NOTE: This is a roleplay SIMILAR and BASED OFF OF Warriors, by Erin Hunter, but not completely the same. So like the traditional Warriors or not, maybe you'll like this!
Also, knowing me, there will be a lot to explain so be prepared to read a lot.
IF YOU ARE NOT SEMI-LITERATE + OR NOT WILLING TO TYPE IN A SEMI-LIT+ FASHION, PLEASE LEAVE.
One more thing- don't steal my ideas :]
A SECOND NOTE: If you don't want to, you don't have to read the "About The Camps, Special Places, Prey, & Threats" part of the roleplay. It's just explaining about each territory. You need to read it eventually, if you decide to join.
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Intro
Paws, skidding on the forest floor.
Following tracks, left a day before.
You have to catch them-
You run out of fear, of him.
Dash faster,
Don't loose the scent.
Hopefully they can take a hint...
There's blood in the air,
You'll tell as much as you dare,
But he's coming back!
They must know- must recover what they lack..
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Welcome to DayClan. We are a nomadic Clan who move mostly from a grassy plain in the newleaf, to a valley mountain in greenleaf, to a thick beautiful forest in leaffall, and finally to a pine forest which surrounds a wide lake in leafbare. The move, following the largest source of prey, and it also gives prey time to recover and multiply before they return to that place. This insures that they have a good amount of prey all throughout the year and their numbers can be great. But getting to each different territory is sometimes difficult, particularly to and from the valley because the only way into it is a narrow pass which requires climbing a great length into the mountains.
All four territories are within a quarter moon to a half moon's (week to two weeks) travel, and they spend about three moons in each. To get from the grassy plain to the valley takes the longest, and it is perhaps the hardest. They must travel for several days out of the plain, through a small section of forest and a little patch of twoleg nests, which lies at the base of the mountains. Then they must climb for another few days, up the rocks, and through the small pass, back down the mountain. But once they get there, there's a mountain river of freezing water, small patches of trees, mostly it's open and quite similar to the plain. To get from the valley to the forest, which is probably the best territory for prey, they must go back through the pass, down the mountain, and in the opposite direction of the plain. They pass nothing but open land and small bits of forests, an old twoleg barn- a good pitstop for mice- and then finally they get to the forest. It's not all that far from the mountains. To get from the forest to the lake, they must walk opposite of the mountains- east- until the great forest turns to one of pines that are widely spaced. The underbrush is sparse and branches on trees are high. The lake and the small streams that feed it are their greatest ally- for they don't need to rely on land prey. They simply catch fish, or migratory birds that have come to the warmer place from the north. To get from the pine forest to the plain is a long journey, and they mostly just pass through forest. About halfway through, they must swim across a wide river, and soon after that then through the small patch of forest, the twoleg nests, and finally they enter the plains again. It's the longest trip by several days.
The time between one territory to the next can be dangerous and almost always lacks much prey. Upon returning to each camp, they must fix and repair it before they can get to hunting. The journeys are tiring and long, but much needed.
An interesting thing about the cats of DayClan is that most of them have some sort of unusual ability- at least the ones that are related to the Clan(as in, rouges will not possess any of these abilities). Most of them can change their shapes into another small animal for short amounts of time- this makes hunting easier in many cases. They can change into most anything roughly the size of a cat, but usually they are better at one animal over the others.
There are other cats who have 'powers', as they are called. Most are quite minor, from having the ability to make plants grow slightly faster to being able to hold their breath for extended amounts of time, to being able to breathe frosty breath. It's limitless, and the powers fit well into the Clan life.
Usually a cat can not use their powers, especially the shapeshifting one, to often. If used to frequently, the cat becomes tired and must rest for awhile before being able to use it again. Often, kits have similar abilities to their parents. A cat with toxic saliva may have a kit who can inject a small amount of poison with their claws, or do something like a snake's bite.
Another different thing about DayClan is their ranking system. First off there is the deputy, who leads the Clan. His or her word is law. They name new apprentices and warriors, and decide major decisions in the Clan. Second in command are the three senior warriors, chosen by the leader. They are typically wise and well-respected warriors. When the leader dies, the Clan elects one of the three senior warriors to become the leader, and in turn the chosen senior warrior becomes deputy and picks a cat to take their place as one of the senior warriors. Then there is the medicine cat, who is the main healer of the Clan, knows a great deal of herbs and healing ways, and usually has two apprentices. Sometimes there are even two medicine cats, though it's rare- they almost always choose one after so long to take their place, then retire either back to warrior life or become an elder. The medicine cat may replace one of their apprentices with another cat if they feel the apprentice doesn't have what it takes. If an apprentices is rejected, they go back to warrior life. A medicine cat's apprentice(s) must have passed warrior training and received their warrior names before they can become medicine cat apprentice. Then there are the warriors, which is what every kit wants to be. The warriors are the main protectors, defenders, and providers for the Clan. After training for four-six moons, they go from apprentice to warrior and are given a warrior name by the deputy. After warriors, there's the apprentices. They're warriors-in-training who are mentored by a warrior and are taught the ways of the Clan, how to hunt and fight, the way around the territory, ext. They catch food for the queens and elders, clean out dens, and other duties. There's then kits, who are birth through six moons old. They stay in the nursery with the queens and are usually told stories by the elders. They aren't to leave camp without unless it is with the whole Clan when they move territories. The other two ranks are queen and elder. A queen is a she-cat who is pregnant or has kits. There are usually three or so queens that remain in the nursery, pregnant/with kits or not, and are the main kit-havers, though any cat- except the medicine cat and medicine cat apprentices- may have kits. The queens all care for the kits. The elders are older cats who have retired from warrior life or have been forced to retire due to injury. They are well cared for and respected by the Clan for their wisdom and past deeds of protecting the Clan.
About The Camps, Special Places, Prey, & Threats
The Plains Territory;
The plain, which is the territory that DayClan is in during newleaf, is grassy, wide, and its enclosed by a thin layer of trees. Beyond the trees is a small twoleg area. But inside the territory, there are several rocky spots which are popular hangouts for young warriors or as sunning spots for elders. The camp is a shallow dip in the earth, gently sloping. It's about twenty feet wide and circular. The dens are mostly dens- it was an old badger site. The deputy's den is made out of a natural rock formation that forms a cave-like shelter. It's not huge, but can hold four or five cats. It's near the center of camp. To address the Clan, the deputy leaps on top of it and calls a meeting. The warrior, elder, and apprentice den are all underground- the warrior's den is the largest of all, able to hold possibly two dozen cats. They dot the camp in almost a triangular fashion. The medicine cat den is a deep dip in the ground that leads to a thin tunnel, which travels deeper into the ground than the others dens. It opens up into a rock-filled cave. The herbs are stored between rocks, and sick cats usually rest in the center. The nursery is a thick group of bushes which have been hollowed and weaved together for protection.
The territory lacks much water, only dotted with a few shallow areas that store rainwater and snowmelt. They prey is usually rabbit, mice, ground feeding birds, vole, and the rare squirrel.
There are many threats in this territory. From large birds of prey that may swoop down, to snakes hiding in the grass. The area is also prone to badgers and loose dogs. Twolegs also sometimes come and put up tents for several days before leaving. If lightning strikes, there is a greater chance of fire spreading than any other territory.
The Mountain Valley;
This is where the Clan goes during greenleaf. It's protected on all edges by mountains, though the territory isn't very large. It also isn't very prey-wealthy, and if they Clan was to come in any other season, they might not be able to survive. It's a fairly bleak area, consisting of a few patches of trees around the base of the mountains. There's a river that comes from the mountains and then disappears again into the mountain. It is icy cold from rainwater and snowmelt, but is a good source of fish and water vole. There are also the occasional water bird, such as gulls, who- if you know what you're doing- can be caught. The other prey are squirrel and ground-feeding birds.
The camp is on the base of the mountains. It's basically a large cave- the only actual den is the medicine den, where sick cats and herbs can be found. Otherwise, it's a large open spot in the rock, though the entrance is fairly narrow- which blocks out the cold winds that come from the mountains. Inside is dark, but the cats can see well in the dark so it's no problem. There's a small pool of water near the medicine cat den, used for both the medicine cat and elders mainly- or any other thirsty cat. Water drips from the ceiling into it, and cats are advised not to use it to frequently or it might dry up.
The only really unique feature on this territory is a huge, gnarled, lightning-struck tree. It's limps are wide and oddly shaped, and it's a fun place for apprentices to play. It's smack dab in the middle of the territory, and is said to house an owl at the very top.
The threats to this territory are similar to the ones in the plain, only less as a problem. There are few birds of prey- only those who nest on the mountaintops- and even fewer snakes. There is no worry of twolegs, though cats have been known to fall in the freezing river and be swept into the mountain. It runs to fast to freeze, and if you fall in, it's hard to escape.
For meetings, the deputy jumps onto one of the large rocks in the cave, called Highrock, and the cats gather 'round.
The Thick Forest;
The forest territory is probably the most beautiful- many of the trees are evergreen, but also by the time the cats arrive the leaves are beginning to turn brilliant colors. By the time they leave, the leaves have fallen. There are trees everywhere, and squirrels, small birds, mice, vole, water vole, fish- most prey you can think of. Even wild chickens sometimes show up in the freshkill pile. The cats eat well while they are in the thick forest, mostly because prey is out and about looking for food to fill up on before leafbare.
The trees are a wide mix of breeds and sizes. There are few very distinct ones, except for three. One, a gigantic oaktree with limbs so long and large that they dip and hang low to the ground. It's called the Spider Tree because of this. It's fun to climb on for young cats. The second one is the 'Zig-Zag Tree'. It has grown in many different directions in search of light, and seems to be zig-zagging through the canopy. It's the tallest tree in the forest and fairly thick until the tip top, so if a cat is brave enough to climb to the top, they can see the whole forest and beyond. Finally, the third tree, called the 'Camp Tree', is a very thick tree with many holes and notches in it. Around the base is a clearing, free of any growth for about ten, fifteen feet. The branches hang low and thick, and this is where the Clan makes their camp in the thick forest. Each rank lives in one of the holes in the tree, except the apprentices. They make their nests in deep notches between branches. The deputy's hole is the smallest, and at the top. There isn't much room for more than one cat, therefore if you need to talk to the deputy, you usually meet with him or her on the branch just outside of the hole. A few tail-lengths down is the nursery. Obviously a young kit can't leave it, and the queens make sure to keep the kits far from the opening. But the den is a foot deep, and usually a young kit can't even jump out without help. Older kits can, and are allowed to- as long as they stay on the Camp Tree or in the clearing, which is where most of the cats share tongues and rest due to small den sizes. The elders den is below the nursery. It's wide and almost as deep as the nursery, but not quite. There are several branches near it, making it easy for the old cats to get out and sun themselves without much trouble. Then there's the warriors dens- there are two holes for the warriors, because both are not very large and there is rarely enough room in one for all of the warriors.
Finally, after that, is the medicine den. Again, there are two dens for the medicine cat- but one is very small, and holds the herbs and is where the medicine cat sleeps. His/her apprentice(s) sleep on the branches surrounding it. In the other, larger hole holds sick cats.
When calling a meeting, the deputy sits on the lowest branch of Camp Tree and the cats gather in the clearing.
Threats include foxes, loose dogs, and the occasional badger.
The Pine Forest/Lake;
It's called both the Pine Forest and the Lake- both suit it. The territory is almost only pine trees, which are evenly spaced. There is little undergrowth, but layers and layers of pine needles. There isn't much unique about the forest. It's were DayClan goes during leafbare, and prey in the forest is usually scarce. There is the occasional mouse, bird, or squirrel though. They mostly rely on the large, wide lake. The trees stop several yards from the shore, and many small streams feed it. There is a large amount of fish in the lake, and a few small ones in the streams. There aren't many large fish near the shore, but luckily there is a twoleg dock and some floating things(boats) that the cats can jump down onto a quarter way out in the lake and pull out bigger fish. When it gets deep into leafbare, the lake and streams freeze. But the lake is to large to completely freeze. Often, the cats can create holes which to drink and fish from, or walk to the end of the ice and catch them. The ice is almost always thick enough to walk on, right out to the edge, and has only broken a few times. But there aren't many cats who will risk going all the way out on the ice, because to much weight in the wrong place and SPLAT, you've fallen in and most likely wont be able to get out unless you have another cat with you.
The camp is between two streams that run close together, meeting near the lake and running into it as one. The camp is on slightly raised ground, and hidden by a thicket of thorn bushes and briars. Over the years, the cats have made a tunnel through the prickles to get to the camp, and created several dens out of them. It's a learned thing, to not get poked constantly. Kits and apprentices often have trouble with this, but you tend to catch on quickly how to best avoid the thorns and instead be grateful for them- it's because of them that there are very, very few attacks from any animal on the camp.
There are not to many threats here, besides falling into the ice. There tends to be a lot of dogs in the area though, but enough trees to climb and leap from that eventually you can get away safely. There's evidence that twolegs come, but very few times do they appear in leafbare. When the snow starts to melt, which signals that it is time to move to the plains, there is sometimes the risk of flooding.
Here, the 'Highrock' is a large tree with a low branch that hangs over camp.
Away With Tradition
Even when I used to roleplay warriors, we always forgot about going to the Moonpool and soon didn't even do Fourtrees..it's a lot easier to not do those things now, because the Clan is always moving and being there is only one Moonpool/Moonstone, they'd possibly have to trek for a moon to get there and back. By then the Clan might have moved onto the next territory. So we simply aren't having the Moonpool. Instead, when a Medicine cat gets a new apprentice they present the apprentice at the Camp's meeting place at moonhigh. If the medicine cat gets a sign of acceptance- which can rang from a leaf falling onto the new apprentice's head to a star shining brighter than usual(or in the negative, the branch might start to break or the moon gets covered by clouds). So if StarClan approves, bang, you got a new medicine kitty.
Fourtrees isn't needed because the cats lack more than one Clan.
Obviously they still have StarClan, and their connection with them is still strong.
