Character Guidelines
Number of Characters
Everybody begins with one character slot, and returning members are given an extra legacy character slot to be used for a returning character. Additional character slots are purchasable through the Clover Shop.
Clans & Ranks
To see which clans and ranks are open for new cats at the moment, check the Rank Availability page! Apprentices must start at 6 moons old, though warriors and caretakers may start at any age over 12 moons. Kits are normally only playable through litters, but a limited amount of singular kits are available per clan. These kits will need to have confirmed parents or guardians to be accepted into the group -- no orphans.
Sagesteppe ranks function much the same as canon warrior cat ranks, with only a few changes. Medicine Cats are called Healers, and we have a rank somewhere in between a Healer and a Warrior called a Caretaker!
Caretakers are cats who have completed warrior apprentice training, and have chosen to forego normal warrior duties, for one reason or another! Their reasons may include physical or mental health or even just a strong preference against violent duties. Though atypical, Caretakers are still eligible to be made Deputy if they successfully trained an apprentice prior to becoming a Caretaker. If a Caretaker wishes to take an apprentice, they would be required to return to full warrior duties during the duration of the training.
Caretakers are not a replacement name for nursing parents! Some parents may still choose to use the title 'Queen' while others may choose a more gender-neutral term. This is not an official role and should not be placed on your character application. A nursing parent still maintains their normal role in the clan.
Caretaker duties often include: helping the healer with herb gathering and tending to patients, camp maintenance, assisting with raising and entertaining kits, burial and mourning ceremonies, clan event preparation, and -often most importantly- oral storytelling and record keeping. Though it's not unheard of for Caretakers to extend their duties and take it upon themselves to learn new skills to share with their clans.
Breeds
All Sagesteppe characters must be feral domestic cats. This means no bobcats, lynxes, or if you remember the Amidst-the-Sagebrush days, sand cats! Other than that, all breeds except completely hairless breeds are welcome -- lykoi are fine. (The temperatures in Yellowstone can plummet to as low as -3 F/-19 C!) Each clan has unique lore written about which sorts of cats might thrive the best in their respective environments, and which colors and patterns are the most common- but these are only suggestions, and not hard rules!
Another aspect to consider when choosing a breed is any associated health issues. For example, a scottish fold might have issues walking and jumping as they grow older, a persian may have trouble breathing, and a manx may have trouble landing their jumps.
Design Bans
Sagesteppe does not currently have a “bans list”, in the usual sense, but we still have a few guidelines. Rarer design traits, such as rare breeds, albinism, heterochromia, DMAB calicoes, and chimera pelts are open for everyone! Physically disabled cats are also available to everyone, and our rules regarding them are listed below! If you’re ever unsure if a certain trait would be allowed or not, feel free to ask us in the #help-desk channel.
Fur Design & Eye Color
Go wild and have fun! As long as your design is at least semi-realistic, we’ll accept it. Aside from naturally occurring eye colors, de-saturated pink and purple are also allowed, as according to the rule of cool. Saturated red is only allowed for albino cats -- this keeps it special!
Hairstyles
We don't limit the options to just fringe or little tufts- you are welcome to style your cat's fur in a way that resembles a more humanistic hairstyle! Simple braids, bangs, side locks, and even small ponytails (tied with grass) are all allowed. Textured hairstyles are also welcome, and these styles are limited to our Black members. This applies to hairstyles that specifically resemble real-life Black hairstyling, and not wavy fur or the curly fur of breeds like Cornish Rexes. This same rule also applies to any other hairstyle with cultural or racial significance- you must be a member of that group to design your character with the style.
When designing any hairstyle, consider the effort your cat would need to put in to upkeep their look. Would this be realistic for their clan, lifestyle, and background? We'd never deny a character on the basis of hairstyle, it's just something to keep in mind and write about as you choose a design and write a backstory!
Origins & Kittypets
Sagesteppe’s cats live miles and miles into protected wilderness, a part of Yellowstone National Park that is off-limits to visitors. At this time, Sagesteppe’s cats have never had contact with any humans. Thusly, kittypet backgrounds are not allowed. Loner and wanderer backgrounds are not available at this time, except for when purchasing a Special Character Slot. Additionally, no other clans exist within traveling distance of Sagesteppe’s clans.
With all of this in mind, we encourage you to be as creative as you’d like when writing your character’s backstory! We recommend deciding your character’s age first, then referring to Sagesteppe’s Timeline and History to see which events your character has experienced, and how old they were during these events! How did they feel about what was happening around them? How did these events influence the milestones in their life, and the path they took? How do they feel about their leadership? Do they agree with the decisions their clan made? All of these are questions to consider answering -- feel free to incorporate named NPCs and even player characters, though please ask permission before including anybody else’s character.
Naming Conventions
We are huge fans of non-conventional warrior cat names, and allow a lot of creative freedom when it comes to them! As long as your cat’s name comes from nature and can be found in or around Yellowstone, there is a very good chance we’ll allow it. One instance of a prefix is allowed per clan, and if this character dies, the name will be allowed to be used again. The only names that are explicitly banned are the names of the clans, as well as Star. Some names may carry a heavy negative connotation, as they belong to creatures or plants that pose a threat to the clans, or hated figures from the steppe's past. Examples of names like this are Coyote, Lily, and Adder.
If you play an apprentice, you’ll be allowed to choose their warrior name upon rank up. If you’d prefer, your clan’s leader may also choose a warrior name for your character! Once a warrior’s name is decided, it can’t be changed. The only situations in which we can make exceptions are for transgender characters, exiled characters, or permanently injured characters that would like to change their name.
Name Reservations
If you hold a name reservation, that reservation is good for 2 months.
Accessories
Accessories are purchasable through the Clover Shop! We allow plant accessories such as flowers, crowns, vines, and garlands, as well as animal accessories, such as prey pelts, bones, and feathers. Feathers as accessories will be a case-by-case basis, and are not allowed to be worn on the head. Hairstyles such as braids are not considered accessories and may be used freely.
Gender & Pronouns
Characters of all genders are welcomed in Sagesteppe, and we have no limits on which pronouns are allowed. If your character uses neopronouns, please include an example sentence for their use in your character’s bio. For the sake of ease during events and encounters, we ask that any character that uses neopronouns as their main pronouns also use a set of auxiliary pronouns (He/him, she/her, they/them, or it/its). One set of neopronouns commonly used in the Stargazer Steppe region is Ey/Em/Eir!
Mental Health & Physical Disabilities
You don’t need to be mentally ill or disabled to play a character that is, but we ask that you do lots of research into any condition you don’t have personal experience with. We trust our community to be thoughtful and respectful, as ableism of any kind is never permitted in Sagesteppe. Additionally, disabling injuries should never be utilized for shock value only- consider how your cat’s life would change afterwards, how they’d adapt, and how they’d feel about their injury.
We have more restrictions on certain disorders that are already highly misunderstood by many people, such as dissociative identity disorder, schizophrenia, and personality disorders. We’d recommend speaking to a staff member if you’re interested in making a character with a condition like this!
Deaf and hard of hearing characters may utilize a special body-based sign language, specifically for cats. Through use of their ears, tails, paws, and facial expressions, these cats are able to communicate just as freely as their hearing peers! Cat sign language is taught to all apprentices in all clans, and is recognized as a unique language. While it was developed by and for Deaf and hard of hearing cats, it’s also used by hearing cats and patrols to communicate over long distances and when speaking would be difficult or ill-advised.