Senior Warriors are the cats who make up the trusted inner circle of the leader. Generally speaking they’re at least second year warriors (though there are exceptions) and the grand majority will have been given an apprentice as a show of faith (again, there are exceptions for cases where a cat is simply not suited to mentoring).
What is a Senior Warrior
The rank of Senior Warrior belongs to the cats who comprise the inner circle of the Clan Leader and Deputy. These cats are trusted to lead patrols, train apprentices and help run the clan. Here at CoSC the rank has nothing to do with age, and the onset of a new leader could even result in the removal of a cat from the rank.
Most often the making of a senior warrior is marked by that cat becoming a mentor. It should be noted that, much like becoming a Mentor, becoming a Senior Warrior is a privilege, not a right.
Becoming a Senior Warrior
In Character
In character the only way to become a senior warrior is to have a strong enough relationship with the leader to be one of the cats they wish to have in their inner circle, trusted with important responsibilities. Being given an apprentice is a clear indication of Senior Status, though cats who have not mentored would be told outright that they’re a part of that leader’s circle.
Out of Character
Out of character you may not create a character who is a Senior Warrior without the express permission of the player of the current leader. It should be noted that the best way to catch the eye of the player of a leader to get your character selected as a senior warrior is to actively role-play.
Responsibilities of a Senior Warrior
- Lead Patrols (as Assigned, See Patrols & Patrolling for more details.)
- Advise Leader & Deputy (as Requested)
- Mentoring Apprentices (as Assigned, See Apprenticeship for more details.)
Mentoring
Mentoring is not a requirement to become a senior warrior. They hold responsibilities other than just training the young. If a cat becomes a senior warrior without mentoring they will be told outright they are a Senior Warrior.
Inactive Mentors
If you have an apprentice character and the player of your mentor is inactive you are excused from the required involvement in threads. If you are not being provided with a lesson it is not your fault that you are not meeting that OOC requirement. If you have further questions please check in with an Administrator, as your mentor assignment may be able to be retroactively changed.
Why was my character passed over?
The most common reason is that a better qualified character (usually already a senior warrior) was available to train the new apprentice. Other times things like age (most mentors will be warriors with 40+ moons of experience) or poor relationship to the leader will result in a character being passed over.
Remember, not every cat will become a mentor or a senior warrior! It is a privilege, not a right!