Colony

Colony is a random fancy cat society invented by Dragon. I think it's cool enough to get its own page even if we don't technically have anyone involved with it right now. I have no further justification.

## Names And Ranks

##### Nameless

Cats from Colony are born nameless, and remain so for the first five moons of their lives. They are known as kits, or more formally, Nameless.

When they are born, they must pass the Father's Judgement: The father of the kits examines them, and any kits who are not deemed strong enough are killed. They see this as a mercy, for they do not want their kits to suffer in life. If the father cannot perform this ritual, the oldest Fourname in the colony will.

At five moons old, they are sent away from their Colony's base to survive in the wild for seven moons.

##### Onenames

If the Nameless return to their Colony's base at one year old, they are given one name based on their looks or personality. They spend most of their time training in fighting, but are also taught how to hunt.

In order to rank up, they must participate in a battle with another Colony and survive. Battles are not always spontaneous; sometimes they are planned so that Onenames or Exiles can rank up, or so that cats can sharpen their fighting skills.

##### Twonames

This is the most common rank. When a Onename ranks up, they get a two-word name that still contains their old name. At the beginning of every day, the Fournames assign each Twoname to one schedule; they've split the day into three parts: Morning, Noon, or Evening. The Twoname cats only stop hunting during the period of time they were assigned. That time can be used for resting, battle training, chatting with other cats, helping Onenames train, etc.

At the end of each day, a Meal is held with all the cats in the Colony. From oldest to youngest, each cat eats their fill. Exiles are always fed last, if there is any food left. Twoname cats can catch food for themselves, but if they don't bring at least one prey item back to base, they are confined to base for three days and not allowed to participate in Meals. Rough.

To qualify for a rank-up, these cats must have a mate, though not necessarily kits; to fully be considered a Threename the cat must beat a fully trained Threename in battle. A circle of cats is made in the middle of the base, and the two cats fight inside the Circle. The Circle is also used occasionally to solve arguments between cats. By tradition, the Circle is the only place in base that blood can be spilled. It is very hard to beat a Threename, seeing as they spend all their time battle training, whereas Twonames spend virtually none.

##### Threenames

When a cat becomes a Threename, they get a three-word name that still contains their Onename name. They are also assigned a schedule; except this time they spend their non-resting time battle training in the Circle. They are allowed to hunt, but they are almost guaranteed part of the Meal at the end of the day, so why bother? Plus, they'll get all the hunting they want when they die and go to the Huntworld. More on that later.

To become a Fourname, Threenames must participate in a battle to the death with a rogue, a member of another Colony, or an Exile from another Colony. If they survive, they are granted the must-sought-for title of Fourname.

##### Fournames

Fournames are basically the Colony's leaders. As for naming, well, I think you know the drill by now. They spend their time lounging around base and assigning schedules; training and hunting are optional.

Fournames cannot rank up. They are at the highest rank. They are the best.

##### Exiles

When a cat breaks one of the rules, their name gets changed to Exile. They are confined to camp except for one of the three schedule times, when they are allowed to hunt while supervised by a Threename. Like Twonames, they are allowed to eat one of the pieces of prey that they catch if they catch more than one. All of the rest contributes to the Meal.

To get back into the Colony, an Exile must first remain an Exile for one moon. Then they can either spend a night in a yard with dogs in it, or a badger or fox nest if one is available. Or they can fight a Threename from another Colony to the death, if there is one available that wants to rank up to a Fourname. If they survive their Trial, they get accepted back as a Onename., but they are never allowed to take a mate.

## Religion

The cats believe in the four great Fivenames, each one controlling a season: Sharp Cold Freezing the Air (winter), Sun that Burns like Fire (summer), Grass Where Mother Animals Rest (spring), and Moons of the Successful Hunt (autumn).

There are four Afterworlds as well, each controlled by a Fivename.

##### The Coldworld

The Coldworld, controlled by Sharp Cold Freezing the Air, is where Onenames go where they die. It is a world wracked by blizzards and covered in icicles. There is no life. It is also a maze; a HUGE maze. If an Onename's spirit manages to get to the center of the maze, they get the word Cold added to their name and they proceed to the next Afterworld.

##### The Fireworld

The Fireworld, controlled by Sun That Burns Like Fire, is a huge system of caves beneath a volcano. The Twonames go here when they die. They spend their time fighting huge evil monsters to prevent them from entering the real world. It is said that some of the monsters are the spirits of Exiles. If a spirit here helps in the defeat of ten monsters without dying, they add the word Fire to their name and proceed.

##### The Huntworld

The Huntworld, controlled by Moons of the Successful Hunt, is where Threenames (or, obviously, Twonames that have made it here) go when they die. It is a forest stuck in eternal autumn, full of fattened prey. The Threenames spend their time hunting here. For all eternity. Yay. They cannot proceed from here; you have to die a Fourname to get into the next Afterworld.

##### The Restworld

The Restworld is the last afterworld. It is controlled by Grass Where Mother Animals rest. It's a flowery meadow. The Fournames here pretty much just hunt or hang around until they can be reborn; something only Fournames can do. After all, spring is all about new birth.

##### Kits/Nameless

When kits die, they become a part of their mother's soul, strengthening her.

##### Exiles

Exiles are said to become some of the the monsters in the Fireworld.

## Other

##### Creating New Colonies

Every year on the summer solstice, a colony with at least three Fournames, two Threenames, and five Twonames can send out six cats: A Fourname, a Threename, and three Twonames - to go create a new Colony. The Colony is named after the Onename name of the Fourname leading it. (ex. If Wide Eyed Moon lead a colony, it would be called the Moon Colony.) Colonies usually have between six and fourteen cats at any given time, although the Rain Colony is known for being very big. As you can probably tell, Colony (all the little Colonies together are called Colony. You could say, "Oh, I'm from Colony," or "Oh, I'm from the Rain Colony." The only difference is that the latter is more specific.) as a whole has a lottttttt of cats.

##### Mates

Only Twonames are allowed to choose mates, because Threenames already have them and Onenames are considered too young. If a Twoname's mate dies or gets Exiled when they are still a Twoname, they are allowed to chose another one. If your mate dies when you're a Threename, though, you're out of luck.

If a cat takes a mate outside the Colony, the mate is tracked down and killed. All but the one strongest kit from the litter are killed, and as soon as the survivor is weaned, the remaining parent is Exiled. Obviously if a tom takes an outside mate, it's harder to notice, but the Colony cats try their best.

##### Adding New Cats

To enter a Colony, a wild cat must beat a Twoname in battle. Then they become a Onename. However, they can also choose to partake in an Exile's Trial and become a Twoname if they survive.

##### Questions

If you have any questions about Colony, ask here and they will probably be addressed someday.