#seasons starclan

[skyclan-funny-name-squad]

Im going to explain my au starclan now.

There is no Dark Forest in this version of Starclan, only the Seasonal Borders. For instance both Tigerstar and Bluestar are Starclan cats, but they would be different kinds of Starclan cats.

Starclan is divided by the four seasons, and how you performed in life determines which season you are assigned too. The season is determined both your own opinions of yourself and personal reasonings for why you did things, along with the actual actions.

Each area is a perfect encapsulation of the season, Newleaf is BEAUTIFUL with flowers, Leaf-Fall has so many colorful leaves, and Leafbare is picturesque with frozen lakes and glistening snowbanks.

Greenleaf is the closest to Starclan as we know it. All year long it is warm and the prey runs very well. It's also very much the default tier, you were a background cat your whole life and did nothing but be a background cat? Congrats you're getting into Greenleaf. Kits are also automatically placed into Greenleaf.

Newleaf is a lot like Greenleaf but not as perfect, you're more likely to get rain and colder days. These are the cats that tried to do what's right, but fell short in very reasonable ways. This is for cat's like Blackstar or Mudclaw who really did good things and did try very hard and genuinely believed they were doing the right thing, but still had some black stains on them they couldn't wash away. Comfortable, but not perfect.

Leaf-fall is more on the brisk side. Lots of rain, and while prey isn't the easiest to find, there is prey, a cat can be mostly comfortable here, even if it's not the nicest life. This is for the cats that had negative intentions, but didn't do enough harm to be considered irredeemable or had reasonings that are sympathetic enough. Cat's like Ashfur or Mapleshade who did a lot bad, and maybe can't be forgiven, but weren't the worst ever and honestly didn't even do more damage then an intense battle between clans could possibly have done.

Leafbare is covered in snow, it's actually quite beautiful. Prey is very scarce but not completely missing, it's hard to keep warm but cats wont suffer from things like frostbite or anything, so they're just cold. It snows often, and many Leafbare cats will stick together if they're compatible enough to keep warm. Rarely there will be a more warm day as well, it's livable. A cat won't be the most happy here, but they have enough to be content, especially once they get more used to the cold. This is cat's like Brokenstar and Tigerstar who knew full well they were doing immense amounts of war crimes and didn't even have a good reason for them.

Depending on your season will also show how easy it is to dream walk, a Greenleaf cat can do so with ease, but a Leafbare cat will have to work hard for a long time to slip into a dream even once.

Cats can cross the borders, but only going down and up to the original season. A Newleaf cat can never enter Greenleaf but both a Newleaf and Greenleaf cat can visit Leaf-fall. To prevent trouble though, kits can only cross borders going down further then Newleaf if accompanied by a Greenleaf cat. So cat's are constantly crossing the borders, perhaps a Newleaf cat misses snow and so they spend a few hours frolicking in Leafbare. Or maybe some kits want to see their morally questionable Leaf-fall parent so a Greenleaf cat supervises the meeting. This keeps cats from being permanently separated from each other, but also keeps it so cats who may be more fond of other seasons can actually still experience those seasons.

This establishes Starclan as less like heaven and more like a genuine place where dead cats can rest and explore. Sure it's not ideal to be in Leafbare, but there's still things to do and prey to hunt. Even cats in Leafbare have a say in things if all of Starclan is pulled into a meeting, after all sometimes to best understand how to tackle a threat is the observations from a previous threat.

Along with that cats will often bring gifts as they cross borders, like yeah if you're in Leafbare most cats might not like you but sometimes someone from another season will come with a huge mouse and give it to you so you make sure no one bothers them while they roll in snow. Or your mom brings you a thrush because even though you did bad things she's still your mom and she loves you. If anything, it encourages Leafbare cats to make connections and friends after death, helping them become more well rounded and less aggressive.

[thunderc1an]

messy concept feeding off of my last post of a horror + mystery spinoff warriors series

[bonefall]

Could Firestar break out of Starclan like One-Eye did, and become a god of fire?

Yes! Hypothetically, any spirit could!

For that to happen, he would need to be continually worshiped for hundreds of generations. Midnight, Rock, Sol, and One Eye were not the only gods in their own pantheon, so long ago; they're just the only ones that survived the destruction of the Lake Kinships.

On Breaking Orbit;

To "break orbit" is like becoming an adult bird. You're able to leave the nest, take flight, and survive on your own. It's EXTREMELY rare that this happens, and defines the ceiling of a God's abilities. You don't get stronger than this.

Once you hit this level though, a few things happen;

You can't die in a way that matters. There is only the "becoming" of something else. Sol and Fallenleaf might fuse one day, but Sol will never be destroyed. Sharptooth will also come back in-full one day. You can't kill a god; you can only trap them. (Was Ashfur strong enough...? We'll just have to see...)

You become strong enough to "walk where you please." There's no way to keep a god out of an afterlife without fighting it back. The Meadow of Young Stars was an effective way to gently keep Dark Forest demons out of StarClan (before Ashfur's big spooky ass broke it), but if One Eye WANTED to, he could force his way in.

You have immediate, tangible effects on the world around you. So you better learn how to control yourself, if you didn't learn already from your centuries of incubation. This is how you get Fallenleaf accidentally sneezing her wife pregnant. StarClan spirits can influence the natural world, but not nearly as powerfully as a fully-fledged God.

Somehow, you can bring form to Demigods and impact souls themselves. I still need a name for this type of "entity." It's what Star Flower, Brokenstar, and Hollylark are, and to an extent, Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Dovewing as well. There's probably two 'categories,' souls made from something inanimate, and preexisting souls that become god-touched.

Every soul ends one of two ways; either they break orbit and become a god, or, they fade and re-enter the reincarnation cycle*.

*= (OR they do whatever canon plans to do; I will abide by it and fix it as always.)

On the Reincarnation Cycle; (until canon contradicts me and I change this to match)

Most ghosts don't have an Afterlife System. They simply fade away once there's nothing interesting to observe as a ghost, and are re-born fully into a new body.

(In Tallstar's Collapse, the group Talltail travels with is going to be objectively correct about this. They basically have default-worship.)

Ghosts that DO have an afterlife system fade into it, like a bullion cube into soup. They end up fueling the Heaven system and adding to the collective power of the unfaded cats within it. This is why older, larger Heavens are more powerful. StarClan "crafts new souls" by shaping sparkling mud from a large river that goes through their territory.

Heavens are naturally occurring in BB; but Hells are not. Every Hell that we will see, such as the Place of No Stars or the SkyClan Rat Storm, was created by another supernatural entity.

Intentionally, or unintentionally.

[marc--chilton]

house and wilson. but they are cats. warrior cats, if you will,

(bases by googaoo!)

[cushfuddled]

I finished Hazbin a bit ago and call me crazy but I honestly hope Sir Pentious' ascension had nothing to do with redemption as a concept.

I hope it was just a glitch in the matrix from like, the raw, holy power of Adam's laser blast + whatever magical artillery Pentious had revved up at the helm of his ship. I just think it would be VERY funny if Adam accidentally baptized some guy so hard he rebooted him to Heaven.

[culpae-vulpis]

Remake of an older artwork with Flare,

character belongs to @you-are-starclan

[morningmask27]

trick or treat!

here's your boys!

[ranchclan]

Clangen Ask Game V2

I had some questions I wanted to edit, some I wanted to add, so here’s round 2 of the Clangen Ask Game! Most are phrased in reference to clangen comics or fan writing, but this can apply to whatever clangen/clangen-adjacent media you create!

For the cats, please include a cat you’d like to answer

🎨 Favorite Hobbies?

🌙 Heavy or light sleeper, what are their dreams like?

🐀 Favorite Prey?

🌿 Favorite herb?

🎉 Favorite Holiday/Seasonal Event?

👯 Wild circle of friends, or a few close ones? Who’s their best friend?

🌳 What does their family tree look like?

⚡️Special powers or abilities?

🌷Quirks or other mannerisms?

🎯 What do their life goals look like? Deputy, Leader, Medcat, a family?

🏠 Would they ever consider becoming a kittypet?

🐾 What do they think of nearby clans/groups?

🪲What do they value the most?

🌲Favorite location on the territory?

🌧️ Favorite weather?

🧹 Favorite and least favorite clan task/chore/patrol?

🙀What do they fear the most?

✨ What is their relationship with StarClan like?

🍀Secret they’re hiding?

For the clan

🏞️ How did your clan start?

📜 How does your clan’s warrior code differ from other clans?

🎭 Does your clan have any specific traditions, rituals, or holidays?

🌌 Does your clan believe in StarClan, or another sort of afterlife?

💥 What’s the most dramatic event in your clan’s history?

🗿 Does your clan have any important or physical artifacts they keep?

🗣️ Which cat is the biggest gossip in the clan?

👑 Your leader and deputy disappear into thin air, who takes over?

⚔️ Who is the best and worst fighter in the clan?

🐾 Best and worst hunter?

🌟 Which cat has the strongest StarClan/Dark Forest connections?

🔮 Which cat is the most superstitious?

⚰️ What are your clan’s death rituals?

🛡How does your clan choose new deputies?

🌠 Are there any cats in your clan who don’t believe in StarClan?

🐱 Who are some of the cats outside the clan, and what is the clan’s relationship with them?

💔 Which cats have the most complicated relationship with each other?/make you go feral?

🎆What do omens/messages from StarClan look like to your cats?

For the World

🗺️ What does the territory look like? Any unique landmarks?

🐇 What are typical prey you’d find in the territory? Rare or unusual prey?

🐺Typical predators?

🦌 Are there animals that the clan can’t or won’t hunt?

🏘️ What is the twoleg activity like?

⚠️ Are there any dangerous areas cats have to avoid?

🏵Areas that are considered cursed or sacred? Your clan’s equivalent to Moonstone/Moonpool?

🌋 What sort of natural disasters happen here, any that have significantly changed the landscape?

❄️ What is the most challenging season for your clan?

🪴What herbs are most important to your med cats? Rare or magical herbs unique to your world?

🪵 What natural resources does your clan collect for tools, rituals, decoration, etc.?

For the Author

✍️ What inspired you to make your clangen comic/ other media?

⏩ How far ahead do you play in clangen? How far ahead do you draw/write?

📝 What do your notes look like?

⏳ What sort of deadlines or rituals do you follow to keep yourself on schedule?

⛔️How long are you planning on making your comic? For as long as you feel like it, or is there a set end?

🎲 How close to “canon” clangen RNG do you follow?

🔄Do you let clangen fully control names, or do you interfere? Where do you get inspiration for names for warriors and kittypets?

❔Do you have any suggestions for people looking to start their own clangen blogs?

💘 Any cats you ship? Any non-canon/crackship/oddball pairs?

™️Who is your saddest little guy?

😻Which cat would you steal to be your kittypet irl?

🐈 Are there any characters currently based on your irl pets?

🌀Out of context spoilers/WIP?

🏔Lore you’ve been wanting to share but haven’t gotten a chance to?

✏️Who’s your favorite character to draw/write?

❤️ Which character does the audience seem to love that you weren’t expecting?

🌍 What are some of your irl inspirations for the lore/worldbuilding of your comic?

💭 Fan theories or headcanons you love? How much does audience interaction change the events of the comic?

🤝 If you could collab with any other clangen creator (or just want to shout out your favorites), who would it be?

This also might just be me, but be sure to give your favorite creators time to draw or write their responses! Don’t be discouraged if it takes a minute

[forestclan-clangen]

MOON 14 (Part 1)

<< FIRST | < PREVIOUS |

After observing Shiverpaw take care of Riftpaw with dignity and a gentle paw, Windfur recognizes that his apprentice is ready to receive her full name.

(Shiverpaw, medicicine cat apprentice, female, 14 moons. Loving.) (Windfur, medicine cat, male, 28 moons. Lonesome.) (Riftpaw, apprentice, male, 12 moons. Charismatic.)

---

Windfur tentatively allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, he and Shiverpaw had been doing a little better. Not…friendly, by any means. Shiverpaw still chose to eat beside Iciclepool or Morningspot, and Windfur still spent a good amount of time sitting near Cloudthunder's kits and answering their seemingly endless curiosities with complete seriousness. But she agreed to join him on some more patrols, they made some polite small talk about the weather, and engaged in dry banter, once. It seemed to amuse Riftpaw and lift his spirits, so Shiverpaw kept going.

"I stand by what I said. We should learn to set traps in trees. Drop them on does. Then we can have ribs all season."

"It sounds like it would only give a concussion."

"What if it's a really heavy rock, though?"

"I wasn't aware you practiced rock-lifting."

"Oh, no, I'm a healer, not a weightlifter."

"Leave it to the hunters, then?"

"Of course. Tie a rope to the rock. Bring the rope up and over a branch. Wait for something to pass under it. Profit." Shiverpaw said with a smirk as she resecured the bandages around Riftpaw's face.

Riftpaw snorted and said quietly under gritted teeth, "Seems legit."

"Hold steady, please," Shiverpaw said gently as she finished tying the brace. "There you go."

"Thanks," Riftpaw said, his eyes reflecting gratitude.

It was while watching Shiverpaw treat her patient with gentleness, and then meeting Windfur's eyes with a polite blink, did Windfur realize that she was likely ready to be named.

He considered doing so for a while. He held back on it to hopefully repair some of the damage around their fractured mentor-apprenticeship, and to verify her skills again. And…although he wouldn't admit it, deep down, he was still afraid. Afraid of her trances, and what they could mean. StarClan had reassured him. But even so, he always feared that something would happen, and he'd receive a message he'd rather not hear.

That changed after Riversnow's labour.

The dread that rose in his body when Shiverpaw had frozen, staring blankly into the horizon, was all-consuming. He watched as something else shifted in her eyes, like that night of Olive's kitting.

"Listen. Under your feet," she had whispered. "Crawling…through…the…"

He hadn't expected a tendril that burst from the earth next to her. He also didn't expect her to instantly sink her teeth into it.

Perhaps the tendrils sought to catch ForestClan off-guard - lull them into a false sense of security. But they retreated quickly - like mice startled by the jaws of a fox that dived into their snowy tunnels. Those that didn't flee were shredded by fire and claw. But in the fray, all he saw was Shiverpaw pulled to the ground, her eyes distant, and yet her jaws still locked around a frantically thrashing tendril.

It took him a few days to fully process everything. Eventually, he realized something.

Shiverpaw was the one most impacted by the trances. Not him, not StarClan. Her. She was struggling with them the entire time and he never bothered to ask what he could do to help her. He avoided asking her out of fear. And she learned to recognize its patterns and grasp on her mind, alone.

She overcame it for long enough to protect her Clan. Her heart and her mind were dedicated to ForestClan above all, even if she didn't have any help.

He felt weary and angry at himself for some time after. Another personal failure to add to his list of evidence of being a horrible cat. Maybe that's why his own subconscious mind tried to speak to him - scream answers that he knew all along.

He was dreaming, in retrospect, in the way one is both aware and unaware of it. The abnormal became normal. He accepted it, as though it was always that way. Airkit had a pet robin. He couldn't quite figure out its eyes. Everyone was calling some ginger tom 'Barleywave'. Looked nothing like him, but no, that was him. Tree kept eating raw meat, despite Windfur's protests. He never saw Tree eating it, he just knew that they did. When he told Redstar, she didn't seem to care. She showed him how to dissect a frog. Said Twolegs were the tallest beasts, and only the frog leapt to their height. Knowing how the frogs croaked would bring them closer to answers. The trees would be lined with mud. Of course. This made sense. Everything was fine.

Until he turned around, and from the wavy, haphazard environment, he saw Chicoryglint sitting in the elder's den.

His heart raced, almost bringing him out of his slumber. He clung to sleep with desperation.

She stared at him.

He called her "mom". He's not sure why.

Time was meaningless in a dream. But it felt like an eternity before she rose to her feet with the stiffness of a Fake Cat. She then turned around, and walked away into the darkness.

He woke up.

Windfur felt his heartbeat steadying. His ears twitched as the sleep evaporated from him, and he was reminded of what it was to be alive. The crickets chirped. He rolled over and stared at the ceiling of the medicine den.

For a moment, Windfur felt conflicted. Empty.

For the longest time, he had wanted to see her again. He wanted to see the light in her eyes, hear the patience in her voice. But the second he saw her, her expression apathetic, he just thought about how shocked he was to see her at all.

And…how it didn't bring him comfort.

Windfur closed his eyes, and exhaled deeply. How long had it been? Over a year? It was strange. Strange that his childhood was filled with memories of Lakestar screaming and threatening his clanmates on one end, and Chicoryglint playing impartial codekeeper on the other. Telling him that protectors of secrets did just that - protect. They did what was right for the Clan as a whole, not for the individual. At his naming ceremony, she asked him if he vowed to protect StarClan's secret, and vowed to remember the cats who were lost, fallen, or ran from the woods.

His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the ceiling.

"I'll remember them," he mumbled inaudibly. "Even you. But I'm not going to run when it gets too hard. Even if I think the whole Clan hates me, I'm not going to leave Shiverpaw alone. She deserves better than me. I…deserved…"

He let the thought trail off.

The next half-moon was within a few days.

He'd come up with a name by then. A good one.

*****

Shiverpaw always felt tense when they would approach the sacred site. The anxiety only amplified after last winter. Nothing had happened of note since then, but she was still scared, most days.

She found fleeting comfort in Windfur's attempts at small talk. It was clear that he wasn't good at it, but she didn't mind. She decided to ask him questions instead. Keep her mind off of other unknowns.

"Who do you see when you dream?"

"It depends. I've seen Warblerkit. Talontooth. Flametwig - you wouldn't know them - a few other cats from when I was an apprentice. Sprucetail."

"Any cat named Icypaw?"

"Yes, a few times, when I was younger. Less so now."

Shiverpaw resisted the urge to ask if he knew who Lightfoot and Whiteflower were. The thought of it made anxiety rise in her chest. She must've been too obvious with her feelings, as Windfur stopped and looked at her.

"Is there something else on your mind?" He only paused for a moment before quickly adding, "You don't have to tell me."

Shiverpaw felt a pang of guilt. "I'm fine. Just…nervous."

Windfur didn't try to pry or add anything on. Maybe he assumed that she was still reeling from Talontooth's death. Whatever the case, she was grateful that he didn't ask.

As they approached the ruined Twoleg nest, Shiverpaw leapt down onto the first bunker step without hesitation. The pitch black darkness used to bring her anxiety - but she had gone through it enough times to mentally map out the rhythm of the staircase and the cracked stone on various steps.

"Hm." Windfur's grunt echoed against the tunnel.

"What is it?" Shiverpaw asked.

"Nothing. I just remember how frightened you were the first time you walked down here."

"Yeah," Shiverpaw let out a polite mrrow of amusement. She never liked thinking about the first time she came here, for…obvious reasons. But she did indeed struggle the first time to get down. Such a small thing, after…well, everything else that followed.

As they pushed the bunker door and allowed the light of the Half-Moon Dome to pierce the darkness, Shiverpaw habitually glanced at the Silver Box and the crack in the wall, and was relieved when nothing was there.

Shiverpaw padded towards the dome, but stopped, her ear twitching as she didn't hear Windfur following her. There was a sliver of panic that shot through her paws, only for it to vanish when she turned around to see him still standing at the doorway.

"Windfur?" she called.

Windfur's dark blue eyes flickered against the pale light. He blinked, then asked somewhat quietly, "Shiverpaw. Do you regret becoming a medicine cat?"

Shiverpaw gave him a bewildered stare, taken aback by the question. "I…I don't understand," she sputtered.

"Given what you know now about the Iris," Windfur dropping the name felt like a stone breaching still waters. The ripple effect dazed Shiverpaw as well. Both of them stared at each other for a moment. Neither of them had mentioned the eldritch thing responsible for the Woodcrawlers since…Shiverpaw's ear twitched. Did…they ever actually talk about it? They would have never gotten the chance. Not in camp. Not around other cats. Acknowledging the secret felt like tearing up the grass to find a corpse.

Windfur swallowed, seemingly having the same realization and not wanting to remain still. "It's a heavy burden to bear. It's something we're asked to keep hidden from our clanmates in return for communion with our ancestors. Recently, I remember being more or less forced into the role by Lakestar. I never minded it much. But…recently I wonder if that was wrong. If perhaps I should have given you the choice. A warning, at least."

Shiverpaw blinked. She shuffled on her paws, staring at the floor. For a moment, she thought about Rootgrove. About the beings beyond StarClan. She felt like she had to keep them a secret from her Clan. Windfur included. She felt like she was chosen, pushed into a role she never asked for.

What was that storytelling trope she heard about…irony, she believed it was called?

She sighed. "I think…no matter what, something would've brought me here. To the Dome, I mean," Shiverpaw clarified. "I never felt like hunting or fighting was in me. I just wanted to help cats. I wanted to talk with those who were gone." Shiverpaw lifted her head up and met Windfur's gaze steadily. "I think I would have agreed regardless of your warning."

Windfur's gaze softened as he stood up and padded beside her. "It's a noble goal to have. One that I hope you continue to pursue during your days as a full medicine cat."

Shiverpaw blinked for a moment, feeling like a stunned sparrow. After a few more blinks, her fur bristled in surprise, her heart racing. Windfur merely nodded, keeping his emotions leveled.

"It's about time. You've excelled at everything I've taught you. I know we haven't been…great at…"

"Talking," Shiverpaw finished with a disbelieving chuckle.

"Right," Windfur sighed. "But we can improve on that as medicine cats. At least, I hope to. For today, I'd like to give you your new name."

Shiverpaw sat down eagerly, feeling her heart race in anticipation. Before Windfur could move his tail, Shiverpaw blurted something.

"I…I forgive you."

Windfur seemed puzzled, his head tilted in surprise. Shiverpaw continued.

"I…the last few moons," she clarified clumsily. "I said I needed time to accept your apology. I think…after the past two moons, I'm…ready to do so. I see you trying. I see you putting effort. There's days where I still feel hurt. But I see you trying." She swallowed as she saw Windfur's neck fur slowly rising. She must've surprised him. But she meant it. "So…before you name me, I just want you to know that I forgive you. I can't say things are totally okay. But it's a start. That's all."

Windfur seemed stunned, then shaken. He looked away from her, and for a moment, Shiverpaw was convinced he was going to sob, but instead, he exhaled deeply, then looked back at her. Voice still steadying, he meowed, "I never expected it. But…thank you."

Shiverpaw nodded in response. After a brief moment of peace to gather his thoughts, Windfur gently placed his tail on her shoulder.

"StarClan, I call upon your spirits to look at this apprentice. She has trained hard and rightfully earned her place as a healer, and will continue to serve her Clan with your guidance and her skills for many moons to come." Windfur met Shiverpaw's gaze. "Shiverpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of the cleric, protecting StarClan's greatest secret and work to heal all cats who seek you?"

"I do," Shiverpaw said, her voice trembling.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your name. Shiverpaw, from this moment on, you are Shiverstep. May StarClan guide you even in the darkest of nights."

Windfur repeated the process she had seen Redstar do with Talontooth and Morningspot on the High Rock - licking her shoulder and allowing her to do the same to him.

Shiverstep knew that there would be no Clan chanting her name, and no grand celebration or required vigil. She would rest her nose against the Half-Moon dome, and meet with StarClan.

But despite that, her heart soared. She felt like the eyes of her ancestors and…maybe of others, too, were looking down at her and cheering her. Her heart beat to the rhythm of her new name.

Shiverstep. Shiverstep. Shiverstep…!

---

<PREVIOUS | NEXT>

[bogcreacher]

leaders, deputies and healers (redraw)

huge, and I mean MASSIVE infodump under the cut, watch out!!

LEADERS

Palestar (she/her), Leader of Stormclan - Palestar’s backstory is one shrouded in mystery. All that is known about her ascent to leadership is that she killed the previous Stormclan leader - Creekstar - who was known as a callous tyrant. Rumours ooze around the festering wound that Creekstar left in her clan, and whilst her fellow leaders are viciously curious about the events that lead to her annointment as leader, Palestar is thoroughly tight-lipped about it all. 

Ouzelstar (he/him), Leader of Snowclan - A traditionalist and a shithead. Ouzelstar was a virulent warrior, intent on keeping his clan free from anything he believed would threaten the tradition that Snowclan had supposedly stood on for so many years. As leader, his cutthroat attitude has calmed a bit, mostly due to his fears over dividing his clan any further - though he is not above putting down cats he deems ‘lesser’, such as his deputy, Kestrel, whom he named Half-face. 

Dapplestar, (he/him) Leader of Gladeclan - The oldest of the leaders and a gentle soul. Dapplestar has had the fortune of leading Gladeclan through many of its most comfortable seasons, and as such has adopted a very mellow outlook on life. His indecisive attitude has troubled them, however, when choosing deputies. After struggling for many moons with cats who wanted to abuse power and ignore duties (or those who were very obviously just waiting for him to keel over), he sought guidance from his ancestors. Lionsong was appointed deputy after Starclan named him as the future saviour of the clan. Knowing that a prophecy has named Lionsong as his successor, and confident in his abilities to lead, Dapplestar is ready to retire and live out the last of his days in the warmth of his clan. 

Sandstar (they/them), Leader of Meadowclan - It is difficult to describe Sandstar without using the word ‘bitchy’. Taking their assessment at an exceptionally young age and then going on to become deputy and leader, Sandstar has earned the confidence and precedence they carry themselves with - not that it doesn’t annoy their fellow leaders somewhat. Despite all their pride and gumption, they regularly find themselves bored by the toils of leadership and often delegate their duties to their worrywart deputy, Ravenshine. They have two mates, Mothswoop and Appledawn. 

DEPUTIES

Bluehaven (he/him), Stormclan’s Deputy - In the aftermath of Creekstar’s rule and Palestar’s rise to power, Stormclan was weakened and divided. In-fighting began to stir between those who supported and those who opposed Palestar’s leadership, and to quell this discord Palestar appointed Bluehaven, one of her most outspoken opposers, as deputy. Despite his objections to her leadership, Bluehaven was shaken by Palestar’s decision, initially believing it to be a trick, and later, a test of his loyalty. He warmed up to his new role after Palestar made further efforts to rebuild her clan, including pardoning exiled cats and banning the murder of rogues (an action that Creekstar had permitted). Nowadays his relationship with Palestar is tense but professional - though there are rumours she only made him deputy because she knows he won’t usurp her like she had to Creekstar. 

Kestrel (he/him), Snowclan’s Deputy - Kestrel was born in Stormclan to Pineshadow and an unknown father. Not long before his apprentice ceremony, his mother fled their home, taking him to Snowclan. There, Ouzelstar took him in, whilst his mother was turned away into the frozen wilds. From a young age Kestrel demonstrated an intuition and selflessness beyond his age - he was left significantly scarred after defending his clanmate from a badger. Though most of his clanmates afforded him sympathy and admiration for this action, there were others who were angered by it - namely Ouzelstar, who would give Kestrel the warrior name ‘Half-face’. Kestrel went on to become deputy after Thawflank stepped down to care for his son and grieve his mate, and remained in the role long after this once Ouzelstar realised his competency far exceeded Thawflank’s (and he didn’t argue with him like Thawflank did). As deputy, he puts his duties above all else, especially any personal grudges he might harbour. 

Lionsong (he/him), Gladeclan’s Deputy - Lionsong suffered a rough childhood, one that he still occasionally blames himself for. Having lost both his parents at a young age, in different ways, Lionsong grew up under the guidance of his mentor, Brightnettle. As an adult, Lionsong has committed himself to serving his clan to the best of his ability, and is known by his clanmates to be resolute but compassionate - making him a perfect candidate for deputy. Having been named by Starclan as the ‘saviour of his clan’, Lionsong wonders what lies in his future, and whether his future role as leader could clash with the actions required of a hero. He has a mate named Ashfall. 

Ravenshine (she/her), Meadowclan’s Deputy - Born a kittypet and abandoned by her owners, Ravenshine struggled to adapt to a life of scavenging on the streets of her twoleg-place. She found Meadowclan after trying her luck hunting in the fringes of the town and stumbling across a border patrol. Desperate and hungry, she was prepared to fight these new, strange cats for her dinner, but was surprised when they invited her to their clan. She found the warrior life suited her well (though she is prone to sunburn more than the average Meadowclan cat, due to her lack of fur) and quickly earned the trust of Sandstar. She enjoys organisation and strategising, both of which make her suited to her role as deputy - though she does have a bad habit of over-worrying, something that isn’t helped by her leader’s lackadaisical antics. She has a crush on her clanmate, Flaxeneye. 

HEALERS

Lichenfrost (she/her), Stormclan’s Healer - Lichenfrost is unusually friendly for a Stormclan cat. She was apprenticed to Frostwhisker, a key figure in the turmoil Stormclan experienced under Creekstar’s leadership, until his brutal death at the claws of a clanmate. Lichenfrost was understandably devastated, having witnessed it with her own eyes, and struggled for many moons as her clan’s sole healer. Whilst the bright sting of shock has long since left, she still finds herself struggling under the weight of her grief from time to time, a feeling she mostly tries to battle with a warm smile and a good talk, and maybe only occasionally some poppyseed. 

Berrystem (she/her), Snowclan’s Healer - Berrystem apprenticed under Cedarsmoke, a quiet and often unsettling cat. Almost as soon as she had earned her name, he left the clan, saying goodbye only to her. As an apprentice, Berrystem was fiercely passionate about her duties, finding solace in healing clanmates and peace in having time to herself - not to mention, a small part of her was both humbled and thrilled by the importance of her role. As she got older, however, her devotion began to waver - and almost faltered completely when the Blight hit her clan. After the death of both her apprentice, Mumblepaw, and her brother’s mate, Tumblestone, Berrystem travelled to the Peak and begged her ancestors for something, anything she could do to save her clanmates. She was met with silence. Distraught and hopeless, Berrystem started avoiding her clanmates out of guilt, spending all her time in her den tending to the dying. When the Blight finally began to clear in the warmer months, the damage was done; their small clan was smaller and Berrystem believed it was all due to her. Losing her brother to his grief and her friends to their duties, Berrystem found an unlikely bond with the only other cat who felt ostracised from the clan; Martenfur. The two would soon form a warm friendship, with Martenfur often helping Berrystem fetch those herbs that were just a little too tall for her to reach. 

Littleshadow (she/her), Gladeclan’s Healer - Littleshadow became a healer far later in her life than most cats. She was 40 moons when the clan’s current healer, Duskfoot, died suddenly in a dog attack. Having been the only cat with a higher-than-average knowledge of herbs and remedies, Littleshadow stepped in to help her clan. Trained mostly by Beechbark, Littleshadow quickly learnt the ways of a healer and took up the role full-time - leaving her mate, Cindertail, behind. 

Beechbark (he/him), Meadowclan’s Healer - Beechbark is the oldest of the current healers, having outlived not only his mentor but the clan’s previous leader. Despite this, he refuses to pick an apprentice on the principle that none of his clan’s current young ‘uns show enough respect and diligence for his liking. His clanmates fear that he’ll die before taking an apprentice, and his clan will be left healer-less like Gladeclan had been. Little do they know, Beechbark fears that if his clan has a newer, younger healer then they’ll see no use for him, and usher him off to the elder’s den. He’s not ready to give up his role just yet. 

[troutfur]

Here is a free idea for anyone wanting to make the Dark Forest less like a Christian Hell and give the Clans more flavorful holidays and celebrations: A Clan cat holiday based on the Buddhist Hungry Ghost Festival.

It goes thusly:

Every year, during the South Asian monsoon season, Buddhist monks do an intensive three month silent meditation retreat. At the conclusion, when the monks once again mingle with the laity, there is a huge party with lots of food being offered to the monastic community. This is a form of creating lots of good karma, which in turn is dedicated through prayers for the welfare of one's ancestors, and in particular those reborn as pretas (often translated to English as "hungry ghosts", incorporeal beings with bloated stomachs but needle-like mouths, incapable of eating anything but the most disgusting bodily fluids except when someone dedicates their good karma for their benefit).

The idea of the DF being a place with no prey, as opposed to StarClan's easy hunting, is already present in canon. So presenting them as perpetually starving like hungry ghosts would be a natural extension of that. Further, adopting the idea of the Hungry Ghost Festival gives cats with notorious evil relatives an outlet to memorialize their family in a socially acceptable way. You are not honoring them the way you would a StarClan cat, you are demonstrating pity for their post-mortem condition.

It also gives the meddies a festival where they can be appreciated and honored for their efforts. Perhaps in place of a three month meditation retreat there is some other form of sacred duty. For example, it could be all-night prayer vigil, performed at a time thought of as particularly liminal and during which the veil between worlds is thinner, like an equinox or solstice. Or it could be a period of fasting during which they train their bodies to be more resilient. Or it could be during a particular period during which they study the stars and draw up charts with predictions of the future in the coming season.

Whatever it is, I think it works for the world and society in a way that makes the worldbuilding more colorful. I don't know if I'd use this concept myself (perhaps for that Warriors with Buddhist cosmology idea I keep playing with...), but I am releasing it out into the world in case any of y'all has any space in their WIPs for it.

[skyclan-funny-name-squad]

PLEASE tell me Onestar goes to the Leaf-Fall area in the seasons StarClan thing

Hmm onestar

Lets see, his biggest crimes are abuse of power and everything with darktail

Unfortunately i think he’s end up in newleaf, being a dick is not inherent grounds to move down a season, and while his treatment of Smoky is certainly enough to keep him out of greenleaf I would say Darktail’s actions wouldn’t factor in too much because like, literally how could he know that would happen. As such he simply doesn’t have enough blood or betrayal on his paws to knock him down to leaf-fall. He’s a dick who did wrong, but he’s not got the damage to fall any further.

Unlike a cat like mapleshade who did commit murder and do crimes that could be considered unforgivable but was also a victim of a misread prophecy, failures to obey the warrior code, and the delusions of her kits earning her a place in the “you did pretty bad things but also the bad things werent enough to fully outweigh why they happened” Onestar just doesn’t have the same legacy to earn a spot in leaf-fall.

Though I’d imagine cats who died to the kin or some leaf-fall cats would think he got off too easy, but alas, it’s kinda hard to hold him responsible for his son becoming a cult leader when he never even met the kid. Like yeah he could have stopped it by taking in Smoky, but like, Darktail also could have just as easily…not, done all that. So he is going to be hearing snide deadbeat dad comments for MOONS

Also while we’re here Mudclaw did also end up in newleaf because while he definitely was questionable enough to be kept out of greenleaf, the complicated issues of a lack of a proper ceremony and the only witnesses being thunderclan cats and the lack of overall damage kept him in newleaf.

[bunnyburrowsys]

you guys don't realize how badly i want to cover this fuckass thread arguing against every single claim against taco.

so i did :3

and it.

is

LONG.

so watch out. eat up :3

(also, if you find out or know who made the thread, for the love of starclan do NOT harass them. the most you should do is block them.)

(This is a description of the image above including inputs from me because i can :3) Fucked up shit Taco has done on this episode:

Force the contestants into talking about issues they still weren't ready to talk about. (Rubi: Mephone already was going to do that. He set it up. He made the challenge. He literally said "I can respect the whole therapy but twisted". Off to a great start. (sarcasm))

Immediately replaced Mic with Mepad, because well. She said it herself; having someone helps her think.(Rubi: Because she was isolated for years after season 1. Taco also stole Mepad for teleportation but having him as a companion is not "replacing" anyone.) Mepad was the closest and easiest to manipulate on doing that. After all... Mepad just left Mephone4's side(Rubi: Taco kidnapped Mepad. Mepad never "left" Mephone. Taco was only using Mepad for teleportation so Mic could win the challenge in EP 14, she didn't try to convince him she was a good person nor to quit his job). Of course Taco would use that against him.

Sang about "how much she regrets everything" while still purposefully, and consciously, wanting to make things worse for everyone. (Rubi: Taco's Tirade was Taco acknowledging her own flaws and insulting herself while also projecting on the contestants. it was not a self pitying song.)

Make fun of Suitcase's situation and messed with her(Rubi: which is false btw!), despite the fact Suitcase genuinely thought that Taco was a hallucination.

She practically forced Suitcase to talk about something she still wasn't ready to talk about (Rubi: False but also Mephone was going to do the same exact thing.). In front of everyone. Pushing someone to talk about her hallucinations is kind of messed up. (Rubi: No one, including Taco, knew Suitcase was suffering from hallucinations)

Kept feeling bad about herself but never did anything to actually try to be better. (Rubi: Taco is not self-pitying. She thinks she's a horrible person that is too far gone to be redeemed. She wants to improve but isn't confident it will be worth it.)

Used Mic's self elimination as a reason to why everyone should leave despite the fact that she was the reason as to why Mic left in the first place.(Rubi: accurate but this implies Taco doesn't know this already)

Kept pushing Knife to talk about Mic and expose her.(Rubi: inaccurate. Taco, at the very least, wanted everyone to know Knife knew of her presence in the game. From what I remember, she made no illusions to Knife protecting someone. Knife said that on his own Looked back at the episode. Taco did make references and implications about helping someone and Knife knowing. Still didn't name drop. In short, she wanted to ruin his reputation with everyone when they learned he knew she was there all along and that she was a potential danger.)

(Continued description)

(Rubi: This one is the worst) Died from stress because despite the fact that she willingly did all of that, she couldn't face Pickle. Not yet. (Rubi: Blaming someone for dying from stress or whatever, no matter if it was their fault, is the stupidest thing ever. Also, she didn't want to face anyone because her plans were gonna be foiled. If Mephone did these same exact things and almost short circuited from someone calling him out, everyone would've felt bad. but not Taco who is coincidentally the female character. Yes, I am pulling the misogyny card.)

Made it all about herself and completely disregarded how everyone felt under the excuse of "this is the best for all of you". (Rubi: Vague. What exactly was best for all of them? Interrogating them or telling them to leave the show that was ruining their relationships? Taco, while doing bad things, did bring up good points. The show -- the prize was what they were really after and Taco recognized that and learned that it was all for nothing. And mind you, Mephone was going to do the same thing except for his own enjoyment.)

Made Baseball and Suitcase end out on terrible terms when they were just reworking their relationship. (Rubi: False. All of this. In the episodes after Nickel's elimination, Baseball and Suitcase avoided eachother. They interacted once in Mine Your Own business where Baseball told Suitcase "Don't let me hold you back". They did not attempt to rework anything between them because what Suitcase had with the Armless Alliance wasn't what an alliance was to her. She wanted nothing to do with Baseball. Baseball left understanding how Suitcase felt, not hating or resenting her and definitely not vice versa.)

Essentially manipulated Mepad because of not showing him the full story aside from her regrets. (Rubi: Taco isn't going to rat out Mic's cheating like a Tattletail. Claiming Taco is dishonestly influencing Mepad into thinking she is innocent or good or whatever this claim is trying to say is so very wrong. Mepad didn't ask and since the cut of Mic leaving is still fresh, it wouldn't be easy for Taco to talk about. Additionally, Mepad is a free thinker. He was proven himself that the show is harmful. By Marsh and by Taco. Did Marsh manipulate him too?)

"No more hiding" despite the fact that she very well knows Pickle doesn't answer her letters for a reason, and that Mic left from how much pain she caused her. (Rubi: This is a blatant misunderstanding of what Taco said that it is laughable. Taco was saying "no more hiding" to herself. She was literally looking at the invisibow that she has been using to hide from others and she has also been hiding from the responsibility of apologizing to Pickle.)

Thats it! I hope all of the Taco likers like this and Taco haters cry to their mommies or whatever :3

If you have anything to play devil's advocate or add on, please do so! I like talking :3

Fronting: Raichu/Julius/Rubi - {He/They/Mew} & Lollipop {She/He}

[bonefall]

Yo, need some help with the BB au's warrior code (working on the wiki). Cus 1-4 are confirmed from the history post, but what order are the rest of them in??

Oh this is actually something I've been meaning to get to. I swung over to the wiki page and I see you're working with a bundle of unconnected posts, and the REALLY old first draft-- it's waaay overdue that I make an update that also contains an official addressing of some of the biggest changes that have happened since then.

I'm gonna try to fix that for you now. Here's a rough draft of BB!Warrior Code 2.0, including snappier names and new thoughts for the associated stories.

I'm also trying to make each commandment more... sociological. In contrast to canon's code, I want these to be more open to interpretation, but also gesture at deeper social values that Clan cats have.

After all, it's the Warrior Code. I've always felt like it should have a similar vibe to chivalry or bushido, y'know? Not just a list of laws, but a "guide" to living as an honorable warrior.

(and, like chivalry and bushido, it's much less "inherently" noble than it seems, easily twisted into something destructive and only protecting other people in your caste.)

The plan here is that I'm going to post this in a rough state so you can get it on the Wiki, AND everyone can toss up input on this. When I feel satisfied, I'm gonna hit up Trout to make official Clanmew translations, and then I'm going to work with one/some of the artists in my spreadsheet to make this its own post.

So, the next time you see this will likely be a lot cleaner and have revisions.

IN SHORT:

Law of the Border "A Clan is the exclusive ruler of its domain; a Star is the exclusive ruler of its Clan. Borders are set to mark this land. To trespass is to offend the stars."

Law of Honor "An honorable warrior does not need to kill to win their battles, except when the foe is dishonorable or it is necessary for self-defense."

Law of the Deputy "The Star is to choose a responsible Deputy to rule alongside them who shall carry the starlight after their death. A Clan must never go past moonhigh without a Deputy appointed."

Law of Loyalty "Defend your Clan, even with your life. No love for an outsider shall outweigh your loyalty to your Clan."

Law of Priority / Prey Priority Privilege "An honorable warrior would starve before letting those they protect go hungry."

Law of Grace "StarClan is to be thanked for what it provides. To waste their blessings or blaspheme their light is treason against the Stars."

Law of Seasons "A kitten must see two seasons before it can become an apprentice. An apprentice must train for two seasons before it can become a warrior. A warrior should handle all four seasons alone before becoming a mentor."

Law of the Challenge / Right to Challenge "All warriors who bare a blessed name from StarClan are entitled to defend their honor. The right to challenge, or to accept a challenge in turn, shall not be infringed upon without reason."

Law of the Wild "A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet."

Law of the Cleric's Vow "A cleric who takes a mate or has kittens has violated their sacred vow, and must have their privilege of being StarClan's herald revoked."

Law of the Gathering / Full Moon Truce "Under the light of the full moon, all Clans shall send representatives to the Gathering to hear the news of the leaders. There will be a truce that lasts from sundown to sunrise, and attendance is a privilege."

Law of the First Tasks "Before an apprentice can receive their holy name by the power vested in their Star, first they must complete three sacred tasks; a warrior's assessment, a complete vigil, and a pilgrimage."

Law of the Leader's Right / Dalestar's Law / The Leader's Rights "By the power of the Star they carry, the word of a leader shall be recognized as the warrior code."

Law of the Three Kittens / Darkstar's Law / The Queen's Rights "No action, inaction, or accusation may ever allow a kit to be put in danger, no matter what Clan their parents were from. All queens shall have the right to not reveal the origin of their litter, even under suspicion of codebreaking."

Law of the Lake "Every Clan has the right to fight for its honor and independence, but the Clans of the lake shall never allow another to suffer or collapse. In dire times, all the cats of the lake understand their ancestral command; unite or die."

Law of Love / Bristlefrost's Law "If a cat wishes to walk alongside the warrior of another Clan, their beloved may ask their Star to issue a challenge to prove their new loyalty. If this challenge is overcome, their love shall be known as StarClan's will."

Law of Kickum Buttocks / Leader-B-Gone "girl help im still figuring out how I'm going to rewrite the new law about kicking out leaders. It is too long and too hyperspecific. There's absolutely no way for it to get legitimately used in canon, let alone be a relevant plot point."

If a previous post contradicts this one, assume this one overrules it. You can feel free to ask about it though! There's probably a reason I changed it, and I'll hear you out if you think an older version was stronger.

The Borbior Bode. I mean the BB!Warrior Code.

(Under the cut)

COMMANDMENT 1: Law of the Border "A Clan is the exclusive ruler of its domain; a Star is the exclusive ruler of its Clan. Borders are set to mark this land. To trespass is to offend the stars."

The legend goes that after the carnage of the First Battle, StarClan granted a fragment of a star to the leaders of the five Clans. This piece of a star is what legitimizes their right to the land they rule, so the leader is technically the owner of the Clan's domain and has authority over it.

In practice, this means that Clan leaders have the right to claim and control everything that is "part of their land," their domain. This usually refers to prey, but also includes herbs, goods, and even warriors with a holy, StarClan-ordained name that swear fealty to them.

Most often, this is the law that is cited to justify territory expansions, by changing borders. It also tends to come up in "economic" circumstances. When Onestar launched an embargo against ShadowClan during the Yellowcough Epidemic preventing mullein from being brought to them, he cited this law, because that herb only grows in WindClan moorland.

The intent behind this commandment is VERY different from its modern use. There were originally just two "commandments," this one and the Law of Honor, and it was essentially serving the purpose that later laws (namely 6, 8, 10 and 13) would more explicitly outline. Its purpose wasn't to put absolute power over territory into the paws of a leader, but to command the Clans to respect each other's autonomy.

In fact, the wording is weird to reflect that.

In Clanmew, the verb here for "trespass" is meant in the sense of "to disrespect," and which "stars" are being offended is unclear. It was originally meant religiously-- the angry ancestors who halted the First Battle would be offended if the Clans treated each other poorly. Over time, "the stars" came to be interpreted as offending the leader of the Clan, as in "issuing a challenge to them."

But its modern interpretation is all that matters, now. And it's widely accepted to mean "Leader owns everything in its Clan's borders, fight them if you don't like that."

COMMANDMENT 2: Law of Honor "An honorable warrior does not need to kill to win their battles, except when the foe is dishonorable or it is necessary for self-defense."

I'm considering rewording this one in a small but significant way because I have plans to play with the "dishonorable foe" clause. The ideologies of Fire Alone and Thistle Law clash over the philosophical idea of the Code's protection applying to outsiders at all, so I realized that I don't need to have "unless they are outside of the code" written into any specific commandment.

So, instead, this version would mention dishonorability. To invoke this commandment to kill is always an accusation, and to accept that it was used against your loved one means admitting they were "dishonorable." To be outside of the code, to be unable to contribute, or to be HalfClan could mean you're inherently dishonorable... if someone like Tigerstar wants an excuse to hurt you.

Unsure, though. I do like the wording of the canon commandment, "unless they are outside of the warrior code or it is necessary for self-defense." I do like the way that it says, right away, that they don't see outsider cats as being protected by this law. I like how weaselly it is.

COMMANDMENT 3: Law of the Deputy "The Star is to choose a responsible Deputy to rule alongside them who shall carry the starlight after their death. A Clan must never go past moonhigh without a Deputy appointed."

Developed as a result of the events of Riverstar's Heir. When King Riverstar passed away with the inheritance of the River Kingdom unclear, his oldest living biological son stepped forward to claim his "birthright." The son decided to throw a celebration before going to claim his lives, not knowing that there was a saboteur prepared to slip poison into his prey.

The cat who would have been considered Riverstar's "deputy" by modern standards, Flowers Come First, desperately tried to keep the Kingdom together as other cats tried to carve out claims to the leaderless land. After dozens were killed and injured in a civil conflict (sometimes called The Second Battle), the ShadowClan Cleric, Redscar, was called in as a mediator to determine the rightful leader.

But, before he determined that Flowerstar would lead next, it was ensured that all of the Clans would come together to accept this as a new law. To prevent this kind of succession crisis from ever occurring again.

(BB!ASC LOOMS IN THE DISTANCE)

This commandment was technically the first "addition" to the law, but at the time, it was considered the "birth" of the Warrior Code. Before this, it was more of a pair of principles from StarClan.

As a note; in the Clanmew, "Responsible" Deputy implies a warrior who has trained an apprentice or has raised children. I'm unsure if linguistic drift now means that HAS to be an apprentice or not, but there are probably historic cases where a Mi with a ton of grown kittens took power.

COMMANDMENT 4: Law of Loyalty "Defend your Clan, even with your life. No love for an outsider shall outweigh your loyalty to your Clan."

This law was famously introduced after Ryewhisker gave his life to defend his mate, Cloudberry, in a battle between their Clans. It's usually considered the first proper "addition" to the Warrior Code, but a real debate about if 3 or 4 is the first "amendment" would probably be considered a sort of pedantic argument by most.

(side funfact; In Clanmew there's a term for that. It's called a "Shineless Fight," or a "matte match." Basically a silly battle that doesn't invite attention from StarClan.)

Its ratification came even in spite of Cloudberry's heated opposition to it. The ancient practice of Kitten Stealing was born from this commandment, justified by ancient actions taken by Skystar during the Dawn Era. Cloudberry watched her kittens grow, inheriting a world far worse than the one she'd loved Ryewhisker in.

When she was reunited with her mate in death, they refused to be part of a StarClan cruel enough to support and approve of a law written to condemn their love. Without a moment's hesitation, the lovers fled into the Place of No Stars together, vowing that they would not rest in peace until the evil commandment was overturned.

They do even more than just that, too.

When cross-Clan mates need protection from discovery, the lovers will hide them from watchful eyes under the cover of yew branches. If the stars burn brightly to document the sins of forbidden friends, Cloudberry will cool them with rain while Ryewhisker bends the grass to guide them to safety. They are demons acting as guardian angels, for those who God has abandoned.

...Also, author's note, I've done rewording to this law. I'm trying to make sure all types of love (platonic, romantic, familial, plus the clan culture concepts for these) are equally important narratively. It's both something I care about as an artist, and also something I think makes the story better.

DIVERSITY WIN! Your queerplatonic cross-clan relationship is equally treasonous!

On that note, I also cut the "reassurance" from the law entirely. The canon law says "you may have friendships, but be careful because you might meet them in battle," to imply it's fine to just be friendly, but I feel like it fits BB better to just not explicitly spell that out. I generally think it's a better idea to stress how individuals interpret the law.

COMMANDMENT 5: Law of Priority "An honorable warrior would starve before letting those they protect go hungry."

In Clanmew, the wording will be closer to this; "The true warrior Wants before those they protect would Need," which means that the warrior's desires go unfulfilled if their "charges" have unmet needs. It applies very broadly to almost anything-- food, medicine, rest, tools, etc. It's not just about hunger, but it's been translated in a way to communicate its spirit to an English-speaking audience.

This does typically mean that kittens, elders, and the Cleric eat first, but it's also one of the laws that particularly noble warriors would repeat to themselves as a mantra. It stresses self-sacrifice in service of the weak. On the flip side, a more authoritarian cat can easily twist this code to accuse someone else of being dishonorable, if they're "taking" too much.

Full disclosure, this one's still pretty big WIP material. I haven't made a lot of progress on the origin story of this one, or what its sociological impacts were.

In fact, laws 5, 6, and 7 are WIP territory. They might get shuffled in order or reworded in the future, though their "spirit" is going to stay the same.

What I DO know about the Law of Priority's backstory is that it's probably not going to be born from a battle on Sunningrocks. Most of the canon equivalent law from COTC is actually going to get repurposed into BB!Darkstar's Commandment, and Commandment 11 by proxy. It's more likely I'll take a bunch of the spare ancient warriors and come up with some original big disaster that spurred it on.

COMMANDMENT 6: Law of Grace "StarClan is to be thanked for what it provides. To waste their blessings or blaspheme their light is treason against the Stars."

Also known as Dovestar's Law. Possibly one of the most prone to being interpreted in different lights between leaders. It's not a law explicitly requiring belief, but it does command religious performance from all Clan cats.

...which, functionally, does mean that cats like Cloudtail and Mothwing have always been pressured into taking part in rituals they don't want to be part of.

For example, when prey is killed, Cloudtail gets offended looks when he doesn't send a prayer to StarClan. If it wasn't for Ferncloud and Elderberry being so close to him, he might have been denied getting Ashpaw as an apprentice due to a refusal to swear a religious oath. Worse, if Bluestar hadn't been leader at the time, not pressing his nose to the Moonstone might have prevented him from becoming a warrior at all.

(as a personal note, as an atheist, ive always found the way that canon dances around acknowledging the destructive aspects of organized religion EXTREMELY frustrating. Especially in COTC, where it's mentioned that Dovestar wanted to codify a religious commandment but failed, and Leafpool smugly chuckles at the leader for being so surprised. It felt like such a "writer's mouthpiece" moment. girl it's a cult in the woods. you wrote scourge as an evil atheist. your cats have catholic guilt, just own it)

The second most important legal use of this law is to punish contact with the spirits of demons-- residents of the Place of No Stars. There are several forbidden techniques for utilizing the power of these spirits, namely "Channeling," the direct summoning of a spirit (as opposed to "Invoking," which is when StarClan as an entity is used as an "operator" to get in touch with an angel in its ranks).

Casually this is referred to as "witchcraft" or "forbidden magic."

But, in addition to being a religious law, it is also a law against overhunting and waste. Especially of "blessed" animals, such as bats and songbirds, which are considered downright sinful to kill. If you knowingly destroy beautiful things without a good reason, "wasting" a blessing, it's not JUST a sin, but a crime.

It's possibly one of the most relevant laws in the day-to-day lives of warriors. ShadowClan cats in particular take this VERY literally, believing that they should also try to salvage a use from ALL things they kill. Including badgers.

COMMANDMENT 7: Law of Seasons "A kitten must see two seasons before it can become an apprentice. An apprentice must train for two seasons before it can become a warrior. A warrior should handle all four seasons alone before becoming a mentor."

This commandment was worded and introduced by Daisytail, rallying all the parents of the Clans, to protect young cats from two battle hungry leaders who were foisting fights and responsibilities on those who physically could not be ready.

This story won't change much from its COTC equivalent, besides maybe adding an extra detail that young apprentices were being given to young warriors, less than two years old. A very young warrior might had never handled the season they're now training an apprentice in, leading to things like;

Being unable to identify thin ice

Not knowing how cold temperatures change how scent works

Unfamiliarity with hunting in snowy conditions

Lack of education on wintertime animal behavior

Ultimately though, the point of this law is simply to codify "minimums" of the age brackets. Most cats train longer than that, and they are strictly grouped socially.

In fact, because of the fact these cats age so rapidly during their first year and then "slow down" afterwards, "rank" is a LOT more important socially than chronological age.

As an example, Reedwhisker has a nightmarish, two-year-long apprenticeship due to mentor abuse. He was considered an apprentice in age that entire time. Having an extended mentorship is literally like being forced to stay a teenager. This is as hellish as it sounds.

Overall though, for BB, this commandment is going to be a lot more relevant for the mentor/apprentice aspects instead of "early apprentice" infractions. Even the most evil, short-sighted leader can realize that getting kids killed before they turn into adult soldiers is self-defeating.

One of the more notorious changes of BB is the fact Brokenstar isn't going to be using child soldiers. What he DOES do is approve of Runningnose's plan to murder a blind kitten so that they can frame Shroompelt for it, exiling her as Yellowfang and FINALLY getting her out of the way so they can commit a massacre against WindClan.

(still evil just a different kind of evil <3)

I've been really wishy-washy on what happened with Badgerfang specifically, because I didn't want to eliminate the tragic story beat of a young life being wasted. But I've finally decided what I'm going to do. Badgerfang was just a fresh apprentice, nothing special, nothing "illegal," just like all of the other adolescents who took part in that battle.

I don't think he should have to be legally too young for it to be absolutely horrific that a kid was killed during the invasion of someone else's home. He was the equivalent of a 13-year-old and he was gored by someone who was confused and terrified in the middle of the night, bleeding to death in his uncle's paws.

For Flintfang, in that moment, it has nothing to do with recommitting himself to the "warrior code," but realizing that the only way this madness stops is if someone puts an end to it.

COMMANDMENT 8: Law of the Challenge "All warriors who bare a blessed name from StarClan are entitled to defend their honor. The right to challenge, or to accept a challenge in turn, shall not be infringed upon without reason."

Attempting to stop a war from breaking out between ThunderClan and WindClan, the ancient leader Morningstar prevented his warriors from fighting back against Rabbitstar's border transgressions. Furious and offended that they could not prove themselves in battle, his cats came to resent him. After skirmish and sickness lead to the "honorless" death of several cats including his deputy, the Cleric, Pearnose, lead a revolt against him.

Morningstar was branded a coward by StarClan, deemed unworthy of joining their ranks and sent to the Place of No Stars to wallow in his misery. Afterwards, Pearstar gained her nine lives, beloved by ThunderClan and blessed by StarClan, and her decree was made into code.

This law is being invoked when a warrior mentions their "right to challenge." As a quirk of the wording, it's also widely accepted that an official challenge involves saying your opponent's full name, to get the attention of StarClan.

"without reason" is another one of those little clauses that gives a leader wiggle room when they need it. Legitimate "reason" to cancel a challenge includes the full moon truce, promise to allow the battle at a more appropriate date, or the fight being shineless or dishonorable to begin with. Still, leaders are rarely eager to get compared to Morningstar, so there's a lot of social pressure to not infringe the right.

The Clans culturally value the idea that "might makes right," and this commandment is both a result of, and a contributor to it. A LOT of small-scale quibbles over aspects of the Warrior Code end up being resolved by an invocation of the Right to Challenge, because trying to argue with a warrior that they're wrong about how they interpreted the code is easily interpreted as an attack on their honor.

COMMANDMENT 9: Law of the Wild "A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet."

During the destruction of SkyClan's historic territory in the White Hart Woods, Flystar witnessed many of his warriors turning to humans and the town to live double lives. In response, he started very strictly enforcing the warrior code, believing that if his Clan lived more piously, this would stop the destruction.

it did not work. Old Man Flystar died and left Cloudstar as a young leader, desperately keeping SkyClan together in its exile. Even death did not stop him from honoring his vow.

...But the Forest Four did not care. The amendment that Flystar suggested for the warrior code was born from his need to discourage his warriors from leaving, but it was approved because of shared cultural hatred for human beings. The destruction of SkyClan's territory just made an existing problem much, much worse.

During the Crusade Era, this law was invoked to justify violent invasions into Chelford. During other eras, it makes cats hesitate to take food from humans, or even interact with kittypets at all.

It's also a very weird translation; in Clanmew, this is the "Law of the Unbunched Scruff." It could also be translated as "Law of the Uncollared Neck" or "Law of a Free Nape." It's referring to the back of the neck being unburdened by a collar, but it's also REALLY common for little kits to learn about this law and immediately start using it to protest their Mi carrying them back to the nest for bedtime.

This was also the last law to be introduced before SkyClan's exile! Modern SkyClan has complicated feelings on if this one should be respected as part of their "version" of the code.

ALSO;

I've so far kept it as short and simple as canon, but I'm thinking of making it longer to match the others. I can't find the right words for it, though-- something about "A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet, and resists the deceitful temptation of humans" or "and remains vigilant for the tricks of man"

I want to capture the vibe of Flystar trying to convince his warriors that humans are liars, and any gifts they give you will actually make you weak. Part of me is trying to avoid wording the commandment in a way that could result in people thinking Firepaw himself is a "trick of man," but maybe I should just lean into it instead.

COMMANDMENT 10: Law of the Cleric's Vow "A cleric who takes a mate or has kittens has violated their sacred vow, and must have their privilege of being StarClan's herald revoked."

Moth Flight did not create the vow to be ratified as code. It was a desperate, painful oath she made her four kittens make before they were taken away from her to become the first Clerics of the other Clans.

She made them promise her that they would not have children of their own who would be ripped away from them. It was a mother's plea, to spare them from the pain she was experiencing, to encourage them to value medicine over connections to a Clan that stole them, and to punish the Clans for treating their bloodline like something that would produce prophets like livestock.

Their gifts would die with them, and all future Clerics would be trained, not born. The Cleric's Vow was a non-binding tradition for generations, until the exile of SkyClan.

Larkstripe, Cleric of WindClan, rallied the other Clerics into going on strike until the leaders reversed their terrible decision. Swiftstar stubbornly refused to give into this demand, even when sickness landed him on his deathbed. She remained firm, informing him that he was free to gamble with his life if he wanted to face StarClan's judgement.

His successor, Dalestar, sought a way to brutally crush the strike. So he hit Larkstripe at her one weakness-- her son, Ripplekit.

With the ringleader's reputation destroyed and her son ripped away from her and sent to ShadowClan, the other Clerics quickly folded. Dalestar got his way, and was celebrated for it.

This commandment doesn't have too many unique interpretations, though there are occasionally interesting cases where Clerics have kittens before taking their vow. While it's a "gray zone," kittens who are the child of a parent-turned-Cleric are sometimes considered cursed or unlucky.

(contrast to SkyClan where it is actually considered a plus for a Cleric to have kittens.)

COMMANDMENT 11: Law of the Full Moon "Under the light of the full moon, all Clans shall send representatives to the Gathering to hear the news of the leaders. There will be a truce that lasts from sundown to sunrise, and attendance is a privilege."

Taken from Larkstripe and raised at the belly of Birdflight, mate of the exiled Cloudstar, Ripplekit grew into Ripplemoon and became Ripplestar of ShadowClan. Spurred into action by a blight that was spreading up the now-dead fifth tree of Fourtrees, he declared war on the other Clans. "If you will not make room to fetch SkyClan home, then I will carve it out."

Before this time, the Gathering was simply a tradition, not code, but Ripplestar's deadly total war tactics recognized it as an excellent target. Attempting to bring a swift end to his bloody campaign, he planned an attack that would surely have many innocent casualties.

However, he was betrayed by his adopted brother; Gorseclaw. The other Clans were prepared for his attack, bringing nothing but warriors to the Gathering. In fury at Ripplestar's audacity, having lost the SkyClan ancestors who would have supported these actions, StarClan struck the base of the blighted tree with lightning. The falling trunk crushed Ripplestar against the Highrock and snapped the oak in two distinct places; at the base, and in the middle.

The Z-shaped cracks would be seen again many years later, as Brokenstar's tail. The guardian spirit of SkyClan, incarnated in the flesh through a birth from a Cleric, furious and manifest.

But, before that time, there was an immediate "Clan Pride Tide" that washed over the culture of those who won. The Law of the Full Moon was the first of three additional Commandments born from Dalestar and his peers during this time.

There are three significant "rules" to Gatherings that were established by this law;

The leader may arbitrarily exclude any cat they don't want to bring. Before this commandment, you could just go. Now, the most freedom you have is your ability to linger longer for the Aftergathering.

It is mandatory to completely listen to the "opening speeches" of Gatherings before you're allowed to mingle. Even if grandma mistystar is going off on a tangent again

The truce is now enforceable. It was previously just a taboo-- scuffles would break out now and then, and there was the occasional playfighting match. Now, you can't even get heated at another cat without people getting uncomfortable.

COMMANDMENT 12: Law of the First Tasks "Before an apprentice can receive their holy name by the power vested in their Star, first they must complete three sacred tasks; a warrior's assessment, a complete vigil, and a pilgrimage."

The second law to come from the post-Ripplestar tide was more codification of traditions, to "instill a sense of pride and honor into young warriors," but these were also a sneaky way to weed out dissidents.

Apprentices would typically do these tasks naturally as part of their rite of passage, but now, if ANY of the cats involved in this process did not like you or your mentor, they could hurt you by delaying them. A leader could choose not to bring you with them to the Moonstone. They could force you to re-do the vigil for making a noise. A vindictive mentor could keep flunking your assessment for stupid reasons because she hates you.

Bad mentors "poorly preparing" an apprentice they have a duty to guide into adulthood is good grounds for punishment. It's a massive dishonor to have an apprentice taken from you. Of course, this all depends on the Clan "taking the side" of the tormentor.

So, this is rarely used for political reasons in more recent eras, because of that potential collateral reputation hit. Making an apprentice's right of passage difficult for no reason tends to make you unpopular with that apprentice's friends, family, mentor, and peers-- but it served its purpose, back then.

Nowadays it's just celebrated as a part of Clan traditions. The First Tasks are much older than the Commandment, but most cats don't think so hard about history that they notice it's strange they got codified during this era.

(Plus, this commandment is popular. Apprentices and their families feel cheated if these first tasks are glossed over.)

COMMANDMENT 13: Law of the Leader's Right "By the power of the Star they carry, the word of a leader shall be recognized as the warrior code."

The big, bad one. Also called Dalestar's Commandment.

With this decree, the Clan leaders announced an exile of all the cats who had been revealed to support Ripplestar. ShadowClan's next leader, Marshstar, was made to deal with an immediate refugee crisis on top of overseeing the injuries of all the cats who fought at that Gathering.

It's the sort of law that would be considered a massive mistake within a few generations, but by that time, it was too entrenched to remove. The leaders had seized power over anything that could legally challenge them-- the Code, their Clerics, and their warriors in turn.

Only the rule of the Impostor would cause this part of the code to be altered, but not before the Clans nearly collapsed under his tyranny.

Future generations would look back at the fallout of Ripplestar's rebellion, and the following tide of Clan pride, and generally reach a consensus; this was the birth of the ideas which would become known as Thistle Law. Maybe it wasn't their origin, and contributing thoughts had existed for a long time beforehand, but this was the watershed moment for what would develop into modern Clan politics.

COMMANDMENT 14: Law of the Three Kittens "No action, inaction, or accusation may ever allow a kit to be put in danger, no matter what Clan their parents were from. All queens shall have the right to not reveal the origin of their litter, even under suspicion of codebreaking."

Famously referred to as Darkstar's Commandment, and cited as the Queen's Rights. Put a decisive end to the barbaric practice of Kitten Stealing. Drafted, fought for, and codified in honor of Mapleshade's three children who drowned in the swollen river.

StarClan was so furious at the sheer amount of senseless death in one season that they blasted Darkstar with lightning to drag her into StarClan to witness the Trials of those who had died. They made her watch as Ravenwing, Frecklewish, Appledusk, AND Mapleshade were all damned to the Dark Forest, and bellowed that her and Oakstar would fix it or suffer the same fate.

She listened and proposed this law. Oakstar did not, and fought against its implementation. He tried to make up for this by beginning the Crusades, but this wasn't enough to "atone" for his disobedience.

Darkstar ruled that the birth of innocent kits shall could never be used as evidence of guilt, because of the fact it would inevitably put those same kittens in danger.

It was StarClan's privilege alone to judge if the behavior that lead to the conception of those kittens was codebreaking or not. Flawed mortals, such as Mapleshade who lied to keep her kittens safe and only endangered them through panic, and Oakstar who exiled children into the rain because of personal offense leading to bias, could not be trusted to be objective about this.

That said-- the Queen's Rights are a very complicated and particular topic. They exist to protect the kitten's birth from being used as evidence; they do NOT protect the family from any consequence of their actions. There are lots of ways for the Queen's Rights to be voided.

If the kids find out their parentage and reveal it, it's void. If a cat who recently gave birth shows the kits are theirs, it's void. If you let it slip that you acquired the kitten from your sister who wants you to raise it as a Clan cat, it's void.

And, no, you can't even safely talk to your Cleric. They are within their full rights to reveal it, too. There is no Cat HIPAA. Whoever you trust with this information had BETTER BE someone you trust with your life, because they might be!

Cats who lean towards Fire Alone think that the Queen's Rights don't go far enough. Cats who lean towards Thistle Law are obsessed with the contradictions.

COMMANDMENT 15: Law of the Lake "Every Clan has the right to defend its independence and to fight for its honor, but the Clans of the lake shall never allow another to suffer or collapse. In dire times, all the cats of the lake understand their ancestral command; unite or die."

First proposed in response to the disastrous lack of response that allowed the rise of the Kin, a deadly Yellowcough outbreak, and the eventual collapse of ShadowClan, this commandment was approved without contest when SkyClan found its way to the Lake.

It's both a promise to SkyClan that what happened to them will never happen again, AND a somber acknowledgement that what happened to ShadowClan was avoidable if they'd only intervened sooner. Heartstar takes this commandment VERY seriously.

Too seriously, many add. Perhaps more out of ambition than compassion. But she doesn't care-- they weren't the ones suffocating in their own lungs watching their family die, as Onestar sat on a hill of medicine across the lake, glowering. Perhaps they should take it more seriously.

COMMANDMENT 16: Law of the Lovers / Bristlefrost's Law "If a cat wishes to walk alongside the warrior of another Clan, their beloved may ask their Star to issue a challenge to prove their new loyalty. If this challenge is overcome, their love shall be known as StarClan's will."

AKA Bristlefrost's Law, created in her honor after sacrificing her Afterlife to barrel Ashfur out of the sky, burning up in orbit.

In life, Bristlefrost was innocently meeting with Rootspring. Two warriors with a small crush, breaking the code discreetly during a time of increasing tension. When Bramblestar's impostor caught them, he decided to make an example of the couple. Brought Bristlefrost to the Gathering, and demanded that SkyClan strongly punish Rootspring to comply with the code.

Waspstar of SkyClan, successor of Leafstar after her poisoning at Juniperclaw's tricks, refused. So the impostor lifted his claw, and sliced Bristlefrost's neck. Her body plunged from the tree, dead in an instant.

With her ghost, Rootspring joined the resistance to depose him immediately. After her sacrifice, he demanded reforms for the code and a new commandment in her honor. It was not as sweeping of a change as he wanted it to be, but with the Law of the Lovers, there was finally a mechanism to bring another cat into your own Clan.

It could have saved her, he argues. He could have taken her out of that dangerous Clan, gotten her away from the Impostor, convinced her to run.

(...the truth is, Bristlefrost would never have run from ThunderClan. Not until the bitter end. She wouldn't just die twice for her family, but even more than nine if she had the chance. but this was the leverage that Rootspring was able to use.)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I keep going back and forth on the "love" wording of this one. On one hand, I like the idea a lot that Clan cats will have to perform friendship or love even if it isn't there to "legally" change Clans as a story device. I enjoy the idea of exploring that, and how it would be particularly messed up in an asylum scenario.

On the other hand... I'm not really using "love" in the romantic sense here, and "sponsor" is both closer to what I'm intending, AND the Clanmew version. By "beloved" I mean it equally in the sense of both an aunt and their "beloved" niece, and a lover and their traditional "beloved." But I'm not sure if that's coming across.

Is there a better word for "Sponsor" but like, in a warm and affectionate sense? Legal Buddy? Guy Who Will Vouch For Me? Sweet Cheese? Not to mention there just not being platonic words equal to "lover." The amatonormativity of the English language has harmed me once again

Law of Kickem Buttocks / Leader-B-Gone "girl help im still figuring out how I'm going to rewrite the new law about kicking out leaders. It is too long and too hyperspecific. There's absolutely no way for it to get legitimately used in canon, let alone be a relevant plot point."

I know FOR SURE that the first time this law is going to be used in BB, it is against Bramblestar in ASC. He's declining, manipulating Nightheart to use in a petty squabble against Squirrelflight, and suffered two massive blows to his reputation in both Squirrelflight's Horror and BB!TBC.

But the canon law is so specific that it's useless. Like, it may as well not even exist.

A non-deputy needs to call the vote

BOTH medcats have to agree

AANNDD you need a 75% supermajority in the Clan.

FINALLY, the other leaders, of Clans that are completely irrelevant, are asked if it's ok and ALL of them have to agree.

only THEN can all of the medcats of ALL the Clans go to StarClan, and ask if the lives can be taken away.

If the sky is cloudy then screw you. you have to wait even longer. Even if your Clanmates are getting murdered or tortured or whatever.

This frustrates me because, this is a MASSIVE change to the Warrior Code, something the audience has been desperate for. Drama in this series has practically dried up, and barely anything happens for books and books.

To make such a long-awaited addition be something this useless feels like an insult. Like they just begrudgingly did the bare minimum so they could ignore it. Even the "drama" of Reedclaw trying to oust Leafstar in CC was pointless, because if the writers were just less boring with their characters, she could have called for that vote all on her own.

"Ah but the code--" characters are capable of arguing that laws are ineffective and drastic measures need to be taken. Other characters can agree with them. it's that simple. Law is a social construct, not a wizard's magic barrier

Like. It could be that easy. Reedclaw doesn't want to physically harm Leafstar so she calls for a vote of no confidence. Cats quibble about if it's "legal" or not, Hawkwing proposes that it be 75% supermajority because then it would be extremely clear this is the will of SkyClan, etc. This would also be more interesting because then it's not established, it's new ground.

BUT. For BB I do want it to be law. Just a law that actually gets used.

So right now I'm leaning towards something like;

"If a leader is no longer able to rule with honor by their Clan's three-quarter decree, the Star shall undergo a ritual to return their blessings. This ritual must be both invoked by a cleric and a warrior, and then carried out by them if successful."

I still feel like three-quarters is a tall order, but I think I can work with it. At the very least, I can remove the requirement for ALL the Clerics to be in agreement.

I'm particularly fond of the idea of the idea that the two accusers have to carry out the WHOLE thing. The Cleric performs the parts of the ritual that would "wash" the lives away from the Leader, and the Warrior performs the parts of the ritual that would allow the Deputy to take them early. Overall, I think it would be generally better if the "difficulty" of enacting this commandment came from the fact the Cleric and the Warrior have to be EXTREMELY dedicated to it.

Like, instead of dealing with a lot of waiting and asking, if you want them gone, you have to do something very tedious with no reward.

As for what that ritual looks like, I want to reference BB!Rowanstar's sacrifice. The leader will probably have to bathe or be rinsed by the water of the Moonpool, and the deputy gets dunked in that.

bramblegirl bathwater

[vespidclan]

Today’s the anniversary of when I first started Vespidclan in Clangen… The day the game broke

I miss back when the girls were so young and happy… before we had any bug drama :’) They’ve gone so far!

I’d probably do a special event or something for this but I don’t really know what to do! So take these facts about what it was like playing the actual game from what we know thus far

Their names were all the same, except Snakepaw was Icepaw. I kept it for a while thinking “oh Icicle and her are matching” but it started to confuse me between the two! So I changed her to Snakepaw about 2 moons in, since she looks like a piebald snake to me.

^ Tying in with that their warrior names were completely the same and I didn’t have to change them… Except for Snake’s. I think she was Snakeeyes, which is a name I liked, but didn’t really fit all that much for her! I ended up naming her Snakevalley for no specific reason, it just sounds nice and cool. (Maybe for an in-lore reason, Icicle gave her ‘Valley’ to keep the remembrance of the Pineclan forests and fields with her)

All the Pineclan cats are in the file and are dead, Sparkbreak is the Starclan guide. I changed this later when I added in Moththorn/404 to the game, but I shouldn’t expand on this, because of lore reasons! Wait until I Am That I Am comes out!

Now that I think about it all lot of names were changed- Fallenfox was something else, but ‘fox’ was RIGHT THERE and I HAD to name her that. Warmfur was Warmshade (good name but he’s literally bright orange), Dreamcatcher was Dreamspike (wasn’t a fan of this one), and everyone else thus far have their names the way they are.

I know it doesn’t seem like it but this story will still keep The Swarm elements, it just wasn’t implemented all that well because there were so little cats! It’ll be added into the story the same time I started following it more in my gameplay, which will be somewhere around the current moons… because of someone we know. 👀🦋

I like having creative control over how the cats look when I draw them. The colors are fine and I try to keep them as close as possible without color picking (I’d hate to have cats that look the exact same) but I like to simplify my designs for them and so they look nice in a comic format, and only sometimes adding extra stuff on them- Icicle never had any yellowish white but she got it cuz I felt like she needed more color on her.

Heartflicker never got a permanent leg injury. I added that to the story myself because it worked as a ‘consequential’ event for what happened before. (nearly killing Icicle) It’s not something she can undo just like that, neither can she undo her actions.

Through my notes I somehow messed up with the seasons. Instead of having greenleaf for 3 moons, I wrote down 5 moons. But I kept this and will continue to! It adds so much to the game being broken and unfixable, not even the in-game moons are perfectly fixed because of 404’s influence.

^ This is also why I made Snakevalley die the way she did. No one gave her berries, no one killed her or anything like that. In the game she died of a heatstroke. But in the comic, it was leafbare, so this didn’t make any sense to me. Took me a while to come up with a reason to have her killed AND be a complete turning point for the story… Because her dying was a complete shock for myself!

…YES Icicle gets pregnant. But that was and will be the only heavy spoiler I am willing to share!

[mourningsbane]

Hi there! I'm also into Warrior Cats, and I have just stumbled my way to your blog, by chance. It's really great, and I love the stories, art, and character design, especially Honeyspring.

So, I actually have a bunch of small questions:

1. Since Honeyspring died of illness (and blood loss), where are her kits now? Did they also pass away with her? And if they did, shouldn't they be with her in Starclan?

2. If she would have to pick, which currently alive cat in the clan would be Honeyspring's favourite? (I'm guessing one of the kits)

3. Does Honeyspring remember her mate, or will that make sad or angry just thinking about him?

4. What are Honeyspring's favourite prey-kills?

5. What is Honeyspring's favourite season?

6. What are her opinions on twolegs? Did she ever encounter them when she was alive?

And, that's it. Sorry if they're long, but I'm really curious about Honeyspring and her backstory. She's so interesting. Also, I offer her this feather that I've just found:

It's a blue Jay feather, and it's really beautiful. It will totally suit Honeyspring. I'm sure she'll like it. 😊

Honeyspring accepts your gift, and with it, grows vestigial tethers. Soon, but for now, your questions shall be answered.

1.) Honeyspring's kits are...around. Pray you never see them, those nightmare unborns. They both do and do not exist and so they flicker in juxtaposition.

2.) Honeyspring's favorite cat in LutumClan is Sweetkit. They talk often, as well as Honeyspring physically can. Sweetkit reminds Honeyspring of a gentler time and brings a specific memory to mind.

3.) Honeyspring remembers and loves Flaildrizzle. They were going to raise Honeyspring's kits together. Honeyspring can hardly wait to see her again.

4.) Honeyspring's favorite prey kills are mice! She specifically likes them when they are small and bite-sized. Something about being able to swallow them whole is appealing to her!

5.) Unlike most cats in LutumClan, Honeyspring's favorite season is winter! She does not appreciate the scarcity of prey, but the coziness of cuddling up with clan mates endears it to her. She has always enjoyed the community.

6.) LutumClan does not encounter twolegs often due to being so rural. They encounter the occasional hunter and dogs looking for a few rabbits or pheasants and greatly fear their arrival. Honeyspring had never encountered a twolegs in her lifetime but had heard the distant booms of their sticks of thunder.

You don't have to worry about asking long questions! I do not mind answering them, and it gives me a reason to think about things that I had not necessarily considered until now! :D