Post by Zach on Aug 14, 2014 0:38:20 GMT
the code
The Fox Code
While the four main Clans follow the Warrior Code, Foxclan follows it's own set of laws, The Fox Codes. Not necessarily an original name created by the first Foxclan Leader, but it's definitely got it's own rules. Breaking these rules is punishable by extra chores (which is rare and exclusive to kittens and younger cats), physical harm, and even death. Exile is special, and will be explained further down.
1) You must always work for what is best for the Clan as a whole. If it only benefits yourself, or is even bad for the Clan as a whole, the act should not be committed. This act is almost always punishable by extra chores, or physical harm if it is a negative act. (Most cats overlook this rule now that the Clan is growing larger)
2) The Leader's words are final law. To question the Leader is to question the Code, and is punishable by physical harm no matter what.
3) Any cat may challenge the Leader to battle. If they win, they are permitted to Leadership if they so desire. If they lose, it is punishable by immediate death.
4) The Leader must always have a Second in Command to carry out his or her orders while they remain in their homely exile. The Second in Command's words are considered to be that of the Leader's, and therefore, are also technically law. To act against the Second in Command's orders is punishable by extra chores, or physical harm.
5) Pregnant she-cats and nursing mothers always be fed first, get medical care first, and must not be harmed until their kits are older than six moons. To harm a mother is punishable by death or extreme physical harm. To eat before one, or heal one before someone else, is punishable by physical harm always. Kits are the only exception to the latter.
6) The warriors of Foxclan may not retire. Warriors must fight and hunt for the Clan until the day they die. The only way to escape this rule is by abandoning the Clan.
7) To betray the Clan is an act of treason. However, since Foxclan is itself a place of exiles, those who betray it are permitted exile. If an exiled cat is found within the territory after one full day of exile, death is permitted without question.
8) If the Leader dies, be it in battle or of old age, the Second in Command is immediately made the new Leader. They must choose a new Second in Command within one full day. Failure to do this is seen as an act of treason, and is punishable as such. If both the Leader and Second in Command die within one day of each other, the eldest Healer is immediately made Leader. New Leaders must also take on the suffix 'spirit. This is truly only mockery to the Clan leaders' names.
9) To murder a cat of Foxclan is absolutely forbidden, no matter what. This is punishable only by death. Fighting with clan-mates is fine, and killing by formally challenging another cat is also perfectly acceptable.
10) Kittens are not permitted to battle for the Clan until they are six months of age. Kittens' parents are fully responsible for making sure of this, and they may be punished properly in regards to what happens to a kitten if they were to go into battle.
The Fox Code is always subject to change, seeing as how the Leader may create and change laws during their reign.
The Hierarchy
The main four Clans have a set list of ranks. Leader, Deputy, Medicine Cats, Elders, Warriors, Apprentices, Queens, and Kits. Foxclan works differently. It has a Leader, Second in Command (Often referred to as just 'Second'), Healers, Warriors, Queens, and Kits. Notice the lack of Elders and Apprentices, and the name changes for Deputy and Medicine Cats. See, not only are some ranks missing and/or renamed, but they work differently as well. Let's take a look, shall we?
Leader - Unlike the Leaders of the four main Clans, the Leader of Foxclan has only one life. Since Foxclan does not follow the religious beliefs of Celestialclan, like loners, rogues, and kittypets, the Leaders of Foxclan are not granted extra lives. Because of this, they also refuse to take on the suffix 'star in their names. To mock this, however, tradition has given Foxclan Leaders the suffix 'spirit. Nobody knows why this suffix was chosen, but it seems to fit. Leaders of Foxclan do not typically interact with their residents or even deal with every day problems. The Clan Leader only concerns themselves over war, challenges of power, and punishments. The only two ceremonies they give are for their Second in Commands, and to the Healers.
Second - The Second in Command is simply a crude replacement to the Deputy. However, a Second has a little more power. While the Clan Leader primarily focuses on the Clan as a whole, and what needs to be done for it as a whole, the Second focuses on smaller issues. Disputes over prey, smaller punishments, duels between warriors, and problems cats might have in the Clan that don't impact the Clan as a whole. The Second cannot carry out punishments of Death, but are permitted to assign more chores, or physical harm, to those that break the rules.
Healers - Like the Clans, there are two official Healers in Foxclan. However, since Foxclan follows no religion, the Healers do not guide anyone in a religious stance. Instead, they help the Leader with problems (typically only problems that could escalate to war) and are primarily focused to heal the members of Foxclan. If both Healers are to die, the Leader picks a single Healer, and he/she may pick their own subordinate to work with them. It is impossible to quit being a Healer, unless they are promoted to the rank of Leader. Unlike the Medicine Cats in the main Clans, Healers may have mates and offspring if they desire.
Warriors - The warriors of the main clans earn their rank and names by training to hunt and fight for around six moons. The Warriors of Foxclan are different. They are quite literally any cat older than six moons of age that isn't a Leader, Second, Healer, or mother. When a kitten is "promoted" to warrior (there is no ceremony) they are required to train themselves (or find someone to train them) in the art of hunting and fighting. It is their responsibility to find food (for the mothers first, then themselves) as well as shelter. Older warriors may be asked for guidance by the Leader or Second, however this is uncommon, and is seen as a high honor by a warrior. Warriors may not retire to be elders. Cats either hunt and fight for Foxclan until they die of old age, or they may attempt to flee the Clan to find solitude in old age.
Mothers - Mothers are classified as any she-cat that is pregnant or nursing kittens. They are immune to the punishment of death (except for one reason seen in the Kit rank), and are only immune to the punishment of physical harm if they are still pregnant. Aside from the Leader, Second, and Healers, the mothers in Foxclan are the most important cats in the Clan.
Kits - A kit is any cat under the age of six moons. They may hunt for themselves, or others, and may even explore the territory freely if they're allowed to by their parents. They may not fight in battles, though. But since there aren't organized battle groups, a kitten could, technically, sneak into a battle. This, however, would cause their mothers to be punished. If they didn't get hurt, their mothers would have to do many chores. If they got hurt, their injury would be mirrored on their mother. And if they were killed in the battle, their mother would be put to death.
Ceremonies
Since there are no apprentices, and no nine life ceremonies for Leaders, ceremonies here in Foxclan are few and far between, and have left behind their ancient aspects of religion. The first Foxclan Leaders created new ceremonies when the Clan reestablished, and they have been going ever since.
Leader Ceremony - This isn't so much a ceremony as it is the new Leader accepting power. Here's how it goes.
"[Old Leader] has passed away and joined the ancients of Foxclan in their permanent Exile. I, [Name], their previous [Second, Healer, or Warrior] take over their role as Leader of Foxclan. I hereby claim myself [Name]spirit."
Second in Command Ceremony - A leader must always choose a new Second within one full day of their leadership, or a full day after their previous Second's death. Usually leaders choose powerful friends rather than honorable warriors. Here's how a Second ceremony might go.
"I, [Name], Leader of Foxclan, have thought long and hard about who should replace [Previous Second]. I have come to the conclusion that [New Second] shall be my faithful Second in Command until he/she or myself are to perish."
Eldest Healer Ceremony - This is actually a bit confusing. There are, technically, two "ranks" for Healers. Elder and Apprentice. When there are no Elder Healers in the Clan, the Leader must appoint a new Elder Healer. Typically this happens when the former Elder Healer dies and the Apprentice moves up in rank. But sometimes both perish, or abandon the Clan, and a Leader must choose a new Healer out of the ranks of the Warriors. Here is how the Elder Healer ceremony would go.
"After the unfortunate loss of [Previous Elder Healer], it has come to me to pick a new one. In [Previous Healer]'s place, I choose [Name] as the new Elder Healer. May he/her heal our Clan for many seasons, and be blessed with the wisdom of our former Elder."
Apprentice Healer Ceremony - This is the only ceremony in Foxclan that is not done by the Leader. Instead, when an Elder Healer is picked or promoted from Apprentice, they must pick an apprentice or themselves quickly. Since it is their choice, and their Apprentice, they get to perform the ceremony. Here's how it'd go.
"I, [Name], Eldest Healer of Foxclan, hereby announce [Name] as my Apprentice Healer. I promise to teach them the art of healing, and let us hope they live to heal our Clan members for many seasons alongside me."
