Post by zesty on Nov 27, 2018 16:55:14 GMT -5
.. CHASMCLAN LORE ..
Cat-egories:
- Type of Leadership
- Location
- Skills/Expertise
- Clan Lifestyle and Religion
- Family and Roles in ChasmClan
- The Significance of Gems
- When Gems are Given
- Meditation and it's Importance
- How High Positions are passed on
- Clan Appearance
- Diet
- Clan Roles
Type of Leadership: The Oligarchy. There is a leader, a deputy, and two Chiefs each for Hunters, Tunnelers, and Guards. There is no deity or god that can grant ChasmClan high positions lives, and they manage perfectly fine without.
Location: ChasmClan lives in an old mineshaft and it's connecting caves, located inside a mountain. There is one tunnel connecting their camp and their territory, which is guarded at all times. The heart of the ChasmClan camp is the largest chamber, which can hold the entirety of the Clan and is where Clan meetings are held. Occasionally, the Clan does come out of their mountain, but they avoid this, as the cats from ChasmClan are not used to bright light and the danger that is the outside. Cats go out in patrols to perform their duties, but are not allowed out alone. Apprentices must go out with at least one other warrior, and Warriors must go out with at least one other cat. They must ask their respective Chief or the Deputy for permission to leave camp.
Skills/Expertise: ChasmClan cats are amazing excavators and miners. They have spent generations perfecting the most efficient ways to clear away rock and stone to create new tunnels, as well as how to find new gems and rocks. They also have amazing hearing and long whiskers that help them navigate the dark passages, as well as impeccable night vision. Cats pursue a variety of roles in this Clan, from protecting to excavating to hunting. Those known as Guards are the cats that both keep the hunters safe while hunting and protect the territory from predators. Cats who specialize in the caves are constantly helping scope out new routes in the territory, as well as maintaining old ones and obtaining gemstones. They are called Tunnelers. The final group is the Hunters, who are adept at catching the scarce prey that share their caves with them.
Clan Lifestyle and Religion:
Family and Roles in ChasmClan:
ChasmClan is a very family oriented clan. It is very common to see cats who are named after their parents or other family members, as well as for the leader to name a cat after someone in their family when they are given their warrior name. Your littermates are considered to be your best friends for life, and bad relationships with any of your family members is looked down upon by others in your clan. It is heavily expected that you be loyal to your friends and mate. ChasmClan cats do not rush into relationships (romantic or otherwise), and believe that it is important that you enjoy the company of the cats you choose to be around wholeheartedly before calling them your friend or your mate. Parents who treat kits badly, siblings who get into arguments, and everything in between is very chastised and those who participate may become outcasts in the clan. Oftentimes if struggles appear in families, they are hidden and lied about to create the illusion of peace to those outside the family.
Kits are assigned which group they will specialize in at 8 moons by the Leader. This strongly relies on their body size, personality, and parent's roles in the clan. If their parents are both Hunters, it is very likely that they will become a Hunter as well. If they are larger and more muscular, it is more likely they will become a Guard. If they are interested in gemstones and digging, the Leader may very well place them in the Tunneler group. Kits are not allowed to change their role after the ceremony unless the Leader decides to do a special reassigning ceremony, which is rare.
The Significance of Gems:
ChasmClan cats collect and give gems during special ceremonies and on a special gem gifting day. They keep their collection of gems around their nest where they sleep. These gems are so important because they believe that their ancestors can look through the gems and watch over them. Each and every gem is one your ancestor can look through, there is not a specific gem that houses each ancestor. The more gems you have, the closer your contact can be with your ancestors and the more you are protected from bad luck and disease. The color does not matter (except for black). But it is said that the larger the gem, the easier the ancestors can look through.
Black gems are considered back luck. ChasmClan cats believe that these gems were touched by evil spirits who tried to use it to go between the spirit and the living, and got stuck. Black cats and other animals are not believed to be bad luck, only black gems and stones. A cat cannot be contaminated by a spirit, only haunted- and that isn't judged by the color of your pelt.
It is very, very highly punished if you steal gems from another cat. It as seen as stealing their contact with their ancestors away, which is very important to each and every cat. Trading and gifting other cats gems from your own collection is acceptable.
The cats believe that their ancestors are around them as spirits at all times, but manifesting in the gems around them allows them to bridge the contact between the spirit world and the living (which allows them to grant good luck and cure diseases). They also believe in dark spirits, that cause bad luck, disease and suffering. This is similar to DuneClan's ideas, though they do not believe in reincarnation.
When Gems are Given:
There are many points during a cat's life when they may acquire gems. Kits are given their first gem when they are born, it is the leader's job to have a stash of similar sized gems (the gems can be any color) at all times to give to newborn kittens. The parents and leader pick which color to give to each kit. Cats are granted another gem of their choosing by the leader and chiefs of their rank when they become full warriors. Cats give gems at mating ceremonies to ask for their ancestor's blessing. It is rumored that if the gem cracks, breaks, or dulls, then the ancestors disapprove of the union... but that rarely happens. When a cat dies, their gems are distributed between their remaining family members. The leader is also in charge of this.
There is a feast and a festival where cats trade stones with those that are most important to them. They do this with stones collected inside their own stash, and gems meant for the sole purpose of to giving are collected by tunnelers and distributed by the high ranks. Cats swap with siblings, parents, other family members, mates, friends, and anyone who is important to them. It is an honor to be asked to swap stones with someone, as it shows how much they care about you.
Meditation and it's Importance:
ChasmClan cats meditate either together with other cats or alone to strengthen the bond with their ancestors. It is common to meditate with family members because you share the same ancestors. Group meditations are held almost every night around the Spirit Stone, led by the Leader of the clan or other noteworthy cats. Anyone may join in.
It is believed that if you meditate enough and create a deep enough connection, you enter a dreamlike state where your ancestors may visit you. It is said that the more gems you have around you, the easier this is. This is called enlightenment. The first cat who ever became enlightened was visited by their ancestors without the help of gems, and ChasmClan cats revere them for that. Cats who are enlightened are looked up to by their family members and the rest of the clan. Their position is not as elevated as the high positions, but are very highly respected and will often be chosen to lead group meditations and patrols.
How High Positions are Passed on:
Because ChasmClan cats are so family oriented, it has become such a tradition that it is practically an unspoken rule for high positions to only be taken by their direct bloodline. This includes kittens and grand-kittens, but not siblings, nieces, or nephews. These cats who are related to the high positions are called heirs. It is unheard of for high positions to be challenged by someone outside of their family, and it is rumored that if you do so you will be banished from the clan or "gotten rid of." You would at the very least be heavily looked down upon by the other members of the clan.
The heirs must challenge the position holder to a test of their skills if they wish to have the position, and whoever wins is given the role. This is so it is ensured that the new holder of the position will be doing a better job than the old one. There are a number of specialized tests that test the most important skills needed for the rank. The loser cannot challenge the winner again, but in the case of chiefs they may challenge the other head if they have not already. If a cat loses both times they cannot challenge again unless the cat they are not related to is replaced by someone else. As they are still related to the other holder, this allows them to challenge the new one.
Clan Appearance: ChasmClan cats vary in size and shape depending on their job, but all are smaller and lighter on average than the other two clans. A smaller size helps them to squeeze through tight cracks, and a lighter body helps them to move easier across fragile floors. This is also due to the scarcity and lack of variety of food. ChasmClan cats as a whole also tend to have poorer vision than the other clans, as their other senses are better for navigating the similar-looking tunnels and performing their duties. They are also more sensitive to light. As well as that many have long whiskers, to help feel their way through tunnels. Paler coats and types of albinism as colorpoint are more common, as loss of pigment occurs when generations of cats are not exposed to sunlight very often or for very long.
Diet: ChasmClan cats are not picky eaters; they eat whatever they can and do not waste prey. It is common for them to find and eat insects, rodents, bats, and various water-dwelling creatures when hunting inside the mountain. They may also eat any plants such as mosses or mushrooms that grow in the caves if the pickings are slim. They venture outside to hunt only at night, as they are sensitive to light, and may snare animals such as rabbits, small mammals, and even owls out there.
Clan Roles:
Leader: The leader is the healer and spiritual leader. They have a very close connection with their ancestors, and oftentimes lead in group meditations. They are responsible for naming ceremonies, clan announcements, and all big decisions. They spend most of the day meditating or tending to sick/injured cats, as well as going to find gemstones. They are usually very friendly with many cats in the clan, and know enough about everyone to strike up an amiable conversation with them.
Deputy: The deputy is the one who does the work that the leader doesn't. They make sure all the "heads" of the ranks are doing their jobs, and help to make sure those things are carried out in the general populace. They are also in charge of enforcing the rules, and making sure everyone does enough work. They are almost always inside the main cavern, and make sure that everyone going outside it has a job to do and has been approved by their respective chief(s). They are the one to ask if you have any questions around camp.
Chief Guards (Guardians): Also known as Head Guards or Guardians. The two Guardians are in charge of keeping the clan safe. They make sure that there are enough guards on each hunting and tunnelling patrol. They are also in charge of investigations when gems go missing, or when it is believed a cat has stolen a gem. They also make sure that there is enough bedding in camp for everyone to sleep, and make sure no one steals another family's ledge.
Chief Hunters: Also known as Head Hunters. The two heads of the Hunters are in charge of keeping the clan fed and managing where cats hunt. They make sure there is enough prey being caught and manage making hunting patrols. They decide where the patrols will hunt, what places can't be hunted because the prey population needs to bounce back, and various other hunting-related decisions.
Chief Tunnelers: Also known as Head Tunnelers. The two leaders of the Tunnelers are in charge of sending cats to find new gems, as well as keeping the camp and tunnels safe to be in. They decide on new routes to excavate, and which tunnels need to have work done on them. Alongside the Guard heads they manage clearing away rubble in the caves and tunnels.
Guards: These are typically the largest cats in ChasmClan, and they are the ones that protect the hunters that leave the mine-shaft. They make sure there are no predators in the caves, and watch out for hunters while hunting to make sure they won't be hurt by falling rocks or collapses. They may also work together with Tunnelers to clear away rocks and stones out of collapsed tunnels.
Characteristics: Muscular, athletic appearance, heavyset, built to endure.
Hunters: Hunters are usually leaner than the rest of their clanmates, built for nimbly catching prey. They are taught how to catch insects, bats, rodents, and even fish with ease. Their duty is to track down enough prey to feed the clan.
Characteristics: Small paws (for reaching into cracks), slender, nimble, flexible, small sized.
Tunnelers: These cats report the condition that tunnels are in and assess their stability. They are amazing excavators, and are taught how to properly assess and maintain a tunnel to prevent cave-ins. Their duties are: creating new routes, the maintenance of tunnels, and collecting gemstones.
Characteristics: Broad shoulders, large paws, compact, short limbs, small sized.
Pupils: Also known as Apprentices, these cats are over eight (8) moons old and are being taught how to do their respective duties. Because of how dangerous and hard to navigate their territory is, kits are not apprenticed until they are a proper size and have developed to be careful enough to go out of the safety of the Cavern. Even then, pupils are not allowed out into the territory without a warrior, and their training is usually handled by a family member; such as a parent or older sibling. Pupils are given their names when the leader sees that they are at the correct skill level and deems them good enough to become a fully-fledged warrior. Usually this is around the time the cat reaches fifteen (15) moons.
Huge thanks to Egotistic and Silverfire as well as the rest of the Beta Testers for contributing to lore!