RiverClan
?star
Leader
Partridgeblight
Deputy
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Rookshadow
Healer
Mintyfigment
Healer
Yarrowflame
Healer
Luckspark
Healer
Salamanderpaw
Healer App
Larchbounce
Healer App
Culture
RiverClan is mainly known for their beauty and romance, having various traditions centered around love and the arts. On the former, they can be a bit of an oddball in clan culture as they seem to conduct themselves as arts being placed before warriorhood. Although both hold equal value, from the moment a kit is born, the artisan influence is obvious in the various ways they are socialized. From living in communal family dens, crafted snuggle bugs as a kit's first playmate, to weaving from the smallest of flower crowns to the most extravagant dresses, all RiverClan cats are brought up as creatives at heart. And by the time apprenticehood is reached? They are often shining examples of what it means to be a member of RiverClan.
This craftiness only expands upon adulthood, with many warriors having the utmost freedom to choose what they do with their lives. Some seek the usual thrill of the code and battle, dedicating themselves to the path of warriorhood in the rivers or on solid ground, while others take a step back and join RiverClan's strong campminder force, characterized not only by being the last line of defense, but also the glue holding their cultural center together, with many passing on traditions and arts to the newer generations of RiverClan’s brood, becoming vocal teachers, weaving instructors, brew and stew baristas, and so much more.
RiverClan is characterized as the romantic artisans of the forest, but don’t let their affinity for the creative fool you! They are still brought up with the very same code as the other clans, and a glint of a waterweaver’s shell guards is just enough to prove that.
babystar's Decree
"NO LEADERS, NO RULES. Who needs them anyway?! Be loud, break things, throw paint on everything!" - Crimsonpaw
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StarClan & Faith
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Noctulepaw: "StarClan is kinda cool… I haven’t seen them before since my ceremony, so our relationship is quite new. My parents were never the religious types, and my littermates are more into elder tales than faith. I wonder how prettily my pelt will shine when I waltz among them, but that’s way, way in the future."
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Warrior Code​
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Glistenpaw: “We need more fashion shows! It should be part of the code that we have them often! Of course, I’ll be judging. That’s how we’ll decide our allies!”​
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Specialty Ranks
Waterweavers
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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
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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.
Campminders​
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In RiverClan, Campminders are the ones with the biggest variety of tasks to do. Because of this, many of them split amongst themselves into teams, often handling a multitude of tasks. They are the ones (alongside Apprentices) who maintain the cleanliness of RiverClan’s camp, as well as help mend any dens in need of repair. Campminders also handle the bulk of cooking and preparing brews and stews for clan events that call for such things, and they are the main ones who make the bowls and cups for such things. Campminders are tasked with the upkeep of lanterns in the camp, although all members of RiverClan aid in this. Helping Healers keep track of ingredients in teas and soups, as well as crafting materials for firefly lanterns are also a task left to this group, alongside many other tasks like taking care of the Elders. RiverClan’s Campminders are among the busiest of the bunch, but it certainly helps keep camp bustling with energy.
Monarchs​
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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
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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.
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High Tea
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Thanks to the hot springs on RiverClan’s territory, the clan enjoys a variety of warm and hot dishes, one of the most popular ones being different types of teas. Due to the strong herbal nature of teas, Healers are often the most well-versed in how to brew them as well as what herbs go well with each other, and in turn, Healers hold seasonal tea parties for the clan. This is an event very rarely anyone misses, and one where every participant dresses up at least a little. Tea parties are full of gossip, laughter and the strong scent of herbs and flowers as members mingle and taste-test different tea blends. Very rarely are these seasonal tea parties not held, and the younger Healers usually weave flowery invites several days in advance for all of the clan. Though just because this tea party is definitely the largest one, this shouldn’t discourage clan members from hosting their own small tea parties amongst friends, families or even just other cats in their age group or rank. It’s definitely one of RiverClan’s favorite activities when wanting to relax and catch up.
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Lantern Festival
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Newleaf brings forth a swarm of fireflies, which RiverClan welcomes with open arms by holding a moon-long celebration that includes adopting a nocturnal schedule and creating lanterns where a firefly will hopefully choose to reside. These little bugs are thought to bring good luck, fortune, plentiful prey, and well wishes. Their lanterns can be decorative, hung up in dens, or functional, worn as an aid in the dark. Campminders and Healers take a special role in feeding the fireflies with nectar, causing the bugs to seek out RiverClan’s territory every year.
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Flower Fest
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During the moons around mid-Newleaf, RiverClan cats come together to gather as many flowers from across the territory as they can to make giant displays made of flowers. Cats will often make large flower statues of council cats or family members to promote good luck, it’s also common to make ones of different prey or of felines who have passed to ask for StarClan’s blessings. Cats of all shapes and sizes come together to help each other build their flower displays in camp, and once they’re all done a large clanwide celebration follows. Warriors go out to bring plentiful prey for the celebration, and a large party is held at night amongst the flower statues and fireflies. After this night they remain up until they fall themselves, sending out a large spray of flowers that kits and apprentices seem to take great delight in jumping through.
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Cat Walk On The Runway
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As a clan full of fashionistas always thought of as the pretty ones, RiverClan has a very big culture surrounding dressing up and looking glamorous. From everything to stylized fur to intricate flower dresses and beautiful pearls decorating everything, RiverClan has it all. So it should be no surprise that they usually partake in a yearly clan-wide fashion show, complete with teams of friends and family who help each other get ready. Many cats will often spend months beforehand preparing an outfit or multiple outfits for such an event, as even if you aren’t participating in the walk it is encouraged to dress up, and some cats even offer to make custom outfits in exchange for other items or passing on rank duties. Such an event is so popular that even kits and apprentices get to experience the joy of participating in it, and are often seen holding their own fashion shows during the seasons while playing. This glamorous event is one always spoken about excitedly, and the more gossipy members enjoy speculating what others will wear during the coming fashion show.
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River-Shadow Lantern Exchange
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Due to both RiverClan and ShadowClan living in water-abundant territories, they share the experience of thousands of fireflies flooding their lands every Newleaf and Greenleaf. This has led both clans to innovate precious firefly lanterns, which they hang up in their dens, wear as accessories, and commit to various exchanges with ShadowClan’s own lanterns at the end of each firefly season. Each interested member secretly leaves their personal lantern at Fourtrees and takes one left by a ShadowClan cat, which they swap back once firefly season begins once more.
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Ending Of The Firefly Season
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At the end of greenleaf, RiverClan all comes together for one last big celebration to bid the fireflies farewell, the night is spent laughing and sharing stories of the good fortune and positive things that happened to them while the fireflies were there. After this celebration, cats of all ranks go out together to inspect the lanterns on the territory. Any broken lanterns are taken down and brought to the old dock or the river that flows through the clans and are set out onto the water. This is done to make sure that there’s no hazardous lanterns for the fireflies but also to set free the good luck and positive memories, and share them with the world and the other clans.
Current State of Affairs
"RiverClan stands with pride." - Ripplestar
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WindClan
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Cherrypaw: "The rabbit cats? I bet they think they're so special and cool with their tunnels, but they're NOT. Though I am jealous of their meadows... they should share."
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ThunderClan
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Lunarpaw: “Thunderclan?! More like… I don’t really care-clan! I don’t think they matter either, right?”
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[interviewer mentions something about a long history of tension between the clans]
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“Mmm… interesting… so they’re our enemy?”
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[interviewer shakes their head no, then kind of shrugs their shoulders]
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“Uhh… okay… so what am I supposed to do with that? I’ll have to consult with my Royal Advisors, I guess. They’ll know what direction to go in.”
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ShadowClan
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Dragonetpaw: "Finally! A clan he has met!!! Well. He's met one cat. Pigletlullaby was cool. So by extension that means all of ShadowClan must be pretty neat. He wants to meet more of them, they seem the coolest. EXCEPT for RiverClan. But ShadowClan can come second."
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