High Ranks: Leader, Deputy, Medicine Cat

When a leader dies, retires, or is exiled, their deputy names a new deputy before moonhigh. The next day, the new leader, accompanied by the senior medicine cat, at least one warrior, and the previous leader (if still alive), goes to the Moonpool to receive their nine lives.

​

When a deputy dies, retires, or is exiled, the leader names a new deputy before moonhigh.

​

When the leader and/or deputy wish to make a clan-wide announcement, from ceremonies to punishments, they gather the clan underneath the Speaker's Tree.

​

When a kit expresses interest in becoming a medicine cat, they are first put through warrior training for three moons so that they can gain maturity and perspective. If at any point afterwards they still want to switch and the senior medicine cat approves, the apprentice will be taken to the Moonpool so that they can be recognized before Starclan. The apprentice will be taken to the Moonpool again when they have been deemed worthy of graduation.

 

If a medicine cat hasn't trained an apprentice by the time they are 70 moons old, the leader will nominate a kit who will become the medicine cat apprentice. This is done to prevent the loss of knowledge and Starclan's wrath.

​

Other Ranks: Elder, Warrior, Apprentice

All apprentices start as warrior apprentices and train for a minimum of six moons, at which point they will be given final assessments that determine if they will graduate. Prior to their final assessments, apprentices are taken to the Moonpool to receive guidance from their ancestors. The assessments always include the following: hunting, sparring, tracking/hiding/agility, history, Code and law knowledge, and a challenge to perform inside the camp--most often climbing the Speaker's Tree and getting down safely. If the task is completed, the graduation ceremony is performed within a quarter-moon but if they fail, the apprentice will have to wait another moon before trying again. If they fail three times consecutively, they are asked if they wish to continue as a warrior or leave the clan.

​

There are two ways for a cat to become an elder: they reach the age of 96 moons and retire, or they suffer a grievous injury or illness that prevents them from performing any warrior duties. Regular elders are typically the historians and advisors of the clan, and are respected for having lived so long. Youthful elders often attempt to perform their warrior duties but they are paired with a regular warrior to serve as a guide and someone who can prevent further injury. They are similarly respected for having lived through such a traumatic incident and still having the will to keep working.

​

Punishments

When a cat breaks clan law, their punishment is typically menial duty. When a cat breaks the Codes, their punishment varies depending on if it falls within the lesser Codes or the greater Codes. Breaking a lesser Code will often result in confinement to camp for a duration of up to one moon, and occasionally a temporary demotion to apprentice-rank, particularly if a cat has broken the lesser Code multiple times. Breaking a greater code may result in confinement to camp for several moons, a temporary demotion, exile, or even the death sentence. In the latter two punishments, the name of the cat will be Forgotten to ensure that their spirit will have no hold on the living world.

​

Exiles and the death sentence are rarely performed because it represents a huge breach of trust and shows that a cat can no longer be trusted to act as a functional member of clan society. Generally, these punishments are in response to murder, where the murderer(s) are killed and accessories to the murder are exiled. Exiled cats must leave the territory lest they be killed on sight.

​

Holidays

Novigod: Every new moon during leafbare, Forestclan celebrates the coming newleaf by having a night off where no one patrols and everyone instead eats prey together and shares stories of those who died in seasons past.

​

Exclamations

By the stars: by God

Dark Forest: hell

Dirt: shit

(son of a) Vixen: (son of a) bitch

Nightless sky: hell

Nights: damn

Starclan: heaven

(by/oh) Starclan: (by/oh) God

Starless: fuck/fucking