#The HarborKin

[redneaththedogwood]

Introduction

Hi! Call me Red.

I am a queer young adult artist with a passion for making stories! My pronouns are he/they/it.

Red 'Neath the Dogwood is a feline centric xenofiction world building project that is inspired by the blogs @/barrenclan, @/bonefall, @/trinitywc, and @/cathedralcomic, as well as published works such as Warrior Cats, Ratha's Creature, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, and Watership Down. Other influences may show through, particularly the horror aspects present in media such as The Magnus Archives and Old Gods of Appalachia.

My goal with R'NtD is to create compelling groups with their own religious beliefs, food cultures, and a unifying language. The overarching story has not been decided yet, and while I flesh that out I will focus on characterizing the groups and who resides in them, along with creating unique roles and government systems for each.

This blog is a passion project and it is mostly just me working on it, with language help from my good friend @elkpaws.

Things To Know

Red 'Neath the Dogwood will not be a project for children and will include serious discussion of topics ranging from mental health, cultism, oppressive structures, and more. If these topics upset you, that is absolutely okay! This project will likely not be for you.

You are not bothering me with like spam or reblog spam! I appreciate the love and engagement :)

I ADORE seeing people talk and reply in tags and replies, it makes my day!!

I love asks! I will read them all!!! I might not get to all of them if I ever get super popular, but as a smaller work I will do my best to answer.

Please do not ping me on other people's work. It feels very rude!

The main theme I want to portray with Red 'Neath the Dogwood is generational differences, finding one's sense of self, and what drives people to fall into fascist ideas. GROWTH, CHANGE, and PROGRESS, for better or worse.

This will likely be a story that follows many characters and will grow to reflect that, with different "arcs" and offshoot tales about characters within the three groups present. I will do my best to tag for organization's sake, but be warned that I am forgetful and might lose posts.

I will also try to remember to tag for triggering or otherwise upsetting subject matter, but if I miss something send me an ask and I'll take care of it as best I can.

Closing Thoughts

For now I believe this covers everything I can think of, and as this project grows I will likely rewrite this pinned post to reflect those changes. In future I hope to have several original tags set up for this blog, including things specific to food, culture, and character posts.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I hope I can make this blog worthwhile.

Ask Status: Open

[redneaththedogwood]

Groups

Hello! In this post I'll be doing my best to expand upon and explain the three major groups within Red 'Neath the Dogwood. Things like religious leanings, politics, and naming conventions will be discussed! Again, these are all early in development so things are subject to change.

Also important to note: the territory is made up of a central body of water large enough to house three different small towns around it. It is majorly deciduous and mountainous.

I hope you enjoy! :)

Steeple's Point Church

The Church is made up of a group of cats with a fairly rigid structure- their leader is the reverend, and their names are medieval in nature. They follow a monarchy, where the reverend's eldest child is appointed next in line with an advisory figure who can take over in case something happens. However- power struggles have happened in the past, and the current reverend, Hildegod, is the second generation of a completely new reverend bloodline.

They are also monotheistic and have a single godly figure with nine saints who can provide protection to those assigned to their guards. The saints are D'arce, Cyril, Ashwy, Nantelm, Grimald, Eloy, Osgyth, Rosceline, and Ursilda. Their god's has not been decided yet! I would gladly take suggestions when I get around to designing them.

Steeple's Point Church cats are granted names when they complete training, but before that their childhood names are denoted by birth order and litter number, and their apprenticeship names are taken from their mentors. An apprentice will likely be called "Paw of [Mentor]", and a more literal translation from Filssnya could be "Extension of [Mentor]" or "[Mentor]'s Paw". When they complete training they are sent with the reverend, apostle, and doctor to the territory's flowering dogwood tree, where they enter a medically induced sleep and visit with their god. They must complete several trials to determine which of the saints will look after them, and at the end of those trials they speak to their god directly- who strikes them with their new holy name. With that, they wake up and can inform the cats with them what they've been called and head back home to celebrate.

It is very rare for a cat not to receive a godly name, but it has happened in the past. Very very long ago, far back enough that no one currently alive remembers firsthand. However, recently there's been a cat who hasn't received a name- Hildegod's child. Many are skeptical of this fact, and even more so are shocked when she claims their god told her she should choose her own name. A cat choosing their own name in the Church is completely unheard of- even among the history of the nameless.

Now, to talk about their name parts! This will be shorter.

Church names, as adults, are made up of a singular holy name, medieval in origin, and a saintly name- one that is only really uttered to wish good fortune. An example would be Hildegod D'arce, who's saintly name is only ever said during times of trouble. It's more meant to draw the attention of the saint to protect that cat more thoroughly.

The Union of Feline Colliers

Union cats are an...apprehensive bunch. They do not follow a single god, nor do they have a pantheon of gods, instead they believe in ghosts and spirits rather than godly forces being the reason the world is the way it is. They reside in a lost mining town, both above ground and in the mines beneath it- where they excavate what they can to use in trading and bartering.

Union cats also believe in reincarnation. When a cat is no longer remembered by the living, their soul transfers into the natural world, and can be recycled back into the Union. Anything could have potentially been a relative or ancestor, so Union cats are careful in not taking more than they need. They also tend to be wary of nighttime, believing that the bridge from the spiritual to the living is only a few pawsteps long during those hours.

Names in the Union are untranslated Filssnya, the unifying language of the three groups, and can potentially be anything. They also have translated nicknames, often simple physical characteristics, as they do not give out their personal names to strangers- in case that stranger is a spirit looking to whisk them away. An example would be Ssifza "Long Claw" Hyyia*. Their names are made up of a first name given by their parents at birth and a second that is an attribute wished upon the child. Their names are subject to change with age, and oftentimes that attribute will change to a trait they possess as an adult. It is very rare for a childhood attribute name to be the same when they reach adulthood. Nicknames are also subject to change, particularly if the cat has a new defining physical trait!

*note: Filssnya words are always written in italics!

Their political structure is very democratic in nature, where all cats who are old enough vote on who they wish to be their foreman, the term used for leaders. Potential foremen can run campaigns within the Union but will often be cats who are notable for skills in hunting, battle, social situations, and trading between groups.

Every cat in the Union knows basic first aid, but they have a more knowledgeable medic who can be called upon to help with more serious cases. It is also required for all members of the Union to be able to identify the types of plants and animals found in their mine shaft, in case of danger.

Lastly, Union cats are the only group with more than only a handful of terms for ghosts and apparitions, and they take documenting and passing that knowledge on to the next generation very seriously. While I do not personally like using the term "superstitious", it's the best word that can really describe the Union.

The HarborKin

Finally we have the HarborKin! The HarborKin is a group of very proud cats who revere the water and the lake they live on and around, believing that water is essential to life and is at the root of everything. They have a pantheon of several gods, being polytheistic, and believe that anyone can achieve godhood is they can do a great enough feat.

The HarborKin has a council of cats, made up of their most important figures and an appointed head who communicates with the other groups and makes announcements. The council is made up of their head of hunting, head of child rearing, head of crafting and trading, doctor, and finally their religious guide- the sibyl. Of these cats the head spokesperson is chosen, and can rotate.

HarborKin cats, like I've mentioned, are very proud and have names to reflect that. There are two parts with a potential third part, the first part being made up of a prefix given at birth by the parents and then a suffix given by the council when they graduate apprenticehood. The potential second part is an honor title or legendary name, wherein the cat who receives it has done something of great note. They are sent to the sibyl and are guided to speak to the gods, who grant them the name themselves- it is often a prefix and suffix style name. Finally, the third name is a familial name. Sons will take the given birth name of their father and daughters will take the given birth name of their mother, followed by a denotation of their relation to that parent. And example of a full HarborKin name would be RedBurr PikeRend KingfishersSon.

HarborKin cats are more likely to tell epics or legends rather than ghost tales or creation myths, and take their status as a HarborKin very seriously. Cats outside of the HarborKin refer to them by their full names to their faces (but will shorten the name in private) and cats within the HarborKin drop the familial name. Nicknames are reserved for close family, childhood friends, or mates. It is seen as a direct challenge to refer to a HarborKin by anything but their full name.