Guidelines for Realism

[Cobalt]

Here at Trying Times, we strive to incorporate realism into the Warriors world. But what does that mean, exactly? Warriors is fantasy, right? Well, yes, but there are a few things we prefer to keep the cats catlike. This is a bit long-winded, so there is a tl;dr at the bottom. Remember, these are just guidelines!

First, pelt and eye colors! It's okay if you don't know how genetics work (though if you want them to be realistic, you can ask me), but we want to keep things within the realm of believability. Solid red cats don't happen, only faint tabbies and some special breeds that look solid red. Black cats won't have a brown underbelly and paws. If you're not sure about possible pelts, just ask staff or post the bio up for us to check. Your character doesn't need a fancy pelt to be unique and complex, and you do have complete freedom with their build and scarring and such! As for eye colors, anywhere between copper and green, plus blue, is realistic. Blue is unlikely unless the cat has white spotting, but we won't stop you for that.

As for naming, we have selected Ailuronymy to be the basis for our naming for two reasons. First, most of the original members met as a consequence of it, and enjoyed the system. Second, and more importantly, it is both consistent and has a large database to work with. This is important to the concept of our site.

Kittens were an annoyance to many of us in the books. We ask that kits act like the babies they are. Ears do not open for a few days, eyes may take one to two weeks and will be blue for another month, and they won't be walking until they are at least a moon old. They also need time to learn language perfectly - we encourage you to use this for maximum cuteness potential. If you wish to skip a newborn kit to one moon, you are welcome to.

Next up, body language and talking. Cats don't make a lot of noise, but for the sake of rp, they can be as much of a chatterbox as you want them to be. Body language is valuable, though, and it is definitely worth checking out. This isn't a rule of any kind, only a suggestion. It can be very fun to use real feline gestures instead of human-equivalent ones. The only thing that I wish do point out in particular: cats don't cry tears from emotion, and it'd be neat if ours didn't.

Hunting and fighting. You have leeway here, as long as your cat isn't being some sort of contortionist to land a blow. If our cats can come up with Clans, they can come up with a few unconventional techniques.

StarClan. There will be no direct evidence of it, and no roleplay of StarClan cats (unless you want to do a private one through pm). Your cat can believe in it if they want, or not. The medicine cat is usually still very spiritual, but this is not required, nor is it required of the leader to believe in StarClan. If you want your cats to have funny dreams, they absolutely may, but we would like to stay away from true prophecies. Leaders do not get nine lives as they do in the books. They make the trip to the Mooncave because it is customary, mostly. Some fall asleep and do believe they were given nine lives in the form of strengths, some quietly contemplate how they will make themselves better. The lore is just that, lore, and each cat may take it as they wish.

Clan culture, finally, is what we pride ourselves in. We want each Clan to be both distinctly different and culturally rich. We want them to each have their own techniques and customs and slang. This is why we chose an environment that may not be realistic - to allow for lots of interesting quirks and to give our members opportunity. You may not see much on the subject now, but in the staff board there are threads brewing, and in the future there will be opportunities for members to contribute to our worldbuilding. The first project will be Local Lore. 


tl;dr

• Pelt and eye color should be realistic. If you don't know if it is, ask.
• Naming follows Ailuronymy because it is consistent and logical.
• Kittens should act like kittens.
• You should research cat body language because it's fun. Please refrain from tears.
• You can do what you want with hunting and fighting, as long as you aren't powerplaying.
• StarClan may or may not be real. The cats think the same. Funny dreams are allowed, true prophecies are not. Leaders do not get nine lives in the true sense.
• Clan culture is big to us. There isn't much now, but there will be soon, and we encourage you to help!

[Cobalt]

This questionnaire was made by Grey. We have filled it out in case you want to know the fine details that we recommend you play by.


Can cats cry when they are sad? No, not with tears. They can vocalize sadness with something that could be described as a sob, however.

Can cats laugh (when happy, or otherwise)? Sort of, but a happy expression and a twitch of the whiskers is more commonly used. Note that although they can smile, they do not show teeth unless agressive.

Are cats nocturnal (awake at night, mostly asleep/inactive during the day)? Yes, for the most part, but oddly placed patrols and such mean that this is not always the case. Apprentice training is scheduled at various times for more experience in different situations. Clan cats are most active at dawn and dusk, kittypets have varying personal schedules, usually awake more during the day than other cats, and rogues and loners are generally completely nocturnal.

Can cats taste sweetness? No.

Do cats have human-like colour vision? Yes.

Do cats have better-than-human night vision? Yes.

Do cats have a highly developed sense of taste? Yes, but it's really based on their sense of smell. They are especially likely to describe smells as tastes and vice versa.

Do cats communicate with words more than actions/gestures/body language? They are about 50-50.

Do cats use their tail and ears as a substitute for facial expression (for the most part)? Not necessarily as a substitute, but always as an extension of the facial expression.

Would a cat wilfully risk its life to help and/or save the life of another cat? Yes, though of course it depends on the cat.

Would a cat choose to be celibate for its entirely life, if necessary? Yes.

Does a cat have the ability to choose whether or not it wants to have kittens? Yes, for the most part.

Does the cat’s clan accept celibacy as a normal life choice (for those who choose it), and support them? Yes for medicine cats, for others they may not initially be understanding but for the most part are supportive.

Is it possible for a cat to be asexual? Yes.

Is it possible for a cat to be homosexual? Yes.

Is it possible for a cat to be bisexual? Yes.

Is it possible for a cat to be pansexual? Yes.

Is it possible for a cat to be transgender? Yes, though due to their scent (and if a tortie tom, appearance), they may frequently be accidentally misgendered. (PP)

Does the clan accept and support the existence of asexual/homosexual/bisexual/pansexual/transgender cats? Yes, though individual cats may not approve or understand.

Are kittens born with their eyes open and their adult eye colour already showing (as compared to blue eyes)? No.

Are kittens born deaf? Yes.

Are kittens born able to walk? No.

Are kittens born able to understand speech and/or talk? No, but they are good at sensing vibrations and can recognise the vibration of their mother's voice soon after birth in addition to her scent.

Is it considered socially acceptable for a mother to abandon (or mercifully kill) a kitten that is born with severe deformities and/or a terminal illness that will make it unlikely to survive? Usually the medicine cat would administer deathberries, and they do not like to speak of it, but in severe cases, yes.

When under extreme amounts of stress, will a mother cat resort to infanticide (killing her own kittens, and often eating them afterwards)? They do not speak of it and do everything they can to prevent it, but occasionally yes.

Do mature tomcats (ordinarily/often/usually) feel urges of aggression towards kittens (specifically newborn or very young kittens)? It isn't uncommon, but usually no.

Are tomcats considered a threat to kittens (specifically newborn or very young kittens) as a result of the above? Not particularly, but...

Are tomcats banned from the nursery (unless they can be proven to lack the normal aggressive characteristics)? Yes, unless the mother asks them to come or the nursery has no kittens under about three or four moons. Mainly for the risk of stressing out the mothers, but also for the above.

Would it be considered normal for a mother to chase away, attack, or otherwise threaten a tom who comes too near the nursery and/or her kittens? For first-time mothers and those with very young kits, yes.

Do toms get to name kittens they have fathered? Only if the mother asks.

Are medicine cats specifically trained to be able to interact successfully with anxious and/or aggressive queens, so as not to alarm them or cause any kind of emotional disturbance? Yes.

Are medicine cat toms wilfully celibate in order to greatly reduce their perceived threat to kittens? Yes.

Are medicine cat mollies wilfully celibate in order to focus on their craft at all times, without needing to tend to their own kittens? Yes.

Are leaders able to “come back from the dead”/”heal” themselves from serious injuries, due to the nine lives given to them by spirits? No.

Is rape, sexual harassment, or any kind of unwanted sexual advance considered unacceptable by the clan, and duly punished? Yes.

Do female cats spray/scent mark like tomcats do? Yes, though it is more common for males.