What happens when a Blessed One comes back from the Tunnels?
Lengthy story time - cw cannibalism
"What happens when a Blessed One comes back from the tunnels?" FawnKit asks DoveStar, who visibly freezes up at the question.
"A Blessed One coming back? Why... Erm... That hasn't happened since I was an apprentice... I will... Will tell you about it when you're older."
DoveStar couldn't help but notice that faint, starry shimmer in her eyes, like the stars themselves were asking through the kit. She shook her head, excusing herself to her den. Once in, she brushed the mossy curtain closed, laying in her nest to think. Minutes turned to hours before she fell asleep, and a voice, distant and fuzzy spoke her old name.
"PipitPaw, wake up!" DoveStar shot up, feeling herself in a younger version of herself. It was this dream again, this nightmare she had on the regular. She looked at the source of the voice, recognizing it as DawnHeart, or DawnPaw in the moment. "DawnPaw... What's going on?" She asked. Rehearsed. Reused. The same thing she always asked.
DawnPaw, a spitting image of her future son, MoonPaw, sat at the entrance of the Apprentice's den. "Your Mi is calling for a meeting, Fox`Bee is back from the tunnels." DoveStar's eyes widened as she stood up, following her old friend outside. They stood on the edge of the clearing, looking where the young warrior ParsleySpot was pinning down the damned Blessed One, and her mi on the Tall-Stone.
"Blasphemous rat! Demons have told you lies and sins, and you tossed your only chance for the Promised Paradise away!" The Blazing TalonStar yowled at the long hair molly pinned in the clearing. Murmurs of what to do with her erupted throughout the camp.
The molly on the stone got eerily calm as she began to descend. "Your body is damned to the darkness, to save your spirit..."
"...We must remove the earthly bonds." Cats took that as their cue to surround the molly. ParlseySpot took the first bite, tearing off FoxBee's Left ear. DoveStar didn't want to look, but she was frozen as cats began to eat FoxBee alive, her agonized screams filling her ears. She looked to DawnPaw for comfort but... she had that same look on her face as she joined the cats for the Feast.
Her Mi looked at her expectantly, and as much as she fought it her legs moved her to the writhing body. She was lucky that she woke up before she had to taste copper in her mouth again.
Silverpelt: Dark, look! This Starling is asking about those Nightshade cats
Darkness: Oh? And about?
Silverpelt: Their bi-yearly festival, The Harvest
Darkness: Oh, yeah. Their sacrifice thingy. Little one, they send an unfortunate cat into the Tunnels under the Wraith circle they call their territory, and in return the Worm Underneath "Blesses" their prey to be fat and slow. I haven't had a Nightshade cat come join my darkness since the damned spirits get stuck in the ground with The Worm. I'd advise you avoid the territory if you get a mortal form.
Additional notes: Once they send the Blessed One to "Claim their place in the promised paradise", they have a feast and gorge themselves with prey as the Orator declares the new Blessed One, and the Advisor crowns them with a crown of Yewberries
While I base my code on @bonefall's most recent version of it (Listed here), I have additional thoughts as well as a rough draft for the Medicine cat code, referred to here as The Cleric's Oath. In this post I will be listing the code rules, what qualifies as breaking them, and the punishments for breaking them.
The Warrior Code
I. Law of Borders
"An order's border lines are what differentiate one from the other."
To violate this law is to:
Mark the border over the designated territory
Cross into another order's territory without permission from your Leader and the other order's Leader's permission
Allow an Outsider (Kittypet, Loner, Rogue, or another cat from an Order) to cross through your territory without escorting them.
These infractions are to be punished by:
Being forced to sit through a lesson in the importance of the border (First and following offenses)
Extra noon patrols for a moon (Third offense)
Being confined to camp for a full moon. (Fourth and following offenses)
Trial held in The Stars (If violated enough)
II. Law of Honor
"To be honorable is to be a true warrior."
To violate this law is to:
Kill another honorable warrior
Use underhanded, dirty tactics in combat
Any action or inaction deemed dishonorable (purposefully vague, but can include having an affair or lying under oath during a trial)
These infractions are to be punished by:
Confined to camp and monitored by select warriors for three moons (Lesser offenses)
Stripped of holy title/honor title (Medium and Higher offenses)
Dishonor title
Put on trial for either excusing, imprisonment, exile, or execution (Higher offenses)
Trial held in The Stars
III. Law of The Second
"An order without an eligible Second is an order without succession."
To violate this law is to
Refusal to select a second
Selecting an ineligible Second (Does not meet the mentoring requirement Alternatively does not meet all three requirements if all warriors have mentored).
Selecting a second after moonhigh
These infractions are punished by
The cleric taking over some or most responsibilities until leader is in their right state of mind
Invoking of Law of Incompetence (removal of leader, if leader continues to disregard the law of the second)
Trial held in The Stars
IV. Law of Loyalty
"A cat of an order is loyal to their order only. Outside friends are allowed, but you must not forget you may shed their blood in combat."
To violate this law is to
Fight with an outsider against your order
Protecting an outsider from punishment from your order
(In all orders except The Gorge-Eyes Order) Having an affair while having (a) mate(s), whether it be with an outsider, a cat from another order, or a cat within your own order
Depending on the leader and if the Queen's Right was invoked, siring/damming a halfblood kit/litter
These infractions are punishable by
Confined to camp for two moons
Forced to complete a trial of loyalty
(Depends on leader) Once weaned, kits will be placed under the care of a fiercely loyal warrior.
Trial held in the stars
V. Law of Priority
"The defenseless, sick and injured of your order require prey before you."
To violate this law is to
Feed an outsider prey from your order's territory
Eat prey on a hunt patrol before bringing the catch home
Eating before those who need it (Kits + Queens/Monarchs > Elders > Apprentices > Warriors + Peacekeepers > Cleric > Second > Leader)
These infractions are punished by
Completing a full day-night cycle (24 hours) without eating prey.
Forced on extra hunting patrols (Alternatively, if this keeps happening, temporarily banned from hunting patrols until they are trustworthy.)
Extreme cases, a dishonor title (Based on ravenousness)
Trial held in the stars
VI. Law of Grace
"The Stars are almighty and all good. To lie in their face, waste their blessings, or to believe you are better than them, is treason against them and your Order."
To violate this law is to
Be Atheist (Yeah.)
Question prophecies and omens
Waste resources
These infractions are punished by
Intensive lessons by the head Cleric
Stripped of your Holy/honor title
Given a dishonor title
Worst case scenario, exile
Trial in The Stars
VII. Law of Seasons
"A kit must be 6 moons before they begin to train, an apprentice must have at least be 12 moons before they graduate (with exceptions), a warrior must train alone in all four seasons before having an apprentice, and a warrior must have seen four years of seasons in total to become a second."
To violate this law is to
Grant a kit less than six moons an apprenticeship
An apprentice graduating before 12 moons
A new warrior (less than two years old) getting an apprentice
A second being less than four years old
These infractions are punished by
Head Cleric or Second taking over appointing and making apprentices
Invoking of Law of Incompetence
Removal of appointed Second
Trial in The Stars
VIII. Law of Challenge
"A warrior's right to defend their honor is never to be denied."
To violate this law is to
Refuse to allow your warriors to defend themself/others/territory (As a leader)
Reprimand a warrior for challenging another.
Deny/Ignore a challenge from another warrior
These infractions are punished by
Public shaming
Extra noon patrols
Extra combat training (as a dummy)
Trial in The Stars
IX. Law of the Wild
"A true warrior never turns tail and wears the collar of upwalkers."
To violate this law is to
Take food and water from upwalkers
Become a kittypet
Wear a collar, ribbon, or any assortment of upwalker collars (Unless you came into the clan with one on already)
Allow yourself to be taken to an upwalker cutter
These infractions are punished by
Confined in camp for two moons
(If becoming a kittypet) Official disownment and barred entry from the order's territory
Public humiliation
Trial in The Stars
Cleric's Vow
(Will not be used, as it is not codified... yet. [maybe])
X. Law of the Gathering
"Under the light of the full moon, no blood shall be spilled as orders come together to discuss at the sacred meeting place."
To violate this law is
Start a fight at a gathering
Encourage others to fight other clans at the gathering
These infractions are punished by
Public humiliation
Confined in camp for a moon
Potential dishonor name
Trial in The Stars
XI. Law of the First Tasks
"To become a warrior, an apprentice must take a warrior's assessment, take part on a pilgrimage to the holy site, and sit vigil once they have been granted their holy name."
To violate this law is to
Let an apprentice become a warrior without their assessment
Let an apprentice become a warrior without asking The Stars if the warrior name has already been taken
Let an apprentice become a warrior without them touching noses with the holy site's connection to The Stars (Moonstone/Moonpool/Starpool/Starfield/Etc.)
Let an apprentice become a warrior without them partaking in their vigil.
These infractions are punished by
Head cleric and Second taking over the leader's duties
Invoking of The Law of Incompetence
Trial in The Stars
XII. Law of the Leader's Right
"A Leader's word is that of The Stars. To ignore or refuse their word is to be considered treason."
To violate this law is to
Disobey a leader's direct order
Ignore a leader entirely
Attempt to take charge over a leader's duties
These infractions are punished by
Public humiliation
Stripping of your duties
Confined to camp for a few moons
Trial in The Stars
XIII. Law of the Monarch
"All kits are precious, and their origins are of the Monarch's concern. To harm one, let harm come to one, or to question a monarch when this law is invoked is to spit in the face of your order's future."
To violate this law is to
Kill a kit
Injure a kit
Let a kit die if they can be saved
Abandon a kit
Steal a kit from their monarch
Try to pry the truth out of a monarch
Ignore a monarch calling Monarch's right
These infractions are punished by
Public humiliation
Barring from any kit related activities
Put on trial for excusing, imprisonment, exile, or execution
Trial in The Stars
XIV. Law of the Orders
"When The Stars cannot save an individual order, all orders must connect together to keep each other afloat. To be separate in a time of need is to die together."
To violate this law is
Deny refugees in a time of crisis (Flood, fire, famine)
Deny an order much needed resources, if you can spare the resources
These infractions are punished by
A declaration of war (Worst case scenario)
Trial in The Stars
XV. Law of Love
"If a warrior has an outsider lover who wishes to join them, the order's leader may issue a challenge. If the outsider completes it, then it is The Stars' will that the two may be together"
To violate this law is to
Bar a lover from ever completing a challenge
Exiling the warrior
These infractions are punished by
Trial in the Stars (Yeah not much you can do about this)
XVI. Law of Incompetence
"If a leader can no longer do their duties as required, a concerned warrior - never the Second - may bring this up with the Head cleric, who will then cast a vote. If Two thirds of the order agree, then the leader's lives will be cleansed by the holy site's connection to The Stars, and the lives will be passed to their second."
To violate this law is to
Have the Second invoke the law
Kill the leader to pass on the lives (The Second may be denied their lives)
Go through with it if there is not enough votes
These infractions are punished by
Order-wide punishment
Trial in The Stars
The Cleric's Oath
Before we get into this, I've combined a few of the rules and replaced one ("A Cleric will give up their life to save a cat") with @warriors-reshuffled's med Specialties, which will be listed here. The source of the medicine cat code is here.
I. Blood Bonds
"A Cleric must prioritize the whole of their order before their blood. Courtship and kits are looked down upon, but head clerics and clerics with high enough social status may be allowed."
Notes:
Clerics with high enough social status are allowed to have kits and mates
The higher on the Cleric hierarchy you are, the more acceptable it is for you to have a family
About two years is the minimum age that is allowed to have kits.
II. Impartiality
"A Cleric must remain a neutral party. Your holy duty is to tend to the living and communicating with the stars, not to engage in politics and combat."
Notes:
So. This might be the one rule that some cats ignore.
Especially if the leader + Second is incompetent.
Engaging in politics is supposed to be a last resort.
III. Combat
"A Cleric must have the minimum defense training but must never lay a claw on another cat. To harm another is to harm your morals."
Notes:
If a Cleric kills/Injures someone, either it was defense gone wrong, or someone is about to get stripped of their duties
Yeah that's pretty much it. Oh other than The right of challenge being an exception for combat.
IV. Devotion
"A Cleric must be devoted to The Stars. The Stars are your lifeblood and give you all the knowledge you will ever require. A Cleric without a connection to The Stars is an incompetent Cleric and may be stripped of their duties and tried for treason."
Notes:
Atheist Clerics and Clerics unable to communicate with the Stars, if found out, are in serious social trouble.
You may be able to heal wounds and coughs, but a particularly religious warrior or leader won't be looking at that.
V. Resilience
"A Cleric must never give up on a patient, nor reject a patient. To give up is to acknowledge you never had the abilities to help."
Notes:
Clerics are encouraged to keep going forward with treatments, even if resources are limited.
At worst, they must make sure a patient has a good end of life.
VI. Specialties
"A Cleric must master at least three specialties, and the head cleric must master all nine. These are your Sacred duties, and to learn them is a must."
Notes:
Didn't like the idea that Clerics were implied to be deposable. So I replaced the rule.
If you didn't look at Warrior's post, Here's a quick reminder of the specialties:
Apothecary - Poisons
Caretaker - Cats who look after Elders, Monarch/Queens and kits
Counselors - Tends to mental wounds.
Field-Cleric - Clerics who follow warriors into battle.
Gardener - Tends to the herb supply
Herbalist - Utilizes herbs to heal injuries and illnesses (Jack of all trades ig)
Oracle - Most connected to the Stars
Scribe - Keepers of History
Undertaker - Cats who care for the burial grounds
All of these rules, when broken, are punished by stripping of duties, dishonor titles, and potentially exile.
the worn remind me of the Bakku from voltron. So is the reason cats cannibalize the blessed one if they come back is cause mister worm didn’t get to feed
Mostly to hide the evidence that the Orator is, you know, sending cats to feed something under the ground. However, the cats genuinely believe they're saving the cat from eternal damnation by removing their "Cursed" earthly body and sending them to the Stars themselves.
On the topic of The Worm not feeding, gameplay wise i turn off automatic prey in lifegen and don't hunt, because out of the Orders Nightshade is dogshit at hunting.
What’s a blessed one, I know it’s a cult thing but I’d like specifics
To the cats, a Blessed One is a noble cat who is selected to sacrifice their earthly ties to bless the land with bountiful prey by going to the Tunnels, and in return they're sent to "the promised paradise"
To us, however, it is a cat randomly(ish) selected by the orator to be sent to the Tunnels to feed The Worm, and due to the nature of The Worm, damned spirits and those who die under the earth are trapped in the tunnels.
Of course, nobody is willing to believe that their lives are lies. Except maybe the two closeted atheists :)
