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ＳＴＥＰＰＥＣＬＡＮ ＴＥＲＲＩＴＯＲＹ
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Steppeclan is a nomadic group of cats that primarily wander between northern Mongolia and south eastern Russia. Their migration depends on the seasons and the scarcity of food. For example, in the summer months, eastern Russia is pleasantly mild, while Mongolia is far too balmy for the long haired members of the clan. However in the winter the cold becomes brutal, and they migrate south where the ground is softer and food is more plentiful. In certain years, droughts and natural disasters have occasionally forced them into Kazakhstan and North Korea, though they prefer the vast steppes most of all, the land being their namesake.
The wildlife of their usual hunting grounds consists mostly of antelope and horses, though these animals are too large for a tiny cat to hunt alone. When traveling in smaller packs, they mainly consume hedgehogs and lizards, hunting at night to compensate for the lack of foliage, as the steppes of Mongolia are vast, flat and bare, with very few trees and bushes to conceal them. However, rival clans are few and far between, making the solitude an attractive selling point for the hostile and distrusting cats of Steppeclan.
In the summer months, the mountainsides they roam provide more cover and natural vantage points, and their prey changes from small mammals and lizards to larger wild goats, who they use strength in numbers to ambush and over power. Young apprentices, called disciples, are frequently warned not to venture into areas where the altitude is too high, as the air is thinner, the cold can become overwhelming even in the summer, and risks of falling to their deaths are ever present. Despite this, the curious young cats often disregard the warnings of their elders, the ones who survive becoming exceptional at acrobatics, the land itself hardening them into agile warriors.
Due to the harsh and unpredictable nature of their territory, it's no surprise that Steppeclan is known for breeding strong fighters capable of thinking on their feet and making up for their lack of size even when facing a much larger opponent. The tundra, steppes and mountains of eastern Eurasia are the foundation of the clan's strength and pride, and serves to shape their behavior. The old adage, passed down from nurturer to whelp from generation still holds true. "We are nothing without the land we travel."
