⇷ OVERVIEW
ZenithClan is a Clan aligned with the stars but no particular god or zodiac, known for its fringe ritual practices. They worship all divine beings in the pantheon as equals, including the Dark Forest daemons – though they are typically worshiped in a way showing them respect, but warding them off from the territory. Daemons are also referred to as gods, as god and daemon are used interchangeably in ZenithClan. To the other Clans, this view is considered heresy at least, or at most, grounds for exile. While zodiacs are still a part of Clan life in ZenithClan, they are not seen as pointers towards leadership. Most zodiacs are viewed neutrally, though those born under the Wolf zodiac are thought to be lucky due to their lack of alignment.
One’s patron god, instead of their zodiac, is used as an indication of leadership within ZenithClan. All cats who are to receive their warrior name go through a ritual where a particular god takes them as their devout. One receiving a Dark Forest daemon as their patron is considered a bad omen for their leadership. ZenithClan has a loose culture, as they are formed of many different sects of worshippers, banded together through religious outcasting. The Clan as a whole is rather closed off and wary of outsiders from previous persecution, but they are fiercely protective of one another. Many in ZenithClan have different ideas of how to worship the gods, but they have several traditions that band them together. Innovation and devotion are especially favored in the Clan. It is ideal for one to devote themselves to their patron and their Clan, but only in a way satisfies them, which can manifest differently for every cat. It is typical to live and let live with one another’s practices, unless it is causing harm to themselves or others. Eccentric ideas, especially combat strategies, are welcomed and valued; this gives ZenithClan a reputation among the other Clans of being tricksters. They typically view the other Clan’s beliefs and traditions as outdated. Critics of ZenithClan’s culture point to their perceived isolation and extreme religious beliefs, and their hostility towards those who reject their practices.
The Warrior Code is seen as a collection of loose suggestions, rather than a firm set of rules. Oracles are not barred from taking mates or having kits in any capacity. They are considered highly respected by the Clan, and the head oracle is near the same importance and authority as the leader. Only in times where the leader is incapacitated, the head oracle is the one who takes over their duties, rather than the deputy. The head oracle in ZenithClan is not chosen by experience, but instead by the leader and deputy. Deputies in ZenithClan are given the power to veto any suggestions for the Clan the head oracle makes, however. Once cats are of warrior age and have received their patron, they are expected to visit the temple devoted to their patron at least once a moon, and leave an offering – most commonly this is leaving offerings such as food, but it can also be accomplished by tending to the temple’s cleanliness, artwork, and the like. It is considered important to keep up on this duty if one is physically able to, or else they evoke anger from the gods.
ZenithClan views life as a divine gift from the gods, but the body is nothing but a temporary vessel. There is no strive towards immortality, nor do they see any “misuse” of the body as a slight against the divine; it is a neutral entity, to be utilized by the one occupying it as they please. ZenithClan’s burials are focused instead on releasing the cat into the next stage of the afterlife, being either StarClan or the Dark Forest. This is done through raft structures made of cedar and tied together with seagrass, which is set alight and pushed out to sea. The cat is then seen as released from their current body, and can safely be guided into StarClan by Ceti. There is no particular change to this for cats considered evil; they are to be sent to the afterlife just as any other cat is, and will be judged by the gods accordingly.
Life is a cyclical process to ZenithClan cats. Once one dies, they move onto StarClan or the Dark Forest, and once they are forgotten, they are reincarnated as another to start the process over again, with no memory of their past life. They do not have to be reincarnated as a cat once again, but can become anything living, though becoming a cat is considered the highest honor.
ZenithClan’s camp is located on a sun-shaped island off the coast, with various paths across the territory reaching it. The camp is large, but swaths of it are sometimes submerged at high tide. The dens are located within the crumbling ruins that are plentiful on this isle. The camp is not fortified by anything, but instead is reliant on the waters surrounding it for protection. Common decorations that can be found within the camp are braided seagrasses, seashells, and meteorites. Candles made from candlefish are used around the camp for lighting and warmth; these fish are buried to dry out along the beach before being used. The leader's den is located in the largest crumbling ruin, with a large spire carved into the top of it; the spire acts as a sundial, constantly casting a thin shadow across the camp throughout the day.
HISTORY ⇸
ZenithClan is an extremely new Clan, formed by a religious schism. After the death of Astron – now known as They Who Are No More – Solis and Lunae created from their ashes new members of the pantheon. BarkClan and MarrowClan both came to the consensus that these new gods are lesser forces compared to Solis and Lunae, and thus not worthy of worship in the way they are; while Solis and Lunae hold up the sun and moon, the new daemons are simply forces of nature who aid in their duties, as they cannot oversee everything. However, individual cats began to disagree, and worshiped these new daemons as equal on their own. Over time, these cats started to gather in groups within their own Clans, and then cross Clans in neutral territories, organized by Seraphimflame. As the tensions began to flare between MarrowClan and BarkClan, these cats began to discuss splintering, especially as those within the Clans began to shun their religious beliefs.
ZenithClan’s forming was the apex of a prophecy given by StarClan: “To ascend to an altar of stars, a zenith must rise from the ashes of war”. They are not recognized as a real Clan by the other Clans at the moment; however, StarClan recognizes them, and gave Seraphimflame his nine lives. Seraphimstar is the current leader.
⇷ TRADITIONS ⇸
ZenithClan celebrates its major holiday during a large-scale bloom of bioluminescent algae off their coast, which occurs once a cycle (though the time in which it occurs changes). Celebrations begin once it is dark enough to observe the glow of the algae. All those who are unable to participate in the festivities decorate the camp instead, through creating representations of each god to place throughout, and lighting incense.
A Clan-wide hunt then begins, which targets the seals that rest along the coast. The Clan is separated into groups to hunt for the largest seal they can find: apprentices act as scouts, to scope out the largest and to look for potential threats; especially quick and clever cats are then sent to herd any other seals nearby away from the target; then, the strongest of the group then attack the back, tail and the flippers of the seal, while the herding cats go for the throat. The groups then reconvene at camp with their kill, and the Clan consumes all but the largest seal in a Clan-wide feast. Once low-tide occurs, the next part of the hunt begins.
The large seal is taken to the coast, and left to bleed into the ocean to attract sharks. Only smaller sharks that do not pose a lethal threat are targeted. The Clan fish as many as they can, which are then gutted and beheaded. Apprentices do not fish, but instead dig holes in the sand for the sharks to be placed into, and gather the stones that are then placed atop the bodies. The holes are then reburied and marked with a stone or branch carved with a sigil. The shark is then exhumed and consumed when fishing yields run low.
A smaller scale celebration occurs in ZenithClan only when meteor showers occur, which are rare within the territories. This impromptu celebration begins with the collection of the meteorites and hunting if the food storage is low, while those who remain behind begin to decorate camp. Cats then begin to decorate themselves with “disguises”, covering their scent whichever way they can and dressing as a god that is not their patron.
The Clan mingles and feasts once the costumes are donned, a bed for firewalking is then prepared. A fire is started with tree bark, and allowed to burn until only coals remain. The coals are then laid into a path, decorated with the meteorites that were collected. Once the next nightfall begins, cats of at least apprentice age walk across the coals. Should they manage to cross the entire path without harming themselves, they are said to gain favor with the god they dressed up as. It is only after the firewalking competition is done that the masquerade ends.
Leaders in ZenithClan may declare especially important cats to be sanctified, whether they be living, recently dead, or dead for many moons. These cats are referred to as Paragons. Becoming sanctified entails cats of ZenithClan view the Paragon as more powerful than average – not a god, but much stronger than average StarClan cats, or as messengers or representatives of the gods, should the cat be still living – and thus, worthy of minor worship. Paragons still living are not considered flawless, nor must they be blindly followed, but they are well respected and their opinions carry more weight than the average warrior. While leaders may declare a cat sanctified, the Clan has the final say on the matter, as they can choose to ignore worshiping any Paragons they disagree with.
Often this worship takes the form of simple sigils left around the territories depicting said cat, where offerings such as food or candles are left. Very minor favors, such as asking for help with romantic endeavors, are what is asked of by these Paragons. ZenithClan cats will seek out specific Paragons for specific needs, matching what that Paragon is typically associated with.
The current cats who are considered sanctified are the original founders of the Clans (Lampreystar, Owlstar, Ivystar, Stoatstar, Sundewstar, Sedgestar, Asphodelstar, Foxstar, and Wolfstar), and Seraphimstar.
All cats who have received their warrior name in ZenithClan may at any time partake in ritualistic vows meant as acts of devotion to call upon the gods for favors of blessings; these vows are burdensome or difficult to humble oneself, and range anywhere from light fasting to wearing wreaths of thorns. Apprentices and kits are strictly forbidden from partaking, and instead ask for blessings from gods through the form of prayers or talismen. This act of devotion does not need to be to one’s patron necessarily, but to any god they wish to have help from – for example, one may blindfold themselves with bird’s wings as a way to ask Vis to curse their enemies, even if their patron is Solis.
These vows can last as long as the cat partaking wants. They can be a one time action, or last until they believe they have received their god’s favor. It is generally viewed that the longer these vows last, the more a god will notice and bless a cat. Large asks from gods are typically done with long term vows, usually lasting a moon or more. One time acts, such as fasting for a day for Hyd or standing solitary vigil in the sun for Solis, are more common than long term acts, but it does depend on the cat.
There is no “standard” to what act a cat should do – they are to do what makes the most sense to them spiritually, and what is viable. Long term harm (such as removing limbs) is never allowed in these vows. They must be temporary burdens, though things that take a long time to heal are permitted. This ritual is both public and private, in a way: it is done in public typically, but one is to not interfere with another’s practice or ask questions about it, unless welcomed to, or they are causing mortal harm to themselves.
All cats in ZenithClan engage in creating talismen to leave around the territory for ritual purposes, either as ways of imbuing magic or honoring patrons. Different talismen are left in different areas; above nests or fashioned around beddings, it is most common to braid seagrasses into cords and attach charms representing one’s patron, such as an animal’s bone for Leporis. Typically these cords are only done as a way of representing devotion to one's patron. Sigils, on the other hand, are often for curses or blessings, typically carved or painted onto stones or tree trunks. These sigils are more hidden, such as being under rocks or hidden by dangling plants, so they cannot fade away as easily. Other types of talismen may be made as well; cats are free to be as creative as they like.
Oracles in ZenithClan will use the stars as tools for divination. These are most often predictions for how prey will run in the coming moons or how an upcoming battle will go, but it can be used for receiving answers from the gods. It is also sometimes used for help with interpersonal problems. Oracles will observe the position of the zodiacs, and the position of the planets; the farther away they appear or if their position in the sky appears to be moving backwards, the more chaotic and unusual their influence is (referred to as Retrogrades). Interpretations may vary, depending on why the ritual is being conducted, and the oracle observing it; there is no “catch all” meaning for movement in the stars.
When apprentices are ready to receive their warrior name, they must complete the Sacrament of Apotheosis to learn which god is their patron. The leader or the head oracle are the ones to evaluate the apprentice, while their mentor tasks them with whatever assessment type they so choose. The leader or the oracle will then look for signs in the environment that point to a specific god; it is believed a god will make themselves known somehow to show this cat is to become their devout, such as a rainstorm for Ceti. To avoid mistakes, multiple signs must point to the same god. When multiple apprentices are graduating, each assessment is done on a different day to prevent overlapping signals. The cat’s patron is then revealed to them once they receive their warrior name.