#warriors worldbuilding

[themissinglynx]

part 1 and 2 of potentially 4 but maybe more entries in patterns I've noticed among warrior cats rewrites. I'd like to sort them into categories but I only know so much of some of them and I don't know what I don't know.

part 3 and 4 will be "Watership Down but Cats" and "Ga'Hoole But Cats" respectively, let's see if I can get my ferret-brained ass to work on them. if you have or know any rewrites that don't fall into any of these categories, lmk and describe em for me.

and no, AUs where they're fantasy creatures or anthro pirates or showcats don't count, those are Alternate Universes, not Universe Alterations, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

(for clarification: AU means the setting has fundamentally changed. UA keeps the overall setting, just added more bells and whistles (like gods and monsters) or moved canon slightly to the left (Swiftpaw lives).)

#lynx art #warriors rewrite #warrior cats au #squirrelflight #brambleclaw #bramblestar #leafpool #warrior cats #warriors worldbuilding #wc

[lichennose]

World-building in Building Thunder #2 - Sculpting; Clay, Pots, and Grinders Chicoryjump of ThunderClan guides Sedgepaw through sculpting a rainwater pot. Meanwhile, Elmpaw and Wortpaw take advantage of the fact that their teacher is distracted.

Clay is a valuable resource to the lake Clans! It’s used to sculpt bowls and pots, the latter of which are used to store rainwater and honey.

Gathering and Processing Clay - Natural clay is gathered from riverbeds. Cats collect it by shoveling with the paws, sticks, etc, then moving it to a nice flat surface for processing. - Processing involves cleaning the clay (picking out sticks and pebbles) then mixing in sand, which helps it hold its shape. While the sand isn’t totally necessary, it’s better to mix it in now rather than deal with misshapen pottery. Finally, the clay is sculpted into the desired shape and left to dry in a sunny location.

Bowls and Grinders - Mortar & pestle for cats! Used by medicine cats (to make poultices) and RiverClan warriors (to prepare mashed salmon). - Bowl is crafted out of clay. The grinder is just a small rock that can be held in the mouth (often surrounded by moss for comfort). - Bowls can be made in a variety of sizes! Usually they’re small, but RiverClan makes bigger ones in late greenleaf to mash salmon in. - Bowls are often crafted in batches and may be traded between Clans that have a good relationship.

Pots - Pots have two uses in Clan culture: storing rainwater and storing honey. Rainwater is collected for cats who can’t leave camp, while honey is an invaluable antibacterial. - Crafted out of clay and topped with a cover. The cover is woven and weighed down with a rock to keep it in place. - Rainwater pots are larger than honey pots and stored around the edges of camp. When water needs to be collected, they’re rolled out into the clearing and left there during rainfall; to prevent disease, they need to be emptied after about two days. - Honey pots are stored in the medicine den and are strictly off-limits to anyone but the healers.

#lore #furb art #chicoryjump #sedgepaw #elmpaw #wortpaw #warrior cats #warriors #warrior cats oc #warriors oc #warriors worldbuilding #warrior cats worldbuilding #warriors fanfic #warrior cats fanfic #stars above the lake

[pickerelstripe]

The Arts in ClayClan Culture

Information on ClayClan’s numerous artistic pursuits! ClayClan is most active at dawn and dusk, with a resting period in the afternoon. It’s during this resting period that cats most often participate in crafts! Clay sculpting, weaving, story-telling, play rehearsal, games, friendly competition... it’s time to take a break from hunting and patrolling and spend casual time with Clanmates.

Below the cut: Clay sculpting, weaving, story-telling and stage plays

Clay Sculpting

Perhaps ClayClan’s most important art is that of clay sculpting. It has massive significance in both their religion and culture, and is practiced by nearly everybody at some point or another. Sculptures are weak due to being sun-baked, so they’re replaced often. Religious sculptures are kept around the acolytes’ den.

Acolytes make special sculptures (known in Claymew as shihafbon) depicting the gods, Silverpelt spirits, or folk heroes - these are considered good luck, and can bring favor upon cats who pray with them. Gods have specific imagery used when sculpting them, but depictions of Silverpelt and folk heroes are more open to artistic interpretation.

All ranks can sculpt clay as a hobby! These sculptures have no religious significance or associated power, but are plenty of fun. Some cats get rather proficient. 

Weaving

ClayClan practices simple weaving - den walls, nests, cordage, that sort of thing. Cordage is crafted out of woven grass, reeds, or brambles and is used to tie things together; it may also be baked into sculptures as a handle, making them easier to transport with the mouth.

Story-telling and Stage Plays

Story-telling is very important to ClayClan! Stories are used to pass religion, folk tales, and history down through generations. It’s not uncommon for a proficient story-teller to gather a crowd and spend an hour or more weaving a particularly complex tale. Stories are usually told in the afternoon, between the dawn and evening activity spikes.

In recent generations, the art of stage plays has risen in popularity! These plays involve several actors who memorize lines and put on a show for an audience (some plays also involve lines that are sung or chanted). Plays are shorter than oral stories due to the physical work and preparation involved. It’s common for actors to paint their fur with natural dye and don accessories to better resemble the character they’re portraying!  When gods are involved in a play’s storyline, they’re never actually shown - this is due to fear of misrepresenting them. Rather, there’ll be a cat hidden off-stage who speaks that god’s lines, and the cats on-stage will react accordingly.  Plays are acted out on a prepared stage somewhere in the territory. Before the show, a “backstage crew” will clear the stage of debris and even set up props! It’s a very creative process.

#clayclan #warrior cats worldbuilding #warriors worldbuilding

[wills-woodland-warriors]

skeletal sward cats (GhostPipes): a sward concept

more dark forest worldbuilding go brrr!

I imagine the stories of the first dark forest cats would come from some of the skeletal Sward cats being Norwegian forest cats, so very, very big. These cats are likely from very early days before the tribe of rushing water, or even a group that existed not long before it. The group that started all clans, if you will. 

But yeah, I like the idea of there being cats that are barely cats anymore, all memories and thoughts almost completely wiped from them, with only a taste for blood left. They wander the sward, maybe even In groups, and keep their distance until they see a reason to prey on cats lost in the sward. Maybe that’s why most of our characters ever spawn in the sward: all the ones that do are picked off by skeletal cats. 

Instead of the permanent wounds that the dark forest cats we know and love have, these cats have rotted away: not forgotten, as they are remembered in legends and myths, or even condemned by starclans themselves to forever haunt the sward as they lose all sense of reality, all feelings and emotions except a bloodlust for anyone they set their teeth on.  they appear as giant creatures, held together with exposed flesh, bloody bones and a sunken in, furless skull with bright red eyes. Maybe tufts of fur litter their spine, casting spike-like shadows. They can’t speak well, and when they open their mouths cackles and screams come out, maybe even mimicking and taunting like a mockingjay. That’s how they got their name: Ghostpipes. (Also named after one of my favourite fungis, but shh ignore that)

@residences-of-the-darkforest @elementaldeityoffood @ambitiousauthor @indigo-flightly-falls

#dark tales #the sward rpg #skeletal cats #dark forest worldbuilding #worldbuilding #warriors worldbuilding

[softmarsh]

VERNAL POOLS FUNERAL & BURIAL TRADITIONS

being a young colony, the VPC does not yet have a highly-developed religion and pantheon. because of this, they’ve not yet formed a defined method of vigil, but a tradition for funeral processions and burial is starting to strengthen.

cw for frank talk of death and animal death

VIGIL

upon a colonymate's death, their body is laid in the middle of the current camp for mourning

the cat’s family is to groom their body, weaving trinkets and other accessories into their pelt. they can utilize flowers, other plants, or feathers to hide any evidence of what killed them, or other unsightly wounds

their mentor/pupil, family, friends, and other cats close to the deceased are invited to sleep with them for the last time

at sunrise, a procession of the colony, led primarily by the deceased’s mentor/pupil and family, starts its way to the burial mound

the deceased is then buried atop the mound

the body is also buried with a bundle containing various grave goods, traditionally including a carved totem of their patron god, a feather of their family bird, and notable personal items of the deceased, such as accessories, games, or their favorite food

if there is no body for the deceased, their family bird is wrapped in a blanket of spanish moss (tillandsia usneoides) and is used instead. it is still weaved with momentos and given a burial bundle

this process also applies if a cat has gone missing and is assumed dead as well

BURIAL MOUNDS:

as you might’ve noticed, the VPC does not use a standard graveyard to home the dead. instead, they create a burial mound

each cat who dies during the reign of the current leading pair is buried together in the same mound

the leading pair is the last to be buried on each mound, for a new one is created with each new leading pair

the mounds are located between the two camps. they are visited every time the colony migrates between camps

at the moment, the colony is currently on its fourth burial mound, as estuary mangrovemumble and herbalist gatorchomp are its fourth leading pair. they will be buried atop it once they pass

#oop… coming out w/ smthn completely unexpected instead #this has been waiting since mid-august to be typed up n posted #the VPC is abt 3 decades old btw! #the modern form at least #not super confident w/ this post... i feel like it's missing smthn? idk. we'll see #vernal pools colony #vernal pools colony culture #warriors inspired #warriors worldbuilding #warrior cats worldbuilding #worldbuilding #tw death #tw animal death #b

[mallowstep]

I have a question about your maara system actually. When does the line between one maara and another end? Like for example, if an apprentice named Beepaw begins their training and three cats are in the apprentice den, they'd be maara. But halfway through Beepaw's apprenticeship those apprentices are announced as warriors, and three kits are turned into apprentices, are all of them maara? Is Beepaw maara with both groups but the groups aren't maara with each other? Or is it more of a case by case basis thing

man it's been too long since i've talked about this apparently

maara form a specific group. there is never ambiguity. your maara is about as definite as...your immediate family, for comparison.

in general, a maara will have cats from 2-4 litters, depending on how big the litters are. they're usually 4-8 cats, about a patrolsworth. they don't have to be exactly the same age: in ioth, leopardfur, blackclaw, skyheart, mistyfoot, and stonefur are part of one maara, but mistyfoot and stonefur are like five moons younger than the other three.

so this hypothetical beepaw would be maara with either the older set or the younger set. this depends on who they were closer with in the nursery and overall, honestly.

example that might help: po3 apprentices form two maara. it's berrynose, mousewhisker, hazeltail, poppyfrost, and honeyfern; and cinderheart, hollyleaf, lionblaze, and jayfeather. (if you really want to count icecloud and foxleap as po3 apprentices, they're just a little too young to be in the younger maara group, so...idk. realistically i think it'd be blossomfall, bumblestripe, and briarlight, but i usually write them as maara with dovewing and ivypool. so. uh. idk that's a puzzle for everyone to solve on their own.)

and yes, this example divides littermates. it's not common, but it does happen. in breath like sweet dream smoke (and all jay/poppy fics of mine), poppyfrost is with cinderheart, and honeyfern is on her own. this division usually has a reason, to do with crushes, close friendships, or generally being held back.

(aside: as cats get older, maara can get much more mixed in age. like, as cats dies, and cats grow closer together, maybe take mates...there can be some shuffling.

for an example: ferncloud probably wouldn't consider herself part of dustpelt, firestar, greystripe, and sandstorm's maara at first, but since cloudtail is maara with frostfur's litter, and ashfur...well. by the time of her death, she certainly would consider herself part of their maara.)

#ask #anon #mine #cat lang #worldbuilding #warriors culture #warriors worldbuilding #maara

[ghostwoodsketches]

My map of the DarkForest! My first big digital project and I realized after hand drawing every tree that I should have looked for a copy-paste tool. At least I got to practice trees? Overall this was a really fun project and I enjoyed all the shading.

Learn more about the map on my side blog, or in these posts: 

You can learn more about the different cats that inhabit it over on @residents-of-the-darkforest !

#digital art #art #artists on tumblr #map making #warriors worldbuilding #warrior cats #dark forest #dark forest resident

[woodlandcats]

Clan Lore-Roles

I made new roles for cats, as well as more clans, and different lore for where they originated from.

There are still the standard warrior, healer, apprentice ranks, but they have subsections now.

For example:

Warriors have subsections of:

-Fighters, warriors who patrol borders and are the first line of defense in a camp, fighters are usually larger cats with bigger claws, or just a generally intimidating figure. Fighters are a popular role for ex-dark forest trainees.

-Hunters, warriors who hunt prey for the clan. Hunters are smaller, slower cats who spend a lot of time enjoying their surroundings. In a perfect clan model they’d be leisurely, spending the day out and walking and catching prey in a comfortable territory protected by fighters.

-Den-Builders, cats who enforce the camp, repair, and build. They’re relaxed cats, much like hunters, but tend to have the body of a fighter. Meaning they’re perfect for a leisurely stroll to collect building materials and make it back in time to dig out a brand new den quickly. They also have varying crafting abilities, with the more dexterous ones being able to weave straps to make a rudimentary bag.

-Mentors, cats who are trained in one or more of the above ranks, but train apprentices, deputies, or new-comers in their specialized skill.

Healers have:

-Spiritualists, healers connected to starclan. They have a stronger connection than an herbalist or normal clan cat. They will typically have an abnormal trait, such as bright sparkling eyes, special markings, or generally odd behavior. They will receive visions, usually given by a starclan messenger, and share their visions with the leader. They are in charge of healing issues with starclan, like ghosts or possessions.

-Herbalists, healers trained in herb knowledge. All healers must have some herb knowledge, but herbalists are steeped in it. They have to have good memory and a strong ability to identify even the tiniest of differences. They’re sleeker than spiritualists, they need to be able to sneak into small spaces to collect important plants. Because of the alternating healer system, most herbalists have some connection to starclan, but they could have none at all. Sometimes herbalist mentors gain a greater connection to starclan because of their apprentice’s powerful connection.

Apprentices have no specific subsets other than warrior/healer, and will usually train under their mentor’s subset, (if their mentor is ranked as a mentor they will learn their mentor’s standard rank as well as how to train another cat properly in said rank).

Healer apprentices usually take up the opposite of their mentor’s role as to vary the clan’s healing and spiritual abilities. In the case of there only being one healer for the foreseeable future, healers will learn both roles (Ex: Falconhawk). However this is very uncommon, and is usually only used when the other healer has been dead for several moons, and there are no kits born with spiritual or herbal signs or interests.

Deputies will learn all of the different warrior subsets, and potentially the healing ones too, but it differs from clan to clan as well as the cat’s personal wants.

Leaders, due to their deputy training, are well versed in all areas of expertise so they may be able to help their clan in a desperate situation (Ex: The Great Flood, a -cough outbreak, Nightclan’s cave situation.) If both a leader and deputy die a new deputy is chosen before moonhigh and trained under the best cats in the roles they must learn.

Kit-Watchers are queens, cats who want to provide for their clan but don’t feel a pull to any particular warrior rank and/or can’t complete normal warrior duties, or just a cat who wants to watch kits. There are no prerequisites to becoming one, you just have to want to be one. You don’t have to have kits to be a kit-watcher, but some cats do adopt the kits they watch who don’t have parents.

I’ll be doing more lore posts regarding roles, mostly specifying roles more, giving examples and stuff like that. Probably also a mini thing about role switching because there's not many examples of it, but it’s fun when it does!

#long #warriors worldbuilding #warriors #warriorcats

[russetfang]

I have this urge to jump on the rewrite train for Warriors send help. I'm already working on a side project where I start at the top of the official family tree and fix genetics and names, my feet are already in the water here. ���

#warriors #warriors worldbuilding #warrior cats

[newwarriorsocworldobsession]

Creekclan

The Lucky

Creekclan is known as the lucky clan, not for the fact that the clan seems to have plenty of good luck, but rather the belief that if it’s not for whatever luck the clan has, it feels should have been wiped out ages ago. This thought is not even only from the other clans and is in fact often shared among Creekclan’s own members. No one seems to know how despite all the troubles that tend to affect the five clans from time to time, Crrekclan seems to be remarkably spared from the worst or simply not affected at all, or even to just something more basic in how little prey may have for all of the other territories during a particularly harsh leaf-bare and yet Creekclan always by some fortunate turn of events have enough fresh kill for all of its members. As a result, Creekclan is often a clan seen with jealousy from the other clans, especially after a hard time, while many of the clan’s own members have tended to grow lazy over the years.

Typical Traits:

Stocky body types (mostly styled after British Shorthair in particular), often diluted colors, short muzzles, and odd features, such as overbites, underbites, oversized ears, etc.

Territory:

The creek that runs from Creekclan’s border with Gorgeclan branches out into more creeks to run along its border with Sunclan and Floodclan, with one creek going on to run right through the middle of the territory. The rest of the territory is forest-filled with the exception of a large lake the main creek in the middle flows into.

Clan Roster:

Leader:

Patridgestar, a mostly white, blue rosetted spotted tabby she-cat, with short fur, no tail, and amber eyes.

Deputy:

Rootjump, a short-haired, chocolate tom, with hazel eyes, a missing limb, large curled ears, and an underbite.

Medicine Cat:

Pineleaf, an elderly caramel classic tabby, and white tom, with short fur, and yellow eyes.

Warriors:

Hailstripe, a stocky, silver blue and cream mackerel tortoiseshell-tabby she-cat with short fur, white socks, and amber eyes.

Fleckspot, a small, long-haired, cream mackerel munchkin tom, with yellow eyes. 

Loonwing, a tall, slender, black mackerel tabby, and white tom, with short fur, and yellow eyes.

Apprentice: Briarpaw

Hornetsting, a large, broad-shouldered, long-haired, cream mackerel tabby, and white she-cat, with amber eyes. 

Ashstorm, a stocky short-haired, blue tom, with gold eyes. 

Willowbriar, a stocky short-haired, blue and cream, classic tortoiseshell she-cat, with yellow eyes, no tail, and small curled ears. 

Thinstride, a sparse-haired, smoke ghost tabby black cat, with a white chest, white gloves, small tail, and amber eyes. 

Thymefang, a short-haired, smoke blue and cream tortoiseshell she-cat, with green eyes and curled ears.

Sandbreeze, a stocky, broad-shouldered cream she-cat, with a white locket and gloves, short fur, and copper eyes. 

Gannet-tail, a mostly white, black tom, with short fur, stump tail, and gold eyes. 

Apprentices

Briarpaw, a lilac ticked tabby tom, with short fur, curled ears, and yellow eyes. 

Nursery:

Dawnsky, a large, stocky, black and red mackerel tortoiseshell-tabby she-cat with short fur, white toes, folded ears, and green eyes.  Kits: 

Flamekit, a large long-haired, red mackerel tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Stripekit, a short-haired, black mackerel tabby munchkin tom with yellow eyes and folded ears. 

Father: Fleckspot

Orchidspot, a short-haired, silver blue-spotted tabby she-cat, with hazel eyes and bobtail.

Kits: 

Toadkit, a black smoke ghost tabby tom, with a white throat and toes, long fur, and green eyes 

Brindlekit, a silver charcoal short-haired, blue, and cream rosette spotted tortoiseshell-tabby she-cat, with a white throat, white toes, bobtail, and amber eyes.

Tawnydapple, a stocky black and red ticked tortoiseshell she-cat with short fur, a white throat, sn overbite, and yellow eyes. 

Kits: 

Pebblekit, a stocky short-haired, blue-ticked tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

Father: Ashstorm 

Stripetail, a short-haired, white cat, with a long black spotted tabby tail and folded ears, and yellow eyes. 

Kits: 

Dustkit, a chocolate classic tabby and white tom, with short fur, folded backward ears, and copper eyes 

Stonekit, a blue spotted tabby tom, with short fur, small tail, folded ears, an overbite, and hazel eyes.

Whitedapple, a long-haired, black and red, mackerel calico munchkin she-cat, with large yellow eyes. 

Kits: 

Smallkit, a pudgy, short-haired, black male still with blue eyes/ later has yellow eyes.

Parent: Thinstride

Elders:

Skipperfeather, a stocky long-haired, red mackerel tabby tom, with amber eyes, curled ears, and a crooked jaw.

#creekclan #warriors worldbuilding #warrior cats #warriors ocs #warrior cat clans #info stuff #digital art #original characters

[veilantares]

Ice Artifice

Machines, cold blooded as they seem, yearn to stay unseen, in bright furious dreams.

This one's meant to be inspired by ice dragons, but I had no idea how I'd draw the tail, so I guess they don't have one. I wonder if subconciously I thought it'd be too xenomorphy that way. I wanted to capture some elements of the "Bright Night Terror" piece I did last year but also try out a palette I haven't used recently.

In my setting the robots are meant to be able to start out more humanoid, then transform into increasingly strange and curious forms, and the later ones are supposed to be crazy like dinosaurs, spider tanks, squid planes and so on.

So, where are the later forms? Somehow in between 2021 (?) and now I lost some of the confidence in just dumping pieces with unfinished ideas - there was a point I'd have one out every one or two days... Nowadays I give myself an hour or so to draw these and just accept that I have a tendency to do the humanoid ones cause I can pose myself in the mirror as reference. Unfortunately I am not a beautiful robot lady (yet). I'm just a robot beep boop.

By the way, this five fingered hand is just because I had some confidence today in my hand gestures again. The ones with weapons for hands probably just transformed their arms into those temporarily - maybe most of them have "natural" hand states. If so I intend for plenty of them have "natural" hands that are claws or have unusual finger counts, formats and arrangements - I don't think theres any "default" hand.

Accessibility for the different hand, claw and manipulator types is meant to come up from time to time in the setting - so not everyone can pilot or operate everything, but theres accomodations that can be made for most robots to operate most things, because that is what the Emperor wills.

Why would robots have an Emperor? So that I can write a story about what happens when the Emperor falls.

#veilantares #digital art #my art #art #illustration #mech #mecha #biomechanical #voidpunk #character design #monstergirl #monster girl #knight #warrior mask #ice elemental #cyborg #robot girl #robotposting #worldbuilding #505 lore

[gfbs-the-decaying]

Art of these 2 to feed you guys until I finally finish the prologue! Your support has been really keeping me creating and trying to tell this story!

Comic making has never been my thing so sorry for taking so long!

#worldbuilding #original character #webcomic #not warriors #ship art #art #digital art #cat art #the decaying #love these guys #nothing tragic happening here #if my OCs remind you of anyone please don't tell me <:] #zombie apocalypse

[lichennose]

World-building in Building Thunder #1 - The Wondrous World of Weaving Galepaw, WindClan’s medicine apprentice, collects sorrel and lavender in a small basket harness.

The cats in Stars Above can weave! Woven cases are used to transport all sorts of goods, typically prey or herbs. These cases are crafted out of grass, reeds, cattail leaves, vines, brambles, and honeysuckle - materials are dried before any actual weaving takes place. Weaving is a time-consuming but important task for all four Clans.

Twine - Simple twine is crafted from willowbark, woven grass, vines, or blackberry brambles. It’s used to tie together other materials.

Healer’s Rope - Sturdy string crafted from stinging nettle fibers. - Used to make splints for limbs, tie herb bundles, and hang up herbs to dry.

Baskets - The hardest project a weaver can undertake, baskets are tricky to get right and take a long time to put together. Due to this, a Clan typically has only 2-3 baskets at a time - when not in use, they’re stored in a dry, sheltered spot within camp. - Always have some sort of handle and cover! The handle is a sturdy reed that can be replaced when worn out. The cover is a woven mat that’s secured by being slipped over a piece of bone, stick, etc tied into the basket wall. - Held in the mouth via the handle. - Sometimes decorated with flowers or colorful shells!

Pouches - Smaller version of a basket; these are easier to make and transport, but hold less. A Clan always has more pouches than baskets. - Held in the mouth with a twine handle or slipped onto a basket harness.

Basket Harnesses - Kittycat backpacks! - Small woven baskets attached to a woven harness that slips over the body. Used to transport plants, prey, and other small objects like rocks or shells. - The size of the basket varies depending on its intended use. In the featured art, Galepaw has a small basket intended for carrying small amounts of herbs. - Most often utilized by medicine cats when carrying herbs to another Clan for trading or when gathering large amounts at once. Also frequently used by warriors on fruitful hunting patrols or for gathering construction materials.

Fish Harnesses - Unique to RiverClan! Used to carry large fish from the river back to camp. - First, a flat surface is constructed out of sturdy sticks and tied together with thick twine. This is then tied to two separate harnesses worn by two different cats. These cats walk in tandem, supporting the fish between them.  - Wearing a fish harness is awkward due to the weight distribution and teamwork required. Apprentices practice by carrying around rocks and smaller prey items. - RiverClan usually has 4-5 of these at any given time; warriors are careful not to break them, but accidents happen. New fish harnesses are usually crafted in late greenleaf, in preparation for the salmon run, and may be repurposed into basket harnesses for the following leafbare.

#lore #furb art #galepaw #warrior cats #warrior cats oc #warriors #warriors fanfic #warrior cats fanfic #warriors worldbuilding #warrior cats worldbuilding #weaving

[pickerelstripe]

ClayClan’s Mythology

ClayClan has a developed religion!  They believe in six gods, who made the world and have power over it; Silverpelt, the place where dead Clan cats reside; and various other myths and folk heroes. Their culture has no hell equivalent, as cats barred from Silverpelt are instead believed to remain on earth after death as ghosts. Note that, in-story, the nature of ClayClan’s mythology is vague - I’m not confirming or denying it as a true force in the world, but it does impact the characters through their faith. 

Below the cut: Notes on the gods, patrons, the origin of ClayClan, death and the afterlife, blessings and curses, bobcats, and more

The Gods, Patrons, and ClayClan’s Origin

ClayClan’s pantheon is made up of six gods. The gods are considered genderless - they use a special set of pronouns, shaf/shafs, and may be referred to with molly, tom, or jack depending on the story. The imagery associated with a god is not what they truly look like, it’s just what Clan cats can approximate about their appearance - the exceptions to this are Yiaow, who is literally considered to be a bobcat with the head of a Clan cat, and Rhurr, who is literally considered to be a long-haired cat with a magnificent mane and flowing tail.

Rhurr God of the sun, moon, stars, and wisdom. Represented by a longhair cat with a great mane, sitting with its tail over its paws. Prayed to for knowledge, leadership skills, and important desires. Often seen as the leader of the gods. Parent of Hyaash and Mrrha.

Chikik God of seasons, natural change, and cycles. Represented by a snowshoe hare with its ears laying down against its back. Prayed to for good seasonal conditions and safety against negative change. Also prayed to for healing, as they’re associated with the cycle of life. Parent of Fulgurr.

Fulgurr God of clouds, rain, storms, snowfall, and travel. Represented by a bald eagle. Prayed to for good weather, protection against natural disasters, and for safety on physical journeys. Often seen as a protective spirit over messengers. Child of Chikik.

Hyaash God of hunting, fighting, and teamwork. Represented by a longhair cat with an open mouth and unsheathed claws. Prayed to for good hunting, good fighting, and to solve disputes between Clanmates. Seen as a protective spirit over apprentices. Child of Rhurr and littermate of Mrrha.

Mrrha God of creativity, clay sculpting, and community. Represented by a longhair cat laying down with a kitten tucked in its belly. Prayed to for good luck in life and for familial or romantic relationships. Child of Rhurr and littermate of Hyaash.

Yiaow God of the ocean, predatory animals, and all things unknown. Represented by a bobcat with the head of a Clan cat. Prayed to for safety against physical danger. Often depicted as having a strict sense of justice, or enforcing “an eye for an eye” - this contributes to a healthy fear towards them.

Living cats cannot contact the gods, but sculpting their image is said to appeal to them or bring their favor upon whoever prays with the sculpture (for more information, see my entry on sculpting). It’s believed Silverpelt ferries messages between the gods and the living; these messages manifest in omens and dreams. 

While cats respect every god, some cats will have a patron, a specific god they feel close to and pray to more often. It’s common for a cat’s patron to change over time - for example, a captain whose patron is Hyaash may switch over to Rhurr after becoming deputy.

It’s said that the first three gods were Rhurr, Chikik, and Yiaow; Rhurr and Yiaow as opposing sides to the same leaf, with Chikik as an in-between force of change. Chikik’s child Fulgurr came to be around this time. Rhurr eventually led the cats of the world to form ClayClan to keep them safe from Yiaow’s dangers. The cats didn’t know how to live in a community, so Rhurr bore two kits, Hyaash and Mrrha, who taught the cats how to live properly.

Death, Killing, and The Afterlife

When Clan cats die, they ascend to Silverpelt, a mythical afterlife represented by the sparkling night sky. This is a direct result of their connection to the gods - due to this, it’s believed that cats only go to Silverpelt if they’re buried on ClayClan territory. This custom is kept tightly by the living and has led to a dedicated graveyard. If a cat disappears or is presumed dead without a body, the acolytes sculpt a clay rendition of them and bury that instead, out of honor.

Killing is mandated by the gods under specific conditions; cats may kill prey and predator, but only when necessary. Killing beyond these boundaries upsets the natural way of things. Killing another cat is majorly frowned upon, but killing a Clanmate is downright sinful, and a surefire way to get cursed by the gods (see the next section for more info). The concept of killing in self-defense applies only to non-Clanmates.

Blessings and Curses

The gods may bless or curse living cats based on their actions. 

Blessings and curses take the form of events in someone’s life. Blessings may manifest as especially bountiful hunting, completing a difficult task, etc; curses may manifest as losing something important to you, being injured, etc. They’re very up to interpretation.

Curses are generally brought down upon someone for committing acts against ClayClan or the gods. Two examples are murder and faking omens - murder because it disrespects the proper way of life, and faking omens because it is both pretending to know the gods’ will and deceiving your Clanmates into thinking that as well.

These concepts come into play in the story primarily through Pickerelstripe (who lied about being blessed) and Cootfeather (who killed her former mate).

Bobcats and The Ocean

Bobcats have a dedicated spot in ClayClan’s mythology, despite rarely venturing into the territory. They’re seen as uncanny, devilish figures - like cats, but not quite right. Myth states you can sell your soul to a bobcat... you’ll receive an incredible bounty in life, but when you die you’ll be cursed to become a bobcat yourself, barred forever from the gods’ light in Silverpelt. 

The ocean also has myths surrounding it. It’s seen as the end of the world; as far as ClayClan is concerned, it stretches past the horizon forever. Being around or in the ocean is incredibly dangerous.  Though ClayClan is technically near the coast, cats would have to walk for a day or two before hitting the ocean. its reputation for danger and association with Yiaow mean that nobody really attempts this.

#clayclan #religion #mythology #warriors worldbuilding #warrior cats

[wills-woodland-warriors]

Meet the clans: WolfsFootClan

Clan Name: WolfsFootClan 

History/Formation: 

- ClubmossClan was formed by MossPatch, a very seniory warrior, who recruits nine farm cats into a clan after his best friend SpeckleDaisy died unexpectedly, and her last wish was for him to create a safe place. After many years, a sickness called WolfCough spread through the clans and nearly eliminated them. ClubmossClan split off into four clans: TipClan, DownyClan, QuickClan, and ClubmossClan2. It took a few more years before the clans reunited and formed WolfsFootClan, a large clan of  around seventy strong. 

Rivals: 

- Fallen Clowder

- Cicada’s Faction

- RippleClan

Age: 

- 13 years in the cliffs territory, 5 in the in the valley territory as seperate clans, and 44 years in valley territory as a combined clan. 

Shaping Events: 

- Root’s rebellion, QuickStar’s legacy, the BeeClan war, WolfCough, CoyoteStar’s Revolution, WolfStar’s serial killer reign, and finally HollowStar’s Slaughter. 

Heroes and Villains: 

- in the new territory, QuickStar is viewed as the best leader and BerryStar is the clans savour during the plague. 

- WolfStar was the youngest leader in history. He turned on his clan, killing over 80 souls alongside his deputy GoldfishFur. 

Territory: 

- dense, shady forest with small ponds and underground tunnels. 

Climate zone: 

- cold winters below freezing, short hot summers. 

Fauna: 

- predators: foxes, badgers, wolves, bears, raccoons, dogs, European northern pike.  

- prey: squirrel, voles, shrew, birds, frogs. 

- neutral: weasels, owls, muskrats 

Flora:

- North-American plants and fungi. I know too much about plants and definitely should not be allowed to list all of them. 

Medicine and sicknesses: 

- your basic herbs, they make tinctures and wrap the herbs in leaf bundles. 

- WolfCough 

           Symptoms: wheezing, high body temperature, dizziness, sores appearing on joints, aches, previous scars tear open, foaming mouth, incredibly aggressive and attack anything that moves. Some say they appear undead, coughing blood. Passed through: fluid (saliva, mostly). Treatment options: blazing star, borage, bright eye, chickweed, feverfew. Recovery status: 3/10 usually recover, with kittypets having the highest recovery rate 

- Kittencough (Fading-kitten-syndrome) is frequent in these clans because of the tough territories. This would be normal if it weren’t for one thing: the paranoia of wolfcough returning, which leads to most kits suspected of having kittencough being killed in fear of it turning into wolfcough. 

Landmarks (new territory) 

- Bat Cave: a cave filled with bats and a sandy floor. Often used to train apprentices 

- Herb Field: a small secluded area that’s covered in herbs, making the clan abundant in medicine and supplies. 

- DownyClan’s old Border: the grass starts to get dryer around here, and the dirt gets more sandy. 

- Camp pond: a small pond next to the camp filled with Lilly pads, cattails, tadpoles and minnows. 

- Broken Maple: a maple tree towards the edge of the territory, bordering the other clans, that was struck through the centre by lightening. This is where they bury the bodies. The maple is in a small island circled by a thin stream of water. 

- Beyond the territory: unexplored lands 

Religious centers: 

- Broken-Maple burial ground. 

- StarQuartz Cave: a large cave filled with giant quartz pillars and spikes. 

Camp: 

- A sandy clearing with a badger cave for the leaders den, a root patch where the herbs are stored. The camp is protected by large, thick grasses that kits are forbidden from going near. There’s a dug-out den under a rock for the warriors. The apprentices sleep under a patch of folded over ferns. The leader stands on the large rock in the clearing. The nursery is a protected ring of brambles and vines. 

Clan Characteristics

Build: 

- very strong, poor stamina. Thick legs and large ears. 

Pelts: 

- mainly medium furred grey cats with green eyes, lots of rossette, point and smoke patterns. 

Kits: 

- kits are taught quickly what predators to ignore. Kits are taken care of by their parents or the whole clan depending on the parenting style of the parent(s). 

- kits are named after birth, but can be renamed by parents and leaders later on 

Custom Roles: 

Dencat - doesn’t participate in most warrior duties and stays in camp. Usually tasked with watching kits. 

Lore-keeper - they hold and pass down the stories of the clans 

Champion - an amazing warrior who will likely be chosen as deputy after the current deputy retires, becomes leader, or dies. 

Messenger: clans can only have two messengers at a time. They travel between clans and are allowed to cross borders and even hunt on other territories. They send messages and info between the clans and are forbidden from fighting. 

Collector: a fast and agile cat who fetched items in a pinch. Herbs, mossballs, hay, prey, trinkets and tools. They often are trackers, but mainly need to be fast. They have to pass a race to become a collector. 

FishWatchers: meant to keep an eye on the rivers, swamps and lakes to predict water level rising. They consider rain to be an omen of something, but all refuse to say what.

Gender Roles

- very fluid concept of gender and sexuality, Kittypets helped them come up with terms such as tolly, demitom/demimolly, and jacks  

Clan Culture

Code of Conduct: 

- the most important rules are to kill kits that show symptoms of WolfCough in fear of another plague. Aside from this, and kits in danger must be protected regardless of circumstances.

Process of law: 

- laws are decided by votes and strategical debates. Any cat can propose a rule to be considered. 

Mates: 

- most clans in this area operate on a “not-my-problem” system. They can mate with cats from other clans and groups freely, and if a cat brings home kits they are not required to say who the other parent is. Age differences between two years are looked down upon, and cats have to be 12 moons to take a mate. 

Ceremonies: 

- The 12 moon ceremonies have a “trinket casting” to predict how they will do in their life. Pebbles, shards of glass, bones, sea glass, herb stems, twoleg items and skinned twigs are casted and each has its own specific meaning. 

- They mourn by placing the cats favourite prey item on the grave, and scattering seeds from their favourite plant onto the grave. 

Naming: 

- non-traditional, 1-3 part names

- Kits are named by their parents, and cats can request to change their names. 

- Certain names are forbidden, such as Root and much later, Wolf. 

Religion: 

- The dead— starclan, dark forest, Father Mallow, and the Crystal Path. 

- Father Mallow is a lilac-silver pixiebob tom with very bright indigo eyes who watches over the clans as a deity. As the patron saint of newborn kits and herbs, they protect kits from sickness. They represent rebirth, health, and curiosity. They’re heavily associated with ceremonies regarding kits, and are called on by the clan when a kit dies. 

Influence: 

- religion is kept as a belief that holds little values to clan decisions unless a prophecy is involved, and even then the clan is wary of self fulfilling prophecies. 

Worship: 

- New-Sprout Festival: honey is smeared on prey, herbs are replaced and flowers are scattered around camp. Plants are placed in the cats fur, and those who are able to sleep in the clearing under the first full moon of spring. 

- Mallow Moon: held on the last moon of leaffall, the clan collects mallow and spreads the seeds in their dens in hopes of welcoming Father Mallow to rest for the season so he can prepare for the next spring. Mallow are weaved into cats tails, and placed in a circle around the nursery. If a cat dies during mallow moon, they have a piece of mallow placed under their tongue so they can hopefully speak with Father Mallow while they pass through the Crystal Path. 

Afterlife: 

- starclan, the dark forest, and ghosts. All must be remembered by at least one cat, or their final resting place is undisturbed. 

- Father Mallow watches over the ghosts and leads them along the crystal path where they can choose to be reincarnated, sent to starclan, or made a ghost to wonder and protect the clan.  

- crystal path is a third form of afterlife, where the ghosts of cats who do not find a place in starclan or the dark forest, such as kittypets and loners. The crystal path is represented by the shimmers in water, and the Milky Way in the sky. 

#clangen #dark forest #warriors worldbuilding #dark forest worldbuilding #worldbuilding #wolfsfootclan #clubmossclan #clubmossclan 2.0 #quickstar’s legacy #warrior cats #clan worldbuilding #warrior cats fanclan #fanclans #clan overview

[softmarsh]

howdy y’all! yes, i am working on posts—i’ve just been simply cursed with perfectionism since my birth like maleficent and aurora. for now, i shall share two family trees i’ve been drafting for different families in the yellowstone colonies.

the placeholder names of “fem” or “masc” are merely to denote the cat’s gender; they’ve yet to be properly named!

solid lines denote biological relationships, and dashed lines signify adoptive ones

the arrow above hawk’s name is to show there’s more family on his side of the tree! i just. couldn’t fit it all within my notes app argh 🙈

the numbers to the right of the tree are there to show the approximate age each cat would be at at the start of the story, if everyone listed was, hypothetically, still alive

names for some cats are subject to change! i’ve yet to compile an accurate, complete list of all geographically valid names for the yellowstone colonies, so some may be ecologically inaccurate

#yellowstone colonies #warriors inspired #warriors worldbuilding #warrior cats worldbuilding #worldbuilding #rew rambles #b