RiverClan
RiverClan, at a glance, might be seen as the lyrical romantics of the forest, living a leasurely life of fishing, laughter, gossip, and tea. Deeper within, they pride themselves on deep familial ties, with their dens being separated by relations, not ranks. They take special care on appearance, dressing extravagantly for any event, with over-the-top displays, pointedly dotted with shiny pearls. Despite this soft appearance, they are no pushover and will happily let their sharpened shell gauntlets speak for themselves.
As the name suggests, RiverClan's territory is cut through by various waterways—from the smallest of streams, to thick, roaring rivers surrounded by towering reeds, abundant with aquatic prey and resources, even in the coldest of moons. The land itself is dotted with both dense and sparse forests all over, vast fields and rocky peaks separating them. These open grounds may be composed of clovers, grass, even leftover twoleg fields. The past presence of twolegs themselves is more obvious in the west, with various campsites and abandoned barns or other structures.
Echostar
Echostar's Decree
"Riverclan has endured a lifetime of struggle and strife - but no longer. I, Echostar, pledge myself to the safety and happiness of our clan, and I will do all within my power to protect it. We deserve a life of peace. While we remain true to our roots of tranquility and wholeheartedness, let none mistake our kindness for weakness, nor believe it may be taken advantage of. In our pride and in our generosity, there is strength" - Echostar
StarClan & Faith
Echostar believes in Starclan, but he views them as morally complex rather than purely benevolent. Starclan is made up of every cat who has passed on, and because of this, they cannot be wholly good or wholly bad - only a reflection of all that clan life has ever been. He does not believe they wield unlimited power or can bend the world to their will; instead, Starclan offers guidance and assistance only when they are able, and always in subtle, indirect ways. While Echostar respects their presence and influence, he often finds their methods vague and, at times, frustratingly unhelpful, leaving the living to interpret signs and shoulder the consequences on their own.
Warrior Code
There is belief in the warrior code to a point. Echostar understands why it exists and values the peace, structure, and unity it brings to clan life. At the same time, he recognizes that the code cannot account for every circumstance, and that there are moments when breaking it may be necessary for the greater good. In such cases, he believes lenience and understanding are more just than rigid punishment. His greatest point of contention lies with the code’s insistence that a leader’s word is law and must be obeyed without question. While Echostar agrees that a leader’s authority should be respected, he does not believe respect should be granted solely by rank - it must be earned through wisdom, fairness, and accountability. Leaders, in his view, are not infallible. He would rather see his decisions questioned when needed than have his clan follow him blindly into error. Echostar values counsel and collective thought, preferring to listen to advice and weigh the voices of others rather than standing alone as the sole arbiter of their clan’s fate
Council
Sunmouse
Deputy
OrphicprayerHealer
Mintyfigment
Healer
Luckspark
Healer
Spectralsight
Healer
CrystallinememoriaHealer
Benthos
Healer
Apprentice
Echostorm
Healer
Apprentice
Loverpaw
Healer
Apprentice
RIVERCLAN VALUES
CREATIVITY!
For whoever stepped foot in Riverclan camp it quickly becomes clear that Riverclan just loves arts and crafts. Intricate paintings decorate every rock, flower garlands hang from den to den, even dens themself are often made with personalized flair, especially if made by an ambitious Campminder. Riverclanners love fashion and are very proficient with weaving garments and putting together delicate accessories. Art plays a huge role in courtship traditions: Siren's Cove is often used to practice special courting songs, Lovers' Meadow provide a variety of flowers for bouquets with secret meanings, and Hidden Grotto just waits to be filled with special decorations for that perfect proposal.
COMMUNITY!
Riverclan prides itself in being a very tight-knit Clan, with familiar bonds and general sense of community playing major role in everyday life. With dens divided not by rank, but rather by family groups, there is an unwritten rule present that no Riverclanner shall sleep alone - even a stranger will easily find someone to share a nest, and it's common to see groups of close friends establish a den together. Most of Riverclan's holidays revolve around being together in some way: on Moonless Night there's a big feast, and at Firefly Festival cats share efforts in building their lanterns and flower statues. Riverclan apprentices also aren't relying on just one sole mentor, and they are often taught by multiple cats throughout their training.
CHIVALRY!
A high virtue of a RiverClanner is their generosity, honour, and a strong sense of justice. Riverclan values grand gestures and will never turn back on someone in need, as it's frowned upon if a cat is selfish or possessive. Cats from this Clan are not afraid to call out injustice when they see it; even if it doesn’t concern them personally or might bring them punishment, a RiverClanner will defend what they deem is right. In battle, a warrior will not lower themself to using dirty tricks, even if it’d bring them a quick win, however taking it as a weakness would be a great mistake: Riverclan prides itself in fighting fair, but with strength and till the end; they’re not afraid to get gravely injured or even die to protect what they hold dear. With values like these, it's not surprising that over time the idea of knighthood took over Riverclan, starting with a group of apprentices who carried it into adulthood and spread across the rest of Clans.
Clan culture
SPECIALITY RANKS
WaterWeavers
When one envisions a typical Riverclan warrior, one envisions a Waterweaver. Masters of the water and elegant to a fault, Waterweavers are well-trained in the arts of silence, stillness, and patience, relying on the rivers that name their home to shelter them and act as their guide. They are ambush predators both in combat and when hunting; they wait beneath the water's surface, unmoving, for as long as necessary, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Waterweavers reinforce their claws using gauntlet-like contraptions crafted from shells, which are first made when apprenticeship is reached, and continuously (and carefully) maintained when not in use.
ShoreKeepers
Shorekeeper warriors are less specialized (but no less significant) than their Waterweaver counterparts. Though still trained in the ways of the water, they primarily stick to dry land, meeting enemies and prey animals alike on even ground. Taking a more defensive approach to combat, they're trained to take hits well and hit back harder. Shorekeepers are assigned to a rotational guard of the borders, making them Riverclan's first line of defense in the face of danger. Prior to battle, they will reinforce their claws with wet clay - this gives their attacks more weight, thus causing more damage to their opponents.
Campminder
RiverClan's Campminders are the most versatile role that serve to keep the clan afloat in many ways, both literally and figuratively. Many of them split amongst themselves into teams, often handling multitudes of tasks, depending on what they might be best at. Their day-to-day consists of maintaining and fortifying the camp and its dens, lantern upkeep, Elder care, Healer aid, and so on! Campminders also lead the cooking of brews and stews for clan events, including making the bowls and cups themselves. RiverClan’s Campminders are among the busiest of the bunch, but it certainly helps keep camp bustling with energy!
MONARCH
Although RiverClan doesn’t have a kit den, Monarchs are still a very important group in the clan. These cats will often visit family dens that have kits, checking in on everyone inside the den and bringing food and gifts along with them. It’s also not rare for Monarchs to temporarily den with families upon request until kits are older. Monarchs spend most of their time tending to kits and their families, but when there’s no kits in camp they will aid in taking care of Elders, patients of the Healers, and training Apprentices. They also tend to any cats in the clan who are expecting kits, alongside talking and teaching about how to care for kits. While they don’t have many tasks outside of this, Monarchs are usually the ones caring for everyone in the clan and making sure everyone is happy and cared for.
HOLIDAYS
THE MOONLESS NIGHT
❄️🌷☀️🍂 MULTI-SEASONED
This is the catch-all Holy Day for RiverClan. This is when new ranks are given, exclusively, unless it is a time-sensitive ceremony (such as a dying apprentice or a new deputy). During this night, all of RiverClan's efforts are toward the reaffirmation of bonds between family groups. Elders will tell stories, warriors will recount grand battles, apprentices do not have to train and all the Clan is relaxed. The day before is spent almost exclusively fishing, to feast on when the night comes.