WELCOME
"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls." —George Carlin
Moonclans story begins long ago in a forest long since lost to them. Where their believes still laid with Starclan. But time brings advancement to all and adversity breeds change. Stagnation invites dangers with the lack of advancement, with the lack of evolution
Moonclan has become a different beast than its humble beginnings and have evolved to be a singular force in their own right. Having their own beliefs and carving a place out amongst the forest clans. There have been times they struggled to stand their own among the brighter stars among their skies but they have clung on in their times of struggle and staggered back to their feet with a fearsome tenacity. There was a time were they were known for their more welcoming nature compared to their Sunclan or Nightclan counterparts but those days have long since left them.
Twice burned by the same flame they have retreated to their quiet night solitude with only the moons light to guide them
ABOUT
STRUCTURE
Moonclan recently just realigned itself, and brought everyone together once again. They have moved away from their more militaristic mindset and emraced the Moon Goddess's ways.Their lives are now dominated by their religious fevor and devotion with time set out of their days for prayer and sinners pressured into publicy confessing their sins during Vespers. There are now Lunar Alignments which is an alignment which determines a cats path in life' their whole persona they are pressured to fit into.
This is a clan where your life belongs to Selene the moment you take your first breaths under her sky and your future is never your own.
TO KNOW
Moonclan cats believe in the moon goddess Selene and that she can speak to the Minister. They are majorly nocturnal, preferring to go about their days under the light of the moon. There are certain rotating patrols that will be on a day schedule to patrol during those hours while the rest sleep the sun’s reign away.They live in the lunar estate, more information about the territory can be found under the territory tab.
They live with religious fevor and their devotion and promise to Selene entangles every parts of their lives.
NEWS
x03.25.2022
Moonclan welcomes a new commissioner with Wrenpansy and her character Windsweptashes!
x03.25.2022
Please thank cleaver and achromatic for their help getting this new Moonclan layout working!
x04.12.2022
Please welcome Vexing_Ode and Stark Raving Mad as the new Medic and Intern respectively with their cats Twilightpromise & Brokenpaw
MINISTER > THE LEADER
They lead moonclan, they speak with the voice of selene and are said to embody the spirit of the moon. Trained from the moment they become commissioner to be calm and placid in the face of adversity.COMMISSIONER > THE DEPUTY
The second in command not yet trained in the art of their emotions as the Minister they are often a hot headed secondary displaying all the minister keeps hidden. Until they’re trained that is. They are responsible for managing the prisoners and enforcing the minister's orders both unspoken and not.MEDIC > THE MEDICINE CAT
They are the healers of the clan, the learned and the patient. In theory, though in practice this can't always hold true. Their knowledge of herbs is always expanding and they are encouraged to try and dsicover new methods. Moonclan's isolation meaning they cannot share tips with other clans at they might have used to.INTERN > THE MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE
They are learning to become the medic of moonclan, and with learning comes mistakes. Their only job is to learn and grow, to aim to be the graybox-background future Medic they can be. To only improve on any leagacy their predeccesor leaves behind for them.The only elementals allowed into moonclan, those unlucky enough to be born an elemental; left with only one path in their life if they wish to stay in Moonclan. Indoctrinated into the position from the first moment it becomes they are not like the rest. Though an Inquisitor is not always an elemental, an elemental is always an inquisitor. They lead investigations into rogue elementals, dissenting members of the clan, and are vicious fighters. Many of the others in the clan find them frightening. Even the youngest among their numbers is a dangerous beast. They are split into two halves; the interrogators and the propagandist.
WICKEDPAW | LAMB
WAXING
RPED BY GOLDECREST
Respect is not something given so easily. It is earned, taken, demanded, but not served up on a silver platter — it was something she learned very young, as a small, defenseless kit taken to the city by her father who feared his twoleg owners would take her away, Her mother left before she could truly remember her, yet still remained a stain on her youth. When her father lost his battle with an illness, leaving Lamb to wake up to his corpse already set as a feast for the rats they shared their home with, she was left alone and lonely, and the feeling only got worse even after being taken in by her uncle and introduced to the clans. She was an easy target, weak from malnutrition and small in size, tiny and fluffy and unassuming, but her teeth were razor sharp and she wasn’t afraid to bite. She fought for her place at the top, clashing with anyone who challenged it, using her soft looks on strangers to win their hearts but ditching it all in favour of a violent, devilish side when around her peers. She’s both sides of the same coin, the lamb and the wolf all in one skin, a beast of her own making. Her pale fur, mixed with dark brown points most notably on her head, makes her look all the more innocent, matched by wide, baby blue eyes, though they shimmer with a mischievous, unhinged look, like she’s observing, hunting. To be weak is to be dead, all the more reason to hide away her fierce self-loathing and aching, empty loneliness. She isn't afraid to get angry, she isn't scared of getting her paws dirty, every chance she gets to do so, she takes it, throwing herself at more trouble than she can manage and picking fights she can't win. Nobody could tell at first glance just how serious she is, with the way she eagerly accepts any challenge with a flashing grin or plays pranks or always seems to be joking around, no matter the situation. Sympathy doesn't come easily, not anymore, and in its place is a blatant disregard for everything around, a love of chaos despite the risk and an insatiable need to prove herself. She wants to be worth something, and she would do anything to get there.
RATKING
RPED BY ACHROMATIC
All moments, past, present and future, always have existed, always will exist. The future exists in the now, just as much as the past has always existed, just like how we exist right now in the present; there's no linear path from point A to point B, yet the future is seen as something abstract while the past is set in stone. Ratking has always been able to see it all in a way others didn't. His family had been refugees once; they fled from one place to another, seeking refuge from a war a distance away. It was in the enchanted forest that his family found their home, and his family found their blood to be special. He was barely an apprentice when he began seeing visions in the corner of his eye, of small things at first. A rabbit running out at the right time, or a cat tripping a few moments before they did. They chalked it up to deja vu, and then it became obvious it wasn't just that. It was his mother who first noticed, with concern in her eyes at first, before declaring it a gift, a gift to help others around him. From then, his role was established; Ratking the oracle, the soothsayer, the prophet. At first, others crowded around him asking for the future, but soon enough, they realized that the moment he spoke it into existence, there was little changing it. The first time he predicted death in an attempt to change it locked him into the reputation he had. Slowly, his gift ate him up from the inside. The once shy, cheerful, slightly sarcastic tom with a knack for joking around, became an anxious bundle of nerves, always looking left and right in suspicion, muttering words under his breath, rinsing and repeating in his rituals to avoid misfortune. He ended up fleeing from his family, fearful that his gift would be its ruin, and somehow, MoonClan ended up with him. The rumours about the dark prophet range far and wide. Some say he's a wraith-like creature, long-legged and glowing eyes like a creature of the shadows. Others say he always has an evil grin on him, eyes gleaming in mischief as he doomed you to your fate. However, one look at him and everyone often does a double-take. His short, slight frame and unkempt salt-and-pepper fur, mottled brown and grey, seem too unruly for a cat like him. His green eyes really do glow in the dark, bright and wide, with a nervous fear in them at all times, and his fondness for rats seems strange even for a cat like himself. He's not all too intimidating, his own tendencies to fawn and stutter makes him an easy target really; his protection is his own reputation. For now, he cowers behind the reputation, as a harbinger of death, and simply prays that others don't see through the facade he puts on.
CAT NAME
RPED BY USERNAME
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CAT NAME
RPED BY USERNAME
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An elite senior warrior no open history of elemental's in their bloodline. The priests of Selene. They control the relationships of the clan, they keep track of who hasn't provided new blood to the clan and who should be having kits. THey note who has not married off and help arrange pairings between the students for the future. For those that need their pairing approved it is the Luminaries who hold the pairs fate in their paws.
ORRERYPAW | BLOSSOM
RPED BY WRENPANSY
A grey and white tom with blue eyes, he's a strikingly handsome as he is incredibly arrogant. It's hard to ever fully tell his motives, he's two-faced and a unabashed sychophant. Perhaps it's to be guessed that he would end up like this, though. One of the first Luminaries, he's held power since he was barely older than a fledgling, and like all young people who are taught no true restraint, wields it without much sympathy or concern to those below him in rank. Even still, in spite of his faults he's a hard worker, who does seem to hold great faith in Selene and want to do right by his position. However he's just as happy, if not happier, to do the parts of his job that maximize other's suffering at the expense of his shows of power and authority as he is to do the mundaner part of his job that keeps the clan running smoothly.
OZYMANDIAS
RPED BY moonclan-staff-name
moonclan-staff-bio
OZYMANDIAS
RPED BY moonclan-staff-name
moonclan-staff-bio
OZYMANDIAS
RPED BY moonclan-staff-name
moonclan-staff-bio
MIDNIGHTPAW | REVERLY
WAXING
A larger siamese she cat with long, sweeping white fur bar for her face and ears, which are a dark, near black brown which surrounds her blue eyes like two sunken sapphires. There is a constant knowing on her face, a look to her as if she can see right through you, like she can see through everyone. She holds a presence in a room, not because she beomes the focus of it, but because she seems above it; like she lives to do her own thing and walk to her own beat and drum. She talks too loud, her laugh is a deep bass, and she laughs at almost everything. As if the world itself is an odd, amusing thing, as if everyone is somehow funny to her. She used to dabble in fortune-telling and readings; she was the first cat expectant queens go to to get a telling on their future kits, she was who students who are red in the face, giddy over their first crushes meet to have her tell them if they'll find true love soon, she was the one who gloats she's predicted the death dates of all her clan-mates, and gives a good, hearty laugh at that too. Then one say she went on a patrol and fell victim to an accident of foolish nature. Now she walks with a permanent limp and must rest frequently. Her healing, her pain, her ruined future she holds fiercly against those she considereds part of it. She knows the names of those she thinks failed her and quietly stews in her resentment and desire for revenge. Bitter and chipped to pieces she is a force of nature more so than ever. For despite her disability she still fills of a room with her presence, she still seems to see and know all. How much she's bluffing and how much she actually knows is impossible to say, she plays her cards close to her chest.
RPED BY CHILDE
HIDDENMESSAGE
There is no use in wasting your words for those who will not understand them. It was what her father whispered to her when she cried about being excluded from games as a kit. So wronged she had felt then, young and impressionable not yet aware that there was a whole wide world out there that was ready to chew her up and spit her out. There was something almost funny about how such a simply caution changed her whole approach to life. She let her words become scare, let herself become demure and polite instead of boastful and stern. Hiddenmessage holds her thoughts close and her expressions closer. The ice of her eyes extends to her soft appearance, toughening it into something that can cut. But while she might not speak often that does not mean she does not have opinions. Of those she had many and in truth should she speak them she will speak them with confidence and without doubt. Never has she doubted her thoughts since those kithood days and in her growth she had learned to stand for what she believes in and stand firm. It was her ability to weave her words so skillfully that won her loner mate Grendel a place in Moonclan when normally they would have both been chased off for her flagrant breaking of the rules. Is is her self-assured nature that kept her moving when she learned Grendel had been playing her for a fool, that let her turn her nose up in the face of his betrayal and give a cold shouldered. Her weaknesses, her hurts, are her own to bear and not many have earn the trust to see. A queen without a throne and a heart wrapped in thorns she is a beast ready to devour with the right provocation.
RPED BY STARK RAVING MAD
FERALPAW | WOLF
WAXING
Born to the monsters under the bed Feralpaw seemed to be born with his teeth bared in a snarl. His parents were delighted by the fierce little monster they had born into the world. His kithood was one brawl after another, shoving other kits into the dirt and crowing his victory with a well catered arrogance. When his parents disappeared on a patrol his internal anger only grew, his episodes grew more violent. Becoming a student did nothing to hinder his growing aggression. If anything it seemed to stoke the flames even higher, Feralwolf gathering a group of others as his lackeys and delighting in his self-gifted crown. His small size hindered him little and he seemed to overcome every opponent put in front of him. Until the lamb fought back and he became one of the victims he so readily made. It was his first loss and one of the most devastating, losing one of his bright golden eyes to infection and the confidence of his peers that had so eagerly before followed his lead. Forever scarred by the lesson the lamb imparted on him, it was the first time he ever faced true consequence and did so much more than any scolding he had ever gotten before. Learning how fickle loyalty was and that not every cat was prey. It did nothing to change his drive to always be on top though, if anything it pushed him harder to improve. He might not chase and bully those around him anymore but he does not shy from challenging others to spars. Still baring his teeth at the prospect of a fight, his own remaining eye shining with his eagerness. Forever the wolf, he never loses; he either wins or he learns.
RPED BY VEXINGCODE
GLOSSPAW | HOPPER
A blue mask and mantle tom with green eyes. He tends to run once things are tense. He is afraid of natural disasters. He thinks Duskslayer and Bloodyhearts are brothers. He is gentle. He aspires to be deputy. He never dreams.
RPED BY BIYUU
RAVENPAW | SHADOW
Despair lays its roots so easily, nestling down into your heart and almost impossible to scrap out. It lingers, the memory of it weighs and tugs at your thoughts until it shadows even those. When you think you have finally left it behind you feel it haunting your steps, see it in your eyes, in your shadow. Ravenshadow has been cursed with this despair since his young humble beginnings. Mother passing during his birth and father never moonclan-staff-named he grew up as just a simple orphan. No one to give him special attention and no doting words of love, encouragement, or praise. When he became a student he thought this would change, he had hopes towards friendships. Instead he gained romance and it swept him up with the force of a hurricane. So quickly he lost himself to it that it became the force of gravity he orbited around. When his sun was torn away he crumbled, all life died inside of him and he became a shadow of that tom he so briefly was. All he learned with his first love was lost in the despair that chased the memories of those lessons. His smile became a fleeting thought, the muscles forgetting what it was to hold something so bright for long. Where he was once boisterous and free he was now quiet and reserved. The scars of his misplaced affections and scorned heart lay deep and pull with every day. His dreams are often cruel reminders of the happiest time of his life. His heart was lost to the other and never returned, so he has learned to live without it.
RPED BY DOT
OMENPAW | SHARD
WANING
Light orange tom with pumpkin colored eyes. A short-tempered fiery tom with a tendency to lose his grasp on his emotions. Omenshard has a difficult time with the ways of the clan, being his personality is so split between waning and waxing – he tries his best to be the strong, confident cat he wants to be, but so often turns into the unstable, emotional cat he was born as.
RPED BY FAEISH
SCARLETPAW | WITCH
WAXING
A soft looking brown and gray tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes. Scarletwitch tends to be cool and collected and very keen on quiet observation. Her watchful nature leads to leverage over others due to overheard conversations and seeing things others thought were private. Manipulation is the name of her game, playing into other cats’ emotions to get to what she wants, or even just out of boredom. The alignment that may best describe her character would be chaotic neutral.
RPED BY FAEISH
COSMICPAW | HORIZON
WAXING
Is there an absolute truth? No one really knows. They say the universe expands, and speeds up the more it does, and that one day, billions of years from now, it'll expand faster than the speed of light, and we'll reach the cosmic horizon, where the galaxies beyond our own will no longer be visible in the night sky. Things will look darker, and perhaps by then, we'll assume the universe is static, unmoving and unchanging, and that we're the only ones out there in the cold, dark, lonely universe. How fascinating, to live today, and to understand something our descendants will not! Cosmichorizon has always been fascinated by the world he cannot see. He's not fully blind, but his eyes don't work as well as others do; he can see up close but things blur when they go farther and farther away. There's a milky cover across his eyes that slowly renders him blind, but that doesn't make him less of a dreamer, and he makes every effort to be just as good as anyone else by allowing his other senses to cover for him. Perhaps it is his lack of reliance on his vision that allows him to see the truths of the universe. He's heard stories, of mountains in a rainbow colour, of salt flats in which you can touch the sky, of ancient tunnels under the earth, of pink salt lakes and lights glowing in the sky reflecting green and purple in a sky as dark as his pelt, and he's forever fascinated, dreaming of the day he can see it once again, despite knowing deep inside, that this dream may never come true. Cosmichorizon is an idealist, the kind of cat who truly sees the best in every situation, and he believes that no, there is no absolute truth, because even if there was, he doubts he'll ever comprehend it. All he can do is to keep looking at that horizon and wonder whether we're truly alone in the universe.
ROLEPLAYED BY ACHROMATIC
PEACHPAW | BELLE
WAXING
A petite orange-cream tabby with striking amber eyes, she's a stunning sight to behold. When she walks, she commands a presence in a room from her sight alone, she seems to move an walk in the same ethereal way that sunlight flickers through cracks in a wall. A quiet cat who never betrays more about herself than need be, she perhaps got her title as waxing because of her own reserved nature. Inside she's soft spoken, gentle, kind, but she holds it behind an air of distance and a portrayal of a perfect waxing cat. Perhaps forever fractured by the culling that took her parents' lives, she is slow to love, but when she does it becomes an obsessive thing, one of desperation and a need to hold on. It's why she is so impossibly close to her sister Strawberrysparkle, something of a helicopter sibling to her, as if constantly afraid something will happen to her.
RPED BY STARK RAVING MAD
SNOWDROPPAW | SILHOUETTE
WANING
The turn from leaf bare to newleaf is one of the most anticipated times of the year. And the first signs of this time are the flowers Snowdropsilhouette was named after. Was she supposed to represent this hope, a hope for a better time? But they hang their heads low, almost touching the ground. And it leads her to wondering if she is doing the same. Snowdropsilhouette's coat lives up to her name. A mostly grey pelt like shadows, the only distinction is the white along her chest, face and front legs. Her eyes are a rich amber, like the sun at dusk. Perfect for a Moonclan cat. She found Moonclan peaceful before the culling. Living here was easy, as was falling for Fawnpaw. For how young they were, Snowdroppaw was excited for their small family. It pacified the part of her that felt so out of place, that something was wrong. She couldn't have predicted the culling, or where their little clan would be now. Her small joys, the reason she was safe to begin with, were torn from her without a second thought. Maybe it was the ease that kept her and Fawnpaw together, maybe there was nothing there to begin with. She doesn't know, and she isn't sure she ever will now that they've split. Her life has turned upside down, and it's all Puzzlemaker's fault. Snowdropsilhouette wants to be mad, to just take her kits back and leave this place. But her anger was doused in the water of fear. So she hangs her head, like the snowdrop. Unable to feel that hope that just feels like a distant dream now.
RPED BY UNKNOWNHEARTS
CONDORPAW | LEGS
WAXING
Condorlegs is a colorpointed Tom of blue eyes, Condorlegs is a serious and rude who can rarely make jokes and see a smile in his face this is caused by the death of his parents from a young age, usually around him all his friends and cats who he love had died making him a bit scared to show love to his most loved ones but apart of his way of relation with the other cats in his clan he is an excelent hunter and tracker but he don't like to be praised by it as weird as it sounds, he thinks is his job and that's why he won't praise even at the students.
RPED BY ENDERWOXXU
CONJURINGPAW | GEM
WAXING
A fairly attractive calico she cat, her pretty appearances can't take away from the fact that she's an oddity and a half. An enigma of sorts, but she likes it that way. Intelligent and cryptic, she worked her way into being one of Moonclan's first mothers by a mixture of sheer force of personality and her own innate ability to memorize and breakdown much of the teachings of Selene. She's a hard cat to get to know, and is not a particularly motherly she cat, but she is keenly interested in forging the next generation and leaving a mark on Moonclan. And in Moonclan's modern state, someone who wishes to forge new minds into obedient followers of Selene is invaluable, no matter their eccentricities.
RPED BY WRENPANSY
BACCHUSPAW | LANGUOR
WANING
A lithe, vindictive black and white tom with amber eyes. He’s every bit the private school boy sent off to live by himself at a rich boarding academy for the first time: self-absorbed, unsympathetic, and with the absolute belief that money, family name, and status all talk. He’s oblivious to the ways of the real world — he matters, his privilege matters, and only this small world of MoonClan matters. He’s utterly self-motivated, amoral, and prone to outbursts. For whatever reason, he was granted Mother status — and he uses that to create a little cult of worship around himself, swishing about with his fledgling devotees. But he does care about them, in his own, hidden way. He adopts aristocratic airs — a certain breezy superiority and a flair for over-indulgence, for expensive sin and nights forgotten in the hot, dizzy underworld that inevitably arose when ones so young were sworn to chastity and piety — but all the same has a capacity to lose his temper and become incisively petty. A dandy; a petit-maître. Both his parents were disposed of in the Culling, but he spares no time to grieve for them, at least not publicly: he, a heretic’s son, was given a second chance and he won’t squander that, won’t stop until he’s proved himself so indispensable to the new religion that he draws around himself a cloak of complete safety, complete untouchability. Losing them both so young twisted his mind into two distinct factions: what you do to stay alive, and what you do to end up on the heretics’ pyre. And he’ll do anything to avoid it.
RPED BY FOX
RIGIDPAW | SHADOW
WANING
A slender black oriental tom cat with orange eyes. His slick coat was made to get wet, and his webbed paws made for the wet lands of moonclan. he was found lost in the clans borders as a new kit. who knows why he ended up there, either a lost kitty pet or rogue. Perhaps a forbade love between two cats of separate clans? Ridgidshadow is a ambitious young tom dedicated to proving himself to be more than his humble beginnings. With a smooth calm voice and confidant walk this tom can be quite charming, maybe even a bit devilish. His biggest secret is his weakness for kits, their small mews and soft fur. He wants his own family one day. probably because he was robbed of one before he could fully open his eyes.
RPED BY VEXINGCODE
STRAWBERRYPAW | SPARKLE
WAXING
A tiny light orange tabby, she has eyes that fall in some strange middleground between striking amber and a deep, pine green. Something of a distinctive hazel color, in a way. Unlike her sister Strawberrypaw isn't beautiful, isn't stunning in the same way her sister is. Instead she's cute, all round and soft and made to look pudgy by the way her coat seems to puff around her like her fur like a great orange cotton ball. There was a time when she deeply resented this, a time when she was a spitfire dare-devil who lived hard and fought harder, who took chances and used her own life like it was a betting chip. Who took flings like they were trophies on her wall, who loved fast and fleeting and brilliantly in perfect, glorious sparks. But those days are long past her, lost to the culling. With her parents deaths, with her whole life changing in the culling, she's become a morose, cold, distant cat. There's a bitter sarcasm that seems to linger on her every word, like the last sputter of a flame that has gone out. Even still, she's become a cat of duty and immense faith, fully buying into the narrative that the only way to prevent another culling is to follow this new way of life in Moonclan and to work as hard as possible.
ROLEPLAYED BY DOT
GHOSTKIT | KING
He was a shadow born among the bright spots of his white furred siblings, himself and his brother just two odd ones out in a sea of its who took after their brilliantly furred mother. It wasn't until they grew a little and the flaws became apparent among his litter that he realized his dark fur came with a blessing. His brighter siblings carrying flaws, being painted as less. Ghostking is a headstrong tom who is not afraid to dig his heels in the sand and fight until the sun comes up and chases awaw the moon. Deeply protective towards his siblings he would do anything for them and it has gotten him in trouble since his kithood when the Mothers would have him standing in corners for hours as petence. He falls in love quickly and with fevor, whether romantically or in friendships.
RPED BY CHILDE
CRYSTALKIT | VEIL
WAXING
A beautiful stark white she cat, her eyes are a stunning bright blue. From a young age it was clear nothing was going to be able to stop her and hold her back, her fiery temperament and sharp tongue well accompanied by her own attractive appearance has essentially allowed her to go her entire life making demands and having other cats bend over backwards to meet them. In spite of this, she's a hard worker, stubborn, and hates to be reliant on anyone else. She's the type of person who always has to be doing something, experiencing something, and is never happy to sit still; certainly the type of person to carve out their own path in life.
RPED BY VEXINGODE
SAPPHIREKIT | SUNGLOW
WAXING
Sapphiresunglow is a short haired blue she-cat with blue eyes, the picturesque picture of a sapphire. She's the eldest of her litter, the one her younger siblings lean on and the one who attracts the eyes of the Moonclan elite. And she does her best to live to their expectations, or at least pretend to. Confidence exudes from every step she takes, her words sharp and her claws sharper. To the mothers and the luminaries, she's a suck up, attempting to keep her siblings in line whenever possible. Though, to her siblings, she's probably a bit too frank and controlling. She'll at least tell it like it is to them, letting some inner bitterness out in her voice. In reality, she's absolutely miserable. She hates sucking up to everyone and feeling like her life hangs in the balance. How her whole carefully constructed persona can all come tumbling down from one mistake. So she makes sure not to make any. She doesn't let herself, a moment of weakness can easily topple it down. Sapphiresunglow doesn't confide in others, or let others see her bitterness. She shoulders it all, but the pressure is threatening to break her.
RPED BY UNKNOWNHEARTS
NORTHERNKIT | SILENCE
WANING
A white tom with yellow eyes, he's outspoken and charismatic, if not a bit neurotic at times. He constantly finds himself with everyone's gossip and rumors and secrets, and tends to be the one to "accidentally" share them with everyone else. In that way he sometimes comes across as snake-like and two-faced, but in reality in spite of his best intentions, he can't keep a secret to save his soul. In that regard he's gotten himself in a weird position of being both a respected citizen of Moonclan and one who is bordering the line of being considered an unrepentant sinner; it's hard to count how many times he's been forced to confess to having spread gossip and slander, and yet he's the one of the first people that inquisitors and luminaries come to when they need info on those who might be acting out of line.
RPED BY STARK RAVING MAD
GARNETKIT | DAFFODIL
A medium sized grey she cat with striking orange-amber eyes that are distinct against the cool, almost blue tones of her pelt. While not strikingly beautiful, the has that sort of "beauty by way of being well kept". She's learned how to walk in a way that fully accentuates her figure, to more is such a soft, hypnotic way that you can get lost just in how delicate and dainty she cat make herself appear. She's learned the art to giving one tip of her head to melt a boy's heart, not beacuse she's beautiful, but because she's learned to act beautiful. And if Garnetdaffodil's life is anything, it is an act; a dollhouse on an opera stage.
RPED BY WRENPANSY
TULIPKIT | HORIZON
WANING
With her soft, dilute calico coat of solid greys and pale, orangey-browns, white mittens, chest, and muzzle, and bright yellow eyes, Tuliphorizon is every bit the sweet, sugary doll she makes herself out to be. To the world and, more specifically, the people she wants to please, she gives kind smiles, polite words, an air of maturity and sophistication and compassion. She can play the dutiful sister, the perfect daughter, the golden student. It’s never come naturally to her, but as it was decided at birth, she felt the need to live up to everything she was supposed to be, crafted a perfect porcelain mask in place of her true self and hit the stage. She’s been acting ever since. There are times when it slips, when she’s irritated or upset or anxious, or when she’s too loud or rambunctious, but she always makes sure to right it, to never let anyone see those sides of herself for too long. Her need for control has breached neuroticism, and often she comes off as controlling and studious, overbearingly so. She fears disorder, chaos, simple things like change, though she keeps her anxiety to herself. Emotions always seemed too much for her, she struggles to handle even the slightest tip in one direction or another, both in herself and in others; she comes off as dismissive, flippant. She’s taken to escapism, simple scenarios turning into intense daydreams, mental fantasies and worlds and stories, so attention-grabbing that, if left unattended, she can be found thinking of them hours later, unmoved. She gets lost in them, in the worlds she’s created, making her seem inattentive and distracted — it’s easier to believe she’s a spy, or a princess, or a secret agent in disguise than to be a nobody with expectations too high she can’t reach them. Parts of them leak into the real world. Sometimes she gets a name, a task, a face, wrong in favour of the ones from her daydreams. Everything seems much more colourful when it’s a fairytale, and who said those ever have to end?
RPED BY GOLDCREST
EMERALDKIT | REALM
WAXING
A regal silvery gray tom cat with stunning deep green eyes that fade to yellow on the outside. Emeraldrealm tends to be a level-headed cat that contemplates the consequences of his words before he speaks them. This isn’t to say that he doesn’t have a temper; in fact, he has quite a big one, he is just very good at concealing it. Emeraldrealm has a good hold on the inner workings of the clan, keen to observe the do’s and don'ts and mold himself accordingly. He tries to fit in with high society and uses his overheard conversations as leverage to achieve his goals.
RPED BY FAEISH
DICKCISSELKIT | CHEVALIER
WAXING
A large, fluffy, orange tabby tom with pale green eyes that depending on the light look like almost a mint blue. His front paw is twisted backwards, essentially forcing him in the council; something he silently resents, but tries not to show it.
RPED BY WRENPANSY
MARVELCANVAS
Pale ginger marks Marvel’s plumy cream fur, darkest on her ears and faded on her face, making the flame point’s dark blue eyes stand out against her pale complexion. She hardly ever smiles and to hear her laugh is even rarer. Such a shame for such a beautiful cat to seem so outwardly cold at a glance. First impressions are not her strong suit, lucky for her she cares very little about what others think of her. Slow to trust, she prefers to keep everyone who would dare to get close to her at an arm's length if she can help it. Even refusing to admit her affection for her own mate. That however, does not stop others from worming their way into her heart. All of this of course is just a mask she wears to hide the secretly sentimental and compassionate cat she actually is. Stubborn determination is what keeps her going, as she refuses to be dragged down by the guilt of her past choices. Though it may not seem like it, family is the most valuable thing in Marvel’s life and there are no lengths she wouldn’t go to in order to help out her loved ones. No matter the cost she will do whatever it takes to protect them. Though outwardly she tends to act selfishly, in reality she’d sooner sacrifice her own needs to satisfy the needs of others even if it means she has to suffer to do so.
RPED BY STARK RAVING MAD
The constant looming threat of another Culling has made devotion a matter of survival, and loyalty a matter of life and death; not just for you, but for all those you love and hold dear. Fear and suspicion of elementals is rampant, dissent is discouraged by “appropriate” punishments, interaction with those outside of the clans is considered fraternizing with heathens and is strictly forbidden, and Moonclan has taken on the task of rebuilding its population in the new era of the chosen survivors by enforcing laws that assure that Moonclan always has new blood on the way.
With Puzzlemaker at the helm and Selene’s voice there to guide him, Moonclan is experiencing a religious revolution the likes that Moonclan, and perhaps the entire forest, has never seen before. What else is there left to do but bow your head and pray?
THE LUNAR CODE
☽ Selene’s word is law
☽ The first born kit belongs to Selene
☽ All hunters must find a way to bring in new blood for the clan by the time they are 32 moons old
☽ The word of the Minister and the Commissioner is second only to Selene.
☽ Confession is the only way to repentance.
☽ Repentance is the only way to salvation. Cats outside of Moonclan live their lives in sin. Those who trespass in Moonclan are to be offered the mercy of Selene, and if they accept are taken prisoner. Those who deny it are to be captured and executed.
☽ To speak against Selene, the Minister, the Commissioner, or Moonclan is sin.
☽ To speak with cats outside of Moonclan beyond sharing the word of Selene with Trespassers is a sin.
☽ To knowingly hide or not share knowledge about elementals is a sin.
☽ To knowingly refuse or go against the word of Selene, the Minister, or the Commissioner is a sin.
☽ Prayers must be said to Selene three times at night. Once at Dusk, once at Midnight, and once at Twilight
☽ Before any major life decision, you must consult with the Minister or Commissioner.
SELENE
The goddess of Moonclan, the epicenter of the entire religion and Moonclan’s way of life. In spite of the fact that her name is spoken perhaps thousands of times a day in Moonclan, Selene herself is a mysterious goddess. Her many names refer to her secretive nature, it is not unlikely to hear Selene in certain contexts referred to as Our Lady of Puzzles, The Maiden of Mysteries, Her of the Unknown Secrets, or Keeper of the Forbidden Knowledge. The way by which Moonclan knows her is through the sermons and teaching of the Minister and Commissioner, and even then, only the Minister speaks directly with her. It is the Minister that is her voice on Earth, entrusted with all her knowledge and secrets, and so it is only he who can speak for her and give her laws and commands.
However, a little can be gleaned from her laws, and from this a rough profile is often made regarding what she herself is like (though even following interpretations are often hotly debated in secret). Selene is thought to be kind but strict, she is a lawful goddess. She is a goddess with two sides, from which the lunar alignment is drawn, and of both halves she is the ideal. She is both intelligent, logical, a protector, and equally kind, nurturing, and wise. She is a curious goddess, one who knows all, and her followers are encouraged to constantly search for knowledge in her truths and to hold as strongly to the ideal of her Waxing or Waning side as possible.
There is a commonly told tale that through Selene, one can know any fact they wish, and with it the rumor that the Minister themselves has access to all the knowledge of the universe from Selene should he wish to ask for it. Of course this has never been confirmed, though it has equally never been denied.
PRAYERS
Prayer and confession are commonplace in Moonclan. Although by law Moonclan cats are only required to pray three times at night, you’ll find it customary for cats to pray before and after a kill, over major life events, for cats who are going through hard times; whatever the reason, it doesn’t
matter. The heads of the clan, and even most loyal citizens, are quick to remind others that prayer can only benefit you, and that being open with your life with Selene can only bring you closer to her and please her. To pray often, and especially to openly pray, is considered a sign of your devotion to Moonclan and is applauded, and a quick way to gain favor and prestige in Moonclan’s hierarchy.
Confession too is often commonplace, and though somewhat shameful, is a normal part of life for Moonclan cats. All sins are supposed to be confessed, from the most mundane to the most atrocious, and cats are taught from a young age in Moonclan that a guilty conscience is the worst thing one can have. Confessions are normally taken to the Commissioner, or in cases where they are busy, the Luminaries. From there typically if the Confession is minor, they will merely get a small talking too and get guided through a prayer to forgive them for their sins. However, more major sins must be confessed publicly at the end of Vesper, and typically are followed by punishments that are seen as fitting for the sin committed.
Occasionally, a cat might choose not to confess something for one reason or another. In that case, they better hope they do not get caught. It’s not uncommon for Moonclan cats to stick their nose into the personal and spiritual lives of others in their clan, and in fact it’s encouraged to make sure your fellow clan-mates do not falter in their spiritual path. If another cat finds out your misdeeds, it’s likely only a matter of time they tell on you themselves, and cats who do not confess privately are required to confess publicly, no matter how small or big the offense. And, if the public shame of being dragged in front of everyone and forced to air your secrets to a crowd isn’t enough encouragement to confess on your own, the enhanced punishments for trying to hide it sure will be.
VESPERS
What is a religion without its own gatherings, its way of bringing people together to hear the word of their god and how to live their life in the image of them? Vesper is Moonclan’s version, their church service. Although there is no set date for when Vespers should be held, they are always held in the evening right as most cats in the clan would be waking up, and it is always a requirement to attend.
The structure of the services are normally the same and they rarely differ much. The service starts with Evening prayer, and then a Sermon given by the Minister or Commissioner. Afterwards, other cats are encouraged to share their own beliefs on the message (though never contradicting it, of course) and how to implement it into their own life. A trusted citizen may even be allowed to give a small sermon themselves. Then, the clan is either led in prayer, or cats are allowed to each say their own short ones; these prayers often are made in thanks and in praise of Selene, the heads of the Clan (especially the Minister, Commissioner, and Luminaries), and Moonclan itself. It also can be for future health or healing, or to lend someone’s aid, but selfish requests are highly discouraged.
At the end of sermons and prayers comes Confession. Cats are encouraged to publicly confess minor sins they want to get off their chest, and to do so is respected and seen as a sign of good character: After all, everyone sins, and by admitting it to the public it shows that the cat in question wants to grow and be held accountable. However, more major sins are required to be publicly admitted, and often punishments for them are declared right after; cats who face this often face a period of public shaming as well. Perhaps the most interesting thing that can happen during a confessional is a cat being forced to confess. This is rare, as most Moonclan cats are aware that the punishments of being forced to confess are worse than just confessing themselves, and getting away with sins when eyes are everywhere is near impossible. However, if a cat does choose to keep their sins a secret, and the heads of the clan find out about it, the offending cat is then, at the end of confession, called up to the front where they can be seen by all the masses. They are given one final chance to confess themselves (though this will rarely lighten their sentence) and if they choose not to, their sins are told to the crowd by one of the heads of the clan. They are then to have their punishment promptly declared, or in the worst cases, announce the date of their religious trial.
THE LUNAR ESTATE
Inquisitor’s Tower
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THE GROUND LEVEL
A missing pane of glass near the bottom of the front french doors is how members enter the manor. Located on the Ground Level are the grand living room, dining room and kitchen. Two large staircases lead to the second floor. Very few members make the ground floor their sleeping quarters. Students and newer members of Moonclan tend to sleep on this level. Otherwise it is used as the common areas where members eat their meals and converse with each other.
THE SECOND LEVEL
Many rooms and bedrooms are located on this floor. Many of the rooms are missing doors allowing for members to access them. Some have old dusty furniture and others are completely bare. Families tend to stay together in rooms. Sometimes members will challenge each other for the graybox-background sleeping spots or even rooms.
The Courtyard
The Courtyard is a rather run down part of the estate. Marble pillars surround the edge of Courtyard in various degrees of fracture pieces. Younger students dare each other to climb on top of the pillars. Students and Hunters alike use the center of the Courtyard as the training grounds to brush up on skills. The Courtyard is overlooked by the Third Floor Balcony. When announcements are made from the balcony, the rest of the clan gathers in the Courtyard to hear the wisdom of their Minister.
CELLAR
A missing pane of glass near the bottom of the front french doors is how members enter the manor. Located on the Ground Level are the grand living room, dining room and kitchen. Two large staircases lead to the second floor. Very few members make the ground floor their sleeping quarters. Students and newer members of Moonclan tend to sleep on this level. Otherwise it is used as the common areas where members eat their meals and converse with each other.
CATHEDRAL
The Cathedral is where the Medic and Intern call their home. It is a long forgotten Cathedral that is now overgrown with grass and lush plants and flowers in every color imaginable. The plants located in the Cathedral have very little medical value and are used to make the sacred paints that Moonclan members use to paint their pelts. The sick and injuried are located in the back of the Cathedral to isolate them from the rest of their Clan members.
THE LANDMARKS
CRESCENT STONE
A huge boulder, half-buried in the ground, resting on the shore of the river. The stone is shaped in a curve like a crescent moon. The stone is a place where members of Moonclan can come and pray to seek guidance from the Moon Goddess. Unlike The Temple of the Moon where the higher officials of Moonclan actually see and speak to Selene, Selene doesn’t visibly show at the Crescent Stone. She answers the wishes of her subjects in other ways. It is complace and considered respectful to leave an offering for the Moon Goddess at the base of the rock. Strangely enough when offerings are left they always disappear by the next moonhigh.
WATERFALL
Cascading from a hill along the NightClan border, the waterfall is a place of both danger and beauty, boulders surrounding its end slick with spray. There is a cave hidden behind the rushing water where, for a time, MoonClan took shelter from a powerful blizzard. This was only after chasing out a group of wolves that had taken residence within. Nowadays the scent of both cat and wolf has faded to that of water and stone. Now the cave behind the waterfall houses The Temple of the Moon.
LAKE
Located along the Dayclan border. The lake can be a popular place for the cats of MoonClan to hunt near, especially during warmer moons. Even at dawn and dusk, during greenleaf prey tends to be found rather plentifully near its shore, and for those particularly skilled in fishing can find some fish near the shore. For most, a cat must be willing to wade to fish effectively since, with so much water, a lot of the fish hides in deeper water. Many come to the lake at night and, especially when the Moon’s reflection shines on its surface, some will ask for guidance from their deity here as an alternative to the Cresent Stone.
MARSH
South of the river that cuts through MoonClan’s territory and feeds into the lake on its eastern border, there lies a marsh. This place can be popular for those wishing to pad the fresh-kill pile with more unusual prey, such as frogs and the rare lizard, but most tend to avoid it to just hunt in. The creatures found in the marsh require speed that many of the stealth-reliant MoonClan cats lack, and the mud underpaw can be unpleasant for many. Due to the feeling of muck in their pelt and find it even worse to clean out later. In moonwTabstle patrols, however, the marsh is often the first place to go before setting off for war, as the mud can serve as camouflage, especially for those with paler pelts, and hides the scent of MoonClan.
BURNED TWOLEG PLACE
A section of the forest located in the south-western part of the territory along the river. Moonclan’s former camp, training hollow,and the abandoned twoleg nest used to be located here. A devastating fire that broke out in the abandoned twoleg nest destroyed the surrounding area. There is little left of the three landmarks. What’s left is crumbling trees and ashy undergrowth, and very little signs of prey life. The forest here seems quieter than the rest of Moonclan’s territory. Remains of the abandoned twoleg nest still stand, but it’s considered too dangerous to enter. Due to the instability of the structure.
THE LUNAR ESTATE
A twoleg manor located at the top of the ridge behind the waterfall. It overlooks the rest of Moonclan’s territory. A small path up the side of the ridge leads to the manor. It is located one of the highest places in all of Moonclan’s territory and said to be the closest to the Moon. Moonclan’s camp is located in the main house. Which is accessible through a broken pane in the bottom of the front door. Also located on the estate is a large cathedral that is now overgrown. Located between the Main house and the cathedral is a large courtyard.
The Culling is a term that is spoken both in hushed and horrified whispers, and declared like a religious war cry in the many sermons that might break out impromptu at any time in the Moonclan camp. It is the foundation of the Moonclan’s entire modern religious revolution, and equally so the nightmare that fuels it. It is said that before The Culling, the cats of Moonclan turned away from Selene and no longer followed through with their tasks to hunt down elementals, and had begun to betray her laws and codes. As punishment for their actions, Selene culled all but the most loyal followers, and personally made Puzzlemaker Minister with the task of rebuilding a broken Moonclan from the ashes.
However, Selene left Puzzlemaker with the warning that to fall back to their old ways would lead to the same punishment as before, that if she could Cull the population once, she could do it again. The cats of Moonclan are all too aware of this, reminded on a daily basis that they are the Chosen, spared Selene’s wrath – but not without consequence. To not follow Selene’s law, to betray her word, is to stray from Selene’s path and risk not only your life, but the life of the entire clan itself.
Few know the exact details of what the Culling entailed, it is said Puzzlemaker was the only one to witness it and survive. However, the gist of the the events, with slight variations each time, is often told like what is written below:
“Selene had grown angry with the cats of Moonclan, who had grown wayward and were no longer truly devoted to her and her cause. They had grown lazy and complacent, and no longer had been actively hunting down elementals as she had decreed. At first she attempted to return them back from their wretched path with signs and omens, and then, when that did not work, she allowed for Sunclan, their mortal enemy, to have success in their raid and to use their claws as agents for her will, to kill off the worst sinners of their numbers. When that still did nothing, she realized that there would be no redemption for the old blood of Moonclan – they were corrupted, set in their ways, and would forever stand as false prophets of her vision while leading the youth astray. She realized then what must be done. She herself sent the fire from the mountain to purge Sunclan from their land, as a show of the might of her power, and also to protect Moonclan from their savage neighbors as she realized what must be done.
At once she then called upon Puzzlemaker, whom she had chosen to be the next shepherd of her people, and told him to round up all the cats that she declared, and he did so. When he had gathered up all she had requested, he found it to be all the adults in the clan bar from his own kin, for only had his line in all of Moonclan remained pure.
And so he took them out to the edge of the territory, near where the Sunclan border had once been, and he asked them all to join him in prayer. But the masses refused, and rallied against them: their hearts had been turned too far from Selene. They had been about to turn on him, when Selene herself intervened: In one moment a bright silver light seemed to swallow the crowd, and when it dimmed, only Puzzlemaker remained.
And then, Selene spoke, “I have Culled the unworthy and left only the gentle and sensitive hearts, and the ones who have not been turned against my words. I have left Moonclan to your paws, and shall give you my code, so that you shall obey me and my commands again, and be a light unto the darkness of the world. But be warned: my kindness is great, but my wrath is greater. Shall you fall to sin again, I will once again tear Moonclan to the ground and reforge it in my image. I shall not watch as my people fall a stray.”
And so Selene gave him her codes and new laws, and gave him her new teachings, and her blessings to take up the title of Minister, for he was to be a guiding word to her people. And after she had taught him all she could and assured his heart was pure, she sent him back to share with who remained both heavy news and divine hope.”
In simplest terms, the Chosen are the cats of Moonclan after The Culling, though who can become one of the Chosen and how to become one of the Chosen where the nuance comes in.
The easiest way to become one of the Chosen is to have been born in Moonclan. All cats born on Moonclan soil, and all kits who have been brought into the clan to be raised as fledglings, are Chosen. They do not have to prove themselves beyond the typical trials and training of a Moonclan cat.
Cats from outside Moonclan, whether they be loners, kitty-pets, rogues, or clan cats, are considered heathens and savages, and are not to be interacted with unless they are trespassing. Selene’s laws are very clear about how outsiders and trespassers are to be dealt with in Moonclan; they are to be stopped on the spot and offered the grace of Selene. If they wish to become a follower, then they are immediately taken in as prisoner, if they do not, they are to be executed on the spot. Once taken prisoner, they are to be personally judged by the Minister that then passes their approval or disapproval to the Commissioner. If approved by the Minister they are taken to the Council, if not, they are disposed of. Even then, one must be approved by the council, or suffer the same fate. Once a cat has survived all of these feats, their long road to becoming one of the Chosen has only begun. From there they are assigned under a Luminary to teach them the ropes, and often endure strict schedules, long lessons, a highly restricted diet, little sleep, and a uniquely humiliating set of “training sessions” called The Circle, where students and given full control over the prisoner’s “training” and are required to follow the student’s commands as they would any true superior. If the prisoner manages to endure all of this successfully and finishes their time and trials as a prisoner, they are promoted to hunter and are considered one of the Chosen. However, even after this former prisoners still normally remain some of the least trusted and respected members of Mooclan, constantly being checked in on and their private lives pried into by most of their clan-mates.
Elementals are never to be one of the Chosen, unless Selene herself speaks in their favor. Elementals from outside of the clan are hunted and to be killed on sight, and Elementals born inside the clan are typically executed as soon as their powers are known about. Only a few select individuals are spared this, but they do not live the life of a normal Moonclan cat. Instead, they are sent to hunt down others of their kind and kill them for the glory of Selene, and to sniff out those who might be hiding or covering for elementals in their ranks.
Elementals, cats with powers given to them by the fog that surrounds the forest clans’ territories, are abominations unto Selene, and Moonclan cats consider it part of their sworn duty to rid as many of them as possible. They are considered akin to an infestation, a silent menace and a threat to Moonclan’s way of life, and to kill an elemental – especially as a regular hunter and not as an Inquisitor – is seen as an act of heroism and a point of great pride.
Many cats in Moonclan fear that elementals may be hiding within plain sight in their clan, or that the cats they sleep right next to might be hiding or interacting with elementals in secret. Because of this constant paranoia, Moonclan cats are ever vigilant to keep an eye out for anyone who might show signs of being an elemental. Elementals in Moonclan who aren’t Inquisitors face certain death, and knowingly associating with one or hiding one’s identity is a deadly sin – one that often leaves the transgressor facing the punishment of execution.
It is a common scene for Inquisitors – who act both as Moonclan’s lead investigators and as hunters for elementals outside the clan’s borders – to pull cats aside and ask them questions, whether about themselves or others, completely impromptu. This is not a sign of guilt, but a daily occurance, a constant reminder that the Inquisitors know and see all and will get the info they want eventually. Respected citizens and Luminaries also have the right to pull cats over and interrogate them if they feel the need, though only Luminaries and Inquisitors have the means to assure they get the answers they want.
The cats of Moonclan know Selene as a goddess of two sides. In her waning side she is kind, nurturing, gentle, and wise, in her waxing side she is intelligent, protective, reserved, and strategic. As a deity, she is able to exemplify both perfectly, but as mortals, even trying to live up to the ideal of one may see us falter. This is why Selene created the Lunar Alignments, so that cats might focus on being the perfect example of one of these sides, and that is why it is only fitting that cats of the opposite alignment must be mated with each other -- so that they might make a perfect whole.
Fledglings are watched from a young age by mothers, and when they become students, mothers are the ones that decide upon fledgling's lunar alignments for them which will decide much of their path in life. Cats of either sex can be of either alignment, although females are normally encourage to be waning and males encouraged to be waxing.
Cats of Waning alignment are expected to be the kinder, gentler, nurturers of the clan. They are seen as frailer, softer, and more emotional, but it is often accepted that they are also wiser, and perhaps even more in touch with Selene. They are taught to hunt and are given domestic duties, and their focus is expected to be on making sure the clan is kept neat and stomachs fed. While they aren’t ranked lower than Waxing cats, they are expected to let them take leading roles over them, whether it be in relationships or in day to day lives.
Cat of Waxing alignment are expected to be the strong, brave protectors of the clan. They are expected to be bold, confident, intelligent, and collected, and are expected to be rational and strategic in their decision making and day to day lives. They are taught to fight and are the ones who patrol the border and guard camp, they are given combat duties and are only expected to hunt in times of crisis. While they aren’t ranked above Waning cats, they are expected to take leadership roles, both in their relationships and in their day to day lives.
Once lunar alignments are set, changing them is near impossible and requires a definitive reason for the change. The only way in which a Luminary will normally be convinced to change a Lunar Alignment is when two cats of the same Lunar Alignment are in insistent that they want to be together, in which a Luminary will often force one of the pair to change alignment whether they want to or not. This is, however, if they feel like accepting the pair in the first place; it is much more likely your request to get paired with a cat of the same alignment will be denied, and a much more suitable match will be suggested to you instead.
Modern Moonclan is completely isolated: Those outside the clan are considered heathens whose affairs are not to be trifled with, lest you be brought to their same sinful ways. Moonclan cats are taught from a young age that other clans are made up of barbarians who have no honor nor culture, and that the borders outside their lands are swarming with elementals that would eagerly kill them if given the chance. The rules and fears against interacting with outsiders are so great that if a Moonclan patrol would otherwise have passed by another clan’s patrol at the same time, they instead will typically pull back into the forest and wait for them to pass – it is not worth the risk of continuing on and accidentally provoking an interaction.
The only cats who are permitted to actively leave the territory are the Inquisitors, allowed to leave to hunt elementals. However, this puts Inquisitors in the unique position to be the only cats to know what is ever going on outside the clan. A few Inquisitors, who have the unique secret title of Propagandists, are the ones who share the news of what’s going on outside the clan; once it’s been approved by the Minister, of course. From there the propagandists are given the job to spread this news, often joined in with by Luminaries and more respected citizens, until the news has been dispersed to everyone in the clan
. More often than not the news that gets spread is horrific tales of cats outside Moonclan, and though given the state of affairs of the outside world sometimes this news is true, more often than not, it’s wholly manufactured to spread public fear and distrust of all that exists outside their borders.
True stories of Nightclan cats hunting cats and killing them are mixed in with tales of Dayclan socialites ripping lower status kits from their mothers and using them as personal slaves for their own endeavores. Each clan has their own false narrative around them Propagandists get the luxury to build on: Dayclan cats are oligarchs and kitten-slavers, Nightclan cats are torturers and tyrants, Sunclan cats have turned back to tribals animals no better than dogs, Springclan cats are ran by an insane dictator, Winterclan cats a vicious murderers and brutes, Summerclan cats are religious oppressors who systimatically slaughter and marginalize their small native population of Selene-believers, and Fallclan is full of hedonists who gladly partake in every sin imaginable. Oh, and of course the territory outside of Moonclan is swarming with rogue elementals who are thirsty for Moonclan blood.
It’s a sad fact of life that while for many the reward of being a good citizen is plenty, others need a bit more… Tangible encouragement. While Selene is a kind goddess, she is also a strict one, with laws and codes that are not to be broken. We wouldn’t want another culling after all!
Punishments are adjusted to crimes in Moonclan, and range from things as light as gentle corrections to religious trial and execution depending on the severity of the sin. Minor offenses are handled swiftly and gently on a daily basis. Small sins such as acting out of line with your lunar alignment, being too aggressive with a clan-mate, and telling a white lie are expected to be confessed to the Commissioner, and are often handled with advice on how to be better going forward and a prayer to repent of your sins.
More serious crimes come from breaking Selene’s code, and are handled accordingly. Each code on the list is weighed differently, and the difference in punishments dealt from breaking one of them vary massively. Breaking lesser laws, like forgetting once or twice to pray three times a day, is often met with a harsh word and a sharp reprimand, but this is getting off relatively easy as far as punishments go. More serious lesser offenses, such as a hunter consistently failing to find a way to bring in new blood for the clan, whether by way of adopting, stealing, having their own kits, or other luminary-approved means, often involve the guilty having to confess their sins in front of the crowd during Vesper. They are also normally subject to public shaming -- in which the entire clan typically avoids talking with the guilty individual outside of work, or publicly preaching to them to repent and change their ways -- until the guilty has either visibly repented and changed, or the Minister declares them having been forgiven by Selene.
The more serious punishments start to arise from anything that involves going against the words of the heads of the clan. Even minor offenses and shows of dissent can have a cat standing stockade in a ditch for hours, or being sent out to dig holes for multiple days. This back breaking labor and mild torture is still not the worst one can get, however. For the even worse offenses that are not quite yet execution worthy, solitary confinement is used. Food and water is limited, and for weeks the only visitation one is allowed is a short period in which the Luminaries will bring them food and water, preach to them on Selene and speak only of her alone, and then leave.
The worst offenses have one facing religious trial, and typically end in execution. Exile and torture is for the luckiest of offenders. Cats normally are kept in isolation for at least a month before their trial, and once in the religious trial being declared guilty is almost always guaranteed. The entire clan is encouraged to shame and list off all the accused known sins and faults as the Minister acts as judge and the Luminaries, Intern, Medic, and Commissioner act as jury, with the guilty being allowed no chance to speak until the very end. They are also not allowed to give a speech in their defense -- they either admit guilt, or pray to Selene to send a sign that they have committed no sin. If no sign is sent (and rarely there is) then typically the jury will find the accused guilty, and the Minister will declare whether the newly named criminal will be executed or exiled. If you are lucky and exiled, you’re likely to be tortured and maimed until it can be assured that you will be able to do no harm to Moonclan ever again, before being dragged outside of Moonclan territory and being sent on your way. If you are to be executed, you will normally be allowed one more prayer to Selene to intervene on your behalf if you stand by your innocence, and a prayer to repent for your deeds in the hopes that your sins might be forgiven if you accept the guilty verdict. If once again no sign comes in one’s favor, they are promptly executed.