📜 mayhaps? (Ask game)
There's so much to say about this one, I figured I'd just start with ValleyClan's vows aka warrior code. Let me know if this sparks any more questions!
VALLEYCLAN’S VOWS
The Eternal Fire
The Eternal Fire is the womb of StarClan, a passage between worlds. Losing one’s life protecting it is the greatest honor.
Should the Eternal fire go out, the Leader who allowed it must be sacrificed to appease StarClan’s wrath.
Upon death, a Leader’s body must be burned in the Eternal Fire; the three deputies carry them to the top of the mountain, and FireKeepers divine their successor from the smoke and charred bones.
StarClan’s Authority
The Leader’s word is second only to StarClan’s will, as divined by the FireKeepers.
There must always be nine FireKeepers, in order to maintain balance and properly divine StarClan’s will without mortal bias.
All ValleyClan Vows are subject to reinterpretation by the FireKeepers if so directed by StarClan.
Purification & Death
Any cat who intentionally kills a healthy kit must be sentenced to feed the Eternal Fire (death by burning).
Cats that die of illness or weakness of the soul must be purified in the Eternal Fire to prevent their spirits from attaching to others and spreading illness.
When a cat dies, their bodies are to be given to the Eternal Flame to cross over to StarClan. The Clan is then to lead their soul to rest by bringing pine sap torches, lit from their cremation fire, back down the mountain to camp and adding them to a large ceremonial bonfire. This ceremony is one of mourning, but also of celebration for their life and their sacrifices.
Ancestor Veneration
Honor thy ancestors: adorn yourself with their bones or display them in sacred spaces. Never let a purified bone touch the dirt.
Spirits are attracted to the sacred flames of the Eternal Fires, including those in our camps, so always be respectful to the flames, treat them as you would your ancestors. Never snuff a sacred flame with dirty water. Never speak ill of other cats around a campfire. Never harm an innocent cat with flame.
The Three Deputies
By FallenStar’s decree, three deputies uphold balance: Hunting, Patrol, and Herbalist. All serve the Leader equally.
Defection & Loyalty
Deserters are shunned forever; no exceptions for return.
Those who kill their own kin must be sentenced to feed the Eternal Flame (death by burning).
Inter-Clan Relations
Relationships with other Clans are forbidden.
All Clan treaties and inter-Clan agreements must be made with the approval of the FireKeepers
Bastard kits born from a non-clan parent must be exiled, along with their Clan-born parent.
Apprenticeship & Coming of Age
At six moons old, kits undergo an Apprenticeship Ceremony, where they swear to uphold ValleyClan’s code and begin training in all skills: hunting, combat, herb lore, and artisan crafts.
Apprentices may not train outside of camp without completing eagle and hawk evasion training.
After mastering their duties, apprentices face a Coming of Age Ceremony, where they receive their full name and choose their role in the clan (warrior, hunter, herbalist, artisan, etc.), proclaiming it proudly before the Eternal Fire for all of ValleyClan and StarClan to witness.
No cat—queen, mate, or parent—may influence this choice. The decision belongs to the apprentice alone, guided by StarClan’s whispers in the flames.
The apprentice’s assurance: No mentor may strike without cause.
Patrols & Combat
Defense comes before bloodlust. A true warrior removes threats without unnecessary killing or harm to Clanmates.
To abandon your patrol post is to abandon your clan. Deserters will be shunned.
Any cat that harms another in training will be put on a probationary period where they can no longer train or preform their daily duties until approved by their deputy.
Those injured in FallenStar’s name shall want for nothing. All prey, medicine and desires within the Clan’s ability to retrieve shall be given to warriors recovering from honorable wounds.
Prey & Respect
Respect prey with a swift, painless death. Waste no part, no feather nor dibble of fat, lest their spirits abandon future hunts.
Fish, feathered and four-legged prey smaller than a cat must be cooked or smoked before eating.
Never hunt an abnormally weak or ill animal, lest its spirit takes its revenge on those who consume it.
Queens’ Rights
A queen need not reveal a kit’s parentage or share kits with the biological parent if she refuses.
A queen may always have her own den, and need not share unless they desire to. If a queen prefers to stay in the shared queen’s den she is allowed to, but not permitted to remove another queen from the space.
Clan Welfare
Kits, elders, nursing queens, and the ill eat first. Leaders and deputies eat last.
When available, more stock of prey, herbs and supplies should be kept than necessary in preparation of hosting guests or harsh seasons.
No cat shall freeze while the sacred flame burns. Elders and kits have priority seating close to the fire on cold nights.
Herbalists must treat all cats, clan-born or otherwise, with equal care. No cat should suffer from a Herbalists’ prejudices or personal biases. Should a Herbalist be found to be neglecting life-saving care, they are to be shunned/exiled.
Monthly Rituals
Once a moon, should the weather allow, all cats bathe in herbalist-treated heated water to prevent illness.
Confession: On new moons, when the land is at its darkest, all cats young and old must bring one stick to a communal bonfire in camp. As they add their stick to the fire one by one, they whisper a secret or an apology to the fire, letting the flames carry the confession to StarClan and absolve them of its weight.
Roles for the Vulnerable
The disabled, sick, or elderly may renounce warrior duties to become Artisans (crafting, storytelling, decorating).
The ill and disabled have equal right to chose how they serve the clan, and cannot be relegated to menial tasks due to their physical limitations.
The disabled, sick and elderly may not be shunned/exiled for their inability to serve the Clan.