View source for Clan-OOC State of War

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I, Kitsufox, believe that the purpose of the gathering is not to propagate peace between the four clans. I believe that it serves a two-fold purpose.

The first of those purposes is to keep the four clans inexorably bound to each other. This bond not only creates StarClan, but preserves it. Without the clans staying bound, StarClan would split into the four origin clans. Without the gathering StarClan would lose strength because it would fall into four pieces, one for each group. Thus StarClan preserves its own strength and power, their own place in the celestial playground in which they much compete for space amongst the dead of many species.

The second of these purposes, the one which I wrote this essay to put out there for all to see, is that the Gathering was created to encourage and maintain a state of conflict. This purpose works to re-inforce the first purpose, but it does take some explaining to make sense. The Warriors Code demands that the four clans remain separate and isolated from one another, and yet it simultaneously demands that they collect for the gathering every full moon.

Why would the code do this, if not to create conflict? If left to their own devices the four groups would separate fully and become independent elements without a relationship to each other. StarClan, however, depends on the relationship of conflict between the four clans to keep them bound to one another. The state of consistent conflict and relationship, the constant cusp of war between the four, creates the power that gives StarClan a strong celestial position.

In short, the system is designed to keep the four clans bound to each other while keeping them separate. The constant state of near-combat renders the living Clanners more dependent and devoted to their fallen comrades. This devotion bouys the strength of individual StarClan members, who then contribute to a whole that is four times the strength and size of what each group independently has the ability to produce. Absolute peace, something that would tear StarClan into four separate units as the clans went their own ways, would harm the overall position of the clan cats because their "deity" would not have the strength that they have as a collective.
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