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Post by Kaeldra on Mar 27, 2017 4:17:32 GMT
Welcome TCR’s Getting Started Guide! Whether you’re completely unfamiliar with Warriors or perhaps you’re just a little rusty (;D), this guide should help you figure out everything you need to know. Of course, if there’s something that’s not covered in this thread you’re always welcome to message a staff member as well ^^ So, let’s get started! First things first, here’s a couple of links to other threads that you should read before anything else: Once you’ve read those, you should have a rough idea of what this site is like as well as our expectations. It might also be a good idea to check out the Timeline to see everything that’s happened in the game up to now, as well as our list of currently available high positions. You can find the links for those below: Now that you know the basics, you're welcome to go ahead and start creating a character, or you can keep reading if you'd like to know even more about how exactly things work in this world. There are a number of different topics, each separated into their own post within this thread. You can browse through them if you like, or you can use the links below to jump directly to the one you want to read! |
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Post by Kaeldra on Mar 27, 2017 4:17:53 GMT
Vocabulary In this game, the characters use some interesting words that might not make sense to those unfamiliar with them. While each cat will of course have their own way of speaking, these words and meanings are known by most cats. Crowfood: Rotting food, whether it be an animal carcass or human food. Cutter: The vet, specifically one who spays or neuters cats. Typically only used by wild cats. Dirt: Feces. Dirtplace: The place a cat will go to relieve themselves. Typically only used by wild cats. Fox dung: A word that can be used as an insult or a curse word. Quite offensive, not usually used as a joke. Considered inappropriate. Fresh-kill: Recently killed prey, meant for eating. Gathering: A meeting of the four Clans every full moon. This is a peaceful night to exchange news and talk with cats from other Clans. There is to be no fighting. Greenleaf: Summer. Half-moon: A span of time referring to half of a moon cycle. Roughly two weeks, or 14 days. Heartbeat: Used to measure time; a split second. Horseplace: A barn or stable where horses are kept. Housefolk: A word mainly used by house cats to refer to humans. Kittypet: A tame cat that lives with humans. Does not include barn cats. Leaf-fall: Autumn. Leaf-bare: Winter. Loner: Refers to a cat which is not part of a Clan or other group, and is not a kittypet. They tend to live and hunt alone, whether they are nomadic and travel frequently or choose to stay in one place. Mostly used by Clan cats. Monster: A vehicle driven by humans. Believed by most cats to be some sort of dangerous animal. Moon: A period of time spanning one full moon cycle. Roughly one month, or 29 days. Moonhigh: The time when the moon is highest in the sky; midnight. Moonrise: The time when the moon is rising in the sky. Mouse-brain: A term used to refer to a cat that is not very smart. Can be used seriously or in a joking manner, depending on how it’s said. Mouse-brained: Similar to mouse-brain, this term refers to someone or something that isn’t very smart. Mouse dung: A word used as an insult or a curse. More offensive than mouse-brain, but less so than fox dung. Mouse-length: A unit of measurement. Roughly two inches, or five centimeters. Newleaf: Spring. Nofurs: A word used by some cats to refer to humans. Quarter-moon: A span of time referring to a quarter of a moon cycle. Roughly one week, or 7 days. Rogue: A cat who has been banished for crimes against the warrior code. These cats are generally rather hostile and are seen as a threat to the Clans and other cats. Mostly used by Clan cats. Sharing tongues: The act of two or more cats grooming each other and having a conversation. This is most commonly done at midday when the sun is hottest but is not uncommon at other times. Silver boulder: A garbage can. Fairly uncommon. Silverpelt: A word used by Clan cats to refer to the stars in the sky. Believed to be the home of their ancestors, StarClan. Silverthorn: Barbed wire. Fairly uncommon. Sunhigh: The time when the sun is highest in the sky; midday. Sunrise: The time when the sun is just rising over the horizon; dawn. The word dawn itself is also commonly used, so it’s mostly a matter of preference. This word can also be used as a way of measuring time, such as “three sunrises ago” meaning three days ago. Tail-length: A unit of measurement. Roughly a foot, or 30 centimeters. Tree-eater: A bulldozer. Thunderpath: A road made of asphalt. Twoleg: A word used by Clan cats as well as some wild cats that refers to humans. Twoleg nest: A human house. Twolegplace: A human settlement. Upwalkers: A word used by some cats to refer to humans. |
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Post by Kaeldra on Mar 27, 2017 4:18:07 GMT
Ranks All groups within this game have some form of hierarchy, whether it be simple or complex. For easy reference, here’s a compilation of all ranks for each official group within the game. Note: The Clans do not currently exist in this game, though they will in the future. The following is their traditional group structure. The Clans Leader: This cat leads the Clan, and has the final say in all matters. They are granted 9 lives by StarClan at the time of becoming leader. Deputy: A cat chosen by the leader to be their second-in-command. They are essentially a second set of paws to help the leader in their duties. In the event the leader dies, the deputy will take their place and appoint a new deputy. Medicine Cat: This cat is the healer of the Clan, as well as their connection to StarClan. In addition to healing their Clanmates with their stock of herbs, medicine cats may also interpret signs from StarClan and share them with the Clan if they choose to do so. Medicine Cat Apprentice: A cat in training to become a full medicine cat. They will assist the medicine cat with patients, as well as learning to communicate with StarClan. Senior Warrior: This cat is part of the leader’s inner circle and is generally very experienced. Senior warriors may advise the leader on difficult matters along with the deputy. Warrior: A cat who has completed their training and serves as a full warrior. Basic warrior duties include hunting, going on border patrols, and protecting their Clan from any dangers that may arise. The majority of any Clan will generally be comprised of warriors. Apprentice: A cat in training to become a full-fledged warrior, under the guidance of a mentor assigned by their leader. Apprentices are typically quite young, but it is not necessary. Queen: A cat who is currently expecting or nursing kits. This rank is temporary, and when a queen’s kits become apprentices the queen will return to full time warrior duties. Kit: A very young cat still being taken care of by their mother. Kits do not have any real responsibilities in the Clan yet, being too young for apprenticeship. Elder: This cat has either decided to retire or become unable to continue with their warrior duties. They are honoured for their service to the Clan and treated with great respect. |
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Post by Kaeldra on Mar 27, 2017 4:18:25 GMT
Naming Convention For solitary cats (loners, rogues, and kittypets), there are essentially no limits when it comes to what their names can be. If you can think of it, it can probably be a name. However, some of the in-character groups on the site have particular ways of naming their members. The best example of this is the Clans, whose naming system I will explain below. Note: The Clans do not currently exist within the game as of yet, however when they are created this is the system they will follow. In the Clans, each cat has two parts to their name: a prefix, and a suffix. The first part of their name, the prefix, is given to them by their mother and remains the same throughout their entire life except in rare cases. The suffix on the end, however, changes multiple times over the course of a Clan cat’s life and reflects on a cat’s rank as well as their traits. Prefixes are always related to nature, as the Clans live in the forest. A cat’s prefix usually relates to their appearance since they haven’t shown much of their personality yet. So for example, a mother cat might choose to give a red kit the prefix Fox or a grey kit the prefix Stone. All cats have the same suffix when they are born: -kit. So using the previous example prefixes of Fox and Stone, those kits would be named Foxkit and Stonekit respectively. When a kit becomes an apprentice, they lose the -kit suffix and gain a new suffix of -paw. Within the Clans, this represents that their paws are now on the path to becoming a warrior (or a medicine cat if that is what they have chosen). Using the same examples again, Foxkit and Stonekit would become Foxpaw and Stonepaw. A cat’s suffix changes for the last time when they finish training. When a cat becomes a warrior or medicine cat, they will lose their -paw suffix and gain a new suffix that reflects on the type of cat they have become. Warrior suffixes vary from cat to cat, and different suffixes highlight different traits. For example, a cat who is very skilled at fighting might receive the suffix -claw or -fang, while a cat who is better at hunting might end up with the suffix -whisker or -nose. There are many suffixes to choose from, and there’s a perfect one for every cat. So, to use the same examples of Foxpaw and Stonepaw, they might become Foxclaw and Stonewhisker. While most cats will not change names after they have become warriors, there are occasions where it does happen. One of the most notable is when a cat becomes the leader of their Clan. When a cat goes from being deputy to leader, they lose their warrior suffix and gain the suffix -star as well as nine lives from StarClan. This shows StarClan’s recognition of them as the new leader of their Clan, and distinguishes them from the rest of their Clanmates. If the leader chooses to go back to being a warrior or retire to the elder’s den, they will lose their -star suffix and return to using their warrior suffix. In some cases, a retiring leader may take on a new name entirely if StarClan feels that is appropriate. Other reasons a cat’s name may change include retiring from being a warrior or going through an experience that affected them greatly. However, this happens very rarely and generally a cat will keep their warrior name until death. |
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Post by Kaeldra on Mar 27, 2017 4:18:58 GMT
Timekeeping System On TCR, time in the game moves completely separately from real time. Because of this, sometimes it'll be winter in the game and summer in real life, or vice versa! If you ever want to know what the current time in the game is, head on over to the Almanac for all that info. This includes start and end dates (both IC and OOC) for the current moon, as well as weather! Each moon in game takes two IRL months, and since we have liquid time threads can be started at any point within the current moon (or past ones, if you so desire, though the current moon should always be prioritized). If you'd like to know what age a cat would be right now if they were born in a specific moon, you can check out this spreadsheet for a breakdown! As for the timekeeping system itself, we measure time in chunks called moons rather than months. They have no relation to the standard months of the year (no January, etc.) and are instead based on lunar cycles. One moon is the span of time from one new moon to the next, or one full lunar cycle. There are generally twelve of these moons in one year, though occasionally there will be thirteen to keep the correct moons in line with the seasons. Each moon has a name that relates to what’s happening in nature at the time, and they go as follows: Frost Moon: During this moon, frost begins to cover the ground as temperatures drop below freezing. Prey is quite scarce at this time of year. Snow Moon: While the sun starts to shine a little bit more, it’s still as cold as ever. In addition to the freezing temperatures, this moon also sees quite a bit of snowfall and the occasional blizzard. Worm Moon: The ground starts to thaw during this moon, and worms start to pop out of the soil again. Any snow that accumulated last moon will start to melt. River Moon: This moon is when the river comes back to life, with fish beginning to spawn and the water level rising with all of the melted snow and rain. Flower Moon: This moon is marked by the blooming of many flowers, signalling the arrival of spring. Prey is starting to become easier to come by. Prey Moon: With the warm weather having returned, prey is plentiful in this moon. This is a moon of abundance and comfort. Thunder Moon: This moon brings with it many summer thunderstorms. It rains a fair bit during this time, though it’s usually quite warm. Fire Moon: The heat of summer reaches its peak during this moon, sometimes getting dangerously hot. If the forest gets particularly dry, forest fires aren’t uncommon. Feather Moon: As temperatures begin to drop with the end of summer, many birds start their migrations to warmer areas. This can result in quite a few feathers on the forest floor. Wind Moon: As the name suggests, this moon brings with it strong gusts of wind. The leaves also start falling from the trees around this time. Rain Moon: This moon is generally the wettest of the year, with cold biting rains. Flooding isn't too uncommon during this moon. Shadow Moon: The last moon of the set, this moon includes the darkest days of the year as they surround the winter solstice. Much of this moon is spent in the dark. Star Moon: This moon is quite rare, and only occurs every few years to balance out the rest. It takes place in the dead of winter, when the stars are at their brightest. The moons always follow this order, though in years that the Star Moon is not included it jumps straight from the Shadow Moon to the Frost Moon. The first moon of the year is the Frost Moon, which always begins on the new moon soonest after the winter solstice. These moons are used to split time up into manageable pieces, so we can keep more accurate records of when things are taking place and how old each character is. If you'd like to see this system in action, head on over to the Timeline! |
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Post by Kaeldra on Mar 27, 2017 4:32:26 GMT
Feline Aging How characters age seems to change from game to game, and as such there isn’t any real standard. In the interest of keeping TCR as realistic as possible, here’s a guide to the average lifespan of a cat living in the wild. Keep in mind that this just a general outline and actual ages will vary on a cat to cat basis. It is important to remember that these cats have no access to veterinary care, and as such will live drastically shorter lives than their domestic companions. Kittenhood: 0-6 moonsThis is a time of rapid growth and development, and many changes take place in these six short moons. During this time, a cat goes from a blind and deaf bundle of fur to an animal with the capability to learn the skills needed to hunt and defend themselves. Here’s a rough timeline of the milestones a cat will reach during the first six moons of their life. 1st Moon- 1 week old: Ears open.
- 2 weeks old: Eyes open, though vision is not very good. All kittens have blue eyes.
- 3 weeks old: Sense of smell is fully developed.
- 4 weeks old: Legs are strong enough to walk on, though still unsteady.
2nd Moon- 5 weeks old: Sense of sight is fully developed. Introduction to solid foods begins.
- 6-8 weeks old: Legs are now developed enough to walk easily and gracefully.
3rd-6th Moons- 9-10 weeks old: The kitten is fully weaned, and now eats solid foods only.
- 12-13 weeks old: Adult eye colour develops.
- 14 weeks old: Adult teeth start to come in.
- 20-24 weeks old: Adult teeth are fully grown.
Adolescence: 6-12 moonsThese cats are now old enough to really start learning what being a cat is all about. This is the prime age for a cat to begin training, if they belong to a group that has anything of the sort. While they don’t yet possess the maturity and discipline of adults, cats this age are able to focus and achieve more than when they were tiny kits chasing butterflies. If a cat is a kittypet, they’ve likely been adopted by their new owner at this point. Cats also reach sexual maturity around this time, though it’ll be a while yet until they’re mentally prepared for raising kits of their own. Adulthood: 12-60 moonsAt this age, a cat has done most of their growing and will be roughly the same from here on until death. Their bodies have finished developing for the most part, and if they still have growing to do it’ll only last until around the 18-24 moon mark. These cats are physically in their prime, and most cats in any given group will likely be in this age bracket. While those on the younger end of this range may still be lacking in some development and maturity, they’re generally able to fend for themselves. Old Age: 60+ moonsBy now a cat will be starting to slow down, not quite as fit or energetic as they once were. Muscles grow weaker, eyesight and hearing start to fade, and reflexes become slower. It becomes harder to fend for themselves, and cats on the higher end of this range may rely on other cats or even humans to care for them. Cats of this age group often have many stories to tell, given their life experience. In the case of house cats, old age comes on a bit slower than it does in ferals, due to their access to proper veterinary care. For house cats, old age may not be until they are 100 moons old or more. DeathAlthough sad, death is something that all cats will eventually have to face. Ideally death will be late in a cat’s life, though that is not always the case. The age at which a cat will pass away varies widely between individuals, depending on circumstances. There is however a basic outline. Keep in mind that this is for death caused naturally, and does not apply to illness and injury. *Note: If you are planning to have one of your characters die please let a staff member know as soon as possible. This is to keep the timeline, character allegiances, and census accurate. Under 40 moons: It is quite unusual for a cat to die of natural causes under the age of 45 moons, and if a cat dies in this age range it is most often due to injury or illness. 40-55 moons: While cats do not commonly die this young, it is not unheard of. Some cats simply age faster than others. 55-70 moons: This is the most common age at which cats pass away. While it may not seem very old, cats that have lived this long have been through rather harsh lives by this point. 70-75 moons: Cats that live to reach this age bracket are not terribly uncommon, though they will likely have had relatively stress- and injury-free lives. In times of excessive fighting, illness, or famine, such ages are unlikely. (Players of cats this age who are not kittypets should be actively planning a death scene. If a cat has recently left kittypet life to become a wild cat, they get a 6-moon buffer after which a death scene must take place. Ex. Fluffy leaves their twolegs at the age of 72 moons. With the 6-moon buffer, their death scene must take place no later than age 78 moons instead of by age 75 moons.) 75+ moons: It is very rare for a cat to reach this age without any veterinary care. Cats of this age are considered to be rather amazing by others due to their ability to survive for so long. (Players of cats this age who are not kittypets must have staff permission or be using the above 6-moon rule to keep a character alive past 75 moons, as well as be actively planning a death scene.) Of course, the above guidelines don’t quite apply to house cats. Kittypets tend to live much longer lives that their wild counterparts, and as such may not start acting as if they are old age until 80 moons or later. Their upper limit for age goes as high as 180 moons, and cats beyond that age are not permitted except in very rare cases. |
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