because i want each clan leader in charge of their own clan's resources & signups[though i'll probably make the post/let you copy mine], i'm making a finder for this separately! additionally, this is where I'll compile all the main lore for the plaugelands as a whole.
The Fractured Clans has lore that diverges VERY strongly from canon lore. Additionally, a lot of clans have strange/dangerous traditions. There are certain roles that posses abilities/skills that are not natural. This roleplay is not grounded in reality, and there is a magic-adjacent system.
NOTE: there are lots of mentions of sacrifice, scarification, and execution.
THE PLAGUELANDS
the plaguelands can be described as a place between places- a world between worlds. not quite real, not quite fake. the plaguelands exist in a vacuum, and moving too far from the world tree in any direction leads to either endless ocean, or endless, empty plains. the further one gets from the center, the world tree, the more things decay. the more things get sick. the more things die.
the plaguelands are massive, and walking from the world tree to the edge of the forests
LEY-LINES
ley-lines blend seamlessly with the surrounding area, always on the far outskirts of the plaguelands where the forests stop and the grasses go on forever. the plaguelands are special in this right, where their outskirts are gateways to other worlds. in other worlds, the air ripples like a mirage, and they may walk deep into it and find themselves in the plaguelands. lay-lines are two-way streets and may be exited as they came, but they change their location and what world they lead to regularly, so there's no guarantee that someone crossing will end up where they intend (though, ley-lines are most likely to take a cat to the location they were born).
cats who are are tied to a world string in any way [such as worshipping one, being a string-treader, or a tower] can not use ley-lines, and walking to them simply allows them to pass into the empty fields that lie beyond them.
all technology that enters the plaguelands shuts down as if struck by a solar flare and all other-world magic ceases.
THE MOUNTAIN TREE
given it's name for it's sheer size, the massive willow tree in the center of the world is called the mountain tree. from it blooms all life, and accordingly, it is a sacred place where the seidh live. rising higher than the mountains, the clans typically tell time by where it's shadow falls on the territories. the mountain tree is hollow, and the upper levels are used to archive scribe writing. sick cats voyage here to see seidh, or scouts run to fetch seidh to treat more sick cats at home.
NIGHT TIME IN THE PLAGUELANDS
night is when a majority of the plagues come out to hunt. the plagues are what the cats of the lands call the creatures that aren't quite natural. where most clans deal with foxes, badgers and wolves, the fractured clans endure mythical creatures. most common among these are:
HULDRA beautiful, silky-furred cat-like creatures with a fox's tail and no visible facial features that can mimic voices and sounds. they will eat any warm-blooded creature they can get their claws on, and are extremely manipulative and intelligent. they are often found near large trees and in the shady branches. once they have eaten their fill, they are quite passive. some have been shown to engage in rudimentary conversation. THE SELMA though this threat is easily avoided, the selma stalks the lakes and rivers of the plaguelands. it will eat anything it can fit in its mouth, which includes cats. be wary of waters, and keep an eye out for ripples or movement. DREYGUR emaciated, hostile undead that usually wander the outlands. a common theory is that dreygur are what is left of those who wander too far for too long. though weak alone, in large numbers they can be incredibly deadly.
emaciated, hostile undead that usually wander the outlands. a common theory is that dreygur are what is left of those who wander too far for too long. though weak alone, in large numbers they can be incredibly deadly.
THE WORLD STRINGS
the three clans of the plaguelands follow a rather flexible religion, with each clan having a different way of worship and reverence. the common threads of the clans, which tie them together, are the fact that the world is made of three aspects called the world strings. the world strings grant power to living and dead alike, and each clan follows one especially. the world strings are as dangerous as they are mysterious, and improper string-treading can lead to gruesome and harsh deaths, insanity and delusions.
once associated with the wasting clan. now, worship is mostly limited to seidh.
the thread that stitches life and death, and binds the natural world. associated with entropy, chaos, growth and decay, sickness and healing, and persistence after death.
decay represents the fundamental understanding all healers must have over death- in order to repair life, one must understand what destroys it. decay manifests as flourishing plants or wilting mosses. as herbs and as wasting disease. it is as tied to death as it is to life.
string-treaders of decay often have a skill relating to plants, animals, or health.
SONDER
THE HEART [ @/player ]
associated with the Burning Clan and the Drowned Clan.
the thread that wraps the mind. the origin of emotion, both constructive and destructive. storms, weather, fire, seasons, and emotion are all tied to this string.
sonder represents the most idealistic or corrupt parts of the feline mind. it manifests as either unshakeable hope or insurmountable dread. it is two sides of a coin, both ends of the emotional spectrum.
string-treaders of sonder can have many different abilities, from manipulating emotions to conjuring small flames.
INNATE
THE MIND [ @/player ]
associated with the Shifting Clan.
he thread that weaves the rocks, the trees and the dirt. instinct, knowledge, rationale. the physical and the corporal.
innate is the thread that represents the cycle of survival, and the journey from creation to death, as well as the connection with the most primal and natural part of one’s mind.
innate string-treaders may be able to temporarily shapeshift, cause primal emotions such as panic and fear or communicate with animals.
STRING-TREADERS
string-treaders are the cats within or outside of the clans that are tied to a world string very strongly, enough to utilize one of the abilities of the string. string-treader abilities can vary widely, from summoning rain showers to causing illness. from starting fires to taking on the form of a beast.
STRING-TREADER REGULATIONS
the string-treader limit is one per user. you can get this slot back by killing the string-treader. it does not replenish if they merely go missing. one ability per string-treader [the staret seidh is an exception and may have 3 abilities- one per string]
seidh and hrs do not count towards your 1 string-treader limit.
string-treader abilities must be related to a world-string. it does not have to be the world-string they worship, though most commonly it is.
string-treading abilities must be approved by @redshiftreign prior to use. either vm me your idea or reply to this thread.
very rarely, i may give out dual-string slots to active members of the roleplay. this will take up their string-treader slot, so they must either apply it to their active treader and have them develop a second ability, or kill them to create a new treader.
kits under 6 moons can not have string-treading abilities. any character above 6 moons may develop string-treading as long as you have an open string-treader slot.
character & clan:
world-string:
requested ability:
drawbacks:
@redshiftreign
THE BONE GARDEN
the cats of the plaguelands do not particularly believe in a universal afterlife. souls that are not tangled in the world strings- like those that are not string-treaders or have very minor treading abilities -merely give up their life energy back to the world and cease to exist. however, when a cat is tangled in the world strings by being a string-treader, they may persist in some form after death. usually forgetting large parts of themselves, these ‘spirits’ reside in the bone garden, a desolate and foodless wasteland below the physical world. some more powerful spirits wander the plaguelands as visages of what they once were, often being fractured parts of what once was a whole mind, heart and soul. most often, what remains of these spirits is based off of which world string they were tied to, and that aspect of them remains the strongest.
THE FRACTURED CLANS
there are 3 clans in the plaguelands, the burning clan[TBC], the drowned clan[TDC], and the shifting clan[TSC]. previously, there was a fourth clan called the wasting clan but following a bloody civil war, it split and the clan dissolved. some members of the wasting clan now reside in the other clans, while others are now loners. this dissolve of the clan was 56 moons ago.
all clans share the same healers, called the seidh.
seidhköttr, or seidh live within the mountain tree in the middle of the plaguelands, tending to its gardens and protecting the chamber of the tree. the closer the forest grows to the tree, the larger and stranger things get. sany cats are afraid of the seidh, and seidh often never regain their connection with their families because of this divide.
there are two main types of seidh, the starets and the druids.
the staret is the world-thread expert and can typically weave or manipulate all three threads, and uses this ability to handle some of the more unruly magic creatures and spirits inhabiting the plaguetands. they are typically called upon to deal with spiritual or supernatural troubles, mediate relations between strings and clans, and other such things.
the druid is the seidh that specializes in decay, the world thread of life and death, and the corporeal world. they learn herbs, remedies, health issues, and how to manipulate the decay thread to an extreme degree, practically holding dominion over the lives of the injured once they are sufficiently trained.
VITSUMA
when the seidh must select successors to train, two cats(often fledgelings, but not always) are nominated to become siedhlings. if there are more than two nominees (no more than 2 nominees per clan) they compete in the “vitsmuna”, where the fledgling’s use their wit and knowledge to outsmart and outdo their opponents in a competition decided by the seidh. each vitsmuna is different, and the challenge or task is decided by the seidhs. the winners will be taken on as a seidhling, and leave their clan to become an impartial healer or spiritual guide for all clans.
before they leave, though, the seidhling’s clan celebrate with a grand festival of play-battles and events that differ from clan to clan.
seidh use their knowledge of both mythical and natural herbs to tend to wounds of the clans, often traveling from camp to camp after major battles. they are paid in prey and warm dens during their stay, and often collect history accounts from the scribes to store in the chamber. seidh lose all affiliation and loyalty to their clan when they take on their role, and are required to treat none as kin and none above any other. use of the sacred healing for self-gain or with bias is a punishable offense.
the only case where a seidh treats a clan like their own after departing is when they are visiting to collect the fledglings for the vitsuma. they are allowed to catch up with family and friends, and partake in regular warrior activities until nominees are confirmed, then they must return to their chamber once more and prepare the games. vitsuma games last half a moon and usually do not result in any casualties since the seidh are readily available.
__________________
grousepaw is shadowclan's medicine cat apprentice
they and mossfreckle have a semi-closed den policy.
the fire and flames.
allegiances: soon
founded by a pyre in the depths when the the storm was defeated, splitting into the burning clan and the drowned clan.
THE FIRE
the burning clan is ran by 3 cats with equal power but unique roles in the clan. collectively, they are called the fire. the fire are littermates from a litter of 3, and when one of them dies, the other two are to be killed in front of the clan by their matching flames, who will then take their place and choose a new litter to be raised as the flames.
THE COMMANDER [ @/open ]
the oldest of the 3 littermates, the first born, is relegated to the commander position. the commander does most of the delegating of work. they are in charge of making sure apprentices get trained, patrols are sent out as well as devising strategy and battle for the clan. in summary, the general is in charge of the troops and keeps the fundamentals of the clan running.
TASKS
issuing patrols
planning battles
making sure apprentices are being trained
choosing mentors
issuing punishments
keeping track of rank-ups
THE STRING-BURNER [ @/open ]
the middle of the 3 littermates, the second born, is relegated to the string-burner position. the string-burner 'burns' their connection to the sonder string and loses all ability to use it's abilities. the string-burner serves as the moral and emotional guide for the clan and ambassador to other clans. most of their job consists of mediating inside and outside relations. the string-burner is also in charge of making sure incendiaries are doing their jobs and is considered the 'head incendiary'.
TASKS
overseeing the incendiaries
mediating in-clan and cross-clan relations
reforming laws and rules
overseeing scribes & teaching new scribes/scribing when necessary
leading meetings
updating the allegiances
THE FIREKEEPER [ @/open ]
the youngest of the 3 littermates, the runt, is relegated to the firekeeper position. the firekeeper has the strongest connection to sonder in the clan and is tasked with maintaining the heartfire within the clan's camp. the firekeeper is often quite isolated from the rest of the clan because of the nature of their role, and often times scry into the fire's flames and smoke for prophecies and omens. serving as the spiritual leader, they also lead religious ceremonies and rituals. the firekeeper is always a string-treader of sonder, and has a more powerful control over the string than any other.
TASKS
organizing rituals
keeping the heartfire burning
preforming fire burials
scrying
selecting the next flames
organizing wood-getting patrols
THE FLAMES [ @/open , @/open , @/open ]
the flames are a litter of 3 kits born within the burning clan that are chosen by the firekeeper to become the fire after one of them dies. the flames are taken from their parents and instead raised by the fire. the flames share responsibilities and often times help with their designated fire's jobs. if there are no litters of 3 within 6 moons of a new fire, then a litter of four, five, or six may be chosen but the extra kits must be sacrificed to the heartfire to appease the sonder string.
TASKS
helping with their assigned fire
preforming warrior duties
managing the fresh-kill pile and camp
enforcing rules
UNIQUE ROLES INCENDIARIES als
CULTURE AND TRADITIONS fledging ceremony kits of 6 moons who are ready to begin training as a warrior or incendiary fledglings are coated in ashes by friends and family, then in wildflowers and good-smelling herbs before being called before the clan and announced as fledglings, a mentor being hand-chosen to be suited to each fledgling. warrior ceremony all fledglings with proper training that are ready to become warriors are required to take a quest from each of the flames. these quests can be as simple as fetching an eagle's feather or as difficult as bringing back a huldra's tail. each flame assigns one quest to the apprentice, giving them 3 tasks to complete. once completed, they have earned the right to a warrior ceremony which is done before the clan at a meeting. sonder worship worship of the sonder string is incredibly dependent on the firekeeper and personal preference. mostly it consists of feeding the heartfire a piece of kill and plenty of wood every day. each warrior is expected to contribute to the heartfire somewhat regularly. the scorching when someone in the clan commits an egregious crime that the flames collectively agree (all 3 vote yes) is unforgivable, the offender and the five cats closest to them(selected by the string-burner) are killed. the criminal's name and any information about them is forbidden to be spoken of ever again or else they too will be killed.
__________________
grousepaw is shadowclan's medicine cat apprentice
they and mossfreckle have a semi-closed den policy.
The Fractured Clans Masterpost & Signups
