The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
Welcome to WCC! Here are our latest announcements:
Activity checks take place on the 1st of the month. If you miss one activity check, make sure you do the next one!
Leaf-fall is finally here, and with it, the promise of colder, crueler, days ahead.
Gatherings take place on the 1st of the month; keep your eyes out for a staff member's post!
Please feel free to hit up any staff member if you have any questions!
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Wed 8 Nov 2023 - 13:56
Fawneye sat near the edge of the clearing, tail around her paws.
Sleepyhollow followed her clan in, staying near the group but didn't engage in any conversation. Sleeps is open for speaking.
The same chilling feeling his mentor was experienced was mirrored in his haunted gaze. His shoulders were hunched and his cheeks were sunken. The tom was exhausted, it wasn't a rare feeling these days, but where some cats tried to hide it, Echosong did not. His fur brushed Fawnshine's and he rest his head on her shoulder for a moment before Mottlestar addressed them. His eyes blinked and he looked to his co-healer for guidance. Now was the time to share all they knew, he showed his support by laying his tail over his aunts and nodding.
But as she mentioned the possibility of leaving their home, Echosong hesitated. He didn't want to leave home. Staying in Fourtrees many moons ago was far enough for him. Even the trips to the Moonstone made his heart ache with homesickness.
He swallowed and cleared his throat before getting to his paws and looking to the crowd of pelts before him. Echosong avoided their intense eyecontact, and instead looked to his leader, "Yes. I received the same prophecies. Yes. Fawnshine also recieved one that stated we should 'know our companions across the bend' I believe Starclan may be urging us to reach out to this clan beyond Highstones. Beyond Highstones." he meowed, "No matter our decision. We must choose quickly, before more of our clanmates die. This is clear. This is clear." Echosong stepped back, dipping his head and allowing other medicine cats to take their turn speaking. Perhaps someone else received more enlightening prophecies.
Foxtrot stayed home.
Fawn:10 Sleepy:4 Echo:4 Fox:9
Stag is exempt.
Last edited by kiikko on Wed 8 Nov 2023 - 13:58; edited 1 time in total
Mistpelt
Characters : Mistpelt Clan/Rank : RiverClanWarrior Number of posts : 15507 Age : 30
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Wed 8 Nov 2023 - 13:56
The member 'kiikko' has done the following action : Dice roll
#1 'Hunting Dice' : 10
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#2 'Hunting Dice' : 4
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#3 'Hunting Dice' : 4
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#4 'Hunting Dice' : 9
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♪~Founder/Owner of WCC~♫ ~Forever a RiverClan Warrior~ ~Please pm Administrators with queries as I'm not active~
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Wed 8 Nov 2023 - 18:50
003
All Hail WindClan's Resident Libra
pantherpaw
I don't live because I can't die, but I'm chained to something.
Pantherpaw lifted his gaze once a familiar voice hit his ears. He curiously glanced to the right to see Tallpaw and Goldenpaw. He let out a quiet snort, something akin to laughter that didn't show in his facial expression. When the large tom arrived at their side, he examined the scene before him with open eyes. The sheer friendliness of his denmates often surprised him. When he had ascended from kithood and finally joined the ranks of the apprentices, he had fully expected to be shunned for his condition. Although it was something that he had grown completely used to, and although he didn't quite care about reactions to it anymore, he would be lying if he said he had expected companionship to come so easily.
"Careful now. I'm sure the Gathering truce applies to play fights as well." Pantherpaw mused as he sat down near the pair, keeping one ear raised in case the leaders decided to begin mid-conversation. He wasn't surprised when they did just that. One of the leaders stepped forth, their gaze seeming to meet all the eyes of the Clan cats down below. As he listened, he could tell that the positive vibe that surrounded Fourtrees was beginning to dwindle. Cats were murmuring and whispering to each other. The long-furred apprentice had no comment, though, even when one of the medicine cats started to delve into a spiel about a prophecy. Leaving the forest obviously wasn't ideal, but if push came to shove, Pantherpaw would follow suit and follow his Clanmates to wherever they deemed fit until the forest was back to health. He had never had the opportunity to see the moorland in its true glory. He had been apprenticed near the start of the famine, so he had never seen what the territory was supposed to look like.
He glanced toward Tallpaw and Goldenpaw to gauge their reactions. Surely nobody was happy about this news.
Number of posts : 2299 Gender : gorl -Copperbeanz says hi <3
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Thu 9 Nov 2023 - 5:20
“No,” Goldenpaw growled, feeling Tallpaw’s tail squirm in her mouth. Actually, that was kinda weird-feeling, and it was getting really hard to fight the urge to bite all the way down like she would on a rabbit, so maybe she should let go… but then Tallpaw called another apprentice into their not-quite-a-conflict, and she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself. No sir, that was not something a Goldenpaw ever did. Pantherpaw trotted over, but all the young apprentice did was flick an ear and him and attempt to grin around her catch, a deep purr rumbling in her chest.
“Wait, it does?” she asked, perking up in curiosity, only to find that she might’ve allowed Tallpaw to escape by talking. Well. He escaped because she let him, how about that. Yeah. Totally. “That’s no fun! When I’m leader, I’ll let everyone do what they want.”
Goldenpaw had not come to this Gathering with the intention of, y’know, actually listening, but Pantherpaw was staring up at the Greatrock and Tallpaw seemed to be trying to listen too, so maybe there was actually something important going on. One of the leaders told the medicine cats to talk and yammered on and on about stuff that mostly flew over her head. She blinked up at the Greatrock, then at Tallpaw. Huh?
“Did she say the sun’s red?” The fluffy apprentice asked in utter confusion. Most of the prophecy had flown right over her head.
Goldenpaw is talking to Tallpaw and Pantherpaw Frostpaw is sticking close to Swiftheart.
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Thu 9 Nov 2023 - 18:26
Leopardstar listened as ThunderClan's leader and then their medicine cats began the Gathering; realizing as the medicine cats spoke that their words were familiar. "I wonder," she murmured to herself. "If we hear what they have to say..."
She wasn't convinced that StarClan had any cat's best interests at heart, but the truth of the matter was that if things carried on as they were ShadowClan would not survive. Not as they were.
"Despite the dire circumstances, ShadowClan welcomes Hazelpaw and Frostpaw to the apprentice's den," she began her own announcements, realizing as she spoke that it was all she'd had to say. Next she called on her own medicine cats, hoping that they could shed some further light on the situation. "Burdockroot, Heatherberry. Do you have any insights?"
As she waited on an answer, the leader sighed; speaking more quietly to her companions on the rock.
"Loathe as I am to leave our home behind again... I think you might be right, Mottlestar. Something is wrong."
Characters : [SC]Heatherberry| [TC]Vinecrawler | [SKC] Peatkit | [WC] Moosepaw | [R] Grub Jr Clan/Rank : [H]T3 BT MC / T4 MC | [V]T5 Warrior | [GJ] T1 Rogue | [P] Kit | [M] Apprentice Number of posts : 4591 Gender : she/her Age : 26
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Thu 9 Nov 2023 - 19:04
Heatherberry silently nodded along with her fellow medicine cats, her stomach churning as they were all forced to relive the visions. Although Mottlestar had welcomed the medicine cats to share their peace, Heatherberry would not respond until Leopardstar allowed it. Unfortunately, she did. Looking out over the crowd, she picked out her clanmates one by one. "I will go wherever ShadowClan goes. But I wonder... Where will that be? How far will we go?" What if the it's not just the forest that's in need of help?
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Fri 10 Nov 2023 - 0:30
Sandyshell
Riverclan MC
She understood now. As Mottlestar announced her suggestion to leave home the medicine cat’s mind was filled with images of the red sun hiding behind Highstone’s peaks. That was what the vision meant. That is where we are meant to go. That is where Starclan has chosen for us to be. To survive. Sanctuary. Sandyshell agreed with the leader’s logic. If they did not allow the forest to grow more food or clear its water then the forest would suffer under the weight of all its predators. But more importantly, Sandyshell trusted her gut. She trusted Starclan. She trusted the red sun.
Yes! Let’s leave! she almost instantly blurted out to Mottlestar, who called upon the medicine cats for input. Now aware of the gathering around her the tabby coiled back to withhold her rushed opinion, and hid herself in the background. Her wary green eyes took in Fawnshine and Echosong who had boldly answered their leader’s question first. They explained all their Starclan interactions and prophecies up until this point, which was much more useful than Sandyshell’s simple vote to leave. In the end, after making a note about her illness idea, Fawnshine seemed to support Mottlestar’s notion to leave. Her chest loosened with relief. “Should any of you have any other suggestions, please do speak up.” The Riverclan medicine cat almost parted her maw. Wait for Perchstar. What if she knows a vital reason not to leave?
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Fri 10 Nov 2023 - 15:29
Perchstar was hardly aware of her surroundings, but a sudden warm scent of undergrowth and tree bark brought her somewhat back to reality. Mottlestar, bless the sweet-hearted she-cat, had immediately seen through her pitiful attempt to seem all right. Reluctantly, but gratefully, she allowed her trembling knees to bend and her legs to sink down onto the stone. It was surprisingly comfortable just to lay instead of sitting like this. Her head drooped, but she refused to fall asleep. Words failed. Her throat was too dry and tight to force sound out, anyway. She settled for a very long, slow blink of gratitude. Briefly her white paw was pressed over the ThunderClan leader's mottled calico one. What would I do without you? Birdstar soon arrived, looking just as starving and hungry as the rest of her Clan. Things had only been getting worse. Perchstar was forced to admit to herself that it wasn't going to get any better--not for the forseeable future. She was almost too exhausted to realize the repercussions.
Leopardstar and Smallstar weren't far behind. Soon, all five had gathered on the rock. But there was very little pleasant conversation rising above the clearing. Everyone was tired--starving--waiting. Waiting for something. Did any of them know what? Could any of them comprehend what was going to happen? Would they all just sit here waiting for something, and starve to death?
The quiet stupor that Perchstar had lost herself in was shattered by the beginning of the Gathering. Mottlestar stepped forward, strong voice breaking through the silence, seizing the clearing's attention. However, her announcements were far from routine. The RiverClan leader forced herself to blink hard, focusing on the words, listening. This was important. Even in her half-daze of thirst, she could see that. A few sentences stuck out like a fence jutting up from cold pavement.
"While we have the strength to survive, and I do not propose this lightly, I suggest the Clans to all make a journey together. Beyond the territories and Highstones, where we can give our forest time to heal. It is clear that there is something that has hurt our forest deeply. Given it wounds that it cannot recover from. I fear that if we do not give it time to heal now, then we may lose our homes, or clans, forever."
...Leave?
Immediately Perchstar wished to reject the idea. RiverClan had remained in their home for how long? For how many untold generations, lives going back and back and back until they faded even out of the stars' remembrance, had sleek cats swam in the rivers and fished for their prey? And yet... they couldn't swim in waters thick with poison. They couldn't eat the fish that stank of death and rot and Twoleg chemicals. They had no food--no water--no way to live. Perchstar had waited for the stars, as much as they hated her, to send something. To send anything. Food, water, an explanation. Some word that not all was lost.
And it seemed that words had been given. But not to her. After Mottlestar explained herself, offering hope that there were livable lands beyond, hope that Perchstar could alleviate within herself by the memories of Felix offering scene upon scene of beautiful landscapes and prey-rich fields, Fawnshine spoke. The ThunderClan medicine cat offered the words of the ancestors. The words held no comfort nor kindness. Typical of their warrior ancestors. Perchstar was too exhausted to even feel the anger that attempted to stir within her chest. However, she did understand the inevitability of what was being pressed upon her. They could not stay. Though she wished dearly to stand up and leap off the rock and proclaim that RiverClan would stay no matter what, though she wished more than anything to return home and jump into crystal-clear, cool and clean waters that she had always taken for granted, the option was not available to her. The position of leader had always been a hard one. Now, it was harder than ever... because there was only one solution being offered, and she did not even want to look in its direction.
A glance down at Sandyshell confirmed her suspicions. If the medicine cats felt so strongly, then there was very little to be done about it. It was the right thing to do. Even if it felt like clawing her own heart, still-beating, right out of her chest.
Slowly, painfully, Perchstar forced herself to stand. "I wish I could disagree," she said, forcing the words out of her scratchy throat with as much neutrality as she could muster. "However, I see the wisdom of Mottlestar's suggestion, and of our medicine cats' words. This land currently cannot support us. I do not think we will abandon our ancestral home. But perhaps... with some time away, it will regain its former glory. The prey will replenish. The waters will run clear. Out there, many other cats live. There is food and water and shelter that we may obtain." The words were agony, but she continued. "It will be difficult. But if we all band together and move as one, our strength in numbers will be as never before. A temporary solution. A reprieve. A journey. I concur with my ThunderClan allies, though it causes me pain to leave the forest that is so dear to us all." Even as she said the words, she felt their truth, their correctness. And she hated it. Couldn't the stars have warned them beforehand? Why did their prophecies always have to come through half-spoken warnings and threats--never an assurance or a clear statement? Why couldn't they have gone before the imminency of starving to death forced them to their paws? It was mendacity of the highest order. Yet, she would go. Though she wished more than anything to refuse.
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Sat 11 Nov 2023 - 9:52
Birdstar
ShadowClan and WindClan made their arrivals to the clearing, looking as ragged and worn as they had the previous moon-- as all of them stood even now. Birdstar dragged her attention away from Mottlestar's attempts to coax Perchstar into rest to face ShadowClan's leader. "That only invites worse to come," she said. She was sure the sentiment, and that of frayed patience, was felt by all who stood on the Rock. Birdstar considered saying more, but the resurgence of her ambient headache encouraged her to simply turn away instead. She shuffled on her paws, moving a half-step closer to the leaders her alliance stood with, taking her habitual post beside them again.
Mottlestar moved forward, her voice ringing out to bring the clearing's rolling murmur to a hush, and Birdstar's attention inclined to follow. Her whiskers twitched at the curious start to the announcements-- though the state of the Clans was worth addressing, she supposed --and twitched again at the declaration Mottlestar would be foregoing the standard talks. That and the slight narrowing of her eyes were the only outward displays of her confusion and, with it, frustration. She wanted announcements to go tediously but quickly, so they might retire sooner. She did not want to extend the effort to think. But whatever petulance flared over it, she pressed her ears forward to listen, attention rooted on Mottlestar.
The forest ached. Even small kits felt the pain of it. And like any wounded thing, it needed the allowance to heal. Frustration pulsed again at the implication the Clans-- her Clan would not survive through leaf-bare, but she knew Mottlestar's statement to be true. There would be no Clan cats left in the wood if they insisted upon this. It had been a passive thought once the starvation proved itself insistent, but having it brought to full awareness made Birdstar's stomach coil. SkyClan was lucky not to have lost any yet... but she could not say the same for the other Clans. She knew, once the snow came, she would no longer be able to say so for SkyClan. She understood the weight of Mottlestar's point just as the tortoiseshell began to announce it for all gathered to hear.
Some faraway land was out there, suitable for the Clans. Birdstar tipped her head down to look across the crowd, toward ThunderClan, searching among their faces. What a miracle it was for them, to have these apparent outsiders folded into their allegiance. There was some dim wonder if that had been some preemptive gift from StarClan to provide them an out from their suffering... but then, she figured StarClan might have wanted to spare them the suffering to begin with. Shaking her head, Birdstar swept her attention towards the gathered medicine cats at Mottlestar's call for them, watching as Fawnshine stepped forward. Her hackles prickled with the recitation of a familiar prophecy. The more grisly details of their more recent prophecy made her tail lash once against the surface of the Rock. Fawnshine's apprentice spoke up in agreement, as did one of ShadowClan's medicine cats. Birdstar looked over them all, the relief of agreement apparent on even the faces of those who didn't speak. Her gaze lingered on Smokepetal, wishing she could pull thoughts from the she-cat's mind instead of waiting on an opportunity to think.
Leopardstar's agreement came reluctant and reserved for her companions on the Rock, but it came nonetheless, appended to an attempt at routine news. Perchstar's, too, dry voice risen to give her begrudging assent. Birdstar watched them both as they spoke and looked briefly at Smallstar, wondering if he might move to fill the silence next, when she sighed and stepped to the head of the Rock. Rather than face the crowd, she looked between the other four leaders with her. ""We do not know what threats we'll face on the way there. We do not know what lies in wait there, assuming we find our way... How do we intend to find these lands?" Her tail whisked once toward the gathered medicine cats. "Do we follow the earth-swallowing sun, as StarClan suggests? Leaving seems as dangerous as letting ourselves starve, if we don't know what we're walking into." Birdstar sighed and shook her head. Turning finally to address the masses gathered below, "I feel similarly to Perchstar. I am loathe to leave behind the forests SkyClan has stubbornly thrived in, as am I to walk into untold danger... But I cannot watch my Clanmates suffer in starvation and illness if there is even a slim chance they can survive."
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Sat 11 Nov 2023 - 11:06
The gathering was started with Mottlestar's call, and Wolfblossom was glad off it. The faster this started, the faster they could all go home... Or maybe not, as Mottlestar spoke of the harship the forest had been facing, and called on the medicine cats to speak. The suggestion of leaving... Wolfblossom wasn't sure how she felt about it. She didn't want her clanmates to suffer, she didn't want them to starve. But giving up their territory, even temporarily, felt like giving up what Skyclan had worked so hard to defend and fight for. It felt like defeat. But staying to starve and watch as her clanmates succumbed to starvation was even less of an option. That too would be giving up, in a much more final sense. If they left, there might be a chance for survival. Or they could walk into more danger, there was no way to know... Not unless they did leave. Stay and die, leave and maybe die... What a choice it was to make. The prophecies and visions the medicine cats spoke of were familiar to Wolfblossom from what Smokepetal had explained, and still as rattling to hear a second time around. The interpretations of it...
The deputy let out a weary sigh, gaze lifting as she sought the faces of her kits in the crowd. Falconmoon, Sunfire, Graywind... Birdstar spoke, echoing her own thoughts, and Wolfblossom had to agree with her sister. Leaving could doom them, but that seemed more of a maybe than definitely starving if they stayed.
---
Stoneheart listened intently as the leaders spoke, ears sliding back as the current state of the forest was discussed and a suggestion to leave was brought forth. The medicine cats spoke up, and that only seemed to hammer home the idea that leaving would be a good idea, to her. She was no stranger to strife, having grown up among fourtrees instead of Skyclan's own camp while cats disappeared and twolegs roamed the forest, but this was beyond even that. Stoneheart's face remained stoic as she listened to her own leader speak. Skyclan would do what they had to, they would survive this too.
---
Rookfire had said Sunfire... reminded him of his own son? Graywind nearly laughed, but then the gathering was starting, and she forced herself to listen to what the Thunderclan leader was saying. The medicine cats had received some sort of message, and what Graywind heard made her fur prickle in uneasiness. What they had received sounded like something out of a kithood nightmare. The idea to leave sounded equal parts ridiculous and necessary. Skyclan's own territory could hardly sustain them, and it seemed like the rest of the forest was in just as bad of a state. The idea of going beyond clan borders in search of survival... Graywind thought about it. It didn't seem like it would be so bad to leave, given the circumstances.
---
Swanpaw only half-listened as the Thunderclan leader began to speak. It was obvious they were all starving, why even bring it up? The medicine cats recounted a... prophecy, or whatever, from Starclan, and Swanpaw felt her nose wrinkle in distaste. It all sounded strange and horrifying... And the idea of leaving at the behest of some unknowable thing was preposterous... But she had seen Riverclan's waters, had seen the bloated, dead fish and the pitiful fresh kill pile. She had watched her clanmates become just as gaunt and haggard. Whatever Perchstar decided, Swanpaw would follow.
Number of posts : 1975 Gender : she/her || they/them || he/him Age : 26
Subject: Re: November Gathering (2023) Sat 11 Nov 2023 - 16:01
Burdockroot nodded in agreement to Heatherberry's words. They have discussed extensively, and at this point, the two agreed on nearly everything. It would not be a surprise that she was hesitant to speak in front of the entire forest after she spoke against Nightstalker. The pain of that night was still fresh. Besides, they didn't need an additional voice. All of the medicine cats agreed and as she looked around, it seemed as if they were truly set on leaving. Burdockroot had never, in her entire life, felt compelled to staying in the swamp. She had lived in ThunderClan and Highstones, and it didn't change anything. However, leaving an entire clan for a journey that was endless... That was a logistic nightmare. "If we do leave," she said, finally speaking up, despite her hesitancy. "We need to consider traveling in at least two groups, if not one. It's safer." She looked to Leopardstar - she knew the she-cat would most likely disagree.
