#BB!Duckfur

[bonefall]

Did Curlpaw's mentor encourage her associations with strength? Was it a good mentor-apprentice bond?

I want to connect much of Curlfeather's dark sense of honor to the absolute carnage she's witnessed over the course of her life, beginning with the Battle of the True Eclipse. Since I'm making her slightly older to be an apprentice who took part in the battles firsthand, it follows that her first major loss should be during that fight.

The RiverClan Family Tree I made was actually the first big one I did, and one thing I kinda regret is that I removed Dapplenose. I'm gonna bring her back in my next draft, and have her be Curlfeather's first mentor.

Dapplenose was kind and sweet. Friendly towards outsiders and a natural storyteller, she would have started Curlpaw's apprenticeship gently. It was important to her that she not only taught her how to fight, but also to appreciate the history of RiverClan and its culture.

Curlpaw felt unprepared for the maelstrom of fury that the Dark Forest warriors brought to the Lake in the devastating second wave. It was CHAOS. Being able to make pottery didn't help her survive, only the battle training did. When the screeching stopped and the demons retreated to regroup, Dapplenose was just one of the corpses.

It's the practical knowledge that Dapplenose taught which Curlfeather retained; How to structure a speech, insight to the overall functions of Clan operations, and that gentleness will get you killed.

She wasn't nearly old enough to become a warrior by that point, so Mistystar had to assign her a second mentor. Curlpaw seems like the sort of person who would have told her grandmother directly that she wanted someone more strict. Mistystar would have obliged.

There's a couple of good candidates, but I'm leaning towards Duckfur. Xey're one of the most practical, intelligent warriors in the Clan, and someone who quickly swung over to Mistystar's side when Leopardstar ""was killed by rogues."" Duckfur's Machiavellian "might makes right" philosophy, combined with xeir regret about TigerClan feels like something that would have contributed to Curlfeather's ruthless honor.

Plus, I've been meaning to give xem some more relevancy, I just think xey're neat.

To answer you directly; Curlfeather considers her bond with both mentors to have been good ones. She would have stayed close to Duckfur until the day xey died. I might even bring Duckpaw BOTC back and have them be Curlfeather's first apprentice.

[bonefall]

speaking of. would cats like Blackclaw and Greenflower and other members TigerClan fandom be sent to Dark Forest? or have a trial? or would they somehow repent enough in life during Mistystar's regin (im pressing x to doubt that though)?

i want Stonefur, Primrosepaw and Pikepaw to personally roundhouse kick Blackclaw, but i can understand if they would want to stay away from him too (at least the kids. Stonefur should be the first to throw.. a stone.)

A lot of them are going to get recruited, even if they may have won a trial. Those who die in the WindClan Civil War willl get damned immediately; StarClan is FURIOUS that trecherous rebels in other Clans tried to take advantage of the political situation.

Mudclaw the Hypocrite, who accuses Onestar of being a puppet of outside influences, promised power to a RiverClan warrior in exchange for mercenaries to brutalize his own Clanmates. HELL! Hell for ALL of them!

Those that survive probably don't have enough time to make up for it. They would also have been supportive of TigerClan, so they're earmarked already. Even those who didn't throw their weight behind the Civil War have quite the tally of sins to manage.

(And... at least one of them, I'm unsure of who, were involved in the "disappearences" of Primrosepaw and Pikepaw. Whoever they are, StarClan will not hold a trial nor send a fetcher. They can find their own way to the Dark Forest, without even a Sharing of Stars to fix their mortal wounds.)

Also for the record let me just clarify something; StarClan judges based on if you are "worthy" of joining them. They do rule in neutral-favor for an unremarkable warrior, but if your life is enough of a question to trigger a Trial at all, you are guilty until proven innocent.

More specifically, "unworthy" until proven worthy. StarClan Trials are not held with "fairness" as a value.

[bonefall]

This is a genuine question! Would Moonpaw in your world be Intersex? And how would the clans view it? I worry due to how in canon, the clans can seem...sexist towards female cats, and I don’t know how they'd react to a intersex cat.

BB!Moonpaw is going to be intersex yes

It's actually seen as very special! Clan culture's concept of gender is Trinary. There are THREE genders, and none of them match completely to the US/UK's concept of gender roles.

1. "Woman"/Molly/Yaow.

Given to AFAB cats by default. This gender is expected to have an active, argumentative role in the Clan. They are socialized to have a domineering and active role in their personal relationships, while also doing the emotional and physical labor of taking care of their camp and kits.

The "Bailey" to a tomcat's "Motte." They are supposed to be the secondary, smarter, more deadly line of defense against threats.

2. "Man"/Tom/Ssuf.

Given to AMAB cats by default. This gender is expected to be passive but protective, giving ground to a molly or a gib who "understands the nuances of camp better." They're socialized to spend more time out of the camp and do more hunting and patrolling than their counterparts.

The gender is named for the sound of spraying, as marking territory is what Ssuf cats are most associated with.

In these genders, being trans is more normalized than not living according to the roles. They have a different idea of being queer compared to us!

"Third Gender"/Gib/Meewa.

This doesn't translate into English very well. We would call it nonbinary by our standards, but this is a full gender role to Clan cats.

Gibs can be assigned at birth when they display sacred signs, such as closely resembling a dead nyams, having extra claws, being perfectly identical twins, or having intersex traits. It is a role associated with wisdom, conflict resolution, and long-term planning.

They are often socialized to be more intuitive and spiritual, but from a young age they might get given more responsibility than they're ready for. Especially if they're silver or gray, a color associated with wisdom.

I usually keep using the pronouns from canon because of 1. Simplicity since the whole fandom is used to them, 2. The fact that Clanmew doesn't use gendered pronouns anyway, and 3. It helps keep my xey/xem drops more special. But a LOT of cats are actually meewa in-universe.

Gray Wing the Wise

Yellowfang

Deadfoot

Ashfoot

Whitestorm

Spottedleaf

Blackstar

Waspwhisker/star

Duckfur

Kestrelflight

Cinderheart

Poppyfrost

Jayfeather

Dovewing

Shadowsight

There are also cats who have transitioned away from being Meewa. This is how both Hazeltail and Mousewhisker, identical twins, are transfem and transmasc respectively. I am planning for Frostpaw to ALSO transition out of the meewa gender, she will be transfem.

So Moonpaw, with xeir half-moon face, intersex traits, and connection to the moonpool? That is a DEAD RINGER for a meewa-gendered gib. The only thing she's missing is any amount of gray. I am going to use She/Xey for her going foward.

(I can see her receiving something silvery as a gift someday. Probably from one of her parents-- I'm currently leaning towards FlipBay or ShellFern PRETTY hard, and Flipclaw or Fernstripe would do something like that I think.)

(Fern would be more of a trader though I think. I feel like she's not very dexterous, but WICKED smart. Flip is discovering a talent for toymaking.)

This is actually a part of BB's Clan Culture reworks I play a lot more loosely than other bits, but it's still a lot of fun!

[bonefall]

which cats would you say are good references for bb clan gender roles? from what i parse bb goldenflower and mousefur seem to be ‘stereotypical’ mollies, and you’ve talked about dustpelt being gender non comforming as a molly-like tom.

For the ideal molly by Clan Culture standards, look no further than Speckletail. Her aggression, boldness, and dedication to her legacy at all costs are above and beyond the basic expectations of yaow-assigned warriors. Even her LEGENDARY death in defense of the camp in BB!TNP is part of that. It's hard to get more femme than Speckletail in the eyes of Clan cats!

She was a VERY traditional person. It's why her kittens are also all good examples of their genders. You clocked Golfy, but her sister Mistleclaw was also a good one (died young of plague). Lionheart is also a great example of a tom.

In fact most of the toms of that era are good examples. Lionheart, Whitestorm... and Tigerclaw most of all. Tigerclaw was perfect as far as toms are concerned.

Until it was known what he'd done to Redtail, his grace and passivity to his Clan was admired. His contributions to Clan arguments were level-headed and measured, unlike the ferocity with which he leveraged against outsiders. He was a wonderful mate to Golfy and a beloved father to Swiftpaw and Lynxkit.

Some folks ask me about Thistleclaw specifically because he's so aggressive, but he's also a decent example of a ssuf-gender cat! Defending BORDERS violently is expected, being xenophobic in the way he is was what was expected. The constant arguing with authority (Bluestar, Redtail) was not-- but his friends would say that's just THEIR problem. After all, whaddaboutsnowfur.

(Whitestorm also has opinions. But he's too mild and passive to enter this discussion.)

I feel like Oakheart is also a REALLY good example, especially after the Forget-me-nots sadly drift apart. Incredible dad, surrounded by friends, fantastic fighter. I imagine it makes it ESPECIALLY hard whenever he has to fight Bluestar because this is incredibly attractive.

(I kinda want Oakheart to accidentally take one of her lives, because they're in the middle of a battle over Sunningrocks and they're suddenly drawn into a battle SO intense and SO passionate that the entire world around them becomes a blur. And then he launches her into orbit and she falls into the swollen river. OOPS. SORRY!!!! Goddamn himbo)

Gib, or meewa-gender, is definitely the most broad. It's about wisdom, foresight, and blessedness by StarClan. There are cats who are assigned meewa at birth, but most discover it in their kithoods.

Duckfur for example has always been sharp as a tack, and when xeir eye started to drift, that was taken as a bit of a sign. They sort of "grew into it" in adulthood, after Mistystar assumed power over RiverClan and suddenly xey were being rewarded for foresight.

Blackstar is actually a FANTASTIC example, with how his lives were given one at a time and he started thinking about the future of his Clan with his bog project. Assigned meewa at birth because of his extra toe, it kinda "went away" as his kithood wasn't consistent with the gender, and now it's back.

Wisdom, intelligence, and foresight are kind of "loose" so the matching third gender is loose as well, if that makes sense.

[bonefall]

Better Bones Profile: Sedgecreek

RiverClan's first Lake deputy, and world famous cutie pie!

[ID: The BB version of Sedgecreek from Warrior Cats. She is a wood-brown tabby with short, comma-shaped stripes of a darker brown. She is short and her body is long, with a chunky tail.]

Clanmew Name: Kyyrakoshu, nickname Kyyko. (Kyyra = Sedge, a type of lido grass + Koshu = Creek, a small, shady river)

Alignment: RiverClan

Relations: Ex-Mate - Greenflower Children - Swallowtail, Beechfur Nyams - Loudbelly (littermate), Duckfur (Sib-in-law) Education - Crookedstar (mentor), Grasswhisker (apprentice)

See Also: The Dragonkin Family, and the RiverClan Family Tree

Mistyfoot realized at the end of BB!TNP that Hawkfrost was not the tiger that lurked within RiverClan. He didn't choose himself as deputy while she was captured, breaking the code in the process. It wasn't his call to defy StarClan's will to delay the Great Journey. It was up to Leopardstar to punish the surviving RiverClan mercenaries who served Mudclaw's insurrection, and overrule the false sign that exiled three cats from her Clan... and she didn't.

Seated atop the stump with the sun setting behind her, Leopardstar's black silhouette invoked Mistyfoot's memory of a powerful cat lording over a pile of bones. Her eyes flashed-- Tigerstar amber, dark forest red. His ideas were an infectious sort of immortal; they will not die unless they are killed.

So with Leopardstar's sudden, 'mysterious' death to a "rogue", Mistystar realized she would need to make a strong, tactical choice of a new deputy. Someone who would be able to help her navigate the tense situation she was in, to balance out the harsh choices she was about to make, to be the honey to her sting.

The choice was obvious. Now, she would have to prepare for the hard work ahead...

[ID: BB!Mistystar and BB!Sedgecreek leaning back to back. Mistystar grimly explains, "someone will die." Sedgecreek interjects, "of fun!!!"]

(Lots more below the cut!)

Personality and Trivia:

She is CHEERFUL! It takes a lot to make Sedgecreek upset!

Always smiling, never loses hope, always tries to see the bright side of every situation.

"A mistake is just a chance to learn what NOT to do!!"

People like her. She's just a super likeable person, the sort of cat who gets along with people you'd never expect.

She has learned that you should listen twice as much as you talk. She's always there to comfort her friends, family, and clanmates. Very approachable personality.

I imagine a lot of RiverClan warriors are "stocky," longer than they are tall, Sedgecreek especially.

She's also got a very thick tail, making her an excellent and sturdy swimmer.

Her favorite food is pike meat, which Greenflower once wooed her with. Not very many RiverClan warriors are bold enough to tangle with pikes.

Imo, Sedge is a super underrated background character. Her apprenticeship under Crookedjaw is super cute and no one ever talks about it!

and BOY OH BOY has her role been expanded in BB!!

Long before the Great Journey was even a consideration, back during TPB…

Sedgecreek was mates with Greenflower. They welcomed their kits, Swallowkit and Beechkit, to the world just before RiverClan and ShadowClan moved to form TigerClan.

Greenflower's sibling, Duckfur, was the honor sire for the couple. Under the Queen's Rights, you don't have to explain where your kittens came from. Sedgecreek gave birth and that's that.

But supporters of Thistle Law do not respect the Queen's Rights.

When Greenflower announced openly that their kittens had been sired by Duckfur, Sedgecreek was uncomfortable, but believed she was keeping their family safe.

But... it turned out to be worse than that.

Greenflower was a true believer. She had been holding a lot of her 'worst' ideas back, but felt emboldened to speak openly with the alliance between Tigerstar and Leopardstar.

Sedgecreek knew Greenflower went to the execution of Stonefur... but she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to.

She couldn't watch an old friend die like that, or stomach the thought of Greenflower reacting to it.

They stayed together for the children, as Sedgecreek staved off the dawning realization that her mate wasn't the cat she thought she was.

It was easy to put it off a little longer, when their next common enemy was BloodClan and RiverClan "returned to normal."

Though they nearly had a blow-out argument over RiverClan refusing to join in with the trading that WindClan and ThunderClan were doing with BloodClan... Sedgecreek apologized, and held her tongue. Suddenly, their roles had been reversed, with Sedgecreek staying quiet to "keep the peace".

Normally very cheerful and outspoken, with friends in other Clans and open-mindedness to cooperation, Sedgecreek spent almost two years of her life just trying to save her mateship. She thought that maybe Greenflower would return to the bold, loyal cat she used to adore, if she just loved her enough and made her feel heard...

But then, during the Great Journey...

Their baby Swallowtail fell in love with a ThunderClan warrior, Rainwhisker.

Greenflower "warned her" about loving cats from other Clans, "Don't make me do something I don't want to, Swallowtail."

Sedgecreek knew how powerful love can be. Rainwhisker was big, handsome, and sweet. She saw a lot of herself in him, and would have approved of him as her son-in-law in a heartbeat

Even though Swallowtail was trying to hide it after that confrontation, Sedgecreek KNEW that Rainwhisker was perfect for her. She knows her daughter better than anyone-- Swallow would never be able to fight it.

But all journey long, Greenflower was growing more and more critical of Swallowtail. Comparing her to her brother Beechfur, constantly questioning her whereabouts, making up stupid tasks to keep her busy.

Sedge and Green were fighting over it, again, but this time Sedge was starting to care less about making up afterwards.

Then, the worst possible thing happened... during the WindClan Civil War, Rainwhisker was killed in battle.

Swallowtail was inconsolable. That brought them all together, for just a little while longer.

But then, Swallowtail discovered she was pregnant. She didn't say anything about the father, and yet Greenflower LOST it. She flew into a frenzy, shouting their daughter down and threatening to disown her. The line that finally broke their mateship was simply,

"Just when it seemed like the problem was solved--"

Sedgecreek didn't even let her finish. How DARE she?? To treat their baby's painful loss, their coming grandchildren, and Swallowtail's right as a Queen, like the continuation of a problem???

So she told her to get out. Quietly at first. Greenflower refused, so she said it louder. Then she shouted it. And then she SCREAMED it, and when THAT didn't work, she THREW her out of the Cleric's den. For SEASONS she had sacrificed for the sake of her children, only for it to end in a choice between her wife and daughter.

But even then, Sedgecreek felt hot with shame that she'd caused such a scene! The whole camp saw her toss Greenflower like a rotten fish!! Sweet, cheerful Sedgecreek!!! It was mortifying, she'd never lost her temper like that, the entire Clan was surprised!

Mistyfoot saw this just like everyone else in RiverClan... and it stood out in her mind, as she shuffled home considering who her deputy would be.

It had to be someone as uncontroversial as possible... Mistyfoot's reputation had been dragged through the mud by Hawkfrost's constant challenges. A sizable portion of RiverClan did not respect her anymore.

So Swansong, her brother and greatest ally, was out of the question. He didn't have a diplomatic bone in his body.

Mosspelt was her sister-in-law, and she needed a deputy who could ward off accusations of nepotism.

Reedwhisker had Skyheart as his mentor, who kept him in an apprenticeship nightmare for over a year. He was too young on top of being ineligible.

But, she needed someone who would understand the threat they faced, and take it seriously. It, hopefully obviously, couldn't be one of her enemies.

And THAT was when she remembered Sedgecreek standing up to Greenflower. How she's everyone's friend, patient and enthusiastic, and yet how she still snapped at her long-time mate.

While no one knows EXACTLY why she snapped except the little family itself, Mistyfoot had a good hunch it was related to Swallowtail claiming Queen's Rights for her litter.

And that is exactly the sort of principled cat she needs by her side.

So... Sedgecreek was perfect. She was diplomatic, friendly, and yet, able to stand up for herself, ready to fight for the Clan they deserved. Her upbeat personality would be a perfect compliment to Mistystar's dour, serious one. This was the best possible choice.

During BB!OotS, Sedgecreek was targeted for replacement by the Dark Forest demons. While they managed to kill several of their targets and even cause ShadowClan to fall, Sedgecreek managed to escape an attempt on her life. But, before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, she took it as a sign to step down so that someone younger could take over. By this point, she had become a great-grandmother and was beginning to feel her age.

Reedwhisker takes her place as deputy, and she's able to live out the last of her days in the Elder's Den. She peacefully passes away at some point in AVoS, surrounded by the family she chose to stand beside.

[bonefall]

duckfur fun facts?

Ok!

When TigerClan takes over later, Greenflower jumps to admit that Sedgecreek's kittens were honor sired by Duckfur.

Sedgecreek was uncomfortable that this information was shared so freely... but, it did help save their little family from persecution.

Duckfur approved of this, but is mostly glad that it panned out. TigerClan is stupid, brutal, and unpredictable, and that could have really backfired.

Duckfur is an opportunist, xey try not to keep strong opinions.

Xey're wise and intelligent beyond their years, and xey have ambitions on a higher position... to that end, xey were willing to appease whoever was in power.

That doesn't mean Ducky is heartless! Xey just... know how to reserve their empathy, is all.

I gave Duckfur a lazy eye just because I think it's cool tbh. I just kinda want to see it on a smart character. I have to do some medical research on it later to make sure I portray it correctly

Xeir sister Greenflower can frustrate xem at times, she's short-sighted and passionate. She doesn't know how to hold her tongue or her emotions.

Both of them can have a pretty serious mean-streak. Ruthless siblings.

I was planning to kill xem in TNP at Sunningrocks, but I think xey might be interesting enough to keep around.

If you force xeir opinions out of xem, Duckfur leans towards Hard Traditionalism. Xey think their way of life makes sense, but that Thistle Law is an irrational, frothing threat based on spite.

So, xey cheered at the execution of Stonefur, though privately went to their den and prayed that it would all be over soon.

Greenflower, meanwhile, is a true Thistle Law believer.

This doesn't cause tension until the tides turn. If Duckfur makes it past TNP, xey swap to Mistystar immediately. Xey go wherever the winds blow.

[bonefall]

hihi!! i adore your wc overhaul and i was wondering if anyone in bb has amblyopia/lazy eye? i have it personally and i think its nice to see it represented when i can (especially since its so commonly the butt of a joke or used to denote a "dumb" character)!

have a great day!!

I do! Xeir name is Duckfur, a kit save. I explicitly made them a smart, conniving sort of character to go against the stereotype. Xey're an opportunist with a lot of ambition who goes along with the 'tides' of power in the shifted politics of TNP's RiverClan.

I was modeling strabismus for xeir eye, a weak eye muscle. They're still early enough in development that I can switch that to a different cause of their lazy eye if anyone has a specific request though.

Here is some trivia on them, and you can also see them on the Dragonkin family chart I made a week ago.

[bonefall]

SEDGEPUTY!!!! I’m so excited, that’s my GIRL!

- og sedgecreek anon

[ID: BB!Mistystar and BB!Sedgecreek, back to back. Mistystar says, "Someone will die..." which Sedgecreek finishes with, "Of fun!!!"]

Reedwhisker is too inexperienced when Mistyfoot kills Leopardstar at the end of Better Bones TNP. She needs someone by her side she can trust, someone who agrees that the threat of Thistle Law is something that needs to be stamped out, someone who won't be seen as just a nepotism pick...

Someone who's a LITTLE SILLY

Sedgecreek is perfect, having sided with her daughter Swallowtail when she claimed Queen's Rights, taking a final stand against her mate Greenflower. She was a quiet ally in the chaos of TigerClan, not a rebel but not an enemy. But now, like Mistyfoot, she's come to realize something must be done.

Though, she's never told that Leopardstar didn't die to a rogue! Mistystar intends to take THAT little secret to her grave.

Sedgecreek's family has been changed a bit! Loudbelly is still her brother, but Reedtail is not. Her children with Greenflower are Beechfur and Swallowtail, and they were born during TigerClan's reign over RiverClan.

(Psst! Full BB!RiverClan family tree over here!)

Greenflower revealed deeply personal information, revealing that their kits were honor sired by Green's sibling Duckfur, to prove their 'shared' commitment to the new Clan's ideals. Sedge forgave her once, but refused to forgive her again when Swallowtail and their grandchildren were on the line.

Sedgeputy rules until sometime in BB!OoTS, around the time of the Great Battle, as a result of the Dark Forest trying to install a new deputy. After a death scare, she decides to retire to live out her last days in peace.

[bonefall]

Sometimes making designs for BB is just the result of fun. Sometimes it's furiously carving a path through DOTC characters so you can draw some guy named duckfur.