Warriors is a book series by Erin Hunter. It is a pseudonym used by several authors who work together to create the series and several others, Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Gillian Philip, Inbali Iserles, Tui Sutherland, along with editor Victoria Holmes. It takes place in the modern world, surrounding four clans. Thunderclan, known for living under the treetops, Riverclan, known for living in the water, Shadowclan, known for living in the dusk, and Windclan, know for living on the moor. There are currently four installments, each having different protagonists. There is one spin-off, called Dawn Of The Clans that is centered on the creation of the clans.
There were five other clans or groups other than the four. Starclan is the group of deceased ancestors of the clans, they are depicted as the Milky Way, or Silverpelt. Each star represents a dead clan cat. Bloodclan is another of them, but it does not live in the forest, and instead lives in the Twolegged place. It is a band of rogues, or cats who care nothing for the code. SkyClan was once a clan in the forest, but it was driven out by Twoleggeds when they built a town in their territory. There is a place called The Place of No Stars, or the Dark Forest. All the cats who have caused great pain or suffering go there. The Tribe of Rushing Water lives in the mountains, they are similar to the clans, but their hierarchy is different.
The clan's ranks are Leader, Deputy, Medicine Cat, Queen, Elder, Warrior, Apprentice, and Kits. Leaders are the cats who lead their clan, hence their namesake. Their names always end with the suffix -star, and they are given nine lives by Starclan when they take leadership. The deputy would be the Leader's advisor or second in command. They usually organize hunting or border patrols. They take place of the leader is he/she is unavaiable or dead. The Medicine Cat tends to wounded cats, and consults with Starclan for advice or help. They go to the Moonstone, which is a large pillar of quartz, every half-moon to speak with their warrior ancestors. Queens are cats who have or are having kits. Elders are those who are too old or unable to preform their warrior duties. Warriors are the hunters and the fighters. Apprentices train to be warriors. They are kits who have recently turned 6 moons, or months, they all have the suffix -paw in their name. Kits are the offspring of the queens, and grow to apprentices, they all have the suffix -kit.
Each full moon, all four clans go to Four Trees, a clump of four oak trees in neutral territory, and have a peaceful gathering. The Moonstone is adjacent to Windclan and Shadowclan territory. On the Thunderclan side of the river lies the Twolegged place. Barley's farm still stands next door to Windclan, but Ravenpaw and Barley do not live there anymore.
Terms
Moon - A month
Half-Moon - 2 weeks
Quarter-Moon - 1 week
Sun-High - Noon
Moon-High - The time when the moon is highest in the sky, it's usually midnight.
Newleaf - Spring
Greenleaf - Summer
Leaffall - Autumn
Leafbare - Winter
Whitecough - Mild Chest Infection
Greencough - A severe chest infection, fatal to Elders and Kits.
Crowfood - Rotting Food
Sharing Tongues - A term used to describe cats grooming each other.
Gathering - A meeting with all four clans every full moon.
Fresh-kill - Freshly killed prey
Upwalkers/Twoleggeds/Nofurs - Another name for humans.
Housefolk - A kittypet's word for humans
Twolegnest - A human house
Monsters - They usually refer to cars or bulldozers.
Tree-eater - Bulldozer
Thunderpath - A road
Halfbridge - A dock
Twolegplace - A human town
Sun-Drown Place - The sea to the west, where the sun sets.
Horseplace - Stables or fields where horses live.
Greenleaf Twolegplace - A campsite, or a resort.
Silverpelt - The Milky Way
Moonstone - A large quartz stone which medicine cats use to communicate with Starclan.
Rouge - A potentially hostile cat that lives outside the clans. They never stay in one place for long, and they live outside the warrior code.
Loner - A cat who lives on their own, but do not defend their territory.
Kittypet - House cat
Mousebrained - Not very smart
Mousedung - A stronger insult that Mouse-Brained, but less than Fox-Dung.
Foxdung - An insult stronger than mousedung
Fish-Face - Term used against mostly Riverclan