Post by !Gingernose on Feb 11, 2015 1:46:43 GMT
Tribe of Curled Ferns
The Tribe of Curled Ferns works in a modified way to the canon Tribe cats, mostly because of similarities to the existing Clan culture and lack of variation in naming, customs, and the like. So let's start this out with some basic information!
Table of Contents:
Press ctrl+f and type in the header name to find the section.
Tribe Structure
Naming System
Religious Beliefs
Commands
Celebrations
Glossary
Tribe Structure
Healer :: This cat acts as spiritual guidance. They are often escorted out into the most 'living' part of an area (such as an overgrown part of a forest, or a stretch of rock that is untouched by other tribes or any other creature) to seek council with the Tribe of Endless Hunting. They learn the ways of the herbs and plants. They may take on up to two apprentices, but only after the first has been fully trained and attuned to the forces of the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The healers are often looked to for advice. At one time, there can only be one healer and up to two apprentices.
Council :: These cats are mostly cats that have become too old to work in their original roles, though a small portion is made up of younger cats who chose the role, usually ones who are interested in the governing of the Clan and the stories told in order to reveal morals or teach things. When a decision is made, all other cats make their points and complaints to the Council and the council takes one moon-passing (a night) to decide. They also decide on a cat's name when they participate in their Initiation ceremonies.
Prey-hunters :: These cats gather resources and hunt for prey, and it is custom for a prey-hunter to bow their head respectfully towards prey they have recently caught. These cats are often out of the den. Often made up of leaner cats.
Ground-guards :: These cats guard the sleeping grounds of the Tribe (which is never necessarily a cave!). They are trained more heavily in the art of self defense and defending the Tribe than the Prey-hunters. These cats are normally muscular or stocky, especially larger cats.
Initiates :: The Tribe's apprentices. These cats graduate at 8 moon-cycles and earn their name at the time of their Initiation. They usually train under a cat of the division they would like to become, be it Council, Prey-hunter, or Ground-guards; they usually choose the role that fits their habits and skills, though it's not abnormal for a cat to choose a role not expected of them (i.e. a stocky cat becoming a prey-hunter). They graduate to their role at 12 moon-cycles of age or more, depending on whether they need more time to train.
Lifebringers :: These are cats-that-can-have-kits that are expecting a litter or are caring for one already. They are respected for their position when serving in it, although they can be very vicious if some-cat tries to come into their den without invitation.
Kits :: Just kittens. Their Initiation happens at 8 moon-cycles. New members are placed at this tier, initially, and after they have their own Initiation, they will be taught how the Tribe functions by any cat that calls for them until they graduate.
Naming System
Tribe naming is similar to those in the books (and could definitely pass for canon Tribe names), though this system is more loosely based on the traditional style of naming.
A name must consist of at most 7 and at least 4 words. The first name must start with a base word that describes the cat's pelt (Moth, Jay, Pebble), and the rest of the name must describe the base word depending on how the cat completes their Initiation (Moth That Darts About, Jay That Roams The Mountain, Pebble Beneath The Quiet River). Names do not require a 'that' statement (akin to Moth's name listed above) and can instead be describing a scene or something else (like Pebble's name). All words must start with a capital, including in-betweens like 'to', 'a', and 'of'. Kittens are referred to by the base word until their Initiation.
A rogue or loner cannot keep their previous name in any form, even if it coincides with pelt (such as a ginger cat named Red or a black cat named Night). They also cannot contain any words that are considered sacred (Sun, Moon, and Star, for example) or any that have association with the furless (Car, Streetlight, or Brick).
Healer naming is a little different. Healer initiates do not require the title (simply called (title)'s apprentice). Each Tribe gives these cats a title depending on their source of communication with their ancestors, such as Stoneteller (Teller Of Pointed Stones), Rootreader (Reader Of Gnarled Roots), or Pathwatcher (Watcher Of Many Paths). The Tribe of Curled Ferns give their healer the title Stormwatcher (Watcher Of Coming Storms).
Healers are to be referred to by their titles in formal or regular conversation (in either mixed company - from different Tribes or from a Clan - or among cats that do not know the healer personally). Healers can be referred to by their first name only in personal conversation by their close friends and family, but no one else (and they cannot be called such in mixed company).
Healers gain their names after visiting their connection-spot to the Tribe of Endless Hunting and seating themselves there until they feel their ancestors have accepted them into the position.
Religious Beliefs
As it is in canon, cats believe in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The ToEH is led by two cats named Sun That Rises In The East (Sun) and Moon That Lights The Sky (Moon), often represented as a white cat with yellow eyes and a black cat with white markings that are compared to stars speckling the sky (with an undetermined eye color, as it's said that Moon never opens their eyes). They are referred to with neutral language (they/them/their, either singular or plural) when discussed. It is believed that cats were created in their image, and that when cats die, they join the Tribe of Endless Hunting for eternity until they have become forgotten.
Tribe cats may be afraid to be forgotten, so there are four central celebrations centered around praising cats for living in harsh conditions whilst thanking the ancestors for their guidance and their paw in creating their culture.
When a Healer seeks guidance, they go to a place in the territory that is the most undisturbed by catkind and furlesskind, places like dense forest or a rarely-touched pond hidden in brambles - so it would either be a place with dense vegetation or a place where no-cat or no-creature visits (like an open span of rock in the mountains or a rock that is surrounded by fields that host no creature).
The healer, after taking on their title, must go to this place and "listen to the earth", or rather, listen to the wind, watch the clouds, and generally observe the environment, though only when asked or if it is needed; they often keep their ears and eyes peeled for anything that may be considered a sign (a sudden gust of wind, clouds looming on the horizon, a creature fidgeting in the brush) in order to understand the state of things. They return to their sleeping-grounds and speak to the council about their experience, and the council then uses that to determine an outcome (whether it's moving the sleeping-grounds, trusting a cat to join, or something else).
Most cats believe in this system. Cats who do not are uncommon, but those cats are never accepted as healers. (There have been a few incidents where initiates were taken to the role but then found out later to have no belief in the Tribe of Endless Hunting, and had then been removed from their position before ascending to the official Healer title.)
Celebrations
The Tribe cats have four central celebrations, each named after the season they take place in (in the format of "Celebration of (time here)"), that take place in the middle of each said season. Some games are played during these holidays and cats who were born in the season celebrate their birth-seasons on this celebration. The celebrations last for three days.
The first day of a celebration is formalities, where the healer gives a speech praising the Tribe for staying together during the seasons and thanking each of the ancestors for their help (naming specific ones, recently deceased, in order to make sure no one forgets their contributions). This is the popular day for a cat to start their Initiation, though they can happen at any time (and may happen earlier or later depending on if they are actually of-age at that time). Cats step forward and speak of dead relatives by name and remark some of their best qualities ('never gave up on their goals', 'they often helped others even at the cost of their own time', etc).
The second day is when cats come together to play games. There is a popular game often played by younger cats that has to do with two or more cats with a pile of a small object each (usually pebbles or twigs). The object of the game is to sneak as many of the object out of the pile without alerting the other cat, who will have their eyes closed while this is happening. Sometimes it devolves into bickering over whether a cat actually heard the other cat taking a pebble or if they were faking it. Older cats play a game of guessing, where they take a certain amount of rocks, hide it from others, and everyone takes bets on how many the cat has. Whoever is closest gets to take that role up and be the one who hides the rocks.
The third day is when cats pull together any prey they've collected excess of and eat it like a banquet (though this part is often left out in the Time of Frozen Water and the Time of Fallen Leaves for obvious reasons). In other seasons, cats go out and hunt, and whoever brings the most prey before nightfall is said to have good luck until the next celebration.
Lesser celebrations include Initiations, graduations (from initiate to their chosen role), and births/deaths. The dead are honored by other cats when they are 'given' an item (usually a flower, leaf, or something else 'living') as a gift to their next life. The council takes bodies away and buries them with their gifts. Newborn kittens are celebrated, but not visited, as many lifebringers are unhappy with visitors (and many cats only see the kittens after they've grown a bit!).
Commands
'Commands' are the rules said to be set by Sun and Moon in order to keep the Tribes peaceful.
1. Value peace and thinking over anger and fighting.
--> This means that all cats should try their best to avoid a fight, if possible, and if trying to escape something dangerous, they should run rather than fight.
2. Be kind to your kin and trust them wholeheartedly.
---> This covers the whole 'respect everyone' and 'accept everyone into the Tribe as one of your own' deals. Another popular rephrasing of this Command is "Doubt spreads doubt".
3. Celebrate the past.
---> This also is phrased as "Accept what happened and move on". This means that a cat must always celebrate not only their past mistakes/victories, but also their ancestors.
4. Spare the blood of another if it can be helped.
---> A tie-in to the idea of peace and thinking. This means that Tribe cats must never kill another unless the cat is intent on destroying them. Mercy should be given when possible.
5. A Tribe cat may not live two lives.
---> This one is a little vague, but it encompasses two ideas: One being that healers don't get nine lives (as canon warrior cat leaders tend to have), and the other is that a cat must stay within the Tribe and not be a "daylight tribecat". (This means that they may not 'have a paw in each world' and go home to their furless owners at the end of the day.)
With 5 Commands, Sun and Moon allowed the Tribes to prosper. Other popular sayings are "leave mossy rocks unturned" (leave old troubles alone/don't stir up old debates) and "all in earth's season" ('eventually').
Glossary
Terms I've used in the text above that may be unclear.
Base Name : The first name a cat is given that is then expanded on after completing their Initiation. (These names are ones like Jay, Moth, or Pebble, and depend on the cat's appearance.)
Furless : Never capitalized because they are considered dangerous and nonsacred. This is their word for humans. Humans are considered a disgrace, and any cat that lives among them is said to have their skills wasted.
Initiation : A ceremony undergone for cats that have reached 8 moon-turns in order to receive a name and begin their training. Each Initiation ceremony is different, giving the cat a task to complete; names are given depending on how they completed their task.
Moon-cycles : Months.
Moon-turns : Days.
Time of Clear Skies : Summer.
Time of Falling Leaves : Fall.
Time of Freed Water : Spring. (Also the canon term for it.)
Time of Frozen Water : Winter. (Also the canon term for it.)
Sleeping-Grounds : Generally speaking, a camp, or a place where the Tribe's cats are currently residing. These are not permanent, and may change depending on weather, season, or danger.