Leadership ceremony

A leadership ceremony is the ceremony in which, when the leader dies or retires, the deputy receives their nine lives and their leader name with the suffix -star.

How the Ceremony Originated
Secrets of the Clans tells that when the early warrior ancestors promised Shadowstar, Riverstar, Windstar, Thunderstar, and Skystar that if they found other cats like themselves, chose a home in the forest, and set down borders in the forest, they would reward the five cats with eight more lives, so that they may lead their Clans for many more moons to come.

However, in Moth Flight's Vision, Moth Flight receives a vision to take Wind Runner to the Moonstone as the leader is severely injured. Wind Runner loses her first life, but by then StarClan has already given her extra lives, also renaming her Windstar. After this, Moth Flight tells the other medicine cats to take their leaders to the Moonstone for their own Leadership Ceremonies. All four other leaders are given new leader names as well.

Process
The new leader goes to the Moonstone (or Moonpool) with the Clan's medicine cat. After touching the stone (or drinking from the pool), the new leader cannot move for a short period of time, because their old life is being ripped away so they can receive nine new ones. Upon awakening, cats of StarClan come down from Silverpelt. Nine cats, normally ones who were significant during the new leader's life, although this is not always the case, give them their nine lives with these words:


 * Life-Giver: (Touches nose to the top of the new leader's head) With this life I give you (gift). Use it well (to, in, as, for, etc.) (use of gift).

When all of the lives have been given, normally the previous leader says these words:


 * Previous Leader: I hail you by your new name, _____star. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of ____Clan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.

When all of the lives have been given, normally the previous leader says those words. However, sometimes the previous Clan leader is not part of the new leader's ceremony, such as Leopardstar not being part of Mistyfoot's ceremony, and so sometimes a different cat in the ceremony, occasionally more than one, gives the next leader his or her new name; Mistyfoot was named Mistystar by all the StarClan cats in her ceremony.

Just as the forest-cats would call a warrior by their new name, the StarClan cats acclaim the new leader. After the ceremony, the new leader is not allowed to tell any cat what happened during the ceremony.

Each of the lives normally give the new leader a great deal of pain as a sign to ready them for the hard work it normally will be to lead their Clan. However, certain lives, depending on the gift, such as Spottedleaf's life with the gift of love to Firestar, do not and instead give the warrior a much better feeling.

Getting nine lives does not necessarily mean that a leader will live longer, but they can survive certain accidents or injuries that would claim the life of a cat. However, they cannot survive if they have major injuries such as the injuries Scourge gave Tigerstar.

If a leader no longer wishes to be the leader, they must go to the Moonstone/Moonpool to revoke all but one life, so their deputy may have their full nine lives. Sunstar only had eight lives because Pinestar never officially retired at the Moonstone.

Lives
During the Leadership Ceremony, nine lives are given to the new leader. Those lives are virtues or traits that the leader might lack in and aims towards making their leadership fair to all cats they lead.
 * Appreciating medicine cat's companionship - Pinestar
 * Adventure – Tallstar
 * Bravery – Mistystar
 * Certainty – Firestar
 * Clear judgement of character – Bramblestar
 * Clear Sight – Brokenstar
 * Compassion – Bluestar, Brokenstar, Crookedstar, Firestar, Tigerstar
 * Confidence - Windstar
 * Courage – Bramblestar, Bluestar, Crookedstar, Firestar, Mistystar, Pinestar, Tallstar
 * Curiosity - Mistystar
 * Endurance – Bluestar, Leafstar
 * Exploring beyond the borders – Bramblestar, Tigerstar
 * Determination - Leafstar, Windstar
 * Duty - Brokenstar
 * Faith – Firestar, Leafstar, Tigerstar
 * Farsightedness - Tigerstar
 * Forgiveness - Tallstar, Windstar
 * Friendship - Windstar
 * Grace - Windstar
 * Happiness - Mistystar
 * Healing - Leafstar
 * Honor - Brokenstar
 * Honoring old Traditions - Tallstar
 * Hope – Bluestar, Crookedstar, Leafstar
 * Humility - Crookedstar
 * Humor – Bluestar
 * Instincts - Cloudstar, Heatherstar, Tigerstar
 * Judgement - Brokenstar
 * Justice – Bramblestar, Crookedstar, Firestar, Mistystar
 * Listening to Elders - Bramblestar
 * Love – Bluestar, Brokenstar, Firestar, Leafstar, Windstar
 * Loyalty – Crookedstar, Firestar Pinestar, Windstar
 * Mercy - Tigerstar
 * Mentoring – Firestar, Tigerstar
 * Mother’s Love – Bramblestar, Crookedstar, Heatherstar, Mistystar, Tallstar
 * Nobility - Firestar
 * Offering second chances - Bramblestar
 * Patience – Bluestar, Crookedstar, Tallstar
 * Pride– Bramblestar, Bluestar, Tigerstar
 * Protection - Firestar
 * Putting their Clan above all others – Raggedstar
 * Resilience - Windstar
 * Selflessness - Leafstar
 * Strength – Brokenstar, Mistystar
 * Strength to act without fear or judgement - Tallstar
 * Stubbornness - Windstar
 * Sympathy and Understanding - Leafstar
 * Tireless Energy - Firestar
 * Trust – Bluestar, Crookedstar, Windstar
 * Truth - Brokenstar
 * Understanding not only warriors protect the Clan - Bramblestar
 * Understanding that size isn’t everything - Tigerstar
 * War and Peace - Pinestar
 * The Warrior Code – Brokenstar, Tallstar
 * Wisdom – Leafstar, Mistystar, Tallstar