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bonefall · 11 months

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Clanmew Expansion Pack: Deer & Co

A guide both to the Clan Culture concept of "deer" as a classification, how several species are perceived by Clan cats, as well as a glossary of Clanmew terms for their behavior.

[ID: A red deer stag stands proud next to the word, "KLEKA." Squirrelflight stands next to it, thinking the phrase, "sskif peeg-en-aayoo nomn." Roughly, "I want to eat that butt," directly, "Want: beacon-of-red stag I-will-eat"]

There are six species of "deer" (Kleka) that Clan cats see on a regular basis, five of them titanic giants that are too large to hunt as adults, and one of them just small enough to be targeted. A kleka is defined as, "a fast herbivore with long legs, ending in hard hooves."

All types of deer are big animals, with even the smallest being larger than a cat. They're most often seen in forest or open meadows, so because of this, they're typically associated with ThunderClan and WindClan.

The six species that Clan cats consider a "deer," listed with their human terms and Clanmew translation;

Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) = Aug (default) & Aayoo (stags during rut in late summer to early winter)

Fallow Deer (Dama dama) = Niaa (default) & Gruag (stags with full antlers)

Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) = Aeur

Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) = Maa'ar

Horse (Equus ferus caballus) = Ee'ee

Sheep (Ovis aries) = Baa (default) & Bing (bell wether)

"Hey hold on a minute!" You cry, "Those last two aren't deer!"

Go ahead! Try explaining that to a cat who doesn't even know what cladistics are! It eats plants, it has swiveling ears, it has long legs and hooves, and it runs fast. What else could such a creature be? KLEKA IS KLEKA.

(Note: The Chinese Water Deer and Sika Deer are also seen in England; however, not as far north as BB's modeled regions, ergo they are not represented by Base Clanmew.)

But for the sake of organization, this guide will only cover the 'true deer,' reds, fallows, roes, and muntjacs.

Before getting into specific detail about each species, first, here's a couple more general terms for various parts of these animals.

Antler = Grek Branched, pronged horns that grow on male deer, bursting from bloody velvet. Muntjacs don't grow new antlers, but they never lose their 'velvet' either. Shed ones are valued for construction projects. A doe is an antlerless (grekwaro) deer; a buck is an antlerful (grekwang) deer.

Velvet = Gawrek (Meat + Antler) The meat that sheds off a fresh antler. Has been brought to my attention that this is full of estradiol, so, this is a very useful herb for Clan cats to use for feminine hormone treatment! For the velvet texture, "qefyyn", see here.

Horn = Greksh (Antler + Shell) Seen exclusively in sheep, named for the snail shell-like shape and fact that, after death, the horns are hollow. A cow also has greksh, but this currently goes undiscovered. NOTE: A generic horn, like the spines on a hedgehog or spikes on some insects, are called "kik"

Hoof = Kopka The hard stone-claws on the end of a Klek's leg; also seen on two other special non-klek animals; hogs and cows.

Beacon = Peeg When social deer are alarmed and running away, they follow the white flashes of each other's butts. Rabbits also have a beacon in their puffy tails! Clan cats assume that a horse's strange, hairy tail is just some sort of special beacon. It can also mean "rump," as in "rump roast."

Fawn = Myaa A baby deer that hides in grass, and does not run when approached.

Yearling = Mween A baby deer that follows its mother's side, and is now able to run if chased. The offspring of sheep and horses are already Mween just few minutes after their birth, though Clan cats don't encounter them on a frequent enough basis to have unique words for them. If used in a name, feel free to translate as 'foal' or 'lamb' at your discretion.

Herd = Klokok A large group of deer, usually only seen during rut, or in the case of horses, behind fences. Mostly used in the presence of an aggressive stag of some sort who will attack a Clan cat who bothers his does.

[ID: A red deer stag and a red deer hind, with a field behind them]

We start off with the largest wild animal on this list, and the biggest creature that Clan cats see on a regular basis; the Red Deer.

The rut season is from late summer to early winter, and is the only time in the year that stags have 'antlers' which they use to fight other males for control of a herd. This is reflected in Clanmew; most of the year, all red deer are Aug, the sound of the 'bark' they use to communicate with each other.

ONLY when antlers start coming in do the stags become identified by the other term; Aayoo. Aayoo fill the forest with loud bellowing and clashing as they face off, with some Clan cats even taking the opportunity to watch these titans brawl just for entertainment.

Some Aayoo even have a distinct "Raofa" (lion mane) or "Gaofa" (cravat, tiger mane), which associates them with the legends of the Great Clans. But, eventually, the Aayoo sheds its weapons, and returns to being an Aug before the frost sets in.

They are far too large to be hunted, and most Clan cats would find it dishonorable to take their fawns if they are found hidden. They are a breathtaking and honored animal... though they do look delicious, if you ask Squirrelflight.

[ID: A fallow stag shows off in front of three does, who hold up signs with various ratings. Nightstar watches on, unimpressed.]

Up next is the deer considered the most beautiful by Clan cat standards; the Fallow Deer.

Just like reds, fallows have a "default" word for those that aren't sporting any antlers; "Niaa." The call of a fallow buck is best described in English as a 'belch,' in Clanmew, they call it "Gruag."

Their behavior is quite different from red deer; instead of one male who fights off any challengers for control of a harem, they have what we call a "lek" system. Gruag will gather in one part of the territory to fight and show off against many rivals, and the Niaa come to this place to watch and pick who they like best.

side note: this is a really rare system to see in mammals and fallow deer have been studied for how unique this behavior is

They come in lots of different colors, from white, to tawny, sometimes even being such a dark brown that they appear black. These colors are beloved, noted as if StarClan themselves like to practice painting on their coats. On top of this, they're the most numerous species of deer to see.

All of these things together gives fallow deer a reputation for being "dramatic" and "fancy" by Clan culture standards, less honorable than the powerful red deer but just as noble. However, this means that their fawns are not treated with the same careful reverence as those of reds, and snatched whenever they're found hiding.

[ID: A roe deer stands alone, menacingly, with a row of telephone poles behind it]

Roe deer act VERY differently from their larger cousins. A mostly solitary animal with only the presence of antlers and a smaller beacon marking a buck from a doe, Clanmew has only a single word for them; "Aeur." The sound of their very offputting 'alarm bark'.

Opportunists, roe deer will live just about anywhere they can find a small amount of forested cover, meaning they'll happily find room in just about any territory except WindClan's. In the Lake Territory, they're particularly fond of the places where fallows and reds don't have enough space, such as the SkyClan conifer patch.

Clan cats find them deeply unsettling. Though smaller than reds and fallows, a roe deer is still as large as three warriors stacked on top of each other. Males immediately re-grow their dagger-like horns as soon as the old ones fall out, never fully returning to the 'default' form. And, worst of all...

They have the same crepuscular behavior as cats do, active at dawn and dusk. Females typically raise two fawns and manage their own territories, much like a rogue. They even create simple nests which they sleep in every night.

The Clans try to keep away from them, unless they're truly starving. There are tales that those who don't believe in StarClan are doomed to exist as roe deer in their afterlives.

[ID: A warrior is unsettled by a barking roe deer. It says, "ssoen his ssarababa," roughly, "holy shit," directly, "stars, shit they-say"]

[ID: A muntjac walking through marshland, being stalked by Stumptail]

Probably not an animal you were expecting to see in England, huh? The Reeves' Muntjac has been an invasive problem since the 20th century, rapidly spreading across the island. Like roe deer, males have antlers while females do not, but there aren't enough differences in behavior for Clan cats to have a dedicated word for the two forms.

So, a muntjac is simply known as a "Maa'ar."

These little buggers will eat just about any plant matter, which can make them quite destructive. Bark, grass, fruits, leaves, anything. Slightly larger than a fox, their only predator is Clan cats, who consider them to be a prized quarry. Their skin creates some of the highest quality leather in all the territories, and their horns and 'tusks' are valued for decorations.

Though solitary, they can still put up a fight. Those fangs and horns aren't just for show; they can gore and kill an unwise hunter, and if that fails, they're much faster than their cutesy little loaf-shape suggests.

They're unique for many reasons, but especially in that they like wet areas. So, unlike the other types of deer, the muntjac is most often seen by ShadowClan and RiverClan. Since RiverClan doesn't have the same taste for mammalian meat that ShadowClan does, in the Lake territory, sometimes muntjac hunting rights cause conflict between the two neighbors.

#Clanmew #Deer #Cervine #Clanmew Expansion Pack #clan culture #Better Bones Au

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