Post by themurlocpaladin on Dec 29, 2019 21:44:07 GMT
Ever feel like you want to make a truly unique clan, but just don’t know where to start? Perhaps all of your clans feel like reskinned ThunderClan? Just need some more ideas? You’ve come to the right place! Here, I help people with worldbuilding issues, go over ideas, point people towards herbs that would, you know, actually work, and so on.
General Issues
First of all, you need a setting. This can be a geographical location or just a general idea of the surrounding area and the climate. Where your clans live will influence there culture and lifestyle.
Almost as important: You need a culture. The original books do a TERRIBLE job of this - the clans have almost no unique culture beyond a basic religion. They have no holidays (except for perhaps gatherings), and only a few ceremonies. Aside from the leader perhaps saying a speech, there is little to celebrate most occasions, and few customs.
Culture:
-Holidays: Holidays could be a little tricky. The main issue is that cats don’t keep track of time particularly well. Most holidays would probably be either seasonal or lunar. Some ideas for celebrations are fasts, special activities, religious ceremonies, and many other ideas.
-Religion: What do your cats worship? Your cats could have an established religion, deal with religion on an individual basis, or simply not have one. Your religion doesn’t have to be true (mine usually aren’t), but it could be.
-Small customs: This is THE most overlooked part of worldbuilding, and arguably the most important to make your clan feel fleshed out and realistic. Do your cats say a small prayer at some occasions? Do they put special branches or herbs in front of dens to bring health? Are a certain number/color of kits in a litter considered bad luck? These kinds of details just add so much to a clan, especially when related to religious or historical beliefs.
Clan Names:
Your name should probably at least have some relation to your actual clan. Some ideas to look at if you’re having trouble:
-Do the cats in your clan have some sort of common or shared trait? Would this be notable enough to name their group after it?
-Are there any geographical features nearby, such as strange stones, cave systems, or unusual trees?
-Does the area have any common plants? Would these be noteworthy enough for a name?
Herbs:
I really, really recommend not using Erin Hunter’s herbs. I cannot stress this enough. The majority of herbs used in the books would would either kill the cats or make them seriously ill. The rest just wouldn’t work, with a few exceptions. It’s fine to have some of your herbs not work (I mean, they’re cats; even humans have done this for a lot of history), but they’d probably notice when stuff is literally killing them.*
Just searching home remedies on the internet and then searching whether they work on cats is pretty effective. Some suggestions are:
Plantain - Used as a salve for insect bites and stings, cuts, scrapes, and burns, as well as being used for stomach aches (with varied success). Very abundant in the meadow part of the territory, especially near the paths frequented by two-legs.
Ginger - Found occasionally in two-leg gardens, this herb is commonly used for stomach aches, nausea, and upset stomachs. Ginger is also used for coughs and mild fevers.
Cedar - Cedar branches and needles are commonly placed in nests to repel fleas. Some cats will swear by this, other think of it as a mere superstition.
Coneflower - Coneflowers, sometimes found in the meadow territory, are used to treat colds and flus.
Thyme - Thyme is often used to treat weight loss and diarrhea. This often doesn’t work, but does work on occasion. Thyme can be found in the meadow, particularly near the paths that two-legs frequent.
Agrimony - Agrimony is given to cats suffering from stress and anxiety.
The Warrior Code:
The warrior code from the books is generally pretty solid, so simply copying it over is certainly an option. You could also adjust it, or simply not have a code. In the absence of such a code, though, it’s important to consider how they decide rules. It’s also important to think about how they enforce rules, whether warrior-code based or not.
TO BE CONTINUED.
*Well, I say this, but I suppose humans aren’t too good at this. Ancient China used arsenic to help with tooth pain. ARSENIC.
General Issues
First of all, you need a setting. This can be a geographical location or just a general idea of the surrounding area and the climate. Where your clans live will influence there culture and lifestyle.
Almost as important: You need a culture. The original books do a TERRIBLE job of this - the clans have almost no unique culture beyond a basic religion. They have no holidays (except for perhaps gatherings), and only a few ceremonies. Aside from the leader perhaps saying a speech, there is little to celebrate most occasions, and few customs.
Culture:
-Holidays: Holidays could be a little tricky. The main issue is that cats don’t keep track of time particularly well. Most holidays would probably be either seasonal or lunar. Some ideas for celebrations are fasts, special activities, religious ceremonies, and many other ideas.
-Religion: What do your cats worship? Your cats could have an established religion, deal with religion on an individual basis, or simply not have one. Your religion doesn’t have to be true (mine usually aren’t), but it could be.
-Small customs: This is THE most overlooked part of worldbuilding, and arguably the most important to make your clan feel fleshed out and realistic. Do your cats say a small prayer at some occasions? Do they put special branches or herbs in front of dens to bring health? Are a certain number/color of kits in a litter considered bad luck? These kinds of details just add so much to a clan, especially when related to religious or historical beliefs.
Clan Names:
Your name should probably at least have some relation to your actual clan. Some ideas to look at if you’re having trouble:
-Do the cats in your clan have some sort of common or shared trait? Would this be notable enough to name their group after it?
-Are there any geographical features nearby, such as strange stones, cave systems, or unusual trees?
-Does the area have any common plants? Would these be noteworthy enough for a name?
Herbs:
I really, really recommend not using Erin Hunter’s herbs. I cannot stress this enough. The majority of herbs used in the books would would either kill the cats or make them seriously ill. The rest just wouldn’t work, with a few exceptions. It’s fine to have some of your herbs not work (I mean, they’re cats; even humans have done this for a lot of history), but they’d probably notice when stuff is literally killing them.*
Just searching home remedies on the internet and then searching whether they work on cats is pretty effective. Some suggestions are:
Plantain - Used as a salve for insect bites and stings, cuts, scrapes, and burns, as well as being used for stomach aches (with varied success). Very abundant in the meadow part of the territory, especially near the paths frequented by two-legs.
Ginger - Found occasionally in two-leg gardens, this herb is commonly used for stomach aches, nausea, and upset stomachs. Ginger is also used for coughs and mild fevers.
Cedar - Cedar branches and needles are commonly placed in nests to repel fleas. Some cats will swear by this, other think of it as a mere superstition.
Coneflower - Coneflowers, sometimes found in the meadow territory, are used to treat colds and flus.
Thyme - Thyme is often used to treat weight loss and diarrhea. This often doesn’t work, but does work on occasion. Thyme can be found in the meadow, particularly near the paths that two-legs frequent.
Agrimony - Agrimony is given to cats suffering from stress and anxiety.
The Warrior Code:
The warrior code from the books is generally pretty solid, so simply copying it over is certainly an option. You could also adjust it, or simply not have a code. In the absence of such a code, though, it’s important to consider how they decide rules. It’s also important to think about how they enforce rules, whether warrior-code based or not.
TO BE CONTINUED.
*Well, I say this, but I suppose humans aren’t too good at this. Ancient China used arsenic to help with tooth pain. ARSENIC.