User blog:Diggertheleopardgecko/CedarClan

Another clan idea owned by Diggertheleopardgecko!

CedarClan: Spirited and Wise

Introduction
Cedarclan was formally a nomadic tribe named "Tribe of the Tumbling Mountain". They moved camps every year or two. Cedarclan gets its' name from the cedar tree they chose for their camp.

Territory
Cedarclan lives in a dense, marshy forest. The easily adaptable cats are skilled at moving quickly and silently through the forest and pride themselves in their ability to utilize the trees for hunting and battle. Many types of prey can be found here, usually on the edge of the forest but sometimes can be found in denser areas such as; a number of rodents and birds, frogs and lizards, and the occasional rabbit in the meadows. Predators include, but aren't limited to, fox, deer, bears, badgers, owls, and even mountain lions or coyotes.

The Gorge- Along the north-east to east side of the territory, the forest ends and earth falls away into steep cliffs. At the bottom of the gorge is a river that rushes quickly through. It is a dangerous place to be around, although, there are trails to take to get to the bottom of the gorge so hunting parties occasionally venture there. Among the sides and base of the gorge, there are many different types of prey to be found. Small rodents, birds, lizards can be found scurrying in the sand and brush, eggs can be found in any number of birds nests, and fish can be plucked from the river. Of course there are always predators lurking about; eagles, falcons, and hawks often prey on cats from above- especially if their nests are messed with. Though not necessarily aggressive, beavers, snakes, elk, and bighorn sheep are also incredibly dangerous if provoked.

Training Area- Along the south edge of the forest, the soils of the forest floor turns into sand and the trees become sparser. In a large meadow, the warriors practice and teach their apprentices battle moves. They continue to uphold the tradition of the required daily practice to ensure they're always prepared. The sandy floor is soft and easy to land on although does occasionally cause problems for footing.

The Beach- The very south of our territory is a beach. The area isn't often used for hunting but it is a nice place for cats to go and relax. There are often tidal pool which offer hunting and a space to teach kits how to swim. There are a few cave systems which are fun to explore but since they don't boast many prey options, cats don't usually go there. Keep an eye out for seagulls, eagles, and osprey as they have a tendency to prey on small cats.

Twolegplace- There is a small twolegplace about a day and a half travel south-east of the territory. It's very small but between the twolegs, monsters, dogs, and rogue cats, it's just as dangerous as a larger dwelling.

The Land Bridge- In order to get to the gathering place, the cats of Cedarclan must cross the Land Bridge into Pineclan territory. It is a natural bridge made of rock that stretches the length of the gorge. It is just wide enough for one and a half cats so they usually travel one at a time across. In the middle of the bridge, there is a large chunk of land missing, making that part of the bridge only half as wide as the rest of it. This is caused from Sunstrike and Eveninggaze fighting the mountain lion that terrorized the clan.

The Border Clans- The north-west edge of our territory is a river that marks the border between Cedarclan and Oakclan. It's mostly forested with some open clearings. The border with Pineclan runs along the north-eastern side and is marked by the gorge.

The Gathering Place- The gathering place is where the clans meet everyone full moon in a time of peace to share news of the previous moon. The entire clearing is surrounded by a small stream fed by rivers coming down from each clan territory. In the center of the clearing stands a huge willow tree whose branches encompass the area. The gathering takes place underneath this tree. A few of the roots are above the ground proving the leaders a perfect place to stand to address the clans.

The Moon Cavern- Hidden deep in a cave on the west side of Oakclan territory, is a little pool fed by the ocean. The soft sand around the pool makes a great place to lay down and a hole in the roof provides a view of the moon when it's directly above the cave. Medicine cats come here to speak with Starclan.

Singing Falls- On the west side of the territory, the river splits into two sides. One side runs into Oakclan territory while the other fork continues through ours. If you continue down the river you'll find the Singing Falls. It's a beautiful waterfall that plummets off a cliff and into a small pool at the bottom. The pool is a great place to relax and swim and occasionally can be fished. Behind the waterfall is a cave where new warriors go to place their pawprint on the wall.

The Black Timbers- On the north-east side of the territory is a small stretch of trees called the Black Timbers. Here, the canopy is so thick the forest floor below is dark even during the day. It is usually avoided as it can be a scary at times. Not many animals can be found this deep in the forest but it can be home to woodpeckers, owls, raccoons, porcupines, turkeys, and some deer so always be on the lookout.

Lionstar's Camp is located in the heart of the territory underneath a huge cedar tree. That's where the clan gets it's name. some of the roots of the tree are above ground which forms a clearing underneath. The spaces between the roots have been filled in with brambles and leaves to make one continuous wall. There is a small space where cats can enter in and out.

The Leaders' den- The leaders den is a small bramble covered den in the very back of the camp and is nestled between two of the large roots. Beside the den is the Big Rock which is where the leader addresses the clan. No one knows how or why but it was already in camp when the cats got there.

The Medicine den- The medicine den is actually outside the main camp. It was built onto the side of the main camp because they needed as much room as possible. It's entrance is inside camp. There is a short tunnel that leads into the den. On one side is a small alcove where the medicine cat sleeps. In the back are rows and rows of herbs and on the other side is where the sick cats sleep.

The Warriors' den- Located close to the entrance of the camp and built much the same way as leaders' den.

The Apprentice den- Located opposite the warriors' den and close to the nursery. It's built out of brambles like the warriors'.

The Nursery- The nursery is similar to the medicine in the sense that it is actually outside the camp. It's built inside an old fox den, the entrance to which, is inside the camp. It's perfect for mothers and their young as it's insulated and private.

The Elders' den- Located near the medicine tunnel, the elders' den is inside a hollow part of the root of the tree itself.

Evening's Camp- The camp is located in a series of caves near the beach and at the edge of Cedarclan territory. There is a small space between a boulder and the cave wall that the cats can slip through to get in and out. Inside are a few small alcoves that can serve as dens.

The Leader's Den- The leaders' den is in one of the small alcoves near the front of the cave.

The Medicine Den- The medicine den is a partitioned-off space in the back of the cave. It has a few nests for sick or injured cats.

The Guard's Den- All members of the Guard sleep in the middle of camp with the paws.

The Nursery- The nursery is in the biggest alcove and is located near the back of the den.

Cats of the Clan
Leader Lionstar

Deputy Larksong

Medicine Cat Grayrobin

Warriors

Apprentices

Queens

Elders

Kits

Traditions
When the tribe became a clan, they had to choose which traditions they'd keep and which they'd give up. They even got some new ones. Below is a list of current and old traditions. The old traditions are no longer used but are listed for reference.

Naming process- During their time as a tribe, the cats of Cedarclan used one name like rogues. Now, they use the normal two-part name of clancats but, they still use their tradition for naming kits. Mothers always name their first born daughter after a female who was influential in their life while her mate will name their firstborn son after a tom influential in his as a way to honor fallen tribemates who are gone but not forgotten which was especially important when they were nomadic. None of the other kits in the litter would have requirements for their name. If they have a litter of all girls then the father waits to name his firstborn son after someone important until he actually has a firstborn son and vise-versa. The cool thing about them being nomadic is that if they lived by the ocean there would be generation of cats named after ocean things. and then they move to a mountainous region, there would be a generation of cats with mountainous names.

Deputy voting- Voting is an old tradition in the tribe. The Guard were equal to warriors but were split between hunters and fighters. In charge of each group was an officer who had the same roles as a clans' deputy. They were always older cats and always voted into place by members of the group in the Guard. This is one of the traditions that was saved when they became a clan, although it did get changed slightly. For starters, rather than two officers, there is now just a single deputy. The warriors will nominate three cats and then there will be a vote. Nominating is done by telling the leader their nomination. If there are more than three nominations for a cat, they are appointed as a nominee. During the vote, the nominees will stand together and all members of the clan over 12 moons of age will place a stone in front of their choice for deputy.

The first prey- The first time an apprentice catches their own prey, it is presented to their mentor at meal-time as a 'thank you' for teaching them how to catch prey.

Daily practice- Here is another tradition that managed to survive the change to clan culture. All warriors battle train in a mandatory practice every day. Two groups go out at once and battle each other before returning so the next group can go. This keeps their skills sharp.

Medicine Cat Initiation- This is a new tradition that was taken on after becoming a clan. When a medicine cat apprentice has completed their training, they'll journey alone to the Moon Caverns to take their final assessment which is given by Starclan and consists mostly of questions about herbs and treatments. If they pass, they'll receive their name but if they fail, they will have to spend another moon training before they can try again. When they come back, they will announce the name given to them by their ancestors.

Mate ceremonies- This is a tradition so old, no one remembers who started it. When two cats decide to become mates, the Queen would lead a ceremony to bring the two cats together in the bindings of love. Though she is no longer Queen, Petalshine decided that it would continue to be her job to perform these ceremonies. When she dies, the medicine cat will take over this duty.

Heirs/Betrothing- The passing down of leadership was fairly simple. The eldest child of the current King and Queen was the next in line to lead. If they were female, she'd become Queen and her betrothed- a tom chosen after she became a member of the Guard to become her mate- would become King. If male, the same would occur with a shecat chosen to become his mate. After the tribe became Cedarclan, this is one of the traditions that got cut.

History
Cedarclan began as the Tribe of the Tumbling Mountain. It was founded by a cat named Jag, his mate Lily, and their kits Tumble and Twist. Soon, more cats began to join them until their camp grew too small and they had to move to a new home. They decided to make it a tradition to move to a new home every two years.

Many years passed and the tribe came across an odd group of cats who called themselves Oakclan. Lion and Petal, the current king and queen, realized the the strange cats weren't so different than themselves. Petal admitted that it would be nice to not have to move around anymore and they decided to finally settle down for good, claiming territory near Oakclan and becoming a clan themselves.

They found the perfect camp underneath a large cedar tree and Cedarclan was born.