..:Rank Descriptions:..Royalty
Those members of the Royal Clan. Often direct descendants of the King, those who are not are his most trusted Sabers. All are be treated with the utmost respect.
King: The King is the ruler of the pride and most important sabre in the hierarchy. Commander of all Stone Claw, from the highest Nobles to the lowest Subordinate. This Saber's word is law.
Queen: Mate of the King, the Queen is the second most important sabre in the hierarchy. Though her words are not as high as those of her mate, she must be given the same level of respect as he. A Queen that births the King's children tends to have more value to the eyes of the pride.
Crowned Prince: A Son of the King who is in training to take over Leadership of the Pride.
Princes and Princesses: All those children sired by the King. Though they hold a high position in the Clan hierarchy, they hold no power of command over anyone and may not give orders. They may hold this rank until they gain another, or for as long as their father is King.
Concubines: The concubine stands as the King's secondary companion. Usually of shy and quiet nature, these sabre femmes are reserved for the King alone and reside under his personal protection. Settling in spots near the royal cave, the Concubines stay alert to their King's needs and desires. These females act as slaves of the King out of their own choice. A Concubine usually aims to give birth to the ruler's children, but she may occupy the rank without having such desire. Only Females may be Concubines, all Concubines also keep their own Clan Name and Marks while any Cubs they produce belong to the Royal Clan.
Royal Guard: "The loyal claws" The Kings most trusted body guards. They are generally not related to him.
Assassin: "The silent killer" Officially part of the Royal Guard, only the King knows who this Saber is. This sabre is the one with the darkest purpose within the Pride. His job is to remove targets set by the King and those he feels threaten the Pride and its Monarch.
Siren: "The unfaithful lover" Officially one of the Kings Concubines, only the King knows who this Saber is. On the surface her role is to gather information on those with in the Pride, she is also in charge of incriminating those that it would be too messy to just kill. How? Lets just say she uses her feminine charms...
Nobles
Those sabres directly under the King, their orders come from the King and they only answer to the King. They are picked from the most trusted sabers in the pride, while they hold high ranks they may not also be a Clan Head as they are bound by an oath to be unbiased towards all Sabers in the Pride.
Second in Command: "Right Paw" Viewed as the right arm of the King, the second in command is the third most important sabre in the hierarchy. He has the right to command anyone under his rank. Loyal to the King and Queen, this sabre gets the admiration of all within the royal ranks and below. Normally a skilled warrior and close friend of the King.
Advisor: "The voice of the people" If the second in command is seen as the right arm of the King, the Advisor would be the left arm. Voice of the people, they have the privilege of conversing with the King at any given time. Their words of wisdom are of a great influence and are enough to change the fate of the Pride for they have the power to tilt the King's major decisions. The balance between peace and war, between chaos and harmony, may well rest in their paws.
Lore Keeper: "The fountain of knowledge" The keeper of all the Prides histories, myths, secrets and legends. They are highly respected as a link to Stone Claws proud past. They are often called upon to share their wisdom and knowledge; the tales and stories they know are far more than entertainment, they define Stone Claw's heritage. It is a honour to hear them spoken aloud, this Saber has the respect of the entire Pride.
Healer: "The kind soul" The healer's primary function consists of caring for the sick, wounded and dying. Her knowledge of herbs and curing methods is unmatched, granting her the respect and gratitude of many whom have resided under her care. Though it is not required of her rank, the healer may also serve as psychologist and heal the soul of the depressed or deranged. Normally only Females are trusted with Healing.
She may have apprentices if she sees fit and has the right to choose whomever she deems worthy of the task.
Seniors
Postions held by the wisest and oldest members of the Pride. They provide advice for the whole Pride, from the smallest of the Cubs to the King. To be eligible for these Ranks they must have had a Mate and Cubs of their own and experienced a War.
Denmother: Mother of all Motherly figure of the pride, the denmother's primary function is to care for the abandoned and orphaned cubs. At any time, however, she may reject or refuse a cub if she deems it not worthy of her care. Though she holds no power in the pride hierarchy, she is a respected figure regarded upon as mother of all. The denmother's secondary function is leader of the Concubines. Though she, herself, does not reside in the Concubine rank (she is a step higher), she can offer them advice or guidance in their times of doubts or needs.
Elder: "Father of fairness" Fatherly figure of the pride, this sabre brings wisdom and comfort to the pride. Standing alongside the denmother, the elder cares for the young of the pride but shows no judgment towards them. Unlike the denmother, the elder holds no power over the Concubines as they belong solely to the King. Instead, he sees them all as adopted daughters and cares for them as so. The elders main role into the pride is to offer advice to the members. It resembles the rank of Advisor but is set at a much lower level.
Military Core
Leaders of the various army divisions, they report to the King or Second of Command directly. They are the best of the best picked from the Soldier ranks.
Warrior Chief: "Fangs of Stone Claw" Leader of the Warrior rank, this sabre is the strongest warrior in the land. His primary function is to lead his warriors to war and teach them/ train them in the ways of the warrior
(Offense is the best defense). The Warrior chief has complete control over his rank and may give commands and orders to his warriors as he sees fit (as long as they do not go against orders of the King or Second in Command who have control over him). Though the warrior chief may not control the other sabre soldiers of the hunter/guard/scout ranks, he is in full right to report to the leader of said rank the behavior of his soldiers, may it be on good or bad terms. Only Males my earn this rank, a female may not be a Warrior.
They may choose a second in command if they so wish, the second in command must step into the place of their leader should he be absent, killed or unable to fight.
Guard Major: "Claws of Stone Claw"Leader of the guard rank, this sabre is the heart of the pride's defensive army. His primary function is to build the pride's defense with his soldiers and teach them the ways of the guard
(To defend and to protect). The Imperial guard has complete control over his rank and may give commands and orders to his guards as he sees fit (as long as they do not go against orders of the King or second in command who have control over him). Though the imperial guard may not control the other sabre soldiers of the warrior/hunter/scout ranks, he is in full right to report to the leader of said rank the behavior of his soldiers, may it be on good or bad terms. This rank is normally held by a male, though females could get this rank if they were exceptional.
They may choose a second in command if they so wish, the second in command must step into the place of their leader should he be absent, killed or unable to defend.
Scout Captain: "Eyes of Stone Claw" Leader of the Scout rank, this sabre is the core of the pride's basic defense team. His primary function is to assure the daily scouting of the pride land with his soldiers and teach them the ways of the scout
(Sight and report). The Scout Captain has complete control over his rank and may give commands and orders to his scouts as he sees fit (as long as they do not go against orders of the King or second in command who have control over him). Though the scout captain may not control the other sabre soldiers of the warrior/hunter/guard ranks, he is in full right to report to the leader of said rank the behavior of his soldiers, may it be on good or bad terms. This rank may be held by either males or females.
They may choose a second in command if they so wish, the second in command must step into the place of their leader should he be absent, killed or unable to scout.
Soldiers
Fighters of the pride, these soldiers form the brute army of Stone Claw. These are the sabres who fight for Stone Claw, they may be sent to war or kept at home for defence of the Pride. They are also those given secondary missions. Each rank is guided by a different leader and functions under different mind settings and codes. They work up to these ranks by taking part in training events and by proving themselves to the King and higher ups.
Warriors: Offense is the best defense. Main fighters of the Pride, lead by the Warrior Chief. They live under the smash and bash rule, in peace time they train for war. Only Males my earn this rank, Females may not be Warriors.
Guards: To defend and to protect The body guard of the Pride and King, their main duty is to be ready to fight at a moments notice to keep Pride lands safe, their duties remain the in times of peace or war. They are never sent away from the Pride Lands to fight. Lead by the Imperial Guard.
Scouts: Sight and report Scouts occupy the most basic of functions and carry out the primary duties of scouting the land for new members and trespassing enemies. They may be called upon to fight in time of war, though as a general rule their stealth and speed is used for reconnaissance of the enemy positions and strength. They are usually the first to know when a danger lurks or a stranger crosses the borders. Lead by the Scout Captain.
Artisans
Those gifted with a skill, either with their words or paws. Respected by the Pride for their creation of beautiful things.
Markists: One for each Clan. They are incharge of gathering the correct pigments and applying them to their members.
Bard: Normally a Saber in grooming to become the next Lore Keep. While in training their duty is to sing, lark and dance, and genrally entertain with antics and jokes.
Hunter: All Sabers are expected to catch their own prey, the ranked Hunters are the specailists however, highly skilled at the chase and kill, such that is an art form to them. Hunters are are equals working in a team; for that reason they have no set Leader, but are expected to teach and lead any subordinates, so that they too may hunt well.
Lessers
The unranked members and cubs. New members that join the pack go in one of these ranks to begin with. Adult Pride members that have no particular rank or duties. They are expected to fill the roles of the Scouts/Hunters in times of war.
Any Cub not of the Royal family, under one year of age.
: Sabers who join the Pride from the outside and have yet to find a Clan.
An Outcast is the lowest of the low, a Saber who was ejected from their Clan, for one reason or another; they are marked by a star shaped scar across where their Clan Mark used to be to show their shame. In the rare event that an Outcast was taken back the mark would be reapplied over the scar to cancel out their shame.