Far From Home | A Clan Creation Guide

Landmarks & Camp

A Clan's territory needs a couple of landmarks, to help them refer to different parts of the territory. Naming certain places also makes the territory feel more like home and adds a sense of ownership.

But, what does a Clan need to name? After taking a look at the map from the first series, I found a couple of landmarks on ThunderClan territory. These include Snakerocks, the Great Sycamore and the Sandy Hollow, to name a few. Each of these places is used by the Clan for two primary things: prey and training. Tallpines, another landmark, is generally avoided because it is used by Twolegs for the logging industry.

We can guess from these canon locations that the Clans name places for different reasons, the most important of which are:
- food sources
- training points
- problem areas

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Food sources:
A place where prey is easy to find or where there is lots of it. These locations can be named for what they consist of (rock formations, trees, hollows, etc.) or after the prey or dangers found there (squirrels, mice, snakes, for example).

Training Points:
Warriors train their apprentices to use a variety of skills, the most prominent ones being battle, climbing, swimming or speed. Places used for general training are most likely to be named after their location (the Sandy Hollow being a prime example). Others can be named after either their location or the specific skill it is meant to develop. For example, a place called the Great Oak, meant for climbing practice, could also be called The Climbing Oak.

Problem Areas:
These areas are given names so that all cats in the Clan are aware they need to be cautious when approaching them, or so that they can avoid them altogether. Carrion Place is probably the best example of this. Some places, like Snakerocks, provide information about the dangers of the location.

Borders:
Though not named, the borders should be easy to define. Natural borders are a good choice, since they are less likely to be argued against in the event of a Clan rivalry. These borders could include a river, a Thunderpath or the edge of a forest.

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The most important place within the territory is the Clan's camp, since it is the centre of Clan life. The camp, as a general rule, should have enough space for the entire Clan to live there comfortably.

Every camp needs a:
- warriors den
- apprentice den
- leader den
- medicine den (and storage)
- nursery
- elders' den
- a speaking platform for the leader
- place to store prey
- dirt place

In addition to space for dens, the camp should be found in a place that is easy for the Clan to access, but is well fortified against enemies. Usually, it is best to situate the camp away from the borders and in the heart of the territory.

Depending on the territory, fortification can be built around it (bramble walls, a curtain of ferns, etc.) or the camp will be protected by natural formations (stone walls, underground burrows, etc.).

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Lastly, the Clan needs a Gathering Place (if there are neighbouring Clans) and access to a place where it can share tongues with StarClan. These places should be accessible to all the Clans in the area.

The Gathering Place needs to be big enough to accommodate all the Clans and should have a platform from which the leaders speak. Some ideas for a speaking platform (also applicable to the camp):
- the low-hanging branches of a tree
- a fallen tree
- a large rock
- a hill or mound
- a ledge in a cliff

The place where StarClan speaks to the Clans is usually named after its location and spiritual meaning (Moonpool, Moonstone, etc.). In order for the place to work, moonlight must be able to reach it for StarClan to speak to the living. This is important, since the Clans rely heavily on the guidance of their ancestors.

The next section will deal with prey and predators, as found in various territories.