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.
Sorry for placing him out here. Wasn't sure how to get them here otherwise!
It had been an early morning for Taropetal. When she'd pulled herself from sleep that day, aided by weak sunlight streaming through glass windows long cracked by the elements they faced, she knew her life was different. Tinystar had, for a reason only the ancestors knew, trusted her with a bright-eyed Fledgling. Her first, in fact. Memories of her own training, filled with long days of hard work and nights of sore muscles, filled her head during the ceremony, bringing a smile to the she-cat's face even as nervousness threatened to overcome her. It seemed that hadn't faded in the night; apprehension and excitement had both clawed at her insides in tandem as she'd slipped between nests to find the young tom she was now responsible for. A quick breakfast for the pair before they had set off, leaving the town behind and heading through the aptly-named Sea of Grass. The tall stalks were new territory for the tom, but Taropetal hadn't stopped yet. She had a different destination in mind. After all, who knew how much the elders told the kits about their land in their stories?
It wasn't until the undergrowth beneath their paws had shifted to darker shades of green and the sunlight upon their backs had been sliced through with shadows that the Fighter had seen fit to pause. Before them lay a shining expanse, the waters calm even now as they lapped at the mud only mouse-lengths from their paws. A distant roar, a muted echo of the storms that poured the anger of the Gods down upon them each year, thrummed in the background, hidden from sight.
This was, perhaps, a unique way of going about learning just how far their world extended - Straight up the center, through the heart of their territory until they'd reached its edges. Some might even call it senseless, as there was only one true border that was not stopped by the ancient waters that crashed against the beach and rocks. But to Taropetal, who could hear the murmuring of her mentor in her ear even now as she turned her head to look at Bleakpaw, it was one of the most important lessons for the young cats to learn.
hen Taropetal first told him that she would be taking him out for training soon, Bleakpaw couldn't deny that he was excited. Of course he wasn't bouncing around like an excitable kit or anything obnoxious like that, but when he was waiting to go out with her, his paws had been shifting involuntarily along with his impatience. It felt like ages until they were finally outside of the camp, but once they were, he felt his gaze wander. This wasn't the first time he was outside of camp - he had a few misadventures as a kit - but as a Fledgling, it almost felt different. After a moment, his wandering eyes finally settled on his mentor in front of him. He wasn't sure what his opinion of her was just yet. His father's constant droning on how he hoped Bleakpaw would receive a strong tom as his mentor lingered at the back of his mind, but for once he decided to squash the voice until further notice. Tinystar chose Taropetal and he highly doubt that would change anytime soon. After walking for some time, his mentor suddenly paused, nearly causing him to run into her and as he was pushing aside his annoyance, she turned to look at him - asking him the question of where he believed they were.
Bleakpaw blinked... and then blinked once more. He took a moment to glance about, but he didn't really have to look for long. The lake was literally right in front of them. Did she think he was stupid? He may have never seen the lake, but before becoming Fledgling he'd hear about it from his clanmates. Also, it was one of the closest parts of their territory by the border with Jungleclan. Perhaps she was a bit of an airhead after all. The tip of his tail twitched as he responded. "Of course I do," He left out the 'I'm not stupid part" but the way his tone was he may as well have said it, "we're by the lake - and the border is just up ahead, right?" He couldn't claim that he knew every inch of their territory, but after listening to all the stories, it was hard not to pick up a few things.
He briefly wondered how Urchinpaw and Pearlpaw were. He hadn't seen them yet today so he assumed that they were already out with their own mentors. Before his thoughts became too deep into thinking about his siblings, he nudged them aside, turning his attention back to Taropetal and the lake. The irritation from earlier seemed to have lifted a bit - replaced by curiosity as he watched the water lap at the muddy shore. The waves here were much more calmer than the crashing ones of the ocean. Those always reminded him of a roar, but the lake's reminded him more of a purr - it was much more serene than he thought it would be.
Turning his head away from the lake and toward Taropetal, he spoke once more. "Were we headed for the border?" His gaze was flashing with interest. The border with Jungleclan had always been something he wanted to visit as a kit. Of course it was much too far and he would have never made it without getting caught, but now he was only a bit of a distance away. He'd always wondered how the Jungle cats were and if they were going to visit the border today he secretly hoped they would stumble upon a patrol or something. There were moments when he'd pondered on how it would be like to live deep in the jungle like they did. Personally, he felt like he would hate it.
Too many trees, too many bugs, and too many sounds.
According to some of the stories he heard, the other clan practically lived up in the trees like monkeys and that image alone made his whiskers quiver a bit in amusement. Perhaps they were actually more monkey than cat.
The meaning wasn't lost on Taropetal. Between the tom's doubting, almost incredulous expression and his less than appropriate tone, it was enough to make the more high-spirited of the clan bristle and her own spirits to waver slightly. But instead of reacting on the first impulse of somewhat disappointed anger, the she-cat simply waited, patiently watching the fledgling as he took in his surroundings. Yes, the lake was close and yes, they were still on the safer side that didn't flirt with the border. However, it was as good as any a place to start.
"This is. When the waters along the beach are too choppy to fish in, this is another place to try your luck. That'll be something you learn in a few days though. I don't want you getting too tired too early." Her gaze, fixed on the tom who at first seemed to wish he were anywhere but here, skittered off towards the distant green cliffs. Far off towards the rocky outcropping that scraped the sky in the distance, and poured life-giving water into the stream in a thunderous display, that marked places their ancestors had deemed too dangerous to explore. The border then had remained at the stream's head, something she'd have to show Bleakpaw before he grew too impatient with her.
Perhaps waiting wouldn't do him any harm though, as curiosity seemed to light the young one's eyes when he came to the realization of their destination. Maybe worth it then. She thought, raising her head to scent the air and make sure their path would remain unobstructed by predators that neither of them were prepared to take on. "We are. It's one of the most important parts of your training. Whatever you do, never cross that line." She had started to pick her way through the undergrowth again, gesturing with her tail for him to follow as she continued to speak. "We aren't hostile with JungleClan right now, but that territory belongs to them and them alone. They will not appreciate finding any cats of TidalClan over there even during a time of peace, much less an untrained fledgling who they aren't familiar with." At least the fighters had their scents to identify them. Even if they were tangled up with prey and JungleClan's own, they were somewhat known to the warriors of the rival clan. But that of a new fledgling? No, and she wasn't willing to risk the fragile peace between them for some curiosity. "If we run into any of them, stay close.
leakpaw approached the lake as he listened to Taropetal speak and as he reached the edge of it, he peered down at his reflection for a few moments. He tried not to be too irritated when she mentioned that she didnt want him to become too tired. At the moment, he felt like he could do laps around the territory - it was hard to believe that he’d get too exhausted by fishing, but it was okay. At the time, seeing the border was capturing most of his interest - hunting could wait. After watching the water ripple a bit, he turned his attention back to her when he heard her mention JungleClan. “What are Jungle cats like?” There was genuine interest in his voice as he asked, “I’ve heard stories about them of course, but that was about it.” And of course I’m not going to cross the line. I’m not flea-brained. He added silently to himself.
“Do they really scale trees like monkeys?” That thought still amused him. If that was true, he wondered if they hung on branches by their tails like them too. It wasn’t that he thought tree climbing wouldn’t be useful, JungleClan did live in the jungle after all, but no TidalClan cat really has a reason to learn to climb trees so the thought was a bit foreign to him.
As she continued on about how they weren’t hostile with them and all of that, Bleakpaw’s tail twitched a bit. Instead of adding in some sort of snide comment, though, he hesitated for a moment, another question coming to mind. “Was there a time when we were hostile with them?” He felt a bit stupid for asking. He could just see his father rolling his eyes at him - according to him, history was history and the present was the most important. Another thing that was making him grimace was all the questions he was spouting off - now he really did sound like an overly excited fledgling with too many questions.
So, instead of allowing himself to ask anymore questions, Bleakpaw focused on the scenery around them as they picked their way through the undergrowth. He certainly felt more relaxed now that he was outside of camp, and tried not to miss anything as they made their way toward the border. “It’s strange not crashing waves.” He mused, mostly to himself. Since he was so used to living by the ocean, he could still hear a ghostly echo of waves in his ears - but in reality, it was just the breeze in the leaves now and the sound of birds and other creatures. It definitely strange. The most he heard at the beach was the cry of gulls - so it was interesting hearing something else for once.
The rush of questions that spilled from the young feline's mouth like water from the falls were almost enough to have Taropetal amused. If, of course, it wasn't for the matter of the first one. That type of answer was not one to be accompanied by twitching whiskers and a half-laugh buried in words. Instead, the she-cat simply cast her gaze once more across the seemingly endless waters whose edge vanished into the far mists, as dangerous as the cats it hid from view. "JungleClan is...stubborn," She began, minding that she chose her words carefully. "Determined, even. Many would call it admirable. But beneath that? They're reckless. Headstrong. They'll charge headlong into battle or dangerous, unknown territory without a second thought. More like kits than fighters. Though I believe they call themselves warriors."' A strange notion, really. One the tabby had never quite understood. Why did they have such a need for words that could be explained in such easier terms? Why complicate matters simply for the sake of it, as if to boast or brag about meaningless banter? Sounds like another cat I know. Giving her head a shake in an attempt to drive away the unwelcome thought slithering through her mind, she addressed the next question with a slight chuckle - after all, this one wasn't quite as daunting as the first. "Some can. Legend has it some of their ancestors did it all the time back...well, wherever it is they came from with the Twolegs." Vague, half-remembered tales of cat who lived in forests not lined with beaches and sand and water, of plains like their grass sea stretching far beyond what their own did, floated across her mind's eye, bringing her to pause a moment to ponder the possibility. "Though I suppose it wouldn't be too useful of a talent for us. No need sit the beaches. Would make it difficult to fight us there too, which is why I don't believe we really have been at odds. Except...When our two clans separated. Some nearly came to blows over the...ideas they had. Their fantasies that would only bring them - and us - into danger. Our ancestors nearly went to war for that." Such solemn topics were not to be dwelled upon, however. Not on a first trip such as this. So, pulling her mind back to the present with mighty effort, the she-cat stilled herself - save an ear that twisted back to catch her fledgling's next words. "Isn't it? But what can you hear instead?"
is tail flicked back and forth as he listened to his mentor. A snort left him before he could stop himself. "Seems kind of stupid to me,"He muttered, half talking to himself as he did so, "Splitting our territories up, I mean. I know it was moons ago since the clans split, so I guess it's not really our fault - but I feel like if TidalClan and JungleClan were one massive clan prey and herbs would be a lot more abundant for us and we wouldn't have to worry about squabbling over borders." Bleakpaw allowed his gaze to drift around him as the foliage became thicker and his ear twitched when he heard Taropetal's question. What can you hear?
Bleakpaw strained his ears to listen. He could hear several types of birds overhead - and also some skittering on the ground a few lengths to his right. It sounded like a smaller creature darted across the ground. After a few moments, he turned his head back toward Taropetal. "Birds for the most part," He replied, "I heard a few things on the ground as well - nothing too big though. My guess it's either bugs or some small creature. I heard some distant screeching too...?" Bleakpaw frowned, looking up in the direction of which he heard the sound. "I've never heard it before, but it sounded like it was pretty far away."
When he tried to inhale and taste the air, he almost coughed. The air almost seemed more dense as the pair of them stepped deeper into the jungle. Through that thickness, though, he was able to catch whiff of a few scents as they drifted in front of his nose. He felt a bit frustrated that he couldn't really recognize any of the scents. It was definitely not like the shores of TidalClan's territory. "The scents here are strange too," The tom grumbled unhappily, "not just because I haven't smelled most of the things here, but something in the air around her makes them seem even weirder."
Such an obvious display of scorn had a wave of irritation roll through the she-cat's mind before she stifled it with the reminder that Bleakpaw was new; He had yet to meet these cats who had seen fit to leave the relative safety of the beach and grass for the unknown dark tangle of leafy undergrowth and mysterious sounds. The fledgling hadn't been given the chance to make a judgment for himself on whether he thought they were right in their assumptions that exploration and risking lives meant more than protecting what one had. She couldn't be the one to crush that. Not yet.
Still, what she'd been told by her own parents echoed back now, causing her fur to itch and paws to grow restless. "It was. Not even the oldest members in our clan were there when it happened. But their parents were, and they passed down stories of the arguments. Peace and cooperation wasn't an option at that point." She was quiet a moment before adding, "Besides, we have more than enough prey, and they did too back then. Why risk everything for land that might not have much? Or if it does, you have to fight everything else on the island for it? What they wanted didn't make any sense."
Still, despite their discussion, the fighter could keep in mind that this was a training session and, as such, found herself perking her own ears to listen closely to both the tom and the symphony around them. For her, these were old hat; she'd patrolled this border so many times she had the path memorized. The sounds were nothing new either, and she found herself nodding in approval at the answer. "Good job! You're right - and the screeching is probably what JungleClan calls a monkey. Some kind of creature that lives in the trees." She'd heard tales from the border, of animals with long tails and the ability to swing from branch to branch with ease. What exactly a cat was supposed to do with the creatures, she didn't know, but the notion was still unusual enough to catch attention.
The near cough brought her back to her senses though, and the she-cat gave a faint smile before leading the way further in along the damp path. "More earthy? Less...sharp?"
