May Gathering 2020 [Sitewide Plot Finale]

Redwolf shook her head once more, finally able to focus on the opponent before her. She snarled as Ivylight attacked Briarpaw, and gathering the last of her strength, raked her claws down the ghost-cat's spine again.

Redwolf used Upright Front Paws on Ivylight, dealing 13 (11+2) damage and costing 14 stamina.
Night Finesse is active.

Ivylight:
51/120 HP (-13)
230/300 SP

Redwolf:
3/50 HP
118/150 SP (-14)

Briarpaw:
10/25 HP
72/80 SP

Ashpaw:
25/25 HP
50/80 SP

And Vixenstar was down.
Or so she thought. A part of her registered the lack of Minkstream, the other registered the appearance of medicine cats, but she was hurt. Not physically. No herb could heal a broken heart. But one voice in particular caught her attention: Vixenpaw.

She was... Yelling, but not at Vixenstar? That wasn't right. As Stormpaw turned, she saw the one sight physically possible to turn her cold blood even blacker.

Rainstrike.
Attacking Minkstream.

Immediately, her vision went red, everything a haze. Minkstream's ginger fur turned tortoiseshell. His eyes dark hazel. Rainstrike was killing Dacedream. With a shriek of pury, utter rage, she launched herself at her adversary. "I KNEW IT, YOU MONSTER! GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Without any hesitation, she clawed, and she clawed, and she clawed, blood spilling all over her once white paws.

STORMPAW used Run-and-Tackle on RAINSTRIKE, dealing NINE DAMAGE (6 + 3 unfocused) and COSTING 4 SP

Stormpaw:
25/25 HP
66/80 SP (-4)

Rainstrike: stunned for two turns
46/65 HP (-9)
175/200 SP

Minkstream:
26/45 HP
116/120 SP

Vixenpaw:
25/25 HP
80/80 SP

OOC: Apparently there was a buff I didn't know about, so Ashpaw only used 4 (10-6) SP each time she attacked... I'll just use it starting from now since I'm so confused... Tell me if I did something wrong!

Ashpaw dashed towards the StarClan cat, charging full speed into the other cat's flank, trying to topple her over.

Ashpaw used Run-and-Tackle, costing 4 (10-6) stamina and dealing 11 (6+3+2) damage.

Ivylight:
40/120 HP (-11)
230/300 SP

Ashpaw:
25/25 HP
46/80 SP (-4)

Redwolf:
3/50 HP
118/150 SP

Briarpaw:
10/25 HP
72/80 SP

ooc: in which Grizzly's two characters who aren't engaged in combat embark on side quests

Seemingly no less strange than anything else Aspenheart had seen in the last few moons, in his endless hunt for someone who wasn't midway through a flaying, he saw a few familiar cats doing something very peculiar: standing still. Aspenheart squinted his eyes, peering through the kicked up dirt and dust to see what exactly the two were playing at. He stumbled, hobbled, and hopped over scrambling warriors to find Zinnia and Downpaw guarding...

"Oh, come on!" he groaned as he shuffled nearer. He looked from Downpaw, to Zinnia, to her, back to Downpaw and Zinnia again. "Okay. I expected that you wouldn't be too 'into' the whole war thing, but I thought that given the time you had, you would've made a run for it. I would've have even blamed you. And Downpaw, I thought this would be your element. But Zinnia is still here. And you're not covered in another's cat's blood. Just..."

Aspenheart waved his paws frantically at Galestar. "What, is she meditating?!" he yelped in defeat. "But I know you're not a bunch of idiots, so I'm guessing your explanation is good enough without you running through all the fine details. Just don't end up being wrong." His eyes narrowed. "I do have to ask. Did she have a change of heart after she killed my best friend?" he said, softer. "Or was it when her ally tried to break Morningpaw's spine? No offense or anything. It just seems like she could've done this a little sooner."

---

Beepaw sucked up the snot and tears that leaked from his face. Maybe he still had strength to stand and fight... yeah! Oh, he was feeling better already! He just had to shake it off, and he'd be-

Oop, nope, falling back down. Beepaw cringed at the throbbing pain once again pressured his temples. Mossbloom would surely diagnose him with some kind of illness he had never heard of when they went back to camp. Well, if they went back to camp. He couldn't stand to cry about it anymore. Not only could someone happen upon him (and wouldn't that be embarrassing, to find this weepy, pathetic thing in a bush by himself), but it made the pressure in his head push against his eyes more than normal. How else could he help, while stuck in a bush and unable to fight?

Beepaw sighed and wiggled, peeking out of the bush into the dim light of Fourtrees. Maybe he could be a lookout. Where was Mossbloom and Daisybloom? Maybe they could use a hand. He tried to remember all of the clanmates he had come to the Gathering with. Ivystar lay dead on the ground... his gut wrenched, for fear that she and Flintstar were not the only ones to fall. Maybe ThunderClanners were being massacred. He peered around frantically, searching for someone's familiar eyes. He found them in Robinloft and Nettlefire as they valiantly held back a StarClan cat. Alright, he decided, two was better than zero. Where was Harefoot, though? He had to be close.

Beepaw felt his stomach hit the forest floor as a dizziness deeper than any concussion could muster took his senses. Dawngaze dropped Oakstar in the dirt, smacking her lips, which were covered in his blood. His eyes stared blankly at the moon. He didn't revive, as Beepaw was told leaders were meant to do, but then again, neither did Ivystar or Flintstar. But... Dawngaze wasn't from StarClan. She couldn't have that kind of power! Beepaw tried to scream with a voice that was not there, he tried to warn someone, anyone, of what he had saw. But there was nothing. Oakstar was a good leader. Everyone Beepaw knew had only good things to say about him. He was kind, he was important! Beepaw knew he couldn't fight Dawngaze and win. She had already moved on, left Oakstar's body to waste away. There was one thing he could do, one thing he was better at than fighting, or being noble, or being strong.

Beepaw padded up to the leader's limp form, eyes wet, though no tears escaped. He took Oakstar by the scruff and tugged him gently. He was large enough to hold the weight, he decided. He scooped up Oakstar halfway on his back and shuffled, moving him near the edge of the clearing where Beepaw had just been. He set the tom down gently, and positioned himself at his leader's head.

"... I don't know how this whole thing works," he murmured. "I don't know if you stay here when you resurrect, or if you're up in the stars right now... but I saw. I saw her. We're both a little busted. I'm going to make sure they leave you alone. I can't fix it, or figure it out... but I'll stick around. I hope you don't mind." Beepaw placed his head delicately on his paws as he sat at the dead leader's side. Every once in a while, his nervous eyes twitched in Oakstar's direction. He was scared to truly look into the eyes of a dead cat. It was said that such a thing changed you. "... Bad day, isn't it?"

Softpaw looked up at Spotlake, fiery determination blazing her eyes. "She will not die. I will make sure of it." Softpaw assured her, an edge to her voice, as if trying to convince herself more than Morningpaw's mother. After a moment's hesitation, she looked up at the queen. "You go join the fight. Don't let Morningpaw have been injured for nothing." SHe told her, then looked back down at her patient.

Softpaw sat there, brown ringed legs folded underneath her. Ever so gently, she rested her head beside Morningpaw's, listening to her breathing as tears silently dropped.

Softpaw:
30/30 HP
90/90 SP

Daisybloom watched in shock as he saw her father fall. No, no, it wasn’t real, was it? She had seen wrong, something had happened, right? She raced over, soon seeing Beepaw. She turned back to the fallen leader, before nudging him. ”Dad?” she mewed. She bumped him again with her nose. ”No!” she cried out softly. She placed a tabby paw on the tom. Tears dripped from her eyes, a salty stream flowing on Oakstar. She didn’t know her fix him. ”Mossbloom!” she called out desperately. Her mentor could help him, she was a skilled medicine cat. She looked around for the familiar calico pelt, but couldn’t see her through the battle. Her breaths grew shaky, and the world started to spin again. She half-thoughts she would wake up, safe in the medicine den. She looked around for someone, Dustcloud, or Nettlefire, or Mossbloom, really anyone she was close with. But she couldn’t find them. Her blue eyes continued to weep onto her father.

Grunting, Dustcloud made an attempt to dodge Badgerstar's attack... And failed. Whatever. She couldn't dwell on it- she had to fight. With a roar, she lunged towards him, bringing her scar-filled legs and paws down on his head once again. She heard a sickening crunch, and her fur bristled slightly... Had she done it? Had she finally gotten revenge on this star-forsaken tom? She watched as his lungs slowed to a stand-still, and a breath of relief filled her lungs.

Dustcloud used Upright Lock, dealing -17 Health Points and using 19 Stamina Points.

Dustcloud:
32/105 HP
185/300 SP

Badgerstar:
KOed

---

Briarpaw hissed at Ivylight, knowing that she'd stunned Redwolf and now had done the same to her. Growling, she looked up at the she-cat... She'd pay.

Briarpaw is no longer stunned.

"I don't know what made her change her mind," Zinnia murmured to Aspenheart. "But she had the chance to fight back - the chance to attack us. To attack me. She didn't. She says she's trying to 'reverse what has been done'..." Whatever that meant, she mused, glancing at where Vixenstar was once again risen, at the cats who had regained their strength at the sound of her song. Observing the fight meant she was at least passingly aware of the cats around them, on guard against any potential threats. "And, well, if she's trying to help us now, who am I to stop her? If it helps us win this battle, then I'm willing to place my trust in her."

She curled her tail around her side, an idle movement as she kept her watch. "She has done awful things, true... But even those who have done terrible, unforgivable things have the power to change, if we only let them - if they only try. What you say is true - this is a war - but wouldn't you rather it end with just a little less bloodshed? Or end sooner, at least?"

"...I didn't run when we faced the cats that wore the pelts of foxes, and I certainly wouldn't run now," she spoke softly. She'd thrown her lot in with WindClan what felt like a lifetime ago, now - perhaps it was, perhaps Zinnia of the flower fields was long since replaced by Zinnia the moor-runner, despite her heart's insistence that she was both. There was no way to know something like that, was there, beyond her own intuition? "I ran into the fight, hoping to avenge Finchstar... But I chose to let her explain herself, and I believe what she says. She has no reason to be kind to me, after all - I'm only an outsider come to avenge the cat I'd pledged my allegiance to. Still, she chose to take a chance in trusting me to listen... I suppose I'm simply returning the favor."

It was foolish of her not to realize that the moment she struck, the rest of the clan would be on her heels, but blinded by rage and disgust and pride, she'd done it anyway, and there was no going back. Rainstrike was confident she'd be able to backpedal her way out of any implications with Oakstar, and if the rest of the clan hated her, so be it. But she wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. But she'd also underestimated Minkstream - yes, he was weakened by the sickness of the impure, but he was also drawing on the adrenaline of battle and that gave him an edge she hadn't accounted for.

She started to dodge as Minkstream leaped at her, but Stormpaw's sudden appearance, raking at her with outstretched claws, hampered her movement, and the tom was atop her again before she could get out of the way. With a furious screech, she spat at Stormpaw, then twisted beneath Minkstream to do what she hadn't done the first time - she raked at his sensitive belly, feeling blood pulse over her claws and drop down into her fur - and then she used the momentum to squeeze from under him, retreating a fox-length to whip around and face both her adversaries.

Rainstrike used Duck-and-Twist against Minkstream, dealing 5 damage and costing 20 stamina. Rainstrike is no longer stunned.

---

Stormpaw:
25/25 HP
66/80 SP

Rainstrike:
46/65 HP
155/200 SP (-20)

Minkstream:
21/45 HP (-5)
116/120 SP

Vixenpaw:
25/25 HP
80/80 SP




So many bodies swirling around him, paws flashing in and out, bloodied claws, dripping saliva, narrowed eyes and slicked back ears. Stembreeze laughed, a hearty, manic laugh, the insanity flashing within his gaze as the smallest apprentice leaped in to attack. He didn't feel it, not the claws that sliced his skin or the blood that dripped from the wounds. He fixated his gaze on the small apprentice, a wide grin spreading across his maw. Yes it was perhaps more honorable to engage the older warriors, but why would he do that with this juicy little morsel just waiting to be taught a lesson? A very painful lesson.

Ignoring the older cats, Stembreeze lurched forward, rearing up and swiping both paws across Willowpaw's face and neck.

Stembreeze used Rending Front Paws on Willowpaw, dealing 17 damage and costing 20 stamina.

---

Stembreeze:
66/120 HP
280/300 SP (-20)

Batbite:
50/50 HP
147/160 SP

Snowpaw:
20/20 HP
42/50 SP

Willowpaw:
8/25 HP (-17)
62/80 SP

Addershade:
65/65 HP
160/200 SP

Three of them, and one of him. Owlstar, despite how disadvantageous it looked, enjoyed these odds. His massive shoulders shuddered with poorly contained power, pelt flickering with bright stars and an unearthly glow. He bled, yes, but it seemed only to strengthen the starry tom. He hadn't felt the sting of battle wounds in moons and moons, and it had been sorely missed. The long-limbed, young tom darted in to rake at his belly, and then dashed out again, but before he could get too far, Owlstar was upon him. The starry leader snarled, teeth glinting in the moonlight, and sank his fangs into Ferretdance's scruff, shaking him like a dog would a rat.

Owlstar used Teeth Grip against Ferretdance, dealing 16 damage and costing 15 stamina. Teeth Grip is in effect for two turns.

---

Owlstar
79/120 HP
260/300 SP (-16)

Freckleface
40/50 HP
142/160 SP

Tanglepaw
25/25 HP
72/80 SP

Ferretdance
29/45 HP (-16)
107/120 SP

Dice didn't work reeee.

The member 'JJ' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 3

“You think that’s an insult? The generations to come should fear us! Perhaps then they will stay in their proper place. And I do care more about tradition than I care about any one of my kin! Our traditions are what help us keep order! Keeping that alive matters more than any individual life. You can’t base your morals on individuals, anyway. They are so...changeable, so unreliable. No one who cares so much about individuals seems to understand that right and wrong are definitive things, not things to be weighed case-by-case. The only stable, true system of morals lies in our rules and traditions! Which you all seem so determined to dis-value! If you all still refuse to join us, and the world continues to unravel and fall further and further out of balance, then on your heads be it!" Liondawn snarled at her opponent after she escaped from her grip.

As Vixenstar fell and revived, the yellow-eyed she-cat felt a bit of strength return to her body, and a renewed sense of determination sparked through her, even as her other two opponents followed up with their own attacks, and new ones joined in, wounding her further than she had been even before she had healed. She knew she wouldn't outlast all of them for much longer, but it didn’t matter to her. She was convinced her words, as well as her claws, would leave enough scars that she would be remembered. And that was what was really important.

She lunged again for Sparkfire, knowing it was likely the last thing she would do in this battle.

Liondawn used Rending Front Paws against Sparkfire, dealing 20 damage and costing 25 SP


Liondawn:
HP: 11/120
SP: 245/300 (-25)


Sparkfire
HP: 11/65 (-20)
SP: 168/200

Harefoot:
HP: 105/105
SP: 243/280


Sunpaw:
HP: 25/25
SP: 66/80

Olivestone:
HP: 74/100
SP: 196/280

Briarthorn:
HP: 50/65
SP: 187/200

The horrible StarClan cat turned on WindClan's deputy and the other WindClan warrior again, drawing very real blood. Swansong felt a spark of desperation kindle in her chest as she prepared to attack again, sparing a brief glance around at the rest of the battle, tasting the bitter tang of blood on her tongue, feeling it gum on her claws. Wails of grief came from somewhere, cries of heartbreak rising to the moon. But she couldn't spare any time to focus on it, couldn't afford to take her attention from the one in front of her, even as it wrenched at her heart.

And then, suddenly, it was over.

The WindClan deputy lunged forward, her teeth sinking into the shimmering neck fur of Lavenderbreeze, and Swansong watched with wide eyes as the starry pelt flickered, pulsed, and then faded with a scattering of sparkling motes like dust in the sunlight. She's gone. Relief was all that flooded her as the deputy yowled it to the skies, and she felt a sigh leave her chest. Morningpaw had been avenged.

But it was too late for the big-hearted apprentice, no matter the revenge or the injuries dealt. Nothing could bring back the dead.

Her gaze wandered over to where one of the medicine cats - an apprentice - sat in front of Morninpaw, tears streaming down her face. And yet, as she watched, she caught a glimmer of life, a small stirring of that pelt. Her eyes widened, the look of tearful relief on the medicine cat apprentice's face suddenly jumping into stark focus as her mouth opened. "She's alive." The wondering whisper slipped free of her maw, and she felt a smile rise onto her lips. She hadn't died; there was still a chance.

But the battle wasn't over yet. And for there to be any chance of her continuing to draw breath, they needed to win.

Determination flashing in her eyes, Swansong turned, her gaze running through the spitting, clawing cats in the clearing until it settled on a familiar reddish-brown pelt slipping under the belly of another star-pelted monster. Her jaw set, her stained claws flashed out again, and she raced to rejoin the fight - to send another one of these imposters back to where they belonged.

Swansong used Rear-up to Slash, dealing -11 damage and costing 11 SP

Swansong:
HP: 50/50
SP: 121/150 (-11)

Aspenleaf:
HP: 57/120 (-11)
SP: 250/300

Ebonypaw:
HP: 25/25
SP: 62/80

Redpaw
25/25 HP
72/80 SP

Nightwolf:
HP: 25/45
SP: 98/120

Batbite didn't say a word at first, instead lashing her tail. Oh, her earlier weakness still tugged at her, and she was going to be a little worn out from the strain - but in that moment, she was fueled solely by adrenaline and the need to put on a show. Whether it was for her own sake of her opponent's, she couldn't say.

Then he went for Willowpaw, as if she wasn't even there, and she leapt back into the fray with a renewed sense of fury. "Do you honestly think," she spoke softly, "that we'll fall to you?"

Her tail lashed again, and she flashed that wicked grin. "You think this is your righteous fury, your righteous vengeance - that's where you're wrong."

She raked her claws across whatever places she could reach, slashing and biting and altogether cutting as deep as the swiftness of her movements would allow.


Batbite used Rear-Up To Slash on Stembreeze, dealing 11 damage and costing 9 stamina.

Stembreeze:
55/120 HP (-11)
280/300 SP

Batbite:
50/50 HP
138/160 SP (-9)

Snowpaw:
20/20 HP
42/50 SP

Willowpaw:
8/25 HP
62/80 SP

Addershade:
65/65 HP
160/200 SP

Badgerstar gasped as Dustcloud brought impressively strong arms down on his head, grimacing as his bones fractured for just a moment. His mouth hung open as he hit the ground, no movement to be seen. But oh, how nice it felt to wage war. The power he felt was unmistakable. It was like he was taking Sunningrocks all over again.. from Vixenstar, no less. He had lost that day, but he gained something. He learned what it felt like to die. Drowning in that river, collapsing in on his own body, as StarClan granted him life once more. He missed this feeling, the limbo of dead and living. Badgerstar felt the power as it coursed, once again, through him.

He lived again. He blinked, cracked his jaw, and he rose to his paws. The tom rolled his shoulders. Back, and more powerful than he had been before. A great and powerful roar left his body, rumbling first in his chest, though his open mouth, and out into the air. A war cry, the opposite of Vixenstar's in all except strength. The Righteous Ones were invigorated. With this swiftness of body and agility of soul, they indeed could win the forest.

Badgerstar used Divine Resurrection, replenishing his HP and SP. Cosmic Fury has been activated, granting all Righteous Few NPCs a passive buff for -5 SP on all moves.
Badgerstar
120/120 HP
300/300 SP

Juniperpaw
25/25 HP
76/80 SP

Dustcloud
32/105 HP
185/300 SP

Raventail
105/105 HP
229/280 SP

---

Tanglepaw's eyes went wide as Owlstar latched onto the WindClan tom. He gripped him like a kit did a mossball. It was brutish, it was violent, it was soulless! That wasn't the kind of power she had wanted. She had admired the way they commanded every space they entered... she didn't know cats as eloquent as Owlstar and Badgerstar could be so lacking in mercy. Realizing that she was next to turn into crowfood, Tanglepaw yowled and charged the huge tom.

Tanglepaw used Run-and-Tackle (+ Night Finesse) on Owlstar! [6+2 HP] [4 SP]
Tanglepaw
25/25 HP
68/80 SP

Owlstar
71/120 HP
260/300 SP

Freckleface
40/50 HP
142/160 SP

Ferretdance
29/45 HP
107/120 SP