author note: i'm just making a couple clans and i'm gonna work on a bit of a story about them but uh yeah. if anyone reads it critique it? *shrugs* also nightsky is the equivalent of starclan. i didn't wanna put 'clan' in the names cause it's really restrictive

Saltmarsh

Clan traits

Character:
Saltmarsh are the most secretive clan, though they aren't unfriendly in times of peace. They keep their territory well-guarded from all outsiders. They work well together and value team-work and honesty. They will help other clans, although it usually comes with a price, such as asking for permission to hunt on another clan's territory for a short time. They are less dedicated to Nightsky than the other clans, preferring to focus more on the physical than the spiritual. Saltmarsh are fierce fighters and aren't afraid to settle disputes with violence; they aren't blood-thirsty by any means, however.

Physical:
The cats in this clan have thick fur and strong muscles. They are all great jumpers, even the elders, and good fighters. They tend to have larger builds than the other clans. The sleeker cats do the hunting on the beach, as they can run faster.

Ranks:
The leader represents the clan and makes sure the camp is running smoothly; they aren't necessarily any higher than the other cats. Their word isn't law. The big decisions- such as if a deputy is fit to be leader- in Saltmarsh are made by a council consisting of able elders and senior warriors, along with the leader, medicine cat and deputy. The leader then announces it to the rest of the clan. Democracy is a very important part of the clan, with every cat involved in the discussions.

There is always at least two medicine cats at any one time, and all warriors are required to learn some first aid. As always, the medicine cats decipher prophecies from Nightsky, and each moon meet at the Starstream. Medicine cats are allowed to take mates.

The apprentices are taught for 8 moons. They all learn to run and hunt on soft sand and how to catch crabs; trained to hunt in long grass and thick brush; trained in fighting and medicine; and most importantly, jumping. They are allowed to observe and participate in some council meetings.

The elders are revered and taken care of by the whole clan. They are excellent storytellers and the wisest cats of the clans.

Territory:
At the top of Saltmarsh territory is a small forest, which they only use during times of desperation- mostly storms. Beach grass and tough ocean bushes climb sporadically up the cliff face, making it relatively easy to climb up or down. Saltmarsh camp is nestled away among the thick bushes- which shield the camp from the wind- on the slope of the cliff. The grass reaches down to the beach a fair way, mixing with the sand, and after those is the open beach. The cats of Saltmarsh don't go too far towards the water, simply because there isn't reason enough to.

In storms, when the wind is blowing hard, having to climb down the cliff and hunt is very dangerous. Cats can get crushed by chunks of falling cliff, they can fall of the edge or not be able to climb back up. Saltmarsh's biggest fear is being swept into the ocean, which can rise halfway up the cliff during very intense storms.

Being the ocean, it rains a lot and it's windy almost all the time. When the sun does come out, though, and the sand is warm... Oh, Nightsky, to stretch out on that sand and nap; there's nothing better.

Camp:
Well-hidden among the bushes and grass lies the Saltmarsh camp. It creeps half-way up the cliff. The dens are in a sort of crescent shape, with the leader's den at the top and the elder's at the bottom, and a clearing occupying the rest of the space. The bottom of the camp is the warmest part, the bushes outside the camp working as a windbreak for the elders, apprentices and queens. The medicine cat's den is situated between the leader's and the warriors. The fresh-kill pile is in a dip near the elders's den. A small fresh water stream flows down through the middle of the camp, ending in a pool by the fresh-kill pile. The clearing allows the clan to look out over the beach, and on clear days to warm their pelts and share tongues.

Hunting and food:
The clan hunts small rodents and birds in the beach grass; birds, crabs and sometimes clams on the beach. Saltmarsh don't eat seagulls, as the gulls are more often then not unhealthy and spread sickness. They are good jumpers, since they can't stalk sea birds effectively on the open beach and they live in the bushes on the cliff face.

On the beach, their hunting style is less stealthy and more quick- they have to act fast and be aggressive to catch birds and crabs without any cover. To catch birds, they surround a flock- one side of the patrol scares the birds and the others leap up and catch the birds out of the air. It's generally a 4-5 cat operation and so only happens when they are sure it will work. Sometimes, when the sun is just right- when it's reflecting off the wet sand, they are able to run right up the the birds and snatch them away. When encountering crabs, one cat will stand on the top of the crab while another carefully disables the claws. Many cats have lost ears and even tongues. Saltmarsh aren't able to dig clams out of the sand, but when the twolegs come during clamming season they are able to scavenge what the twolegs leave behind. They are the only clan with this privilege.

In the grass, they hunt silently and patiently. In some places, where the grass is too thick for a cat to go through, one cat will go to one side of the clump and wait while another goes to the opposite side and flushes the prey out. Hunting is almost always a team effort. Sometimes a cat will wait right below a slight cliff until they hear a mouse moving around up there, and then they will jump up and kill it. this method requires extreme skill and not every cat can learn to do it.