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this entire section is about roles within the clans, and basic information. if you are planning on making your own clan, you do not have to follow these to a t! feel free to make your own roles, or change the hiearchy of the existing ones.
the first part of this section is about the roles of clans, ordered by what i believe to be the hiearchy. the next section will be about basic information of a clan, including common practices shared by most clans.
links leading to the wiki WILL contain spoilers about the plot! if you want to avoid spoilers, do not click on the links!!!
the highest ranks in a clan are leader, deputy, and medicine cats. they all serve different, but equally important duties, to make sure the clan stays running and the cats stay happy.
leaders are the leaders of the clan, as their name implies. most leaders are former deputies that have succeeded the cat they lead under, but there are other ways a cat can come to power.
leaders are responsible for everything that goes on in the clan. they are the ones who have the final say in major decisions, such as deciding whether their clan should go to war with another clan or group of cats, appointing new apprentices and warriors, resolving conflicts within their clan, and exiling those who pose a major threat to the clan.
leaders consult with their medicine cats about omens and visions from starclan, and any prophecies that might come from their ancestors, and they consult with their deputies and senior warriors about major decisions to be made.
tthe way the leader acts impacts how their clan is viewed, and how their clanmates might act. if a clan leader is kind, helpful, and compassionate, their clan will share those values as well, resulting their clan be seen as trustworthy. however, if a clan leader is ruthless, bloodthirsty, and cruel, their clan will share those values, resulting in their clan being seen as untrustworthy. a few book examples of this is thunderclan under firestars leadership, shadowclan under brokenstars leadership, and shadowclan during the end of rowanclaws leadership.
a deputy is appointed leader after the previous one dies, but that isn't always the case. sometimes, a leader retires from their position due to old age or other reasons, or they can be banished if they are unfit for the position. an example of a leader retiring from their position is pinestar of thunderclan, and an example of a leader being banished is brokenstar of shadowclan.
when a deputy is made leader, they are given 9 lives during their leadership ceremony. i will get into detail about this ceremony under the common practices section. if the deputies leader isn't in starclan however, they do not recieve their 9 lives. if a leader was left with 4 lives, and was banished or ran away from the clan, the deputy to be made leader would only recieve 5 lives.
contrary to popular belief, leaders ARE allowed to mother kits if the leader is a she-cat. it is not forbidden for them to do so, it is just uncommon.
deputies are the second in command in a clan. i like to think of them as leaders in training. deputies will aid their leaders in important tasks and fill in for their leader if they are too ill or injured to preform their duties, or if the leader is away. if a deputy themself is too injured, ill, or away to do their duties, the senior warriors will distribute the deputies tasks between them.
a deputies day-to-day responsibilities are sending out daily patrols for the clan to ensure the clan is well-stocked on prey and their borders are secure, report to the leader if anything happens, oversee warrior trainings, and have a paw in picking out mentors for apprentices. deputies are still warriors at the end of the day, and they are expected to do the duties of warriors such as hunting, patrolling, and mentoring.
for a cat to become a deputy, they must fill 3 qualifications. they must be a warrior, mentored at least one apprentice, and be chosen by the leader. however, there are exceptions to the mentoring rule. while there is only one character who has done this, i believe it is important to mention. if starclan sends an omen saying that a cat who has not been a mentor must be deputy, it must happen. brambleclaw of thunderclan is the only cat to have this happen.
deputies are allowed to retire from the position due to old age, serious injuries, or illness that impact their ability to do their duties. they are also able to be forced into retirement/stepping down if deemed unfit by their leader, or upon being exiled. an example of a deputy retiring due to an illness is tawnyspots of thunderclan, and an example of a deputy being exiled is tigerstar the first) of thunderclan.
medicine cats are the healers of the clan, think nurses and doctors, but also priests. i personally think medicine cats are more important than leaders, but this is organized how the hiearchy is in the books.
medicine cats are members of a clan that are very highly respected by cats in all clans, not just their own. they recieve and interpret omens, signs, and prophecies from starclan, and treat their clanmates illnesses and heal their injuries. they are effectively a spiritual guide, bridging a gap between their ancestors and their clanmates. a medicine cats duties go beyond their own clan, as they are allowed to help any cat in need, within their own clan or not.
day-to-day duties of a medicine cat includes gathering herbs to store in their den, treating any injuries and illnesses, both minor and major, and giving advice to their clanmates if asked. they are expected to stand apart from clan rivalries.
medicine cats typically have a unique connection with starclan that cannot be taught like how the skills of a warrior can. they are born with a connection with starclan, usually shown by unique dreams in the kithood and a strong interest in herbs. however, not all medicine cats have a connection with starclan. two notable examples of this are mothwing of riverclan, and shadowsight of shadowclan. medicine cats are expected to visit the place they commune with starclan every half-moon, for the series, the places would be the moonstone and the moonpool. they go there to seek guidance from starclan, and starclan might share prophecies with the medicine cats.
medicine cats have very strong relationships with eachother that cross clan borders. they all have shared experiences, visions, and knowledge that strengthen their bond. they treat all cats equally, helping when they can, no matter if the cat is a member of their clan or not.
medicine cats are unable to have a mate or kits, so most see their clanmates as kin. however, that rule does not stop some medicine cats.
some common tasks of medicine cats can be gathering herbs for their stores, treating wounded and ill cats, checking up on the health of their clan(mainly elders and queens), interpreting signs and omens from starclan, assisting queens while they are pregnant, giving birth to, or nursing kits, and accompying the deputy to their leader ceremony.
medium ranks in a clan are warriors, queens, and elders. they all serve different, but equally important duties to keep the clan running.
warriors are those who protect and feed the clan. they are very important to the clan and the clans survival.
warriors have been trained to fight and hunt for the clan, tasked to protect and feed those who cannot do so themselves and eachother, and the ways of the warrior code. warriors make up the bulk of a clan, with many cats being, were, or will become a warrior.
a warriors day to day duties consist of providing the clan with defense and security through daily border patrols and guarding the camp enterance, providing the clan with food, and battling against threats.
warriors who instruct and teach apprentices are called mentors. mentors still carry out the day-to-day duties of a warrior, but they also have to teach the future warriors of the clan. a mentors duties to their apprentice consist of teaching them how to fight, how to hunt, and the ways of the warrior code.
senior warriors are a subrole of warriors. they are still warriors, but they are older and more experienced than the average warrior. they have not chosen to become an elder yet, and would rather serve their clan for as long as they can.
senior warriors are respected, and often sought out for advice by the clan leader. senior warriors are tasked with leading patrols, and are able to fill in for the deputy's duties if they are unable.
queens are she-cats who are expecting, nursing, or in any way caring for kits in the clan.
queens are warriors who are temporarily suspended from their warrior duties while they care for their kits, being taken care of by the rest of the clan. however, some queens are warriors who spend their entire time in the nursery to aid other queens and incoming kittens. they are crucial for the clans future, as they create the clans future.
a cat becomes a queen when she is pregnant enough for it to interfere with her duties. when her kits are apprenticed, she is able to resume her duties. however, sometimes toms can become nursery queens or helpers for their mate. an example of this is fernsong of thunderclan, who stayed behind to help care for his kits after they were weaned. this is one of if not the only time a tom has done this in the series to my knowledge... what a great guy, love fernsong.
elders are cats who have served their clan, but have now retired. they are wise and held in high respect by their clanmates, and can be seeked out for advice or knowledge by others, even clan leaders. they are not required to go on hunting patrols or hunt for themselves. they are not required to fight either, unless it is to defend themselves and the clan.
elders share stories and history about the clan, typically to kits and any young cat who might want to hear.
elders are not tasked with much, but they are tasked with one of the most important roles in the clan. they are tasked with preparing the dead for burial, and carrying out the burial.
elders are more susceptible to diseases and injury due to their old age, and are very susceptible to ticks.
lower ranks in a clan are apprentices and kits. they serve different purposes, but are still integral to a clans future and survial.
apprentices are cats who are in training to become a warrior or a medicine cat. they become a full warrior or medicine cat when their mentor and/or clan leader thinks they are ready.
an apprentices day-to-day tasks include training with their mentors, sparring against other apprentices, going hunting, going on border patrols if warrior apprentices. for medicine cat apprentices, their day-to-day duties are learning herbs and their uses, gathering herbs with their mentor, learning how to treat injuries and indentify sickness in a cat. a duty shared by both are taking care of the elders.
apprentices are not allowed to leave the camp without the permission of their mentor or another warrior, and they are not allowed to eat until they have hunted for the elders and nursing queens.
if an apprentice breaks a rule, they will be punished how their mentor and leader sees fit. this could include being stuck to take care of the elders, having to replace all the moss in the clan with fresh moss, or being denied permission to go to the next gathering. if an apprentice has severly broken a rule, their promotion might be held off.
for warriors, their promotion is given to them if they pass their warrior assesment. typically, they are tasked with hunting, whether solo or in a pair, and/or a spar. their mentor watches in secret to judge how well they can carry out the tasks given to them.
for medicine cats, their promotion is given to them when their mentor thinks they are worthy. even after being given their full name, they are still considered apprentices until their mentor dies or retires.
kits are cats under the age of six moons who still live in the nursery with their mama and littermates, if any.
kits are still very much dependant on their mother, not knowing how to defend themselves from outside threats like foxes, badgers, dogs, and rival clan cats.
a lot of kits behavior is similar to behavior of a real life kitten. they are playful, curious, and can be mischevious at times. kits usually get under warriors and apprentices paws, asking if they'll be willing to show them a few cool battle moves, or asking if they can be let out of camp. kits are eager to begin their apprenticeship.
kits usually take an interest in listening to the elders stories, sometimes being told 'nursery tales' to scare them into staying inside camp. a popular nursery tale among shadowclan cats is that thunderclan warriors will eat them if they stray far from their mothers.
a kits day-to-day life depends heavily on how old they are. for younger kits, its likely they'll sleep a lot and eat, maybe play a bit with their littermates. for older kits, they play much more and bug the older cats in the clan.
some clans have roles that are specific to their own clan, serving their own purposes within their clan. there have been four clan specfic roles in the series, being mediators, daylight warriors, moor runners, and tunnelers.
daylight warriors are a subrole of warriors. it is another skyclan exclusive role.
daylight warriors are those who are warriors by day, and kittypets by night. i like to think of them as housecats with a dayjob.
they still do the duties of a warrior, even being able to train apprentices or be medicine cats, but they go back to their twolegs by night.
in the recent series, daylight warriors have been removed from skyclan due to the cats who were daylight warriors either staying back with their twolegs, or not being referred to as daylight warriors anymore.
mediators are currently a skyclan exclusive role, but that doesn't mean they are any less important than the other roles.
a mediator is a cat who is picked to solve disagreements between others, from their own clan or not, and to keep peace between the clans. they are expected to stay unbiased and impartial while giving suggestions, which means they might have to go against their own clan. they are allowed to go against their leaders word if they believe it is wrong.
mediators cannot fight in clan battles, as it could bring bias towards any discussions for solutions and peace afterwards.
a mediators day-to-day duties involve solving conflicts. if there are no conflicts to solve, it is their choice whether to go about daily warrior activities.
not much is known about mediators due to only one clan posessing the role, but they are very important to all the clans well being.
the only mediator is tree of skyclan
moor runners were a windclan exclusive role. they were around in the forest territories, and are basically your average warrior.
a moor runner had all the warrior duties, hunting, patroling, defending their borders. the only reason they have a different name is due to windclans other role warriors could have.
tunnelers were a windclan exclusive role. they were around in the forest territories.
a tunnler is a cat who cleared the tunnels and memorized the paths so that they could be used for travel. they are usually some of the smaller and leaner cats of a clan so they can easier navigate the tunnels without the risk of getting stuck.
however, tunneling did come with a massive disadvantage for some who partook in the practice. they lost their daylight vision, being clumsy and nervous above ground. it was also dangerous, the risk of a tunnel collasping being evident whenever a cat went down into the tunnels.
the practice of tunneling was ended when a cat ended up dying in the tunnels.
each clan differs from eachother greatly when you look at it from the surface, they all have their own stereotypes within their world. shadowclan cats are sneaky and cold-hearted, riverclan is calm and lazy, windclan is skinny and jumpy, thunderclan is helpful and nosey. if you look closer than just how the clans see eachother, the way they stereotype eachother, they're all fairly similar, almost identical, with their traditions.
they all share the same promotions, the same ceremonies, the same rules that they've all followed for generations.
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