Information on Pineclan Rankings

[Rolo]

.Intro

This is a collective source of information where you can find out all about the Pineclan roles.

Pineclan is a clan that differs from the norm. They do not believe in Starclan, but they remain a functional, loyal and very Honorable clan. For this reason, when you apply for a high rank in Pineclan, you must be willing to be adventurous, as your ranking's role requires versatility and a desire to learn for the rp to succeed.

This guide will aim towards telling you exactly what each role is and the technicalities around it. Not only will this be a source of information that Pineclan members can turn to when they are stuck on the rules of the clan, it will offer advice on getting high rankings too.

Before reading this guide, reading Pineclan settings is advisable. The link is here: forest-of-fate.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=settings&action=display&thread=70

.Pineclan Rankings

Pineclan, due to their odd method of leadership, have alot more high ranking roles than usual.

Unlike other clans, Pineclan is not run by one single cat. The leader has the job of heading the clan and making decisions, as usual, however due to the nature of the clan, the leader is NOT allowed to make decisions alone. Before doing anything major, a Pineclan leader MUST discuss what they are going to do with the elders (in particular the Oldest Elder), their senior warriors and deputy. If they do not they will earn a massive telling off, and if it happens frequently enough the leader can be vetoed.

Here is a list of roles and a brief description of what they involve. They are shown in order of power. The darker the colour, the more powerful they are:

Leader ~
They lead the clan like any other clan leader. Their decision on things are final.
Frequency = 1

Oldest Elder ~
As their name suggests, they are the oldest elder in the clan. They have the job of advising the Leader directly and organising the other elders so they can give advice. They also hold Clan Discussions and perform some of the major ceremonies.
Frequency - 1

Deputy ~
Their role is the most 'normal' of the high rankings in the clan. They do everything a normal believing clan deputy does but have a higher say in what happens in the clan.
Frequency - 1

Head Medicine Cat ~
This is a sub-role which you cannot apply for. The job of head medicine cat is given by the admins to a responsible rper with a cat who fits the role. Do NOT apply for this role, apply for an ordinary medicine cat.
This cat does everything a normal Pineclan Medicine cat does, however they have the added responsibility of overseeing training of the medicine cat apprentices, overseeing breeding rights for Medicine cats and generally organising the medicine cats and herbs. This usually goes to a well-seasoned medicine cat.
Frequency - 1

Elders ~
This role does NOT have to be applied to in Rankings. Please submit a normal application. Cats who retire automatically gain this job.
Elders lend their wisdom to the clan, helping to advise the leader and make decisions. They are the ones a clan cat turns to when they are concerned about the running of the clan.
Frequency - Unlimited

Medicine Cats ~
These have fractionally less power than the head medicine cat. Please check if we are asking for Medicine cats BEFORE submitting an application as this will be closed alot of the time.
These cats heal with herbs and herbs only. They do not look to Starclan for help and they do not believe in prophecies. During a battle, these medicine cats help the injured rather than raising a claw themselves.
Frequency - Numerous but very limited. Partially correlational to the amount of cats in the clan. The Warrior-Med. cat/Med.cat apprentice ratio is roughly 10:1 but this is a rough guideline.

Medicine Cat Apprentice ~
Please check whether Med. cat/Med. cat apprentice is open before creating an application.
These cats are usually the 'chosen' kit's of a Medicine cat's litter. These cats are raised learning the lore of herbs, even as kits, and are made medicine cat apprentices immediately at 6 moons. Occasionally, a cat that is not of Medicine cat lineage is allowed to become a Medicine Cat Apprentice.
Frequency - Limited. Depending on the number of Medicine cats, there are usually a few Medicine cat apprentices. Medicine cat apprentice applications ONLY open when one is needed, so a rough number of how many apprentices there will be at one time is hard to give.

Senior Warriors/Trusted Warriors ~
These are just older warriors or very trusted ones. You do not apply for a 'senior warrior', your warrior just becomes one when the time is right. Do not apply for them in Rankings, just make an older warrior in Applications
When a warrior reaches a certain age and is trusted among the clan, they become a Senior Warrior without ceremony. When they become Senior Warriors, they may be asked to sit in on elder meetings, clan discussions or drafted in to help make decisions. Their role is very unorganized and the honours they get are not always constant. They should not expect to get asked to help make a decision (let alone constant decision making) as it is a rare honour which only goes to the most highly thought of. A very trusted warrior who is not so season may occationally be given the honour of attending a decision making session.

.Roles in detail

This section will contain very detailed information on each role and things to note when you make an application for it.


Leaders

General
These cats pretty much have ultimate control over the clan. Though they must look to the elders, deputy and senior warriors for help, they are the head of the clan both physically and metaphorically. Pineclan understand the need to have a head figure, someone who has ultimate power, as without it their clan would fall apart. Their clan relies on the leader to keep them together just as an ordinary clan rely on Starclan as a stable base.

Pineclan leaders are not allowed to lead the clan by themselves. They must discuss all of their decisions with their advisers, particularly when it concerns the welfare of the clan or war. Making a decision without discussing it with anyone may cause them to be demoted from power.

A Pineclan leader MUST be motivational and extremely loyal to their clan. Without this, their members will lose hope in them and maybe even their clan's way of life.

The role requires a very intelligent cat. The Pineclan leader's role comes with considerably more conflict and stresses than the average leader. Why? Unlike a Starclan elected leader, they are under CONSTANT scrutiny by every member of the clan. They must deal with taking other's opinions regularly whilst staying above any critisisms they will get. If they make enough mistakes, they can be vetoed (removed from power) from their position and perhaps even banished.

A Pineclan leader's life is a constant balancing act between being a strong leader with authority and the listener of their clan's views. If they lean towards one more than another, they will look very weak. A Pineclan leader must have a strong will but an open mind.

Brains take priority over brawl in this role's case. As these leaders do not have 9 lives, they need to keep themselves out of the way of major injury or they will not live very long. This means they often have to step back from fighting in battles, allowing their warriors to fight for them. A living but cowardly leader will always be much better than one with too much ego to give up the fight. The clan realise that the leader cannot fight much, and will often ask them to leave if they think the danger is enough. A leaders place in Pineclan is to direct cats in their battles, not to fight in them themselves.

These leaders do not always gain respect. If they do not inspire it, they will not get it. The clan are not required to respect the leader, which makes their job even harder.

The leader must respect Pineclan's decision to stay faithless at all times. If they act without the clan's knowledge or without consulting an elder, they will be punished by the elders appropriately. If the leader becomes corrupt, there are special procedures the clan may follow. If the leader does not lead their clan well or breaks any of the unwritten rules (outlined above), the Oldest Elder may be given the power by Pineclan to demote them (vetoing). If they are bad enough, they may even be exiled from the clan completely.

Important technicalities

Please take note:

- They take the suffix -star.
- They do NOT have nine lives. DO realise that this means the average Pineclan leader lasts ALOT less time than an average believer clan leader.
- Unlike in the other clans, the leader is leader not due to Starclan-elected power but from the power the rest of the clan give them. If they abuse this power, the clan will take it away from them.
- If a leader steps out of line, becomes corrupt, or is not doing things in the best interest of the clan, there are special procedures which the clans will follow.

Ceremonies they perform:
Apprentice ceremony
Warrior Ceremony
Deputy Ceremony
Renaming Ceremony
Elder Ceremony

When applying for this role...
Keep in mind that:
- You must be a versatile rper to play this role. Expect many quirks as this is an unusual take on the original role.
- Your cat cannot be anti-social, dishonourable or 'evil' if you want to keep this role. FULL STOP. If they are anti-social at any time, whether it be when the leader is being chosen or if they are already leader, they will be vetoed. It's simple as that.
- Be original when applying for the role. Remember, the elders may not always get it right. I'm sure we'd all love to see a 'bad/weak' leader some time, or one that has to grow into the role. It might even be interesting to see one who is never right for the position and is vetoed.
- If you intend to create a plot with your character later on, make it VERY known when you apply. If your cat is going to believe in Starclan later or become evil SAY. It will influence our decision when we choose the cats.



Oldest Elders

General
This role is an honour that gets passed on automatically to the next oldest elder when the cat passes away. If the next cat eligable Oldest Elder is unsuitable, for whatever reason, the position then falls to the next eldest.

This cat's main task is advising the leader on what to do, having a great say in every major decision. They should pass on what wisdom they have gained in life to the leader, as sometimes sorting a situation alone will be difficult for them. Not only do they advise in issues, they tell the leader how to lead the clan. It may sound funny, but it's a serious task when what the leader does is directly correlational to how well the clan survives. The Oldest Elder has a difficult job as they MUST tell the leader where they are going wrong and give them tips on what to do differently.

Another of the Oldest Elder's greater tasks is that of organising the elders. The elders have all lived a long time so their wisdom could be of great interest when it comes to some of the issues in clan life. The task falls to the Oldest Elder when it comes to collecting their knowledge for the benefit of the clan. This means that they must hold Elder Meetings, a relatively informal meeting where the leaders discuss the clan, the leader and the issues at hand. This must be done regularly, with comments being collected all round about how they think the leader and clan is doing and what needs changing.

The last task the Oldest Elder has is one of the most difficult ones. It is the Oldest Elder's task to hold the formal Clan Discussions, where the leader and Pineclan is discussed by every member in the clan (sometimes without the leader). It is their task to make sure the clan is completely happy with the leader and to pass on the clan cats' feelings to the leader themselves. They also have the task of electing new leaders and the unpleasant task of performing the leader veto.


Ceremonies they perform:
Leader Ceremony
Leader Veto
Elder discussions (Unofficial ceremony)
Clan Discussions (Normal concern/Urgent communal concern/Emergency meeting)


When Playing the role:
- Knowledge of Pineclan's plot, clan rules etc is absolutely essential. The cat MUST be knowledgable in clan matters and show an interest in them. If you need any help on an issue or with any of the clan rules, PM Rolo or Crow.
- This role is given automatically to the oldest elder. If the job is given to you, we will notify you by PM. If you do not want to play the role, please PM Rolo or Crow as soon as possible.



Deputy
The deputy's role is relatively simple and normal. They do not have any special, beyond the norm tasks like Leaders or Medicine cats so it's a relatively easy role to pick if you want a Ranking in Pineclan.

Like a normal Deputy, this role involves your cat being one of the most trusted by the leader in the clan. They should help organise the running of the clan as well as organising patrols, keeping an eye on the fresh-kill pile and helping oversee the training of apprentices. Deputies must also help make decisions with the leader.



Medicine Cats

General
As the clan was only formed very recently, alot of this information is not needed to rp Medicine cat. Things about medicine cat lineage and fellowship will not come into play until the clans are established and the Medicine cats realise their roles. For now, practically any cat can become a medicine cat, and when this changes members will be notified.

Pineclan Medicine cat deviates massively from the norm. The main difference is that being a medicine cat is now a task most are given at birth to one of medicine cat lineage (to see the rules on this, refer to Breeding Rights). There will also be alot more than 1 medicine cat serving at one time. Why? Since Pineclan aren't bound by belief to keep Medicine cats to a minimum, they realised that having multiple healers could actually help them in battle. Medicine cats are also allowed to breed, regardless of gender, but breeding rights are very limited.

Pineclan Medicine cats are alot more down to earth. Unlike medicine cats in believing clans, they do not look to the stars to guidance and they rely on their own knowledge to save a cat. Depending on their beliefs, some of them believe that there is nothing after you die so saving every cat they can is crutial. They, essentially, hold the power of life and death in their paws, though some may not think that far into it.

Medicine cats are like a different breed to the warriors in Pineclan. Their entire lives are centred around healing and knowledge, life and death. It's like a tightly-knit fellowship, as cats who fight and kill cannot understand what it is like to spend your life working towards making every cat live. Pineclan medicine cats are mysterious creatures, their skill with herbs sometimes seeming unnatural to an ordinary cat. The herbs are like a lore only Medicine cats can understand, and they gain alot of respect from the rest of Pineclan.

The next few sections should put into perspective why this is.

The raising of Medicine cat kits

From birth, the chosen kits are subjected to slow-paced learning about herbs. A female medicine cat will often line their nests with herbs, so even when the kit's eyes are not open their scents are like a physical lullabye. As the kits grow older, they are introduced to as many herbs as possible by the Medicine cat parent (if it is the father, they the kits for a period of time regularly to do this). When they reach 6 moons, the mother picks one or two kits who show a particular skill at recognising the herbs and have the correct temprament to become medicine cats, and the other kits are made warriors instead.

Medicine cat apprentice
When a kit becomes a Medicine cat apprentice they are no longer allowed to have their parent as a mentor. The Head Medicine cat picks out a mentor for the new apprentice and it is then that apprentices task to go around with their mentor and learn the healing properties of herbs. They are taught how to collect herbs, their properties and when to use them by their mentor. When there is a battle, the apprentice aids their mentor with healing, gaining experience when they do so. They are also taught the importance of their job and why it is so crutial to the clan.

When they have been taught for long enough, they are then allowed to diagnose and treat cats under the observation of their mentor. With guidance, they slowly mature their skills until they are ready to become a medicine cat.

If a mentor feels their apprentice is not a suitable medicine cat, for whatever reason, they will talk to the Head Medicine cat with their concerns. The Head Medicine cat will then play a bigger role in the apprentices training for a while before making a decision. If they believe the apprentice has enough skill to perhaps become a medicine cat one day, they will tell the mentor to carry on or give it a different, more experienced mentor. However, if they do not believe the cat is right for the role, they will tell the leader and demote them from Medicine cat apprentice status. The leader will then make them an ordinary apprentice and they will begin to learn the skills of a warrior.

When the Head Medicine cat and mentor deems it is the right time for the apprentice to be made a full Medicine cat, they discuss this with the other medicine cats and prepare the ceremony. During this ceremony, the medicine cat apprentice must vow always to help a cat in need and never to kill in front of all the medicine cats. When this ceremony is over, the Medicine cat Apprentice is given their Medicine cat name.

Breeding Rights
Perhaps the most astonishing thing about Medicine cats is that they are allowed to breed. However, there are some very proper rules all medicine cats must follow.

All medicine cats are allowed to pair, whether it be with a warrior or another medicine cat. Having a mate is not frowned upon at all as, since Medicine cats are submitted to so much emotional trauma, it is seen as important to have a cat that you can rely on for your own emotional welfare.

However, kits are a different matter. Medicine cats have kits for the express reason of carrying on their lineage of medicine cats, so having kits for the sake of having kits is forbidden. There is a massive practicality issue, as if all the medicine cats are allowed to have kits when they want, there is a risk of all the medicine cats being too busy with their kits to serve their clan. For this reason, kits are VERY limited.

When a new medicine cat is needed, the Head Medicine cat will give breeding rights to one medicine cat, who is then allowed to have kits. The Head Medicine cat may chose a cat to have kits every 10 moons, but if there are too many apprentices or there are too many medicine cats she may not give them at all.

If a medicine cat has kits without the Head Medicine cat's permission, they will be punished by the Head Medicine cat. None of their kits will be allowed to become Medicine cats and the Medicine cat in question will not be allowed to pass on their lore to them. Breeding without permission may mean they are not given permission for a legitimate litter for a very long time or they may be disallowed some medicine cat privilages.

Medicine cats not of Medicine cat lineage
Occationally, a cat not of Medicine cat lineage will be allowed to become a medicine cat. This is very rare and it takes alot for a cat to become one. It is truely dependant on the cat and the situation at the time. Do not expect your cat to become one easily, or for the medicine cats to accept their addition to their ranks politely. If you want your cat to become a medicine cat, you MUST state in your application that they are not of med. cat lineage and why they have gained such a privilage. If you intend for your cat to become a medicine cat, please state your intention on the Plot board and wait for it to be accepted or declined before doing anything in character.

When applying for this role:
- Pineclan Medicine cat is perhaps the most difficult role to adapt to. This role requires alot more imagination to pull off but in return you really get to develop the role into what you, as a roleplayer, want it to be.
- Keep in mind the technicalities of the role and purpose build your cat to include them or to deviate from them.
- Keep in mind that later in the rp we WILL be expecting most Med. cats to be of Med. cat lineage.
- Making your cat disabled, blind or otherwise will not make us consider your application to be a medicine cat any more. We will not give the role away just because your cat cannot 'do anything else'. Keep this in mind.


Head Medicine Cat

General
The role of Head medicine cat is an honour the admins award to a suitable cat played by an active member.

Head Medicine Cat is like any other medicine cat, however they take on a few extra roles. Seeing as there are so many medicine cats, they all need to be organised to work in a good, efficient way. Just like the deputy takes charge of the warriors, Head Medicine cat does the same for those they care for.

Their task is to pull the medicine cats into a team, organising and moderating what they do. They assign them jobs when there is a battle, organising who gets what herbs, assigning med. cats to certain tasks and overseeing the training of apprentices. They also have the hellious job of sorting breeding rights and helping chose what kits and cats become medicine cats. They represent the whole of their team when it comes to Gatherings, and they are regularly asked to report on to the Leader.

When playing this role:
- In reality, this role isn't that much different to an ordinary medicine cat. However, it requires dedication.
- If you are playing this role, you must check with the admins before you accept a cat to become a med. cat or give away breeding rights.

Elders
General

[/b]
Like in any other clan, Pineclan has it's retired cats. These cats are usually either too old or too badly disabled to fight. However, unlike in other clans where life literally seems to end when you retire, the Elders have as much an important job in Pineclan as any other warrior. Rather than lending their claws and fangs to the clan, they lend their knowledge and wisdom. Pineclan is a clan which, though run by a figurehead, takes alot of communal effort to keep alive. Even the youngest kit in Pineclan knows that behind every good leader there is a set of wise elders, the elders are that important to the clan. The elders' job is to make sure that the traditions of the clan are maintained and that the clan is happy. Not only do they advise the leader in how to deal with certain clan matters, but they listen to any concerns any clan member may have as an individual. To avoid corruption in the clan, the clan members sometimes need to have a cat other than a leader to turn to, and there are special proceedures the elders go through if there is a major issue with how the clan is being run. Elders are asked (though are by no means required, since some elders are too old or ill to take part) to attend elder meetings to discuss clan matters. Here they dish out their wisdom and they decide on a course of action for an issue with the Oldest Elder acting as their spokesperson. The elders are very well-respected and when one passes away there is often more tribute payed to them than there might be in another clan.

Points of interest:[/b]
- They help decide whether the current leader is doing a good job.
- They speak on all clan matters.
- They play a MASSIVE part in how the clan is run.
- If there are no high positions free and you wish to play a cat with some amount of power, I suggest you make your cat an elder. It is not a hard role to play and it is also completely unlimited. Your cat WILL have a say in things in the rp.
- Do not make your cat older than the Oldest Elder unless they are too ill to take the role of Oldest Elder or you have been given permission to play the role.

Young Advisers[/b]
Gingerstar, first leader of Pineclan, thought it a bit cruel to call a cat put into early retirement (e.g. one who was either always unable to perform duties or had to withdraw early in life) an 'elder' so she gave them a more respectable name. They have the same task as the elders, they just have a slightly more suited name.


Senior Warriors/Trusted Warriors
An EXCEEDINGLY minor role and honour. When a warrior has performed duties for a very long time and is experienced, they become a Senior warrior. Occationally, the leader may call upon these warriors to sit in with Elder discussions or private discussions. If a warrior is very respected, this might happen every time a decision is made but mostly it is an occassional honour given once in a blue moon. A Trusted Warrior is a role where a younger warrior, whom the leader has perhaps singled out as a potential leader, a good strategist or some personality trait the leader is impressed with, is asked for their opinion on a clan matter or to sit in with an elder discussion. It is VERY rare to get this honour and Trusted Warrior is a role that is given unofficially and often temporarily. A warrior should feel honoured if they get given this honour.
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