» Juniperclan Writing Storage

[woes]

▌ "Do you know the difference between blazing trails and slash-and-burn?
▌ Going against the grain and catching splinters?"
▌ Heavily inspired by Suburbia Overture and The Normal Album.

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“Welcome to Juniperclan! We don’t usually welcome outsiders into our ranks, but I suppose I can make an exception for ya!

Here in our little clan, you’ll never find arguing or fighting. There’s never a complaint to be heard, nor a dispute to be solved. It’s just impossible to be upset when you’ve got such a big, loving family supporting you! We’re a pretty happy bunch of folks, if I do say so myself. We pride ourselves on our smiles, you know! There’s not a sour face in sight ‘round here.

And, well, just between you and me, I think a few people are jealous of us. Now I know I shouldn’t go talking bad about people, but… I’m sure you’ve heard the way they talk about our family. They talk about us like we’re some big, bad monster, sneaking around in the night and coming for their kits! Honestly, you’d think we were something real awful if you never bothered to actually talk to us. I'm so glad you decided to give us a chance, though! We’re sweet as can be, I swear. And we're so happy to have you here.

You just pay those cats no mind. You’re in Juniperclan now! You’ve got no more need for outsiders.”

---

A long-abandoned barn stands tall among a field of wildflowers and grasses, broken up only by the trails of quick rabbits and the occasional deer. A crumbling picket fence separates the field from the forest, an imposing border second only to the treeline itself. Juniperclan's camp lies midway between the barn and a wide creek, nestled in a rocky clearing. Short juniper shrubs surround the camp, carefully maintained as a means of defense. The creek marks the northern border of the territory, the barn’s picket fence marking the southern border. A well-used thunderpath lies along the eastern border, and the western border is marked by a sharp incline in the terrain.

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Leader ≫ Rosestar.
Deputy ≫ N/a.
Medicine Cats ≫ N/a.
Warriors ≫ N/a.
Apprentices ≫ N/a.
Queens ≫ Wrensong.
Kits ≫ N/a.

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[woes]

▌ Level one, prompt three || 200 word requirement || 204 words total.
▌ "Describe your clan’s territory (OR make a map)."
▌ ...

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A long-abandoned barn stands tall among a field of wildflowers and grasses, broken up only by the trails of quick rabbits and the occasional deer. A crumbling picket fence separates the field from the forest, an imposing border second only to the tree-line itself. Juniperclan's camp lies midway between the barn and a wide creek, nestled in a rocky clearing. Short juniper shrubs surround the camp, carefully maintained as a means of defense. The creek marks the northern border of the territory, the barn’s picket fence marking the southern border. A well-used thunderpath lies along the eastern border, and the western border is marked by a sharp incline in the terrain.

The territory experiences rather average seasons. Leafbare is cold enough for one to see their own breath, but not too cold to hunt on most days, with occasional snowfall. Newleaf starts with a chill in the air and an increase in rain, before settling into a pleasantly warm season with occasional rain. Greenleaf is hot and humid, with frequent thunder storms leaving the air heavy. Leaffall is slow to start, but lasts for quite a while, marked by a dry chill in the air, the falling of leaves, and a decrease in rainfall.

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[woes]

▌ Level two, prompt one || 100 word requirement || 257 words total.
▌ "Give your founder a personality."
▌ @Rosestar.

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Rosestar is a total sweetheart. He's kind and gentle, always smiling and telling jokes, and spending his free time doting over the kits and apprentices. He's always been more of a lover than a fighter, but he'll defend his clanmates with his life, and he's ready to fight for each and every one of them. He's like a father to the whole clan, taking anyone who's struggling under his wing and welcoming them into his family.

At least... that's how he presents himself.

See, Rosestar loves his loyal clanmates; those who follow his every command without a second thought. But ask a cat who's ever dared to question him or his authority and, well, they'll tell you a different story.

"Cruel and unusual" is perhaps a better way to describe the leader of Juniperclan. A fantastic actor, Rosestar is great at playing the part of a lovable father, a kind-hearted leader, or a peaceful optimist. But look a little closer and the cracks in his facade begin to show. Dark glares thrown at the slightest disagreement, thorns placed in a warrior's nest after they question a command, rotten prey being given to a rude apprentice with a command to 'eat' - These are just some of the more common occurances in Juniperclan. Rosestar takes delight in intimidating and controlling those around him, and he has many odd methods he uses to maintain his grasp on the clan. He's got them all pinned under his paw, precisely where he wants them, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

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[woes]

▌ Level two, prompt two || 200 word requirement || 510 words total.
▌ "Give your founder a history."
▌ @Rosestar, Owlstar (npc), Pineleap (npc).

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Rosetail was born in Juniperclan. He watched his clanmates grow and change, come and go, and he'd gotten to know their leader, Owlstar, quite well.

Owlstar was practically Rosetail's father, with how often he called him 'son.' Though they weren't blood-related, Owlstar took Rosetail under his wing when the other was just a kit, and loved him like his own child. Owlstar was kind and jovial, always smiling and laughing. Rosetail adored him, spending time with him when he could, dedicating to memory the many stories Owlstar shared with him, the jokes he told, the advice he gave.

See, Owlstar was quite old, and they both knew that his time was limited. So Rosetail did all that he could to ensure he would remember his father, even shirking some of his duties to spend time with him. The preemptive mourning was painful, and it tore Rosetail apart day by day, but he couldn't bare the thought of having wasted time while his father was still with them.

So, when Owlstar's best friend and deputy gave up his ranking to join the elders, the entire clan knew Rosetail would be appointed next.

But then, as the sun set beyond the tree-line, Owlstar climbed his way up the Leader's Tree and announced the new deputy of Juniperclan:

Pineleap.

Owlstar's biological son. The son who rarely spoke to him, who hardly seemed to care about the clan, who was known for being lazy and conceited.

Pineleap. Not Rosetail.

To say this put a rift between the two would be an understatement. For all of his life, Rosetail had seen Owlstar as his father, his role model, his friend and mentor. He dedicated himself to the man's memory and legacy, only to find that that never mattered to Owlstar as much as blood. That he would never matter to Owlstar as much as his real son did.

For many long, painful days, Rosetail busied himself with hunting and teaching apprentices, helping the elders, watching kits- anything to distract himself from what felt like the ultimate betrayal. Other warriors would relay messages to him, should the leader or deputy need to tell him something. Otherwise, he was mostly left alone, the entire clan seeming to sense his inner turmoil and deciding to keep far away from it.

As time passed, so too did the season, and soon leafbare had arrived and he still hadn't spoken so much as a word to Owlstar.

But with leafbare came the cold, and the cold brought with it sickness. Owlstar, old and grief-stricken at the damage his decision had caused, was quickly overcome with illness. As he lay in his den, wheezing horribly, Rosetail finally went to see the old cat.

Finally allowing himself to cry, Rosetail asked him why he'd made Pineleap deputy over him. Why he'd made such an obvious show of favoritism.

"It was written in the stars," Owlstar rasped. "Listen to me, Rosetail. You cannot be a leader."

Overcome with anger, Rosetail stormed off, leaping down the Leader's Tree, leaving Owlstar to his fate.

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[woes]

▌ Level two, prompt three || 200 word requirement || 311 words total.
▌ "Describe/Create your camp."
▌ ...

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Juniperclan's camp consists of a clearing with sandy and rocky soil underfoot. A large, twisting Oak known as the Leader's Tree stands tall at the front of the clearing, it's branches reaching over the camp to provide shade. During naming ceremonies, the cats being honored will sit on the lowermost branch of the Leader's Tree, elevated a couple tail lengths above the rest of the clan. Important announcements are declared from a higher branch, and just above that is the leader's den- a hollow in the large trunk carved out by animals long ago.

to the left of the Leader's Tree lies a small, well-trodden path to the medicine den. The medicine den is also made from a tree hollow, this one at the bottom of the trunk, along the roots. The hollow has been dug out, making it dip into the earth like a fox burrow, creating a large enough space for several cats to stay in comfortably. Herbs are stored among the exposed roots of the tree, and a curtain of hanging moss and ivy covers the entrance, creating a dry and shady space.

To the right of the Leader's Tree are the warrior and apprentice dens. They are both very similar, created by arranging branches, vines, and grasses into a roof of sorts, then digging out the floor to provide more room. To the right of the apprentice's den lies the path to the dirtplace.

Across from the Leader's Tree, towards the back of the clearing, is where the freshkill pile is made. Just beyond the freshkill pile and the shade of the massive oak is the sunning patch, a large patch of soft grass and clovers that cats relax in. Beyond this lies the main entrance to the camp, marked by a noticeable gap in the tall grasses and tree branches that serve as the camp's border.

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[woes]

▌ Level three, prompt one || 200 word requirement || ... words total.
▌ "Draw or Describe how your founder created your clan."
▌ ...

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...

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[woes]

▌ Level three, prompt two || 200 word requirement || ... words total.
▌ "Give at least one of your cats a history and personality."
▌ ...

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...

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[woes]

▌ Level three, prompt three || 20 word requirement || ... words total.
▌ "Describe your clans prey list and predator list."
▌ ...

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...

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