Chosen of StarClan’s religious life is a bit more complicated than that presented in the books. Without a place-of-no-stars to contend with the members of StarClan is both more complicated and simpler. This document aims to explain how the Skies of CoSC work and the ways in which different skies both develop and effect the overall play of things.
This document will outline the framework Chosen of StarClan uses, including expanding on and adding nuance to the cosmology given to us in the books. This explanation should help you understand our system of belief based power, divine interaction, omen, and prophecy.
Spheres and Influence
Each religious order within the world of CoSC (Hereafter referred to as “Skies”) gains and loses strength through the belief of the Faithful Believers they hold. The area in the Earthly Realm they hold sway over is limited by the number, and distribution, of the Believers.
Individual members of a Sky have personal influence strengthened by the remembrance of them in the Earthly Eealm belonging to that Sky. This means that individual spirits who appear to Believers are generally those remembered and honored by those who live in the Earthly Realm.
Contact with the Earthly Realm
Individual Skies with game may make contact with believing members of that Sky’s Earthly Realm. This can be done through a variety of means empowered either by the Faithful Beliver’s personal inner strength or at the cost of the Corporeal Spirt’s personal influence. Large visitations might cost a group power, though that risk may be rewarded by faith in the Earthly Realm growing as a result.
Sites of Power
Some Skies have points in their Earthly Realm where the separation between Earthly Realm and Sky is thinner than normal. These sites are developed over time by the conduction of rituals by the Faithful Belivers at those sites. The longer and more consistently a site is used the stronger it becomes.
Prophetic Foretelling
Because the future is always in motion a prophecy from a Sky is rarely clear on details. As no Sky has direct power over what occurs in the Earthly Realm they cannot predict the actions of any earthly entity with enough certainty to know exactly how the Earthly Realm might change them as they walk through it.
Due to the fluctuating nature of the Earthly Realm the act of bringing attention to an individual’s potential for an action can, inadvertently, not only entourage but potentially cause to pass the subject of the prophecy. Through the act of revealing one potential future a prophecy can weaken other potential futures. Prophecy has the power to enter ideas into the Earthly Realm, sending paws in directions they may not have taken without that push.
As an example, a cat with the potential to perform an act of great evil might be pushed onto that path when a Medicine Cat brings news of the possibility to their leader. The leader might begin to single out the potentially evil individual, creating a sense of isolation and difference.
Prophecy may also only be made when enough individual Corporeal Spirits within a Sky unite with enough intent to give the Spirit brining the prophecy the ability to clearly pierce the Veil between Earthly and Celestial Realms.
Omens, a lesser part of prophecy, are more easily brought but require that the receiver of the omen be aware enough to see what is being offered. Some ordained individuals in some faiths within the game have this in spades based on an agreed upon language of omens combined with the vague feelings and images Corporeal Spirits can imbue moments with.
SEE ALSO: Prophecy Rules
Reincarnation
Spirits do not return to the Earthly Realm reborn in flesh. Instead, they persist as echoes, lingering as long as memory sustains them.
Spirits in the skies are energized by the faith of the Earthly Realm. As a result of this spirits who cease to hold a corporeal identity join the incorporeal strength of the sky they belonged to. A resurgence of memory might pull a spirit back into corporeal form later.
Forgotten Skies
A Sky fades after the last Faithful Believer in the earthly realm joins it. The sky will linger for some time, but eventually the spirits in the sky will lose corporeal form as the strength of belief and connection to the Earthly Realm degrades.
In rare cases, when an extraordinary individual comes into being, a Sky might experience a rally as the opportunity inspires strength in the collective of non-corporeal spirits. These spirits might find strength enough to manage omens, prophecies, or visitations as they press their chosen one in an attempt to build themselves.
Should this chosen one manage it, a sky may return to being fully existent as a result of the new believer(s) in the faith.
New Skies
New Skies are created either from the remnants of other skies or echos of spirits unaffiliated with any previous sky. Through the faith of Earthly Believers a new Sky can come together and grow in strength in the same way an established or forgotten Sky does.
Relevant Vocabulary
This vocabulary is related specifically to this document and those relating to specific Skies.
- Believer: An individual who has true belief in the faith.
- Celestial Realm: The territory in a specific Sky, or subgroup of a specific sky, dwells in.
- Celestial Territory: The territory in which spirits roam in the Skies.
- Corporeal Spirit: A spirit who can make contact with the earthly realm.
- Earthly entity: An individual who is a part of an Earthly Realm.
- Earthly Realm: The world of the living.
- Earthly Territory: The specific territory in an earthly realm that belongs to a specific group or subgroup of a specific group.
- Established Sky: A Sky with generations of history in the Earthly Realm and many Faithful Believers.
- Faithful Believer: An individual who is both a believer and a follower.
- Follower: A person who follows the religious elements of a faith.
- Forgotten Sky: A Sky without any Faithful Believers
- New Sky: A Sky with one generation or less in the Earthly Realm.
- Non-corporeal Spirit: A spirit who cannot, under normal circumstances, make contact with the earthly realm.
- Sky: A “other side” of a religion.
- Spirit: A member of a sky. Usually the spirit of a dead faithful believer.
- Territory: The space that belongs to a an earthly or celestial group.
- Veil: The division between the Earthly and Celestial Realms.