Post by Aphelyon on Dec 6, 2017 13:59:10 GMT -5
H i s t o r y
Long ago, there was one Clan that ruled the forest. This Clan had no name besides "The Clan;" after all, with no other Clans, why would it need a name to differentiate it? But as always, over time there became disharmony. It has been countless moons, seasons, and generations since this occurred, and so no cat living or dead now remembers the cause of the split, but still it came. The cats warred among themselves. When they divided, the territory was not large enough for two Clans to survive in separate territories, though they tried for many moons. Cats starved and died. And finally, the leaders of both of the new Clans came together on the newleaf equinox- the time when night and day are the same length- and came to an agreement.
The two Clans would share their territory, but they would only use it at certain times. The one that would become MorningClan would hunt during the day, while the Clan that is now EveningClan would hunt only at night. Thus, if a MorningClan cat should at night be out of their camp or the small area around it, it would be considered trespassing; the same for EveningClan, but during the day. Both Clans claimed small patches of land around their camps that was exclusively their territory, but the rest of the land was for both. And thus the rather unique balance of modern MorningClan and EveningClan was created.
The two Clans would share their territory, but they would only use it at certain times. The one that would become MorningClan would hunt during the day, while the Clan that is now EveningClan would hunt only at night. Thus, if a MorningClan cat should at night be out of their camp or the small area around it, it would be considered trespassing; the same for EveningClan, but during the day. Both Clans claimed small patches of land around their camps that was exclusively their territory, but the rest of the land was for both. And thus the rather unique balance of modern MorningClan and EveningClan was created.
A b o u t S t a r d r o p C a v e r n
Stardrop Cavern is a deep cave system which extends into the mountains on the western side of MorningClan and EveningClan's territory. A small stream, called the Stardrop Stream, flows out of the mouth of the cave and into the valley, meeting with the river in the middle of the valley. The waters of this stream are said to be more clear and pure than that which is found elsewhere, and drinking from the stream supposedly gives good luck and health, though whether this is true or simply superstition is unconfirmed.
To reach the mouth of the cave, cats must climb a narrow path next to the stream, cautious not to slip and fall in. Should they fall, they might simply be washed downstream, and must start their trek again, but cats have been known to drown, or to be smashed against the rocks in the stream and river and be seriously injured or killed.
Once a cat has reached the mouth of the cave, they must follow the sound of water to reach the cavern. It is dark in the tunnel, and cats must navigate by sound and feel rather than sight. They must be careful not to get lost, as there are several other tunnels which branch off from the stream tunnel, and cats have been known to get lost and never return. Eventually, cats will come to a large cavern, filled with a pool of water, and a large waterfall which comes from the ceiling, tumbling into the pool below. This cavern is lit with a faint light, but no one is sure where it comes from; many believe that this is the light of StarClan itself. To speak with StarClan, a cat must sleep with at least one paw submerged in the water of the pool.
R o l e p l a y R u l e s
✧ Use common sense. Obey forum rules, don't troll, be respectful, don't steal other peoples' ideas, don't control or kill other peoples' characters (without their permission), etc. etc.
✧ Keep characters realistic- this goes for appearance, personality, history, and all that good stuff. This is a claim-a-cat roleplay, so for the most part this shouldn't be an issue since characters are preset- however, this will be true for the occasional OC which I will allow in as a loner/rogue, as well as for kits born in the rp. As for personality, try to keep their reactions and motivations consistent and based in reality- they will have strengths and weaknesses, and reasons for doing the things they do.
✧ Staying at a minimum literacy level is also important for keeping this roleplay going and enjoyable for all. This is a semi-literate roleplay, meaning that good (albeit not perfect) grammar is needed, as well as a minimum average of three lines per post. So, not every post has to be exactly three lines- some should be more, and sometimes they can be less depending on the situation. Just try to keep three lines as your soft minimum. As for grammar, I would count good grammar, at its lowest level as being consistent minor grammatical mistakes (forgetting some commas or occasionally using the wrong punctuation), with more noticeable mistakes (just as run-on sentences or major misspellings) being present but rare.
✧ Plots are important for keeping a roleplay interesting and progressing, so please, please, please plot away! Personal plots between a pair of characters or a small group of characters, which will not affect the Clan in any major or devastating way, does not necessarily need approval- however, if you are asked to stop, please stop. I would also encourage you to be more creative with your personal plots than just forbidden romances and similarly common themes- a few are fine, but having more than one in each Clan (maybe two max) starts to become rather unrealistic and tedious. As for larger plots- things which will affect the entire Clan, or both Clans, or prophecies, or anything of the sort- please get my approval first. If you have an idea for a plot, PM it to me. Then, we can work out the details and implementation together to make sure it fits smoothly into the rp.
✧ Keep characters realistic- this goes for appearance, personality, history, and all that good stuff. This is a claim-a-cat roleplay, so for the most part this shouldn't be an issue since characters are preset- however, this will be true for the occasional OC which I will allow in as a loner/rogue, as well as for kits born in the rp. As for personality, try to keep their reactions and motivations consistent and based in reality- they will have strengths and weaknesses, and reasons for doing the things they do.
✧ Staying at a minimum literacy level is also important for keeping this roleplay going and enjoyable for all. This is a semi-literate roleplay, meaning that good (albeit not perfect) grammar is needed, as well as a minimum average of three lines per post. So, not every post has to be exactly three lines- some should be more, and sometimes they can be less depending on the situation. Just try to keep three lines as your soft minimum. As for grammar, I would count good grammar, at its lowest level as being consistent minor grammatical mistakes (forgetting some commas or occasionally using the wrong punctuation), with more noticeable mistakes (just as run-on sentences or major misspellings) being present but rare.
✧ Plots are important for keeping a roleplay interesting and progressing, so please, please, please plot away! Personal plots between a pair of characters or a small group of characters, which will not affect the Clan in any major or devastating way, does not necessarily need approval- however, if you are asked to stop, please stop. I would also encourage you to be more creative with your personal plots than just forbidden romances and similarly common themes- a few are fine, but having more than one in each Clan (maybe two max) starts to become rather unrealistic and tedious. As for larger plots- things which will affect the entire Clan, or both Clans, or prophecies, or anything of the sort- please get my approval first. If you have an idea for a plot, PM it to me. Then, we can work out the details and implementation together to make sure it fits smoothly into the rp.
✧ Activity is also important for keeping a roleplay running smoothly, or running at all. Because activity tends to wax and wane based on the interest and real-life of those involved, there won't be a set time limit on how often you have to be on. Instead, we expect you to be on frequently enough to make a decent roleplay post every 5 pages or less, at a minimum (a decent roleplay post being one which is at least three lines; chatting posts, and posts shorter than this, don't count). If you fail to do this (without an adequate excuse) you will be given a warning. After 5 warnings, you may be removed. If you fail to make a decent roleplay post for 15 consecutive pages (again, without a decent excuse) you may also be removed.
✧ Activity rules for those who have high ranks, or are relevant to important plots, are slightly stricter. Instead of being removed after 15 pages, you will lose your rank after 10 pages of absence, or after 3 incidents of not being present (within a reasonable time frame) when needed for plot reasons (ie, a medicine cat being required for an injury, or a leader needed to make an important decision). If you think this may be a problem for you, you may mitigate it by assigning that important character an alternate roleplayer- someone who you allow to temporarily play that character when you are not on for a long time, for the sake of resolving immediate plots only (ie, a medicine cat treating a wound). You don't have to assign an alt.rper., but you may if you choose.
✧ Finally, a rule on chatting. You are expected to separate your OOC talk from your roleplaying using brackets, parentheses, or some similar and equally obvious method. Please be nice to each other out of character, even if your characters don't get along- if you have an OOC problem with someone, and cannot resolve it like an adult, please ask for help. A small amount of chatting on roleplay pages is acceptable, especially if paired with continued roleplaying. However, for conversations that are more than 5 posts long (which are not taking place alongside rp), please take it elsewhere.
✧ Finally, a rule on chatting. You are expected to separate your OOC talk from your roleplaying using brackets, parentheses, or some similar and equally obvious method. Please be nice to each other out of character, even if your characters don't get along- if you have an OOC problem with someone, and cannot resolve it like an adult, please ask for help. A small amount of chatting on roleplay pages is acceptable, especially if paired with continued roleplaying. However, for conversations that are more than 5 posts long (which are not taking place alongside rp), please take it elsewhere.
T h e W a r r i o r C o d e
✧ Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle.
✧ Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory.
✧ Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory.
✧ Elders, queens, and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.
✧ Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.
✧ A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.
✧ Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.
✧ A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.
✧ The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires or is exiled.
✧ After the death or retirement of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.
✧ A Gathering of both Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting between Clans at this time.
✧ Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.
✧ Prey is killed only to be eaten. Give thanks to StarClan for its life.
✧ A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice.
✧ Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name.
✧ A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice.
✧ The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires or is exiled.
✧ After the death or retirement of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh.
✧ A Gathering of both Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting between Clans at this time.
✧ Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats.
✧ No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from outside their Clan.
✧ The word of the Clan leader is the warrior code.
✧ An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense.
✧ Both Clans have the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect both. Both Clans must help the other so that neither Clan will fall.
✧ The word of the Clan leader is the warrior code.
✧ An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense.
✧ Both Clans have the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect both. Both Clans must help the other so that neither Clan will fall.
S t a r C l a n ' s H u n t i n g G r o u n d s
StarClan's hunting grounds are very similar to the Clans' earthly territory. It is a large valley surrounded by mountains, and much of the layout seems to be eerily similar to the of the Clans' valley, with a river, streams, and so on. The Stardrop Cavern, too, is present, in a similar location as in the Clans' valley. This is where StarClan cats may most easily speak with living cats, when both are present at the Stardrop Cavern; however, they may interact with the dreams of the living from anywhere in the territory.
In the southwestern part of the territory, similar to the Clans', is a large canyon where the river flows out of the valley. However, unlike the worldly canyon, this canyon is filled with fog and mist so thick that one can hardly see a tail-length ahead. It seems to be the only easy way out of the hunting grounds, but what lies beyond, few cats know. Spirits are warned not to venture into the fog, as evil things lurk there and they may never return....
J o i n i n g
This is a claim-a-cat roleplay, and thus most of a character's information is already given in the allegiances. Cats are provided with a name, virtues (except for apprentices and kits), brief description, a single flaw, and an image. They also have some set relationships- parents, siblings, mates, and kits. Others may also have history anecdotes about important things which have happened to them. When you claim a character, you may add to their information as much as you want, but you may not contradict anything that has already been listed. For example, if you cannot see their tail in the image, you may specify that they have a white tail-tip. Their personality is also yours to define, but you need not describe it.
Of course, this being StarClan, this is mostly for archival purposes more than roleplaying. Even so, you are welcome to claim any deceased cats listed here. I will also give the option of creating cats in addition to those listed, in the event you are interested in, for example, playing the parents of a cat that is already deceased, who does not have listed parents, or some similar situation. Again, I don't see this option being utilized, but it is an option nonetheless. Mostly this page will only be used when cats come to speak to StarClan, or when a cat who was alive at the start of the rp dies. However, I certainly won't discourage some StarClan rp.
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