๐ฉ StormClan ๐ฉ
Note: At the moment we are no longer accepting male warriors over the age of 22 moons.
Hello and welcome to StormClan! Oh, you're interested in joining? Well, there are a few things you should know first...
The Drawing System (In-Roleplay)
In this Clan, things work a bit differently. The cats of StormClan believe that StarClan knows best, and because of this, they leave many important decisions up to StarClan. These decisions include who to make deputy, who to apprentice new apprentices to, and even who becomes mates with who. That's right, you can't pick your own mate in this Clan. While some would view this as oppressive and unfair, this is the way StormClan has done things for as long as any cat can remember, and in their opinion, it's the best and only way. What better way to avoid potential mismatches, either between cats and a particular rank or between their relationships with others? StarClan knows best, after all, so StormClan is sure that their choice is always the right one. But how do they know what StarClan is telling them, you ask?
One word: Draws.
For any important decision to be made in the Clan, draws are held by the leader. The drawing customs are as follows:
Deputy
When it is time to appoint a new deputy, the leader will scratch the names (in the form of small, hieroglyph-like signs) of all the warriors who have had apprentices onto sticks and scramble them up. Then, not looking, the leader will pick a random stick and whichever warrior's name is on that stick will be the new deputy.
Medicine Cat Apprentice
If there is need of a medicine cat apprentice, then when it is time to make any kits into apprentices, the leader will scratch their names onto sticks, scramble them up, and pick one without looking. Whichever apprentice's name is on that stick will be the new medicine cat apprentice.
Warrior Apprentices
When it is time to make any kits into apprentices, the leader will scratch their names and the names of all warriors onto sticks and separate them into two piles. Then, not looking, the leader will pick a random stick from each pile, first from the apprentices', then from the warriors'. Whichever warrior's name is on that stick will be that apprentice's mentor. This process is repeated until all apprentices have mentors.
Mates
Every twelve moons during early newleaf, the leader will scratch the names of all single warriors (and, if single, the leader's own name) onto sticks and separate them into two piles, one for she-cats, the other for toms. Then, not looking, the leader will pick a random stick from each pile, first from the she-cats', then from the toms'. Whichever tom's name is on that stick will be that she-cat's mate. This process is repeated until either all single warriors have been coupled, if there is an even number of toms and she-cats, or until one or more cat of a certain gender is left over with no cat of the opposite gender to be coupled with, if there is an uneven number of toms and she-cats. If any cats are left over, it is concluded that it is StarClan's will for those cats to remain single for the time being. Any single warrior may be included in the coupling draw, even if they have had a mate before, as long as their previous mate is not currently part of StormClan. A cat's previous mate must have either passed away or have left or been exiled from the Clan for that cat to be included in the draw. If a couple separates and both cats remain in StormClan, neither will be included in any future coupling draws until one of them passes away. Additionally, a cat who has lost a mate within 3 moons of the coupling has the unique option of opting out of that year's coupling, to give them time to grieve. If, however, it has been more than 3 moons since the cat lost their mate, they must be included in the coupling.
Other
For any other important matter that affects StormClan where the leader is not sure what the right choice is, the leader will scratch all potential choices onto sticks, scramble them up, and pick one without looking. Whichever choice is on that stick will be the choice the leader makes.
StormClan believes that it is truly StarClan making the decisions behind these draws; as such, re-draws are never allowed and the results of every draw are to be accepted and treated with respect. Going against StarClan's decisions (e.g. a cat mating with any cat other than they one they were coupled with) is a serious offense in StormClan and will be punished. But don't worry, few members of the Clan take issue with these draws or their results--most actually find them exciting and look forward to them--so you don't have anything to fear...unless you are one of those few.
Additionally, while StormClan obviously strongly believes in StarClan, they have never seen them for themselves. There is no Moonstone, Moonpool, or any other way of directly communicating with StarClan, and leaders do not receive nine lives (although they do still take the -star suffix at the end of their names). Medicine cats still have a special connection with their warrior ancestors, but they don't receive visions, prophecies, or get to speak with the starry warriors themselves. Rather, they have a heightened spiritual sense and interpret things differently. They tend to "hear" StarClan's voice in the world around them, in nature, and in silence, and often have strong gut feelings.
The Drawing System (Out-of-Roleplay)
I will always use a random generator to determine who is deputy, who is apprenticed to who, who is mates with who, and any other important Clan decisions to be made. However, the ways I generate each will differ depending on what I am generating.
Deputy
I will put the usernames of all roleplayers who have at least one warrior 18 moons or older into the generator. Once a username is selected, I will then put the names of all of that roleplayer's warriors 18 moons or older into the generator, and whichever warrior is generated will be the deputy. If the roleplayer generated only has one warrior 18 moons or older, that warrior is deputy by default. The reason for this is to give everyone a fair chance at having their character become deputy, since not everyone will have the same amount of characters.
Medicine Cat Apprentice
I will put the usernames of all roleplayers who have at least one apprentice into the generator. Once a username is selected, I will then put the names of all that roleplayer's apprentices into the generator, and whichever apprentice is generated will be the medicine cat apprentice. If the roleplayer generated only has one apprentice, that apprentice is medicine cat apprentice by default. The reason for this is to give everyone a fair chance at having their character become medicine cat apprentice, since not everyone will have the same amount of characters.
Warrior Apprentices
For each apprentice, I will put the names of all warriors who are 6 moons or older than the apprentice and do not belong to the same roleplayer as the apprentice into the generator. Whichever warrior is generated will be that apprentice's mentor.
Mates
I will put the names of all warriors who were 12 moons or older at the time of the last coupling in the generator, unless that warrior's mate died or left StormClan after the last coupling. Whichever tom and she-cat are matched in the generator will be mates. If two characters belonging to the same roleplayer are matched, it does not count and they will be re-generated.
If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask!
Still keen on joining us? Great! Then let's move on to...
Territory
StormClan lives in a very stormy area, as you can probably tell. That's how they got their name, after all. It storms a lot in their territory, and when it doesn't, it usually looks like it's going to. Gray skies, dark clouds, rain, wind, thunder, lightning, it doesn't bother them; they're used to it. They welcome the sun when it decides to shine, but don't complain if it doesn't. The clouds covering the sky, even at night, can be viewed as a symbol of their relationship with StarClan. Rarely do they see the stars themselves, but they always know they're there. The thick cover of trees overhead keeps their camp fairly dry, and their dens are even more storm-proof. The leader's den is the closest to the camp entrance. Next to it is the warriors' den, followed by the apprentices' and medicine cat's den. Finally, the elders' den and nursery are at the other end of camp, farthest from the camp entrance. That tree stump in the center of camp is called the Meeting Stump. Whenever the leader holds a Clan meeting or draw, they sit on the stump and call the whole Clan together to gather around. Outside of camp, there's not much to see besides trees and the river.
Rules
1. Fade to black when mating and kitting.
2. No powerplaying, godmodding, or metagaming.
3. No suicide/self-harm, over-the-top violence, or characters deriving pleasure out of hurting/killing others.
4. Only heterosexual and cisgender cats please.
5. Use semi-realistic names and appearances.
6. Use proper grammar and take things seriously. No intentional misspelling of words or emoticons in-roleplay (e.g. "Hai Fireheart! How are yew? :3").
7. You cannot be your own mate/crush or mentor/apprentice. You can, however, be your own former mate/crush or former mentor/apprentice.
8. One high rank per person. This means if you already have one character in a high rank, your other characters will not be entered in draws for other high ranks.
9. You cannot apply for the positions of deputy or medicine cat apprentice (although you can apply for full medicine cat, if available), as your warrior or apprentice will be randomly chosen for the position.
10. Normally, you cannot decide who your character becomes mates with. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. If your character has kits or is expecting them, somebody else is free to create your character's mate, or if your character is a kit, you and somebody else are free to create that kit's parents. Additionally, as elders will not be included in the coupling draws, you and somebody else are free to create an already-established elderly couple if you wish. These exceptions are in place in order to avoid there being too many widow/widower/orphan characters. Apart from these exceptions, you will not be able to choose your own mate. You are of course free to have a character who has a crush on another character, but in-roleplay they are not allowed to become mates unless determined by the draw and their relationship would be considered forbidden.
11. Don't steal the spotlight or draw unnecessary attention to yourself or your characters. Having your character randomly faint or have a breakdown, especially at an inappropriate time (such as during a dramatic moment or when someone else's character is the main focus), for no other reason than to make them the center of attention is not acceptable.
12. Keep ages appropriate with ranks. You should not have a 15 moon old apprentice (too old) or an 80 moon old elder (too young). Remember, 80 months is only around six years! I bet some of you have cats older than that. Generally, keep apprentices between 6-12 moons, warriors between 12-100 moons, and elders 100 moons or older, unless your character has an unusual circumstance.
13. Keep genetics in mind when creating kit characters. Two gray cats will not have an orange kit. Make sure that kits always somewhat resemble at least one of their parents.
14. Keep "revolutionaries" to a minimum. It's easy for us in the real world to view StormClan as a strange and oppressive cult of sorts, but remember that to them, their traditions and systems are normal. I will accept a few characters who do not agree with the Clan's way of doing things and branch off, but the majority of characters should accept it as it's always been a part of their life.
15. Keep former non-Clan cats to a minimum. I will accept a few characters who were born outside StormClan and later taken in, but the majority of characters should be Clan-born.
16. Please DO NOT just fill out a form, post once or twice, and then never post again. If you know that you are going to be inactive for a while or want to take a break and plan on coming back, let me know ahead of time. Otherwise, I'll have to get rid of your characters.
17. You may make your own form if you wish, but it must include your character's name, age, gender, rank (excluding deputy and medicine cat apprentice), appearance, and personality. You may also include additional information such as history, kin, crush, former mates/crushes, former mentors/apprentices, former names, former ranks, and so on, but these are not necessary unless they are significant in some way. Just make sure to include all the basic info and anything else we need to know about your character.
Form
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Rank:
Personality:
Appearance:
Note: At the moment we are no longer accepting male warriors over the age of 22 moons.
Hello and welcome to StormClan! Oh, you're interested in joining? Well, there are a few things you should know first...
The Drawing System (In-Roleplay)
In this Clan, things work a bit differently. The cats of StormClan believe that StarClan knows best, and because of this, they leave many important decisions up to StarClan. These decisions include who to make deputy, who to apprentice new apprentices to, and even who becomes mates with who. That's right, you can't pick your own mate in this Clan. While some would view this as oppressive and unfair, this is the way StormClan has done things for as long as any cat can remember, and in their opinion, it's the best and only way. What better way to avoid potential mismatches, either between cats and a particular rank or between their relationships with others? StarClan knows best, after all, so StormClan is sure that their choice is always the right one. But how do they know what StarClan is telling them, you ask?
One word: Draws.
For any important decision to be made in the Clan, draws are held by the leader. The drawing customs are as follows:
Deputy
When it is time to appoint a new deputy, the leader will scratch the names (in the form of small, hieroglyph-like signs) of all the warriors who have had apprentices onto sticks and scramble them up. Then, not looking, the leader will pick a random stick and whichever warrior's name is on that stick will be the new deputy.
Medicine Cat Apprentice
If there is need of a medicine cat apprentice, then when it is time to make any kits into apprentices, the leader will scratch their names onto sticks, scramble them up, and pick one without looking. Whichever apprentice's name is on that stick will be the new medicine cat apprentice.
Warrior Apprentices
When it is time to make any kits into apprentices, the leader will scratch their names and the names of all warriors onto sticks and separate them into two piles. Then, not looking, the leader will pick a random stick from each pile, first from the apprentices', then from the warriors'. Whichever warrior's name is on that stick will be that apprentice's mentor. This process is repeated until all apprentices have mentors.
Mates
Every twelve moons during early newleaf, the leader will scratch the names of all single warriors (and, if single, the leader's own name) onto sticks and separate them into two piles, one for she-cats, the other for toms. Then, not looking, the leader will pick a random stick from each pile, first from the she-cats', then from the toms'. Whichever tom's name is on that stick will be that she-cat's mate. This process is repeated until either all single warriors have been coupled, if there is an even number of toms and she-cats, or until one or more cat of a certain gender is left over with no cat of the opposite gender to be coupled with, if there is an uneven number of toms and she-cats. If any cats are left over, it is concluded that it is StarClan's will for those cats to remain single for the time being. Any single warrior may be included in the coupling draw, even if they have had a mate before, as long as their previous mate is not currently part of StormClan. A cat's previous mate must have either passed away or have left or been exiled from the Clan for that cat to be included in the draw. If a couple separates and both cats remain in StormClan, neither will be included in any future coupling draws until one of them passes away. Additionally, a cat who has lost a mate within 3 moons of the coupling has the unique option of opting out of that year's coupling, to give them time to grieve. If, however, it has been more than 3 moons since the cat lost their mate, they must be included in the coupling.
Other
For any other important matter that affects StormClan where the leader is not sure what the right choice is, the leader will scratch all potential choices onto sticks, scramble them up, and pick one without looking. Whichever choice is on that stick will be the choice the leader makes.
StormClan believes that it is truly StarClan making the decisions behind these draws; as such, re-draws are never allowed and the results of every draw are to be accepted and treated with respect. Going against StarClan's decisions (e.g. a cat mating with any cat other than they one they were coupled with) is a serious offense in StormClan and will be punished. But don't worry, few members of the Clan take issue with these draws or their results--most actually find them exciting and look forward to them--so you don't have anything to fear...unless you are one of those few.
Additionally, while StormClan obviously strongly believes in StarClan, they have never seen them for themselves. There is no Moonstone, Moonpool, or any other way of directly communicating with StarClan, and leaders do not receive nine lives (although they do still take the -star suffix at the end of their names). Medicine cats still have a special connection with their warrior ancestors, but they don't receive visions, prophecies, or get to speak with the starry warriors themselves. Rather, they have a heightened spiritual sense and interpret things differently. They tend to "hear" StarClan's voice in the world around them, in nature, and in silence, and often have strong gut feelings.
The Drawing System (Out-of-Roleplay)
I will always use a random generator to determine who is deputy, who is apprenticed to who, who is mates with who, and any other important Clan decisions to be made. However, the ways I generate each will differ depending on what I am generating.
Deputy
I will put the usernames of all roleplayers who have at least one warrior 18 moons or older into the generator. Once a username is selected, I will then put the names of all of that roleplayer's warriors 18 moons or older into the generator, and whichever warrior is generated will be the deputy. If the roleplayer generated only has one warrior 18 moons or older, that warrior is deputy by default. The reason for this is to give everyone a fair chance at having their character become deputy, since not everyone will have the same amount of characters.
Medicine Cat Apprentice
I will put the usernames of all roleplayers who have at least one apprentice into the generator. Once a username is selected, I will then put the names of all that roleplayer's apprentices into the generator, and whichever apprentice is generated will be the medicine cat apprentice. If the roleplayer generated only has one apprentice, that apprentice is medicine cat apprentice by default. The reason for this is to give everyone a fair chance at having their character become medicine cat apprentice, since not everyone will have the same amount of characters.
Warrior Apprentices
For each apprentice, I will put the names of all warriors who are 6 moons or older than the apprentice and do not belong to the same roleplayer as the apprentice into the generator. Whichever warrior is generated will be that apprentice's mentor.
Mates
I will put the names of all warriors who were 12 moons or older at the time of the last coupling in the generator, unless that warrior's mate died or left StormClan after the last coupling. Whichever tom and she-cat are matched in the generator will be mates. If two characters belonging to the same roleplayer are matched, it does not count and they will be re-generated.
If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask!
Still keen on joining us? Great! Then let's move on to...
Territory
StormClan lives in a very stormy area, as you can probably tell. That's how they got their name, after all. It storms a lot in their territory, and when it doesn't, it usually looks like it's going to. Gray skies, dark clouds, rain, wind, thunder, lightning, it doesn't bother them; they're used to it. They welcome the sun when it decides to shine, but don't complain if it doesn't. The clouds covering the sky, even at night, can be viewed as a symbol of their relationship with StarClan. Rarely do they see the stars themselves, but they always know they're there. The thick cover of trees overhead keeps their camp fairly dry, and their dens are even more storm-proof. The leader's den is the closest to the camp entrance. Next to it is the warriors' den, followed by the apprentices' and medicine cat's den. Finally, the elders' den and nursery are at the other end of camp, farthest from the camp entrance. That tree stump in the center of camp is called the Meeting Stump. Whenever the leader holds a Clan meeting or draw, they sit on the stump and call the whole Clan together to gather around. Outside of camp, there's not much to see besides trees and the river.
Rules
1. Fade to black when mating and kitting.
2. No powerplaying, godmodding, or metagaming.
3. No suicide/self-harm, over-the-top violence, or characters deriving pleasure out of hurting/killing others.
4. Only heterosexual and cisgender cats please.
5. Use semi-realistic names and appearances.
6. Use proper grammar and take things seriously. No intentional misspelling of words or emoticons in-roleplay (e.g. "Hai Fireheart! How are yew? :3").
7. You cannot be your own mate/crush or mentor/apprentice. You can, however, be your own former mate/crush or former mentor/apprentice.
8. One high rank per person. This means if you already have one character in a high rank, your other characters will not be entered in draws for other high ranks.
9. You cannot apply for the positions of deputy or medicine cat apprentice (although you can apply for full medicine cat, if available), as your warrior or apprentice will be randomly chosen for the position.
10. Normally, you cannot decide who your character becomes mates with. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. If your character has kits or is expecting them, somebody else is free to create your character's mate, or if your character is a kit, you and somebody else are free to create that kit's parents. Additionally, as elders will not be included in the coupling draws, you and somebody else are free to create an already-established elderly couple if you wish. These exceptions are in place in order to avoid there being too many widow/widower/orphan characters. Apart from these exceptions, you will not be able to choose your own mate. You are of course free to have a character who has a crush on another character, but in-roleplay they are not allowed to become mates unless determined by the draw and their relationship would be considered forbidden.
11. Don't steal the spotlight or draw unnecessary attention to yourself or your characters. Having your character randomly faint or have a breakdown, especially at an inappropriate time (such as during a dramatic moment or when someone else's character is the main focus), for no other reason than to make them the center of attention is not acceptable.
12. Keep ages appropriate with ranks. You should not have a 15 moon old apprentice (too old) or an 80 moon old elder (too young). Remember, 80 months is only around six years! I bet some of you have cats older than that. Generally, keep apprentices between 6-12 moons, warriors between 12-100 moons, and elders 100 moons or older, unless your character has an unusual circumstance.
13. Keep genetics in mind when creating kit characters. Two gray cats will not have an orange kit. Make sure that kits always somewhat resemble at least one of their parents.
14. Keep "revolutionaries" to a minimum. It's easy for us in the real world to view StormClan as a strange and oppressive cult of sorts, but remember that to them, their traditions and systems are normal. I will accept a few characters who do not agree with the Clan's way of doing things and branch off, but the majority of characters should accept it as it's always been a part of their life.
15. Keep former non-Clan cats to a minimum. I will accept a few characters who were born outside StormClan and later taken in, but the majority of characters should be Clan-born.
16. Please DO NOT just fill out a form, post once or twice, and then never post again. If you know that you are going to be inactive for a while or want to take a break and plan on coming back, let me know ahead of time. Otherwise, I'll have to get rid of your characters.
17. You may make your own form if you wish, but it must include your character's name, age, gender, rank (excluding deputy and medicine cat apprentice), appearance, and personality. You may also include additional information such as history, kin, crush, former mates/crushes, former mentors/apprentices, former names, former ranks, and so on, but these are not necessary unless they are significant in some way. Just make sure to include all the basic info and anything else we need to know about your character.
Form
Name:
Gender:
Age:
Rank:
Personality:
Appearance:
