The Shardtail Pact

Who are they?

The Shardtail Pact is a group of cats living in a twolegplace a few days away from the twolegplace of the old forest territory. They are experts at surviving on as little as possible and follow a strict set of codes called “the Pact.” Any cat can join or leave, but they must abide by these codes. They are enemies of the general loner and rogue population that refuse to assimilate.

The Shardtail

None of them are particularly spiritual. That’s not what the Pact is about, but everyone knows the story of the Shardtail. He was a cat who came long ago to their twolegplace and organized them into what they are now. Legend has it that he devised traps, hunting methods, and food storage methods good enough to feed everyone. Sadly, not everyone agrees with his harsh codes.

The Shardtail Palace

An empty warehouse on the outskirts of the twolegplace, this massive structure was once used for twoleg mineral storage. Now, it houses a great number of cats. Next to it is what used to be a factory, which is where the elites tend to stay due to the number of windows letting light and heat in. Together, these are called the Palace and within the factory is a pedestal known as the Shardtail Throne. A King or Queen may use this to call a meeting or simply lounge around.

Infrastructure

Apart from the Palace for housing, there’s a number of cat-run facilities around the twolegplace.

Herb Posts: No one cat is trained extensively in medicine, but eyes are kept on gardens or weed growth for useful herbs and flowers.

Mouse Traps: Using clever planning and even thieving from twoleg contraptions, there are a number of known locations where passive hunting is employed.

Lookout Posts: These are where the eyes of the Pact look around for trouble. The whole twolegplace doesn’t belong to them, so it’s crucial to keep a watch on the borders.

Social Organization

Apart from the King or Queen, there is little actual formal ranking within the Pact. Everyone knows who the reigning monarch is, but importance is often determined by usefulness and brutality. Exiles are kept track of even if they aren't in the territory, their names remembered just in case. From highest to lowest the general flow is:

King/Queen (de facto leader of the Pact; only selected by Challenge)

Matriarchs (aka queens in the Clans) + Kits (when feeding is done)

Palace Guard (member dedicated to protecting and maintaining the home)

Pact Member (general agents who hunt and fight)

Elders (same as clans, but they are regarded with no respect and are often fed last of at all)

Breaker (someone on probation or full exile)


Culture

The twolegplace they all call home is known to be dirty due to its past of twoleg activity. Whatever they did, the land isn’t the same as it was before prey began to leave. This means that the Pact have had to become survivors, which is their primary mentality. Above always, kits and matriarchs are prioritized above everyone else, but after them… everyone is left to fend for themself, essentially. The most distinguished are always guaranteed food, but there isn’t always enough to go around. They are a very authoritarian clique with heavy emphasis on the word of the King or Queen. They are the strongest of the entire Pact, therefore they must be obeyed. Each monarch is expected to keep the food supply going and under tight control so the most important get fed. Fights are common in determining pecking order and making shows of strength. Unusually, they don’t have many unique terms to themselves, but borrow from other cats that come by. Hence, their language has few confusing quirks. There are also no specific naming conventions.

In regards to food, their constant and only obsession, they have a number of ways for going about actually keeping it edible. In hot months, they simply dry the meat after removing the pelt and the flesh from bone. These methods create small little bits of dry food that can be eaten long after it’s been prepared. In the cold months, prey is frozen in the ground and thawed out near outdoor heating devices. They cannot actually cook, but they know how to preserve meat for when they need it instead of leaving it to rot. Occasionally, this results in tummy aches or illness. Since they do not dedicate anyone to medicine as all paws must be on food, it’s up to the sick cat to treat themself.

Recent History

For many moons, Stone was the King of the Pact. About forty moons ago, he took in a weaned kit whose mother had died and left him orphaned. This kit was named Patch and ended up under Stone’s wing.

Overall, Stone was a strong and efficient leader. He expanded the territory of the Pact after many hard battles, but spent a good deal of time training his protege. Patch, though, wanted more and planned to dethrone Stone.

About ten moons ago, Patch challenged Stone to a duel and killed him after having weakened him in a false patrol. Due to his charisma and general clout with the Pact, he was accepted as King in accordance with the Pact laws. However, not everyone has been happy under his rule. Rumors fly about these days that he may be close to his own demise as well…

The Pact Laws

1. The strongest protect the weakest.
2. Those who could hunt but do not get nothing.
3. The monarch’s word is absolute.
4. The Pact is sacred and cannot be breached.
5. Murder without a formal challenge is punishable as the monarch sees fit.
6. Food theft is punishable as the monarch sees fit.
7. Harming a kit results in exile or death.

Allegiances

King
Patch

Matriarchs/Kits
N/A

Palace Guards
N/A

Members
N/A

Elders
N/A

Breakers
N/A