Once upon a time, there was an idea: If you accomplish enough, are kind enough, are special enough you would be remembered for all eternity, and would thus triumph over death.

I used to believe this back when I was a child. I was wrong. Some of the most successful people in human history have been forgotten. Their works have become naught but dust in the wind and shadows in the mind of the historian. Some of the kindest are having their names drawn through the mud, and for little reason beyond getting no-name online publications upvotes. The special people throughout the world are increasingly little more than fakers trying to be unique, while the natural ones are instead berated and looked down upon. In the end, even the most well-remembered individuals in history have had their legacies distorted until nothing of the original remains. Just look at Napoleon; all people know is that he was short, yet that is not even true.

Now do not misinterpret the above statement as one born of cynicism or pessimism as I am a consummate idealist. I believe one should strive to achieve as much as possible and be as kind as possible. They should never kneel to the arrogant demands of sheep and act regardless of any concern for being remembered or payment.

The idea behind the Chimaeram Cycle was a simple thought experiment. Essentially, what would happen if you were to take the events of The Darkest Hour and subject them to the points made in the second paragraph? This is why Scourge is idealized by Scour & his rogues. Why the inhabitants of Akann think so highly of Firestar. Also, it is why some of the rogue groups model themselves off of the clans. Despite the fact that none of them were there and they know nothing about what happened, they base so much of their lives and societies off what they took from the tales.

- Note: Spoilers for The Chimaeram Cycle ahead -

Vocabulary: Don't worry this will all be explained in the story as well.

Host: A Host is, at its most basic, a group of cats. Now there are a variety of different types of Hosts. Colonies, Conclaves, Clutters and Glarings.

Colony: Colonies are sedentary, territorial, and most importantly, permanent communities possessing a national identity. Ent's group is probably the best example. In the canon, the clans would also qualify.

Conclave: Conclaves are functionally the same as Colonies except they act as impermanent collections of cats that happen to have the same goal. The Arcaninite Nobility are the exemplars of this, lacking any concept of permanent rulership. They instead vote their own member into elected positions for only as long as the Conclave of Arcanin is in an active session.

Clutters: The third type of Host is called a clutter. Clutters consist of multiple separate colonies that are bound to some central authority that exists beyond the individual member colonies. Think Firestar when he united the remaining Clans into LionClan. In that instance, LionClan was the authority, WindClan & ThunderClan being the member colonies. In the cycle, Akann, Sons Solar, & Shadowood would be the best example.

Glaring: The final form that Hosts take is known as a glaring. Glarings are groups of rogues that fail to fall under the banner of a Clutter. They never partake in Conclaves and are unable to satisfy the checklist for a Colony. This means that they are often nomadic, have a fluid concept of borders (assuming they use them), and tend to lack any kind of national loyalty. In the cycle, the Watchers of the Dark, Shadowolves, and Dogslayers all qualify as glarings. While the Watchers do share a religious and cultural identity with the Sons Solar they remain an independent and nomadic military order. The Shadowolves are in a similar position to their archrivals the Watchers. The Dogslayers on the other hand, sorry paw, are nomadic and are not territorial.

Akann: Its name is supposed to be derived from the words 'a' and 'clan' ('a clan' turned into 'aclan' which morphed into 'acan' then 'akann'). Traditionally own the Eastern third of Ar-town.

Arcanin: Wizards Conclave = Arcane Conclave. I then added some influence from the biblical Canaan. Canaan Arcane = Arcanaan which I then changed to Arcanin to be closer to the intended pronunciation. Traditionally own the southern third of Ar-Town.

Artain: Aquitaine the already established naming system of its neighbours = Artain. Traditionally control the western third of Ar-town.

Ar-town: The human (AKA Twolegs AKA Earthmovers) town that the Akannate, Arcaninites, and Artainians inhabit. Its name is a pun on the term 'our town' and the titles of the nations within its borders. It was divided into three portions in the days before Firestar was born. The southern part is known for being a place of great learning, the nobility there often serving as mystics, scholars and doctors. The eastern/northeast portion famed for its military strength, they east often having been the frontline in the many wars of conquest waged upon the town. The western/northwest portion is known for politicking, backstabbing, and opportunism. They are by far the weakest of the three Ar-Town factions. Thus, they were often forced to play the other nations off each other to survive. Their manipulative tendencies combined with the betrayal of the Arcaninites during the Akannate Wars of Unification led to their current untrustworthy reputation.