this ended up being really long I’m sorry. so I posted the Naming Systems on my sideblog @sparrownose and I’ll be posting more in-depth profiles for the Clans there. but here are the basics! if it’s too long for you to do or you want to do it in sections I understand!
Hello! It is rather long but no worries, I don’t mind longer submissions, just took a while to get to because life got in the way! I’ve followed your sparrownose blog, and I recommend that my other followers do the same, you have some wonderful ideas going here!
Onto the Clans, adding a readmore for length:
there are six Clans total who live in a large valley. in the center of the Valley is an empty, rocky land called the Barrens, this is where they meet for Gatherings and such. there is no sacred place to speak with their ancestors, which I will get into in just a second and medicine cats meet to talk in the same place where Gatherings are held.
This seems like a good setting, reminds me of the original idea I had for one of my own stories actually. So they live in the areas around the edge of the valley, correct? Is there any mythology surrounding the Barrens? I imagine this would be a rather large area, have any other outside groups tried to settle in the Barrens? Are the Gatherings very widespread, like the whole clan comes to mingle with others?
these Clans worship SkyClan, which is lead by the Moon and the Sun. it is said that the Sun watches over them during the day, protecting those who sleep and giving light to those who aren’t. the Moon has the same job but at night. during the day their ancestors play and hunt among the clouds, while at night they gather to tell stories among the stars. medicine cats and leaders are not given a special connection to SkyClan and leaders do not receive nine lives. leaders also keep their warrior name instead of receiving the suffix -star.
I like this belief system, it makes a lot of sense! Kinda reminds me a lot of how some African religions work, with ancestors and gods watching over the Clans but not really interacting with them. I also like how the leaders will keep their warrior name instead of receiving a suffix, to me it would say that leaders aren’t above their fellow clanmates and would make them seem more approachable. Plus the nine lives thing is honestly kinda weird in canon, and definitely would not make sense with the way SkyClan is setup in your world, so I’m glad that got dropped as well.
With their religion, I might guess they would pray and give offerings to the Sun and Moon and other members of SkyClan? Maybe ask for blessings and health for their Clan? I seriously really like this disconnect, it’s a pretty unique idea that I haven’t seen very often in the Warrior fanfics and such. There’s lots of stuff you could build on here with SkyClan, such as where the idea came from, and what Clanmember might think about spirituality and how it would affect their day to day life.
instead of the Warrior Code they follow the Code of Light, which is much more extensive and much stricter. it is the leader’s job to enforce this Code.
Another good idea, if you hadn’t done it already it would be good to write this down somewhere for reference! If it’s much more strict, I’d assume it plays a big role in the cat’s lives and would be good for apprentices to memorize before they become warriors.
since medicine cats are seen as on the same level as warriors, there are multiple medicine cats in each clan. though they don’t have as many as they do warriors it is still usually upwards of four plus apprentices.
This is something I haven’t actually come across before and it’s very original! Lot’s of interesting conflicts and ideas could come off having more than one medicine cat. Do the medicine cats hunt and fight as much as the warriors and be medicine cats as a secondary thing? What jobs do they have? Does each medicine cat have a different medicine cat job, for example is it Blackclaw’s job to collect herbs, Rabbitface’s job to act as a therapist, and Fernleaf’s job to deal with the diseased cats while Clovernose helps the injured cats?
CreekClan lives in a marsh between ForestClan and SwampClan. there are several creeks running through their territory, hence the name. they are good swimmers and excellent fishers, meaning most of them are agile and have good reflexes. they are slightly more active during the night but still patrol regularly during the day. they have developed the tradition of coating their fur in mud to give themselves camouflage.
these cats are pretty strict when it comes to the Code, though not as strict as MoorClan. they are very political and put a lot of importance on ranking. they are known to be vain despite their muddy terrain, often using the mud as war paint or for ceremonial purposes. they are also pretty superstitious from the myths surrounding the nearby swamp, though few like to admit it.
they are also known for trying to stay neutral during conflicts between other Clans. they find it disgraceful to bring others into a situation that has nothing to do with them and are very adverse to asking for help from the other Clans.
They seem well adapted to their territory! I like the use of mud in their culture, it sets them apart from the other clans a lot. It could be interesting if they used different types/ colors of mud for different purposes but that’s just me.
I also might think they’d use some larger bodies of water for fishing, as creeks are pretty small and would have small fish. Do they also hunt things like frogs and birds that live along the creeks?
They overall seem like a pretty peaceful group, kind of closed off from the others and proud. What makes them put importance on ranking, do they have big ceremonies and festivals when a cat becomes a warrior? It’d be interesting to see how they might treat their leaders and medicine cats differently than the other clans!
ForestClan lives in the forest, with GladeClan on one side and CreekClan on the other. their territory has many trees and thick undergrowth, making most of these cats rather light sensitive as the canopy and brush protect them from the sun. they are equally active during the day and night, they are known to have excellent vision and to be very stealthy.
these cats aren’t as strict with the Code as the other Clans, mostly because they don’t feel as connected to the sky as they often can’t see it. they allow atheists in their clan but don’t encourage it and force them to keep it a secret from the other Clans.
ForestClan is definitely more family-like than the other clans, though they are extremely strict about keeping up appearances around the other Clans.
ForestClan seems a bit more relaxed and welcoming than CreekClan.
I like that you added they’re light sensitive, it makes sense since they’re not in the sun as much as the other clans. I’d think they might be heat sensitive as well, since the forest would be cooler and since forest cats are usually darker colors like black and brown tabby.
I also like how the sky plays a role in their spirituality and relationship to SkyClan, and it seems very practical. Intersting how they allow cats to be more open about their atheism, I’d guess the other Clans may have some skeptics that have to stay hidden as well, but that part seems to go well with ForestClan’s laid back vibe.
The part about the Code makes me think the Clans were given the code by SkyClan? Could be fun to add to their lore, if you wanted.
GladeClan is nestled between ForestClan and MoorClan. their territory is mostly composed of spaced out trees, making them excellent climbers and bird hunters. they are agile and very good at jumping, whether from on the ground or from tree to tree. they are most active during the day when birds are out and about, though there are a few night patrols.
these cats are a little less strict on the Code than the other Clans, but not as much as ForestClan or SwampClan. they are also less active than other clans and very conscious about their surroundings. they decorate their dens and nests with pretty rocks, feathers, flowers, and anything else they find aesthetically pleasing. they bring prey to Gatherings to trade for shells from CreekClan and often trade prey with MoorClan for the wildflowers that grow there. they like putting flowers and feathers in their fur for ceremonies and Gatherings.
these cats usually aren’t fond of conflict, they don’t put a lock of stock into battle training and aren’t very territorial. this is because they know the other Clans couldn’t hunt birds reliably like they do, so taking their territory would be pointless. the only Clan they even slightly worry about is ForestClan but they’ve always had a good relationship with them. they are usually pacifists and don’t take sides when conflict breaks out between other clans.
I think their choice of territory is pretty unique, but not at all bad. I also might think they’re the kind of Clan to go a bit outside their territory during harsher seasons, since most birds wouldn’t stick around a single spot especially during winter.
Their decorating is a good idea, and like CreekClan’s mud, sets them and their culture apart from the other clans. They seem very cute and relaxed actually, like you could easily befriend any of them. I also really like the trading that they do at gatherings, it gives them a sort of peacemaker vibe. I feel like their clan would have the most culture to it overall, and have some good story tellers.
Very good here, I think they’re my favorite so far :)
MarshClan is set between MoorClan and SwampClan. their territory has less trees than CreekClan, despite the similarities between their territories. they are known for their prowess in combat and their agility. they have to be dexterous to navigate the muddy, unpredictable terrain.
these cats are very strict when it comes to the Code and put a lot of emphasis on survival of the fittest. they often pick fights with other Clans just as a show of power and to flex their claws in real combat. they are active equally during the day and night and are the most active Clan, making them very lean/muscular. they firmly believe wasting any time is disgraceful.
MarshClan is the only Clan where internal conflicts are solved with a fight. leaders can be challenged for their rank with one-on-one combat. there are notably less medicine cats in this Clan and the ones they do have are often hunting.
When people have clans set in marshes, I usually imagine something similar to the Farmington Bay, Utah, with mostly water and zero trees. But if there are trees in your mashes, they’d probably be smaller and more dead than those in CreekClan. Marshes are difficult to live in, but would have a vast variety of prey, so they would have to be strong and agile to survive there.
Because of their territory being harsher than the others, I’m not surprised at their ‘survival of the fittest’ mindset. How does that play into their lives though, would they through out a weak, disabled cat, or a kid born a bit too small? It’d be interesting to see how that would affect their relationship with the other clans and their own relationship with the Code.
It’s important to note that most real live feral cats don’t do much fighting and would rather hiss and posture instead, but since your would doesn’t have much realism, I’d say its fine that they pick fights. Over time, I’d guess the other clans would start of fear them, or at least be wary of them. They might be a good clan to have a villain reside in.
The one thing I do question is the lack of medicine cats. Because you have all these cats fighting, they’re probably getting hurt often as well. There might be less medicine cats but I’d think their role is highly respected, since they’re the ones taking care of the inured cats and keeping the clan fighting well.
MoorClan sits between GladeClan and MarshClan. they pride themselves on how strictly they enforce the Code of Light and how close they are to the sky. they are very fast and have extremely good endurance their main source of food is rabbits. they hunt during the day but patrol and train at night to avoid heat exhaustion (due to there being little to no shade on their territory).
these cats look down upon GladeClan, though they still maintain an okay relationship with them. they consider SwampClan and ForestClan their enemies because of how their territories are so separated from the sky. they consider it to be bad luck to enter either of their territories, as SkyClan cannot watch over them there.
cats can be exiled or executed for breaking the Code in this Clan, giving them the reputation of being unforgiving and even cruel at times.
They seem very interesting, I quite like how spiritual they are, and how this affects their reputation and way of living! I feel they would have a sort of hive mindset, or be extremely closed off at gatherings, just taking a few moments to shared news and prey then leaving. They might also have lots of myths and legends around their clan and how the SkyClan cats have blessed them.
SwampClan is set between MarshClan and CreekClan. these cats are extraordinary swimmers and are well known for being stealthy even in the water. they are less active than the other clans because they put more emphasis on their home life than on their borders, especially since the other clans couldn’t survive in their territory. they usually hunt during the day when lizards are more abundant, but patrol and train at any given time.
these cats aren’t as strict as the other Clans, even less so than ForestClan. they believe in kindness and family before anything else. they are great storytellers and have many legends that they believe in. though,they are known for making stories to scare off the other Clans (such as ghost stories or stories of monsters in the swamp). they can be very superstitious.
this is also the only Clan that breaks the Code by allowing the Clan to choose the deputy rather than the leader. if the majority of the Clan is displeased with their leader, they can exile said leader or force them to retire.
I’ve only ever heard of one other swamp based clan, and I really like the idea. They also seem well suited to the territory. It’d be interesting to see how their relationship with MarshClan works, since they probably have similar territories but very different opinions/views on everything.
Since they don’t totatlly obey the code and are rather relaxed, do the other clans not really like them or treat them kind of like outsiders? Why do they let the Clan choose the deputy (a choice that makes a lot of sense actually)? They also seem like they’d get along with GladeClan, both being peaceful and valueing family.
I enjoyed reading about your Clans, and hope to read more on your new blog! Thank you for letting me do this, and I hope it helps you!
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