The zodiacs depict the founders of the original nine Clans of the territories; each of them were rewarded by the gods with a permanent place in the stars, overlooking the territories. These zodiacs have been a part of Clan life for as long as any cat can recount. For many moons, there were thought to be only eight zodiacs, but the ninth – the Wolf or Wolfsbane – was revealed to the Clans again after cycles of deliberate obfuscation from a tyrannical god.
Every cat is given a zodiac based on their time of birth, and each zodiac has two parts, the sun sign and the moon sign. The sun sign is named after the god Solis, and is based on the time the cat was born (the season, and whether they were born during the day, or during the night) – with the exception of the Wolf zodiac. The moon sign is named after the goddess Lunae, and is based on what phase the moon was in. These signs are said to reflect a cat’s personality; the sun sign is a representation of the face they present to everyone, while the moon sign is a reflection of the self they hide. Traits that overlap between the sun and moon sign are said to be especially present in one’s personality.
Each zodiac has an associated element and alignment. Their associated element is related to an influence over the cat’s zodiac – water is said to be emotional, earth is stable, air is eccentric, fire is dynamic, and aether is elusive. Their alignment is whether it is aligned with plants or animals. The alignment with plants or animals is seen as an important leadership quality within most of the Clans; those with an animal zodiac are said to be more flexible but fickle, while those with a plant zodiac are said to be stubborn but stalwart. A lack of alignment is said to be true neutrality within these traits.
Sun Signs
| element | earth |
|---|---|
| alignment | plants |
| season | fall |
| time | day |
Cats born under the Ivy zodiac tend to be unwaveringly loyal and responsible. They are known for being extremely grounded, and not getting their heads lost in the clouds, so to speak. They often have a strong sense of right and wrong, though it may not line up with the “typical” sense of justice. This stubbornness can be both a boon and a bane, depending on the situation. Similarly, they are not known to be fair weather friends; it is more likely they will stick by a friend, even if they do wrong. However, they tend to be extremely clingy – similar to how ivy can smother the plants it wraps around.
| element | water |
|---|---|
| alignment | plants |
| season | winter |
| time | day |
Cats born under the Sundew zodiac tend to be elegant and intelligent. They are known for their vain sense of pride in how they look and carry themselves. Typically their intellect is put to use for tactical planning; they enjoy the attention and reverence this awards them from their Clans. Appearances are often everything to cats under this zodiac. They can be cunning, and deceptively feign candidness – these cats tend to be two-faced, twisting their words to appeal to those around them, similar to how sundew lure insects to their deaths.
| element | fire |
|---|---|
| alignment | plants |
| season | spring |
| time | day |
Cats born under the Asphodel zodiac tend to be hardy and passionate. They are known for their delicate outward appearance, but fierceness below the surface. They tend towards being extremely passionate in what captures their interest. This fiery passion is often looked upon favorably, but it can be all consuming. They also typically have a bad habit of being judgemental towards those they consider weak, as they see themselves as having survived worse – much like how asphodels can survive fiery blazes that many other plants cannot.
| element | air |
|---|---|
| alignment | plants |
| season | summer |
| time | day |
Cats born under the Sedge zodiac are typically easygoing and creative types. They are known to be airy and eccentric, often wandering with their head in the clouds. Their out of the box thinking is typically looked upon favorably by Clanmates, but their general fickleness complicates this. They tend to be unfocused, floating from idea to idea, and sometimes have wild plans, rather than staying grounded in reality. However, they trend towards passive-aggression, typically by giving someone the cold shoulder – like how sedges edge out other plants from their natural environments.
| element | fire |
|---|---|
| alignment | animals |
| season | fall |
| time | night |
| element | air |
|---|---|
| alignment | animals |
| season | winter |
| time | night |
Cats born under the Owl zodiac are thought to be wise and perceptive. They are seen as being extremely detail oriented, as well as competitive to a fault. They tend towards being knowledgeable, as well as unyielding when confronted with change; they carefully form opinions with all the information they have gathered, but once they have formed it, they are resistant to changing their mind. They also tend towards a ruthless ambition – similar to the owl plucking unknowing prey without a sound.
| element | earth |
|---|---|
| alignment | animals |
| season | summer |
| time | night |
| element | water |
|---|---|
| alignment | animals |
| season | spring |
| time | night |
Cats born under the Lamprey zodiac are thought to be quick-thinking and expressive. They are seen as naturally temperamental and have a tendency to pick fights; they are not seen as a “forgive and forget” type, instead favoring forgiving, but not forgetting. Despite this, they are still often excellent problem-solvers. They will often go with the flow of things regardless of their feelings, though they will likely complain the whole way. They are stereotyped as crafty usurpers – just as the lamprey may parasitize its host.
| element | aether |
|---|---|
| alignment | null |
| season | any |
| time | day or night of a blood moon |