Sunrise Ceremony and Sundown Challenge

The Sunrise Ceremony and Sundown Challenge are Lake Alliance Colony-wide traditions to allow Unbound cats to make a home in the Alliance.

Description
Though slightly different across each Colony as each one is different in terms of openness to outsiders, it is one of the Lake Alliance's Colony-wide traditions, and each Colony recognizes the value of new genetics in their midst. When an Unbound cat wishes to join the Colony, it is decided upon by the Council if that cat will be allowed to enter training. If they are, the cat will be trained as a new-claw, no matter their age. After receiving new-claw training, a cat who wishes to join the Colony can become "reborn" into them by completing the Sundown Challenge.

Sundown Challenge
Participants must leave the base alone at night and bring back items to complete tasks and show that they know what it means to be a good member of their Colony. For example, in River Colony, this could mean bringing back shells or fish; in Field Colony, this could mean bringing back herbs, bedding, or prey. They must complete these tasks alone and return by sunrise in order to be blessed by the Spirits to Come.

If the sun does not rise that day, such as heavy cloud cover or a generally gray or misty overcast, it could change the willingness of the Council to accept the outsider, as clouds covering the sun or moon could be considered a bad omen. Even if the cat is ultimately accepted into the Colony, they may be seen as unlucky or "cursed" in a way.

If the cat fails, they are exiled from Alliance territory. Some Colonies are stricter on this rule than others; it is rare for Oak Colony to exile an Unbound who has gone through this process, as they form bonds easily and find it hard to condemn outsiders for simply not being Colony-born. On the other hand, it is rare for Field Colony to even consider an Unbound for training in the first place, and they view outsiders as lost causes. However, for Field Colony, kittens are innocent and will be accepted, even if it means stealing them away from their Unbound mothers.

Sunrise Ceremony
If the items the cat has collected are deemed worthy, the cat will be officially welcomed into the Colony and they will celebrate with a Sunrise Ceremony. In the Sunrise Ceremony, the cat will receive the Council's blessing and is presented to the rest of the Colony as a fully-fledged Alliance cat, making them, body and soul, a part of Colony life; "reborn". Once the full moon comes, as per tradition, the cat is made a Ranger, and will continue to serve the Colony like any other Colony-born cat.