who wants to hear my world building for some new fanclans im working on
yeehaw!!!! for reference, the clans im making live in a weird parallel society and funtion similarly to traditional clans but with a few differences. mainly the removal of the deputy position and subsequent replacement with two new roles instead, the differences between medicine cats and healers, and some new added stuff.
LEADER
The position of a leader is not for the faint of heart. Although most of the day-to-day duties are overseen by their advisors and healers, a leader's word is law. Leaders are sworn in by the head healer when they receive their nine lives. A leader's reign can be interpreted by the position they held as an advisor, either battlemaster or peacemaker. These can be interpreted as different political parties, if you will.
Leaders perform naming ceremonies, although the head healer is also there to oversee. Naming ceremonies include naming kits, apprentices, warriors, and elders alike. Leaders also take the responsibility of making announcements at Gatherings, and sharing the news with the other leaders.
Cats in a leadership role are responsible for making final decisions. The battlemaster and peacemaker can bring suggestions to the table, but ultimately it depends on what the leader decides to do. Healers give messages from their ancestors, which can also influence but not necessarily deter a leader's decision. Despite this, if a healer feels that the leader's choice is incorrect, they can challenge and even override it with a winning vote.
BATTLEMASTER/PEACEMAKER
The peacemaker and battlemaster take the separate roles of a deputy in other more traditional Clans. As the names suggest, the battlemaster is responsible for managing in times of war and strategizing for battle, while peacemakers are responsible for keeping negotiation-friendly relations in times of peace. The two are also interchangeably responsible for organizing patrols, but the peacemaker and battlemaster usually assign hunting and border patrols respectively. However, their influence rarely goes beyond advisory positions to the leader, who always makes the final say on any major decisions.
When a leader dies or resigns, the peacemaker and battlemaster campaign against each other for leadership. Ultimately, their Clanmates decide who takes up the role. After a moon of competition, the warriors, queens, and elders decide on a vote. The vote must be counted by the acting leader. The winning party will receive their nine lives in the coming days, and the losing party can choose whether or not to stay in their previous position or resign and return to being a warrior.
The new leader has a half-moon to appoint (a) new advisor(s). This allows the to-be leader to consider their options and carefully select the cats that they feel will be up to the task. Traditionally, the leader will wait for the whole two weeks before announcing their decision, as announcing their electoral decisions too early is thought to be haphazard. However, no one can challenge the leader's choice except the healers.
When the new battlemaster and/or peacemaker are sworn in, the healer oversees the ceremony, where they are sworn to secrecy. They are to pledge allegiance to their Clan, and stay loyal even in harsh times. They are taken to a sacred place (varies Clan to Clan) to complete the ceremony, and after a day's vigil, return to camp with their new duties. This is announced at the next Gathering as would the naming of a new warrior or the birth of kits in the Clan.
HEALER
Healers are these Clans' version of a medicine cat. They have a lot of the same duties as a medicine cat, like healing wounded Clanmates, interpreting signs from their warrior ancestors, and curing sickness. But being a healer has a lot more weight to it, and a few dissimilarities to medicine cats.
For one thing, they are second only to a leader in terms of influence. A Clan can have up to three healers at a time, ranked in terms of age (oldest being the highest rank). The highest ranked healer is known as the head healer, responsible for both training their healer apprentices and overseeing Clan ceremonies, including naming ceremonies. They also take the role of acting leader when during the campaign period between the battlemaster and the peacemaker. They are the ones who must count the vote and give the final decision. The second and third rank healers are called subordinate healers, who have less influence but largely the same responsibilities, minus the ones pertaining to the head healer specifically. Second rank subordinates can train their third rank counterparts, but don't have much more influence over them when they are fully trained besides seniority.
When an apprentice chooses to train as a healer, the process is largely the same as a medicine cat. They must be sworn in by the head healer, and taken to the Clan's sacred place to commune with their ancestors, receiving their naming ceremony. They must take an oath of indifference, as they are merely healers, nothing more. Healers should have no bias towards cats of other Clans, nor cats of their own Clan, and meet with the other Clans' healers regularly to socialize and commune, although they are sworn not to discuss private Clan matters. The training process is more than just learning cures to illnesses and how to treat wounds, however. Every healer, no matter the rank, must be trained in the way of a head healer, as one day the responsibility will fall to them.
Because of their immense responsibilities, head healers are barred from having kits, but subordinate healers are allowed to both nurse and sire kits if they desire.
ELDERS
Elders take a very similar form here, but a special naming ceremony is done to commemorate their graduation into retirement. The leader does this by collecting stories of the cat's life, accounts from friends, family, and other Clanmates. When the naming ceremony is held (called a retirement ceremony by some), the leader gives the retiring warrior a name that best captures their life. A cat who was strong and brave may be named "Turtleheart" in retirement. It's meant to represent redemption and rebirth, as if starting a new life as a cat who has earned a life of easy living through hard work and devotion. Alternatively, the retiring cat can request to be named something specific to capture a specific date in time and holds a special meaning to them (a cat who lost their tail to a badger might want the name Badgertail; a cat who shared tongues for the first time with their mate under a cherry tree might be named Cherrynose; etc.)
KITS
At birth, kits go a few days without names. This gives the parents time to determine a kit's personality or markings. When the time comes, the nursing queen and/or sire comes to the head healer with the request of a naming ceremony, and the leader performs it. And by performs it I mean… just announces the names to the Clan while their Clanmates cheer and shower the little buggers in flower petals and kisses.
If the queen dies before the kits can be named, the sire takes naming duties upon themself and vice versa. If both parents die before the can be named, the leader names them (unless a foster queen/family member wants to name them but well).
Oh that's super interesting I love this as an idea. Altering clan dynamics like this is always super facinating. Do you plan on writing a story based on this premise?
mmm possibly. i wouldnt count on it because im terrible about writing but im taking a creative writing class this next school year so maybe that will get my creative juices flowing
oops i did it
