Skyfall: Shire Cultural Traits
Some of the things that make the shires unique from one another. This is not an extensive list, but provides a decent idea of the ideals and traditions that each shire values.
Thunderheart Shire:
Most militaristic of the remaining four shires
Reeves are nearly always Hunters
Place a lot of emphasis on honor in battle. Thunderhearts value fairness on the battlefield and do not take kindly to dishonorable behavior. If a warrior fights a young cat or apprentice knowingly they will be punished. Killing in battle is also very harshly punished— even more so than in other shires.
Sparring is a commonly used method for settling disputes
While not a rule, an apprentice of the thegn is most likely to become reeve and then thegn themselves. Leadership is rigged in some capacity. Thegn’s will specifically take on apprentices with leadership potential and tend to favor them when selecting a reeve.
Scars are seen as beauty marks. The more scars, the more near-death experiences or battles a cat has endured. This is seen as a sign of bravery, a highly valued trait in the shire
The Thunderhearts have a special rank called the Trail Builder that is responsible for creating and maintaining pathways in their densely forested territory
The symbol of the shire is a badger
Shadoweye Shire:
Following the reign of Brokentail, the famine and plague under Nightpelt, and the tyranny of Tigerclaw, most of the Shadoweyes stopped actively worshipping the Stars. As such, they are the least pious modern shire and many of them are not religious at all
Many Shadoweyes wear small accessories, most often made of skin, leather, bone, and feathers. Many Shadoweyes wear leather patches over scrapes and tears to prevent infection from the sitting water in their territory. They use leather so often that one of their artisans has the special title of the Tanner
The Shadoweyes generally have the best relationship with outsiders and often bring rogues and loners into their midst. They have good trading relations with local cat groups. Some Shadoweyes have even learned to communicate with dogs.
The Shadoweyes leadership style is a monarchy based in primogeniture. The eldest of the Thegn’s kittens is the heir. They will become reeve after training their first apprentice and will become thegn when their parent passes. In the event that a thegn has no kittens, the eldest living sibling or cousin becomes thegn.
The symbol of the shire is a crow
Windpaw Shire:
The Windpaws are extremely pious. The Priest plays an especially important role in this shire and performs most rituals alongside the Thegn.
Daily prayers to the Stars are said at sunrise and sunset.
All Windpaw kittens are given their first names by the Priest rather than their parents
The Priest names the next Reeve from among the close relatives of the current Thegn.
The Windpaw Roamers are the farthest travelled and thus have the best knowledge of the lands beyond the Shire territories. They are the best acquainted with cats to the north of the Shirelands.
The Windpaws are the only shire that hunt underground and have the special tunneler rank to go along with this strategy
Despite their acquaintance with cats outside their shire, the Windpaws are the most closed off. They do not typically allow adult outsiders to join their ranks and will only allow outsider kittens on most occasions. Any cat who joins must accept the Stars as their faith.
To reject the Stars is considered a serious offense in the shire and depending on the Thegn could result in exile.
All Windpaw cats receive some medical training as apprentices. This is so if there is a minor injury or illness while out on the vast territory, the injured can be treated or stabilized while the physician makes their way to their location
The symbol of the shire is a rabbit
Rivertail Shire:
Apprentices are trained communally for much of their apprenticeship. This allows apprentices to get to know each other and their fellows better. This is especially relevant for the point below:
Rivertail churls are split into patrolling groups (just called “patrols”). These groups are usually 3-4 cats and they will go on every patrol and into every battle as a unit. More often than not, patrols are formed of apprentices who trained together or if there are few apprentices in the same age group they are added to the patrol of their mentor. Patrols are a mix of roles since all roles patrol in some capacity. Only hunting, which is typically only undertaken by Hunters, is done outside the patrol unit. Many patrols even share dens rather than share with their blood families as is typical in other shires
Rivertails are known for their excellent craftsmanship. They are known to produce intricate accessories, especially woven and carved.
Carved wooden fish are given to kittens by their parents when they graduate to apprenticeship. These are kept in the cat’s nest alongside other trinkets they are gifted by friends or other objects they find out and about. If a kitten is parentless, the elders or another relative often produce the fish for the kitten.
If a parent refuses to give their kitten a wooden fish it is considered an act of disowning and is extremely disrespectful.
A carved tail band is given to new churls by their mentors when they graduate from apprenticeship. These bands have symbols specific to the patrol the cat will be joining and/or their rank
A silent meditation is lead by the Priest every sunset. This was a tradition introduced by River Ripple, the shire founder
Rivertail roamers sometimes make journeys to the ocean (which is much closer than in Warrior Cats canon)
The Rivertails have a special rank called the Sentinel. These cats are trained in weather patterns and can recognize the signs of an oncoming flood so the shire can prepare and evacuate in time
Rivertail Reeves are selected by the Master Churls, usually from among their own number.
The symbol of the shire is a fish
Modern Skyclaw Shire:
The modern Skyclaws are easily the most democratic of the shires. Nearly all important decisions are made as a community and the Reeve is elected by the shire.
The Skyclaws have a special rank named the mediator who leads the shire in voting and is responsible for the overall emotional well being of the shire
The Skyclaws are the only shire to allow outsider cats to live among them part time. House-cats are allowed the join the shire as Daylight Churls. These cats participate in shire activities during the day and return to their homes at night. This is less common at the Lake but was very common at the Gorge territory.
The Skyclaws do not worship the Stars and instead worship the Skypelt, a separate group of their own ancestors. This has been the case since the other shires drove the Skyclaws from the forest. The exiled Skyclaws turned their backs on the Stars and decided to only follow the spirits of those who had not wronged them.
The Skyclaws speak a slightly different dialect than the other shires due their time at the Gorge.
The Skyclaws are the most likely to offer help and shelter to outsider cats in need
The symbol of the shire is a bat
Ancient Skyclaw Shire:
The Ancient Skyclaws were the most militaristic shire prior to their exile
The Master Hunter automatically became the Reeve when the previous Reeve died, retired, or was otherwise stripped of their position.
They had a special rank called the Scout. Scouts served as an ambush patrol at the front of Skyclaw battles. They functioned as a team and were well known for their silence and ferocity.
The Skyclaws trained their apprentices slightly longer than others, extending their training to around 8 months long rather than 6. This is so the cat could adjust and become confident in their own paws on rocky, dangerous territory
The Skyclaws were by far the most territorial. They defended their territory to a degree that was seen as excessive by most other shire cats. This often got them in trouble with their neighbors: the Thunderhearts and the Rivertails.
The symbol of the shire is a bat