greetings this entire thing is like 10 miles long, dw abt actually reading all of it
moonlight vale, the clan, has a ... very strange, sort of theme. Like, all at once it's based around royalty and nature and spirits/eldritch -- oocly, it's got a ton of undertale and welcome to night vale themes bc im Like That. It's probably got some weird extra stuff scattered that I haven't noticed but uhh regardless!!
[history] Originally, Moonlight Vale was made up of stragglers and refugees from a group, far in history. The former group is question was very heavily themed around royalty, and stuck to the theme almost religiously. However, the uptight atmosphere caused infighting and, ultimately, got them kicked out of the group. A majority of them stuck together and hoped for the best, making up a small nomadic group of cats. They kept up some of the royal traditions that had been a part of their life in the old group for so long, though, of course, not all. They lived surprisingly well for a long time, and eventually picked up an appreciation for nature and all that it did to keep them alive, even during winter. During this time, it became traditional to dedicate a certain time during each season to hold a festival of some sort -- just little ones, as they didn't have a lot to their name. The peace doesn't last, however, as the nomadic group gets dragged into a war with another group. The nomadic group is unwilling to fight, but do not have a choice, and make camp where they are. However, the other group is much stronger than them, and frequently raids them for herbs(which they have aplenty) and food. It happens so frequently that, soon, the group is going hungry and injuries untreated. Slowly, things appear to be growing more and more dire, seemingly on the brink of death.

It's at this point that we must introduce four characters. Violet, a tan feline and medic of the clan. Lyra, a brutish brown lionness warrior. Faust, an unpleasant and hasty border collie. And Arrowpaw, a young brown feline, Violet's son and the group's second in command, despite his age. The three of them had grown close in these times, a haggled foursome struggling to keep a group on the brink of collapse alive. They wished for nothing more than to see the group survive this war, but even Arrowpaw, patient as any other, was growing weary as he attempted to keep everything together. However -- whatever happiness they have together does not last. Lyra, like many before her, is killed in battle. She leaves the trio grief-stricken and alone. The clan falls into true disarray as Arrowpaw struggles to keep himself together, and Violet struggles even further with her job now. Meanwhile, something in Faust ... changes. The shadows seem to curl around him, and red eyes seem to gleam from the ever-present, growing darkness behind him. In his rage, Faust had summoned an old god. He asks only one thing of it -- that the group survives this war and thrives. Faust, bloodied and leaking dark fluids and shadows, tore down the opponents' army near single-handedly. Of course, this comes at a terrible price -- first and foremost, Faust's own life and soul. With their opponents gone, the clan is finally allowed to recover. However, Violet finds herself falling ill with something strange and almost -- violent. From her right eye, pink, bloody flowers force themselves from her right eye, leaking oily black fluids. Oftentimes, she struggled to eat or breathe, and could often be found choking out the same thick black fluids. In the end, it's the beast, the god, that kills her with its own paws, causing her grievous wounds before she finally, perhaps blessedly, dies.
Arrowpaw, now Arrowhead and leader of the nomadic group, is the last of the four still standing. He's bitter and jaded now, deep wounds torn from his friend's strange deaths. It's not infrequent to see strange shapes and shadows and perhaps even tentacles coming from the shadows about him, appearing as though they're reaching for him. It's never quite clear whether Arrowhead is a kind or cruel person, often fluctuating between the two without pause, though his care for the group is abundantly clear in almost anything he does.

Arrowhead is the final member of his friends taken by the god, but he is not the last among his group. The god Faust had summoned a single year ago, unnoticed, guides them to a new land. It is here where the group settles, and here where Arrowhead falls. The god, from the shadows, finally takes yet another gruesome victim, and Arrowhead's reign ends. Despite this ending, however, the group stays, perhaps due to some meddling in place. In Arrowhead's place, Videogames, kinder and as much of a leader as Arrowhead had been, officially takes Arrowhead's place. His first action as leader is to announce the founding of this new group, and so calls it 'Moonlight Vale', in hopes that the moon will shine upon them and grant them the safety.

[territory]
There are three different regions of Moonlight Vale territory. A forest, a meadow, and a cavern. Each carry danger in their own right. In the darkness of the night, you can sometimes see something reaching for you, and you simply know you should run. There will be voices of those not really there, and see faces of friends who are not who they appear. There are many other creatures aside from Moonlight Vale's members populating these lands, and you must be wary of every step you take in the dark of the night.

The main, most populated region of territory is the forest. Flowers and other plants can be frequently found on the ground here. The trees are tall and reach high into the sky, thick green leaves growing on their branches. Pathways are cut throughout the forests. These paths are never walked on by those informed, much less at night, as horrible beasts are said to walk along the trail, looking for unsuspecting prey. Even the feral creatures do not wander near these paths. Somewhere in these woods, there is a small village. It is largely overgrown by plants and torn away by nature, but many who do not wish to find or make their own den will sometimes make their home in one of these buildings.
If you walk long enough, you will find yourself in the deep woods. The deep woods are considered especially dangerous, as you hear voices come from the trees. The woods will compliment you and beg you to stay with them, but no matter what, you must not -- it's unclear what becomes of those who stay, but it's abundantly clear it is not good. Many of the supernatural creatures throughout the territory make their nests here, or at least so some believe. Very little sunlight comes through the stereotypical, gnarled trees.

Somewhere in these woods, you will find a graveyard, with a memorial somewhere within. This graveyard is perhaps the least safe place of all, with spirits of the graveyard, and other creatures occasionally visiting due to this.
The other region of the territory is meadow. Overshadowing the meadow are many snow-covered mountains, and the air in the meadow is chilly due to this, though flowers and other plants seem to grow from every inch of ground. A large, deep river glides along the meadow, supplied by spring water. The river deposits itself into a lake somewhere in the forest, near the village. Towards the foot of the mountain, you can find the Shaman's den, a small cave surrounded by rubble, with an overhang. The overhang always has a banner of flowers, if available. Elsewhere in the territory is a large circle of very tall trees, with a small burrow in the middle. The trees act as scouting views for the local royal guard, with the burrow as their den.

The final region is the cavern. The cavern can be found somewhere within the woods, nearing the deep woods. The entrance is a large hole within the ground, which many often trip in to. Along the cave floor(which is made up of soft ground and rock), many flowers grow, and many paintings cover the walls. A little deeper in, with sunlight still trickling in from god knows where, the air becomes humid and the cavern grows lash with plants. A warm river runs alongside the cavern at this point, though it falls much, much deeper into the cave early on. Many tunnels run throughout, with little rooms and the such. At some point, a library and gaming room is implemented into one of the dryer rooms, and many NPCs run shops here due to visitors. Members can open up shops as well, though it's always a risky endeavor due to the possibility of something -- unfortunate and consisting of darkness happening to your character if you make the wrong move throughout this procedure.
[superstitions] sso, what we've got now is about fairylights and just lights in general repelling spirits or the supernatural, at least for a little while. Full moons are said to offer protection and guidance to those lost or hurt(and not just physically hurt). drinking water from the lake when the full moon reflects upon it is said to bring you good luck for the next moon phase. Wielding a blade or other weapon is said to bring bad lack and also attract spirits. Putting flowers on someones grave is said to bring the deceased good or bad luck in the afterlife, depending on the flowers you gift. (this depends on both the flower meanings, and how much they like the flowers themselves). Seeing the deceased in ones dreams is considered a very, very bad omen. To ward this off, the person must visit the shaman and burn certain herbs and flowers(depending on who it was/what type of dream) in their living space. Grave robbers are often said to be cursed by the spirits of those they stole from, and the spirits of the site will awaken(its like,, x10 worse if they took the body). If a grave at the graveyard is shown to be tampered with, the clan will hold a ceremony and apologize, burning incense and gifting flowers to the graves. If a member loses a tooth or anything else notaable, it must be hidden or burned so it cannot be found, lest a creature find it and curse the owner to death. On the days before a battle,  guards will hold a ceremony and gift the spirits of the graveyard with flowers and minor trinkets and, in return, the battle will be said to end in the clan's favor. Children born on the new moon are said to be cursed, while those born on the full moon are said to be blessed.  Getting pricked by thorns or seeing a spirit before travel is said to mean the trip will end in disaster.

[ranks]
king - leader of the group, as typical. a 'roya'. always wears a crown, though gem color depends on the person. also, yes, even females are called king. it's mostly an ic misunderstanding that ill might change lmao.
advisor - deputy, basically. a 'royal'. the king and advisor will frequently discuss politics and stuff. wears a gem-lined collar. is expected to host a discussion/idea thread once or twice a month.
royal guards - offense branch. royal guards are trained in combat to protect the clan, and are assigned to a specific region to survey and protect. head royal guards are in charge of them. royal guards are expected to host a training thread of sorts at least once every month or 2. head royal guard, not only that, but they will also have to host a royal guard meeting at least bimonthly. Typically wear guantlets of sorts on their front paws.
shamans - medicinal branch. are expected to deal with supernatural/spiritual stuff as well. they're trained to heal, even in unconventional ways, and deal with other strange things, such as soul pendants, unions, and exorcisms. their paws are decorated in tattoos, generally. they're expected to host a medicine training thread bimonthly, as well as frequent training threads with their trainees. Just some sort of tail accessory.
counselor - event branch. also expected to act as therapists. pretty self explanatory i guess. they're expected to get threads up like,, biweekly, i guess, maybe less, and larger scale just occasionally. Wears a bunch of beads/bracelets.
guard - stepping stone hp. being trained to learn what they need before being promoted. Generally just wear an extra earring.
[titles: council member - a lawyer of sorts. whenever a member does a Bad, they're all called to discuss what should be done with the royals
strategist - just as it is. called on before battle to discuss the best options]

[culture]
accessories - accessories are seen as Very Cool. the more decked out u are, the Better u are, especially if they're official accessories!!
colors - everyone is basically color coordinated. The color does not always match that of your characters soul color, and certain accessories will match that
minors - characters under 10 months are somewhat restricted. They are not allowed to join the offense branch till 10 months unless they undergo a resolve test. they also cant drink alcohol or anything.
resolve tests - a huge part of the culture. if you wanna do literally anything to climb ranks, u have to do a resolve test. For example, if a shaman trainee wants to become a full shaman, once they're allowed, they'll have to spend a full night in the graveyard to prove that they're really up to the task.
battle / group status - technically, moonlight vale is neutral. Though they're always battle-ready, and seem to enjoy it at times as long as it's not particularly dangerous or anything. They're very strict about who participates, though -- no scholars unless given permission, graduates, and offense hps. Other hps have to ask permission as well. They're reluctant to make allies or enemies, however, and tend to refuse to make contact with other groups at all, in fear of bringing attention to themselves.
secret codes - at every meeting, the king will tell the members the secret code of the week. the secret code will consist of subtle movements telling the other person that they're not an imposter or anything. the meetings are Protected dw nobody except Actual Members know lmao
mythicals - a lot of members are kind of torn on how they feel about sm mythical creatures, and certain powers. like,, either theyre lowkey prejudiced or they Dont Care. i mean theyve had a lot of bad experiences w non-regular stuff u kno.
-u get a new earring(pair?) everytime u do something to make u deserve it
-shamans wear tattoos always, and leaders do during events. members only wear tattoos on their birthdays or events important to them. (tattoos are basically just flower henna tattoos, but fur.)

[traditions]
feathers - new members or scholars will go hunting for a bird. When they return with their catch, a feather will be taken from the bird. It's considered very rude not to wear your feather in some way, as it's an indication of your character in some way. The more rare/pretty the bird/feather is, the better.
initiation ceremonies - once a month, an event will be held for new joiners. Soul pendants will be decided, and scholars will be given mentors.
flower festival - every spring, volunteers will plant a bunch of flowers to prepare. There will be a decorating event in which everyone hangs flower banners and other flower-themed items. During the festival, the snowman from the frost festival(or if not, a new snowman) will be burnt at the stake. There will be a 'snowball' fight featuring colorful powders made from flowers, and the goal is to completely coat one another. After this, members will make flower crowns and bands for one another and weave flowers into each others fur(ft. flower language).
sun festival - Basically a very large picnic!! At the lake, a bunch of foods such as watermelons and ice cream will be set up. A water balloon fight will be taking place nearby. A bonfire will be set up later in the night, where members will burn possessions they wish to get rid of(especially for forgetting the past), before roasting foods. Theres gonna be at least 'this isnt supposed to be roasted over a fire' food, just for fun. A sleepover event will be held in the meadow, where blanket forts will be set up and covered in fairy lights.
pumpkin festival - basically, halloween and thanksgiving. volunteers string fairylights in all populated areas to ward away spirits and such, which are particularly viscous during this season(and the reason why the season is so subdued/unsafe) during the festival, members will carve pumpkins in all sorts of ways, though generally Spooky/Scary ways bc spirits, and put around camp. A candle will be put inside some, and some pumpkins will be entirely set on fire. A feast will be held, featuring all sorts of foods. After the feast, some members will go home, and others will go around asking them for candy. because. yknow.
frost festival - volunteers will, again, string fairylights everywhere!! They'll also put pastries of all sorts out every night for members to enjoy, especially in the cold, hungry season. The members themselves will often string flowers and certain foods in trees of their own. Some members will string up gifts for other members in said member's tree for the other to take down on the festival day! On the day of the festival, a feast is hosted, and the gifts received are taken down. An arts and crafts session is hosted, where feathers are decorated and expected to be worn for the rest of the festival. a fun side game for the sesions is to cover other participants in glitter. Lanterns are released, and members hike up to the mountain to build a large snowman to look over Moonlight Vale's meadow as a good luck charm! its said that if the snowman is destroyed before the flower festival, though, the clan will have a terrible year, luck-wise
remembrance day - on the anniversary of the day the nomad clan won the war. A feast is held, as well as a brief parade, which is basically all of the members marching around dramatically. Its all very fun, i promise.
-birthdays are Important. if a member is unwilling to share their birthdate or doesnt know, they'll have to come up with a standin date to celebrate it on. On birthdays, people are given a crown of special flowers or plants for the day. While wearing it, all other members are expected to treat the person with extra respect. A party will be hosted later, where the birthday person will arrive last and be blasted with powders. Members will then weave flowers in the birthday persons fur(if no fur, then just flower braces) while they eat cake or something. The birthday person is also expected to make a huge, huge mess of their birthday cake, thank you. After this, gifts are exchanged between one another -- not only do the other people have to get something for the birthday person, but the birthday person has to give gifts to the people there
-funerals. after the body is discovered, the shaman will clean it while flowers and other objects are gathered. The body is then put on a stretcher of sorts, where they will be covered in treasured objects, flowers, and favorite foods. It is then carried to the cemetery, where everyone will discuss happy stories and the such. The body is then laid to rest in the grave. Their soul pendant will be embedded into the rock above their body(though it's not that hard to get out tbh) At least a few days after this, events in the deceased's honor will be hosted, such as games and activities they'd enjoyed. Maybe give out little trinkets they'd enjoyed, like flower crowns. A final party will be hosted at the end of the week, where you'll have to enjoy the things they did(food and games, again), and hold a few more speeches on what the deceased had done for the clan and the members
-unions involve a discussion on if they want to be tied together forever. nothing fancy. To mark this, you will put on a pink ribbon around your paws and announce it. then resolve tests put in place by people really close to their significant other. If you pass all of them, you will be tied to your signifant other by your paws using one flimsy piece of red string. if the string breaks, it means that you aren't meant to be. the longer you wear the string, the better luck your relationship will have. you wear the string till the union, which could be in hours, a day, or a week. During the union, you will both wear special flower crowns by the shaman. The ribbon and string will be replaced by a golden clasp around the paws, with embedded gems the same color as their significant other's soul gem. (they can have their significant other's soul gem embedded into their clasp in the future, if they really want.) After that, normal wedding stuff. no honeymoon tho.



[religion] (basically? undertale.)
moonlight vale does not follow a set religion. however, they do follow a mandatory psuedo-religion revolving around souls. They hold the belief that every person has a soul, of course, and that they are all different colors. Each color has a different meaning. The shaman will craft many different pendants for members to wear, and will give them a pendant matching their soul color and perform a bind of sorts. The soul pendant will reflect the wearer's physical and mental state, in the form of saturation or how cracked it is. It will shatter if the character dies. If the character revives, the pendant will be fetched from their grave and given a reawakening. It will always be shattered, and it'll only get worse the more u die, but it will still work. Giving your soul pendant to a partner or friend if a huge act of trust, as well -- it's basically saying that u trust them w ur life and heart. It's not always romantic in nature, I promise. Anyways, turning away a gifted pendant is a huge insult, both to the gifter and everyone else. The person who refuses will generally be shunned, regardless of their reasons, which is ... largely problematic.
The soul color is figured out thru some bizarre shaman ritual while the person is asleep. bc actual souls cant actually appear on the physical plane unless ur really special.
colors ; red - determined
cyan - patience
orange - bravery
blue - integrity
purple - perserverance
green - kindness
orange - justice

[NOTES]
for each region of the territory, theres a ghost from the original cultists that can be found in each!
in the meadows, you can find violet! she'd be good at giving advice, except that he eyes are leaking oil, and she's choking on it too.
In the forest, you can find Arrowhead! He's very aggressive and is surrounded by shadows, but is all too willing to give advice regarding the clan!
In the waterfalls, you can find Lyra! She's very gruff and cold, except to children. She's very good at giving battle advice, at least short-term stuff.
Finding Faust, however, is near impossible, and dangerous. You must be incredibly desperate before you even attempt to contact him. You'll know how to, when he's needed. You'll know him when he see him, too. Playing host to a long forgotten god, Faust is all tentacles, teeth, horns, shadows, and ooze.
- frequent bad weather occurs. it never makes the territory uninhabitable, as it is the old god's wish to let them stay.
- the curse is linked to the group itself. faust's wish to allow the group to thrive often requires intervention and supervision -- they will only suffer from famine at the god's own wishes.
-a very secretive group. doesn't let anyone know about the spirits and stuff bc theyre Worried.
-lots of casualties! the disasters kill a lot of people, and the god himself does too sometimes, especially those related to the original cultists
-look i promise that this isnt a cult clan its just got cult themes
-horrible creatures tend to take the place of unfilled hp slots. If there's not a member filling a rank, sometimes itll appear and do the rank's duties in its place. However, it always leaves of destruction or death in its wake, so there's always an urgency to keep ranks filled