#dark forest leader

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Resident: Puddlethistle

Aliases / Nicknames: Puddlestar

Gender: tom

Sexuality: omnisexual

Family: Rookarch (mother), Fliptail (father), Tallflake, Grousewhisker, Runnelpad (brothers), Gullstripe (mate), Floodquill, Bramblefern (daughters), Blueaster, Echostone (granddaughters), Conewhisker (grandson)

Other Relations: unnamed mentor, unnamed apprentice

Clan: ShadowClan

Rank: leader (name revoked in death)

Characteristics: put together (under normal circumstances), observant, daring

Murder Motive: feed his Clan

Number of Victims: 4

Number of Murders: 3

Murder Method: snapping neck

Known Victims: unnamed loners

Victim Profile: loners

Cause of Death: starvation

Cautionary Tale: ??

Story: 

What StarClan didn't understand is that it had to be done.

He didn't have a choice. Maybe that's what makes it so hard to accept his fate.

Puddlestar--no, he was Puddlethistle now, a name he deserved. He had lived a life in service. Protected his Clan, fought for them, hunted alongside them.

He was thrilled when Galestar chose him as her deputy. Did he make her proud?

Probably not.

He was a good leader, if a bit mean when it came to the other Clans. But he had to be strict, especially to enemy cats. He had to keep his Clanmates safe.

That's all he ever wanted, all he ever strived for.

Didn't anyone understand?

He had never planned for it to get so far. Hadn't really planned it at all. But the Clan was starving, all Clans were.

Cats' eyes were sunken into their skulls, their skin wrapped so tightly around their thin bodies that Puddlestar could count every one of their ribs poking out of their sides. Carrion and rotting prey--food that would previously be thrown far from camp without a second thought--were seen as a delicacy. One queen had announced her pregnancy just before the famine began. By the end, all the kittens were stillborn. There just wasn't enough to eat.

They needed food.

Puddlestar hunted relentlessly, desperate to find any. He moved across the border and into unknown territory, where he came across a body. He tried to find something else, something more prey-like, but it was the only meat around, and when the last meal you saw was a measly shrew given to an elder a few days ago...

He thought of his family, his poor kits and their poor kits, and how starved they all were...

He didn't tell anyone where he got the meat. No one asked, they were simply grateful to have it. Puddlestar was horrified with himself, but he was also pleased that he had finally been able to do something for his Clanmates.

But that relief couldn't last, because neither could the food.

There were no more bodies. There were only living cats.

Did Puddlestar really have a choice?

By the fourth cat, Puddlestar's deputy, Palesting, confronted him. He demanded that Puddlestar stop what he was doing, that it was wrong, that StarClan would save them if they just had faith. Puddlestar told him that there was no choice in it, this was what needed to be done.

The next day, before the sun had fully risen, RiverClan burst into the camp, their leader, Laurelstar, leading the attack. Palesting had apparently snuck out to report his leader's deeds to the nearest healthiest Clan, and Laurelstar--who's parentage was of loner blood--took the crimes personally.

All cats were weak. The fight wasn't so much vicious as it was pathetic, but it was still dangerous. They couldn't afford wounds at a time like this. When Puddlestar and Laurelstar fought, Puddlestar challenged Laurelstar's reason for the cowardly attack, and Laurelstar gave them--stating Puddlestar's crimes in front of the whole Clan.

Puddlestar's Clanmates were shocked, and outraged that anyone could accuse him of such a thing. Looking at their desperate, horrified faces, he knew that he couldn't lie to them anymore. They had to know.

Puddlestar hung his head and confessed that it was true.

To say that the Clan was outraged would be an understatement. If they didn't attack him because he was their leader and Clanmate or because they were too exhausted, he couldn't say.

Palesting ripped Puddlestar's--Puddlethistle's name from him, and took his place.

Puddlethistle was confined to the apprentice's den--empty--as a prisoner for his crimes. As such, he was the last to eat. Some cats in the Clan tried to give him what little would they found--his daughters and grandkits in particular, but Puddlethistle refused it all.

He didn't need food.

He didn't want to ever eat again.

Additional Information: 

--Liked 'Puddle' and 'Thistle' the best so decided to just combine them!

--His four victims includes the one corpse.

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Resident: Rabbitstar

Aliases / Nicknames: N/A

Gender: nonbinary (he/they)

Sexuality: unspecified

Family: unnamed mother, unnamed father

Other Relations: unnamed mentor, Thrushpaw (Dark Forest trainee)

Clan: ThunderClan

Rank: leader

Characteristics: quiet, ominous, but can be very well spoken when need be

Murder Motive: the mere desire

Number of Victims: 4

Number of Murders: 4 (2 directly, 2 indirectly)

Murder Method: snapping necks, leading into 'traps'

Known Victims: Shinekit, Caimankit, Chipmunkpaw, Mousepaw

Victim Profile: young kits and apprentices

Cause of Death: tortured to death by Caimankit's spirit

Cautionary Tale: N/A

Story: 

Rabbitstar is a ancient leader of ThunderClan, so long ago, in fact, that the time of his era is erased from most memories, save for one elder.

During their time alive, they were known as a ruthless leader. Though very distant, everyone started to silently dislike him after they chose Thistlefang as a deputy.

They were known to get into any battles if given the chance, no thought needed, no matter if they were sending their own warriors into certain death.

In spite of being leader, no one knew much about them at all, if they ever spoke.

Their first victim, Caimankit, was around 3-4 moons at death. While he was sleeping peacefully and his mother was away, Rabbitstar slunk into the nursery and silently snapped his neck, blaming the 'shocking news' on something trivial.

Chipmunkpaw and Mousepaw were next, a duo of two rambunctious apprentices. The two were excited to have the leader bring them along on a special patrol, and were even more excited when they heard that they were walking toward a very special surprise--not knowing, of course, that that surprise would be venom sprayed in their eyes and snake bites to their flesh.

The last kit, Shinekit, wasnt without a witness. Her sister, Sorrelkit saw them snap Shinekits neck, as such the very next day Rabbitstar received a passive-aggressive warning from Shinekit's ''gardian angel'' --Canaryfeather, and the next thing they knew, Rabbitstar was in a state of sleep-like paralysis.

Caimankit, tired of seeing him getting away with all of this, decided to take his spirit and torture him, as in just not letting him do anything as he slowly takes all of their lives. Rabbitstar could only move his eyes and flail his legs. He couldn't move, could only watch as Caimankit strangled him, gave him claw-wounds (as deep as a kit could get them, a tleast), and let him drift uneasilyin and out of consciousness.

The medicine cat at the time, Brightspark, had to ask the medicine cats from the other Clans for help, but it was to no avail. Nothing would have worked, but to be save, little Caimenkit wandered around nearby to distract them from saving their patient.

in the end, Brightspark called in Nightlake, the medicine cat of ShadowClan, known to have had the strongest connection to StarClan out of all of them.

Nightlake decided he wanted to get Rabbitstar to the Moonpool to see if they could make him return all of his lives (as none of them knew how many lives he had left), and Brightspark decided to help him out with dragging his body.

As they were about to dunk rabbitstar in the freezing water, something unexpected happened.

Rabbitstar's stomach suddenly burst open, blood spilling and organs practically crawling out across the rocks. Horrified and utterly alarmed, Nightlake and Brightspark could only stare at the scene for several long heartbeats before finally deciding that this was as bad an omen as they could recieve, and left him there. 

Additional Information:

--submission by @penny-fitzgeraldz Welcome!!!

--A part of a crossover au (kinda William Afton? its a very specific version).

-- They really didn't care about choosing a deputy, they only chose Thistlefang as a deputy because they were the first cat they saw in sight.

--Sorrelkit becomes the elder mentioned in the beginning!

[velo-cats]

Bramblestar

[bramblefake]

darktail redux

[clanslist]

[splashtqil]

[mothpawbs]

Eh? CROOKEDSTAR?

crookedstar! and a little bonus mapleshade! i used the design from my high school capstone as a base and just reworked it a bit. i like where it ended up!

[endlesscats]

"StarClan will do nothing to stop me, old cat. I have made their Clan glorious! Let them try!" — Brokenstar

[eggfeather]

curlfeather

[clawface]

this is the third time i've tried to design this fucking guy

[theanoninyourinbox]

The Dark Forest Rebel Leaders

The four leaders of the Miretrees Rebellion, their stories are as varied as their clan origins.

Snowtuft was born in Riverclan during the reign of Willowstar. He was a loyal Warrior, if overly serious. His downfall was set off when he became obsessed with defeating a rival Skyclan tom, Dribblefur. His obsession became manic when Dribblefur saved some Riverclan kits from a hawk, which overshadowed Snowtuft killing the hawk itself! How DARE HE! So, in the next minor border skirmish, Snowtuft tried to kill Dribblefur - and succeeded in dealing a fatal blow. But only at the cost of his own life...

Silverhawk was a Hunter and Tracker of Windclan. He had been found as a kit on the border, and was mates with the Brawler Emberdawn. Their son, Mudpuddle, was Stonestar's loyal Deputy for many years, but Silverhawk became worried - he always felt anxious about his non-clan origins, and had felt so proud of his son for becoming Deputy, but Stonestar was so so old but still thriving, and Mudpuddle was starting to complain of aging joints. These thoughts lead him down a dark and paranoid path mentally. Silverhawk set up a trap - he led Stonestar into an angry dog, but Mudpuddle bravely threw himself in front of the aging leader and was killed. Silverhawk, horrified and furious, charged Stonestar, but was killed by the dog as well...

Sparrowfeather was born to Thunderclan, and apprenticed to Lionstar himself. She was always a layabout and far too nosy for her own good, and prided herself for knowing secrets from other clans. This lead to her death, as she began selling Thunderclan secrets to Riverclan and Shadowclan for prey, as she hated being a Hunter. This led to a fateful border battle, when a Riverclan cat used her battle move information to get past her defenses and kill her...

Maggottail was born Slickscales of Shadowclan, during the rule of Brindlestar. He was born hairless, and seen as blessed by Starclan in some way. Slickscales used this to his advantage, becoming nearly as influential as Brindlestar. After an argument that led to blows and losing a life, Brindlestar banished Slickscales, and gave him the dishonor title Maggottail. Maggottail would terrorize the local kittypets, stealing their food and attacking them for fun. Eventually, he became so out of shape and unhealthy that his heart gave out...

These four fell into the Mire. These four regretted their actions. These four met a starry visitor who changed everything. And they became the first four who would visit the conflicted living in their dreams, to keep them on the right path. But first, they would speak to those they hurt the most...

Snowtuft was able to apologize to Dribblefur, who was remembered in Riverclan histories for saving a future leader. They parted ways after quite a while, with Dribblefur's well wishes and sincere hopes echoing in Snowtuft's ears. They could have been friends once, and maybe they could be friends again, for Dribblefur was amazingly forgiving.

Silverhawk was reunited with his mate and son. They embraced him lovingly and tearily, and Emberdawn vowed to wait for him. Stonefur accepted his sincere apology, and charged Silverhawk with becoming a better cat. Mudpuddle wove a new feather, fresh from Starclan, to help remind him of the cat he once was.

Sparrowfeather was confronted by Lionstar, who shamed her for her actions. How many cats had died for her actions? How many cats had gone hungry? Lionstar left sputtering in rage and commanding the cats he had guided to never speak to her, but Sparrowfeather's siblings Finchwing and Lichenfoot stayed to speak to her. Their faith in Sparrowfeather's ability to change gave her hope that she could truly change.

Maggottail watched Brindlestar saunter towards him, and laid himself out to beg forgiveness. Brindlestar stared as he spoke, and after a long pause, snorted and called Maggottail as dramatic as ever. She forgave him, on the condition that he be just as dramatic keeping the living from falling like he did.

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Resident: Woodstar

Aliases / Nicknames: Woodcry, Mama

Gender: female

Sexuality: heterosexual

Family: Gentletooth (mother), Ganderleg (father), Redtoe, Jasminekit, Dewkit (daughters), unnamed former mate

Other Relations: Otterpebble (mentor) Stormdoe, Cloverpaw, Eggtail (former apprentices)

Clan: SkyClan

Rank: leader

Characteristics: bored easily, eats anything, very cunning

Number of Victims: 2

Number of Murders: 2

Murder Method: eating alive

Known Victims: Jasminekit, Dewkit

Victim Profile: her kits

Cause of Death: poisoned via water hemlock, suffocation, executed by Redtoe

Cautionary Tale: ??

Story:

“Y’know, kits taste just like mouse.”

Redtoe fought the urge to gag, staring at the former leader as she fought off the effects of the hemlock.

“Just die.”

Woodstar’s whiskers twitched.

“They didn’t struggle or anything.”

“Just die.”

Woodstar laughed.

“I would’ve eaten you first. But-” she tried to speak, but Redtoe held her face in the moss.

“Please… just die already.”

Additional Information:

--Submission by @ambitiousauthor

--Dude...

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Resident: Floodleopard

Aliases / Nicknames: Floodstar, Favourite Apprentice

Gender: she-cat

Sexuality: demi-pansexual, demi-romantic

Family: Sunnybee (mother), Greyberry (father), Cherrytail (unknowing adoptive father), Archfin, Splashsnow (sisters), Fogpuddle, Nighttooth, Marshpaw (brothers)

Other Relations: Greyberry (mentor)

Clan: RiverClan

Rank: leader

Characteristics: enjoys swimming in cold water, prefers the darkness and cold to bright warmth, great kit-sitter, hates wondering what-if, hates thinking about happy memories with those she killed, great eye-sight (would be amazing at find-the-difference puzzles)

Murder Motive: anger at being lied to her whole life, anger on behalf of her father

Number of Victims: 2

Number of Murders: 2

Murder Method: drowning, suffocating/biting throat

Known Victims: Sunnybee, Greyberry

Victim Profile: her cheating mother, her true father

Cause of Death: tail ripped off by a dog, blood loss

Cautionary Tale: ??

Story: 

Ever since she was a kit, Floodleopard thought that her life was perfect.

She had a loving mother and father who supported her every choice, and littermates that, though annoying at times, stuck by her side through everything.

Floodleopard's former mentor and the deputy, Greyberry, was much kinder to her than most mentors were to their apprentices in the first moon. Nightpaw and Archpaw had expressed jealousy, and it seemed clear to everyone that from the very start, Greyberry cared deeply for her.

When she was a young warrior, her mother had her second litter. There was one little dark-ginger tom, his paler brother with white specks, and their sister, a dark grey-and-white she-kit.

Floodleopard was fascinated by the young kits. When her mother slipped out to stretch her legs, Floodleopard offered to watch them with Cherrytail. Everything was fine for a while. The kits were already asleep, so Cherrytail and Floodleopard spent their time talking softly to each other.

Then Marshkit woke up and began crying for Sunnybee. He wouldn't respond to Floodleopard or his father, and alarmed and unsure of any other option, Floodleopard was quick to leave the camp. She followed her mother's scent trail, and when she caught site of her among the reeds, she opened her mouth to speak. But her words cut her off.

"Floodleopard can never know. You know that. You promised."

Caught completely off-guard by this unexpected turn of events, it was mostly a subconscious decision for Floodleopard to crouch low and prick her ears.

Greyberry was with Sunnybee, and they seemed to be fighting about something. Greyberry pointed out Floodleopard's grey-and-white coat, and how now two of the kits in the second litter looked like...like Greyberry.

Floodleopard's mind couldn't make sense of the scene, of any utterance taking place within it. It was all a jumbled mess, words flooding her ears like a rapid torrent, yet they sloshed around her mind uselessly, unable to make a structured, understandable sentence for her to disect.

Sunnybee.....Greyberry.....Love.....Grey fur, white fur.......No orange.....Daughter.......Mine.......Ours.

Finally, all at once, everything sunk in.

Cherrytail was not her father.

Greyberry was her father.

He knew this. Sunnybee knew this.

They had lied to her her whole life.

Floodleopard had remained there, frozen, long after the two cats had left. It wasn't until a patrol sent out to find her snapped her out of her trance and brought her back to camp.

She couldn't eat, couldn't do anything but stare at the den wall.

All her life...all her life. Her own mother lied to her, her own mentor, and they lied to Cherrytail too. He had always been nothing but a loving, attentive mate. How could Sunnybee do this to him? How could she raise kits alongside him and lie that they were his?

Twice, Floodleopard realized. She had never cared much about it before, but why did Marshkit and Splashkit have colours different from either Sunnybee or Cherrytail. How could have Floodleopard be so stupid, miss something so plainly clear?

Floodleopard felt like she didn't know her mother at all. She wasn't the encouraging mother who sang her kits praise. She was the cheating mate, who lied to the one that loved her with all his heart and let him and their kits live a lie. Then, the vile she-cat did it all over again.

She wasn't thinking clearly. Maybe she would have still done what she did if she had been. Maybe she wouldn't have.

But the truth of the matter was that Floodleopard's mind could only think of one thing: hurt the cat that hurt her.

Following Sunnybee out of camp, she waited until they were far enough away before confronting her. Even with the truth against her, Sunnybee tried to lie! She told Floodleopard that she had no idea what she was talking about, that she had always loved Cherrytail and always will, that she loves all of her kits, and how she couldn't understand why her own daughter would believe something so ridiculous.

Floodleopard couldn't take another word spilling out of those lying teeth. She lunged, holding that lying mouth beneath the surface, where her words couldn't be heard.

Sunnybee struggled, but Floodleopard was larger, and her rage burned through her whole body, making her tremble with the little flickers of fire in her veins.

It hit her suddenly that Sunnybee wasn't moving. She was dead. Floodleopard stared at her blankly, the aftermath of her anger subsiding to a numbness that left her unable to fully comprehend what she had just done.

Slowly, she picked up Sunnybee's limp form and took it back to camp. She couldn't hear the shocked yowls or the wails. They were all muffled and far away. Later, she would find out that she claimed to have found Sunnybee dead and the consencise was that it was just a horrible accident, but she didn't remember speaking at all.

The family was heartbroken. They didn't know that she had fooled all of them.

Three days later, Floodleopard was woken up by Greyberry. Greyberry asked that they go on a walk. Floodleopard, wary, agreed. They went out and it wasn't long before Greyberry expressed his concern for Floodleopard, saying how he misses Sunnybee too and that he'll always be there for her if she ever needs him.

Floodleopard couldn't stand it. She turned on him, questioning his true motives. Was he really saying this as a mentor? As a family friend? Or was he saying this as Sunnybee's secret mate and her true father?

She asked, no--demanded he tell her why he had done it, why he had kits with a she-cat that already had a mate, and why he never ended things or came clean.

Greyberry tried to tell her that it would only hurt Cherrytail more if he knew the truth, and that they were a happy enough family without him. He said how they were having trouble starting a family, how Sunnybee had come to him and begged him to help them and not tell Cherrytail, but then they caught feelings....

Like Sunnybee, Floodleopard couldn't take another word. She had already killed her own mother. What was there to stop her from killing the tom who shared her crimes and secrets? What was left for her to lose?

There was no water nearby where they were. Floodleopard didn't need it. She sunk her jaws into his throat, holding him down as he suffocated.

To be chosen as deputy was a turn of events Floodleopard certainly wasn't expecting or prepared for.

Just a few days ago, Floodleopard would have been over the moon to receive such a position. But now....it felt tainted. It was the same rank Greyberry had held. It was the rank of a disgusting betrayer.

But what reason did Floodleopard have for turning it down? It was her fault that the last deputy was dead, whether or not it was deserved.

So Floodleopard agreed. She worked with Glazestar, who taught her what she needed to know about the position and what she must do. Though surprised with the promotion, Floodleopard was quick to fall into the routine of it. Sent out patrols at least three times a day, surveyed the camp every sun-high to make sure the dens were strong and that everyone was doing okay.

When her duties were finished or she took a break, Floodleopard would visit the nursery. She spent every second of her spare time caring for and playing with her younger siblings, something Cherrytail greatly appreciated. He said that it made it easier for them to process their mothers' grief, and how he was glad they still had lots of family in their lives.

Floodleopard decided not to respond.

What would she say? That she visited them because she felt guilty for taking their mother away when they were barely even weaned?

When Floodstar received her nine lives, Sunnybee and Greyberry were two of them. They didn't speak aside from telling her what they were giving her. When she recieved Sunnybee's life for truth, her lungs burned and her throat struggled to suck in air. Greyberry's life of duty as a sharp stab deep to the centre of her neck.

Floodstar didn't need to be told that she was feeling how they had felt when she killed them. Among the pain, too, was the overpowering terror that gripped ugly claws of ice into her stomach, and the despair that nearly ripped a wail from her jaws.

The night of her ceremony haunted her, the memory of their pain--physically and emotionally--would always follow her whenever she thought of their deaths.

She had killed them both when her emotions were high enough to drive her into insanity, when she relied on her actions in the moment rather than any logic.

Because of that, it made it harder to decide how she felt about her crime. Did she feel bad? Did she feel good? No, not good, but did she regret it? Or did she regret not regretting it?

She could have no way of knowing if she would have done the same thing if her mind had been clearer, and with that thought--the thought that she would not have killer her own mother or mentor if she had stopped to think for one second, sparked a block in her mind that refused to let her think any deeper. Because if she came to the conclusion that she didn't want to kill them, then she would have to live with the fact that she did and that she couldn't take it back. She would have to live with it nine times.

While her mind was a mess, Floodstar was good at hiding it. To everyone else, she was a great leader. She always put her Clanmates above herself, would join patrols and put herself in the frontlines of every battle.

Floodstar couldn't even take credit for those without wondering if she only wanted to feel better about herself, or make others think that she was better than she really was.

One by one, her lives slipped away.

Some left no sign, while others scarred deep marks into her skin that would last forever.

Her final life was ended by a dog. It had snapped its teeth on her tail, tugging her from the tree she had been trying to climb up. Nighttooth and Fogpuddle tried to pull her into the branches, but between them pulling her and the dog doing the same, her tail was split in two. Floodstar died of bloodloss before anyone left the tree.

Additional Information: 

--Idea came from Lifegen. I wasn't planning on making a resident, but I noticed that neither parent looked like my character, but another character did. I decided that that dude was her real father, and then he by coincidence was chosen as her mentor, which was amazing.

--I imagine that Flood's littermates were fathered by Cherry since cats can have multiple fathers in a litter, but that's up to you.

--Floodleopard prefers going by her warrior suffix.

--Her two long scars were caused by a hawk, while the one on her head was caused by a rockslide by the gorge.

---BASES ARE BY QUEEN-TZI ON DA

--Let me know what you think about her!

[sleepyspots-wc-designs]

TIGERSTAR (the first)

“Keep your eyes open, Fireheart. Keep your ears pricked. Keep looking behind you. Because one day I'll find you, and then you'll be crowfood.”

[Black with spotted (oceloid) tabby markings, low white spotting, and amber eyes.]

Whoa! A war criminal!

Some design notes!

Oceloid spots occur in wild x domestic cat hybrids… Tigerstar absolutely has some “big cat” ancestry (probably through Pinestar), though nothing as big as his namesake haha.

Not very fluffy. He’s all muscle and thick, meticulously-groomed fur. He’s consistently described as “handsome”, after all!

His front claws are always unsheathed.

Lots of “v” shapes throughout his design, alongside spots and sharp edges.

Scarring includes: “Star-shaped” scar across his right eye and nose bridge (I like to think that this scar came from Redtail in his last moments, trying to rip out Tigerclaw’s eye in a move that would have at least told others who his attacker was… unfortunately the move failed). Left ear split with a deep “v”, and right ear is nicked twice.

Bonus Dark Forest version:

[Gore(?) Tw]

[sprout-battlecats]

tigerstar

[clanslist]