LynxClan

[Ald]

Welcome to LynxClan! This Clan is based in the snowy mountains, home of the majestic lynx. The cats in the Clan can use snow and ice to create shelters and to help them to battle. The snow and ice they use is packed with their bare paws, although it can be useful! This can only happen in the colder areas of the world, although in their home area especially they are a force to be reckoned with. All information regarding this Clan and their cats may be found below, but be warned. If you are thinking of joining this Clan, it will NOT be a walk in the park. You will need to be able to deal with the raging winds and deep coldness that the mountains create.


The cats here are mainly stocky, and typically lighter colored. However, any pelt color or body type is accepted! Their paws are typically known to be larger, and their ears slightly tufted. This body shape is meant to help them survive the cold climate of their home.


WARRIOR CODE

1. Kits will begin training with their powers on the day they open their eyes, but will begin training to be a warrior or medicine cat at six moons old.
2. Elders, queens, and kits are to be fed first, then apprentices and sick cats, then warriors and deputy, and leader last. Medicine cats may eat when they wish, although are limited to eating three pieces of prey a day.
3. The leader shall have a council of warriors to help them with their decisions. All major decisions must be run through this council. However, the leader's word is the last word, the council is simply there to keep track of it.
4. Apprentices must check with the elders and make sure they are alright before they can do anything else.
5. Apprentices will be mentored by the Clan as a whole. 
6. If a lynx tries to take your prey, give it to them.
7. Give thanks for all prey, thanks to the great moon-goddess Raindre and the great battle-goddess Atriunde
8. If a cat appears on our territory, ask first and fight second. If they have a good reason OR are a kittypet or loner, send one of the patrol to camp and retrieve the leader.
9. The Clan will train together once a month in honor of the battle goddess Atriunde, on the full moon. This training session is required for all except nursing queens and kits.
10. On half-moon every month, all cats must stay up and have peaceful conversation. No cat may leave camp on this night of ritual, in honor of the moon goddess Raindre.
11. Queens are exempt from warrior duties for three moons after they have kits.
12. Every cat must be an apprentice for at least one moon before they can be a warrior, even if accepted into the Clan when they are 12+ moons old, so that they can learn the culture of LynxClan.
13. Medicine cats MAY have a mate and/or kits, but ONLY if said medicine cat has a fully trained apprentice for the duration of the kits' kithood and apprenticeship. If the medicine cat does not have a fully trained apprentice, they must give up their kits, or in a tom's case, not know of their kits, until an apprentice is fully trained.

[Ald]

ABOUT

LynxClan is a Clan of stocky cats who worship the night and believe in a battle goddess. They are a matriarchal society-- based on Lynx(star), their first leader,'s beliefs. This causes the Clan to look at toms in a more negatively charged light, but a tom can gain levels of superiority and eventually become equal with a she-cat through hard work and training. Their goddesses, known as Raindre and Atriunde, are considered to come to the cats in the form of giant lynx. When larger than normal lynx are seen, the medicine cat is immediately called to the scene. Cougars are rarer, but when one appears the council is called together to tell what to do with them.

ORIGINS
LynxClan was founded by Lynx(star). The white she-cat believed that she needed at least a little family to belong. Her mother had left her one morning, and she realized that she actually felt sad because of her missing social life. This caused her to wish that she had a Clan-- she had heard of them many times before! So, Lynx tried to find friends and create a Clan of her own. The only open territory was a mountaintop. And so, LynxClan was formed at the top of the mountain. And lives on to this day.

[Ald]

CAMP AND TERRITORY
Camp
The LynxClan camp is a hollow set of caves within the mountains. The main cave branches off into many different caves, mostly near to the base of the mountain. This makes it harder to attack the camp because of it's maze-like qualities; although an attack can be pulled off. 

The main cave has seven caves leading out from it, not including the entrance. The nursery is the farthest from the entrance, to protect the queens and kits. The apprentices are right next to the nursery, on the left. To the right are the elders.

The two dens closest to the entrance are the leader's den, to the right, and the left is the den of the council members. Left of the council den is the warriors den, while left of the leader's den is the medicine den. The medicine den has many indents in the wall, which the medicine cat uses to store her herbs.


Territory
LynxClan's territory consists of three main peaks, the Main Camp Peak, Shadow Peak, and Spirit Peak. We will tackle each one at a time.

Starting with the Main Camp Peak-- it is literally the mountain where the cats live. Each apprentice must travel to the peak in order to complete their training. This journey is made alone, although throughout their journey warriors are there to check in with them. This is to make sure that the apprentices can handle themselves if caught in a blizzard. The day or two of this journey is like the more traditional warrior assessments. The Main Camp Peak is also the only peak where hunting freely is allowed, as all lynx are exiled to the other two peaks.

Next up, the Shadow Peak. This is where leaders and council members go before taking up their positions. The lynx here are more negotiating than those of Spirit Peak, although it is still hard to come to any agreement with them. The trip up this peak is meant to prove their strength in spirit and loyalty to the Clan, as the peak has many enticing things on it; an abundance of prey, lots of sunny weather, things like that.

And finally, Spirit Peak. This is where cats go when they wish to speak with the goddesses. On this peak, there are small lynx who will attack any non-medicine cat on sight, but they recognize medicine cats. These lynx are the scouts of the goddesses, who are on the peak in the form of two giant lynx. These lynx always speak in cryptic code, which the medicine cats must then decode and understand.


So, that's the basic territory!

[Ald]

POWERS
LynxClan cats can talk to and barter with other felines; such as the lynx in the mountains; or cougars in the lands below. This ability makes them a formidable enemy, as they can barter for protection and food.

This ability came along because of a day that Lynx(star), their founder, was in the middle of a big blizzard. Their mountain peaks were originally all cluttered with giant lynx, but this night only one was roaming. The white cat was trudging through the storm, when she saw a lynx trying to do the same. A mother lynx, with two cubs. This struck a nerve in Lynx's mind, and flashbacks of when she and her brother lived with their mother. And so it came that the founder led the three lynx to a safe cave. This was how Lynx came to be taking shelter in the same cave as her. The mutual distress and sharing this death-defying experience taught them to know each other. That night, the two formed a bond. The mother lynx brought her cubs to play with Lynx, and Lynx would try and teach them what she could. The two children learned both lynx-language and cat-language, as a result of this. And Lynx learned some of the lynx language-- which isn't that different from other wild cat languages.

The more important thing is Lynx learning the language of the lynx. This made her be able to actually talk with the lynx, learn their codes and learn how they greeted each other. In the end, the Clan that Lynx built's power isn't really being able to talk lynx. It's being open enough to TRY and talk with them. This has weaknesses-- the cats may pick the wrong lynx to talk to, or maybe even try and talk to a snow leopard that is passing through. Well, snow leopards don't like talking to lil cats.

[Ald]

CEREMONIES
KIT TO APPRENTICE: (Leader or council member): (kit), you have reached the mandatory age of six moons. You have also learned the language of our allies, and our heritage, from your mother. From this day until your Journey, you will be raised by the Clan as a whole, treated as an equal. From this day forth, you will be an apprentice. From this day forth, you will be (apprentice name)!

LONER/KITTYPET/ROGUE TO APPRENTICE: (Leader or council member): (name), you decided to join this Clan. Even though you do not know the language that is required by kits, or the heritage of our Clan, we trust that you can learn them. Once you finish this section of your training, you will become a member of the Clan; truly. From this day until you become a warrior, you will be known as (apprentice name)!

APPRENTICE TO WARRIOR: (Leader or council member): (apprentice), you survived the Journey. This is a milestone in your life. You have learned much from this experience, I am sure. The Council has deemed your preformance to qualify for becoming a warrior. Once this ceremony is over you will be a true warrior of LynxClan. Are you willing to accept that responsibility?
(cat): Yes, I am ready and willing.
(Leader or council member): Are you willing and ready to uphold the warrior code for the rest of your days?
(cat): Of course!
(Leader or council member): Then from this day until the great Goddesses deem it so, you will be known as (warrior name)!

MEDICINE CAT: (Raindre): You have learned all that you can from your mentor. Now, you must learn from us.
(Atriunde): Do you promise to uphold our beliefs and promises?
(medicine cat apprentice): Yes, I promise great ones.
(Goddesses together): Then by the power granted within us as the goddesses of LynxClan, let you be pronounced the medicine cat. Serve us well, for all your life.

MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE: [begins as apprentice ceremony, kit-apprentice] (Medicine Cat): Do you promise to uphold our Great Goddesses, Raindre and Atriunde, and to help anycat that you see in pain?
(kit/apprentice): Yes!
(Medicine Cat): Then by the power the goddesses have given me, I take you in as my apprentice. Let us hope that you succeed.

LEADER CEREMONY: (Raindre): You have come to us as the head of (old leader's name)'s council. When you leave, you will be the head of LynxClan, with nine lives. Is this acceptable?
(leader): Yes.
(Atriunde): Then let us gather, for the nine lives ceremony.
(the nine lives are received)
(all cats in presence): Hail (new leader's name)! Hail Atriunde! Hail Raindre!

HERBS (ETERNAL WIP)
LynxClan uses many herbs from the bare grounds surrounding the mountain peaks they live on, but they also use some very key new herbs, mostly relating to big (or just wild) cats.
WILDCAT FUR: Used to hide wounds and make the pelt of the cats seem larger than it really is; not very sturdy until cobwebs are applied first.

SNOW: Used to give cats water.

I'll add more as I think of them~

BATTLE MOVES (ETERNAL WIP)

FLIP AND CUT: A multi-cat move, good for the less stocky of the Clan. The less stocky cat jumps and flips over the enemy, while the stockier cat slashes at the enemy's face. The less stocky cat then lands on the enemy's back and cuts their sides. The less stocky cat then jumps off.

LYNX TROT: In this move, cats move forward in a sleek line for battle; kind of like a Roman phalanx. They stay in the hunter's crouch for the duration of the move. This is useful for fighting multiple enemies at once.

More will be added, maybe. Firefly !

[Firefly]

ACCEPTED (I love this clan I'm gonna make a cat for it) ^_^