#Spiderstar's Plan

[brightblueflare]

BLAZING SKY AU TIMELINE

1850's - early 1900's - The Clans are formed, and the warrior code is created and expanded.

Summer, 1914 - Flystar's Reign starts.

Spring, 1919 - The destruction of SkyClan's forest begins.

Early Fall, 1919 - The Law of the Wild is added to the warrior code.

Late Fall, 1919 - Flystar dies, and Cloudstar succeeds him.

Early Winter, 1919 - SkyClan attempts to retake a patch of the forest that now belongs to ThunderClan. War breaks out, and the starving SkyClan cats, despite their persistence, are no match for well-fed, healthy ThunderClan warriors. In the future, this event is known as Cloudstar's Last Stand.

Mid Winter, 1919 - SkyClan has now lost most of their territory, and Cloudstar opts for the diplomatic route and asks the other leaders for help during the Gathering. However, none of them are willing to help. SkyClan leaves the forest. Only Birdflight, Cloudstar's mate, and their kittens Spottedkit and Gorsekit remain behind, taken in by ShadowClan. SkyClan swears to never look to the stars again.

Late Winter, early 1920 - Larkstripe (WC), Molepelt (ShC) and the other seers protest SkyClan's exile. Larkstripe, fully supported by Molepelt, goes on strike.

Early Spring, 1920 - Swiftstar's (WC) successor, Dalestar, separates Larkstripe from her kitten, Ripplekit, in an attempt to break the strike and discredit her for having a kitten, frowned upon but not yet forbidden by the law. This is the codification of the Seer's Vow. Birdflight nurses and raises Ripplekit in ShadowClan.

Mid Spring, 1920 - SkyClan reaches the gorge.

Fall, 1927 - Dawnstar passes, and her new deputy Ripplemoon becomes Ripplestar. On his first Gathering as leader, he stated that something had to be done about SkyClan. Either the Clans would give up their territory willingly or Ripplestar would make room. Start of Ripplestar's Riot.

Late Summer, 1928 - Gorseclaw betrays Ripplestar, and the Battle of the Full Moon takes place. Clanmates fight each other, littermates shed each other's blood, Gorseclaw kills Spottedpelt, and ultimately, StarClan themselves made the fifth oak, the symbol of SkyClan, fall on Ripplestar. The fall of the tree killed him, and put and end to his rebellion. Three laws are added to the warrior code, to ensure a riot like his never happens again. Gorseclaw joins ThunderClan.

Summer, 1932 - SkyClan disbands. Only a small number of cats remained in the gorge. A network was created to maintain the former Clan connected. This is called Spiderstar's Plan.

Spring, 1935 - Late Fall, 1940 - Redstar's and Cloudstar's descendants and their allies face each other in the ThunderClan Civil War for their Clan's leadership. The result is the death of many warriors, and Flarestar's, granddaughter of Redstar, victory.

Spring, 1942 - The cats of the gorge start receiving outside influence from towncats and travelers. The seer role is split in two.

Late Summer, 1942 - Formation of the Skybloods within ThunderClan.

Winter, 1950 - Amberheart, descendant of Cloudstar, is chosen as Flarestar's third deputy. Her descendants (Oakstar, Pinestar and Tigerstar) would rule ThunderClan for many seasons to come.

Summer, 1953 - Amberstar becomes the first Skyblood leader of ThunderClan.

Spring, 1963 - Froststar of ThunderClan takes Sunningrocks. Applestar of RiverClan fights her on it.

Winter, 1975 - Mapleshade's Vengeance takes place. Furious at Mapleshade's kittens exile, Darkstar of RiverClan suggests a new law: Queen's Rights, or the Kitten Protection Law.

"Mapleshade may have brought them to the river, but it was your foolishness, your short-sightedness and your cruelty that put them in that situation in the first place, Oakstar. No kitten should die for the crime of being born."

Early Spring, 1976 - Oakstar launches Crusades and attacks the towncats. Houndstar from ShadowClan joins in.

Winter, 1980 - BloodClan is formed in response to the Crusades. Towncats start fighting back against the Forest Clans.

Early Spring, 1981 - Houndstar falls back, and agrees to codify Darkstar's proposed law. Three kittens dead is, after all, a great loss.

Fall, 1982 - Heatherstar from WindClan ends tunneling and starts the WindClan-ShadowClan War.

Summer, 1984 - Pinestar's Choice begins.

Summer, 1986 - The Great Hunger in ThunderClan takes place.

Fall, 1989 - Yellowfang's Secret and Tallstar's Revenge begin.

Winter, 1991 - Pinestar becomes leader and ends the Crusades.

Spring, 1994 - Bluestar's Prophecy and Crookedstar's Promise begin.

Winter, 1996 - BloodClan's leader is killed, and Pinestar leaves both to find the peace of being a housecat and to aid BloodClan during their political crisis. Sunstar becomes leader of ThunderClan.

Spring, 1997 - Tallstar becomes leader of WindClan.

Summer, 2001 - Bluestar becomes ThunderClan's leader, and Crookedstar RiverClan's.

Fall, 2001 - Raggedstar dies, and Brokenstar becomes leader of ShadowClan.

Early Spring, 2003 - Into the Gorge begins.

And that's the timeline before the AU kicks in. Rusty/Firestar starting his journey on 2003 sounds about right.

CHANGES

Birdflight and her kittens take shelter in ShadowClan, not ThunderClan, after Molepelt, ShadowClan's seer, offers them a place in the Clan. Dawnstar is the least adamant that SkyClan leaves the forest, and considering Redstar's attitude and the previous battles (which in this AU is total war) with SkyClan, it seems unlikely for him to take Birdflight and her kittens in. Plus, ThunderClan can't be the "good guys" Clan like in canon, and MisunderstoodClan deserves good things from time to time.

The Law of the Wild (the "warriors reject the soft life of kittypets" rule) wasn't created because of Pinestar's defection, but because Flystar was tired of his warriors leaving the Clan to live comfortably while the rest of them starved.

The Seer's Vow is made maliciously. Dalestar (prev. Darkstar, CotC) argues that Larkstripe (prev. Larkwing) is breaking her vow by having a kitten. However, back then, while taboo, it wasn't forbidden by the law. This was made to discredit and hurt her, and to control the seers.

Ripplestar (CotC) isn't fighting for power, but to free territory for SkyClan to come back to. He's also Birdflight's adopted son.

The three laws that were added were the Leader's Rights (to not be questioned), the First Tasks (visiting the Moonstone as an apprentice at least once, and sitting vigil after obtaining a warrior name), which were tradition but not codified yet, and the Full Moon Truce (no fighting at Gatherings)

Time was added between Cloudstar's Journey (and Ripplestar's Riot) and Mapleshade's Vengeance. This was done simply to add more drama related to SkyClan's exile and the descendants that stayed in the forest.

The "a queen can choose not to name her kittens' father" rule that was forgotten after the first arc in canon is made into a consistent law. Done in response to Mapleshade's kittens being exiled because of their parentage, and hotly debated even decades after its creation. Watch out for those that argue against it.

Heatherstar starts a war with ShadowClan to conquer a part of their territory she was interested in, and ended tunneling (a harmless/defensive tradition) so her Clan could focus more on fighting on the offensive.

BloodClan is formed earlier, in response to the Clans' raids. They're also a neutral entity, not pure evil.

SkyClan hasn't been forgotten by the Forest Four, but their exile is treated as justified and deserved.

[bonefall]

BB!MALICIOUS ENTITY: Ancestor Rats

A cruel fate that can befall a shattered pantheon, and the enemies of Firestar's Quietus

With SkyClan homeless and exiled at the end of the Skyfall Era, StarClan itself was in chaos. 1/5th of their ranks broke from the sky to walk with their descendants into exile, with only some of the most powerful ancestors staying behind.

Skystar himself, Patron of War, was one of them. He scoffed that a Clan that couldn't hold even a sliver of land had failed his teachings, and deserved nothing.

Scores of cats died in exile, starved, exposed, killed by predators. Cloudstar desperately tried to keep his cats together as SkyClan dwindled. Soon, there were barely enough cats to maintain a Clan, let alone such a large pantheon.

When Cloudstar died, his successor Spiderstar found herself facing a new threat. One she couldn't defeat.

Over and over, there were rats who would attack the camp. Horrible, twisted creatures of many colors, with sharp claws like a cat and jaws full of needle teeth. They swirled like a storm around a central point, wound so tightly that it was impossible to see what lay at the eye.

While watching baby spiders fly away from their mother on little silk balloons, Spiderstar devised a Great Plan. SkyClan would live apart but connected, loosely, like a web. The Rats could not kill what they could not find.

As she watched her Clan disperse, some to humans homes, some to live as rogues, the blood roared in her ears. It pounded, throbbed into a rythmn, until the words of a prophecy became overwhelming,

"EEK SHARRARRAM SSARSHAIWO!"

[Rat ancestors disastrous-they-will-kill]

Could this be true? Would their ancestors save them from the rats, someday?

(Below the cut; a guide to Ancestor Rats and how they are dealt with in Firestar's Quietus. CONTENT WARNING: BODY HORROR, GORE.)

Firestar's Quietus; The Secret of the Rats

Exactly as before, when Firestar and the spirit of Brokenstar gathered the SkyClan web together, the rats had one point of attack. They washed over the soon-to-be warriors in a wave, but they were able to fight them off.

Skywatcher laid on his side in the clearing, trembling and wide eyed, covered in horrible bites. At first they could barely get a word out of him, too shaken to speak. When he was finally able to force a word out, he could only mumble;

"I saw Lowbranch. That was my mother..."

And then, someone else came forward, sharing that one rat had the same stripes as their brother. Another recognized their son's tufts on another's ears. The camp buzzed with tension as the stories bubbled forth.

Everyone recognized something in the rats.

Something had happened to their ancestors. Something terrible. It became clear why they had never answered their prayers or sent a hero to save them. Brokenstar tried to reach them, but he could only hear a command echoing in the darkness.

"Neek urrspeekorreen urrsnyarhak, karrl urrsnakochya." "THAT WHICH CANNOT BE FIXED, MUST BE BROKEN"

It was only later, when they went to confront the rats once and for all, that they realized what those words meant. Stumbling out into the dim light out of the barn, they saw them.

Those weren't just rats!

And the most horrible thing of all was the atrocity behind it all, the creature at the center of the swirling, agonized mass, the eye of the storm...

The Rat Leader; Cloudstar

He promised to keep his Clan together. So he did.

As each life wasted away and his Clan dwindled, smaller and smaller, as their heaven crumbled above them and became too tiny to hold their ancestors, Cloudstar kept them in one piece.

When he died, that mission continued. Trapped as this cursed creature, Cloudstar was mindlessly commanding his cats like a storm around him, dragging in both the dead and the living in a desperate attempt to save the Clan he'd vowed to protect.

SkyClan could not mend until this curse was broken. These fallen angels needed to be released, by force, to rejoin a new heaven of modern making. Slipping into the body of Firestar, Brokenstar was able to lend all of his talents for one final fight. It was just like being back at Carrionplace.

With his purpose as the fallen 5th tree, a guardian spirit, fulfilled and the rats freed from their prisons, Brokenstar's soul grew sleepy with peace. Firestar buried the acorn necklace that he had used to channel him overlooking the gorge, where it quickly sprouted into a new oak.

Rat Ancestors; Tome of Beasts

When an afterlife is destroyed, through mass death or supernatural attack, and the spirits within it cannot peacefully fade away or join a new pantheon, all of its souls can become earth-bound.

There are many types of entities and curses in this world, each one completely unique. Ancestor Rats are the form that this pantheon took.

From a distance, an Ancestor Rat could be mistaken for an odd, escaped domestic rodent. Their faces were an unsettling mix of rat and cat, with teeth laid out like a cat's but endlessly growing like a rat. They had the blade-like claws of a Clan cat, tearing through the skin and laying at various angles.

They had no physical needs, but were unable to handle being separated from their leader. Cloudstar himself, however, did need to rest in some way, returning to the barn where he died every day.

When one was killed, it would flash blue as if briefly turning into a shard of the sky, before leaving a completely standard rat corpse in its place. As long as Cloudstar was alive, the pulsar of each spirit would simply be dragged back into another rat after some time.

There was no escape until he was killed.

After the defeat of the Ancestor Rats, the spirits moved on to SkyClan's special heaven; Skypelt. Even after moving to the lake, Skypelt maintains its independence from Silverpelt, judging its own souls and staying separate (but connected) to StarClan-Prime.

With an abundance of rat bodies on their paws, SkyClan started a morbid tradition for a very special celebration. "The New Day" is celebrated every year with a grand feast, where a traditional rat meat dish called "Roasted Grandpaw" is served.

[lostkitsclangen]

Fanart for @nettleclanstale!! I've been obsessed with this clangen since it started lol it's the first one I've actually sent asks in for. Started this before Hazelstar died so I wanted to finish it as soon as possible

Rambles under the cut!

You know when a character that's supposed to piss you off is actually hated by the audience that it's a well done character. Hazelstar literally actually sucked but she added so much depth to Nettleclan, and I hope we get to see how her memory/passing affects those that she hurt, like Meadow :( I hope all her victims get to heal <3 But I'm excited to see where Spiderstar takes this clan, especially since he's still fairly new to the cast

Character in the fanart/poster go as follows; Batshriek (top, I'm excited to see whether their interaction with Badgerfall when she was a kit is going to be brought up/continued, I also headcannon that Bat likes to poke the bear and constantly nags and annoys Valley and Badger, mainly Valley bc Badger is kinda broken :( ), Badgerstar (top left, why is he cracking like an egg I'm so scared for him), Valleywave (top right), Aloesight and Pinesong (middle and middle right, I look forward to Otterclouds development involving Aloe), and the bottom row from left to right, Badgerfall, Snowbreeze, Hazelstar, Fallenpeak, Meadowbreeze. I tried to pick as many characters important to the storyline as possible, but wasn't able to fit some of them in. Others I wanted to include were Ottercloud, Spiderstar, Tempestpool, Bumbletumble, and Gladeburn, but I couldn't find the right way to include them.

I plan to make more Nettleclan fanart in the future! Sorry for the rambling lol

[weeklyhiiai]

i can't do this without you.

welcome to weeklyhiiai, a small project run by two artists who love hiiai and have too much on their plates! (we're planning on posting at least once a week, hopefully more if time allows!)

the inbox is open for requests! hiiai forever <333

artist introductions under the cut!

hi, i'm neptune aka @neptunesailing! i use any pronouns and i am so insane about hiiai have you seen them have you seen chapter 160 of the es!! main story have you SEEN THEM-

anyway i love hiiai. thats it.

i'll sign off posts with ☄️:]

hello hello!! my name is alix, aka orion, aka @orioncore on here and ao3! i use they/it pronouns, and I'm insane abt these two. they plague me.

fun fact: i am the creator and main writer of the spiderstars au!! (you may have seen some of nep's lovely designs for it! if not, check them out they're so cool) so my posts may be..influenced by that

ill sign off on posts with 💫!

[warrior-cats-rewritten]

quick question, do you have any future plans for Smudge in your rewrite?

The thing about Smudge is that he would hate being a Clan cat, so he never joins Thunderclan. He is, however, given an expanded family.

His ancestor, appearing in ancient times as a Cat Of The Park, is Midge. She is adopted into a home with River Ripple's help, and expresses a desire to start a family. Unlike her friend, Rust, who never has children, staying as a lone farm cat.

Myler, from Mapleshade's Vengeance, is ALSO related to him! Ironic how much "wild blood" is in such a happy housecat who wants nothing more than to curl up on warm blankets and eat lamb pate for dinner. Myler was his great grandpa.

He is a guardian of Princess's kits. The 2 aren't mates, but Smudge is happy to help her by watching them and playing with them. Smudge is Ace! Also, one of Princess's kits lives in his other neighboring garden, though I haven't picked which one yet.

He actually joins Ravenpaw and Barley on their Quest to Skyclan, and might be joining Firestar and Sandstorm. One of his other ancestors is a Skyclan cat who left while their home was being destroyed. That cat's name was Sootberry, a black tom with a white spot on his forehead, who is the grandfather to Skyclan's Final Leader, Spiderstar. This is why Smudge gets visions of Skyclan.

His brother from a different litter is Fuzz! Meaning Bellaleaf and Rileypool are his niece and nephew. He actually does know Fuzz, though the two don't see each other often. This is the reason though that he joins Ravenpaw, Barley, Bella and Riley on their journey to Skyclan, and helps brings Ravenpaw's body home to the farm to bury. Without Smudge, they wouldn't have made it.

He also makes a minor appearance during Graystripe's Clan, where it is revealed that though Hattie's housefolk have moved away (to the Lake area where Velvet lives, because they are also Velvet's owners) but one of the members one Warriorclan lives there! His neighbor is Bugeater!

[cryptidclaw]

Who is the main protag in HawthornClan's story?

Woooo a Hawthorn question!!! (I really want to start posting abt them again...)

The main protags are the apprentices Night, Fennel and Hornet! They all have different but interesting perspectives (and traumas hehe)!

Night is Spiderstar's son, apprentice and nepotism baby of whom she plans to train to be her successor!

Fennel and Hornet's mom was "disappeared" and they both have different beliefs on what happened to her, Fenel believes that she was killed due to being against Spider, while Hornet chooses to believe the clan's (Order's? I'll prob go w/ that) claim that she deserted her kits and the Order!

Also unrelated but I haven't gotten to mention it yet,,, Night and Fennel become a couple hehe

[sp1resong]

sparrowfeather backstory pog (writing)

"Hey, do you want to know how I wound up here?" Sparrowfeather asked, breaking the silence.

"...sure?" Shadowsight said. "Uh, I don't see why not."

"Excellent!" Sparrowfeather grinned. "Hey, Willowsong!"

"What?" Willowsong glanced over from where she was writing something down in the corner.

"I'm about to spill my backstory to the kid, wanna join?"

"Of course. Actually, I'll start." Willowsong paused. When Sparrowfeather didn't protest, she continued, "I was a ghost when all this happened. Uhh, I kind of died immediately before shit started getting wild."

"Not in a 'this happened a generation after her' way," Sparrowfeather interrupted. "More so in a 'this was the same generation as her, but she died early because she's an idiot who doesn't know that you shouldn't eat unidentified plants to see what will happen' way."

"Right. That. I was an apprentice when Sparrowfeather was born, for perspective. So I was really new to the whole ghost thing when this shit happened and didn't have much to do other than watch it go down." Willowsong explained.

"Anyways," Sparrowfeather continued. "Not long after she died, Finchstar--the WindClan leader--also kicked it. A cat named Spidersky--Spiderstar, now--took her place.

"Spiderstar was--how do I describe Spiderstar? They were a horrible cat, an awful, tyrannic leader, an overall piece of absolute foxdung that had the AUDACITY to call themself a decent CAT, let alone a LEADER--"

"So, basically, they were awful," Willowsong cut in.

"Yep." Sparrowfeather flicked her tail. "So we, the cats of WindClan, did what most cats do when faced with a leader that none of them like.

"That's to say, we started a revolution.

"It started off as just me, my mate Gorseflower, and a couple of our friends, but it grew quickly enough. Our generation didn't have many tunnelers, and those we did have were quickly swayed to the revolution's side, so, naturally, we met in the tunnels. I didn't like it down there--I'm a moor-runner at heart, and I'm... not a fan of cramped spaces, or stale air, or the smell of damp dirt, or the knowledge that the ceiling could collapse and kill you at any time--but I managed."

"Spiderstar was made aware of their presence soon enough," Willowsong interjected. "Of course, they weren't sure who was with them. I'll admit, it was rather entertaining to watch them drive themself into a paranoid spiral. Maybe if you didn't want a revolution, you should have tried being a good person."

"It was fine for a while," Sparrowfeather recalled. "They tried to drive us out of the tunnels several times, but we were at an advantage, given that we had actual tunnelers on our side and knew our ways around a lot better.

"And then Gorseflower died.

"At the claws of Spiderstar's loyal deputy Thornstep, no less.

"That was the last straw. They couldn't take away everything I cared about--my mate, my joy, my WindClan--and expect to get away with it.

"I wouldn't let them get away with it.

"I started planning. On my own. I needed something effective, something better than all the planning and hiding and dithering we'd been doing up until that point.

"Immediately, I recalled one of my key kithood memories. There was a fire in the WindClan camp, caused by a lightning strike. I was--I was scared, yes, but also enthralled. There was deadly beauty to it, to its power, to the way it destroyed everything it touched in a blaze of light.

"And, of course, not three moons prior I'd received an omen. My fur had appeared to catch fire, but it didn't burn me.

"So, really, what choice did I have?"

Sparrowfeather paused for a moment. She was pacing at this point, tail lashing from side to side.

"I lit a branch on fire. I took that branch and burned the camp to the fucking ground.

"Amidst the flames, I hunted down and killed both Thornstep and Spiderstar before dying of smoke inhalation right next to the latter's corpse. Maybe some other cats died. I don't know. I didn't care."

She stopped pacing, taking a deep breath and turning back towards the others. "And that's why I, Sparrowfeather, was sent to the Place of No Stars."

[ihavealavalamp]

cat cats cats!! they’re all a part of ivyclan, the main clan in my d&d campaign!

edit; some details abt these friends under the cut!

Antlerclaw - The brother of Spiderstar and Mothwhisper. He’s bad-tempered and hard to get along with, and tends to argue with Spiderstar’s leadership whenever he doesn’t agree with it, which is often. He’s a talented fighter and has proved this in battle many times, contrasting his logical sibling Spiderstar, and his charismatic sibling, Mothwhisper.

Spiderstar - Even-tempered and calm, Spiderstar is admired by many of her clanmates for her grace. However, her leadership has been rough so far, so she seems a bit overwhelmed. She does what she thinks is best for the clan and is easy to get along with, and tends to put the sake of the clan before personal feelings and relations. She is the sister of Antlerclaw and Mothwhisper.

Mothwhisper - The sister of Spiderstar and Antlerclaw. She’s very charismatic, and cats tend to come to her with their problems, as she always seems to know what to say. She is the mother of Tinypaw and Fawnpaw.

Streamwhisker - The brother of Sweetberry, the mate of Waspsting, and the father of Needlekit, Flowerkit, and Honeykit. He’s a bit of a show-off and has an excessive sense of pride, but unfortunately he does have a lot to be proud of, as he is one of the most talented fighters in the clan.

Moonsong - He tends to keep to himself, and seems just about ready to join the elder's den.

Hawkthorn - A previous warrior of Pineclan, the nemesis of Ivyclan. She is rough around the edges, but keeps to herself to not step out of line while within Ivyclan. She’s quite cynical, but good-humored. She and Antlerclaw tend to butt heads fairly often.

Brightpath - The mate of Beenose, and the mother of Bugkit, Harekit, and Hazelkit. She’s soft-spoken and kind, and loved by all in the clan.

Waspsting - The mate of Streamwhisker, and the mother of Flowerkit, Honeykit, and Needlekit. She’s stern and has a sharp tongue, but cares deeply for her loved ones.

Sweetberry - The sister of Streamwhisker, she’s much quieter than her boisterous brother and keeps to herself, but has shown to be quite intelligent and has contributed genius plans to battle.

Beenose - Despite his small appearance, Beenose earned his position as the deputy of Ivyclan. The mate of Brightpath and the father of Bugkit, Harekit, and Hazelkit, he is good-natured and humorous, and a bit of a jokester. He’s a longtime friend of Streamwhisker, and loved by many of his clanmates for his ability to lift their spirits even in the darkest times. He is named for his excellent tracking abilities.

Skybird - The young medicine cat of Ivyclan. Unsure of himself and lacking in confidence, Skybird severely underestimates himself, as he is one of the most talented medicine cats Ivyclan has seen.

Berryspots -  She is quite unpredictable in terms of personality, but tends to be quite opinionated and bristles at the mention of Pineclan. She is the mother of Redpaw and Cedarpaw.

[mandareeboo]

Title: Deep Dive

Summary: In a world where ThunderClan absorbed ShadowClan seasons ago, young warrior Weaselface is tasked to rebuild the fourth Clan and take her place as leader. But how can she betray all she’s ever known and loved, all on the word of one ghost with a grudge?

Excerpt:

Flintpoppy brushed noses with Spiderstar as he took his place at the front of the camp, tail curling pleasantly. "Don't scare them too badly, dear."

"We'll see," he purred, sparing her a quick lick. "Take good care of the camp while we're away. Don't hesitate to rip some eyeballs out if the munchkins get out of line."

She examined her claws. "I never do."

Adderpelt stuck his tongue out at their shenanigans, making Weaselface chuckle awkwardly as he sat next to her. Gatherings are hard enough without being part of the announcements, she thought, but there was no escaping it- ThunderClan had a fresh batch of new warriors, one of whom was pregnant with what he assumed was his son's litter. Spiderstar must be over the moon with all the bragging he's gonna get to do.

Hey, some new characters! Briarstar and Rainstar aren't main characters, but they ARE sick of Spiderstar's shit, which makes them decent allies. For anyone curious as to why Dew never told Weaselface about Sweetshine- she just didn't want to deal with her daughter's inevitably meltdown. Dew is many things, but sympathetic has never been one of them.

I don't normally get chapters out this fast, but I actually had part of this done and in a word doc before the last chapter! I got a little mixed up at first as to which I wanted to get out first. I originally planned on having Weaselface be farther along than Sweetshine, but realized that made literally no sense in context to a timeline. Also, cats are apparently only pregnant for 2 to 2 and a half months? Jesus that's quick.

Heya I’m doing commissions!

[bonefall]

I feel like I missed an important bit- what's the deal with Sharpclaw and SkyClan's brand of Thistle Law? I've been looking thru tags but I can't find any detailed info, would love to know more esp. since Sharpclaw was a character I loved as a kid

Sure! Summary and then some links.

BB!SkyClan, this is VERY important, does not have Thistle Law. Not until they reach the Lake. Their political overton window is COMPLETELY different from Forest Four, more centered around the "Fulfillment" of something called Spiderstar's Plan.

Spiderstar's Plan = That SkyClan would live apart, surviving in any way they could, until The Rats could be dealt with.

So Sharpclaw can be considered more like a "Traditionalist," if you had to compare it to Forest Four politics. He believes that it's time to cut ties with the behaviors that kept them alive during a time of great 'humiliation.' Kittypets and Daylight Warriors can't be trusted because their full loyalty is not to the continuation of SkyClan, they live with a paw still in "the past."

Leafstar wants her viewpoints challenged and to not live in an echo chamber, but she disagrees that this is even a problem. It makes no sense to her-- they do nothing but contribute. Daylight Warriors are paws that never take more than they give. They don't steal. They bring useful goods and toys. There's no point to isolating ourselves?

She should have done something the minute he started truly undermining her, but she didn't. It burns a hole in him that she "doesn't listen" to him (truth: his ideas suck and make no sense), that he's not the one calling the shots, and he starts to envy the power she has when she's so nonchalant about the "Future of SkyClan."

In BB!AVoS, Darktail EXPLOITS these negative feelings.

This is to display his Modus Operandi as a villain; divide and conquer. He finds dissatisfaction within factions and drives a wedge between groups, breaking off who he can and using them to destroy the rest. He's going to do this when he gets to the Lake, too.

I'm SICK of evil hordes of instant martians that every foreign villain can order from ACME corp to threaten the Clans. So in BB, The Kin has VERY. VERY. VERY few non-Clanborn cats. Darktail's first expansion is from SkyClan.

It wasn't a horde of evil barbarians that attacked SkyClan that night; It was Sharpclaw and his supporters, spitting a point at Leafstar about how her "reliance" on Daylight Warriors had left her weak, and that it was time for a change.

Sharpclaw meets his end that night, trying to convince Hawkwing to join him. Then, the SkyClan oaktree that houses a slumbering Brokenstar falls directly on top of him, pulling down the entire rockface of the gorge and giving the cats a chance to escape.

(RIP Sharpclaw)

RATS RATS: here are the rats.

Post on Sharpclaw

Darktail and Sharpclaw

On Leafstar

Bunch of stuff on Skypelt

[bonefall]

Extremely strange question, but can we get a recipe for Roasted Grandpaw? Or at least like what other ingredients and/or flavors it includes? Obsessed with the real world concepts of culturally significant foods/holiday traditions(which often includes special meals bc such is being a living being, loving Good Food) and if I remember correctly this is the only one you've showcased with a specific source event

Roasted Grandpaw is a special treat, honoring SkyClan's History! It can be made year-round, but has a special place in their version of an "independence day."

The traditional ingredients are;

Large Rat (for the rat ancestors)

Mushroom Gravy (for Cloudstar’s journey)

Kibble (for Spiderstar's plan)

You take the rat, skin it, and remove the offal. This is chopped and sauteed in the mushroom gravy. Meanwhile, you take your kibble and add it to a boiling bone broth, until it becomes fat and juicy.

Then, combine the sauteed offal and the marinated kibble, mixing them up nicely. Stuff this back into the raw rat, and then bake. The juices of the meat soak into the stuffing, and the whole rat will sizzle.

Apply extra juice as it bakes, so it doesn't dry. Firestar, leader of BarbequeClan, taught them this very important skill.

Usually served with extra mushroom gravy.

[bonefall]

does skyclan have a unique dogwhistle also?

Nah, they don't actually have Thistle Law yet. Sharpclaw is actually what the other Clans consider a Traditionalist.

Euphemisms and dogwhistles exist when you can't be open about your positions, to signal to others in your group that you mean something else.

Sharpclaw was very open about how he didn't want Daylight Warriors to be part of SkyClan. When he waxes poetic about how Spiderstar's Plan Worked And That Era Is Over, that isn't a dogwhistle. That's just a plain old excuse for his bigotry.

It could BECOME a dogwhistle in the future, but SkyClan has simply not been part of the Lake culture long enough to have assimilated as much. Not to mention that Sharpclaw and his cohorts joined The Kin and ended up removing themselves from SkyClan.

[bonefall]

So if Flytail is now adopted by a wandering Tallstar and Jake, any chance they could be an orphaned kit from the dissolved SkyClan who was named by their bio parents after the Crusades-era Flystar? It's a little obscure, but I enjoy the irony of Fly I being a xenophobe and Fly II having All The Families and loving the Nomads to bits.

(minor correction; though Flystar does see a crusade happen, his era was the Skyfall Era of the Code Period; the Crusade Era is just after the drowning of Mapleshade's kittens when Oakstar has a gamer moment. Skyfall Era -> Ripple Era -> Crusade Era -> Campaign Era. Tallstar's Collapse happens in the early Campaign Era. I'm making an updated history guide right now it's in my drafts i prommy)

Hmmm... It would be possible; the nomad cats go everywhere. It's not too big of a stretch for them to come across that twolegplace. Fly would be about the same age as Skywatcher, by the by.

But there is an issue here which is why I will have to veto it; SkyClan always has a network. Spiderstar's plan is not that they would completely dissolve, but instead that they would live apart.

If there is a kitten, it's important it's a specific scenario where they don't have a place to go. Else Fly would just be placed back with his next-of-kin.

I'm also thinking, if there does end up being a kitten-- I want to play it as a very hard thing that it joins WindClan. They had to choose between two parents and were caught making a decision they shouldn't have had to make so young. Tallstar's Collapse is sadly not a wholesome, happy tale; It's about the way WindClan is changing, and the reasons why Talltail can't stay away.

[cryptidclaw]

The final three cats from for the Clan Generator Challenge! the Elders, Elderclaw, Beebriar, and Appleleg! I have discovered that I love drawing old cats, Appleleg is so skrunkly. 

Beebriar is going to find a way to protect all her grandkits and daughter in law if its the last thing she does! I think she might hold some self blame for the fact that she was not able to protect her own kits from Spiderstar.

These may be the last cats from the actual generator but I’m already planning on drawing some designs for the deceased cats from this clan! 

Image IDs below v

[Image 1 ID: Screenshot from the Clan Generator website which reads “HAWTHORNCLAN; The Demonic and Unstable”./End ID]

[Image 2 ID: A digital drawing of Elderclaw over a black background. She is laying down on her side with a sinister expression on her face, with squinted eyes and a small grin. She is a long spikey furred solid reddish brown (chocolate) molly, her fur fluffs up around the upper parts of her legs, and the rest of her legs are more slender and are a darker shade of brown, her neck, ears and tail are also this darker brown color. She has red slash mark scars on her body and face and she has grey fur around her nose and lip from old age. her eyes have wrinkles from old age and they are a pale blue color with red eyelashes and pupils. To her left is a screenshot of her description from the clan genorator which says, “ELDERCLAW- a chocolate she-cat, with long fur, and hazel eyes.” also to her left is white handwriting which says, “-Spiderstar and Swanheart’s mother; -very proud of her daughter; “Be more like your sister Swan”; evil old lady; this is where Spider got it from”./End ID]

[Image 3 ID: A digital drawing of Beebriar over a black background. She is standing and has a stern/ angry expression on her face. She is a short furred, round, orange and cinnamon tortoiseshell molly, she is mostly orange with solid reddish brown (cinnamon) colored patches, there is a patch of cinnamon over her eyes like a mask, over her shoulders, lower back, in rings down her tail and on her lower legs, she also has a heart shaped cinnamon patch on her chest. she is missing her left front leg and she has scars on the stump as well as on her left hind leg, her inner ears, nose and scars are all pink, and her eyes are yellow. To the left of her is a screenshot of her description from the clan genorator which says “BEEBRIAR- a cinnamon and red, mackerel tortoiseshell-tabby she-cat, with short fur, and yellow eyes.” Next to this is white hand writing which says “-About the same age as Plumfur; -Fennel & Hornetpaw’s maternal grandmother; -Retired early to the elder’s den claiming worsening pain due to her old injuries; -she actually did so bec. she knows she’s on Spider’s hit list and want’s to seem as unassuming & harmless as possible so she isn't killed; -wants to be there for & protect her grandkits and Rookleg; -an absolute badass & very smart; -super loving towards those she cares about, will end whoever hurts them if its the last thing she does!”./End ID]

[Image 4 ID: A digital drawing of Appleleg over a black background. He is sitting up though he is obviously very weak and boney and is having trouble holding himself up. He has a tired practically asleep expression on his face with his eye closed. He is a pale orange mackerel tabby tom with short scruffy fur, he has grey around his muzzle and he has long wispy s around his face. He is missing his right eye and has a scared droopy empty socket where it used to be, he also has a scar on his nose and back. His scars inner ears and nose are all pink. to the left of him is a screenshot of his description from the clan generator which says “APPLELEG- a red mackerel tabby tom, with short fur, and green eyes.” To the right of him is white handwriting which says “-extremally old; -how is he still alive??; -doesn't know what's going on; -Beebriars great- uncle, ya he’s that old.”/End ID]

[cryptidclaw]

just curious, why does spiderstar name nightpaw after lightstar?

Oh she would never, this is after Spiderstar is dethroned! Nightpaw is named Nightshade by Spiderstar, but after he is freed from Spider's rule, he requests to change his name to Nightlight!

I don't have all the plot planned out for how Spider is dethroned, but I am definitely planning on Nightpaw having a Zuko esque redemption arc ending in him turning against his mother, and no longer wanting the name she gave him!

[mandareeboo]

Title: Deep Dive

Summary: In a world where ThunderClan absorbed ShadowClan seasons ago, young warrior Weaselface is tasked to rebuild the fourth Clan and take her place as leader. But how can she betray all she’s ever known and loved, all on the word of one ghost with a grudge?

Excerpt:

"All I'm saying is that we deserve a feast, that's all! We could even catch it ourselves."

"And all I'm saying is that we're on a vigil, Fogfur. You know. A quiet time? So maybe let's plan this afterwards."

Fogfur looked legitimately offended, ears flying backwards. "I know that! But we deserve a little preferential treatment, don't we? We just saved all of ThunderClan! Tell them, Nutstripe."

The sandy yellow tom was far less self-assured than his littermate, shuffling his paws self-consciously. "It was just one patrol. Any group of warriors could do that."

"Exactly! Which is why we're sitting here now. How many apprentices get to be named for defeating their enemies?"

That was enough for Weaselface, who had been irritably listening for some time now as the new warriors argued back and forth. She twisted her head around, baring the unsightly pink scar that went across her neck and up to the side of her jaw. "Would it kill you to shut up? You're acting like Antpaw didn't die!"

Nutstripe flinched, shoulder bunching up to his chin. Fogfur wound her tail around him supportively and glared at her. "He was our brother, possum-breath- of course we miss him! But he'd want us to be happy about this."

No, he wouldn't, she thought, rolling her eyes.

Fun fact, Squirrelwhisker being Antpaw's mentor was actually a very recent development. He was originally gonna be Mudcloud's (he wasn't originally gonna die; Weaselface's injury was once something a warrior did to her a kit when she tried to protect one of her fellow kits- probably Sweetshine? I wanted to solidify a bond between them early- when Dew and another queen took them from the ShadowClan camp to the ThunderClan one.

That ended up feeling a bit too cruel, since I'm not a big fan of Cats Do Things Cause Evil, so have guilty Spiderstar uber-dadding Weasel at every turn while being a douche anyway instead.

Heya I’m doing commissions!