The following are the customs, rituals, and celebrations of Clan Nova Cat.

VINEERS

A vinneer is a memento from a past battle. Normally only brought out for ceremonies, these keepsakes mark a warrior's personal triumphs and defeats. Anything can be a vineer if the warrior deems it so: a piece od armor, a captured enemy patch, a torn piece of clothing. Though other Clans sometimes practice this custom, only in the Nova Cats does every warrior carry a leather pouch of vineers. Additionally, only in the Nova Cats are vineers held to be spiritual focuses and cherished alongside a warriors codex.

RITE OF VISION

The Rite of Vision is the most honored and mysterious ceremony performeds by Nova Cat warriors. In the ceremony a warrior attempts to gain a vision of the future that will lead him and his Clan to glory. After a period of fasting and sleep deprivation-- each warrior decides how long this lasts--he sits in front of a bonfire and lays out his vineers in front of him. Then as he contemplates his past and the future, he stares into the fire and slowly feeds the with his vineers. The Oathmaster is present for this part of the ceremony. If the warrior believes he has seen a vision, the Oathmaster aids in its interpretation. Because of the near sacredness of this rite, no one has ever been known to lie about the results. There is no shame attatched to not recieving a vision--the act of sacrificing one's vineers bestows glory on each warrior. Though a warrior is not barred from multiple attempts, the fact that one must sacrifice vineers places a practical limit on this. The most any warrior has ever attempted the Rite of Vision was five times.

Oathmaster Grand Melee

Performed once a year--originally on the longest day of the year on Barcella. the Oathmaster Grand Melee offers every member of the clan the opportunity to become OathMaster. The Grand Melee provides two arenas in which the canidatees must prove their worthiness--a massive Circle of Equals and the Forum of Law. On that day, every member of the Clan, regardless of caste, may enter the Circle of Equals unaugmented. The winner of that contest must then prove, to the satisfaction of th Khans and his oppenents from the Circle of Equals, his or her knowledge of the Nova Cat version of the Remebrence, Clan Law, Nova Cat traditon, and the many exceptions made to the law and traditions. If the Victor from the Circle of Equals fails this test, the final oppenent he defeated enters the Forum of Law. If that opponent also fails, the current Oathmaster keeps his/her position for another year.

Chronicle of Battles

Once a month, the warriors of Clan Nova Cat gather at a designated lacation at midnight, outdoors if possible, and perform the Chronicle of Battles . Wearing thier ceremonial leathers, the warriors gather around a large bonfire with a raised platform above it. The ritual begins with a drum sounding out 20 beats--one for each of the twenty clans created bye the Founder. Then the highest-ranked warriors ascend the platform and begin a ritualistic retelling of past battlesand victories of Nova Cat warriors, inspiring the current warriors to strive toward similar greatness. It also helps to bind each warrior to his Cluster, his galaxy, and his Clan. It would be diffucult, if not dangerous, for the entire Touman to participate in this rite at once. As such, it is customary for each Cluster to meat at different times according to command of thier Star Colonel, though larger gathering do occur. Only four times in history of Clan Nova Cat has the entire Touman participated in this ritual at the same time.

Ritual of Battle

The Nova Cats have evolved a variation on the Chronicle of Battles that they perform each time they go into battle. In some instances, the two rituals are combined. Whenever Nova Cat warriors are about to enter battle, if possible, they meet around a raoring bonfire to tell of past glories and the glory and honour soon to be won. Many warriors spend several days fasting before the ceremony, in the hopes of seeing visions in the flames. This variation adds a bandstand, on which man and women dressed in white, loose-fitting clothes--usually bondsmen--play various instruments, creating a terrible noise counterpart to the syncopated rhythm of drums. A Nova Cat is let loose in a circle of equals consisting of warriors, mechs and elementals. The circle then begins a stately intricate dance this ceremony can go on for hours, as the warriors strive to become one with the nova cat and one another in hope of ensuring victory.