09.30.2019 → There has been some exciting changes on CD lately! We've added a new monarchy to the groups of cats on the islands, as well as restructured the boards a bit to allow for some space - thus, redrawing the map! We've also promoted Nifty to Global Mod! There are some auditions open right now for JungleClan Deputy as well as for all of the new Kingdom of Mokuhau high ranks - Artemis
09.12.2019 → Unfortunately Elaedria is stepping down as administrator due to life being too busy to keep up! The site will be going through some restructuring in high ranks as well due to this. Effective immediately, the word count is now 100 minimum. Some more changes will be coming in the future - members have been emailed a survey to help us figure out what to change and how to get better. Thanks for your patience! - Artemis
WEATHER
Year 55, Scorching Sands 09.05.2019 → The temperatures of the islands are a steady 98° F on land/ high 80s in water. There is almost no breeze, the sun is uncomfortably warm.
Prey during the day is pretty scarce due to the heat, however is quite active after the sun goes down.
Lost in the dense jungles of scattered islands, facing perils unimagined by their ancestors, are three warrior groups - The traditional JungleClan, descendants of the original clans carried aboard a twoleg contraption from their home long ago and breaking new ground on old beliefs. Second, the curious TidalClan, made up of kittypets who chose to abandon their long since passed twoleg civilization ways for those of true felines. Lastly, the mysterious Tribe of Twisted Roots, hidden in the mist from others with their strange ways and a deeper knowledge of the land around them. Together they must learn how to take their fate into their own paws if they wish to survive this land of erupting mountains and roaring waters.
Join our crew and dive into an island-based Warriors roleplay - a twist on the original series by Erin Hunter. We are a semi-literate site with a minimum of 100 words per post.
The jungle was abuzz with noise and life, the whirring of insects, the constant rustling of leaves from some light breeze off the sea, the cacophonous symphony of bird calls as the colorful prey flitted from branch to branch, wings outstretched in flashes of red, blue, yellow, and green. Curved claws sank into the bark of one of the many trees, hoisting a slim body up from the thick vegetation that made up the forest floor to the life that awaited up in its branches.
With the cooler temperatures setting in, Mantisclaw hardly huffed as she climbed her way up the network of branches which created their own walkways over the jungle floor. There was prey to be had. Preening birds. Unsuspecting lizards. Even snakes, if they were small enough. They all existed, up here. Up and away from the life down below. Mantisclaw might even go out on a limb and say she enjoyed being up in the trees. At least she could be alone up here, unbothered by the pestering of her clanmates.
The slim brown and white feline pulled herself low on one of the large lower branches, ears twitching as gnats and flies hovered, almost anxiously, about her face. Her green eyes were narrowed, mouth open as she scented the air. Mantisclaw was always on alert, not only for the sweet smell of potential food but for a bright flash of something venomous or the silent prowl of another predator who would just as likely devour the thin warrior.
The breeze shifted, and with it the smell. Her green eyes flicked upwards, where a large round next lay tucked between a branch and a woody, looping vine. Tensing her back legs the cat leaped, startling a blue parakeet up out of the nest. Her paws flashed, but the bird escaped, leaving little more than feathers. Mantisclaw cursed under her breath when a fierce peeping caught her ears. In the nest sat two chicks, feathers half-grown in, looking as if they were on the verge of flight. They weren't large, but any means. But they would do. They would always do.
Surging forward the warrior gripped one chick between her teeth, nipping it cleanly at the neck. The other chick, panicked, began fluttering its still useless wings before toppling down to one of the lower branches, letting out a few plaintive tweets and looking as if it would, at any moment, go toppling to the forest floor below where some opportunist waited to steal her catch.
With her mouth occupied by the prey, the warrior groaned.
Ravenfire strolled leisurely through the cool forest floor. Ravenfire was not as wary as most other cats. He roamed the forest floor with a surprising amount of confidence and has never encountered venomous predators. If he did, he concluded he would at least be interested in seeing them. Regardless, today he was upset. The warmer temperatures annoyed him slightly and thus he had not been climbing today. He was supposedly out to hunt, but as usual, the tomcat was easily distracted and found himself admiring the birds and their ability to fly. Cats, as far as he knew, cannot fly. Climbing was the closest you'll ever get.
A squawk startled Ravenfire out of his thoughts. There was a rustling of branches, and a small fledgling bounced its way through the branches and landed not too far from him. Ravenfire peered over to where it landed on the forest floor. It was a baby parakeet, by the looks of it. Ravenfire rolled his eyes at its clumsy demeanor. Here I was, thinking about how birds can fly. Ravenfire mused to himself. He prodded the bird with one claw and watched it flutter in panic before gripping the chick and snapping its neck. It's a pity really, but its mother wasn't going to come looking for it in the forest floor anyway. He wasn't even hungry. But he figured he might as well call it his lucky day and bring it back to the Clan.
Ravenfire picked up the prey and was about to leave, but there was another rustle in the branches above.
The vivid green visage around him was busy. Every now and then he would see flashes of red, green, yellow, and blue as the birds flitted about. Vaguely round, naked faces and long tails dropped from twisting branches, occasionally joining him on the ground. The absolute racket that the jungle was abundant in didn't seem to be lessening in the slightest, which was good for Nightscreech. He was currently slowly crawling forward, his thin black ears and whiskers quivering as his eyes trained on a mouse nibbling on something. Tail tip flicking, the tomcat paid the barest of attention to the area around him, instead choosing to hone in on his self-appointed task.
Admittedly, he was an easily bored tomcat. Which saw him exploring the territory often and swimming around in the river that was located at the base of the falls, or hunting for the Clan. This was one of those other days that saw him hunting, choosing to go on the ground instead of up in the trees. Nightscreech was a terrible climber, and he knew that he could hurt himself if he did so want to climb. With a faint wiggle of his haunches and pause, the black tomcat lurched forward in a leaping pounce, teeth flashing and claws extending as he pinned down a frantically squealing mouse.
Snapping its neck with a twist of his jaw, Nightscreech maintained his pleased expression as he scooped it up in his jaws and padded forward. Only to still slightly at seeing a familiar dark gray tabby pelt, green eyes lighting up as he bounded forward to greet the younger tomcat. "Hi, Ravenfire!" he chirped around the mouse's tail as he approached the other tomcat from the side. He didn't notice the rustling above them as he greeted his Clanmate. "Good hunting?" he queried, glancing over the parakeet chick in the other's jaws.
notes -drops in- hope you don't mind me joining you guys! LMAO nightscreech isn't very much of a grump. it's not in his character. word count 315
Mantisclaw acted quickly once the parakeet chick began to teeter off the second branch. So focused was the warrior on chasing down the chick she didn't even notice the arrival of the other feline. Instead she dropped to the forest floor, body low and braced against the thick layer of loam, prey still dangling limp from her jaws.
Her head turned and her eyes flashed as she took in the sight of Ravenfire and the now-limp piece of prey that hung from his jaw. Without a thought her lips twitched into a scowl. The sour look on her face only intensified when another voice broke through the background noise of the jungle.
Asking about hunting. Small talk. As if they were all just going for a leisurely stroll.
Spitting the chick onto the ground, Mantisclaw stood from her crouched position, green eyes narrowed as she looked between both of the toms.
"Just great," the young warrior grumbled to herself, none too quietly, while she tried to think of the best way to rid herself of the pair. Heavens forbid the two wanted to form some sort of makeshift hunting patrol. Mantisclaw went out here to get away from the annoying racket and stink of Jungleclan, not to pretend to be best friends with a bunch of mouse-brained leaf-rustling dolts.
Ravenfire's ear twitched in annoyance, an annoyance uniquely to him and his personality. He was annoyed that he had been interrupted while doing nothing. More specifically, Ravenfire wished he could just be left alone. He hadn't meant to be hunting but the parakeet had simply dropped into his jaws. Unfortunately, hunting was sometimes not seen as a solo job. Ravenfire glanced at Nightscreech briefly before answering his question. "No," he said curtly. "But I took someone else's prey." He motioned up toward the branches where Mantisclaw had been. Ravenfire also was not the one for small talk, but he wasn't exactly the cat for business either. Leisurely strolls were Ravenfire's specialty. The others, unfortunately, did not understand how to enjoy such a luxury, much to Ravenfire's annoyance. He sighed and decided his daily stroll was not over yet, and that it was enough socializing for the day. Ravenfire dropped the limp parakeet in front of Nightscreech. "Take this back to the camp for me?" He had no intention of being chewed out by Mantisclaw and instead wanted to continue his walk. While he was a fine climber, the trees above appeared to be occupied today and he did not want to be further disturbed.
Distinctly unruffled by the rather salty 'tude of the other two, Nightscreech blinked cheerfully at Mantisclaw. Claws sinking into the ground, he couldn't help the very loud purr that rumbled through him. He just loved being in the jungle. It was just.. so warm. So brightly colored. Framed by the blue sky he could see peeking through the leaves, the sounds around him were intriguing and positively wracking his curiosity to bits. The tomcat's whiskers twitched at Ravenfire's curt tone, and for a moment he wondered if he should be bothered by their current cantankerous mood.
...Nah. In fact, he felt amused by Mantisclaw's scowling face and Ravenfire's curtness.
Nightscreech wasn't done hunting yet, either. So. Shifting slightly, he blinked at Ravenfire as the tomcat sauntered away. Shrugging slightly, he turned to the she-cat and blinked at her. The black-furred tomcat remembered when Mantisclaw was born- he had been just shy of twenty moons. Ravenfire was even younger than her, so.. briefly he wondered why they were so grumpy. They were young yet! They had their whole life ahead of them.
It then occurred to him that maybe Mantisclaw wasn't over the deaths of her father and brother. Hmmm. Green eyes turned calculating as he gazed at Mantisclaw, before 'hmm'ing slightly and staring down the parakeet and mouse at his feet. Ravenfire had asked him to take it back to camp, so he would! Then maybe he would go for a swim over at the falls. His good mood from earlier returned after his brief internalization, and he playfully tried to bump his shoulder against Mantisclaw's.
"Would you like some company? Perhaps trail after Ravenfire and join him?" his eyes glinted playfully. "Orrr, go back to the camp?" It seemed like the younger she-cat needed a friend, and with how she was skulking around the camp, perhaps he might become that friend.
notes nightscreech is undeterred! nightscreech uses friendship attempt! word count 315 words
At least he admitted that he stole her prey. Still, it ruffled the fur on Mantisclaw's back, and she glared at both toms. As measly as the chick was, it was her prey. Ravenfire was quick to try to break up their little impromptu gathering, which was a decision sent by Starclan as far as the brown and white feline was concerned.
Of course Nightscreech refused to go, looking at her as if he was happy. Excited. She eyed him suspiciously when he turned his attention onto her, the she-cat never trusting when any cat paid too much attention to her. She preferred to be by herself, to sleep on the outskirts of the warriors den and avoid conversation whenever possible.
As Ravenfire began to pad away, the young tom's attention was turned wholly upon the she-cat. Mantisclaw pressed her ears back against her skull, green eyes narrowed. "I'm hunting," she growled the words as if they were completely self-explanatory before turning towards the thick undergrowth of jungle around them. With a flick of her tail she began to walk away, hoping that the mouse-brained tom took the message and left her alone. Of course, so preoccupied with the sudden annoyance, she ended up mistakenly following Ravenfire deeper into the woods.
Ravenfire gave a sigh of relief as he walked away from the cheery tom cat. It wasn't that he disliked Nightscreech in particular; it was simply that he designated this time as his time alone and could not handle that amount of energy right now. As soon as Nightscreech was out of sight, he picked up his pace and bound over the trees, heading toward the lusher parts of the jungle. It was a beautiful day after all.
Toucan's nested above his head and he heard the energetic chirping of more baby birds. It was that season, of course. Ravenfire was still not interested in hunting and simply admired their cries. Macaws and a few common wrens also flitted around the branches. They stayed far above in the branches but Ravenfire was content observing them from below. It was only this way that they would not lift off in flight or attack him to protect their chittering young.
Ravenfire's temporary solace was abruptly interrupted as the birds suddenly took off into the sky. That was not a good sign. There was either a large predator or... another cat? He sniffed the air and with a snarl on his lips turned around, thinking it might be Nightscreech.
"Will you stop following me!" he growled and pushed aside the brush, unexpectedly coming face to face with Mantisclaw.
Nightscreech blinked in bewilderment at the tabby and white coat of the she-cat as she turned to stalk away from him, ears flattened. What had bitten her tail? Was he being too friendly? Shrugging slightly, Nightscreech picked up the two pieces of prey and followed Mantisclaw from a distance, green eyes curious. If they come across Ravenfire again, they should probably make a patrol anyways. Bring back some prey.
The tomcat heaved a silent sigh, the sound muffled by the fledgling and mouse in his mouth. His eyes scanned the colorful foliage around him, quietly shifting into his hunting crouch. Tail weaving an inch over the ground, the tomcat dropped the prey so he could grab something else. Another bird, perhaps? Or a lizard! The black-furred tomcat dug his claws into the ground, ripping up dirt as he tunneled slightly into it. Pushing the prey into the hole, he filled it back up and mentally marked the spot he was in.
He sank into his crouch again, ears perked and swiveling around. Green eyes were wide, jaw parting as he flicked his gaze around the area. Something scuttled over a particularly large tree root, a spotted brown and yellow tail catching his eye. Automatically, he could feel his mouth watering. Exhaling softly, he carefully skirted the root. Nightscreech ignored the dark green leaves dangling down, pushing his way through until he spotted the tail again.
The creature was barely moving, head raised as it basked in a small patch of sunlight that had filtered through the treetops. Paws scraping against the bark, he lunged for it with his claws extended. For a few minutes he wrestled with the slippery lizard, rolling through the underbrush as it struggled from his grasp. "Mousetails!" he swore under his breath as the creature slipped from his paws and went through another bush.
Slithering underneath the leaves and crackling branches, he lunged for it again. His teeth clamped firmly into the neck of his prey, and as he rolled to a stop he noted he was in the same area of Ravenfire and Mantisclaw again.
notes attempt failed LMAO. he's still undeterred! attempts a second time! word count 355
The sudden appearance of the two toms annoyed her, driving her to make silly mistakes, such as failing to notice that she had somehow fallen in line behind Ravenfire. Now, too busy trying to shake the annoyance out from beneath her skin by picking up a stray rustle or a warm scent that would mean prey, she didn't even notice, until it was too late, that she had basically snuck up behind the tom, who whirled around on her.
"I wasn't!" Mantisclaw hissed, her green eyes narrowed and the brown fur along her shoulders prickling at the male's sudden outburst. "I didn't even know you went this way."
The she-cat's tail lashed. And then there was the tell tale rustling of leaves, a disturbance that only meant... Mantisclaw turned her head to see Nightscreech. What had she done to anger the Gods? Why did they keep placing these mouse-brained toms in her way when all she wanted to do was spend her afternoon hunting, alone, providing her clan with enough prey to keep them from bothering her?
Instead, she just kept running into her clanmates in what were incredible odds considering the vastness of the jungle. Burying her claws in the earth, the she-cat turned to walk away. "Good-bye," she said with finality, before adding under her breath, "and good riddance."
