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baewolf
Leader
she/her
37 Posts
4 Likes
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Post by baewolf on Mar 1, 2023 17:36:48 GMT -6
Hey guys! I'm just wanting to get a good layout of the territory done before it's totally finished and I would love to have the Clan members lend their voices! This is the basic outline I have of now, let me know if there's anything you'd like to change or add. Still working on the MistClan description for the page, but I'm sure all of you know the vibe I'm going for at this point.
JUST A NOTE, where MistClan is going to behind the waterfall is just a stop, it's not he permanent territory. I don't really have much details in mind for that place, my main focus is on where the really territory will be.
MISTCLAN TERRITORY
A long coastline makes up most of MistClans territory. Sandy shores broken up by spaces of dark pebbles and vast tide pools. High cliffs with paths up from the shore wreathed with pine forests shrouded in mist from the sea spray. The Clan has many different types of hunters ranging from divers who search for crabs, to diggers who hunt along the shorelines for clams and mollusks, to swift pawed cats who are able to catch fish in the tide pools. The more sturdy warriors brave the cliff faces and hunt the gulls that are nesting there, it's a very tricky and deadly thing to do. Other warriors make the trek up to the top of the Cliffs to hunt the forest and small amount of moorland there.
WORN ROCKS : When apprentice reach their time of become warriors, they have one last task. When the tide is out, the young cats go out to a cluster of stones a bit far from the shore. They must remain there after the tide comes in and spend the day until the tide finally recedes. It is not an easy process. Could be either night or day, having the cold sea water soaking your pelt or dealing with the undying sun drinking all the water from you. If the apprentices make it, they are made warriors.
CRESCENT BAY : The main area for the MistClan camp, which happens to be in a cave along the shoreline hidden behind, yes, a waterfall. It's a small bay that faces the west so that they always see the sunset. The camp is a moderate sized sea cave carved out by waves millions of years ago. Dens have been built with driftwood and dried seaweed, only having the leaders den and medicine cats den being caves along the interior. The leaders den is at the top of a rock fall from the roof of the cave, leaving a gap for natural sunlight throughout the camp. There's a crack in the cave wall where the leader makes their den. The medicine cat den is at the bottom of the rockfall along the cave wall where a trickle of freshwater from the waterfall makes its way down to a pool, leading to a small alcove where the medicine cat makes their home.
THE CROWN : At the top of the cliffs that make up the shoreline of MistClan's territory is a forest of pines, sticking out like the jagged spikes of a primitive crown, hence the name of the part of the forest that lines the cliffs. The whole coastline of cliffs if crowned with the tall, regal pines mixed with the rare sequoia that dwarfs every other tree in the area. Mistclan cats have to know how to hide without undergrowth, to be as still as they can be in an open forest like this. There is some underbrush and ferns, but enough open spaces to make stalking difficult sometimes. This is why they take their prey from the sea and the forest.
TRAINING AREAS : With MistClan being both water and land cats, they have different training areas. Even in the Clan, some cats are more waterborne than others. There are certain tide pools set aside for training, weather it's for fishing or swimming. Where as up on the Crown, there's a small clearing for forest training when it comes to hunting and fighting. Even if a cat isn't water inclined, they still learn the ways of the sea and shore.
GHOST BAY : At the northern most part of MistClan territory is a rocky shore, spires of stones sticking out from the water offshore like blades. The sea is always stormy in this area. If you were ever to try and swim here it would be to your death. There's a small inlet, if you can make it, with a shore of small black pebbles. There's a small shire that stands, no one knows who had built it. Black slabs are stacked about a foot high with a flat plate on top for offerings. Warriors make this pilgrimage to ask for foreignness, or even sometimes to see their future. There's a rumor of an old mariner cat living there known as the Mystic who could see your future for a cost. ( just came up with this will be a clan position in the future ) They could ask for a few years of your life, or the cost of you first born, maybe even the life of kin to you. If you're willing to make the journey, you better be willing to pay the price.
Aside from visiting the Mystic, warriors go there to pay respects to the dead, honoring those who were lots with their perilous journey across the stormy shore. If a warrior ever finds their hearts astray, they normally send themselves along this path. It can also be a punishment brought forth by the leader of the Clan if the warrior has strayed to far from the code. It's a good method of centering warriors who have been lost in themselves.
Crescent Bay for the camp
ABOUT MISTCLAN
MistClan cats are different, they are seekers and warriors. They thrive with the thought of adventure yet they love building homes. They are mapmakers, they are traders. They are mysterious and enlightening, they are challenging and studious. They love shiny things and collecting. Might even go far as to trade their prey for a pretty shiny thing. They collect feathers and metal, even going so far as to add it to their fur at some points. Most MistClan cats will be found with a feather or two stuck in their fur. They take what they think it theirs and don' apologize for it. Some might even go far as to calling them pirates in the smallest sense of the word. They are warriors first, the raiders second. Though if they ever lead an attack on you they will not leave empty pawed.
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baewolf
Leader
she/her
37 Posts
4 Likes
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Post by baewolf on Mar 1, 2023 18:00:52 GMT -6
*NOTE : MistClan current territory is a small wooden area around a lake with a waterfall, a cave hidden behind it. While this is the current territory this is not MistClan's final stop.
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Hati
New Member
8 Posts
1 Like
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Post by Hati on Mar 5, 2023 3:16:54 GMT -6
To start, just wanted to say that Mistclan seems very interesting so far, and I’m looking forwards to seeing how it develops! I’m curious whether you have any thoughts on how traditions like the assessment on Worn Rocks would get started. Are all the founding warriors going to be required to take that test, or will it start with apprentices and skip over that first set of warriors? Who comes up with it, and why, and what’s it meant to test/prove? (I like the idea, by the by – just hungry for details!) I hope I’m not taking too much liberty given that Tiger hasn’t formally been accepted into the clan, but I also have a few ideas to toss into the cooking pot – - Feathers in fur having symbolism. Maybe the feathers of some birds (hawks/owls, for example) are reserved for high ranks/senior warriors, or for the leader to give out as rewards for impressive deeds/achievements.
- Maybe kits and apprentices aren’t allowed feathers at all. Maybe their first one is given to them at their warrior ceremony by the leader or their mentor as a symbol of their success, and they can choose to wear it or stash it with their collection. Maybe apprentices speculate about what they’ll be given, and tell each other which one they hope for most. Maybe they despair over the whole thing, certain they’ll get unlucky and be given the feather they like least because they’re abundant or that’s the one their mentor/the leader currently favours.
- Maybe feathers and shells/etc are given as gifts to friends. Maybe especially pretty ones are offered to potential mates as a signal of interest. Maybe established mates exchange their favourite trinkets as a sign of commitment when they feel sure of the relationship
- Maybe the deputy needs to complete some sort of quest or test to prove their worth after they’ve been selected. Maybe they have to repeat it periodically to prove to younger warriors that they’re still capable. Maybe the leader has to go with them sometimes to prove they can work together and strengthen their trust in each other.
- In terms of the ‘they take what they think is theirs’ aspect: maybe this attitude only applies to non-Mistclanners. Clanmates have to trust each other, so maybe the principles of ‘honour amongst thieves’ stands and its never ok to take something from a clanmate; only from cats who aren’t part of the clan. Maybe taking from your own will get you ostracised; maybe you’ll be stripped of your collection and it’ll be redistributed to your clanmates; maybe you’ll spend weeks or moons being left out of activities and getting the cold shoulder from everyone around you. Maybe the reaction is worse and longer-lasting depending on who you stole from: maybe taking from kits or your own kin is most unforgivable of all, because the first can’t stop you and the second should be dearer to you than anyone else (so if they can’t trust you, who can?)
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baewolf
Leader
she/her
37 Posts
4 Likes
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Post by baewolf on Mar 5, 2023 18:42:39 GMT -6
Thank you so much for taking the time to think all of this through! With the Clan just developing, I'm wanting y'alls ideas and input to make it the best it can be.
FIRST POINT : No, founding warriors are not expected to take part in the Worn Rocks. This will be a task expected of the apprentices after the Clan has been developed and moved into their permanent home. It will be Coastcurl who comes up with the ordeal; once she reaches the sea she will see the potential that the waters could bring. Being on the Worn Rocks will give the upcoming warriors a respect for the ocean, that it can give and take and that they should not take it for granted. Spending a night out there surround by the ocean will help them understand it's power to give and take life.
If Tiger wants to pop in the current thread that's totally fine unless you have other ideas for her introduction c; c;
SECOND POINT : I love your ideas! I hadn't given much thought to them except for them to being a cosmetic thing, but now I'm toying with the idea of the feather being from their first downed bird and is kept in holding until they become warriors and then are gifted back the feather. First bird kills are important, whether it's from the forest or from the bluffs. After the first feather it could just be a cosmetic thing? Let me know what y'all think! Even after major battles, first feather found/caught could be a be something. Or even before a battle, finding/catching something with feathers could be for luck.
THIRD POINT : I love the idea of exchanging feathers between mates! It's a good symbology and would represent their commitment to each other, just like we have wedding bands. Maybe there could be a special mating ceremony where they go and catch a bird together and have those feathers represent their mating status? Adding it to the feathers they received when they became warriors.
FOURTH POINT : Deputies will be chosen as all deputies are and will be the main overseer of warrior training. They might help take part in mock battles or hunting/tracking situations.
FIFTH POINT : Yes, sorry that I didn't make that more clear in the first post. The 'take what they think it theirs' is strictly for border skirmishes and raids and whatnot, not meant for inside the Clan. MistClan cats will almost always challenged outsiders if they have taken prey or resources, will expect something of value for those they've defeated. Stealing among Clanmates is forbidden and if caught there will be a major punishment.
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Hati
New Member
8 Posts
1 Like
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Post by Hati on Mar 6, 2023 4:50:45 GMT -6
No problem at all! It’s nice to have the opportunity to help shape the clan a little  And thank you for the note about Tiger! I’ll probably introduce her in a separate thread so as not to mess up the flow of the main one (and because I think she’ll turn up a little after they’ve settled in their temp home), but good to know I can start writing with her! First point: Thank you for the extra details! That all makes a lot of sense, and I can definitely see how it’d teach young cats to respect the ocean! I imagine it’d be especially ‘good’ for the more reckless youngsters… Second point: A warrior’s first feather being from their first bird catch is a great idea! That sounds like it’d add a whole lot of extra significance to them, since it’s no easy feat to bring down a bird – and also gives the cat some say over what they get, which could be fun to play with. I’m already half-imagining cases where a foolish apprentice might let a bird slip past because it’s not the ‘right’ one. Associating bird catches with luck for battle would also make a lot of sense, in that sort of context! Third point: Turning a bird hunt into a sort of mating ceremony sounds a lovely idea! It’d be a great way for the pair to show they can work as a team – and maybe once they’ve caught a bird, each cat chooses the feather for the other? Or alternatively, maybe they pick whatever feather they want from that bird, but also exchange the feathers they were given when they were made warriors? Fourth/fifth point: Thanks for confirming! All makes perfect sense on both counts |
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whitemuzzle
New Member
26 Posts
10 Likes
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Life's short, eat dessert first!
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Post by whitemuzzle on Mar 10, 2023 18:41:13 GMT -6
I love it! It sounds like you put a lot of thought into making this clan. I really like how well rounded the cats are, being at ease in the water and on land. I always liked how the Tribe in the books lived behind a waterfall so I'm glad you incorporated that into MistClan.
Here's my idea. You mentioned that they'll be kind of like pirates. Why not have an old wrecked boat embedded in the shore that's part in and part out of the water? Not sure what they'd use it for, maybe stashing their treasures or fishing in the parts that are under water. Just thought it would be an interesting sea landmark for them.
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muffin
Junior Member
61 Posts
5 Likes
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Post by muffin on Mar 11, 2023 17:18:08 GMT -6
A shipwreck sounds cute, what would they call it though? (assuming that these cats would not know the name of ships)
I agree that cats giving feathers to one another would be adorable. Maybe it could be similar to the Flower Language of the Victorian era. Each type of feather has a different meaning and different arrangements of feathers having different meanings as well.
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