I used a reference for the Moontree (the gnarly tree at the top), but only for that.
The red lines denote the boundaries. The northwestern territory is StoneClan, the southernwestern territory RainClan, and the easternmost territory DawnClan.
The following is a description of the 18 most important features of the territories. I lost my muse somewhere in writing them up. I might edit them later to make those last few a bit more detailed.
- 1. The Moontree. A day's journey outside the territories grows an ancient, gnarled tree known as the Moontree. It is still alive, though it is frail and has barely any leaves. In the sunlight, it appears as a normal tree, but after the sun has set, when the moon rises, the smooth bark shines silver, and the leaves glow as the moonlight filters through them. This is the place where medicine cats travel to meet with StarClan every half-moon, where leaders go to receive council, where deputies travel to receive their nine lives and new name. To reach StarClan once there, one must only climb onto one of the branches and fall asleep. This presents no great difficulty, as many of the branches are thick and low to the ground.
2. Wolf Territory. Beyond the wide, deep and swift river lies thick pine forests home to a wolf pack. No cat goes there, for it is impossible to communicate with the wolves, and they defend their territory fiercely. Fortunately, most of the time it is impossible for both cats and wolves to cross the river.
3. The Stream. A small stream meanders into StoneClan territory from the north. It's shallow but fast, and its bottom is made up of unsteady paw-sized rocks. An unwary cat can easily slip on these when crossing the stream. Fortunately, the stream is not deep enough to carry a full-grown cat any distance, and the cat would just end up wet, sore, and probably grumpy.
4. StoneClan Camp. Nestled in the midst of a rough circle of boulders is the StoneClan camp.
The apprentice den is truly a den, the ancient home of some burrowing creature, perhaps a badger. There used to be multiple entrances, but most of them have caved in, leaving only one.
The warrior den is a spacious hollow in the crevice between two boulders. There can be a problem with small garter snakes there in summer. They are not poisonous, but they can be a nuisance.
The medicine den is nestled under an overhanging boulder. Undergrowth has grown at the sides of the sheltered area, creating a small cave sheltered from the elements. A small niche in the bolder, filled with many cracks and crevices itself, is perfect for storing herbs. Fortunately for the apprentices, moss grows thickly on all of the rocks and boulders right in camp, making moss collecting a simple task, and one that many kits love to help with.
The elder's den is sandy, sheltered by boulders on all directions except down. Right outside is an open sandy area that warms up marvelously whenever the sun is out, where the elders love to gather to talk and soak up the heat.
The leader sleeps under a small overhang in one of the boulders, called the Flatrock. This den is the one most open to the elements. On top of this is a smooth shelf, where the leader addresses the clan. The Flatrock is not very high, allowing the leader to address the clan comfortably while still able to be seen.
The nursery is sheltered by a clump of throny bushes and yet another overhanging slab of rock. The thorns serve as a sharp deterrent to any predator that might wander undetected into camp.
The open space in the camp is mostly a loose sandy dirt, which gets into cats' pelts and is very difficult to clean. This causes StoneClan cats to appear to all have dull gray pelts, although in truth their fur is just as colorful and varied as the other Clans' pelts.
5. The River. The river is unusual in that it is both deep, wide, and fast. A cat that falls into the river must be a fairly experienced swimmer to be able to get out. RainClan cats are the best swimmers of the clans, with DawnClan cats taking second. StoneClan cats are not swimmers.
The river, like the stream, has a rocky bottom, though the rocks are larger, perhaps the size of a cat's head on average. It runs through RainClan and DawnClan territories, but not StoneClan territory. One of its forks serves as the northern boundary of DawnClan territory, dividing it from the wolf territory.
6. The Pond. The stream in StoneClan territory terminates in a pond. Here, sand settled, making the water murky. Ducks thrive here, nesting among the reeds at the edge. Fish live here, too, both smaller fish and pikes. As StoneClan territory is rich in other prey, they generally don't fish in the pond, but catch ducks here instead.
7. The Beaver Dam. The reason that the pond exists at all is the beaver dam. A family of beavers built a dam across the stream, keeping the water from going on. The water pooled and formed a pond. Eventually, however, the beavers left, leaving their home intact. Though it has stood for many years, the dam is getting weaker.
8. The Dry Creekbed. The dry creekbed is where the stream used to run before the beavers built their dam. No plants grow here in the parched sand. The dry creekbed serves as part of the boundary between StoneClan and DawnClan.
9. The Crossing-place. The crossing-place is just what it sounds like -- one of the few places where it is possible to cross the river without getting paws wet. Situated in DawnClan territory, the crossing-place is just a few large boulders that serve as stepping-stones across the river.
10. Twolegplace. To the west of the territories lies the Twolegplace, home of the Twolegs. Clan cats do not venture there. Only kittypets, rogues, and loners live there.
11. The Thunderpath. The Thunderpath designates most of the boundary between RainClan and the other two clans. Frequently patrolled by monsters, it serves as a very good deterrent to the other clans.
12. Threestones. Threestones is where the three clans meet in peace at each full moon. There is a small hill in the center of the territories. On top of this are three large boulders. At the Gatherings, each leader stands on one of the stones to address the clans. The StoneClan stone is the northernmost one, while the RainClan stone is the westernmost stone and the DawnClan stone is the southernmost.
13. DawnClan Camp. The DawnClan camp is a shallow dip in the ground, surrounded by a ring of scrawny shrub-like trees. DawnClan cats don't sleep in dens, with the exception of the kits and elders. The nursery is an old badger den. There is only one entrance, and if there were others they have long since caved in. The elders sleep in a similar den, perhaps also once a badger's den.
14. The Willows. The Willows is the only place where willows grow in the territories of all three clans. They are located at the bank of the river in RainClan territory, and lush green grass grows tall between their trunks. This is a choice place to take a nap in the sun, but apparently Twolegs think so as well, for they often come in summer with their kits to eat and jump around in the grass, flinging things at each other. They generally make a ruckus and scare all of the prey into their holes and nests.
15. The Twoleg Bridge. The Thunderpath crosses the river on the Twoleg bridge. It is too narrow for cats to use the bridge to cross without getting hit by a monster. Under the bridge there are several tail-lengths next to the river where cats can walk, thus avoiding having to cross the Thunderpath. Obviously this goes both ways -- RainClan cats use the "tunnel" to invade other Clans' territories, and the other Clans use the tunnel to invade RainClan. RainClan would be a lot safer if the tunnel did not exist.
16. The Highpine. The Highpine is the tallest tree in the territories. Located in RainClan territory, it is home to many squirrels and birds, and is a great tree to climb. However, many a foolhardy cat has fallen when they tried to climb too high.
17. RainClan Camp. The RainClan camp is situated on an island in the river. The outside of the island is a barrier of bushes, while the inside is mostly clear, with one boulder that the RainClan leader uses to speak to the clan during meetings. The dens are all located within the clumps of bushes. They are all very similar, with the exception that the nursery is the farthest from the water and in the thickest clump of bushes.
18. The Sandcliffs. The Sandcliffs are sandstone cliffs at the border of RainClan territory. Although they are only about a fox-length above the surface of the water, they are often crumbling into the river, widening the river's banks and making it dangerous for a cat to venture too near.
