Post by Smokeleaf on Apr 29, 2011 21:13:43 GMT -5
Description
EmberClan makes their home on the slopes of the volcano and surrounding area. They are proud that they are the second closest Clan to the Flaming Eternal. This gives them a bit of a superiority complex; they tend to lord over IgnitedClan and SootClan. Like all of the other Fiery Clans, they are fierce fighters; they love the Flaming Eternal, and fear BlazeClan. They especially hate and fear the few months of leaf-bare they receive. They become more hostile toward any outsiders during this period. The measure of a cat in EmberClan is how many leaf-bares they have survived. Strong warriors with good fighting abilities are also highly prized; since EmberClan considers itself the last defense for BlazeClan, before the formidable and dangerous warriors have to fight, fighting ability is the best skill a cat can have.
Ranks
Leaders
Leadership in EmberClan is passed on via the choice of the current leader. The leader will assess the apprentices once every twelve moons. If a particular apprentice shows potential, the leader will take him/her on, and train him/her to become leader. The leader must pick an apprentice within thirty six moons; due to this time limit, some leaders are not as good for EmberClan as others.
Deputies
Deputies are the apprentices that the leader picks to succeed them. The deputy is given a warrior name when the leader deems him/her ready. The deputy lives among the regular Pelts, so that they will be better able to understand and serve their Clan.
Medicine Cats
The medicine cat keeps his/her den stocked at all times, and makes frequent trips into the forest. All of the cats are checked over at least once a moon by the medicine cat; twice during leaf-bare. There is no retirement for the medicine cats; the job is one that a cat takes for life.
Medicine Cat Apprentice
The Medicine cat apprentice is chosen in the same manner as the deputy. The medicine cat looks for special ability in the apprentices once every twelve moons. This ensures that the medicine cat has battle training, and that they are able to defend themselves.
Pelts
Pelts (warriors) mentor one apprentice during their service of the Clan. The most important trait a warrior can have is fighting ability; it is highly prized. All warriors participate in at least one act of Clan service per day. Every warrior does exactly what the leader says; otherwise, the system doesn’t work.
Apprentices
Apprentices train for at least twelve moons. Apprentices always obey their mentors. The apprentices take care of the elders, and listen to their stories; they learn the customs and legends by heart. Mentors push their apprentices very hard, so that they will be the best warriors they can be.
Queens and Kits
Queens stay in the nursery and are with their kits as much as possible. They do not need to hunt for themselves; usually their mates hunt for them, but the entire Clan watches out for them. Kits are extremely rare in EmberClan. There are, possibly, three to four litters born every year, so kits are highly prized. From the second a kit is born, the entire Clan has a responsibility to protect it. Any cat that fails to help a kit in trouble is automatically shunned from the Clan, and possibly even killed.
Elders
Elders are highly respected as the oldest members of the Clan. Their job is to keep traditions and rituals alive, and to teach the younger cats those traditions. They are taken very good care of, with a huge den that is constantly kept clean. Any cat that disrespects an elder will be driven from EmberClan territory.
Territory
Borders
EmberClan is wedged in between BlazeClan and SootClan. They inhabit the slopes of the Volcano. They can’t go past the edge of the volcano, facing SootClan territory, or into the lip of the volcano. On the side of the volcano that does not face SootClan, they have free reign until the lake, the mountains, and TimberClan territory.
Camp
The camp is located at the base of the volcano, on the side that is not facing SootClan territory. It is partially part of the volcano, and partially on the sooty ground surrounding it. The SootClan cats do not feel they need to place their camp strategically, as SootClan territory serves as a sort of buffer zone for them. The camp entrance is directly adjacent the volcano, marked by a huge rock that cats have to climb over to get in. The center of the camp is very sooty and soft with ash. Cats commune with each other here; this is where the fresh-kill pile is, and where cats gather to listen to the announcements of the leader. On the side of the volcano is a hollowed out rock, which serves as the leader’s den. Stepping stones made of volcanic rock lead up the mountain to the den. The Rock of Ages is a rock which juts out from the side of the mountain, to the right of the leader’s den. It is where the leader addresses the Clan. Next to it is a smaller rock where the deputy sits. To the right of the Leader’s Den and the Rock of Ages is a trench in the ground. This is the Medicine Cat den, rocky on the sides, and flat rocks covering the top, to keep out the elements. An underground stream surfaces in the trench, supplying water to the den. It is large enough, and the rocky sides provide storage nooks for herbs. To the left of the Leader’s Den, a pile of rocks balance to create a large cave. This is the warriors den. Right of the Warrior’s den is another, smaller, cave that serves as the apprentice’s den. Right of the Apprentice’s den is the Nursery, the sturdiest cave in the whole camp, with the softest ash on the floor. The Elder’s Sanctuary is left of the Medicine Cat den, a grand cave, fortified with many rocks, and cleaned daily. The Elder’s Sanctuary, Leader’s Den and Nursery get whatever precious moss EmberClan cats can find.
The Cave of Whispering Voices
Farther up the side of the mountain is a wonder of nature, a cave in the volcano where moss grows. However, cats almost never go there, as it is reported that the spirits of the cats who were not worthy to join the Flaming Eternal materialize there. These cats are bitter, and angry, and try to scare any cat that appears. They will whisper in cats’ ears until they go crazy.
The Pine Forest
The Pine forest is located on the mountain range; it is a good place to hunt, with many birds and other small animals. However, during leaf-bare it is freezing and dangerous, so no one comes here during the winter. There are many small hollows throughout the forest, good places to shelter, should they ever be needed.
The Geyser Field
The Geyser field is located in the direction of the lake; you have to cross it in order to reach the lake. In this barren wasteland, geysers are abundant, and spew scalding water at regular intervals. A cat must watch where they step while crossing this place.
The Cove
The Cove is located up next to the lake; it is a peaceful inlet of water, where fish from the lake swim. It is well worth it to hunt here, as there are many fish to catch, and they are easy prey, for the most part. However, some of the monstrous fish that live next to the IgnitedClan Island also live here, and, though it can be done, it is a difficult task to catch one, as they fight.
Rank ceremonies
Becoming an Apprentice
A kit becomes an apprentice when they develop the strength of will to climb the great boulder that marks the entrance to the camp. Because Apprentices must train for twelve moons, there is no set age for when a kit becomes an apprentice. They are taken every day, from the time that they are two moons old to the boulder. They look at it, and if they think they can climb it, they try. If a kit looks as though it is not strong enough, the mother may stop it from climbing.
Becoming a Warrior
An apprentice must train for twelve moons to become a warrior. Warrior ceremonies are always held during leaf-bare. The Apprentices are instructed to go live in the cold, unforgiving mountains for one night. If they come back alive, they are warriors; if they don’t, the Clan will grieve, but not look for them.
Becoming the Deputy
The deputy is chosen within thirty-six moons by the leader from the apprentices. The leader looks for a strong fighter, a good hunter, and a good tracker, but if no cat fulfills all three, the most intelligent cat is chosen. The leader decides in a series of contests of their choosing who will be the deputy.
Becoming the Leader
The deputy will become the leader when the old deputy dies. To become leader, the deputy will sleep next to the lip of the volcano, next to the heat of the Flaming Eternal; No deputy has, as yet, not succeeded to complete the ritual.
Becoming the Medicine Cat
To become the medicine cat, the medicine cat apprentice will spend one night wandering the geyser field. They are to stay awake the day before, and eat nothing, as well as all night, and eat nothing. If they do not get blown up, they are the medicine cat.
Becoming the Medicine Cat Apprentice
The same process is gone through with the apprentice of the medicine cat, as the apprentice of the leader. The medicine cat trials are different, but otherwise, the process is the same.
Becoming an Elder
To become an elder, a cat must have served the Clan for 48 moons, including apprenticeship. The more moons an elder serves the Clan, the more respected they are. The leader declares a cat an elder when the cat decides that it is time.
Other Traditions
Death
When a cat dies, they are mourned by the Clan, but not before their bodies are removed from the camp, and buried on the slopes of the mountain. Keeping a cat’s body around the camp for mourning is considered bad luck. Where a cat is buried on the volcano is symbolic of their position in the Clan; the closer to the lip of the volcano a cat is buried, the more important the cat is. The cat’s body is buried by the closest relation, but the position at which the body is buried is determined by the leader.
EmberClan makes their home on the slopes of the volcano and surrounding area. They are proud that they are the second closest Clan to the Flaming Eternal. This gives them a bit of a superiority complex; they tend to lord over IgnitedClan and SootClan. Like all of the other Fiery Clans, they are fierce fighters; they love the Flaming Eternal, and fear BlazeClan. They especially hate and fear the few months of leaf-bare they receive. They become more hostile toward any outsiders during this period. The measure of a cat in EmberClan is how many leaf-bares they have survived. Strong warriors with good fighting abilities are also highly prized; since EmberClan considers itself the last defense for BlazeClan, before the formidable and dangerous warriors have to fight, fighting ability is the best skill a cat can have.
Ranks
Leaders
Leadership in EmberClan is passed on via the choice of the current leader. The leader will assess the apprentices once every twelve moons. If a particular apprentice shows potential, the leader will take him/her on, and train him/her to become leader. The leader must pick an apprentice within thirty six moons; due to this time limit, some leaders are not as good for EmberClan as others.
Deputies
Deputies are the apprentices that the leader picks to succeed them. The deputy is given a warrior name when the leader deems him/her ready. The deputy lives among the regular Pelts, so that they will be better able to understand and serve their Clan.
Medicine Cats
The medicine cat keeps his/her den stocked at all times, and makes frequent trips into the forest. All of the cats are checked over at least once a moon by the medicine cat; twice during leaf-bare. There is no retirement for the medicine cats; the job is one that a cat takes for life.
Medicine Cat Apprentice
The Medicine cat apprentice is chosen in the same manner as the deputy. The medicine cat looks for special ability in the apprentices once every twelve moons. This ensures that the medicine cat has battle training, and that they are able to defend themselves.
Pelts
Pelts (warriors) mentor one apprentice during their service of the Clan. The most important trait a warrior can have is fighting ability; it is highly prized. All warriors participate in at least one act of Clan service per day. Every warrior does exactly what the leader says; otherwise, the system doesn’t work.
Apprentices
Apprentices train for at least twelve moons. Apprentices always obey their mentors. The apprentices take care of the elders, and listen to their stories; they learn the customs and legends by heart. Mentors push their apprentices very hard, so that they will be the best warriors they can be.
Queens and Kits
Queens stay in the nursery and are with their kits as much as possible. They do not need to hunt for themselves; usually their mates hunt for them, but the entire Clan watches out for them. Kits are extremely rare in EmberClan. There are, possibly, three to four litters born every year, so kits are highly prized. From the second a kit is born, the entire Clan has a responsibility to protect it. Any cat that fails to help a kit in trouble is automatically shunned from the Clan, and possibly even killed.
Elders
Elders are highly respected as the oldest members of the Clan. Their job is to keep traditions and rituals alive, and to teach the younger cats those traditions. They are taken very good care of, with a huge den that is constantly kept clean. Any cat that disrespects an elder will be driven from EmberClan territory.
Territory
Borders
EmberClan is wedged in between BlazeClan and SootClan. They inhabit the slopes of the Volcano. They can’t go past the edge of the volcano, facing SootClan territory, or into the lip of the volcano. On the side of the volcano that does not face SootClan, they have free reign until the lake, the mountains, and TimberClan territory.
Camp
The camp is located at the base of the volcano, on the side that is not facing SootClan territory. It is partially part of the volcano, and partially on the sooty ground surrounding it. The SootClan cats do not feel they need to place their camp strategically, as SootClan territory serves as a sort of buffer zone for them. The camp entrance is directly adjacent the volcano, marked by a huge rock that cats have to climb over to get in. The center of the camp is very sooty and soft with ash. Cats commune with each other here; this is where the fresh-kill pile is, and where cats gather to listen to the announcements of the leader. On the side of the volcano is a hollowed out rock, which serves as the leader’s den. Stepping stones made of volcanic rock lead up the mountain to the den. The Rock of Ages is a rock which juts out from the side of the mountain, to the right of the leader’s den. It is where the leader addresses the Clan. Next to it is a smaller rock where the deputy sits. To the right of the Leader’s Den and the Rock of Ages is a trench in the ground. This is the Medicine Cat den, rocky on the sides, and flat rocks covering the top, to keep out the elements. An underground stream surfaces in the trench, supplying water to the den. It is large enough, and the rocky sides provide storage nooks for herbs. To the left of the Leader’s Den, a pile of rocks balance to create a large cave. This is the warriors den. Right of the Warrior’s den is another, smaller, cave that serves as the apprentice’s den. Right of the Apprentice’s den is the Nursery, the sturdiest cave in the whole camp, with the softest ash on the floor. The Elder’s Sanctuary is left of the Medicine Cat den, a grand cave, fortified with many rocks, and cleaned daily. The Elder’s Sanctuary, Leader’s Den and Nursery get whatever precious moss EmberClan cats can find.
The Cave of Whispering Voices
Farther up the side of the mountain is a wonder of nature, a cave in the volcano where moss grows. However, cats almost never go there, as it is reported that the spirits of the cats who were not worthy to join the Flaming Eternal materialize there. These cats are bitter, and angry, and try to scare any cat that appears. They will whisper in cats’ ears until they go crazy.
The Pine Forest
The Pine forest is located on the mountain range; it is a good place to hunt, with many birds and other small animals. However, during leaf-bare it is freezing and dangerous, so no one comes here during the winter. There are many small hollows throughout the forest, good places to shelter, should they ever be needed.
The Geyser Field
The Geyser field is located in the direction of the lake; you have to cross it in order to reach the lake. In this barren wasteland, geysers are abundant, and spew scalding water at regular intervals. A cat must watch where they step while crossing this place.
The Cove
The Cove is located up next to the lake; it is a peaceful inlet of water, where fish from the lake swim. It is well worth it to hunt here, as there are many fish to catch, and they are easy prey, for the most part. However, some of the monstrous fish that live next to the IgnitedClan Island also live here, and, though it can be done, it is a difficult task to catch one, as they fight.
Rank ceremonies
Becoming an Apprentice
A kit becomes an apprentice when they develop the strength of will to climb the great boulder that marks the entrance to the camp. Because Apprentices must train for twelve moons, there is no set age for when a kit becomes an apprentice. They are taken every day, from the time that they are two moons old to the boulder. They look at it, and if they think they can climb it, they try. If a kit looks as though it is not strong enough, the mother may stop it from climbing.
Becoming a Warrior
An apprentice must train for twelve moons to become a warrior. Warrior ceremonies are always held during leaf-bare. The Apprentices are instructed to go live in the cold, unforgiving mountains for one night. If they come back alive, they are warriors; if they don’t, the Clan will grieve, but not look for them.
Becoming the Deputy
The deputy is chosen within thirty-six moons by the leader from the apprentices. The leader looks for a strong fighter, a good hunter, and a good tracker, but if no cat fulfills all three, the most intelligent cat is chosen. The leader decides in a series of contests of their choosing who will be the deputy.
Becoming the Leader
The deputy will become the leader when the old deputy dies. To become leader, the deputy will sleep next to the lip of the volcano, next to the heat of the Flaming Eternal; No deputy has, as yet, not succeeded to complete the ritual.
Becoming the Medicine Cat
To become the medicine cat, the medicine cat apprentice will spend one night wandering the geyser field. They are to stay awake the day before, and eat nothing, as well as all night, and eat nothing. If they do not get blown up, they are the medicine cat.
Becoming the Medicine Cat Apprentice
The same process is gone through with the apprentice of the medicine cat, as the apprentice of the leader. The medicine cat trials are different, but otherwise, the process is the same.
Becoming an Elder
To become an elder, a cat must have served the Clan for 48 moons, including apprenticeship. The more moons an elder serves the Clan, the more respected they are. The leader declares a cat an elder when the cat decides that it is time.
Other Traditions
Death
When a cat dies, they are mourned by the Clan, but not before their bodies are removed from the camp, and buried on the slopes of the mountain. Keeping a cat’s body around the camp for mourning is considered bad luck. Where a cat is buried on the volcano is symbolic of their position in the Clan; the closer to the lip of the volcano a cat is buried, the more important the cat is. The cat’s body is buried by the closest relation, but the position at which the body is buried is determined by the leader.