ShadowClan is a very strict and traditional group of cats. To the point that Codebreakers are considered the height of incivility. With ShadowClan’s belief that Codebreakers threaten access to their Soulsparks and cause times of famine and infertility, they are punished harshly. To ensure the paws of their leader and medium that which the Souls speak through remain unsullied by the blood of a Codebreaker, Executioners exist to kill treasonous cats.
Executions are a very big deal in ShadowClan- while no cat under 4 moons in permitted to watch, every other cat is encouraged to view the execution. Executions are meant to happen in a certain way- the cat’s crimes are announced to the clan and they are asked to repent or be sent to the Stars so that Moonsoul themselves may judge them. If a cat refuses to admit guilt, they are killed on the spot and are told to face their crimes in the stars.
hadowClan is a tough and traditionalist clan. With such a murky and difficult to traverse territory, they don’t often worry about trespassers or land theft. They believe that their toughness and determination to survive in the lands granted to them by The Souls alongside a more rigid adherence to the Warrior Code as it was initially created makes them the most devoted. ShadowClan almost never modifies the warrior code instead, typically only ever adding lines to clarify consequences.
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1. Defend your clan even with your life. You may have friends within other clans but your loyalty must remain overall to your own clan.
1a. Do not speak of private clan matters to other clans
2. Do not hunt or trespass on another clan’s territory
2a. Offending warriors will be made to apologize to the next patrol of cats from the offended clan
3. Diplomats and their apprentices are permitted to cross into any territory for peace reasons.
3a. Diplomats must wait at the border for a patrol unless its an emergency
3b. A diplomat may not enter a camp unless explicitly invited
4. Elders and kits must be fed before warriors and apprentices
4a. A warrior or apprentice who eats before either will be made to hunt for both and may not eat until the next sunrise.
6. Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to The Souls for its life.
6a. A cat who kills preys senselessly will be barred from meals for an entire day and must apologize to Slysoul for disrespecting her gift.
6b. A kit who's begun to eat solid prey will be barred from meals for a half day if discovered playing with their food and will be made to pray to Slysoul.
7. A kit must be at least 6 months old to be an apprentice.
7a. If a leader sees talent in a particular kit, they may make them apprentice early but only as young as 4 moons.
8. Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.
8a. If a cat speaks on their vigil, they are expected to stay silent for the entirety of the next day barring emergencies.
9. A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.
10. The deputy will become clan leader when the leader retires or dies.
10a. If fowl play is suspected or proven, the deputy will be executed and the mystic will choose a new leader who will then choose their own deputy.
11. After the death or retirement of a deputy, the new one must be appointed before moonhigh.
11a. When deciding upon a deputy, it's customary to consult the mystic so that they may ask Souls to present a sign or send them a vision. If a vision is received, the cat it's interpreted to be must take up the role.
11b. A clan cannot function without a Mystic, Deputy and Leader. If all three ranks are not filled, assistance must be requested from other clans.
12. A gathering of all clans is held upon the full moon that lasts the entire night. No fighting is to happen between clans during this time.
12a. A cat who violates the truce will be downgraded to apprentice duties until the next Gathering and will be made to formally apologize to the other clan if they do so.
13. Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassers.
13a. Intentionally mangling or mutilating another cat who is passing through is subject to being clawed. A cat passing through should be escorted out by a border patrol.
13b. Violent aggression is permitted if a trespasser regularly violates the border.
14. No warrior may neglect a kit in pain or in danger even if it’s from another clan.
14a. If a kit from another clan is found, they are to be fed and soothed before being escorted back to their clan.
14b. If a non-cat kit is found, it's acceptable to dump them on the ThunderClan border and tell them to search for a patrol.
14c. If a cat is discovered to be intentionally abusing a kit, they are to be removed from any position that requires constant interaction with kits. If they get three strikes, the leader is required to have them executed.
15. The clan leader’s word is law
15a. A clan leader is the medium through which the Souls speak, to question them is to question the Souls and is punishable by execution.
15b. A mystic may question a leader but only in private.
16. A warrior doesn’t need to kill other cats to win a battle. Never kill unless it’s necessary.
16a. If you must kill another cat, you should learn their name and pray to Moonsoul for their safe passage to StarClan post-battle.
ShadowClan cats are very long legged with stiff, rudder like tails and smaller ears. They have mid-length double layered coats that are typically black, dark gray, brown, olive, russet or tortie in color. They have powerful legs and like RiverClan, their coats produce a waterproof oil that sends water from their bodies like duck feathers. Their eyes are much rounder- circular almost.
Common Prey: Frogs, duck eggs, minnows, ducks, squirrels
Delicacy Prey: Mice, porcupine, young boar
Territory: A primarily swamp area somewhat similar to RiverClan territory. With only watergrasses, bushes and cattails, it’s very hard to sneak into ShadowClan territory. Any cat entering ShadowClan must be prepared for the consistent shallow water in their territory- though most of it isn’t deep enough to swim in, it’s still deep enough that shorter cats may need to be carried. Much of the water is muddy and but there are clear, beautiful spots where cats will sit on the bank and watch minnows swim. Their camp is a muddy hollow with the inside being dryer and more firm surrounded by thorns and brambles. Kits are told that Slysoul placed the brambles there herself to hide it from the other clans ensuring ShadowClan’s privacy.
Code Adherence: ShadowClan adheres most intently to The Warrior Code. Though they too modified the code, unlike the other clans, ShadowClan modified their laws to be more strict and enforce the rules already created- for example, the warrior code states that prey is killed only to be eaten. ShadowClan added a law that anycat caught playing with their prey or unnecessarily killing prey will spend one full day from sunhigh to sunset without a meal- even kits that have started eating solid food aren’t spared (albeit their sentence is for half a day). As such, ShadowClan often fights with RiverClan about being the most devout to The Souls and StarClan on the grounds that ShadowClan never changed any rules but rather made roles and consequences more clear and detailed,
Leader’s Word: In ShadowClan, leaders are considered mediums of the Souls to speak to the clans. In fact, cats come to their leaders as often as Mystics to interpret dreams. As such, a leader’s word isn’t just law but a Soul’s law and to turn against them is complete blasphemy. To work against your leader is treason and if you don’t repent, you are to be executed to ensure that the Souls aren’t angered by cats questioning them. Medicine cats are the only cats on the same level as the Leader and are the only ones allowed to contradict a leader’s word- however, mystics are expected to keep their mouths shut and only speak against the leader in private.
Deputy Position: The Deputy is an enforcer of a leader’s will. If a leader needs a cat to be punished, the deputy does the punishing, they greenlight patrols and report any information to the leader from other cats. A commonly whispered belief in ShadowClan is that ordinary warriors should never speak directly to their leader as they aren’t worthy of such easy access to a Soul. As such, Deputies are the voice of the clan, ordinary warriors whisper what they want to say to the deputy who then speaks to the leader.
