#the rangers of windover

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Could you possibly expand more on who/what the rangers are? (also, guess who ;D!)

(OMG THE BELOVED SNOWKIT ANON HAS A NAME AAHHHH we’ll throw you a “new name” party)

The Rangers of Windover are a group that operate most similarly to a group of siblings: they all unconditionally love and look out for one another, offering support, advice, and generosity where it’s needed, but also challenge one another through their issues, urging them to grow and change to become better versions of themselves.

There is no qualifications for becoming a ranger, other than expressing a wish to stay within the lands that they unofficially claim: anyone can become a ranger! Their “society” is very old, having existed since even before The Great Sickness, but is also incredibly loose; they do not have any strict laws or set culture, really, and will take in quite literally anyone, no questions asked, if that individual is seeking aid.

Similarly to the Moorsweepers, they are proud, renowned farmers, but that is where their similarities (and general connection) to the fealty ends. They are also incredible hunters as well, especially of mice and small owls. To be named a “mouser” is a title of friendly, high esteem within their ranks, similar to that of “champ”; it’s just a fun way to call someone who is very skilled.

Generally, their days are very lax. They look out for one another, play games, think of innovative ways to tend to chores, and are always looking to lend a helping hand to others. They have no set leadership system, but usually, an unofficial leader-figure will oftentimes rise just to settle disputes or make final decisions; in a group full of kind, bleeding hearts, it’s always good to have someone to be realistic, responsible, and even somewhat cynical to balance it out. Their current leader is a wolverine named Barley! He was formerly named Umber, and came to the Windover Range with his sister, Violet; they were absorbed into the ranger’s ranks quickly and seamlessly, becoming part of their family dynamic as easily as breathing. Umber would ultimately change his name to Barley in the wake of the ranger’s oldest resident, a cat who had lived on the range since he was born, to honor his memory.

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Are the rangers fans of passing down names? Or are the outlaw/barley situations outsiders which should not be counted.

Yes!!

To the Rangers, “recycling” is everything. Nothing goes to waste among their ranks - and that includes scraps of identities. Names to them especially aren’t given nearly the same amount of weight as the fealty gives theirs - a name is a part of someone just as eye color is, just as scars are. They can be gained or fade away over the course of the seasons. The only thing that matters is whether or not the desired individual takes pride in it - and whether or not they’ll answer to it.

Really, the only case in which new names are brought into their ranks are from visitors, those who name kittens who choose to stay, or from tales of those passing through. Or, just from newcomers who just want to keep their old names! It’s really a case-by-case basis; there’s no strict rules around their system of naming.

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

Are there any notable damaged parts of the barn the windover rangers inhabit.

Since the whole thing was originally wood, only the metal skeleton exists now as what was touched by creatures before The Great Sickness.

But, the Rangers are impressive architects! The lands that they claim (they don’t guard them as aggressively as the fealty does to theirs, but they do occupy them, and their kindness is generally so respected that not many are willing to challenge them for the lands, no matter how fertile) are relatively small, about two hundred and thirty acres, but they boast an impressive assortment of plant life, especially a ton of fruit-bearing trees.

They’ve planted tons of trees around the metal skeleton, and, over the ages, they have grown into a massive structure of interlacing branches and a canopy roof. They sleep amongst the roots, where they have woven broad leaves and traded cloth; it is an insanely comfortable space to sleep. It’s how the Riverwardens know of them, actually; with the importance the Riverwardens place upon sleep and self-care, and the Rangers “welcoming to all, without question” mindset, they’ve struck up an understanding with one another, though they don’t interact very often - it’s rare that they ever meet on diplomatic terms.

I want to draw up a map of their territory, or at least of their barn, but I am awful with location drawings T^T I’m gonna’ do my best soon, though!!

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

The Rangers of Windover - Character List

A Dream of Destiny — [8]

RANGE BOSS: Barley

RANGERS:

Fleck

Mitzi

Dusty (Piper)

Rascal (Magpie)

Fetch (Mist)

Cowboy (Soot)

Violet

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

Geranium / Alder / Outlaw / Crooked / “Rhema” Crookedstorm

Orator (formerly a weaver, formerly a ranger of Windover) of the Riverward Faction (as of: the start of A Dream of Destiny)

A massive, thickset, thick-furred, fluffy fawn-silver classic tabby tom with tufted ears, an especially fluffy tail, and green eyes. The left side of his face is heavily scarred and somewhat screwed upwards, with some teeth protruding. Along his sides are other scars, and at his right hind leg there is a prominent “x” mark. His left ear is torn.

Ears pierced with carved snail shells. Wears salmon-scale and fish leather armor around his throat and around his torso, braided with blue cloth, snail shells, and smooth river stones; also wears forepaw braces of the same material. Braids the fur of his tail and mane with willow fronds and blue cloth.

Occasionally wears a circlet of braided reeds and cattail fronds, interwoven with willow fronds, decorated with swan down feathers, small blue-colored stones, and silver fish scales, and inlaid with a small shard of the starstone for ceremonial purposes. *

•─────⋅ᓚᘏᗢ⋅─────•

Son of Rainface† and Aroges Shellheart†. Nephew of Rhema Hailstep†. Brother of Oakheart. Ex-mate of Rhema Rainfall of the Woodruff. Partner of Willowbreeze† of the Moorswept. Father of Mistfoot, Fogtongue, and Lavender (via Rainfall), and Drizzle (via Willowbreeze).

Trained by Cedarpelt†. Trained by Fleck. Trained Sedgesplash and Growlclaw.

132 moons old (equivalent to a 60 year old)

Determined, Patient, Insightful | ENFP-T

Cis Male // Demisexual // (He/They/His)

Runaan - The Dragon Prince - Jonathan Holmes

Name implies a physically twisted cat who is free-spirited and with a strong moral compass.

* (I’ll add his ceremonial circlet later,, have no energy to currently draw it ^^’)

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

Maybe when Spottedleaf flees during the chaos in A Dream of Destiny, two possibilities happen: A), she stumbles upon some buff lesbian- I mean softpaws near the OFND equivalent to the twolegs' place, or B), She's found by buff lesbian loners or rogues and taken in.- Snowkit Anon

Thank you to this ask specifically for helping me settle on what I’m doing for Spottedleaf-

I’m shipping her off to the Windover Rangers >:3c she’s getting Ravenpaw’s character arc, but she’s in lesbians with Violet

Her spirit role gets to be shuffled elsewhere, but rest assured, she does come back eventually!! And with character growth this time :D

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

thinking about Spottedleaf's new fate and I think it'd be rlly funny if someone goes looking for her and just. finds her vibing out with the Windover Rangers. The question is... will she want to go back?- Snowkit Anon

Okay so I’ve actually been toying around with Spottedleaf’s fate a lot… trying to shift things into a better order where things flow better.

She definitely becomes a Ranger - but she’s on her own for a long while. She’s never been outside the fealty territories before, heck, she’s so young that she’s never really been outside of Woodruffian lands sans to the Starstone and Gathering place. She’s alone with her thoughts for weeks, hopelessly lost, trying to scrabble up into the mountains that border the fealty’s valley, starving and achingly lonely… until she stumbles upon a wolverine who expresses pity for her, promises her a safe space to rest for a time, alongside food and what little medicine they can offer.

The wolverine (Violet, she introduces herself as later on) is kind and honest, and guides Spottedleaf to the remnants of an old iron or concrete barn (haven’t yet decided exactly). She’s taken care of there, tended to kindly by its occupants, and warms up to them. She can’t help but think of Rust while doing so, but this feels… different. She can’t deny that she had been pushing her own expectations of grandeur onto the poor kit, and, with some more thought and self reflection, realizes that she also had suffered under that same mindset. But she wasn’t victim to it here. Half of the Rangers were magicians, after all, and although her own magic was useful to them, none of them sought out or denied her company strictly because of it… especially Violet, to whom she had grown exceptionally close with.

… I’d actually really like to make a novella out of this. An entirely revamped “Spottedleaf’s Heart”, where her ambitions shift from power, craving a sense of stability in her life, to a community that loves her for who SHE is, not what she can offer them. I’d LOVE to write something that more openly explores the flaws of the fealty and their prejudices/expectations, alongside how Spottedleaf’s grayromantic and asexuality affects her relationships with others while she’s in a community that values her as a person rather than a pawn - especially with Violet.

Up until the point that a few fealty refugees end up at the mouth of their barn, and Spottedleaf is forced to finally confront that very question: does she want to go back?

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

The Fidelities of Blood in the Water

[ 1.2 ]

The Fenland Faction

The Moorswept Faction

The Riverward Faction

The Woodruff Faction

Unaligned

The Rangers of Windover

Others Occupying Fealty Grounds

The Bloodbound

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

The Fidelities of a Dream of Destiny

[ 1.1 ]

Ruin Wanderers

The Bloodbound

The Fenland Faction

The Moorswept Faction

The Riverward Faction

The Woodruff Faction

The Rangers of Windover

The Softpaws

Others Occupying Fealty Grounds

Unaligned

[oldfacesnewdawnoffical]

just getting into your blog and loving it so far 🥰

-talon or -burr as a suffix ? or if you have any tidbits about what Barley is getting up to. love that guy

!! Thank you so much! It’s always wonderful to welcome newcomers to OFND 🥰

I’ll answer all of these individually, but let’s talk about Barley here first! :D

Born to Bone and an uninvolved, unknown (probably deceased) dame, he is a wolverine and was originally named “Abhor”. He and his littermates, Venom and Ice, were raised within the ruins as members of the Bloodbound closer to its early days of glory, when Scourge was aiming to rid the ruins of the danger imposed by the archfiends and bring everyone together under one cause outside of fear, hate, or the basic, blind desire to survive. But Bone was cruel, and Venom and Ice quickly followed in his stead, and Abhor eventually had enough, opting to escape from the ruins respectfully and put as much distance between him and the Bloodbound (specifically Bone) as possible.

He ended up on the Windover Range, a farm located opposite of the Moorswept’s territory, the two being separated by the mountain pass that also harbors Mother’s Mouth and is home to Whilom the cougar. He became one of the rangers, and was ultimately elected as the next range boss after the former’s passing due to his calm reason, empathy, and his tendency towards getting tasks done in an efficient and timely manner. Ultimately, he discarded his birth name in favor of “Barley”, which he took from one of the rangers who died protecting him from an archfiend that broke into the farmlands, in order to honor their memory.

Relatively simple dude! He gets some screen time, not a lot, but he’s just some cowboy who does his best ^^ and we love him for that