Post by Zz on Oct 16, 2020 12:38:34 GMT -5
Otorongoclan-Lead by Zz
Ounceclan-Open-Mountain territory to the east of Otorongoclan
Catamountclan-Open-Plains and scraggly trees territory beside the mountains
Valtoclan-Open-Forest and riverland territory, Indigo River is their border with Otorongoclan
Positions:
Leader: The Leader of the clan is the one who is chosen to uphold the traditions and way of life in Otorongoclan. They lead it into the ages and into the future, always ready to give their life to make sure the clan leads on.
Deputy: The Deputy of the clan is the future leader. They are the apprentice of the Leader and are trained to know the history and even the future of the clan so that they may one day take the helm and help the clan to survive.
Lead Hunter: The Lead Hunter is the best hunter within the clan. Every spring a competition is held to find the lead hunter, though it is not uncommon for the same cat to win the competition several times over. They are in charge of arranging and sending out hunting patrols and training some of the warriors to be able to hunt in the emergent layer. (Only those who are capable of hunting at the emergent layer may be the Lead Hunter as the test has four parts, one in each layer of the forest.-For Otorongoclan)
Commander: The Commander is the battle strategist of the clan and is in charge of protecting and securing the borders of the territory. They are to protect the camp, the clan, and all that resides within the borders of our land.
Healers: Healers spend many seasons being trained and disciplined, sometimes even years will pass before the official name of a healer is bestowed upon an apprentice who chooses to pursue this path. (They are in charge of the health of not only the clan, but all other creatures within the forest. The jaguars, gorillas, even the elephants of the lands. If one is found injured then the healer must be notified and led to them so that they may be saved and continue on their journey of life.-For Otorongoclan)
Warriors: These cats are the hunters and protectors of the clan, led by the Lead Hunter and the Commander, who are led by the Leader. They are to give their life for the clan and a she-cat can only become a queen if she has been a warrior for at least two seasons.
Apprentices: Apprentices are in training to become either warriors or healers, and both of these kinds of appendices sleep in the same den until they gain their true names. Apprentices must attend a storytelling session by the elders once every moon to learn the history of the clan or else they are not allowed to gain their true name.
Queens and Kits: Once a she-cat has been a warrior for at least two seasons and has performed the Flower of Love tradition they are then allowed to bear kits to continue on the life of the clan. The kits of the clans are the future and so are protected by every being of the clan. They are not allowed to leave the camp and must be watched at all times so that they can survive and grow.
Elders: Elders of the clan are greatly respected by all as these lands are unforgiving and cruel, dangers lurking at every turn or whisper of air. It is uncommon for one to live to 80 moons, and this age is also how old one must be to become an elder. They may stay a warrior for longer if they wish but upon reaching this age they are also permitted to transfer to the elders den and become the history keepers and storytellers or the clan.
Otorongoclan:
Otorongo means beast which is what the word jaguar was originally based from.
Territory:
The rainforest that Otorongoclan calls home is structured into four layers: emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor. Each layer has unique characteristics based on differing levels of water, sunlight, and air circulation. While each layer is distinct, they exist in an interdependent system: processes and species in one layer influence those in another.
Emergent Layer:
This layer is not visited often and only trained warriors are allowed here because of the high winds and weaker limbs.
The top layer of the rainforest is the emergent layer. Here, trees as tall as 60 meters (200 feet) dominate the skyline. Foliage is often sparse on tree trunks, but spreads wide as the trees reach the sunny upper layer, where they photosynthesize the sun’s rays. Small, waxy leaves help trees in the emergent layer retain water during long droughts or dry seasons. Lightweight seeds are carried away from the parent plant by strong winds.
In the rainforest, the towering trees of the emergent layer include the Brazil nut tree and the kapok tree. The Brazil nut tree, a vulnerable species, can live up to 1,000 years in undisturbed rainforest habitats. Unlike many rainforest species, both the Brazil nut tree and the kapok tree are deciduous—they shed their leaves during the dry season.
Animals often maneuver through the emergent layer’s unstable topmost branches by flying or gliding. Animals that can’t fly or glide are usually quite small—they need to be light enough to be supported by a tree’s slender uppermost layers. These animals are hunted by the few warriors who are given permission to go to the emergent layer.
The animals living in the emergent layer of the Amazon rainforest include birds, bats, gliders, and butterflies. Large raptors, such as white-tailed hawks and harpy eagles, are its top predators.
Canopy Layer:
The Canopy Layer is the location of our camp and home, the thick leaves and branches providing ample protection.
Beneath the emergent layer is the canopy, a deep layer of vegetation roughly 6 meters (20 feet) thick. The canopy’s dense network of leaves and branches forms a roof over the two remaining layers.
The canopy blocks winds, rainfall, and sunlight, creating a humid, still, and dark environment below. Trees have adapted to this damp environment by producing glossy leaves with pointed tips that repel water.
While trees in the emergent layer rely on wind to scatter their seeds, many canopy plants, lacking wind, encase their seeds in fruit. Sweet fruit entices animals, which eat the fruit and deposit seeds on the forest floor as droppings. Fig trees, common throughout most of the world’s tropical rainforests, may be the most familiar fruit tree in the canopy. Many of the clan harvest and eat fruit as well.
With so much food available, more animals live in the canopy than any other layer in the rainforest. The dense vegetation dulls sound, so many—but not all—canopy dwellers are notable for their shrill or frequent vocalizing. In the Amazon rainforest, canopy fruit is snatched up in the large beaks of screeching scarlet macaws and keel-billed toucans, and picked by barking spider and howler monkeys. The silent two-toed sloth chews on the leaves, shoots, and fruit in the canopy.
Thousands and thousands of insect species can also be found in the canopy, from bees to beetles, borers to butterflies. Many of these insects are the principal diet of the canopy’s reptiles, including the "flying" draco lizards of Southeast Asia. Some within the clan like to use these bugs as small snacks throughout the day.
Understory Layer:
Located several meters below the canopy, the understory is an even darker, stiller, and more humid environment. Plants here, such as palms and philodendrons, are much shorter and have larger leaves than plants that dominate the canopy. Understory plants’ large leaves catch the minimal sunlight reaching beyond the dense canopy.
Understory plants often produce flowers that are large and easy to see, such as Heliconia. Others have a strong smell, such as orchids. These features attract pollinators even in the understory’s low-light conditions. By tradition these flowers are used as offerings to ask one to be mates with another.
The fruit and seeds of many understory shrubs in temperate rainforests are edible.
Animals call the understory home for a variety of reasons. Many take advantage of the dimly lit environment for camouflage. The spots on a jaguar, the namesake of our clan, may be mistaken for leaves or flecks of sunlight, for instance. The green mamba, one of the deadliest snakes in the world, blends in with foliage as it slithers up branches. Many bats, birds, and insects prefer the open airspace the understory offers. Amphibians, such as dazzlingly colored tree frogs, thrive in the humidity because it keeps their skin moist.
The rainforest canopies and understories are home to some of the most endangered and familiar rainforest animals—such as forest elephants, pythons, antelopes, and gorillas. Gorillas, a critically endangered species of primate, are crucial for seed dispersal. Gorillas are herbivores that move throughout the dark, dense rainforest as well as more sun-dappled swamps and jungles. Their droppings disperse seeds in these sunny areas where new trees and shrubs can take root. In this way, gorillas are keystone species in many African rainforest ecosystems. These larger animals are forbidden from being hunting and doing so can lead to banishment.
Forest Floor Layer:
The forest floor is the darkest of all rainforest layers, making it extremely difficult for plants to grow. Leaves that fall to the forest floor decay quickly.
Decomposers, such as termites, slugs, scorpions, worms, and fungi, thrive on the forest floor. Organic matter falls from trees and plants, and these organisms break down the decaying material into nutrients. The shallow roots of rainforest trees absorb these nutrients, and dozens of predators consume the decomposers! These decomposers make up most of our prey during the dry season when our other prey moves further into the forest to find more food.
Animals such as wild pigs, armadillos, and anteaters forage in the decomposing brush for these tasty insects, roots and tubers. Even larger predators, including leopards, skulk in the darkness to surprise their prey. Smaller rodents, such as rats and lowland pacas, hide from predators beneath the shallow roots of trees that dominate the canopy and emergent layer. These rodents are one of our sources of prey as well.
Rivers that run through some tropical rainforests create unusual freshwater habitats on the forest floor. This water is only used for bathing or fishing.
Landmarks:
Whispering Falls:
These waterfalls are truly beautiful. Situated on the northside of our lands the falls cascade down several layers of rock, creating a series of waterfalls that sent a spray of mist to coat the surrounding area and cause refractions of light everywhere, adding to the beauty of this place. Many different flowers grow here and this is the main place that those of the clan will go to so that they may find the perfect flower to present to the one they love.
The Scar of the Land:
The Scar of the Land was thought to have happened during the great jaguar's roar when the earth itself cried out and shook, splitting open to create a huge gaping ravine that splits us off from where the animals move to during the dry season. The ravine is so deep that the bottom cannot be seen and if you drop a stone into its depths and wait, you will never hear the sound of it hitting the bottom as it is so deep that the echo fades before it even reaches the surface once more.
Indigo River:
The Indigo River marks the border with ?clan and is named as such because of the millions of purple stones that lay at the bottom of the river, causing the water to have an indigo hue. Many herbs grow along this river in great quantities. We often have territory disputes over the river.
The Jaguar Temple:
The Jaguar Temple is a set of ruins that lay to the southeast of camp. It is a sacred place where those of the clan go to leave offerings to the jaguars, who are thought to be the true creators of our clan and our way of life. This is also why the leader of the clan, upon becoming leader, must paint the spots of a jaguar across their fur with a special berry that will stain them with the markings forever.
Camp:
The camp of our clan is located in the canopy layer of the forest. The thick branches and leaves provide protection from the elements and many larger predators. In one area of the canopy the leaves and branches have been moved and packed to create a large cavern without the canopy itself. This is what our clan calls home.
The dens are made from the more spindly branches and limbs of thick leaves being shifted and manipulated into thick, well insulated dens that also have holes here and there to let in air currents.
The den of the leader lays further up the camp wall, only accessible by climbing. The entrance has flowers and animal teeth decorating it. The leader calls clan meetings from the entrance of his den.
The deputy, lead hunter, and commander share a den. This den is placed on the camp floor right beneath the leader's den and the entrance is marked with small stones that have been settled on either side of the opening into the den.
The healers of our clan make their home is a second packed down area that branches off from the main camp. It sits opposite the camp from the leader's den and to tunnel to it is above 5 tail lengths long. Upon exiting the tunnel you are greeted by an open area that has been lined with nests of moss, flowers, and feathers, two of the nests set apart from the others and circled by stones. Behind these two nests is a set of dead driftwood that holds piles upon piles of herbs as the forest has much to provide. Another piece of driftwood is settled nearby with several of the branches angled into it so that water will collect into a pool on the wood.
The warriors den is settled a few leopard lengths to the right of the medicine cat den and is set up like the leader's den with branches pulled out and together and intertwined within one another to make a spacious den that has several holes to let in air and light. The den can be made bigger by simply packing into the canopy wall at the back of the den. The entrance to this den is marked with the feathers of birds that are taken down for prey.
The apprentices den is halfway between the leader's den and the warrior's den and is set up the exact same way as the warrior's den except for a piece of driftwood at the center of the den where many apprentices will put fruits and bugs so that they have snacks if they wake up in the middle of the night. The entrance to this den is marked with fur that has been pulled off of the prey of the clan.
The nursery is one of the largest dens as there are always plenty of kits and queens. The entrance is marked with a special kind of white moss that is seen as sacred and a symbol of protection to life and birth. The inside of the den has two pieces of driftwood at its center, one for snacks much like with the apprentices, and the other to collect water from a branch that has been pulled down and placed over the bowl so that the water will drip down from it. This makes it easier for the more heavily pregnant queens to get what they need, when they need it.
The final den is the elders den, one of the smaller dens as the rainforest is a dangerous and cruel environment and it is uncommon to live to the 80 moon limit that was put in place for the elders. The only way to go to the den early is if you have been injured to the point that you can no longer perform any of your duties. The entrance to this den is marked with scales and bones that are found throughout the forest.
The freshkill pile is settled in the center of the camp and is allowed to be accessed only after you contribute to it as well.
Beside the warriors den is a tunnel that continues for several tail lengths before splitting into a fork. The left path leads you to a series of stairs that have been made by branches and bones which lead all the way down to the understory and then even further on to the forest floor. The right path takes you to a second stairwell that leads up into the emergent layer, only certain warriors are allowed to go here.
Traditions:
Flower of Love:
This tradition lasts an entire day most of the time. It starts with a cat going to the Whispering Falls and choosing a single flower for the one they love. They will then present this flower to the cat to ask if they would be mates with them. If the other says no then the cats are sent on patrols into opposite directions for the rest of the day to help ease the pain of the one who was denied mateship.
The Marking:
The marking is an age old tradition that is performed when a new leader returns from receiving their nine lives. The queens of the clan mash up a special berry that the clan calls the Midnight Fruit because of it’s dark purple color. These berries are Acai Berries and the queen, upon the departure of the new leader go out and collect these berries before mashes them into a paste using driftwood and branches, using a ceremonial stone that has a bowl like shape to hold the newly made paint. The queens then go to the Jaguar Temple and await the arrival of the leader, who will come here before even returning to the camp and all others of the clan would have been sent out to hunt a feast early in the day but would now be confined to camp. Upon arriving the queens paint jaguar spots all over the fur of the leader, which will stain and stay forever, though they may fade over time. The leader is then escorted back to camp by the queens and presented to the clan anew before a great feast and party is held, which will normally last several days.
Ounceclan-WIP
Territory:
If the earth had a pulse it rose through the mountains, creating their bold silhouette. To my eye, their peaks are the green line of a doctor's graph. I saw those rocks at dawn, those slopes that give home to so much life, a foundation for trees and shrubs, grass and ferns. With blue above and below, in the sky and lake, ever lightening as the sun rose. The mountains were covered with a rug of trees, green, yellow, scarlet and orange, but their bare tops were scarfed and beribboned with snow. From carved rocky outcrops, waterfalls drifted like skeins of white lawn, and in the fields we could see the amber glint of rivers and the occasional mirror-like flash of a mountain lake...
Ounceclan makes their home upon the ridge of the mountains. Towering high into the clouds, mist drapes over the land for most of the day, over clearing up after sunhigh. The ground is rocky and rough, with patches of green grass coming up along the way as though they were random splatters of paint. A well worn path moved along the ridge, spiralling down into a valley to the east, the west side of the mountain falling into an endless, lifeless desert. The valley makes up most of the territory, a large, beautiful lake on the furthest side that supplies all of the water to the other territories. The northern side of the valley is covered by a forest of pines while a cliff face spirals up to the south, a pathway carved into it that leads to the camp.
The land is covered in wildflowers of all kinds that have adapted to the cold weather and high altitudes. Snow covers some parts of the land the whole year through and gets deep enough to bury a full grown wolf during the cold season.
The Leopard's Effigy:
At the highest point of The Ridgeway is a huge, towering boulder. When the light hits it just right the image of a snow leopard comes into view. The stone is sacred to the clan and all apprentices must climb to the top of this boulder and stand vigil through the night before they can become a warrior or healer.
The Winter Woods:
The pine forest on the north side of the valley is almost always blanketed in snow, the shade beneath causing a near constant cold to the area and gifting it with its name. Evergreens can be found throughout the forest as well as wild berry bushes and many different kinds of plants with edible roots.
The Ridgeway:
The mountain path was a sickly yellow, almost browning, between the vivid green on either side. It was a ribbon on which to walk in single file up the ridge, a frozen wind beating in from the left. The path carried on from one side of the valley to the other before moving down and around the entire valley itself, marking a natural border for the clan that was also easy to patrol.
Icecap Lake:
Looking through the waters of the lake was like peering through perfect glass, unsmudged by the sticky prints of small children. The stones at the bottom were as many hues of brown and grey as there are on a painter's wheel, likely more. After a few minutes of looking one could notice some that were some more reddish or closer to white. The water at one point had a current, it was where the glacial melt of the mountains themselves flowed away to fill the rivers of the other territories. The earthen path stretched wide to your left and right making a complete loop around the edge just behind the evergreen trees that grew directly on the bank.
Camp:
The camp is situated to the south side of the valley among the sheer, rocky cliff face. A path is carved into the stone to lead up to a single pine that holds onto the wall face. An opening can be found at it’s side that leads down into a large, open cavern that is lit up with tons of bio-luminescent moss and glow worms that hang along the walls and ceiling of the cavern.
The dens of the clan are not really dens per say, but are merely areas of the cave that have been marked off with stones and branches, making a small wall of sorts that can be easily stepped over by all but the smaller kits of the clan.
Starting at the entrance the dens loop around at the wall, with the warriors den to the left of the entrance and the apprentices den to the right.
The nursery area is further down the left side where it begins to curve, followed by the den of the deputy, commander, and lead hunter a little farther down.
The elders den sits further down the wall from the apprentices den and the medicine cat den follows further beyond that, a set of wooden planks put together with vines to make a shelf for storing herbs.
The leader's den sits opposite the entrance and a large stalagmite rises out the ground with a flat top; this is where the leader calls clan meetings.
Prey is placed within a marked area between the warrior’s den and the nursery while a small pool of water can be found to the right of the entrance that is created by water dripping into the cave via the roots of the pine that marks the entrance itself.
Catamountclan:
Territory:
The rocky land spread out on all sides, slowly sloping up the closer to the mountains you got until it was suddenly a step incline with a thunderous river flowing down into the lands below. The closer to the jungle lands you got the more grass and trees grew, while further in there were merely shrubs and a few scraggly trunks here and there with sparse, yellowed leaves. The sun shines heavily onto the stone, heating it up quickly and causing heat to always radiate within the land until the northern winds would start and blanket everything in white.
Boulders and rocks rose up at every turn and cliffs and ledges would send you falling to your death if you were not careful of where you stepped. A huge, sheer drop marked the border with Otorongoclan, the trees of the jungle reaching so high that they towered up over the lip of the fall and hid it from view, making it all the more dangerous.
After days of rain-the brooks chatter in the hills, mini-rivers creating mini-gorges without concept of scale. Around them the land drinks, puddles become pools and their sound upon the rocks sings with a steady confidence, the percussion to the chorus of the birds that take refuge among the stone and shade.
Winding River:
Flowing out of Ounceclan territory, the river is a sleeping cobra. It lies across the land in smooth seductive curves, beautiful in the morning light, cool and innocuous. Yet it hides a myriad of dangers, its swift undertow being the least of your concerns. Just yards around the next bend is the largest waterfall in the region, thundering down into the canyon; if you survive the fall you can enjoy drowning in the torrents as they whip you against the rocks that line the canyon. The water is icy even at this time of year since the water comes from the alpine melts as much as from the rain.
The Canyon:
Stepping up onto the sand strewn rock, the wind whipped, howling, pushing my body toward the edge and the canyon floor ten thousand feet below. Ribbon-like fissures lined the gorge with their wind-carved texture, not far off a waterfall tumbled, white in the desert light. The water lay upon the canyon floor, passing over minerals and stones - a deep, meandering river fed by a myriad of tributaries. Trees and saplings lined the sides, a company of green for the winding aquamarine, leading toward a lush valley that blossomed into an earthy vibe. The trees thicken and the water begins to rush and deepens the further into the canyon you go. Once you reach the end of the canyon you are inside Valtoclan territory.
Eagle’s Peak:
A horrid and evil place, bones scatter the ground and broken branches lay strewn about beneath the rocky outcropping that holds the tallest tree within these lands. At its top is a huge eagle’s nest that is filled with a family of the predators. This area is off limits unless you are in a large patrol so that it is easier to fend off against the large hunters in case of attack. Apprentices are forbidden from going here. It is thought that some of the bones that litter the ground here are from cats that were grabbed from around the territory and even the camp itself.
Catamount Cry:
This odd shaped stone rests near the cliff border with Otorongoclan, the stone itself hollow and able to be spoken into via a hole on one side. If you cry out into it the sound it produces is like that of a mountain lion and the leader of the clan must use this stone to call out and show their might upon receiving their nine lives.
Camp:
The camp is placed within a hollow near the center of the territory, a line of large boulders and rocks settled along the rim to add extra protection from predators and the elements. Two of the boulders have an opening between them which allows entrance to a small incline that takes you down into the main area of the camp.
A single scraggly tree grows up from the ground on the left side of the camp from the entrance and a small den has been dug out within the roots of the tree for the leader of the clan. Meetings are called from the tree itself.
The den for the deputy, commander, and lead hunter sits within the camp wall behind the tree that marks the leader’s den and is a small, natural cave that is big enough for about four cats and so is the meeting area for the leader and the three who call this den home.
The medicine cat den sits within another tunnel area that is set into the camp wall near the entrance that has been dug to be more open and airy, giving plenty of space to hold sick cats and tons of herbs.
The warriors den and apprentices den are connected. There are two entrances side by side on the right side of camp from the entrance that trail back into two large, open caves that can hold plenty of cats. A middle tunnel cuts through the ground to give easy access between the two dens.
The nursery and elders den are beside each other as well and sit opposite the entrance. The elders den is a hollow tree that was dragged to the camp by a large group of warriors and then placed within to provide a den for the elders.
The nursery is a collection of large boulders that had been in the camp to start but were painstakingly moved and propped up together to make the den and then reinforced with bracken and brambles around it that also help insulate the inside.
Valtoclan
Territory:
As you walk from the border with Otorongoclan into Valtoclan territory, the ground beneath your feet starts to become muddy and soggy. The further you go, the wetter it becomes. Small bumps or hillocks of drier land stick up above the mud, while dips in the ground level fill with water and form small pools of water. All of a sudden, you enter the lush profusion of plants which heralds the beginning of the magical world that is a wetland.
Trees such as grey-green Willows grow well in the lush vegetation of the marsh area. These will also grow on dry land where there is plenty of water, but are just as at home in shallow, standing water in a wetland. Alder trees may also be found here in the shallowest areas, together with a whole range of smaller plants such as Yellow Iris, rushes and Water Mint. In high summer, you can imagine yourself lost in a jungle as you brush through thick vegetation which often reaches well above your head.
Further into the wetland, swamp plants such as Yellow Iris and Branched Bur-reed start to appear. On a hot sunny day, jewel bright, blue and red adult damselflies may perch on the plants, while larger dragonflies acrobatically hunt the air above the wetlands. In both marsh and swamp areas, there will also be minute snails crawling over the plants, spiders trapping insects in their webs and grass snakes slithering silently through the undergrowth on the hunt for small frogs. Hoverflies and Bumble Bees fill the air with a heavy droning as they investigate the flowers of the plants for nectar.
Continuing on through the swamp, tall Reedmace plants, also known as Bulrushes, may tower over your head, with the fuzzy brown seed heads shedding their seeds into the wind. Water voles rustle in the reeds and deer come to drink and lie in the cool mud. Open pools of water start to appear here as the water becomes deeper still and the swamp plants begin to thin out. The pools are full of a staggering variety of life, from water beetles and bugs, to small fish such as sticklebacks. In the spring, frogs and toads in their thousands will come to mate and lay their eggs.
Continuing into the wetland, the tall sword-shaped leaves of the swamp plants gradually give way to open water. The open water has different plants still, to the marsh and swamp areas of the wetland. Tiny leaflets of Duckweed float on the surface, while Pondweed grows submerged in the water below. Clinging to its underwater fronds are a variety of aquatic herbivores such as Mayfly and Caddisfly larvae. Small fish such as Sticklebacks lurk in the water, waiting to catch minibeasts such as small worms and larvae.
Swamp Peak:
At the highest point of the territory is a hill cogvered in reeds and grass, and within its center is a spindly, winding tree that holds a small den beneath it. This den is the home of a swamp cat, the true rulers of the swamp. Every new moon a warrior is chosen from the clan to deliver prey to this location to thank the swamp pcat for allowing them to live within its land.
The Yellow Willow:
The yellow willow is a large, towering willow tree that the camp is situated around. Because of the muddy water that it is within the leaves stay a bright, vivid yellow year round and cause a golden hue to flow onto the camp below when the sun is shining.
The Canyon:
Stepping up onto the sand strewn rock, the wind whipped, howling, pushing my body toward the edge and the canyon floor ten thousand feet below. Ribbon-like fissures lined the gorge with their wind-carved texture, not far off a waterfall tumbled, white in the desert light. The water lay upon the canyon floor, passing over minerals and stones - a deep, meandering river fed by a myriad of tributaries. Trees and saplings lined the sides, a company of green for the winding aquamarine, leading toward a lush valley that blossomed into an earthy vibe. The trees thicken and the water begins to rush and deepens the further into the canyon you go. Once you reach the end of the canyon you are inside Valtoclan territory. Valtoclan cats hunt within this side of the canyon often.
Indigo River:
The Indigo River marks the border with our neighboring clan and is named as such because of the millions of purple stones that lay at the bottom of the river, causing the water to have an indigo hue. Many herbs grow along this river in great quantities.
Camp:
The camp of Valtoclan is situated around the Yellow Willow. The base of the tree acts as the freshkill pile while the branches above are where the leader will call meetings.
The camp wall consists of a thick wall of reeds and bulrushes, the dens situated all along the perimeter within the reeds themselves, vines and driftwood woven above to provide a roof.
The entrance is a tunnel that has been cleared out through the wall that leads toward the dryer are of the land. The leader’s den is placed on the far side of the camp from the entrance with the deputy, commander, and lead hunter’s den to the right of it and the elders den to the left. The den for the warriors and apprentices are between the entrance and elders den while the nursery and medicine cat den is between the entrance and the den of the three co-leaders.
Ounceclan-Open-Mountain territory to the east of Otorongoclan
Catamountclan-Open-Plains and scraggly trees territory beside the mountains
Valtoclan-Open-Forest and riverland territory, Indigo River is their border with Otorongoclan
Positions:
Leader: The Leader of the clan is the one who is chosen to uphold the traditions and way of life in Otorongoclan. They lead it into the ages and into the future, always ready to give their life to make sure the clan leads on.
Deputy: The Deputy of the clan is the future leader. They are the apprentice of the Leader and are trained to know the history and even the future of the clan so that they may one day take the helm and help the clan to survive.
Lead Hunter: The Lead Hunter is the best hunter within the clan. Every spring a competition is held to find the lead hunter, though it is not uncommon for the same cat to win the competition several times over. They are in charge of arranging and sending out hunting patrols and training some of the warriors to be able to hunt in the emergent layer. (Only those who are capable of hunting at the emergent layer may be the Lead Hunter as the test has four parts, one in each layer of the forest.-For Otorongoclan)
Commander: The Commander is the battle strategist of the clan and is in charge of protecting and securing the borders of the territory. They are to protect the camp, the clan, and all that resides within the borders of our land.
Healers: Healers spend many seasons being trained and disciplined, sometimes even years will pass before the official name of a healer is bestowed upon an apprentice who chooses to pursue this path. (They are in charge of the health of not only the clan, but all other creatures within the forest. The jaguars, gorillas, even the elephants of the lands. If one is found injured then the healer must be notified and led to them so that they may be saved and continue on their journey of life.-For Otorongoclan)
Warriors: These cats are the hunters and protectors of the clan, led by the Lead Hunter and the Commander, who are led by the Leader. They are to give their life for the clan and a she-cat can only become a queen if she has been a warrior for at least two seasons.
Apprentices: Apprentices are in training to become either warriors or healers, and both of these kinds of appendices sleep in the same den until they gain their true names. Apprentices must attend a storytelling session by the elders once every moon to learn the history of the clan or else they are not allowed to gain their true name.
Queens and Kits: Once a she-cat has been a warrior for at least two seasons and has performed the Flower of Love tradition they are then allowed to bear kits to continue on the life of the clan. The kits of the clans are the future and so are protected by every being of the clan. They are not allowed to leave the camp and must be watched at all times so that they can survive and grow.
Elders: Elders of the clan are greatly respected by all as these lands are unforgiving and cruel, dangers lurking at every turn or whisper of air. It is uncommon for one to live to 80 moons, and this age is also how old one must be to become an elder. They may stay a warrior for longer if they wish but upon reaching this age they are also permitted to transfer to the elders den and become the history keepers and storytellers or the clan.
Otorongoclan:
Otorongo means beast which is what the word jaguar was originally based from.
Territory:
The rainforest that Otorongoclan calls home is structured into four layers: emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor. Each layer has unique characteristics based on differing levels of water, sunlight, and air circulation. While each layer is distinct, they exist in an interdependent system: processes and species in one layer influence those in another.
Emergent Layer:
This layer is not visited often and only trained warriors are allowed here because of the high winds and weaker limbs.
The top layer of the rainforest is the emergent layer. Here, trees as tall as 60 meters (200 feet) dominate the skyline. Foliage is often sparse on tree trunks, but spreads wide as the trees reach the sunny upper layer, where they photosynthesize the sun’s rays. Small, waxy leaves help trees in the emergent layer retain water during long droughts or dry seasons. Lightweight seeds are carried away from the parent plant by strong winds.
In the rainforest, the towering trees of the emergent layer include the Brazil nut tree and the kapok tree. The Brazil nut tree, a vulnerable species, can live up to 1,000 years in undisturbed rainforest habitats. Unlike many rainforest species, both the Brazil nut tree and the kapok tree are deciduous—they shed their leaves during the dry season.
Animals often maneuver through the emergent layer’s unstable topmost branches by flying or gliding. Animals that can’t fly or glide are usually quite small—they need to be light enough to be supported by a tree’s slender uppermost layers. These animals are hunted by the few warriors who are given permission to go to the emergent layer.
The animals living in the emergent layer of the Amazon rainforest include birds, bats, gliders, and butterflies. Large raptors, such as white-tailed hawks and harpy eagles, are its top predators.
Canopy Layer:
The Canopy Layer is the location of our camp and home, the thick leaves and branches providing ample protection.
Beneath the emergent layer is the canopy, a deep layer of vegetation roughly 6 meters (20 feet) thick. The canopy’s dense network of leaves and branches forms a roof over the two remaining layers.
The canopy blocks winds, rainfall, and sunlight, creating a humid, still, and dark environment below. Trees have adapted to this damp environment by producing glossy leaves with pointed tips that repel water.
While trees in the emergent layer rely on wind to scatter their seeds, many canopy plants, lacking wind, encase their seeds in fruit. Sweet fruit entices animals, which eat the fruit and deposit seeds on the forest floor as droppings. Fig trees, common throughout most of the world’s tropical rainforests, may be the most familiar fruit tree in the canopy. Many of the clan harvest and eat fruit as well.
With so much food available, more animals live in the canopy than any other layer in the rainforest. The dense vegetation dulls sound, so many—but not all—canopy dwellers are notable for their shrill or frequent vocalizing. In the Amazon rainforest, canopy fruit is snatched up in the large beaks of screeching scarlet macaws and keel-billed toucans, and picked by barking spider and howler monkeys. The silent two-toed sloth chews on the leaves, shoots, and fruit in the canopy.
Thousands and thousands of insect species can also be found in the canopy, from bees to beetles, borers to butterflies. Many of these insects are the principal diet of the canopy’s reptiles, including the "flying" draco lizards of Southeast Asia. Some within the clan like to use these bugs as small snacks throughout the day.
Understory Layer:
Located several meters below the canopy, the understory is an even darker, stiller, and more humid environment. Plants here, such as palms and philodendrons, are much shorter and have larger leaves than plants that dominate the canopy. Understory plants’ large leaves catch the minimal sunlight reaching beyond the dense canopy.
Understory plants often produce flowers that are large and easy to see, such as Heliconia. Others have a strong smell, such as orchids. These features attract pollinators even in the understory’s low-light conditions. By tradition these flowers are used as offerings to ask one to be mates with another.
The fruit and seeds of many understory shrubs in temperate rainforests are edible.
Animals call the understory home for a variety of reasons. Many take advantage of the dimly lit environment for camouflage. The spots on a jaguar, the namesake of our clan, may be mistaken for leaves or flecks of sunlight, for instance. The green mamba, one of the deadliest snakes in the world, blends in with foliage as it slithers up branches. Many bats, birds, and insects prefer the open airspace the understory offers. Amphibians, such as dazzlingly colored tree frogs, thrive in the humidity because it keeps their skin moist.
The rainforest canopies and understories are home to some of the most endangered and familiar rainforest animals—such as forest elephants, pythons, antelopes, and gorillas. Gorillas, a critically endangered species of primate, are crucial for seed dispersal. Gorillas are herbivores that move throughout the dark, dense rainforest as well as more sun-dappled swamps and jungles. Their droppings disperse seeds in these sunny areas where new trees and shrubs can take root. In this way, gorillas are keystone species in many African rainforest ecosystems. These larger animals are forbidden from being hunting and doing so can lead to banishment.
Forest Floor Layer:
The forest floor is the darkest of all rainforest layers, making it extremely difficult for plants to grow. Leaves that fall to the forest floor decay quickly.
Decomposers, such as termites, slugs, scorpions, worms, and fungi, thrive on the forest floor. Organic matter falls from trees and plants, and these organisms break down the decaying material into nutrients. The shallow roots of rainforest trees absorb these nutrients, and dozens of predators consume the decomposers! These decomposers make up most of our prey during the dry season when our other prey moves further into the forest to find more food.
Animals such as wild pigs, armadillos, and anteaters forage in the decomposing brush for these tasty insects, roots and tubers. Even larger predators, including leopards, skulk in the darkness to surprise their prey. Smaller rodents, such as rats and lowland pacas, hide from predators beneath the shallow roots of trees that dominate the canopy and emergent layer. These rodents are one of our sources of prey as well.
Rivers that run through some tropical rainforests create unusual freshwater habitats on the forest floor. This water is only used for bathing or fishing.
Landmarks:
Whispering Falls:
These waterfalls are truly beautiful. Situated on the northside of our lands the falls cascade down several layers of rock, creating a series of waterfalls that sent a spray of mist to coat the surrounding area and cause refractions of light everywhere, adding to the beauty of this place. Many different flowers grow here and this is the main place that those of the clan will go to so that they may find the perfect flower to present to the one they love.
The Scar of the Land:
The Scar of the Land was thought to have happened during the great jaguar's roar when the earth itself cried out and shook, splitting open to create a huge gaping ravine that splits us off from where the animals move to during the dry season. The ravine is so deep that the bottom cannot be seen and if you drop a stone into its depths and wait, you will never hear the sound of it hitting the bottom as it is so deep that the echo fades before it even reaches the surface once more.
Indigo River:
The Indigo River marks the border with ?clan and is named as such because of the millions of purple stones that lay at the bottom of the river, causing the water to have an indigo hue. Many herbs grow along this river in great quantities. We often have territory disputes over the river.
The Jaguar Temple:
The Jaguar Temple is a set of ruins that lay to the southeast of camp. It is a sacred place where those of the clan go to leave offerings to the jaguars, who are thought to be the true creators of our clan and our way of life. This is also why the leader of the clan, upon becoming leader, must paint the spots of a jaguar across their fur with a special berry that will stain them with the markings forever.
Camp:
The camp of our clan is located in the canopy layer of the forest. The thick branches and leaves provide protection from the elements and many larger predators. In one area of the canopy the leaves and branches have been moved and packed to create a large cavern without the canopy itself. This is what our clan calls home.
The dens are made from the more spindly branches and limbs of thick leaves being shifted and manipulated into thick, well insulated dens that also have holes here and there to let in air currents.
The den of the leader lays further up the camp wall, only accessible by climbing. The entrance has flowers and animal teeth decorating it. The leader calls clan meetings from the entrance of his den.
The deputy, lead hunter, and commander share a den. This den is placed on the camp floor right beneath the leader's den and the entrance is marked with small stones that have been settled on either side of the opening into the den.
The healers of our clan make their home is a second packed down area that branches off from the main camp. It sits opposite the camp from the leader's den and to tunnel to it is above 5 tail lengths long. Upon exiting the tunnel you are greeted by an open area that has been lined with nests of moss, flowers, and feathers, two of the nests set apart from the others and circled by stones. Behind these two nests is a set of dead driftwood that holds piles upon piles of herbs as the forest has much to provide. Another piece of driftwood is settled nearby with several of the branches angled into it so that water will collect into a pool on the wood.
The warriors den is settled a few leopard lengths to the right of the medicine cat den and is set up like the leader's den with branches pulled out and together and intertwined within one another to make a spacious den that has several holes to let in air and light. The den can be made bigger by simply packing into the canopy wall at the back of the den. The entrance to this den is marked with the feathers of birds that are taken down for prey.
The apprentices den is halfway between the leader's den and the warrior's den and is set up the exact same way as the warrior's den except for a piece of driftwood at the center of the den where many apprentices will put fruits and bugs so that they have snacks if they wake up in the middle of the night. The entrance to this den is marked with fur that has been pulled off of the prey of the clan.
The nursery is one of the largest dens as there are always plenty of kits and queens. The entrance is marked with a special kind of white moss that is seen as sacred and a symbol of protection to life and birth. The inside of the den has two pieces of driftwood at its center, one for snacks much like with the apprentices, and the other to collect water from a branch that has been pulled down and placed over the bowl so that the water will drip down from it. This makes it easier for the more heavily pregnant queens to get what they need, when they need it.
The final den is the elders den, one of the smaller dens as the rainforest is a dangerous and cruel environment and it is uncommon to live to the 80 moon limit that was put in place for the elders. The only way to go to the den early is if you have been injured to the point that you can no longer perform any of your duties. The entrance to this den is marked with scales and bones that are found throughout the forest.
The freshkill pile is settled in the center of the camp and is allowed to be accessed only after you contribute to it as well.
Beside the warriors den is a tunnel that continues for several tail lengths before splitting into a fork. The left path leads you to a series of stairs that have been made by branches and bones which lead all the way down to the understory and then even further on to the forest floor. The right path takes you to a second stairwell that leads up into the emergent layer, only certain warriors are allowed to go here.
Traditions:
Flower of Love:
This tradition lasts an entire day most of the time. It starts with a cat going to the Whispering Falls and choosing a single flower for the one they love. They will then present this flower to the cat to ask if they would be mates with them. If the other says no then the cats are sent on patrols into opposite directions for the rest of the day to help ease the pain of the one who was denied mateship.
The Marking:
The marking is an age old tradition that is performed when a new leader returns from receiving their nine lives. The queens of the clan mash up a special berry that the clan calls the Midnight Fruit because of it’s dark purple color. These berries are Acai Berries and the queen, upon the departure of the new leader go out and collect these berries before mashes them into a paste using driftwood and branches, using a ceremonial stone that has a bowl like shape to hold the newly made paint. The queens then go to the Jaguar Temple and await the arrival of the leader, who will come here before even returning to the camp and all others of the clan would have been sent out to hunt a feast early in the day but would now be confined to camp. Upon arriving the queens paint jaguar spots all over the fur of the leader, which will stain and stay forever, though they may fade over time. The leader is then escorted back to camp by the queens and presented to the clan anew before a great feast and party is held, which will normally last several days.
Ounceclan-WIP
Territory:
If the earth had a pulse it rose through the mountains, creating their bold silhouette. To my eye, their peaks are the green line of a doctor's graph. I saw those rocks at dawn, those slopes that give home to so much life, a foundation for trees and shrubs, grass and ferns. With blue above and below, in the sky and lake, ever lightening as the sun rose. The mountains were covered with a rug of trees, green, yellow, scarlet and orange, but their bare tops were scarfed and beribboned with snow. From carved rocky outcrops, waterfalls drifted like skeins of white lawn, and in the fields we could see the amber glint of rivers and the occasional mirror-like flash of a mountain lake...
Ounceclan makes their home upon the ridge of the mountains. Towering high into the clouds, mist drapes over the land for most of the day, over clearing up after sunhigh. The ground is rocky and rough, with patches of green grass coming up along the way as though they were random splatters of paint. A well worn path moved along the ridge, spiralling down into a valley to the east, the west side of the mountain falling into an endless, lifeless desert. The valley makes up most of the territory, a large, beautiful lake on the furthest side that supplies all of the water to the other territories. The northern side of the valley is covered by a forest of pines while a cliff face spirals up to the south, a pathway carved into it that leads to the camp.
The land is covered in wildflowers of all kinds that have adapted to the cold weather and high altitudes. Snow covers some parts of the land the whole year through and gets deep enough to bury a full grown wolf during the cold season.
The Leopard's Effigy:
At the highest point of The Ridgeway is a huge, towering boulder. When the light hits it just right the image of a snow leopard comes into view. The stone is sacred to the clan and all apprentices must climb to the top of this boulder and stand vigil through the night before they can become a warrior or healer.
The Winter Woods:
The pine forest on the north side of the valley is almost always blanketed in snow, the shade beneath causing a near constant cold to the area and gifting it with its name. Evergreens can be found throughout the forest as well as wild berry bushes and many different kinds of plants with edible roots.
The Ridgeway:
The mountain path was a sickly yellow, almost browning, between the vivid green on either side. It was a ribbon on which to walk in single file up the ridge, a frozen wind beating in from the left. The path carried on from one side of the valley to the other before moving down and around the entire valley itself, marking a natural border for the clan that was also easy to patrol.
Icecap Lake:
Looking through the waters of the lake was like peering through perfect glass, unsmudged by the sticky prints of small children. The stones at the bottom were as many hues of brown and grey as there are on a painter's wheel, likely more. After a few minutes of looking one could notice some that were some more reddish or closer to white. The water at one point had a current, it was where the glacial melt of the mountains themselves flowed away to fill the rivers of the other territories. The earthen path stretched wide to your left and right making a complete loop around the edge just behind the evergreen trees that grew directly on the bank.
Camp:
The camp is situated to the south side of the valley among the sheer, rocky cliff face. A path is carved into the stone to lead up to a single pine that holds onto the wall face. An opening can be found at it’s side that leads down into a large, open cavern that is lit up with tons of bio-luminescent moss and glow worms that hang along the walls and ceiling of the cavern.
The dens of the clan are not really dens per say, but are merely areas of the cave that have been marked off with stones and branches, making a small wall of sorts that can be easily stepped over by all but the smaller kits of the clan.
Starting at the entrance the dens loop around at the wall, with the warriors den to the left of the entrance and the apprentices den to the right.
The nursery area is further down the left side where it begins to curve, followed by the den of the deputy, commander, and lead hunter a little farther down.
The elders den sits further down the wall from the apprentices den and the medicine cat den follows further beyond that, a set of wooden planks put together with vines to make a shelf for storing herbs.
The leader's den sits opposite the entrance and a large stalagmite rises out the ground with a flat top; this is where the leader calls clan meetings.
Prey is placed within a marked area between the warrior’s den and the nursery while a small pool of water can be found to the right of the entrance that is created by water dripping into the cave via the roots of the pine that marks the entrance itself.
Catamountclan:
Territory:
The rocky land spread out on all sides, slowly sloping up the closer to the mountains you got until it was suddenly a step incline with a thunderous river flowing down into the lands below. The closer to the jungle lands you got the more grass and trees grew, while further in there were merely shrubs and a few scraggly trunks here and there with sparse, yellowed leaves. The sun shines heavily onto the stone, heating it up quickly and causing heat to always radiate within the land until the northern winds would start and blanket everything in white.
Boulders and rocks rose up at every turn and cliffs and ledges would send you falling to your death if you were not careful of where you stepped. A huge, sheer drop marked the border with Otorongoclan, the trees of the jungle reaching so high that they towered up over the lip of the fall and hid it from view, making it all the more dangerous.
After days of rain-the brooks chatter in the hills, mini-rivers creating mini-gorges without concept of scale. Around them the land drinks, puddles become pools and their sound upon the rocks sings with a steady confidence, the percussion to the chorus of the birds that take refuge among the stone and shade.
Winding River:
Flowing out of Ounceclan territory, the river is a sleeping cobra. It lies across the land in smooth seductive curves, beautiful in the morning light, cool and innocuous. Yet it hides a myriad of dangers, its swift undertow being the least of your concerns. Just yards around the next bend is the largest waterfall in the region, thundering down into the canyon; if you survive the fall you can enjoy drowning in the torrents as they whip you against the rocks that line the canyon. The water is icy even at this time of year since the water comes from the alpine melts as much as from the rain.
The Canyon:
Stepping up onto the sand strewn rock, the wind whipped, howling, pushing my body toward the edge and the canyon floor ten thousand feet below. Ribbon-like fissures lined the gorge with their wind-carved texture, not far off a waterfall tumbled, white in the desert light. The water lay upon the canyon floor, passing over minerals and stones - a deep, meandering river fed by a myriad of tributaries. Trees and saplings lined the sides, a company of green for the winding aquamarine, leading toward a lush valley that blossomed into an earthy vibe. The trees thicken and the water begins to rush and deepens the further into the canyon you go. Once you reach the end of the canyon you are inside Valtoclan territory.
Eagle’s Peak:
A horrid and evil place, bones scatter the ground and broken branches lay strewn about beneath the rocky outcropping that holds the tallest tree within these lands. At its top is a huge eagle’s nest that is filled with a family of the predators. This area is off limits unless you are in a large patrol so that it is easier to fend off against the large hunters in case of attack. Apprentices are forbidden from going here. It is thought that some of the bones that litter the ground here are from cats that were grabbed from around the territory and even the camp itself.
Catamount Cry:
This odd shaped stone rests near the cliff border with Otorongoclan, the stone itself hollow and able to be spoken into via a hole on one side. If you cry out into it the sound it produces is like that of a mountain lion and the leader of the clan must use this stone to call out and show their might upon receiving their nine lives.
Camp:
The camp is placed within a hollow near the center of the territory, a line of large boulders and rocks settled along the rim to add extra protection from predators and the elements. Two of the boulders have an opening between them which allows entrance to a small incline that takes you down into the main area of the camp.
A single scraggly tree grows up from the ground on the left side of the camp from the entrance and a small den has been dug out within the roots of the tree for the leader of the clan. Meetings are called from the tree itself.
The den for the deputy, commander, and lead hunter sits within the camp wall behind the tree that marks the leader’s den and is a small, natural cave that is big enough for about four cats and so is the meeting area for the leader and the three who call this den home.
The medicine cat den sits within another tunnel area that is set into the camp wall near the entrance that has been dug to be more open and airy, giving plenty of space to hold sick cats and tons of herbs.
The warriors den and apprentices den are connected. There are two entrances side by side on the right side of camp from the entrance that trail back into two large, open caves that can hold plenty of cats. A middle tunnel cuts through the ground to give easy access between the two dens.
The nursery and elders den are beside each other as well and sit opposite the entrance. The elders den is a hollow tree that was dragged to the camp by a large group of warriors and then placed within to provide a den for the elders.
The nursery is a collection of large boulders that had been in the camp to start but were painstakingly moved and propped up together to make the den and then reinforced with bracken and brambles around it that also help insulate the inside.
Valtoclan
Territory:
As you walk from the border with Otorongoclan into Valtoclan territory, the ground beneath your feet starts to become muddy and soggy. The further you go, the wetter it becomes. Small bumps or hillocks of drier land stick up above the mud, while dips in the ground level fill with water and form small pools of water. All of a sudden, you enter the lush profusion of plants which heralds the beginning of the magical world that is a wetland.
Trees such as grey-green Willows grow well in the lush vegetation of the marsh area. These will also grow on dry land where there is plenty of water, but are just as at home in shallow, standing water in a wetland. Alder trees may also be found here in the shallowest areas, together with a whole range of smaller plants such as Yellow Iris, rushes and Water Mint. In high summer, you can imagine yourself lost in a jungle as you brush through thick vegetation which often reaches well above your head.
Further into the wetland, swamp plants such as Yellow Iris and Branched Bur-reed start to appear. On a hot sunny day, jewel bright, blue and red adult damselflies may perch on the plants, while larger dragonflies acrobatically hunt the air above the wetlands. In both marsh and swamp areas, there will also be minute snails crawling over the plants, spiders trapping insects in their webs and grass snakes slithering silently through the undergrowth on the hunt for small frogs. Hoverflies and Bumble Bees fill the air with a heavy droning as they investigate the flowers of the plants for nectar.
Continuing on through the swamp, tall Reedmace plants, also known as Bulrushes, may tower over your head, with the fuzzy brown seed heads shedding their seeds into the wind. Water voles rustle in the reeds and deer come to drink and lie in the cool mud. Open pools of water start to appear here as the water becomes deeper still and the swamp plants begin to thin out. The pools are full of a staggering variety of life, from water beetles and bugs, to small fish such as sticklebacks. In the spring, frogs and toads in their thousands will come to mate and lay their eggs.
Continuing into the wetland, the tall sword-shaped leaves of the swamp plants gradually give way to open water. The open water has different plants still, to the marsh and swamp areas of the wetland. Tiny leaflets of Duckweed float on the surface, while Pondweed grows submerged in the water below. Clinging to its underwater fronds are a variety of aquatic herbivores such as Mayfly and Caddisfly larvae. Small fish such as Sticklebacks lurk in the water, waiting to catch minibeasts such as small worms and larvae.
Swamp Peak:
At the highest point of the territory is a hill cogvered in reeds and grass, and within its center is a spindly, winding tree that holds a small den beneath it. This den is the home of a swamp cat, the true rulers of the swamp. Every new moon a warrior is chosen from the clan to deliver prey to this location to thank the swamp pcat for allowing them to live within its land.
The Yellow Willow:
The yellow willow is a large, towering willow tree that the camp is situated around. Because of the muddy water that it is within the leaves stay a bright, vivid yellow year round and cause a golden hue to flow onto the camp below when the sun is shining.
The Canyon:
Stepping up onto the sand strewn rock, the wind whipped, howling, pushing my body toward the edge and the canyon floor ten thousand feet below. Ribbon-like fissures lined the gorge with their wind-carved texture, not far off a waterfall tumbled, white in the desert light. The water lay upon the canyon floor, passing over minerals and stones - a deep, meandering river fed by a myriad of tributaries. Trees and saplings lined the sides, a company of green for the winding aquamarine, leading toward a lush valley that blossomed into an earthy vibe. The trees thicken and the water begins to rush and deepens the further into the canyon you go. Once you reach the end of the canyon you are inside Valtoclan territory. Valtoclan cats hunt within this side of the canyon often.
Indigo River:
The Indigo River marks the border with our neighboring clan and is named as such because of the millions of purple stones that lay at the bottom of the river, causing the water to have an indigo hue. Many herbs grow along this river in great quantities.
Camp:
The camp of Valtoclan is situated around the Yellow Willow. The base of the tree acts as the freshkill pile while the branches above are where the leader will call meetings.
The camp wall consists of a thick wall of reeds and bulrushes, the dens situated all along the perimeter within the reeds themselves, vines and driftwood woven above to provide a roof.
The entrance is a tunnel that has been cleared out through the wall that leads toward the dryer are of the land. The leader’s den is placed on the far side of the camp from the entrance with the deputy, commander, and lead hunter’s den to the right of it and the elders den to the left. The den for the warriors and apprentices are between the entrance and elders den while the nursery and medicine cat den is between the entrance and the den of the three co-leaders.
OrotongoClan