About The Masqueraders

Name: Masqueraders (GhostClan)

Badge: Hawk. It shows how the Masqueraders are free and don’t let anything control them. The heart symbolizes companionship beneath a dark facade. Despite their outward fierceness, they are cruel only to their enemies.

Description: A mysterious group of mostly former Clan cats who live in a ghost town. Although their true identities are concealed, they have close connections with the Clans they used to live beside.

Territory: The remnants of a ghost town somewhere at the northeast of the Big City, where a nuclear explosion/leak happened. The Twolegs have recently abandoned the town and the Tersus Crystal now protects the vicinity. Even so, newcomers may get sick from the mild radioactivity once and rarely a second time. Passerby will feel the affect, though it's only nausea and headaches that lasts a few days. The Graekida plant can be used to cure any reactions to radiation as well. Although their territory does not cover the Big City, they have power to hunt and roam there. Their borders surround the Celestial Forest which leads to the Rope Bridge.

Characteristics: Their morals surround family; they're very loyal and attached to the ones they love. When one cat dies, all will mourn for a long time. This also means that they don't trust easily, though. They often hide their warm hearts with mysterious, expressionless gazes, to mask their weakness, thus earning their name. Generally sneaky and playful at home, they're always up to mischief. They know much about Twolegs and their cuisine, because of the monthly raids they go on, where they sneak into the Big City at night and dine.

Special Skills: Like phantoms, stealth and speed comes in naturally to them, but two particular skills make Masqueraders stand out from others - Camouflaging and Fighting Strategies. They fight as a team by splitting up and attacking from different stations. Enemies find it hard to kill them, as they must do it one by one, and it is hard to defend well against attacks from all sides.

Common Prey: Usually mice, although sometimes they will also eat various birds. Any prey found in the Celestial Forest is also part of their diet and during the new-leaf to green-leaf transition, rabbits can be found as well. Twoleg food is considered a treat, because the group has a tradition of going once every moon to the Big City for a raid. On these raids, they will look in alleyways of restaurants as a group and feast. They usually spend two to three nights there. The Clan arranges different groups to go like a Gathering, so no cat goes every month.

Ranking System

Council The highest position a Masquerader can achieve. The Council consists of two respected cats with equal share of power to lead the Masqueraders. They are the ones who make decisions and oversee Clan activity. The Councils have a wide knowledge of herbs and are the ones who treat injured cats.

Lieutenant When a member has shown great potential, he or she can be promoted to be the deputy. The Lieutenant oversees the novices training and assumes the role of the Council temporarily when they are absent. They will permanently replace a Council member if death is imminent. Rarely will both Council members be killed at the same time; however, if that occurs, the current Lieutenant can choose a partner.

Shadowers Shadowers are the hunters and spies of Masqueraders. Lithe, agile and incredibly fast cats that tend to be smaller than average. All-rounded in swimming, climbing, and general travel over many terrains; they are more independent and alert than Sentinels. Training usually involves orienteering (mapping), speed, tracking, and individual survival which takes place mostly within the HQ. Like shadows, they excel at moving silently and are nearly impossible to spot. During times of rivalry between the Masqueraders and another group, they are sent on dangerous scout missions alone. However, on a daily basis, they hunt and find herbs to sustain the Clan.

Sentinels Sentinels are the guardians and protectors of the Masqueraders. They defend, fight and coordinate activity within Clan territory. Trained well in fighting and teamwork, they tend to be more sociable and sharp. Often times they are in charge of newcomers and general on-the-spot problem-solving. Their training involves more physical workouts, since they focus on building strength over speed. Most have special posts during battles, so they mainly explore familiar territory such as the Celestial Forest and Big City. Group formations are arranged within the Sentinels when fighting. They have to come up with strategies to overthrow the enemy, too.

Novices New members and cats above the age of five moons are called Novices. Each Novice will have two mentors, a Sentinel and a Shadower who will guide them through intensive training. Their job at camp is to making sure everyone is taken care of, especially the elders and queens. After they have passed a test, they become an official member. Their 10-month long training generally starts off on the basics, and each Novice is taught a little bit of both a Sentinel’s and a Shadower’s skills. After three months, they make their final decision and choose the path they will follow for the rest of their life: a Sentinel or a Shadower.


Customs:

• Right before a Novice becomes a member, they are taken on a one-on-one trip to the Big City with their mentors at night to explore and gain independence.
  
• When a newcomer joins (which is quite rare as they are currently undiscovered), they are initiated by finding a carved, wooden hawk figurine hidden in the HQ. If they return before sunset, they go on to the next part of the initiation. They are sent to the fairground alone for the night before they are accepted.
  
• If a Novice is being trained by a council or lieutenant, there will only have one mentor and not two.
  
• When a member dies, the whole Clan stays up all night to mourn for their loss. The body is then buried around the powerplant. All graves are marked with a hawk’s feather.
  
• All Masqueraders go under an alias with their Clan name when out of familiar territory. They are required to act friendly to avoid suspicion from the Clan cats.

Clan Assets

1. Yacht: Small luxury yacht that was abandoned by Twolegs when it ran aground. A chef's dream kitchen can be found inside.

Spoiler:

2. Graekida Plant: A rare, mysterious plant found in the Jungle. Cures ailments caused by radioactive fallout.

Spoiler:

3. Tersus Crystal: A fist-sized, green-ish crystal found in the recesses of the Phantom Canyon that helps clear away pollution.

Spoiler:

Clan History: Five moons after the Battle of Clans, the Dark Forest cats were granted a new life and their memories were erased. Many wandered about the Big City until they came across one another. Though wary of each other at first, they slowly warmed up, realizing that they were no different and that they had no memories of their past either. Able to relate with each other, they formed a group together. Masqueraders was the name they went by and not a single kit in the Big City didn't know about them. They were respected for their kindness for helping the city cats when they needed help. But yet the city cats feared them because of their strengths. When the Masqueraders came across a deserted town, they immediately settled down, unaware of the high radioactivity that surrounded the town from an earlier nuclear explosion. When the cats started to fall sick, they realized something was wrong and fled towards the Clans.