Sorta a smaller lore post, but here's some info on accessories of the setting! I've been trying to design things with cat use in mind, including how things stay on a cat comfortably and easily. This included accounting for walking, sneaking, and climbing- anything that was snug against the leg's underside would chafe, and anything without something securing it to the front would fall downwards when climbing.
ID + TEXT UNDERNEATH
[Image ID: A sketch of a cat's hind leg. There is a bag on it, kept in place by two straps that connect at the heel. End ID]
While many cats prefer to keep their belongings on their torso, the back leg is an acceptable place to wear small bags. Items such as herbs or snacks are common to put in here.
Unfortunately, delicate items or valuables cannot be put here, as the movement of the leg can damage them, and the placement makes it easy to steal from. This makes the hind leg harder to use overall, opposed to other choices.
[Image ID: Another sketch, of a cat's body. There are two knife sheaths- one loops around the neck and stomach, while the other loops around the rear and the stomach End ID]
The shoulder area is the most common place to see bags and sheaths placed, as it allows the head quick access to the item while being extremely secure while climbing.
The rear is less common, more comfortable when walking, but less so when trying to climb, as the bag or sheath will bump the hind leg.
The shoulder is favored by hunters who need a larger range of movement, and the rear is favored by guards who tend to sit or walk more often than anything else.
[Image ID: A fullbody with two strings on it. One loops around the neck and around the back, and one over the face and under the muzzle. A small face shows a string looped around two holes in the ear, like a piercing. End ID]
For fashion or aesthetics, string clothes are favored due to their simplicity to make, the variety in materials and appearances available, and ease of wearing it.
Beads, feathers, bones, acorns, furs- what is attached to the string is entirely the wearer's choice. Shiny things tend to be preferred, such as metals or gems scavenged from tall ones, which the City Cats will happily trade away.
String clothes always have a singular 'anchor' loop places around the head, neck, torso, or the base of the tail. Other strings will then be attached to that string, relying on it as support. A single loop cannot be made on the back without an anchor, as it will simply fall off as the cat moves.
Some adventurous cats may also pierce their ears to place loops or metals within them, although within colony culture it is extremely looked down upon, with some considering it self-mutilation.
[Image ID: A fullbody, showing cloth draped over the back of a cat. The fabric is secured on by two straps, one around the neck, and one around the stomach. A second fullbody shows that the fabric can also be looped around the neck in one single piece, like a cloak, replacing the strap on the neck. End ID]
For full body clothing, all colonies use a similar design, featuring at least two straps- one on the neck, and one on the stomach- to secure a piece of fabric with. Some designs will opt for three straps, either an extra one on the stomach or one looping around the rear, in order to keep the clothes from slipping or moving.
While this kind of fashion was exclusive to the Colony of Fireflies, a few outside of the colony picked up on the practice, although were largely considered odd or weird for doing so. After the Final Light, clothing for aesthetics largely vanished, with thick clothes being used during winter and nothing more.
With the creation of the Colony of Clickers however, the surviving members of the Colony of Fireflies brought the tradition back. The fashion came back strong, a possible sign that things are starting to return to normal finally.
[Image ID: A final fullbody, showing a backpack with three straps- two around the stomach, and one around the neck. End ID]
The most popular way to store items, especially on long journeys, a bag on the back functions much like full body clothes. They are expensive to make, but provide plenty of storing space, and the straps can often have extra bags or sheaths sewn in as needed.
Bags almost universally have three straps, with two on the stomach and one on the neck. Designs with a third strap on the rear is rare, as having to take the bag off when taking 'breaks' is inconvenient at best.
Some designs may include soft padding for comfort or insulation to keep meals warm, but they are rare and extremely expensive.
[Image ID: Two trainees, Cypress and Student of Acorn, are walking in the wilderness. Cypress is a silver molly with dark spots and blue eyes, while Acorn is a tabby tom with amber eyes. Both have small leaf bags tied to their torsos. Drawn by @sai-nt / nothinginvain on TH. End ID]
Trainees are the young teens and adults of the colonies, still learning how to do many of the tasks the colony requires of them to survive. A trainee will typically undergo this training for 10 to 20 months, depending on what they are training to be, the progress of their denning, and the trainee's skill. All trainees have the title of ‘Student’, to reflect their role within the colony.
Kittens are considered teens at the age of 5 to 8 months old, but will not be promoted into trainees until the first week of spring or fall has passed. After the first week, the commander will give all kits old enough their new title, and assign them a job and a teacher denning. This day is unofficially known as Trainee Day, and any kittens not old enough will have to wait for the next Trainee Day to come to be promoted. This helps ensure a proper denning group can be made each Trainee Day.
After the commander has assigned the jobs and titles, the trainees are expected to get to know their teacher denning. Many teacher dennings will take the trainees out of the settlement to show them the territory, landmarks, how to get home, and answer any questions the trainees might have. Some colonies have specific traditions regarding a trainee's first days, such as the Colony of Mist visiting the Commander’s Maw, or the Colony of Storm visiting the Abandoned Mall.
During a trainee’s training, bonding between their denmates and their teacher denning is heavily encouraged, to the point where the colonies consider themselves to have three families- their biological family, their denmates, and their teachers. The trainee’s denmates will remain their denmates for life, barring unusual circumstances such as switching jobs, or (extremely rare) switching colonies.
When a trainee denning has completed their apprenticeship and the teachers have taught them everything they know, the oracle will then promote each trainee, with the teachers gifting a title to each trainee within the denning. The trainee will be considered an adult now, and the denning will receive their own lodgings and space to live in- whereas before, all trainees regardless of denning would share a single, cramped lodging. After promotion, they are considered full members of the colony, with a wide range of options now opening up to them.
Some may choose to study a new job and get assigned a single cat as a teacher. They must balance their original job and learn at the same time however, a daunting task for a new member. Some cats may choose to do this later on in life however, when they’ve become bored of their job and long for something new. Others may use the opportunity of their own space and freedom to explore more about themselves, with many undergoing ‘decoration fever’- when a new member begins frantically decorating with all sorts of trinkets and items, drunk on this new freedom. As the denning grows, discussion of becoming a teacher denning will arise, and the cycle will repeat as a new generation of trainees are promoted.
[Image ID: A redraw of the Barbie and Ken in jail meme. Shade of Maple, a calico tom with blue and yellow eyes, is on the left holding a name card. He is crying and obviously distressed by the situation. His partner, Diesel, a brown is on the right, holding his card while smiling widely and winking, as if oblivious to the severity of the situation. End ID]
Caught kissing each other at the edge of the Colony of Bone's territory rest in peace😔
[Image ID: an in-universe drawing of a large, snarling lynx with several smaller felines bowing to them. The lynx's head is framed by a sun, like a halo. The bowing cats are lined up in three rows, and gradually getting smaller, as if shrinking. End ID]
Years ago, four cat colonies once lived together, sharing the wilds equally. These four colonies, while separate, all were bound together by their belief in the four Seasonal Deities, and their teachings and laws. They held festivals together, helped each other in times of need, and prospered through the difficult seasons against the harsh wilderness.
Two other groups shared the land as well, despite not being colonies themselves, and the colonies saw these two factions as equals and respected their ways. They invited them to join their celebrations and began trade with them, and slowly the colonies’ worlds grew bigger.
The colonies’ knowledge expanded, new tools were discovered and made, and soon fire itself was caught in the paws of the colonies, theirs to use as they wished. The future for the colonies seemed bright.
[Image ID: Call of Dreams, a tan and black molly, sits in the middle of the scene. Several black silhouettes surround her, all of their eyes watching her. A single star hangs above her head, attached by a string. Call of Dream's face is covered with a black bar. She is crying. End ID]
However, during one of these festivals, a cat from the Colony of Bones stepped forward. Her name was Call of Dreams, and she claimed that the gods had come to her. They warned her of monsters who would attack those who strayed into the light of the sun, and kittens cursed to live in darkness.
The colonies were quick to distrust Call of Dreams. The gods only delivered messages to specific cats, those who were chosen at birth, and even then they only ever communicated through the spirits of the deceased. Never before had a god spoken to a living cat directly. To see the Seasonal Deities in person would be an honour, one which a lawbreaker like Call of Dreams wasn't deserving of. Several months ago she was caught with a house cat, who she would confess to being her spouse. Her colony had lost all trust in her since for this break in the law.
The cats spoke openly of these thoughts, ridiculing her and driving her away from the celebration. Her colony apologized for the outburst, and the festival continued, many forgetting the incident entirely. The warning, however, was very real, and the next dawn the colonies were attacked.
Large and violent creatures crashed through the colonies’ walls, attacking anything they could see. The colonies tried to stand their ground, dozens of cats united in a single battle for survival. But, even then, not a single monster was taken down, and no mercy was shown to the defenders. Survivors were few after the carnage, which would become known as the Dawn of the Final Light, and they ran in fear and terror.
They named these creatures the broken ones, after the tall ones they so closely resembled- creatures that stood on their hind legs, talked in odd voices, shaped and created by a spiteful god who was exiled for their hubris. Surely, the broken ones were another cursed creation, born from the anger of a cruel god?
[Image ID: Talon of Hawk, a tortoiseshell tom with brown eyes, is walking through a dark forest. There is a dead fish in his mouth. End ID]
Soon, the survivors began to rebuild. The broken ones were attracted to the scents and noise of life, but mercifully they slept during the night, allowing life to flourish under the moon. Cats spread across the territory, some simply looking to survive another day, while others sought to find a way to live under the sun once more.
A handful of factions, able to survive by wielding their knowledge of the broken ones to their advantage, rose to power in the absence of the once proud colonies. However, many turned their backs on the new faction’s promises of safety and security.
Tradition states that a colony leader, known as a commander, must pass four trials to be deemed worthy of the title- a feat that no cat has been able to accomplish since the Final Light. The gods were silent, leaving many to wonder what would become of the tattered remains of the colonies.
[Image ID: Commander of Ash, a grey colored cat with patches of dark grey on his body. He has silver blue eyes and feathers decorating his tail. Art by Pigeon_Leader on Twitter. End ID]
Name(s): Commander of Ash
Born: Pre-Final Light
Gender / Pronouns: Non-Binary, They/Him
Faction / Role: Colony of Mist / Forgotten Colony, Commander
Older than most, Ash was a respected member of their colony through age alone. Retirement was unheard of in the Colony of Mist, so when Commander of Feather completed their seasonal trials, they wisely chose Ash to help them. Feather's reign didn't last long however, as two months later they would be found impaled on a goat's horn, having grown overconfident with their title and blessings.
Ash took their place, completing their own trials just a week before the festival of rulings- the same festival Call of Dreams warned the colonies of the Final Light. As the broken ones attacked, Ash had gone from retirement, to having the fate of his whole colony in his paws in just a few short months. Faced with an impossible choice, they decided to protect their colony at any cost- even if that meant banishing them to solitude for the rest of their lives.
Relationships:
Talon of Hawk [ Deep respect and grief, thoroughly believes he died either in the rockslide, or soon after by broken ones. Would have made him advisor if he had stayed ]
Voice of Dove [ Trusted ally, Ash chose Dove as advisor because they were born after the Final Light, and Ash values that perspective ]
Background:
Born in the Colony of Mist, Ash had a normal childhood and adult life. As they grew older though, their peers took notice. Death by falling or during hunts was extremely common, making old age a rarity in the colony. By merely surviving, Ash slowly became a deeply respected member of their society.
Commander of Feather was young and naive, chosen as heir entirely because of blood- a controversial choice, especially because of their youth. Feather was smart though, and decided to announce Cloud of Ash as their advisor, intentionally choosing someone older than them. This soothed tensions and appeased the colony.
Feather, despite the public acknowledgement of their inexperience, enjoyed the power they had gained. This quickly grew into a god complex, as they began testing their limits and acting more and more recklessly. It all came to a sudden end when they tried hunting alone, and found themselves gored by a goat's horns.
Ash became commander after Feather's death, and completed his seasonal trials just before the festival of rulings. The other colonies welcomed him with warm smiles and grieved for Feather alongside him, encouraging Ash that he was fit to lead, no matter what he thought of himself. The festival was cut short as Call of Dreams interrupted, and began warning about monsters and darkness. She was quickly sent away, and the Colony of Bone apologized for the inconvenience. The festival went on.
Ash returned home, only to wake the next day to chaos. Guards woke him and said the colonies were under attack, and when Ash left to see for himself, their stomach sank. They watched as the Colony of Storm was torn to pieces, and felt the weight of the world on his shoulders as his colony asked him what to do. Would they run and abandon their home, or fight and die?
Ash refused to choose between the two, and a new idea came; Collapse the caves and live beneath the ground, imprisoned within the place they called home. It seemed like the only solution, and when he asked for volunteers, four cats volunteered. He felt extreme sorrow as Wing of Hawk and Eyes of Storm were two of these cats, but they would never stop them from protecting their home. With the plan made, Commander of Ash gathered everyone and told them of the news.
Reactions were mixed- some didn't believe there were monsters destroying the other colonies, while others blindly trusted their commander. Things just began to get violent, guards pinning down cats trying to run away and fights breaking out, as the entrance collapsed. For better or for worse, they were stuck now.
Cats grew hostile to Commander of Ash afterwards, but he led the colony to self-sufficiency. He assigned cats to learn how to breed and harvest food such as shellfish, bugs, and fish, while carefully managing their supplies. Soon, they had enough food to feed everyone without fear of going hungry later.
As a new generation of cats was born, those who had only lived underneath the surface, they took into account the new views and opinions going forward, knowing the needs of those who had seen the sun and those who had never seen the sky were different. Opinions constantly shift around Ash, but none can deny that he had done everything to keep the colony alive, regardless of the cost.
[Image ID: Polarbear, a white tom with tan spots and green/blue heterochromia, is talking to Slate, a calico tom with green eyes, who seems tired and confused. There is a text bubble below Polarbear saying "Blah Blah Blah." End ID]
After the creation of the Seasonal Trials, the colonies were in chaos. Cats collected the pieces to claim leadership without a care for the chain of command, overthrowing their commanders and causing the colonies to be in a state of constant change. Cats grew desperate, looking for a sign from the gods on how to fix this conflict. The sign came in the form of an outsider.
Unaware of the conflict, a cat known as Cain stumbled across a fragment of the artifact. The odd thing interested him, and he kept it. Then he found another. Then another. By chance, or by the will of the divine, Cain completed the Seasonal Trials and came face to face with the gods. The Seasonal Deities spoke to him and told him of their plans for him- he would be a judge, a guardian. Cain would protect a fragment of the artifact, and judge if a challenger was worthy of the fragment.
The outsider accepted this task, and while the colonies were untrusting of Cain, they trusted the judgement of their gods. Cain soon proved himself as worthy, going beyond his initial duty to help the colonies whenever they were in need. His kindness preceded him, and outsiders flocked to him for safety or help. Soon, a small group had formed around him.
Cain named this group the Followers of the Goat, in honor of the god of transitions. Challengers would stay a single night, a respite from the trials they had completed thus far, and were encouraged to interact with and get to know the members of his group. Come the next morning, Cain and his followers would vote on if the challenger was worthy. If they were, Cain would give their piece of the relic to them. If not, they would be denied their fragment. When Cain inevitably passed away, leadership was passed down to his kin, and continues to be passed down- although, now under the name 'Followers of the Lynx' after the Goat's exile- through his bloodline to this day.
Despite the collapse of the colonies during the Final Light, the Followers of the Lynx survived. Their leaders- one by blood and one by election- had listened to Call of Dreams' warnings and hid during the attack. They emerged into a new and violent world, and despite the danger, continued their duty of protecting the artifact.
Ever since then however, no cat has passed their trial. Challengers always fail by just a vote or two, and leave empty handed and deemed unworthy. Judgement has turned harsh, but the Followers offer warm nests and good food to those who take their challenge, and their leaders, Polarbear and Slate, have kept the Followers safe from harm over the long years in the Neverlight Era.
[Image ID: A painted symbol of the Seasonal Trials- two paws enclosing four points that form a star or flower. It is slightly smudged, and painted onto rocks. End ID]
In the Age of Beginnings, the colonies were alone. They had defied the gods by forming their groups, cursing themselves to shed their lynx bodies and take on the form of smaller, weaker felines. With no one to guide them, they worked together to start rebuilding. They all knew they wouldn’t agree on everything, but if one were to fall, the rest would soon follow.
The Seasonal Deities came to respect and admire the colonies and their resolve, and decided to accept the colonies. They appeared before the four colonies’ commanders in their dreams, offering them a deal; live by their rules and worship them as the gods they were, and in return, the deities would gift the commanders blessings of strength, wisdom, and power. The commanders accepted.
Each god gave the commanders a piece of an artifact, and told them that once combined, it would allow the one who connected them to become the commander of their colony and receive the blessing of a deity. They instructed the commanders to hide the artifacts, to stow them in the highest peaks of the mountains and to throw them to the bottom of the lake. Fate would decide if a cat was worthy- if one could find all four, fate had made its choice. This gift marked the end of the Age of Beginnings, and the start of the Age of Trials.
During the Neverlight Era, the pieces remain scattered across the wilds, lost and hidden from searching eyes. Attempts to find the shattered relic have proven unfruitful- the most notable attempt was by Voice of Snow, leader of the Colony of Clickers, who found three pieces before being denied the final piece by the Followers of the Lynx. Many see this as the gods rejecting Snow’s colony or Snow’s leadership, and have grown distrustful as a result.
Since then, no other challenger has come close to assembling the pieces, most challengers of the trials being lucky to find even one piece.
