Post by Aphelyon on Mar 9, 2018 23:09:31 GMT -5
H i s t o r y
Long, long ago, the world was ruled by the three Great Clans: LionClan, TigerClan, and LeopardClan. They were not like us, no... the members of each were the real thing. Lions, tigers, leopards. We are only named for them. For many moons, the three Great Clans lived in harmony, but as always, peace does not last forever.
Eventually, it came to pass that the lions felt themselves superior to the others. They waged war on the other Clans, killing their Clanmates and taking their territory piece by piece. Eventually, the leopards surrendered, knowing that they could not stand up to the brute strength of LionClan. TigerClan continued to fight valiantly, but eventually they were overtaken and killed off entirely.
For a time afterwards, the leopards lived under the rule of LionClan, but their strength waned further with the cruelty of their masters, who forced them to hunt and fight and eat last. They were killed off in battle, by illness and starvation, and their weak kits could not survive. And eventually it came to be that there were no more leopards.
Now, LionClan had all the territory and prey they could possibly want, with no others to challenge them. With no one else to prey on, they began to turn against each other, and soon war broke out among the lions. Their civil war lasted for many seasons, until the lions, too, were nearly gone.
The last lions looked at what they had done, and suddenly they felt a great remorse. The Great Clans were no more because of them, and now their own Clan was doomed as well. For a time it seemed that all hope was forever lost, until one young lioness- the very last- stumbled upon three helpless kittens. They were not like her, nor the others of the Great Clans. Compared to her, they were tiny and weak and frail. But they were the only hope for continuing the legacy of the Clans in some way.
The first, a tom with a thick tawny pelt, she named Lion. He grew strong and muscular, and she taught to him the value of honor and integrity. He must always protect the weak, never exploit them. He must always be aware of the consequences of his actions, and take responsibility for his wrong-doings.
The second, a lithe she-cat with a ginger coat and dark tabby stripes, she called Tiger. Tiger loved the water, just as the tigers once had, and to Tiger the lioness taught the value of temperance, that she might know when to fight and when to flee, when to stand her ground and when to compromise.
The last kit, a tiny silver-furred tom with dark spots, the lioness called Leopard. Like his namesake, he became skilled at stalking silently among the trees. To Leopard, she taught determination, resilience, and cunning, that he might never give up in the face of adversary, but instead find a new way of facing it.
As the lioness grew old, she watched with pride as her three kits grew in strength and wisdom, and she knew she had done well. Before she died, she called them to her, and told them this: that they must find others like themselves, and gather them into three Clans in the image of the three Great Clans. They would take their territories and their names, and follow their code of honor. But, they must be careful never to make the same mistakes. Thus, the three kits did as the lioness said, and that is how the modern Clans were born.
A b o u t L i o n C l a n
LionClan is one of the three modern Clans created in the image of the Three Great Clans from ancient times. LionClan cats value integrity, as they were supposedly taught by the Mother Lioness, and thus above all else they are honorable in all their deeds. LionClan does not tolerate cruelty or bullying among is members. LionClan cats tend to be forward and even blunt- they are considered very honest, and rarely hide their motives. LionClan cats are taught to be protective of others, and never to exploit or mislead them. However, LionClan cats are not perfect. They tend to be prideful, to the point of arrogance, and can be quick to fight if they feel as though they have the moral high ground. They are outspoken, confrontational, and always feel as though they are right.
LionClan makes its home on the open plateau which overlooks the other Clans' territories, as well as part of the lowlands below. Their territory is mostly tall, thick grass, with sparse trees and other vegetation here and there. Much of their territory is encircled by cliffs, and cats must be careful on these rocky precipices to avoid falling to their death. LionClan cats are strong, durable, and fast runners, though they are not especially agile or nimble. In battle, LionClan cats rely on brute strength to overwhelm their opponents. While hunting, they generally make use of pair and group tactics to drive prey into the paws of their Clanmates, since the lack of foliage on their territory makes careful stalking difficult.
Lionstar, founder of LionClan.
In appearance, LionClan cats are massive, muscular, and thick-furred. They tend to have handsome features, and nothing about a LionClan cat could be described as delicate. Cats with long tails and thicker fur around their necks- emulating a lion's mane- are fairly common and are considered the most attractive, especially if they also have the light brown or tawny pelt characteristic of a lion. LionClan cats tend to be light, sunny colors- ginger, tawny, cream, or light brown. However, they can be darker or more muted colors- gray and white cats are fairly common. However, you will almost never see a LionClan cat with a black pelt. LionClan cats do not have a pattern on their pelt- they will never be spotted or tabby. The most of a pattern they will have might be occasional speckles on their legs or flanks, or faint tabby markings on their face, legs, or tail. Markings, however, are common- especially white paws, tail-tip, belly, chest, or muzzle, or a darker tail, ears, or legs. Many LionClan cats also have a distinct darker stripe which runs down their spine from their shoulders to the base of their tail. Most LionClan cats have amber or yellow eyes, but orange eyes also occur. Green eyes are not unheard of, but it is very rare for a LionClan cat to be born with blue eyes, unless they are a very pale color like cream, white, or gray.
R o l e p l a y R u l e s
The rules of this roleplay are pretty simple and straightforward, and mostly common sense. Obviously, all forum rules apply. Keep the vulgarity, gore, and all that stuff at a reasonable level (like half of us are adults here, or close to it, so I'm not gonna say don't be vulgar/gory at all, but like, keep it reasonable). Don't troll, don't kit-steal, try to get along with everyone (at face value at least), don't use/control other peoples' characters, don't steal, etc. etc.
As for characters, keep them realistic, in appearance, personality, experiences, and all that. That goes without saying. Please try to adhere to the appearance standards of the Clan you're joining- though they don't have to fit all the stereotypes, there are some things that are required (like TigerClan cats have to be striped, and LeopardClan cats have to be spotted). As for personalities, give them a balance of good and bad traits. Though you don't really see a whole lot of Mary-Sues anymore, what I do see a lot of are extremely emo characters who have had only bad things happen to them, are always outcasts, are always depressed, etc. etc. Don't make your character perfect, but also don't make them over-the-top gloomy and imperfect. It's annoying, and no one is gonna wanna do anything with that character. Of course, some characters will have bad things happen to them, sometimes a lot of bad things. Some of them will be sad/depressed. Some will be outcasts to some degree. The key is that some will have some of these things happen. Not many will have all of these things happen. Keep it realistic guys.
Literacy is also a very important aspect of this roleplay. This is not an advanced/literate roleplay, but I do expect everyone to be at least semi-literate. That is, I expect pretty good grammar (it has to be easily legible at least; occasional mistakes are fine, but I don't want major misspellings every sentence, with terrible punctuation all the way through, for example). You should be able to consistently be able to write a decent-sized paragraph (like, 5 sentences or so), with a little more or less here and there depending on the situation. And finally, you should be able to actually carry a plot and contribute to the story instead of just floating around trying to bait other people into interaction.
Next, activity. I'm not gonna make a strict "be on this often or I'll kick you" rule because that's silly; activity comes and goes overall. Some days or weeks will be more active than others. I just expect you to be on enough to stay involved. When people start to forget your character exists is when I'm gonna start putting out warnings. Of course, people who hold high ranks, like leader, deputy, or medicine cat, I will expect to be on more. Not constantly, but frequently enough to resolve any plots which may require you. If you are unable to do this, you will have to relinquish that rank. If it's only a temporary matter, you may assign someone else to use your high-ranking character ONLY for the sake of resolving plots needing them (for example, if a cat gets hurt and needs the medicine cat, the step-in can roleplay the medicine cat for the brief interaction of treating the patient). Hopefully it won't come to this, though.
And finally, chatting. Obviously, I expect you to separate our out of character talk from your in-character talk using brackets, parentheses, or some kind of similar symbol. I expect you to play nice with one another. And though I do hope that you will become friends over the course of this roleplay, I would like it if you would keep chatting on this page to a minimum. For long, continuing, and drawn-out conversations, please take it to PM or another thread. I've seen way too many good roleplays killed off by pages and pages of chatter with no roleplay- don't let that happen. I don't want to see more than 3 or maybe 4 consecutive posts with no roleplaying on them.
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.
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 all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among 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 a different 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.
A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.
Each Clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect the four. Each Clan must help the others so that no Clan will fall.
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 all four Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among 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 a different 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.
A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet.
Each Clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect the four. Each Clan must help the others so that no Clan will fall.
T e r r i t o r y & C a m p
LionClan territory is mostly open, flat plains, with tall, thick grass. The territory is decorated by sparse copses of trees and outcroppings of rocks, and the soil is sandy and rocky, adding to its sparseness. Most of the territory is on a plateau overlooking the territories of the other Clans, though LionClan does claim some of the open lowlands as well.
- LionClan's camp is on the plateau, in the middle of the open plain. It is near a low part of the cliffs, where a wide trail makes an easy walk to the lowlands. The camp is a rocky outcrop.
- North of camp is Bare Hollow. It is a small depression in the land, filled with dead trees. It was at one point a normal grove like any other found on the territory, but many seasons ago the trees died suddenly. Because of its relationship with death, this is where most LionClan cats are buried, unless they request to be buried elsewhere.
- Highwatch is just east of Bare Hollow- a tall outcrop next to a copse of trees, overlooking the stream that flows into the territory from the north. It is a good place to get a view of the surrounding territory, as well as to hunt mice and shrews.
- Farther downstream from Highwatch is Creek Rock. It is very similar to Highwatch, but is not as tall, and so not as good for surveillance. Cats should be careful here, as snakes are common.
- Further downstream still is Graystones, a cluster of large boulders which sit next to a pond near the edge of the cliffs. Graystones is a good place for cats to sun themselves, and the pond is refreshing if cats feel like getting their paws wet on a hot day. A small waterfall tumbles down the cliffs towards the Star Willow, where the Clans meet on the full moon, and where they go to speak with StarClan.
- In the lowlands, there is Lowwatch. It is considered counterpart to Highwatch, because it is also a tall outcropping of stone, which offers a good view of the lowlands, as well as a decent peek into LeopardClan territory.
- Finally, there is Twotree Island. It is a small island with two large oak trees on it, which is separated from the rest of the land by a pair of streams flowing out of the lake, which combine into one that forms the border between LionClan and LeopardClan. Twotree Island is sometimes fought over between LionClan and LeopardClan, though it usually belongs to LionClan. Currently, it is a part of LeopardClan territory.
LionClan's camp is located on a rocky hill just past the cliffs from the lowlands. Several large boulders jut from the ground, forming a warm but not especially well-protected camp. Because it is so open, there is always at least one cat on duty watching over the camp and surrounding area, day or night.
- The leaders' den is in a small cave just below the highest point in camp. This point is called Roaring Rock, because it is where the leader makes announcements from. When there is not a Clan meeting, this is where the guard will keep watch from.
- The warriors' den is in a large burrow dug beneath the rocks at the base of the hill. It is at the bottom so that cats can easily defend against attackers in the case of a sneak attack.
- The apprentices' den is in a smaller cave on the opposite side of the hill. It is in a similar position to the warriors' den.
- The nursery is in a thorn bush wedged between two boulders. It is in the middle of the hill, well-protected by the other dens.
- The elders' den is just uphill from the nursery, in a fairly small cave which overlooks the plains beyond. There is a wide ledge in front of the cave where elders can sun themselves.
- The medicine den is below the leader's den, where a couple boulders form a pebbly clearing. There is a large overhang which protects the clearing from the elements, and several crags and alcoves in the stone wall make space for nests. Medicine cats store their herbs in smaller cracks in the stone.
J o i n i n g
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Rank:
Virtues: *
Relationships:
Appearance: **
Personality: **
History: **
Other:
* Virtues are the two adjectives given at a warriors' naming ceremony. For example, "StarClan honors your courage and determination" or "your loyalty and honesty" and so on. Kits and apprentices will not have virtues.
** Try to make these descriptions 3-6 sentences/lines. Long enough to give a good amount of detail, but not so long that it becomes a chore to wade through.
