so i've got the traditions for Yewclan!
Medicine CatsMedicine cats are allowed to have a mate and kits, but they must give the kits to another nursing queen to care for if they do not have an adept apprentice once the kits are able to be moved. If there are no other nursing queens, the medicine cat may keep caring for them as long as there is a spirit with herb knowledge able to instruct a warrior on healin clanmates. If no spirit is available to guide a warrior, or no warrior or apprentice is willing to temporarily take the position of medicine cat, and there is no adopt medicine cat apprentice, then the medicine cat may not have kits. Of course, this only applies to shecats, and tom medicine cats have no restrictions on kits.
Mates (Talltree Tradition)
Once a year, towards the end of winter, the warriors, deputy, and leader, if they do not yet have a mate, climb the tallest tree they can find and the group sits in its branches. The spirits will appear when the moon rises, and will vote among themselves the best pairings. Not all cats will be paired. These pairings then have a month to get used to each other, and after the month is up they may decide to become mates or split up. Mates may be taken without Starclan's votes, but these pairs are often frowned upon as untraditional. Mates are never permitted to be from outside the clan, and these pairings, once found out, must either split up, both join the clan, or both leave the clan.
Eye Color
I plan on eye color having some significance, but I am not yet sure what it will be. Probably used for predicting how kits will turn out as they age, but its not always completely accurate haha. decided not to use
SpiritsThis is probably the most obvious thing about Yewclan... the clan has a close connection with Starclan; closer than most. Starclan cats can appear and interact with the cats of Yewclan. Of course, they have lost their psychical bodies and can no longer touch the living cats (they simply pass through them), but they are seen, and can speak with the cats of Yewclan. It is not uncommon to see shimmery cats with stars in their fur around Yewclan territory, or even with them at Gatherings. The Starclan cats have brief knowledge of what is to come in the clan, and will bring warnings of hard times or prepare the clan for difficulties when needed. Because of this limited future-sight, the spirits can also predict if two cats being mates would turn out well or not. Of course, it still comes down to the choice of the living cats, but this is what sparked the Talltree Tradition. Since these cats can interact with Yewclan after death, if a mentor dies, they can continue to train their apprentice, and vice versa. Dead apprentices can even recieve their warrior names, if they wish! If a kit or apprentice dies, they can choose to continue to age normall until 16 moons, at which that point they are full grown and will stop aging permanently. Unfortunately, the spirits can also fade away with time, as time is something no one can escape. It is unsure exactly how it works, but it can happen. Furthermore, a living cat can kill a starclan cat im battle.
It is believed that a dead cat cannot visit Yewclan if it is not buried properly, but medicine cats may still visit these Starclan-residents in dreams and at the Moonpool. It is considered highly dishonorable to not aide in the burial of a fallen clanmate.
So, yes... Yewclan cats are pretty much like...
all the time.
