was the strongest cat around. So they fought and they fought hard, so hard that the earth split inbetween the two, leaving them on separate sides. The leader was impressed, and offered Splashheart the position of his private guard. The warrior accepted, and together with his leader, he destroyed rivals. It was said that he was so strong that his yowl would tear trees up from the ground, and that his intense amber eyes would burn a soul to a crisp when he stared at them long enough.
Splashheart is the deity of the strong, and their patron. Most warriors seeking the deputy position ask for his blessing, so that they may be relentless and undefeatable in battle. However, it is suspected that Splashheart never existed, rather he was just a figment of Bongo's imagination.
### Thornpaw

Thornpaw, as it goes, was a young apprentice of DawnClan who was never truly appreciated among his Clanmates. He was forgotten and frequently left out by the other apprentices, and mocked for his small size and failure to hunt small prey well. He never met his father, and his mother passed on a moon after he was apprenticed. He was blamed for her death, and was mocked by his Clanmates for it. They said that his mother had been too weak, so weak that she gave into the temptations of other toms and loved them more, which was why Thornpaw's father left.  And that...that was when they pushed him to the edge.
While in reality, Thornpaw left to join BloodClan to be free from torments and learn to be strong and defend himself...but Bongo's story and how BloodClan tells it takes a dark twist. They said that Thornpaw became ruthless, hungry for blood, but unable to catch small prey. So he aimed for large prey: his fellow feline. Rumors had it that mysterious bodies of Clanmates decorated the border, missing flesh from their corpses. They said that Thornpaw would laugh insanely and parade around with a kittypet collar festooned with the bones of his ex-clanmates and victims. They said he was insane, and if necessary, take things to the extreme to please his BloodClan leader. BloodClan appreciated him for the monster he was. DawnClan only turned away from him.
Thornpaw was, in fact, a real cat, although Bongo twisted his story to add cannibalistic aspects to him. Thornpaw is the patron and lord of the hated and insane. Those who are disgusted with the StarClan-believers and are judged for their strange qualities often ask Thornpaw for his blessing.