November Gathering (2023)

The member 'Moth' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 4, 9, 4

The member 'Arcana' has done the following action : Dice roll

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#1 'Hunting Dice' : 1

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#2 'Hunting Dice' : 7

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#3 'Hunting Dice' : 3

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#4 'Hunting Dice' : 3

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#5 'Hunting Dice' : 10

As Perchstar arrived in the clearing, the tortoiseshell's focus went straight on the other leader. It didn't take a medicine cat to know that their clan was struggling. She had heard it in whispers on patrols- the water supply for the clan that had relied so heavily upon the water had become tainted. It would be as if the forest itself had blazed to nothing but ash for Thunderclan, and she was thankful that her Clan's struggles seemed to only stay to food. Not having reliable access to water and food? It was a death sentence. One that had her looking to the sky for just a moment in ire. What have we done to cause this? She thought. Her transgressions had been paid for. There was no whispers of the Dark Forest once more whispering through their ranks. So what had they done?

Those thoughts halted as she heard the scraping of claws on the rock, only to grow farther away again. Perchstar should have been up there-but had failed the first time. Instant worry nagged that the motherly molly's stomach, rising to her paws all-too fast. It had her swaying for just a brief moment, but she was right to Perchstar's side as she finally made it on the rock. "Perchstar?" Her question was quiet. But from the way the silver and white molly's gaze drifted away, seemingly in another world, she knew she hadn't been heard.

Memories of Minnowfin struck at that moment. Of how the tom had been ill, withering away in such a state. It panged her heart in a place of deep pain she hadn't felt so strongly in moons. For just a moment, she saw her mate in the molly aside from her. It was nothing more than in the resemblance of pelt color and status that they now shared, but it was enough that had her feelings strong for the molly right alongside their alliance. Pressing her much smaller frame to Perchstar's side, Mottlestar was quick to become a steadying presence. As much as she could be for a cat who was almost double her size. However, even then, it had her much closer to the molly's ear. "Perchstar, are you alright? Rest on all fours for a moment," With care, she instructed. They could rest on all fours while appearing dignified. She had seen other leaders do it before. Stars, she had done it before. Lounged regally on the edge of the rock, gaze sweeping across the clearing.

A clearing that now looked harrowed.

Soon after, Birdstar joined them. Exhausted as Mottlestar was, her worry for Perchstar had adrenaline coursing through her veins. "Hey." A soft smile of understanding. Of sympathy. But, with Birdstar seemingly much more sure on her paws than the Riverclan leader was, her attention on her other companion didn't last long. Had the silver molly seemed to put up some resistance, Mottlestar would gently press her head to the back of Perchstar's shoulders in an attempt to get her to settle. "You'll feel stronger on all fours. Trust me." She whispered again, quick to posture herself as if she had simply been greeting the Riverclan leader warmly.

Mottlestar is talking with Birdstar and mothering Perchstar!

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Egretswoop's steps were uneven as she made it into the clearing. In fact, it was hard for her to even walk in a straight line. Even in the cold of the evening, she felt more than warm, and had decided to leave her pelt at home. The roar of the clearing had numbed itself into a haze, becoming a single-pitched note that was hard to discern. But while she couldn't hear as clearly as she often could, she could still see. Honey-kissed eyes observed the many other cats that seemed to be in the same state of atrocity that her clan was. A fight to do something about it rolled in her belly, but only for a few heartbeats before she had to find a place to sit. To lay down, away from the others, because it felt as if there was a flame rippling beneath the pale alabaster fur of hers.

She swayed for a few steps before laying down on a smooth stone. How no other cat had yet claimed it, she didn't know. But it was hers now.

Egretswoop is open for conversation.

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Mistwalker's head spun from more than just the dehydration that she'd been fighting right alongside her clanmates. So much had gone on in Riverclan lately that the forest's ire had just been the topping on the dung-pile. With nigh-dead eyes, she found herself sleepy. Too sleepy, in fact, to truly attempt any conversation. Would a nap be seen as an offense? Likely not. Moving towards the company of one of her clanmates, she dipped her head to Hawkshriek before sitting down where he had stopped. There was no need to talk-they both were tired. And they were clanmates, so they knew what all was going on.

Her eyelids were heavy on her own as she had leaned against him. Before long, though, she had found her eyes growing heavier. With Hawkshriek's shoulder as a comfortable pillow, it wasn't much longer before the warrior had nodded off, somehow staying in her position while resting.

Mistwalker fell asleep on Hawkshriek's shoulder!

Leopardstar led her Clan into the clearing, ascending the Great Rock with ease. It had become second nature to survey the clearing from on high--what a strange feeling that was, when she still felt her place was to be down below, offering support. She sighed, holding onto the hints of good news she had to share with the forest; feeling so outweighed by the lingering sense of concern.
The chill winds that blew over the forest felt like an ominous warning of trials to come--she hadn't forgotten the wording of that prophecy.

The famine was only growing worse, and it would grow worse still with less prey and no Carrionplace to rely on. The rats were somewhere, still, after they had scattered. She would have to warn the forest: she hadn't seen any sign of the swarm since, and there was no telling how far they had spread. Leopardstar was at her best in a crisis, forged by the fires of Dark Forest rule and cooled in the waters of the flood, but even with her always taking only the smallest share of food she could manage it wasn't enough.

She shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, facing the other leaders with a nod of acknowledgement. "When things are difficult, I try to tell myself things could always be worse than they are. Even so, I find this season has been trying my patience."

ShadowClan may now enter the Gathering!

Dice Order: Leopardstar (8), Nightdancer (1), Lightningbreeze (4), Mistflower (8), Scarletpaw (10)

The member 'Holly' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 8, 1, 4, 8, 10

Fourtrees.

The walk here had been nothing short of breath-taking. The night was cool, her Clanmates’ pelts shrouded in darkness, and yet there was something almost exhilarating about each step. Every pace held a significance that was new to her. She had a destination, and so did ShadowClan, flooding around her as Frostpaw stuck close to her mentor’s distinctive white pelt. Her heart thudded against her ribs as the small apprentice stood at the hollow’s rim, staring down upon a veritable sea of cats. Stars above. She had never imagined so many in one place before, and yet, judging by the warriors’ murmurs, there were cats yet to come.

Frostpaw glanced up at Swiftheart before following ShadowClan down into the clearing, never more than a step away from her mentor. There was so much here; so much noise, and talk, but also things that made her heart pound in excitement, not dismay: the oaks that stretched up to the very heavens, the Greatrock that loomed over the entire clearing, the different scents that rose up to meet her, moor-wind and fish-scale alike.

Despite the wonder she’d deny feeling, the small splotched apprentice sat still and straight, face impassive as ever, like a little shadow of her mentor. Swiftheart would have to pry her off with claws.

Frostpaw is sticking to Swiftheart like a burr.
Goldenpaw has not yet arrived (and I won’t post with her until I know who her mentor will be)
Rose will probably not attend.

It was the aching that riddled his whole body and the pangs of hunger that made it difficult for Smallstar to keep his head high as he led Windclan to the gathering that moon. The voice in his head told him that he had to at least appear capable, even though he felt as if a particularly strong gust of wind could knock him over.

The other clans had all already arrived, he hoped that they hadn't been waiting long. It looked as if some cats were still pouring into the clearing, which provided some relief. Following a great sigh, he turned to face his deputy, casting him a certain look before splitting away from the group to scale the Great Rock.

There was a certain anxiety that riddled Smallstar at the onset of each gathering, one that usually faded as the night went on. It returned as he shuffled up the rock, and heightened when he peered over it's edge, catching the tail-end of Mottlestar's instructions to Perchstar. He felt it, they must be struggling too. The tom's brows furrowed and he lifted himself to the top of the rock, muttering a hello to the leaders. He would pretend he heard nothing. A silent conflict was playing out in his head, between maintaining a strong image and confiding to the other leaders Windclan's struggles.

"Mine, too." He muttered to Leopardstar. "I just hope they don't actually get worse than they are." Empty hope, for he knew that they would. Leaf-bare never failed to be worse than the moons preceding it.

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Fallowpaw bumbled behind the rest of Thunderclan, arriving a little bit late as a result of getting distracted. It was the last remaining color of the season that had caught his eye - a string of bright red berries on the limb of a bush. He didn't really know what they were, but he diverted from the group to collect them, spitting out the stone he'd been chewing on to carry the whole branch with him to the gathering.

So he stood, unknowingly holding a branch of deathberries in his maw on the edge of Fourtrees. Head held high, he stepped into the crowd, amber eyes looking for any unfortunate soul who didn't have the instinct to walk the other way.

Windclan may enter the gathering!

Fallowpaw is open for conversation!

rolls:

The member 'cotton' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 8, 6, 6, 4, 3

The member 'Ishtar' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

The member 'Lapis' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 2, 4, 2, 4

'Another long and chilly night,' Harebounce thought as she followed her weary Clanmates, the warrior swaying back and forth with every step. She had not the strength nor will to control the waves of motion as she walked. While the molly's diet was a bit more... how to say, "adventurous" than many, even the bugs were disappearing as the season wore on. Her hare's pelt did good work in keeping in what meager warmth she could make with such little fuel. Half in a daze, the tortoiseshell found herself following her daughter to her spot, and she began absentmindedly grooming the top of Egretswoop's head. A few heartbeats passed before her faculties returned and the RiverClan she-cat paused, her tongue still poking out before she murmured, mostly to herself, "How did I get over here?"

Harebounce rolled a 2.

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Redsun was about to fall flat on his face. He'd already done it on their way here when his paw caught on a vine and he found himself spilling over onto the forest floor. Pride and nose bruised alike, and heartily sick of tonight already, the ginger tom stopped on the lip of the clearing to heave an audible sigh, collecting his wits and trying to give a friendly nod to each of his Clanmates as they passed him by. He felt like he was going insane. The young warrior had always had a high metabolism - something unsurprising to those who knew him - and so this prolonged hunger was just... just utterly unbearable.  His stomach snarled and bit like a fox, and the whole of him was also starting to feel like one. "In the morning, I'm hunting until I catch something. I don't even care what it is, even if it's my own tail." With his mind made up, he turned and folded himself into the growing crowd.

Redsun rolled a 7.

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One more lean body came with ShadowClan, her eyes darting about the clearing almost like yet another excited apprentice, yet her energy was more nervous than anything else. Ever since that dreadful day, Snailpaw had been seeing rats everywhere. Not literally of course, but every passing shadow, every bounding kit, these things shot her heart rate into the sky. Her sleep wasn't free either; every day the rats found new ways to torment her with their beady eyes and yellowed teeth. They would tear her asunder and leave nothing behind, just like what they did to Nightstalker. The young molly felt like a tendon pulled past its limit. Bound to snap. Until she spotted something unexpected.

Her frenzied thoughts slowly ground to a halt as she watched an apprentice she didn't know flop into the grass, then proceed to roll onto his back. The tension in her shoulders lessened. She had to admit he looked very peaceful doing that. White paws carrying her over to him, Snailpaw tilted her head to more directly look at him as he lay. "Um, hello. What are you doing?"

Snailpaw is talking to Marigoldpaw! She rolled a 4.

The member 'Knight' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 2, 7, 4