#Ancient SkyClan

[google-drawings-warriors]

I think I actually made her light ginger?? Oops??

[gougarpaw]

Spiderpelt is a cat.

notes:

- according to Su Susann, Spiderpelt was a skinny silver tom with black stripes and orange eyes

[theanoninyourinbox]

New Longstar AU - Decorations and accessories

Clan Decorations and Traditions behind them

The Clans are wild and colorful, and their traditional decorations and accessories are the one facet of Clan Culture that can usually identify a cat’s Clan from a distance.  It can be worn as a personal statement, as a hunting aid, and as armor in some cases.

Origins

The first recorded cat to decorate their fur was Bumble, a molly who joined Proto-Thunderclan to escape her abusive mate.  She wove flowers around her collar to mask it and muffle the jingle of the bell.  Her friend Turtle Tail then put petals on her own fur in solidarity, and then Thunder himself wore petals on his tail, and it spiraled from there.  With the passing moons, each clan began to tailor their accessories to their tastes, environment, and Roles.  Bumble was also the first recorded Crafter of the Clans, and lived out the rest of her days in relative peace, teaching others how to weave and create.

Placement

The common placements of decorations are behind the ears, on the neck and shoulders, the back and flanks, and the tail.  Feathers behind the ears are taboo, for reasons no one in the Clans can remember.  Less common are the legs, face, and underbelly, as these would interfere with duties, the senses, and resting.

Healers

Moth Flight was the first Seer to decorate her fur, but the moth’s wing behind her ear never withered, and the heather was always in bloom.  Ever since, Healers have had plants from their clan in their fur, that do not fade or fall.  Each cat chooses their own decoration, but there are some general similarities from each Clan.

Thunderclan Healers generally choose leaves on their head and shoulders, Windclan wears an insect wing behind the ear and flower buds on the back, Riverclan has reeds and river weeds on their flanks and tail, and Shadowclan healers always have deathberries with whatever thorny vines or leaves they choose. (Ancient Skyclan chose white flowers and the leaves of the tallest tree in their territory. Modern Skyclan wear Leaf-fall leaves and collars of moss and berries)

Thunderclan

The most common accessories for everyday wear are leaves, full flower blossoms, and petals.  Berry paint is used specifically for Ceremonial purposes and Gatherings, to show the fertility and abundance of their territory.  Tree bark is applied to fighters when they go to war, as an added layer of protection.  Plucked fur is gathered as well, but only for Leaders and to line nests in Leafbare.  About half of the clan uses everyday accessories.

Shadowclan

With only a few cats currently feeling comfortable expressing themselves as Shadowclan cats after current events, this Clan has the fewest cats that decorate themselves.  Most décor is for hunting and Gatherings. Formerly, dry leaves and mushrooms were the norm, with glowing mushrooms being prized.  Mud is applied to Hunters, Trackers, and Brawlers before they leave the camp, and those headed to war will also paint themselves with berry juices to look more ferocious.  Items left on the territory or on the borders by Twolegs can be worn as trophies at Gatherings, but currently this is not done.  Blame Tiger”star” and Bloodclan for that.

Riverclan

The bounties of the river and the shore are used by Riverclan.  Flowers found floating in the water, river weeds and cattail reeds, and rarely, shells and shining pebbles are worn woven into larger works. Reeds and river grasses are woven into fine decorations and armor for battle, and fish bones are attached to armor and Leader Gathering Garb only. As decorations easily get detached and float away, not many Riverclan cats wear everyday accessories.

Windclan

A feather from the first catch is always worn by Windclan cats, for it is seen as lucky.  Cats that do not hunt (support roles and Healers) are bequeathed a feather either by their Leader, a family member, or a mate.  Woven grasses are common, both as everyday wear and armor.  Tunnelers wore moss on their backs to shield themselves from falling rocks, but that practice has slowly died out, with Elders and a few cats continuing it.  Nearly all cats in Windclan have everyday accessories.

Ancient Skyclan

Historical Records show that Skyclan wore feathers on their tails and flanks most commonly, with leaves and flowers around the neck.  It is unclear from records if there was any significance to the placement or type of décor.

(Modern Skyclan keeps their collars, sometimes weaving mosses and flowers and berries into them to muffle them.  More traditional clan accessories are folded in, and scavenged items are very common as well)

(all the new cats are unidentified cats from the first arc! thanks @moths-wc-aus!)

[skyscratch-wc]

Skyfall: Ancient SkyClan Shrine

The Ancient Skyfall shrine was located on a jutting rock beside the elders den in camp. A moss bed is placed on a ledge for cats to sit and contemplate. This is most often used at night when cats can most easily see the stars. Ancient SkyClan cats would use the smaller stones below to climb onto the ledge, resulting in scratch marks all the way up the stones. These days, the scratches are the only evidence remaining that the stones were ever a shrine. Sometimes adventurous apprentices who wander near the old shrine think they can hear voices, leading to the modern name of the stones: The Ghost Peaks.

[rowanswarriors]

Brackenheart of SkyClan

[lightningwaters]

[warrior-cats-canongen]

A little preview for SkyClan! Not all of the characters are done or even started yet, but I will start posting sprites for some of the characters that do have their sprites and traits soon.

[brightblueflare]

SkyClan's Cultural Evolution

My intention was to made a post with the cultural differences of the Clans. However, Modern SkyClan is so different from Ancient SkyClan I had to separate them, because they are entirely different cultures and societies. Comparing Modern SkyClan to Ancient SkyClan is like comparing, say, Medieval France with Modern Japan. Then, inspiration hit me like a truck, and I wondered, "how did SkyClan change so much?". From its founding to their exile, to their disbandment to their rebirth, SkyClan has changed, a lot. Their exile, disbandment and resurrection have historical consequences, for them and the Forest Four.

So, here's the post about SkyClan's Cultural Evolution.

As a result of having spent a long time away from the Forest Four, SkyClan is very different from the other Clans in terms of structure, traditions and faith. The Clan founded by Clear Sky at the beginning of DotC is vastly dissimilar to the SkyClan reformed by Fireheart in the modern age. Cats from Ancient StarClan view the reformed SkyClan as a completely different Clan from the one they belonged to, and viceversa.

Ancient SkyClan/Before the Skyfall:

The most militaristic of the clans, by a long shot. Most of the warriors specialized in fighting, with only the occasional "camp cat" focused on construction or 'cooking'.

All apprentices were taught fighting before anything else, even before choosing between warrior or seer apprenticeship.

SkyClan cats learned to climb at a young age, and their back-legs were very strong. They could go from one side of their territory to the other without touching the ground, just jumping from tree to tree.

Before the destruction of the forest, SkyClan apprentices and warriors slept in the branches of a tree. Leaving the kittens' den behind and sleeping on a branch for the first time was considered a huge step of development and growth.

Their favorite battle tactic, Sky Drop, consisted of jumping on the enemy from the trees.

Extremely xenophobic. We can count the number of outsiders to join Ancient SkyClan with the fingers of one hand, and they were only accepted after proving their strength in battle and climbing skills.

Heavily influenced by Clear Sky's mindset, they valued strength and power, above all things except Clan loyalty. They were also very ableist.

However, the only thing that rivaled their fierceness and desire for battle was their piousness. They often thanked StarClan for their prey and their trees, did the first tasks of warriors such as visiting the Moonstone and sitting vigil even before they were codified, and prayed to their ancestors before and after battle.

Ancient SkyClan/After the Skyfall (before disbandment):

Very similar, but without the religious part. After the Last Gathering, when the light of the full moon wasn't blocked by the clouds and the ancestors they had honored so much manifested aproval of their exile, SkyClan furiously renounced StarClan as a collective, and began honoring their ancestors only.

Up in the stars, the SkyClan ancestors disvowed of StarClan, and followed their descendants into foreign territory. However, what they couldn't imagine was the horrible fate that awaited them.

This was the first step on the creation of Skypelt, the pantheon for the SkyClan ancestors.

Sleeping in trees wasn't done anymore. The caves of the gorge offered safety from the merciless weather of the winter, and many found it warm to sleep beside their Clanmates.

Cats of the Gorge/Before the Resurrection (after disbandment)

SkyClan spread, as loners and housecats, all around the human town and the nearby territories. However, a group of former warriors remained in the gorge. This group and their descendants formed a coalition of cats united by common beliefs and kinship.

This is where Skywatcher is born, many seasons later.

Like the Clans, they have two-parts names, but theirs are given at birth and aren't always consistent those of the Forest Four (Ex: Cindersmoke, Lowbranch, Houndscry, etc). They were often alliterate and poetic, with odd prefixes and suffixes.

The parents/primary caretakers of the kittens collectively trained them in hunting, fighting and finding other resources, like medicinal herbs and construction materials.

Due to towncats' influence, the moon counting age system was dropped, and instead they counted seasons. They put emphasis on winter, the hardest season. So a cat's age was counted by the number of winters they had survived. Ex: "Theoricalfur has seven winters under their pelt."

Once a kitten was two seasons old, they began a transition period from kittenhood to adulthood, receiving hunting and fighting lessons from the adults around the cliffs of the gorge. They called this the Time of Growing.

When a not-kitten had survived a full season cycle, they were taken by the seer to the Whispering Cave, where they would contact their ancestors for the first time, and for many, their last until they became an ancestor themself.

All the cats lived in the gorge and surrounding areas, but they did not share a camp. Meals were still eaten together, but more as friends and acquaintances than Clanmates.

In fact, the cats of the gorge didn't consider or refer to themselves as a Clan. They referred to each other as "Kin", nothing more.

They honored and paid tribute to their ancestors, but they didn't have a strict belief on what happened after death.

Full moons were somber moments. Spent awake but in silence, almost sitting vigil for someone (or something) they never met.

Speaking of sitting vigil, a superstition was born out of the ancient tradition: that if a cat fell asleep the night another died, they wouldn't wake up again.

A couple cats acted as healers, and traveled through the gorge offering their services to the kin that didn't live in the gorge, and also aided the housecats and unaffiliated loners who needed help. This was the point where the seer role was split in two.

The healer rank didn't have a name for a long time, and they were referred to simply as healers. However, different groups lived nearby and influenced the cats of the gorge, and one of their terms for healing cats, medic, was adopted.

The power of the leader was reduced, and only served as the final authority to make decisions when the group was split. Matters were settled with another custom taken from outside influence: casting stones.

The group of the gorge was small, there never were more than 20 cats living there.

Modern SkyClan/After the Resurrection:

In general, Modern SkyClan is a more structured version of the cats of the gorge.

Clan members live together in a central camp, but do not sleep by rank. A newly made warrior can still sleep with their still-apprentice friends, for example.

After completing their warrior ceremony, all cats must go to the Whispering Cave to contact their ancestors just like the cats of the gorge did. They're accompanied by their mentor and someone else of their own choosing, usually relatives and friends. This is the replacement for sitting vigil after reaching warriorhood.

They are far more diplomatic than militaristic. A complete turn-around from Ancient StarClan. This is the change their ancestors have the hardest time stomaching.

Known for being very accommodating, and for taking care of their sick and injured. The best Clan to live in for disabled cats.

Very skilled crafters, rivaled only by ShadowClan. However, their style varies a lot from the Forest Four, in grand part because of their exile and physical separation of the territories. Their friendly relationship with outsiders has allowed them to trade goods with housecats and loners. Mostly, they receive toys, human medicine and cloth, and give food, weird rocks, feathers and other things that can be found in their territory.

Local housecats and loners can become daylight warriors, fighting and providing for the Clan during the day and leaving to their humans during the night. They mostly do this to find the companionship of other cats, but looking for adventure is a common reason as well. Since they know the locals, they usually act as the main traders.

They're bilingual. They speak Townmeow and Clanmeow, but their separation from the Forest Four has given them a heavy foreign accent, and some words are completely different. The most conservative cats from the Forest Four mock their pronunciation when they want to offend them.

They follow an older version of the warrior code, and have edited and added laws as they see fit. Therefore, SkyClan culture and law is completely alien to cats from the Forest Four.

Casting stones remains a practice, with the leader only having the final authority to make decisions when the Clan is split.

The least xenophobic Clan, very open-minded and likely to allow outsiders to join their ranks. Don't take kindly to the derogatory comments about "kittypets" by the most xenophobic of the Forest Four.

[fancytacopaper]

As the title implies I have several AU ideas and can't seem to decide which one to start first.

Please note: All of the stories would happen before SkyClan gets driven out of the forest.

Dewstar's ambition: Dewkit is a young SkyClan kit with a great ambition: To become the best leader of his Clan, even greater than the great founder Skystar or his grandfather, wise old Whitestar.

After gaining his apprentice name, Dewpaw gets cocky during a training session with an older apprentice , causing her to get hurt worse than he thought was possible. As punishment Whitestar delays his warrior ceremony for two moons , causing Dewpaw's littermates to gain their names before him.

After finally becoming a warrior Dewpatch realizes that he's developing a crush on the she-cat he had injured but she doesn't feel the same way, instead pining after a tom from RiverClan. He really wants her to be his mate and comes up with a plan to gain her attention: He had to become the best mentor and then deputy. Will he succeed?

Hawkfoot's choice: Hawkfoot has lost her mate, the father of her three kits during a fight against ShadowClan and is anxious because she knows that they will have to fight for their lives sooner rather than later. So when a fellow WindClan queen, Daisytail tells her that she doesn't want to see her son dying needlessly , they come up with plan : Convince enough queens from both of the rival Clans so when the next fight inevitably breaks out , they will hopefully manage to convince the leaders to stop sending kits in battle too young.

Moons after succeeding with the plan she witnesses one of her sons saving a life of ShadowClan she-cat who is apparently expecting kits, nearly dying himself. The she-cat then reveals a shocking secret: The kits she's expecting are his and she wants to join WindClan.

Lavenderpelt's destiny: Lavenderpaw is a young ThunderClan apprentice with a kind heart and a knack for fighting. She especially loves to spar with her littermates and older apprentices.

After gaining her warrior name Lavenderpelt gets into an accident , breaking her leg which confines her in the medicine cat den for moons, causing her to fear that the leader will force her to become the next medicine cat, a role she never wanted.

One day she has a dream where she sees a mysterious tom who tells her that her destiny isn't to be a medicine cat, instead she will be remembered as one of the best warriors, but doesn't tell her anything more.

Who was that tom and how could Lavenderpelt become the warrior he predicted she'd be?

Troutstar's path: Troutfang is a young RiverClan warrior, full of energy and mischief. One day he gets seriously hurt during a play fight near a river when one of his friends accidentally pushes him into the water.

The experience causes Troutfang to become more reserved and cautious than before , affecting his ability to hunt and fight.

One day he sees a beautiful loner struggling to cross the stepping stones because of her pregnant belly. After helping her to the RiverClan territory she thanks him before padding away. He thinks that they will never meet again. However about half-moon later the patrol he's in comes across with the she-cat giving birth and helps her to the camp. Will she stay in the Clan or not?

Flowerstar's reign: After losing her sister, Mossfire in a fight for leadership of ShadowClan Flowerstem is grief-stricken but knows that the Clan needs her help. How will she react when an apparent sign from StarClan implies that she should be the next leader? What will happen when an outbreak of whitecough and greencough ravages the already shaken up Clan?

6. If you have another idea for an AU tell me.

[abcwc]

[velo-cats]

Quick Water

[artaintfartwarriors]

Could you please make Clear Sky? ❤️ I love your art style

Thank you :3c

[gougarpaw]

“May StarClan light your path, Fallensnow, and yours, Sunpelt, as you walk the skies to join them. May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep.”

Sunpelt is a cat.

notes:

- according to Su Susann, Sunpelt was a big orange warrior tom with amber eyes

[hazelwhisker-designs]

Clear Sky

[skyscratch-wc]

Skyclan's Cultural Evolution

^Modern Skyclan's coat of arms

As a result of their extended time away from "The Forest Four", Skyclan is considerably different from the other clans in terms of structure, culture, and faith. The clan founded by Clear Sky at the Dawn of the Clans is VERY different from the clan re-founded by Firestar and Sandstorm at the Gorge, and the two clans are so different that some early Skyclan ancestors consider the modern cats to not even belong to the same clan as they once did and vice versa (Clear Sky is prominent amongst this group of Skyclan ancestors)

Skyclan Before the Skyfall/Ancient Skyclan:

the most militaristic of the clans, with an overwhelming majority of the warriors falling into the Protector role, followed by Hunters. Typically, there were only 1, maaaybe 2 Crafters/Collectors/Clerics at any given time

all apprentices were trained in combat first before specializing into their roles

Skyclan was fairly isolationist and extremely protective of their borders. Not nearly to the extent of the clan under Clear Sky, but they still retained their highly defensive nature from that time

unlikely to allow non-clanborn cats to join their clan unless they prove their merit in combat or show some other skill valuable to the clan. This is largely influenced by their proximity to the town and as a result their rough relationship with the loners and house cats that tend to wander into their territory, something that Skyclan deeply dislikes.

specialized in climbing and tree combat

religious clan on par with Thunderclan and Pre-Brokenstar Shadowclan.

Skyclan in the Gorge (before disbanding):

basically the same just without the religious bit

Skyclan disavowed Starclan after leaving the forest and instead turned to their ancestors alone, who split from Starclan to form the Skypelt or Skypaws, a Skyclan specific hunting grounds in the afterlife

Over time, the Skypaws would become less a copy of Starclan and more an afterlife for all cats committed to the Skyclan cause, regardless of their faith during their lifetime and regardless of their moral "goodness". All cats committed to Skyclan are welcomed into the Skypelt

For example, Yarrowstar, the leader of Thunderclan during the War of the Sky was welcomed into the Skypelt after her death. She was of Skyclan blood and committed to her ancestors and the clan of her grandfather, Cloudstar.

Skyclan After Disbanding-- The Cats of the Gorge:

after the clan disbanded, a small group of former warriors remained in the gorge. Over time, this group, their descendants, and other local cats formed a loose coalition united by common beliefs and kinship ties

this is the group Skywatcher is born into approximately two generations before Firestar's Quest

like the clans, they have two part names, however, these names are given at birth and not 100% consistent with Forest Four clan names. (Examples: Lowbranch, Houndcry, Pricklenose, Skywatcher, Twigtail, etc.)

The parents/primary caretakers of kittens will collectively train the kittens of all cats within the group. They are told stories of their ancestors and taught how to hunt and defend themselves.

When a kitten has survived 2 full seasons, they begin training on the cliffs of the gorge with the adult cats

When a cat has survived 4 full seasons (1 year) they are taken to the Whispering Cave for their coming of age ceremony where they commune with Skypelt for the first time, and for many, the only time until their death.

Rather than track age by moons/months, the Cats of the Gorge track age by seasons. They put special emphasis on the season of winter, since it is the harshest season of the year. They count age by the number of winters a cat has survived. For instance, a 10 year old cat would be referred to as having "10 winters under their paws"

All cats associated with this group live in and around the gorge, however, they do not live together in a central camp. They share prey and hunt together, but more as friends rather than clanmates in any sense. They do not have a collective name and instead just refer to those they associate with as their "clowder by kin"

A few cats within the coalition act as doctors, traveling around the area to heal the sick and wounded. They also lend their services to housecats and unassociated loners or rogues who need help

Adults within this group are referred to as "claws" and queens/caretakers as "tails". These names eventually evolve into the Modern Skyclan rank names.

All cats within the coalition believe in the Skypelt. This is the main unifying factor for them

In general, there really aren't more than 20 cats associated with this group at any given time. When Firestar and Sandstorm arrive, there are approximately 10-15 cats within this group.

Modern Skyclan

draws some aspects from Thunderclan (Firestar and Sandstorm's influence) but in general, Modern Skyclan is just a more structured version of Gorge Cat culture

Cats live together in a central camp, but instead of sleeping in dens by rank, they sleep in dens with their family units

Ranks within Skyclan are different from ranks within the Forest Four:

The Leader is called the Eye

The Deputy is called the Nose

Cleric is split into the Heart/Doctor (healing) and the Soul/Priest (spiritual). (this is very similar to Riverclan, just with different origins)

Mediators are called the Tongue

Protectors and Hunters are grouped into one and called Claws (exactly how canonical warriors work basically)

Gatherers and Crafters are also group into one and called Paws

Queens/Caretakers are called Tails

Apprentices are called Whiskers

Kittens are called Pawpads

Elders are called Ears

The idea here is that all of the roles collectively form a "whole cat", emphasizing the idea that all cats of the clan are valuable and needed to form the whole society regardless of their age or role

At the completion of their warrior ceremony, new warriors travel to the Whispering Cave (or equivalent at the lake-- still working on that) as a coming of age ceremony just like the Cats of the Gorge did. They are accompanied by their mentor and any close kin or friends invited by the new warrior. This is the Skyclan replacement for the vigil performed by the other clans

Modern Skyclan is far more diplomatic than militaristic, in a complete 180 flip from their Pre-Skyfall counterparts (this is the aspect Clear Sky has the hardest time stomaching)

They are well known for taking in the weary, sick, and injured and caring for them until they can get back on their paws. Often times, they extend an invitation to these cats to join the clan.

They are very skilled crafters rivaled only by Shadowclan, however, their styles vary from the Forest Four (to be elaborated on in a future post). Their friendly relations with local housecats and loners has given them much broader access to human materials.

Daylight warriors are a thing, especially at the Gorge where there are numerous housecats. This practice is far less common at the Lake where there just aren't as many housecats around.

They speak a dialect of Clanmew with some small pronunciation and noun differences from Forest Four Clanmew. Grammatically it is nearly identical, but the names of many nouns and pronunciations have drifted away from Forest Four Clanmew and closer to the Gorgemew spoken by local Gorge cats

[rowanswarriors]

Warrior Cat #2: Acornpaw of SkyClan