The Valley Cats, A Complete Guide

•Tribe Lore•

•Golden Rose Cult•
Cannibals by nature yet loyal by heart, the Western tribe lurks quietly within the darkened shadows of their labyrinthine homeland. The Cult cats function as a hive mind, all turning to their 'Queen' for advice and wisdom.

Forever hungry for flesh that's so close yet so far out of reach, these cryptids are fuelled by a gory hunger and promises of reward for their undying allegiance and loyalty to their Cult and its founder. They are relentless in battle, refusing to step down and dishonour their Cult and face the wrath of their divine leader for letting her down.

They do not fear death, seeing it as an opportunity to reap the rewards of their loyalty from the Dark Celestials or at the very least become the much-sought after sustenance their beloved Cult seeks the most, nourishing their bodies and filling their bellies.

To them, their pride is of most importance. They refuse to dishonour the Golden Rose Cult's name and leave any battle without glory, no matter how trivial it may be. This was why they formed an alliance with the physically strongest tribe in the Valley.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Cult cats primarily sport scaly/leathery wings instead of the traditional feathered ones of their under-the-sun counterparts. Often in dark conditions, these cryptids use echolocation to travel in the dark. They all sport abnormally sharp, long teeth and particularly sensitive, slightly larger ears.

Cult cryptids also have extraordinarily heightened senses and immensely strong immune systems due to their steady diets of food and prey that are rotted and decaying. They're immune to multiple diseases and their stomach acids are rumoured to be as potent as a Toxo's venom.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Cult cryptids have a weird ceremony which marks the end of a trainee's apprenticeship. They are brought to a cave filled with dozens upon dozens of vampire bats and are to stay there till the next morning.

The way this tradition goes is that the apprentice must offer their blood to at least one bat and come out with the mark of the bat's teeth clear on their skin as a symbol of a step into the new life of a full Golden Rose Cult warrior. Should they fail to have a bat feast on them, they will either be forced to repeat the ceremony or visit the Dark Celestials to see what's wrong.

Bats are considered a holy creature to the Cult, and if it is found that a trainee has injured, killed or eaten one, they will be punished severely or even executed on the spot. As a result of exposure to these creatures, Cult cats have developed an ability to mimic bat screeches which helps the disorient and throw off their enemies.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
•Tribe Of The Blooming Valley•
Regal and dangerous, the Southern tribe is a formidable force of power, sheer violence and strength. Loyal to no end and never hesitating to defend their tribal family through sheer force, it is near impossible to sway a Tribe cat's morality and loyalty.

Representing the Sin of Rage, the Tribe Of The Blooming Valley radiates a powerful ferocity that is coddled to a dangerous degree. They are incredibly territorial and have little to no tolerance for territory expansions or theft of prey, often unleashing violence fuelled by territorial rage to reinforce the Oath.

Given that the Tribe has the largest numbers out of the tribes in the Northern Kingdoms, there is a reason they are known as Celestial Genocide in war. Their skill in physical warfare and combat simply exceeds any and every possible limit there is, and they often fight offensively with no regard for their enemies at all.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
The Tribe also has the strongest and by far the most ancient royal lineage and hierarchy system out of the entire kingdom. As the first ever cryptid tribe, they uphold their status and rankings with a regal air, following the ways of life their first ancestors set down centuries ago.

They have a strict code which only allows those of the royal bloodline to rule the tribe. These such royal bloods are identified by triangular markings underneath their eyes and they typically have much more intricate patterns on their feathers.

If a royal mates with a non-royal, there is a 50% chance of their offspring having traces of royal blood as well, depending on the size of the litter. There is an even lower chance of these kits receiving the privilege of a Soul Dragon which comes with every born Royal.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
•Hearts Of The Restless•
The Eastern tribe that rules over the coasts are known for their revered fishing skills, underwater battle tactics and their forever restless and adventurous spirits. Usually choosing fight over flight in order to keep their lives, this tribe will nonetheless fight the hardest for their loved ones.

Unlike most cryptids where the sky is considered to be their second home, Hearts' cryptids regard the sea as a second domain, specialising in deep sea diving and hunting in the dark waters for fish and other sea creatures to feast on with their fellow family. The Hearts are also renown cooks who like to experiment with their food, seeing the best ways to make them taste.

The Hearts' level of stubborn is higher than the Celestials' domain; often refusing to back down to defend their position and willing to do anything just to prove they're in the right, even if they really aren't. It takes far too much to finally get them to accept that they aren't always going to get their way.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
The Hearts are the most advanced and 'modern' tribe in the entire valley. All the most skilled blacksmiths and cooks come from there. Hearts' blacksmiths carve and forge war claws and all sorts of different armour and jewellery for their fellow tribe cats, and they offer their services for the price of prey or access to larger territories.

During the arrival of every season, the Hearts host a massive banquet for the four tribes of the valley kingdom, roasting and cooking different meals for their fellow warriors to enjoy. Despite their stubbornness, the Hearts are warm-hearted and mostly willing to share anything they have while spreading joy to others.

They do not have a ranking system, rather they form squadrons that fly together in almost every situation. The tribe is very family oriented, and they often see the birth of twins or triplets as a blessing and a Celestial gift.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
•Guild Of Freedom•
Flying freely through the Northern territories resides the dreamy, whimsical jungle tribe of freedom and warmth. The most peaceful tribe in the entirety of the Northern Kingdoms, the Guild acts as a mediator between tribal scuffles though most of the time they will refuse to engage.

This does not mean they are cowards however; they just prefer to use a 'trap and ambush' method of dealing with enemies. As their territory has more trees than any other area of the kingdom, they easily weave and dodge enemies by zipping through the branches at breakneck speeds and alarming agility, often leaving their enemies behind stuck in the gnarly branches.

The Guild also has the most herbs of all the other territories and are rather advanced in the prospect of healing or creating potions. They are a very curious type and enjoy 'mixing and matching' herbs, spices and fruits in their territory to make a new seasoning, a new medicine or a new poison.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
The Guild cats have a rather unique ranking system. After an apprentice becomes a Guild warrior, they will receive a medallion with a number on it.

The number corresponds to the number of members of their squadron, with the most experienced Guild cryptids being rank #1 and new members being #20, for example if a squadron has 20 cats.

Every Guild cat with a medallion must not take it off at any cost as it is considered cowardice to be ashamed of your rank in the Guild. If a medallion is forcefully removed, whether on purpose or not, the number on the medallion of the cryptid who removed it will go down a rank.

It is possible for a Guild cryptid to become 'rankless', a great shame upon the cryptid stripped of the rank. To achieve this, the Guild leaders remove said cryptid's medallion and smash it with a fossilised amber crystal called the Glowfire Stone.

This resets the medallion number to -, or negative/minus. This punishment is only reserved for cryptids who have broken the Dragons' Oath or committed a sin against their family and loved ones such as disloyalty to a partner, abusing their children etc.