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Exclamations​

Dark Forest/Place of No Stars - Hell

StarClan - Heaven

the Stars - the ancestors/gods

 

by the/oh Stars - by/oh God

dirt - shit

(son/daughter of a) vixen - (son/daughter of a) bitch

nightless sky - hell

nights - damn

starless - fuck(ing)

Holidays​

Novigod: Every new moon during leafbare, Forestclan celebrates the coming new leaf with a night off where no one patrols and everyone relaxes, eats prey together, and shares stories.

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Snowmelt: When the snow starts to noticeably melt in late leafbare or early newleaf, Forestclan goes down to the River at midday. There, they say the names of those who died in the previous year and what their hopes or plans are for the coming year.

Rank Traditions​

Leaders

When the current deputy becomes leader, they will name a new deputy before moonhigh. The next day, the new leader is accompanied by the senior medicine cat, at least one adult, and the previous leader (if still alive) to the Moonpool to receive their nine lives.

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Medicine Cat Apprentices

When a kit expresses interest in becoming a medicine cat, they are first put through warrior training for three moons (one season) to gain maturity and perspective. Afterwards, if they still want to switch and the senior medicine cat approves, the apprentice is taken to the Moonpool to be recognized before Starclan. If a kit wants to become an assistant instead, they will take private lessons with a medicine cat to learn the basics of healing in addition to their primary lessons.

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If there is only one medicine cat who is senior warrior-age, the leader will first ask current apprentices if they would like to switch their path. If none accept, the leader will nominate a kit from the next litter born to be the next medicine cat. This is done to prevent the loss of knowledge and Starclan's wrath.

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Warrior Apprentices
All apprentices start as warrior apprentices, and most continue their training as such. They train for a minimum of six moons (two seasons) and once their mentor determines they are ready, the apprentice is given a series of final assessments. Prior to their finals, apprentices are taken to the Moonpool to receive guidance from their ancestors. The assessments are a mixture of hunting, sparring, tracking, agility, history, Code and law knowledge, and a challenge such as climbing the Speaker's Tree, leading a patrol, or helping with a lesson. If the finals are completed successfully, the graduation ceremony is performed within a quarter moon. If they are failed, the apprentice must wait a moon before trying again. If they fail three times consecutively, they are asked if they wish to continue or leave. Cats who choose to leave part on friendly terms and are welcome to visit their family and friends.

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Elders

There are two ways for a cat to become an elder: they have retired once they are at least 90 moons, or they have suffered a grievous injury or illness that prevents them from performing any warrior, medicine assistant, or nursery duties. Elders are typically the historians and advisors of the clan, although some may do camp duties and help with the kits. They are respected for having lived so long or for having lived through a traumatic incident. Many elders-through-injury change their name to honor that which did not kill them.

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Punishments

Punishments vary depending on whether a cat broke a law or a Code, and which one they broke. Lighter punishments include menial duty, confinement to camp for the duration of one moon or less, or a temporary demotion to apprentice-rank. Heavier punishments include confinement to camp for several moons, a permanent demotion, exile, or even the death sentence. In the latter two punishments, the name of the cat will also be Forgotten to ensure their spirit can have no hold on the living.

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Exiles and the death sentence are rarely performed because it represents a breach of trust such that the offending cat can no longer be trusted to act as a functional member of clan society. Exiled cats must leave the territory lest they be killed on sight. At the next Gathering, the names and descriptions of those exiled will be listed so that other clans know to turn them away.

Personality​

As a whole, Forestclan is peaceful and willing to make allies in part due to the abundance of prey and lack of consistent conflict with neighbors, but will not hesitate to defend themselves and their territory. Because of their preference for words to claws, they are well-liked by most outsiders. Individuals typically get along with each other, and abusive or disruptive behaviors are stemmed at the root.

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During Honeystar's time, Forestclan was expansionist and sought allies where possible. It also tried playing intermediary with other clans, offering to help settle their various disputes.

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During Applestar's time, Forestclan grew more insular and territorial, preferring to keep to itself and hold onto their current allies.

 

Spirituality

Forestclan's founding generation tended towards generalized ancestral worship. They believed that a cat's spirit would persist in the spiritual plane so long as their name was remembered, and those who were Forgotten would be doomed to fade permanently. Thus, oral stories were an extremely important part of the culture to prevent the final death.

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The second generation believed in the presence of two afterlives: one for those who served their clan faithfully and one for those who broke the trust. Spirits whose names were remembered had a limited ability to meddle with the living through dreams and signs, although communication was easiest through the leaders and medicine cats. Those who were Forgotten would not fade permanently but they would lose the ability to interact with the living. As such, oral stories were important to enable ancestors to guide their descendants.

Spirits and the Afterlife​

Starclan and the Dark Forest are the two Forestclan afterlives. Those who generally served their clan faithfully in life would go to Starclan, while those who actively harmed their clan would go to the Dark Forest. The process is not automatic, however; the spirits of each realm have the final say and if, theoretically, a spirit were to be barred from both afterlives, they would fade immediately.

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Spirits have the ability to affect the living world through dreams and signs so long as their name is remembered. Most spirits are weak and must combine their powers to communicate through signs such as by influencing the prey that crosses a cat's path, slightly changing the shape of a cloud, or influencing the way that leaves fall. The few who are strong--typically those who were of great importance in life--are able to reach out to the living through dreams.

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The Sight

The Sight is a rare ability that most often shows up in organized groups whether they be clans, clowders, glarings, or something else. It allows a cat to be a passive conduit to the spiritual plane, enabling them to interact more easily with spirits. The following are known cats with the Sight:

  • Dustleaf: She was the second medicine cat of Forestclan. In life, she had the ability to hear the words of emotional spirits.

  • Tumbletoes: He was the fourth medicine cat of Forestclan. In life, he had the ability to see and interact with Thymekit, his dead sister's spirit.

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