The Seasonal Gods

The colonies believe in four gods known as the 'seasonal gods', each one ruling over an assigned season. These four gods are:

It's believed that all these gods were born together out of nothing as siblings, and each played a part in the creation of the world; the Lynx created feline life, the Bear created predators to fight and compete with these cats, the Squirrel created small animals for the cats to feast upon, and the Otter filled the world with trees and plants and water to add beauty to the world.

Each god has an associated festival, as well as a festival called the Festival of Rulings, where cats celebrate the end of a season and the coming of the next. All the colonies in an area gather during the Festival of Rulings, taking the chance to trade and share news with each other.

The Lynx

The Lynx is the god of life, anger, and independence. While the Lynx is the creator of all feline-kind, the circumstances around the creation of cats and the colonies has put them on shaky ground. Legend says that the colonies were once a single, large group of lynxes, who rebelled against their solitary nature to form a group. The Lynx, angered by their refusal to obey their nature, attacked the group and slaughtered the majority.

The rest who fled or survived were cursed, their bodies becoming fragile, their fangs and claws smaller than before. While many cats took the message to heart and left to live solitary lives, others stayed and split into smaller groups, hoping that the Lynx would ignore them if they were small enough. Fortunately for the colonies, the other gods had grown fond of these small, rebellious cats, and convinced the Lynx to spare them. Over time, the Lynx accepted the colonies, often showering them with praise or compliments as if to obscure their hatred of the colonies in the past.

Some cats believe the Lynx shouldn't be worshipped for the slaughter of the original colony, while others choose to believe that the Lynx had planned for the colonies to be formed all along. Others think the Lynx truly regrets their actions and has come to accept the colonies over time- while refusing to worship the other gods is seen as odd, refusing to worship the Lynx is understandable (even if it might cause some arguments or bickering).

The Bear

The Bear is the god of survival, predators, and preparation. The Bear created predators to challenge the felines of the world and to keep their senses sharp and claws sharper. The Bear is a rather quiet and solitary god, speaking only when necessary and preferring to not interfere with mortal life. There are very little legends or myths about the Bear- if the Bear appears in a story, they are usually sending predators to challenge the colonies or to punish arrogant cats.

After the Final Light though, many cats took notice that bears were one of the few animals seemingly unaffected- some even noticed bears fighting the nightmares, or with scars from fighting them. Some began to believe that the Bear had a holy connection to the sun, and nothing was able to separate the god from their domain. While it's still a new addition, the Bear has since been considered a god of the sun, with cats praying to the Bear for protection from the nightmares.

The Squirrel

The Squirrel is the god of food, death, and rebirth. The Squirrel created small animals for the cats to feast upon, and is said to know when all living beings will die- the gods themselves included. When a cat dies the Squirrel will take their soul and bring it to the afterlife- a place no cat knows anything about.

The Squirrel is an intelligent and sometimes mischievous god, said to meddle in the lives of cats more often than most gods. This god has several stories where they appear in the mortal realm disguised as prey, tempting cats to catch them. Some stories say that the Squirrel will reward cats who catch them, while others say that the cat will be smited for attacking a god.

The Otter

The Otter is the god of plants, healing, and craftsmanship. The Otter created plants to allow felines to heal themselves, to build homes and to craft tools. The Otter is a playful and mischievous god, often appearing in stories as a trickster or a prankster for no other reason than their own amusement. The Otter also is a huge advocate for second chances, appearing in hundreds of stories where they help cats redeem themselves or guide them towards redemption.

However, the Otter is not without their own controversies- the Otter and the Goat, the exiled god, were once good friends, working together on inventions and creations. After the Goat's banishment, some believe the Otter still visits and speaks with the Goat, and has been trying to help free their sibling from their prison.