Post by Patchfur on Aug 8, 2016 6:55:28 GMT -5
The Quest for a Home
--The Band's Journey--
Introduction
The just was just rising over the horizon, sky a pale gray with swirling clouds grouping overhead signally rain later in the day. The breeze was chilly and the dips and slopes of the moors didn't provide good cover. Squinting, you could faintly see a forest bordering the grassy hills, a line of green dots in the distance that signaled one thing: hope.
Your paws were tired, pads sore and filled with grit. Your breathing came in short, pained gasps. Hunger growled from your belly while your throat craves cool refreshment. How long had you been walking? You couldn't recall. All you knew was you had to move, in search for food, water, and a safe place to stay. Currently, that forest was a safe bet: plenty of roots to curl up in, hopefully a few plump mice or squirrels, and the approaching rain would make a few puddles you could drink out of.
But would you make it?
You eye lids were drooping dangerously, muscles stiffening. There was a wobble every other step or so in your walk. Your maw opened up in a huge yawn, closing your eyes while doing so. Then everything went black.
Your paws were tired, pads sore and filled with grit. Your breathing came in short, pained gasps. Hunger growled from your belly while your throat craves cool refreshment. How long had you been walking? You couldn't recall. All you knew was you had to move, in search for food, water, and a safe place to stay. Currently, that forest was a safe bet: plenty of roots to curl up in, hopefully a few plump mice or squirrels, and the approaching rain would make a few puddles you could drink out of.
But would you make it?
You eye lids were drooping dangerously, muscles stiffening. There was a wobble every other step or so in your walk. Your maw opened up in a huge yawn, closing your eyes while doing so. Then everything went black.
- - - o0o - - -
You slowly blink awake, stirring from your curled up position. You shook your head, shocked to find yourself in a comfortable nest made of soft moss and pigeon feathers. You were lying in a nest that was not your own, in a small but well made den in what you could make out as a dugout tunnel. There was a wall of light a few tail-lengths in front of you: the entrance. A piece of fresh-kill, a plump blackbird, lay in front of you. Your stomach grumbles before you give in and eat.
After finishing your meal, you move to stand. Just as you were getting up, a red-furred tabby peered through the opening. Upon seeing you, he immediately brightened. "You're up! Wonderful! Come on out, come on! We have to take you to Briar."
As turned around and disappeared behind the wall of light, you wonder why he was being so kind to you, a stranger. You also wonder about who this mysterious Briar was. The tom didn't seem hostile, but you were on your guard.
As you exit the den, you find yourself in a peaceful clearing surrounded by ferns, a tall oak behind you where several tunnels were dugout by the roots to make sheltered dens like your own. Several nests were made from dips in the earth, stuffed with the same mossy material as the one you stayed in. There were other cats mulling about, some turning their heads to look at you and smile before going back to their business. In the center of the clearing, there was a small pile of prey. But, you notice something off about this camp. It looked rushed: bits of moss, leaves, and twigs littered the earth, with several dens still being dug out by hard-working cats.
You rake your gaze across the entire camp and spot the red tabby from earlier waving his tail to catch your attention. "Over here!" you hear him call. Sitting down beside him was a lithe brown tabby she-cat, looking at you with kind eyes. You approach them.
"Welcome to the band," greeted the brown tabby who you guessed was Briar. "Sorry for the mess, we just moved in."
You curiously blurted out asking what the band was, before realizing you haven't thanked her for her hospitality yet. You flush, embarrassed, muttering out a quick thanks. The two purred in amusement.
"Well, we couldn't just leave you there on the hills! You'd freeze to death!" said the tom.
"The band is very simple," said Briar after flicking her tail to dismiss the tom, who dipped his head to the both of you before retreating to help dig out more dens. "We are rogues who have simply chosen to band together."
You question her about being a clan, a group of cats you had heard about long ago who fit her description.
"No, we are not a clan." Her eyes grew sad. "But I was from one of them clan. ForestClan, all those moons ago. Died out to a strange sickness that made everyone, even the land itself, sick."
You quietly say sorry, bowing down low.
"No matter. That is why I am here now. I was Briarfur, once ForestClan's medicine cat, now turned simply Briar, the band's leader. I took those who survived, stray kittypets, loners, more rogues, and traveled with them in search of somewhere we can stay, permanently I hope."
You ask her if she's trying to bring ForestClan back. She shakes her head.
"The time of my clan is over, but the time of the band has just begun. I've heard of a place, a valley far from any twolegs or any sickness, where we can live there peacefully. I am leading the band there, where I will stay until mu death. Any member of the band is welcome to leave any time, to travel their own path, but those who decide to stay with me are my responsibility and I will do whatever it takes to get them to somewhere safe.
"You are welcome to leave or stay, I will not hold it against you. Just be warned, when in the band, you are required to lend a paw and help us."
You think it over for a while before tentatively nodding your head and accepting her offer to stay.
"Wonderful. Welcome to the band, the true band."
You slowly blink awake, stirring from your curled up position. You shook your head, shocked to find yourself in a comfortable nest made of soft moss and pigeon feathers. You were lying in a nest that was not your own, in a small but well made den in what you could make out as a dugout tunnel. There was a wall of light a few tail-lengths in front of you: the entrance. A piece of fresh-kill, a plump blackbird, lay in front of you. Your stomach grumbles before you give in and eat.
After finishing your meal, you move to stand. Just as you were getting up, a red-furred tabby peered through the opening. Upon seeing you, he immediately brightened. "You're up! Wonderful! Come on out, come on! We have to take you to Briar."
As turned around and disappeared behind the wall of light, you wonder why he was being so kind to you, a stranger. You also wonder about who this mysterious Briar was. The tom didn't seem hostile, but you were on your guard.
As you exit the den, you find yourself in a peaceful clearing surrounded by ferns, a tall oak behind you where several tunnels were dugout by the roots to make sheltered dens like your own. Several nests were made from dips in the earth, stuffed with the same mossy material as the one you stayed in. There were other cats mulling about, some turning their heads to look at you and smile before going back to their business. In the center of the clearing, there was a small pile of prey. But, you notice something off about this camp. It looked rushed: bits of moss, leaves, and twigs littered the earth, with several dens still being dug out by hard-working cats.
You rake your gaze across the entire camp and spot the red tabby from earlier waving his tail to catch your attention. "Over here!" you hear him call. Sitting down beside him was a lithe brown tabby she-cat, looking at you with kind eyes. You approach them.
"Welcome to the band," greeted the brown tabby who you guessed was Briar. "Sorry for the mess, we just moved in."
You curiously blurted out asking what the band was, before realizing you haven't thanked her for her hospitality yet. You flush, embarrassed, muttering out a quick thanks. The two purred in amusement.
"Well, we couldn't just leave you there on the hills! You'd freeze to death!" said the tom.
"The band is very simple," said Briar after flicking her tail to dismiss the tom, who dipped his head to the both of you before retreating to help dig out more dens. "We are rogues who have simply chosen to band together."
You question her about being a clan, a group of cats you had heard about long ago who fit her description.
"No, we are not a clan." Her eyes grew sad. "But I was from one of them clan. ForestClan, all those moons ago. Died out to a strange sickness that made everyone, even the land itself, sick."
You quietly say sorry, bowing down low.
"No matter. That is why I am here now. I was Briarfur, once ForestClan's medicine cat, now turned simply Briar, the band's leader. I took those who survived, stray kittypets, loners, more rogues, and traveled with them in search of somewhere we can stay, permanently I hope."
You ask her if she's trying to bring ForestClan back. She shakes her head.
"The time of my clan is over, but the time of the band has just begun. I've heard of a place, a valley far from any twolegs or any sickness, where we can live there peacefully. I am leading the band there, where I will stay until mu death. Any member of the band is welcome to leave any time, to travel their own path, but those who decide to stay with me are my responsibility and I will do whatever it takes to get them to somewhere safe.
"You are welcome to leave or stay, I will not hold it against you. Just be warned, when in the band, you are required to lend a paw and help us."
You think it over for a while before tentatively nodding your head and accepting her offer to stay.
"Wonderful. Welcome to the band, the true band."
The Story
Many moons ago, there was once a great clan called ForestClan. Their territory was large and had many trees, plants, rivers, and prey. Each season, even the chilliest of Leaf-bares, was plentiful.
Their leader was Spiderstar, a long-legged dark tabby tom. Spiderstar was a wise and noble leader. His logical strategies allowed the clan to always win battles. He was welcoming and allowed outsiders to join as long as they would benefit the clan. He was, as most ForestClanners, the greatest leader in the clan's history. But nothing could prepare him for what was coming.
One Newleaf day, a strange thing happened. Twolegs came upon the territory. Though they were not uncommon, often taking short trips through their territory and staying in their strange, soft twolegnests for a few nights, these twolegs brought out many loud monsters that ate trees and scattered away many of the clan's prey.
It was fine for a few moons, the clan managed to coexist with the twolegs. But then the poison came. It started with the water. The great river, the clan's main source of water, slowly turned dark and murky. Anyone who drank from it would grow sick, many cases resulting in death. The clan learned to stay away from that water but their prey didn't. Slowly starved, the clan moved to the edge of their territory where they hoped the twolegs wouldn't follow. Spiderstar lost three lives because of this hardship. Redclaw, the deputy at the time, died of the poisoning, as many of the clan. It didn't stop there. Slowly, herbs were getting poisoned, as the horrified medicine cat Ashwing discovered after feeding a coughing elder catmint. His apprentice, Briarfur, also grew worried as many of the clan were getting stomach aches from the infected prey.
One by one, the clan started dying out. Each warrior, kit, apprentice, and queen dead by the unstoppable threat of the twoleg invasion. But it wasn't only the clan that was affected, but several other groups of cats as well: loners and rogues were feeling the strike of the twolegs, and kittytpets, while they were cared for, often got sick as well. The clan dwindled in numbers until Spiderstar, on his last life, and Briarfur remained accompanied by a handful of assorted outsiders.
As his last wish to the clan, the once great leader told Briarfur to travel far from this place of death. He told her to lead them somewhere safe and away from twolegs and their awful sickness. He told her about dreams he had of the Valley of Stars. While terrified, Briarfur, newly renamed Briar, led the remaining cats far away, starting the band and their journey to find a home.
Their leader was Spiderstar, a long-legged dark tabby tom. Spiderstar was a wise and noble leader. His logical strategies allowed the clan to always win battles. He was welcoming and allowed outsiders to join as long as they would benefit the clan. He was, as most ForestClanners, the greatest leader in the clan's history. But nothing could prepare him for what was coming.
One Newleaf day, a strange thing happened. Twolegs came upon the territory. Though they were not uncommon, often taking short trips through their territory and staying in their strange, soft twolegnests for a few nights, these twolegs brought out many loud monsters that ate trees and scattered away many of the clan's prey.
It was fine for a few moons, the clan managed to coexist with the twolegs. But then the poison came. It started with the water. The great river, the clan's main source of water, slowly turned dark and murky. Anyone who drank from it would grow sick, many cases resulting in death. The clan learned to stay away from that water but their prey didn't. Slowly starved, the clan moved to the edge of their territory where they hoped the twolegs wouldn't follow. Spiderstar lost three lives because of this hardship. Redclaw, the deputy at the time, died of the poisoning, as many of the clan. It didn't stop there. Slowly, herbs were getting poisoned, as the horrified medicine cat Ashwing discovered after feeding a coughing elder catmint. His apprentice, Briarfur, also grew worried as many of the clan were getting stomach aches from the infected prey.
One by one, the clan started dying out. Each warrior, kit, apprentice, and queen dead by the unstoppable threat of the twoleg invasion. But it wasn't only the clan that was affected, but several other groups of cats as well: loners and rogues were feeling the strike of the twolegs, and kittytpets, while they were cared for, often got sick as well. The clan dwindled in numbers until Spiderstar, on his last life, and Briarfur remained accompanied by a handful of assorted outsiders.
As his last wish to the clan, the once great leader told Briarfur to travel far from this place of death. He told her to lead them somewhere safe and away from twolegs and their awful sickness. He told her about dreams he had of the Valley of Stars. While terrified, Briarfur, newly renamed Briar, led the remaining cats far away, starting the band and their journey to find a home.
Rules
1. Please be sure to follow all WCRPF's rules.
2. Semi-advanced posts here please. As much as possible, avoid any one-liners and write with decent spelling and grammar. Use {[()]} when talking OOC to avoid any confusion.
3. Please have everything be realistic. No rainbow-colored, winged cats with super powers. Just regular domestic felines. Since they are all rogues, I will allow most loner or kittypet names.
4. Be respectful to everyone on this thread.
5. A minor rule on activity. I understand people can't get on everyday. But please try and post once a week. If I don't see you post for a 2 weeks, your character will be considered gone in RP and no longer part of the band. They will be welcome to re-join but not without any in-character consequences like being less likely to be appointed Second or a mentor.
2. Semi-advanced posts here please. As much as possible, avoid any one-liners and write with decent spelling and grammar. Use {[()]} when talking OOC to avoid any confusion.
3. Please have everything be realistic. No rainbow-colored, winged cats with super powers. Just regular domestic felines. Since they are all rogues, I will allow most loner or kittypet names.
4. Be respectful to everyone on this thread.
5. A minor rule on activity. I understand people can't get on everyday. But please try and post once a week. If I don't see you post for a 2 weeks, your character will be considered gone in RP and no longer part of the band. They will be welcome to re-join but not without any in-character consequences like being less likely to be appointed Second or a mentor.
The Band
All high-positions, such as Leader or Second, will be chosen in-character. Have your character be active and contribute to the clan to be chosen.
LEADER - self-explanatory. This cat leads the band.
= Briar : she-cat | brown tabby, green eyes | played by Patchfur
SECOND - the deputy or second-in-command. Becomes the next leader when the current leader steps down or dies.
= to be chosen
BAND MEMBERS - regular members of the band. Loners, rogues, and kittypets who are currently traveling with the band. These cats are fully trained and can be appointed as mentors for the Younglings.
= Red: tom | red tabby, amber eyes | played by Patchfur
= open
YOUNGLINGS - these are the untrained, younger members of the band. Usually kit-apprentice aged. Younglings are trained by older, more experienced band members.
= open
LEADER - self-explanatory. This cat leads the band.
= Briar : she-cat | brown tabby, green eyes | played by Patchfur
SECOND - the deputy or second-in-command. Becomes the next leader when the current leader steps down or dies.
= to be chosen
BAND MEMBERS - regular members of the band. Loners, rogues, and kittypets who are currently traveling with the band. These cats are fully trained and can be appointed as mentors for the Younglings.
= Red: tom | red tabby, amber eyes | played by Patchfur
= open
YOUNGLINGS - these are the untrained, younger members of the band. Usually kit-apprentice aged. Younglings are trained by older, more experienced band members.
= open
Traditions
RELIGION
- While many of the band do not believe in StarClan, Briar still believes her ancestors are guiding her to the Valley of the Stars so she named many of the events of the tribe after them. She does not force anyone to believe in StarClan and everyone in the band is free to believe what they want top believe as long as they do not push their beliefs onto others.
TERRITORY MOVES
- The band moves around every 2 months real time. Each time that happens, they change their territory. We will have a 1 week moving event. Territories get put up in a poll where members can choose where they want to go before the 2 months time ends.
CELEBRATION OF THE STARS
- Each time the band changes a territory, they spend a week celebrating their move. This week is composed of setting up the camp, marking out their borders, and having a few friendly competitions between the rogues.
PROPHECIES
- Although the band is composed of rogues, StarClan is still with them in their journey. Sometimes, they send prophecies to random members of the band, starting a full 2 month event. These prophecies will be given at random to spice up the RP.
- While many of the band do not believe in StarClan, Briar still believes her ancestors are guiding her to the Valley of the Stars so she named many of the events of the tribe after them. She does not force anyone to believe in StarClan and everyone in the band is free to believe what they want top believe as long as they do not push their beliefs onto others.
TERRITORY MOVES
- The band moves around every 2 months real time. Each time that happens, they change their territory. We will have a 1 week moving event. Territories get put up in a poll where members can choose where they want to go before the 2 months time ends.
CELEBRATION OF THE STARS
- Each time the band changes a territory, they spend a week celebrating their move. This week is composed of setting up the camp, marking out their borders, and having a few friendly competitions between the rogues.
PROPHECIES
- Although the band is composed of rogues, StarClan is still with them in their journey. Sometimes, they send prophecies to random members of the band, starting a full 2 month event. These prophecies will be given at random to spice up the RP.