Religion (Warrior Cats Supplement)
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Religion[edit]
Just like humans, cats have their own religion. They believe that all cats come from the great big cats: lion, tiger, and leopard. The majority of cats believes that when they die, they join with their spiritual ancestors. Their afterlife is not in the astral, a divine, or a hellish plane. Instead they go the ethereal plane. A plane that mirrors our own plane, the material plan. The home of the ghosts.
Ethereal plane is often described as the sky. It is the best metaphor the explain how the ethereal plane is like. Each group of cats have their own personal group of spiritual cats that watches over them. It is described that they watch the living from the sky.
Unlike greater powers of gods, ancestor spirit cats wield very little power. They are closer to a great mage than a demigod. They have the power to send signs, grant extra life, visit dreams of the living, and grant magical powers. They spend most of their time enjoying the afterlife and looking after the living cats. The ancestral spirits lose their powers and ability if they wander too far from the home "sky" of their people. If the living cats that believe in them move to a new location, they are robbed most of their powers until the wandering group either settle down or adapt to life style of constant traveling.
As ancestor spirit cats depend on the living cats for their powers, living cats depend on the dead to guide them away from danger. They help each other. It is unknown if ancestor spirit grow stronger if there a larger group of believing cats. It is known that the ancestor spirit's power changes depending on how they and the living cats interact to each other.
Clan[edit]
Describe a group of cats with the -clan suffix that follow the warrior code a believe in StarClan and the Dark Forest. Unlike most group of cats, they have two groups of ancestor spirit cats. It is unclear on how they work and able to "share" the same sky. It is said that StarClan is in the Silver Pelt (Milkyway in the nigh sky) while the dark forest is the darkness between the stars. How it works in the ethereal plan is unknown. They do have separate teritories.
Clan cats are RiverClan, ShadowClan, SkyClan, ThunderClan, WarriorClan, WindClan, and Eclipseclan.
These following groups have the -clan suffix but do not go to these afterlife are: BloodClan and FullMoonClan.
StarClan[edit]
"We can warn them and guide them, but in the end they will go their own way."
―Yellowfang
StarClan are the deceased ancestors, descendants, and Clanmates of the Clan cats. Cats are only allowed to join StarClan when they die if they have lived an honorable life and followed the warrior code. StarClan cats don't have to be in a Clan at the time of their death to be welcomed to StarClan.
When a Clan cat dies, they will be guided to StarClan by a deceased cat who played an important part in their life, such as a mentor or a cherished family member. When a cat dies and goes to join StarClan, they merely close their eyes and reopen them.[10][11] When a leader loses a life, that life appears in StarClan as a very faint copy of the leader, but they are unable to communicate in any way to other StarClan cats until the leader loses their final life.
- Appearance
StarClan cats leave starry paw prints, their eyes shine like stars, and their pelts glow with a strange light that makes them look like they have stars in their fur. Frost sparkles at their paws and glitters in their eyes. Their pelts shine like ice and carry all the scents of the seasons: the tang of leaf-bare (winter), the green scent of greenleaf (summer), the musk of leaf-fall (fall), and the sweet blossom of newleaf (spring). The cats' spirits remain in StarClan until they are forgotten by all living and dead cats over a long time and earned their own peace, causing them to fade away to little more than ghost-like images of themselves. It is possible for a StarClan cat to be killed again, but they vanish forever; going to a different place.
- Relationship with the Living
StarClan act somewhat like guardians to the living Clan cats, often warning them of dangers ahead or to guide them in times of need. Ancestors usually watch over the living cats of their former Clan, and especially over cats who were close to them in their lifetime. Living cats visit StarClan in their dreams, although StarClan cats are able to appear even in the waking world, but such appearances are rare.
Medicine cats are specially bonded with StarClan, and they are the cats who are usually contacted by their ancestors. At every half-moon, the medicine cats and their apprentices of each Clan go to their sacred place, the Moonstone or Moonpool, to speak with their ancestors, to seek advice or to learn of things awaiting in their futures. To receive the signs of StarClan, medicine cats either touch their nose to the cold surface of the Moonstone, or drink the cool water of the Moonpool to initiate their dreams.
Besides medicine cats, StarClan cats sometimes send messages to leaders. Warriors, though it is uncommon, are known to have received prophetic dreams. In rare cases, they would visit in the dreams of non-Clan cats that don't believe in StarClan.
StarClan's prophecies are often phrased in riddles without clear meanings. StarClan themselves are often unsure of what the prophecies mean.
- Traditions
All Clan cats worship StarClan and adhere to their guidance and wisdom. Clan cats give thanks to StarClan after catching prey for the life the prey has given to feed the Clan. When a warrior dies, their Clanmates wish for StarClan to watch over them.: "May StarClan light your path. May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter where you sleep." During times of trouble, Clan cats will wish for StarClan to help them, or utter "Thank StarClan" if things have gone well.
- Ceremonies
All Clan ceremonies are believed to be supervised by StarClan. The Clan leader performing a ceremony calls upon the warrior ancestors, and promotes a cat to their new rank by the powers of StarClan. The leader asks that StarClan welcome them by a new name, such as when an apprentice is named a warrior.[35] If a dying apprentice is worthy, they can be named into a warrior so they'll be welcomed as one into StarClan.
- Leader Ceremony
StarClan has the greatest role during leadership ceremonies, giving the new leader their nine lives and granting the -star suffix to their name. Each of the lives are granted by a single ancestor, usually a cat the new leader had cherished when the cat was alive such as a loved family member or mentor. When a life is granted to a leader, they are given a special gift or attribute to make them a good leader, such as endurance, courage, or strength. However, StarClan will not grant all 9 lives if the previous leader still has some remaining.
StarClan can also revoke nine lives from a leader if they are deemed unjust by their Clan. StarClan cannot choose leaders, even if the leader is just. Only the Clans themselves can choose their leaders, and in most cases StarClan will accept a cruel leader.
Dark Forest (Place of No Stars)[edit]
"Tchah! Why would you want to go to StarClan? That place is full of old weak-willed cowards who clung to the warrior code like ants to a leaf in a puddle. You will find much better company in the cats here, Tigerclaw."
— Mapleshade
It is a place where cats that have committed great crimes against their Clans and the warrior code go when they die. However, cats who commit crimes but believe they are following the warrior code can usually join the ranks of StarClan instead.
- Relationship with the Living
Several Dark Forest spirits can walk in the dreams of living cats, though it is a skill that must be learned. Usually in the dream, the cat finds themselves in the Dark Forest with the deceased cat. Though sometimes Dark Forest cats can enter into living cats' dreams. There seems to be no limitations on who the Dark Forest cats can visit, although if a cat consciously decides that they don't want to be visited any more, it seems to prevent it from happening again. At times, cats can dream themselves into the Dark Forest without a spirit guide, by harnessing on dark thoughts and being open to negative emotions, such as anger and hatred fear, anguish and hopelessness, and jealousy.
Upon waking up from the dream, they will retain all characteristics acquired; for example, if they get wounded in the Dark Forest, they will have the same wound in reality as well. This also applies to fatigue and skills practiced in the dream. This also includes death, as cats who are killed in the Dark Forest die in real life.
Tribe of Rushing Water[edit]
Tribe of Rushing Water are a group of cats that live in the mountains. They have similar but different traditions and culture as the Clan cats due to their shared roots.
Tribe of Endless Hunting[edit]
The ancestral spirits that make up the Tribe of Endless Hunting are similar to those that make up StarClan. However, instead of being born of the four forest Clans they are born of the mountain Tribe.
Instead of having a pelt that glows and looks like stars like StarClan, they appear like normal ghost cats. They seem to fade with age. Also, unlike StarClan who are restored if they have disabilities like blindness or hearing, it is not restored and if they died in battle, they still have wounds when they join The Tribe of Endless Hunting. Cats in Tribe of Endless Hunting are restored to the age in which they were happiest, like StarClan.
- Relation with Living Cats
The spirits of the Tribe of Endless Hunting use the Cave of Pointed Stones as the primary conduit by which they communicate with their earthly counterparts. The Tribe of Endless Hunting does not communicate with the Tribe of Rushing Water through dreams but instead only uses omens to transmit their messages.
Sisterhood[edit]
Sisterhood is a group of traveling she-cats (female cats) that have the ability to see dead cats.
Ethereal Plane[edit]
"I can't make all dead cats appear. Needletail told me about StarClan. I've never seen a StarClan cat. I think I can only sense cats who are still tied to the living. They've stuck close to us. They can't move on until they've done what they feel they need to do. Like Needletail. She will only find her way to StarClan when she has finished what she started here."
— Tree
Unlike most group of cats, Sisters do not have a special name for their spiritual ancestors. Living Sisters can see and talk directly to cats in the ethereal plane, regardless the group that the undead cat belongs to. This leads to more common and direct connection with the afterlife.
- Relation with Living
The Sisters believe their ancestors will guide them, similar to the Clans' beliefs of StarClan. The ancestors will follow the cats, regardless if they are a she-cat (female cat) that stayed with the group or a tom (male cat) that was cast out. When a member of the Sisters die, they go to the ethereal plane, where they can communicate with their living kin and guide them.
Guardian[edit]
Not is much known about the Guardian's history or ancestors.
- Relation with Living
Healers can receive visions from from their ancestors. They are very friendly to other spirits and are willing to send messages from other spirits.
Faithless and Group-less[edit]
In order to have a proper afterlife, the cat has to be involved in a group with a belief in the afterlife. Without a belief or a group of cats, the simply disappear. It is unknown if these cats have an afterlife or simply stop existing. They share the same fate as if they fade away in their afterlife or killed in their afterlife.
If a cat have strong connection to the mortal realm or an uncompleted task, they get stuck in the ethereal plane. Once their connection weakens or task is completed, they move on and disapear.
Other Groups[edit]
When a group of cats become large enough and they believe an afterlife, their dead brethren go to that afterlife. GM fill free to create your own group of cats with their own religion and afterlife.
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