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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 6:26:58 GMT -5
Introduction
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Apologies for the lack of banner or extensive coding; what is here, I have done fully on mobile. Once I have computer access, I will be adding banners and such.
To preface, my clans are set around a cluster of small fishing villages alongside the Bay of Fundy, in New Brunswick, Canada. Their world vastly differs from those of the English canon clans; I have tried to put a lot of worldbuilding into these clans to make them realistic, diverse, and interesting. Therefore, some things have changed: their religion, naming style, culture, fables, etc are all different, but will be explained as the story progresses.
Synopsis
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Death comes for every living creature, but somehow, Chickenpaw manages to survive a horrible accident. However, strange events begin to unfold, and only time will tell if it was really her that returned from the sea that fateful day, or if something else took her place.
Welcome to Surrogate.
Table of Contents
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1. Introduction, Synopsis, Table of Contents
2. Naming Guide, Allegiences, Miscellaneous Worldbuilding Info (coming soon!)
3. Story
4. Story
5. Story
6. Story
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 6:28:37 GMT -5
Naming System
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To add an extra layer of cultural depth to my characters names, I use the traditional naming system developed by Ailuronymy on Tumblr, with his blessing, of course. The system is under the spoiler; while not necessary to read, I just thought it would be fun to include how I name my characters.
Prefix
The cat’s prefix is determined by their pelt colour and pattern; a dark brown cat could be Mink-, or Dark-, or Oak- for example.
Suffix
Their suffix is determined by an exceptional skill or personality trait.
Skill Suffixes:
Claw - fighting
Foot - agility and speed
Flower - rearing of kittens or mentoring of apprentices
Tail - climbing
Stream - swimming
Whisker - hunting
Fang - hunting and fighting combined
Personality:
Heart - strong belief in their ideals and what they believe is right
Storm - dynamic, unpredictable
Cloud - calm, patient, gentle
Frost - stoic, intelligent
Step/Flight - acts like their namesake
Appearence
Face - striking beauty; does not fit into the above suffixes
Stripe - distinctive stripes; does not fit into the above suffixes
Fur/Pelt - does not fit any of the above suffixes or cannot be condensed into one suffix
Allegiences
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Coming Soon (when I have more characters introduced)
Worldbuilding Goodies
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Coming Soon
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 6:29:17 GMT -5
Prologue
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Chickenpaw was falling.
She did not remember any exact moment her small, mottled paws had slipped out from under her, nor could she recall ever scrambling to catch her footing against the slick rocks. Chickenpaw couldn’t even say why she had traversed so close to the edge of the cliffside, legendary for claiming many lives of her Clan.
It seemed that in the blink of an eye, she was plummeting down towards the deep, blue sea.
Towards her death.
This fabled bluff against the sea- one that wouldn’t even spare a second glance from most cats- was now going to claim her life. As she spiraled downwards, stories and warnings from her elders rang loud in her mind, almost mocking her.
The bravest warriors- though some would argue the most stupid- would approach the cliff at night, dancing along its perilous edges in an effort to impress their clan mates. With nothing but the moon to guide their paws, they would exercise their skill. For glory, love, or fun, their reasons varied, though what united most of them was the pointless death that followed soon after. Despite the many dangers, the bluff seemed to attract young souls like flies to rice. A pity.
What would Chickenpaw’s family think of her life following a similar story?
Just how long had she been falling, exactly? It felt as if she had become airborne moons ago, though the sea grew inevitably closer with each heartbeat. Perhaps those few seconds seemed longer to her, knowing that the was coming. Or maybe the gods pitied Chickenpaw’s short life, allowing her to have final seconds that carried on for an eternity.
The apprentice silently thought of what would happen when she finally hit the water. She wondered if her body would burst into a thousand pieces, being carried away like autumn leaves on the Atlantic wind. Or perhaps she’d fall forever, never breaching the surface.
The world was rarely so poetic.
She recalled the endings of the elders stories. Once the young warriors’ bravery had been snuffed with a fall, their bodies would break against the rocks, ripping them apart like fragile butterfly wings. If the stones didn’t take them, the sea would, crushing them in a blanket of grey water that was inescapable. It was never the fall itself that would kill, though it would be more merciful if so.
All Chickenpaw could do was hope for a painless death. It was not a gift given to many.
Just when she thought she’d never breach the surface and that she’d fall for eternity, she felt water rush over her, cold like the winter wind. Painless at first, but it left a dull ache that chilled her to bone. The water seeped into every part of her, crushing all she was.
This is what dying felt like.
In one last warm thought- one that even the chill of the ocean couldn’t reach- she remembered her family and friends, before the ocean consumed her whole
Chapter One
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She felt weightless, suspended above a bathysmal world that stretched forever below her. The cold grasp of the ocean clutched her throat tightly, making it impossible for her to breathe. Without struggling, she allowed herself to be pulled deeper, until the sunlight above the surface faded into the grey murk of the sea.
__
Chickenpaw awoke suddenly.
She inhaled deeply, clearing her nose of salt and sand. It felt better than anything she had ever experienced; it felt like hope and light and life.
All she could feel was coldness, not unlike the frigid grip of the ocean. But this was different, and it only took her a few seconds to realize she was laying on wet stones. Sunlight bore down on her, but it did little to ease the feel of saltwater on her pelt. The sea lapped lazily at her paws, unable to pull her back into its embrace. The waves had pushed her up along the beach, far from the changing tide’s merciless fingers. She was safe.
Chickenpaw opened her eyes slowly, hissing as the sunlight pierced her vision like thorns. She felt as if she had aged a thousand years; unable to lift her head from where it lay, she contented herself with surveying her surroundings.
She was on a rocky beach that stretched on for a few hundred feet, where it ended in a cape that jutted out into the ocean, covered in shrubs and small coniferous trees. Chickenpaw could faintly hear birdsong, though she was too dazed to pick out which bird species it could belong to. The scents of the forest carried out her where she lay; it smelt like her pine needles, moss and wet earth… like home.
So I am in my territory… but why am I on this beach? Why do I feel so tired? What happened?
Her mind hazy, Chickenpaw tried to remember what had happened. But nothing solid came to her mind. Chickenpaw searched herself, looking for memories that felt further away than the bottom of the sea.
As she dug deeper, she felt a pang of foreboding, as if she was eavesdropping on a conversation that didn’t belong to her. It was a strange feeling; she didn’t recognize her own mind and her memories felt alien.
Even as the accident came crawling back to her, she didn’t feel as though it was really her who had experienced it; Chickenpaw felt like little more than a spectator.
She could faintly feel the spray of seawater against her pelt, having drifted up from the waves slamming against the rocks. The summer breeze itself carried scents of faraway islands, though she couldn’t smell anything concrete. There was a jarring sense of intrigue and curiosity, as if she was called to the edge of this fabled cliff. Chickenpaw couldn’t see what it was that was screaming out to her, but she felt it in every bone in her body. She leaned closer, balancing on the wind as it weaved through her fur like fingers…
Then the feeling of weightlessness…
A rush of blue coming towards her…
Fear… fear… fear…
She had fallen.
I don’t understand? Chickenpaw thought to herself, bemused. I shouldn’t be alive. No one falls from Salt’s Gate and survives.
With a shiver she thought of the many bloated carcasses that have washed up on ShingleClan’s beaches, their bodies twisted and broken in horrible ways, or half devoured by marine life. All those daring warriors, reduced to nothing but bone and flesh strewn over the rocks, not unlike the ones that claimed them.
The bewilderment was nothing compared to the sense of dread that slowly bubbled in her belly. She felt off, but couldn’t place a claw on why. Chickenpaw couldn’t stop the peculiar feeling from overwhelming her.
Deep down, Chickenpaw knew that she had been destined to die.
Then why am I alive?
She pushed the thoughts away for now, as she wouldn’t remain well for long; though it was summer, the cold dampness sticking to pelt would make her sick before too long. The young cat did not want to have another brush with death so shortly after her first one.
However, Chickenpaw could not push herself to stand. She could barely move, and noticed a heavy weariness coming over her. It felt as though a hundred weights were holding her down. The apprentice fought it, struggling to keep her eyes open and conscious.
I have to stay awake! What if- what if I never wake up again? I can’t die! I can’t!
Panic wasn’t enough to stop exhaustion from taking her; she was still worn out from thrashing in the sea, though she did not know how long she laid upon that beach. The apprentice took one last look back at the forest before her eyes fell closed from exhaustion, feeling a slight sense of contentment wash over her from the sight of the tall, dark trees.
At least I am home, wherever I go from here.
When Chickenpaw awoke again, the sunlight had faded to the dark blue hues of evening. Her mind was foggy, more so than it had been when she first woke up. She had horrible nightmares; demons from the sea dragging her back down into the abyss, or painfully choking on lungfuls of water as she fought for breath. She could almost feel the pain in her dream. They came in succession; just as she thought she was safe, she was plunged into another terror.
Chickenpaw was never more happy to open her eyes.
She immediately tried to sit up; it was a challenge, and her muscles screamed at her stop. Eventually, she was able to haul herself into a half-sitting position, though he posture was slouched and lazy. Panting from the effort, she stopped moving to rest, flicking her gaze around the beach.
As she looked around, she realized she was far from Salt’s Gate; in fact, she couldn’t even see it from her position. The confusion from earlier crept back; wouldn’t she have been washed out to sea, rather than towards a beach far away?
Chickenpaw shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and the smell of salt from her head. All she had to do was wait for a patrol to show up; they would help her. Her mothers could answer any questions or doubts she had.
She was sure of it.
___
Chickenpaw did not have to wait long for an evening patrol to find her. As she sat and gathered her strength, she could finally make out distinctly feline shapes in the shadowy forest. She opened her mouth to call out, but all that escaped her maw was a thick rasping sound.
Thankfully, they soon caught sight of her ragged form along the beach and stopped dead in their tracks. She must have been an odd sight: a half-drowned tortoiseshell apprentice sitting on the shingle. Still too tired to stand, she prayed that they’d approach. It was dark and far away- too much so to see who they were- but Chickenpaw hoped that someone familiar would be among them.
Immediately, a small ginger shape broke through the tree line. Their feet barely touched the ground as they dashed over to where Chickenpaw was sitting. As they got closer, Chickenpaw felt a distinct familiar feeling well up inside her chest.
This cat was a friend.
“Raspberrypaw,” she called out, her voice still rough and ragged from the salt water. She could remember this cat, her fur darker than the flames of the sun. Chickenpaw blinked in greeting as she approached, Raspberrypaw purring loudly. She reached out and licked Chickenpaw between her mottled ears, barely able to contain excitement.
“I can’t believe it! You’re alive! How? Where have you been? Why didn’t you come back?” Raspberrypaw exclaimed, pacing around Chickenpaw excitedly. “Spiderflower said she sent you hunting, but you never showed back up at camp! We’ve been searching everywhere for you!”
Where have I been? Searching? I’ve only been gone a few hours, I-
Before Chickenpaw could finish her thought, a loud voice interrupted, “One question at a time, Raspberrypaw!”
Chickenpaw looked up. Two tabbies were approaching rather cautiously, as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Chickenpaw recognized a brown tabby, Mosquitonose, as the one who had spoken. She was a nondescript dark brown tabby, with thick, dark stripes crisscrossing her hide.
“Where have you been? We have been worried sick about you-“ she began almost sternly, before being cut off by the accompanying tom.
“We shouldn’t be ones to question a blessing. She’s alive, and that’s all that matters,” he murmured, his voice soft.
Mosquitonose’s amberine eyes flicked to her companion. His pelt was the colour of fresh tansy, with wild dapples not unlike those of gods in the old fables. Dandelionfang’s green gaze met Mosquitonose’s, and then ventured back to Chickenpaw.
She felt like she was under scrutiny for a few seconds as the older warriors exchanged glances, but that worry was quickly squashed when Dandelionfang broke out into a rumbling purr.
“We’re so thankful to have found you at last. Gannetstar sent out so many patrols…” Dandelionfang mewed, pressing his pink nose to Chickenpaw’s ear. “We thought the worst, but here you are!”
“Here I am,” Chickenpaw echoed, still in disbelief. She could sense a thousand questions on her clanmate’s tongue. What? Where? How?
“Everyone will be so happy to have you returned safely; Weaselclaw and Oriolefur were worried sick. As was Goatpaw, I imagine, though he’s not the best at showing it.”
At the mention of her family- her littermates especially- Chickenpaw perked up a little.
“Yes,” Mosquitonose meowed. Chickenpaw noticed she had made no effort to greet the apprentice. “We will take you back to camp at once. There you can explain to Gannetstar what happened. I’m sure you have a good explanation for-“
“I fell. I fell from Salt’s Gate, when I was hunting,” Chickenpaw interrupted, unable to stand the accusation that she’d sneak away. Slander, really. Mosquitonose closed her mouth immediately, though Chickenpaw could almost feel the disbelief wafting off of her.
“You fell! How did you survive?” Raspberrypaw interrupted, before being shushed by the older warriors. They looked at her strangely, as if she had grown two heads.
They weren’t the only ones feeling doubt.
Though these cats were familiar- friends even- they felt like they didn’t belong. No… like she didn’t belong. The unpleasant feeling formed a pit in her stomach, and she found herself unable to speak.
It is strange how they are treating me. I feel like a pariah; I have only been gone for an afternoon, so why are they so…skeptical? She thought. Yes, they were weary of her, but why?
Something was very wrong. She could feel it in the air, suffocating her in a thick miasma.
“How long was I gone?” she asked, holding her breath for an answer.
Mosquitonose was the one to speak, and her response made the blood drain from Chickenpaw’s face.
“Four days.
Chapter Two
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Coming Soon - 300 words in
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 6:38:38 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 6:40:59 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 6:41:14 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 23:13:29 GMT -5
Chapter One posted! I hope y’all like; if you do, feel free to leave some feedback!
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Post by ✲ριкαƒυєу✲ on Jan 19, 2018 19:54:25 GMT -5
I'll be reading this soon! Btw, it's Pika from Aku's server x3
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Post by ✲ριкαƒυєу✲ on Jan 20, 2018 1:16:41 GMT -5
Ah finally read it! I like it so far, and the different names are interesting! Can't wait to see what's in store c:
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