Backstory:

The Children are the natives of the Castaway peninsula, now Castaway Island. They believe that they were placed there to guard a volcano they call The Passage and to protect their ancestors from any intruders. They have lived around the volcano for so long that they have forgotten any life they might have had before. Much information about the Children used to be secret, but ever since the treaty with DuneClan, the Children have been more open with their traditions.

Ways:

The Children believe that they belong to the land and that no one has any right to say that a section of land belongs to them. The Children live in all areas of the peninsula, preying on whatever food they like. The Children believe that everyone should be allowed to love and have kits with whatever cat they want. The Children do not distinguish between medicine cats, queens, and warriors; every cat is expected to be able to do all three things(fight, heal, and care for kits) at least passably well. It's every cat for themselves when it comes to food, as The Children are nomadic and have no fixed camp.

Naming:

The Children believe names are not given, they are found. Until around 8 months, kits are cared for, then educated to fight, heal and care for younger kits. When they believe a cat is ready, The Chosen will take them to The Oracle, who will tell them to complete a trial, usually a journey to an isolated place. There the cat will meditate until one of their ancestors gives them a vision of what their name is supposed to be.

Leadership:

The Children are led by The Oracle, a cat believed to be possessed by the spirits of all Oracles who came before them. That is why, when referring to their subjects, they use the terms we and our, instead of I and my. Their role is to be the bridge between the world of the living and the world of the dead, ruling based on the will of their ancestors. All of The Children are expected to obey them absolutely.

The Chosen is the most fearsome fighter of the clans, chosen by the Oracle to lead The Children into battle. They carry out the orders of The Oracle in the wider world, as they are usually too busy consulting with the spirits.

All other members of The Children are called Acolytes. They are all considered equals and family, which is why they refer to each other as "Brother" or "Sister." Although this has fallen out of practice, some traditionalists still address each other that way. A new Oracle is trained to succeed the old one based on signs of spiritual connection and unusual abilities. They train with the Oracle in the Cave of Prophecy to master their talents but are still considered just an Acolyte.

Law:

There are only two laws of The Children: Don't harm other members, and don't disobey or disrespect the Oracle. Depending on the severity of the offense, the offender might be punished with a scratch, public apology and humiliation, or by having to hunt for who they've wronged. In the worst-case scenario, they will be thrown into the volcano to be dealt with by their ancestors.

The Passage and the Paradise Below:

The volcano at the centre of the island is key to the religion of The Children. They believe that it is a passage to the underworld where their ancestors live in heaven called the Paradise Below. This is their equivalent to StarClan. They have no ideas about a "Dark Forest," wicked cats just cease to exist when they die.

Painted Rocks:

Painted Rocks is a place where the Children record their history and stories about their ancestors. When the Clans came to Castaway Peninsula, they took over Painted Rocks for themselves, attacking any cat from the Children who tried to go there.

Why They Hate the Clans:

Clan borders disrupt their traditional way of life, punishing them for moving around and hunting where they please. They view it as arrogant to claim that any land belongs to one group of cats. The Children are baffled by the clans' ideas about restricting love to just non-medicine cat clanmates, seeing it as unnatural. They also hate the clans for eating up so much prey and for using their sacred space Painted Rocks for their clan gatherings. This has abated since DuneClan became the only clan, but since ShellClan was founded, the number of Acolytes who would like to see all Warrior Cats gone for good has only grown.