#icystar’s reign

[tallclan]

Moon 15 - Summer

Moon Events:

Icystar asks Loudkit to remind her who’s been on patrol already.

In doing so, Loudkit lets slipped that Icekit snuck out… AGAIN!!

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In present day, I’m 640+ moons into the clan’s save file and so far, Icekit is the only kit who has snuck out twice 😭

[tallclan]

Moon 12 - Spring

Moon Events

Icystar and Sapflow welcome their first litter into the world: the self-conscious Loudkit, the impulsive Ashkit, the sweet Sootkit, and the bullying Icekit

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And we officially end TallClan’s first year with the birth of the Leader kits!Also, yes, the rng did give the Leader Heir the name Loudkit 😭Ironic, but I love it.

Here are their sprites!

[tallclan]

Moon 16 - Summer

Moon Events:

Tawnykit has reached the age of 6 moons! He’s made a warrior apprentice with Marigoldflip as his mentor. He’s gone from Noisy to Confident!

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Tawnypaw’s an apprentice now 🥺! He’s growing up so fast. Also, it’s been so long since I’ve drawn Daydream and Marigoldflip! 😭 Last time we saw them was during the clan’s first fall!

The idea of blessings was inspired by @/loudclan!

[tallclan]

Moon 14 - Spring

Moon Events:

Mulberrystripe delivers the kits a hare, telling them that she caught it just for them!

Icystar notices that Mulberrystripe is trying really hard to be a good healer.

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A short, relaxing moon! The next moon will be just as short, so I might get it done by next week. Things will start getting lengthy on Moon 16 and the rest of Year 2.

[tallclan]

Moon 19 - Fall: Part 1

Moon Events:

Hawthornpaw, a childish apprentice from ScrubClan, joins! Daydream is assigned to mentor her alongside Tawnypaw.

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Happy Pride Month, y’all 🎉🎉🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈!! And say hello to Hawthornpaw! We finally have a new face in the clan and she holds the title of being the first trans cat in TallClan 🥳🥳!!

[tallclan]

Moon 18 - Fall

Moon Events:

Icystar’s and Sapflow’s kits have reached the age of 6 moons old and have been made apprentices! Loudpaw has gone from self-conscious to insecure, Ashpaw has gone from impulsive to charismatic, Sootpaw has gone from sweet to compassionate, and Icepaw has gone from bullying to cold!

Due to the lack of warriors, Icystar and Sapflow have decided they will mentor their children together with Icystar putting more focus on Loudpaw as the Leader Heir.

On the other hand, Sootpaw has decided to train as a healer with Mulberrystripe as her mentor. To her surprise, she’s also been promoted to the role of Healer Heir.

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The kids are growing up so fast 🥺!

[tallclan]

Moon 10 - Winter

Moon Events:

Icystar announces that she’s expecting kits!

Shadowdusk brings back Tawnykit, a noisy tomkit. He refuses to elaborate on the kit’s origins.

Icystar and Sapflow have a disagreement about kits.

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YAY! New kittens!

[tallclan]

Moon 8 - Fall

⚠️CW: CHARACTER/ANIMAL DEATH + DEPICTIONS OF GORE⚠️

The last days of fall were quickly wrapping up. With the possible threat of a harsh winter looming overhead, the clan has focused all of their attention in preparing the camp to (hopefully) withstand the worst of the cold season.

Most patrols are sent out to gather extra nesting materials and exchange items only accessible in the mountains in favor of the human “fur coats” that LogClan and GarlicClan have access to. When they aren’t doing that, hunting parties are sent out to stockpile as much prey as they can get, while also making sure to leave behind some prey animals to preserve next year’s hunt.

Due to this and considering how small the clan is at the moment, it’s no surprise that the border isn’t being supervised as regularly as before. Icystar has started doing the job by herself, bringing at least one other warrior along on occasion upon Sapflow’s insistence, but still, it’s quite easy to miss something lurking about with fewer eyes to concentrate and watch…

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And another clan founder bites the dust 😭

[tallclan]

Moon 13 - Spring

Moon Events:

Icekit snuck out of camp. He comes back with moth wings and decides to keep them as a souvenir of his adventure!

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Icekit’s only been alive for 1 moon and he’s already sneaking out of camp and wearing an accessory. Sapflow and Icystar are going to have their paws full!

Forced myself to do some color shading! Mostly experimental stuff. I haven’t done that since the first few moons.

[tallclan]

Moon 11 - Winter

Moon Events:

Icystar is hoping for a small litter! She moves into the nursery in preparation for her litter’s arrival.

Mulberrystripe’s frostbite has healed and without any permanent effects.

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Kits next moon 👀! Ooh, I also forgot to show Tawnykit’s game info in the last moon! Looking at his status reminded me of a different interaction I had between him and Icystar in an earlier, now scrapped version of the script. It’s too late to change it now, but I’ll definitely whip it up into a bonus moon post!

[tallclan]

Moon 1 - Spring

It has only been a moon since TallClan was founded. A moon since they made their camp on the side of Stars’ Peak. As a newborn clan with so little cats, clan life was uneventful and tasks were completed fairly quickly, leaving the cats to their own devices for what was left of the day. Many retreated back to their dens for rest, while others stayed in the clearing to talk amongst themselves as they bathed in the warmth of the spring sun.

Deep inside the leader’s den, Icystar’s mind could not rest. Through the entrance of her den, she looked out into the clearing. Her eyes were focused on the clan’s only apprentices, Bonepaw and Marigoldpaw. More specifically, on Bonepaw, the oldest of the two.

“Something on your mind?”

Icystar snapped out of her thoughts as her mate and deputy, Sapflow, walked into the den and took a seat beside her, resting his tail on her shoulder.

“Daydream wants us to conduct a warrior assessment for Bonepaw now that he’s 12 moons old. She says that he’s ready, but I’m not sure. I was hoping we could hold it back for the next moon or two.”, Icystar explained. Her attention was still set on Bonepaw.

Sapflow looked at her in surprise. “Why? The clan needs as many warriors as it can get.”

“I know that, but you and Daydream don’t know Bonepaw like I do. Ever since he was a kit, he’s been highly strung. I was hoping that age would toughen him up, but he’s still the same! Our clan���s warriors should be confident and daring! How will the other clans perceive us if the first warrior I welcome is nervous and insecure?” The end of Icystar’s reasoning started to sound more like a rant as frustration and anxiety took over her mind.

While none of the leaders of the other clans were vocally against StarClan’s will to form TallClan, she saw doubt in their eyes. How could a clan survive in a mountain that had claimed the lives of so many before them? How could they be expected to protect the former sacred grounds of StarClan from rogues if their warriors weren’t up to the task? As the cat who had received the message from StarClan, Icystar had a lot to prove.

“Well, you want to know what I think? There’s more to being a warrior than being quick to launch into action without a second thought. What Bonepaw lacks in confidence, he makes up for with his teaching skills,” Sspflow began to advise, “Just look! Marigoldpaw and all the other cats that came from the forest and the field have adjusted well into living in the mountains and it’s all thanks to Bonepaw! He’s passing down what he’s learned being born here.”

When Icystar didn’t answer at first, he added, “Plus, he’s done a great job adapting to this big change. If you ask me, leaving his birth clan to start a completely new one is very brave of him to do at such a young age. He’s the sort of warrior we need to ensure our clan’s future generations prosper.”

His words held the truth. One that Icystar couldn’t deny even if she wanted to. “You’re right,” she said, before letting out a sigh, “I’m sorry. I’m just so nervous about all of this… I have a lot to prove. Not only to the others, but to StarClan themselves. I’m worried that if I make a mistake, they’ll regret ever entrusting me with this important task.”

Sapflow’s ears perked as she began opening up to him. Icystar was hardly one to be vulnerable in front of someone else, including him. Sure, they were mates, but that was more of a conventional matter. Icystar needed a deputy. Someone to help her guide the clan and to provide heirs with. Since it was his ancestor that delivered StarClan’s message to her and was the clan’s Spiritual Guide, he seemed like the most obvious choice.

“You know, no one is perfect for this job and no one will ever be,” Sapflow reassured her, “I’m sure StarClan knows this and they won’t fault you for any mistakes you make along the way. They chose you for a reason and it must be a good one.”

For the first time since he arrived, Icystar looked at him. It was hard to read her expression and for a moment, he wondered if he said the wrong thing… That is until she smiled at him. A smile that he hadn’t seen since the time they were GlintClan apprentices.

“Were you always this good with words?” she said, light-heartedly, “I don’t remember you ever being this wise!”

Sapflow felt his face flush and he looked away. “Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn’t be your deputy now, would I?” Internally, he cringed at his words, but Icystar’s giggles put him at ease.

Icystar • 52 moons old • Ambitous

Sapflow • 54 moons old • Wise

Later that day, before the sun sets, a warrior assessment was held for Bonepaw. Just as his mentor, Daydream, had predicted, he passed with flying colors! With their ancestors looking over them, Icystar was proud to welcome Bonebracken as TallClan’s first warrior! He’s honored for his efficiency. He has gone from insecure to nervous. He’s grown to be a good teacher!

Daydream • 30 moons old • Strange

Bonebracken • 12 moons old • Nervous

Icystar and Mulberrystripe, TallClan’s Lead Healer, have been best friends ever since their days as apprentices when the only times they could really interact with one another was during the Gatherings. Now that they’re in the same clan, they spend the majority of their free time together.

Icystar • 52 moons old • Ambitious

Mulberrystripe • 57 moons old • Competitive

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[tallclan]

Moon 7 - Fall

Icystar never took her elderly great-great-something-uncle, Shadowdusk, to be the sentimental type. Well, at least not towards a butterfly of all things. So, that’s why she’s taken by surprise when he shows interest in the injured butterfly that had the misfortune of landing in their camp in the middle of fall one day. Scrubpelt was about to stomp the poor thing, end it out of its misery, before Shadowdusk stepped in, snapping at him with his sharp tongue for being a “sorry excuse of a warrior”.

Since then, Shadowdusk has kept the butterfly close to him in the elders’ den, caring for it until it began to show signs of healing. Whenever he needed assistance or wanted someone to look after the tiny creature while he went out, Icystar was always the one who he would call upon. Aside from watching over it, she had very little paw in caring for the butterfly during that time, with being a leader and all, so that’s why it surprised her when Shadowdusk asked her and no one else to accompany him as he set forth to let the butterfly, now fully healed from whatever ailment it had, free.

Icystar was only telling half of the truth at that time. While she was worried about the winter that awaited them, to be completely honest, she and Sapflow have had their focuses set on other things lately…

One material that Mulberrystripe likes to line the nests of her patients is feathers from a red cardinal. It’s a bit of a messy process with some of the feathers always getting entangled in her tail. After several “feather preening” sessions, she decides it’s best to just leave them there. Besides, they make for a pretty pelt accessory.

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With this moon, we finally have met all of our founders! Meet Shadowdusk and Bluegale! Shadowdusk is an elder from GlintClan and a distant relative of Icystar’s. Bluegale is a mediator from GarlicClan, who, unlike the others, was practically forced to join TallClan by her birth clan. She’s also Shadowdusk’s illegitimate half-clan daughter.

[tallclan]

Moon 6 - Fall

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: ANIMAL DEATH + MILD EYESTRAIN ⚠️

Despite Mulberrystripe’s best efforts, the infection was just too much for her patient and the she-cat, whose name will be never known to the clan, passes away.

Although she wasn’t a part of the clan for long, Icystar didn’t think it would be right of them to bury her in an unmarked grave outside of clan territory. She deserved better than that.

Daydream is thinking about Bonebracken…

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I like to think that Daydream was holding out hope that Ant would survive, but now that she’s dead, she can’t help but feel that Bonebracken died for nothing :,) Anyway, this is the last moon you’ll see from me in a while as I’ll be working on finishing the last of TallClan’s lore for the Lore Masterpost and I’ll be working on Moon 0!

[tallclan]

Moon 9 - Winter

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New format that I’m going to try to stick to from now on! Aside from Sapflow and Icystar finally sorting everything out, the clan isn’t having a good start with their first winter uh oh 😭

[tallclan]

Moon 21: Part 1 - Winter

Moon Events

Tawnypaw graduates early at 11 moons old! Honored for his exemplar, he is named Tawnyfrost! He's gone from Confident to Loyal!

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New warrior alert! He grew up so fast :,)

[tallclan]

Moon 4 - Summer: Part 1

Grumbling under his breath, Sapflow walked out of the leader’s den and into the cool, moonless summer night. His mind was groggy with sleep. He had that dream again… The one where he found himself standing within the heart of a dark, rotting forest. All alone. Or, well, that’s what he could see so far. He knew there were others there. He could sense them. Feel their wet, matted pelts press against him, smell their musk, and hear their muffled whispers tickle his ears with their hot breath. Yet, no matter how hard he looked, he could never find them. A sharp yowl— a bloodthirsty battle cry—- would always bring him back to the waking world.

He’s had this dream for as long as he could remember. Practically since he was kit. Still, he could never figure out what it meant. Neither could GlintClan’s healers or the most spiritual of cats decipher what it could mean. It was all just chalked off as night terrors that would forever haunt him.

Standing on the ledge that led to the leader’s den, Sapflow looked out towards the pitch dark sky. It was still a long way before the first rays of morning would appear and everyone was still asleep, minus whoever was in charge of guarding the camp tonight. Unfortunately for him, that duty was given to none other than Scrubpelt and Sapflow wanted to avoid him as much as he could aside from regular warrior duties. The older tom was intent on rubbing his “I told you so” at Sapflow every chance he got.

With a sigh, Sapflow flopped down onto the stone floor. He had no other choice but to spend the rest of this sleepless night right where he was. At least Scrubpelt was too far away to get the satisfaction of seeing him mope around.

“The stars are beautiful tonight, aren’t they?”

Sapflow flinched, but immediately relaxed when he realized it was Icystar. The leader joined him, laying down beside him. Without waiting for him to say anything, she draped a paw over his shoulder and pulled him closer to her to give him comforting licks on the forehead. It eased his nerves and he fell into her warm embrace. For a moment, he found himself back in GlintClan, when the two were still apprentices and she was always the one that comforted him in the aftermath of his nightmares. Even as warriors, the habit still continued.

“You had that dream again.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize. There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

“Of course there is. You should be asleep! Not out here with me.”

“How can I? Even after what you went through? Besides, how could I sleep with the curse I was burdened with? I would’ve been in another cat’s dream…”

He didn’t say anything. She had a point and her constant sleep deprivation and eyebags proved it.

“I wish Cavernfur could’ve told us what all this meant,” Sapflow sighed in frustrated defeat, “My nightmares. Your dream walking. They must mean something.”

Icystar couldn’t help but snort. “You know how StarClan is. The living can’t communicate with them and when a leader gives up one of their lives to seek their guidance, they are extremely vague. Even the healers, who are the most connected to our ancestors, hardly have their prayers and rituals answered. We’ll never get anything out of them.” As she said this, she looked up at the stars, almost as if she was waiting for their ancestors to prove her wrong somehow. Of course, nothing happened. The stars continued to exist as normal.

After a moment of silence, Icystar spoke once more. “You know, you could go to Mulberrystripe. Not right now, of course, but tomorrow. She could give you some poppy seeds to help you sleep better and maybe she might know something about your dream.”, she suggested.

“No!” Sapflow retaliated, quite strongly. “I-I mean, no,” he repeated himself, this time with a softer tone, “I’ll still get p-poppy seeds from her, but I d-don’t feel comfortable telling her about t-this.”

“Oh, of course,” Icystar said, still taken aback by Sapflow’s sudden reaction, “Is everything alright, Sapflow? You’ve been distant lately and I’ve noticed that you’ve been avoiding Scrubpelt a lot. He’s not giving you any trouble, is he? If he is, I can talk to him.”

This was it. This was the moment he could finally tell her everything. Confront her. Get the truth. Prove Scrubpelt wrong once and for all. They were alone. No one else around them besides the creatures that lurked in the night. The only eyes on them were that of their ancestors in Silverpelt.

“No, nothing’s wrong.”

Sapflow • 57 moons old • Wise

Icystar • 55 moons old • Ambitious

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Time to dump some lore! This is already in the allegiances, but I'll say it here anyway. Sapflow has a Deep Dark Forest bond and Icystar has the Dream Walking ability. Well, Sapflow doesn't know that the place he keeps "dreaming" about is the Dark Forest. The Dark Forest is deeply hidden away from the realm of the living. One of the punishments given to the cats that are condemned there is a complete cut-off from the living world, preventing them from casting their influence and causing harm. No one really knows that the Dark Forest exists until they pass into the after life. Only way that a Dark Forest cat can reach out to a living being is if that cat has a strong enough bond with the Dark Forest, or if they're being specifically summoned in a ritual. While Sapflow's bond is strong, it's not strong enough to help him see and communicate with the Dark Forest beings. For the Dark Forest cats, they can't see him, but they can sense him and they're desperately trying to reach out to him...

I expected to get this part done during the weekend (or later this week at the very least), but the snowstorm that hit my state allowed me to stay in at home for the day! Part 2 will be different from what I've done so far. It'll be more of a comic, so it might take me a while. So far, I have 3 pages scripted and in the rough sketch phase.