Stars V.2 • Lore Challenge

[Vinson]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: Vinson
Clan link: Clan of the Broken Night
Prompt: welcome... (google doc) to read more about the territory, borders, prey, and ranks, please read through the first couple of posts on my clan thread!
and a color-in of zero's lines

[fruitbat]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: fruitbat
Clan link: First Woods Tribe
Prompt: To read about each cat (including personality and background), please refer to the clan link!
For background information about the tribe itself, please refer to this google document!

[ԏєѧѻӆғוѓԑ]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: ԏєѧѻӆғוѓԑ
Clan link: moonlight sanctuary
Prompt: everything will be in this google doc !

[strangetales]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: charlieputh
Clan link: ghostclan
Prompt: colour-in | writing is a wip, will be found here

[coffee.berry]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: coffee.berry
Clan link: https://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=103&t=4585161&hilit=stars#p135091955
Prompt:

How It All Started

Silverstar always dreamed of leaving her kittypet home. So, one day, when the twolegs wanted to take her to the cutter, she escaped from the back storage place of the car.

She ran up a mountain, and searched day and night for a place to call home.

Finally, she found a place next to a snowy mountain. She thought it was magical how the mountain she found didn’t have snow on, so she picked that mountain.
She found food on the snowy mountain, she made dens with her own four paws, and so on.

Now she is looking for kits, cats, and warriors to join her clan.

The Trials of the Nine Lives

One night, Silverstar had a dream where her mother, Peacecloud, told her to do the trials of the nine lives.

didn’t quite understand, so she went out in the morning to drink some water from a nearby river. She accidentally fell inside, but she swam up easily, spitting out the water.

A cat with a fishtail came up from the water and said “I grant you bravery.” Silverstar nodded, and she felt life flowing into her.

Silverstar was out hunting again that day, and she found an injured rabbit. Instead of eating it, she gave it poppy seeds and licked its wounds.

She placed a leaf on its wounds, and the rabbit said “I grant you love.” Silverstar nodded and quickly ran away, feeling happier than ever.

When she was on the way home, she saw her mother in the river. She looked up, and her mom was looking at her. “Mother?” She asked.

“Yes, it’s me. I grant you 7 lives: care, healing, leading, saving, guiding, helping and being strong.” her mother said and licked Silverstars head.

Silverstar felt a feeling she’d never felt before. It was all the wishes her mother gave her, at once. She saw her mother fade, but she didn’t shout for her to come back; she knew it now. She needed a clan, and she was the one to lead it.

I hope you liked the lore, Swishy! I tried my hardest to write it! 😊

[emgeal]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: emgeal
Clan link: Streetside Clan
Prompt: -- Just got my first cat, so I am going to focus on the world that they will be interacting with, and possibly general clan structure and less on individual cats.


It is said that the wise birds of the forest know what happened to the humans, but that may just be rumors. What is known is that the humans are no longer around, leaving behind their cities and machines.

The streetside clan lives on a ship that was wrecked a few years ago. The oldest cats claim to have lived on the ship while it was afloat in the sea, but it is unclear if they are simply parroting stories their parents told them. The main entrance to the ship is a hole in the stern giving access to crew quarters and other rooms. Some doors remain secured and are either unexplored or can only be accessed by climbing the outside of the ship and entering through a window.

On top of the ship and scattered nearby are a number of large containers, some were secured lightly with thin walls, but others seem to have extremely thick walls with lights and buttons. Even during the hottest days the metal on the sturdy containers stays cool to the touch. So far none of these containers have been opened, however some cats with a more analytical mind are convinced that there must be great treasures within if they are secured so well.

One simple container that has been successfully opened was found to contain cardboard boxes full of fabric which the clan dragged to the ship to make comfortable beds and assist with insulation when the weather turns cold. Additionally they found that blocking the sun coming in the windows during the heat of the summer could provide some relief. Some of the fabric is light and floaty and other fabric is dense and heavy, both in a variety of patterns and colors.

[Wretched.Felidae]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: Demonic.Canine.
Clan link: Zenith
Prompt:

[lifelike-]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: lifelike-
Clan link: spirits of the wayfarers
Prompt: huge wip!!!

[/nyx.]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: /nyx. • Clan link: CaladiumClan • Prompt: see below!
warning! there is a google docs linked beneath "chapter" three of this entry

I. Colors | The Caladium's colors are indigo and deep pink. For the sake of preserving everyone's eyesight, indigo is used most often.

☣ ☣ ☣

II. Origin Story | Once upon a time, the Lord Condor ruled the skies. He lived above the clouds; from there, he ran his kingdom. Said kingdom consisted of the many great lands: the Ferals, the Mire, the Spire, the Plage, and the Town, to name a few.

The Lord Condor's subjects — they were birds. Well, not quite birds. Winged creatures. Fae, better known today as faeries.

The fae danced as they lived, balls of effervescent light. Peaceful and proud, they lived alongside each other. (After thousands of years, some grew bored of eternal happiness. They argued that it was time to break the peace, time for fun and war and action. They called themselves the Stars, like a supernova's flash of excitement deep in Space. Their first step to break the peace was...)

The Lord Condor chose when the sun would rise; thus, his alternate title, the Sunmaster. He wanted it [the sun] to stay up forever as to provide light for his subjects; however, the newly-risen Stars forced it to set each time.

"We cannot shine without darkness," they threatened, the Space above in mind. "If you do not give in easily next time, then we will plunge your world into perpetual darkness."

And so the sun set. The first night passed in uncomfortable silence. The second night passed with unease. By the third night, the fae were restless, and so Lord Condor created something called sleep.

Today, cats sleep to regain their energy. Kittens, still partially fae, tend to rest with unease, for they have yet to adapt to their newer, rest-requiring bodies.

A thousand years passed; each day, the sun set a minute earlier. Lord Condor fought a constant battle in the sky — if the sun never rose again, then the fae would all die out eventually.

The Stars, as they called themselves, were no longer fae. They were demons, sending scouts into Space to drain True Stars of their energy. As they ate Space's power, they themselves grew in strength. Not even Lord Condor could fight the power of a million False Stars.

However, Lord Condor was no fool. For years, he had built up his kingdom on land. His kingdom hidden away in the earth now transcended the one in the sky.

And so he announced to his subjects, the fae: "The skies may now belong to the Stars; however, the lands are still ours. My Kingdom is your Kingdom. We will inhabit the earth where the Stars cannot reach."

The Lord Condor knew his subjects well. Based on their strengths, he assigned them a home. ThevetiaClan came first: masters of poison, of insects and botany; they were sent to live in the Ferals. AuroraClan came second: masters of magic, of steel and air; those who summoned the elements with ease; they were sent to live along the Plage and the Spire. Finally, CaladiumClan came last: masters of survival, of light and darkness, of death and rebirth — they were not confined to one area, for they could adapt quickly. The only nomadic clan, always on the move. All of Lord Condor's lands were theirs.

Once every fae completed their journey down to earth, the Lord Condor descended to guide them. He called himself Eternalstar, for he is Eternal. But in a mortal body, the Lord Condor could not last. In his twelve moons on earth, he visited each of his domains. Then, he traveled to the Falls Iguazu, where the mortal and spiritual realms meet, and he faded into the mist.

Now, we count down. Ten moons ago, AuroraClan fell. Two moons ago, ThevetiaClan.

Only we remain.

Yet our story is not over. The Stars will never win.

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III. Timeline | For generations, felines knows as lloras have been tasked with remembering everything, even events that occurred before the Stars came into power. By working together, they have constructed a mental timeline to assist lloras of future generations. [link to timeline]

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IV. Dialect | In ancient times, fae spoke an extinct language now known as the Averdi dialect. With the return of fae comes the return of their language, so below is a guide for those who need it.

A Guide to the Averdi Dialect: (supposedly dead, commonly used by fae)
• agradi — thank you (for your time); allow me to stop intruding (formal goodbye)
• ani — hello (familiar greeting commonly used by friends)
• bienakai — welcome home; welcome back (soft greeting traditionally used by mates)
• cier — (what you say is) true; that’s right (common expression)
• companillas — morning glories [purple flower symbolizing restricted love]
• dama — dame; (traditionally) mate of the prince
• heliotropos — heliotropes [purple flower symbolizing everlasting love]
• keprina — princess
• kepríne — prince
• ‘lei — short for solei, meaning ‘lord’
• matendere — attendant; specifically the Lord Condor’s personal attendant, Matendere Arenáse
• miamora — my love (generally used by mates or mates-to-be)
• picaturo — an alternate version of picazuro
• picazuro — silly/idiot; most commonly used as a light insult
• Semperia — officially known as Cternia; commonly referred to the Sky Kingdom, the kingdom of the fae
• solei — lord (meaning that the Lord Condor's official title is Solei Kuntur)
• tocotũ — similar to picaturo/picazuro, but friendlier and used for/by kits (gotta spare their baby ears)

• eun — one
• deo — two
• tra — three
• quat — four
• sinc — five

• eun-eu — one point one
• eun-de — one point two
• eun-tra — one point three
• eun-qua — one point four
• deo-syn— one point five

• The Eternal — also known as the sunmaster or the Lord Condor; uniter of Cternia and ender of wars
• The Ephemeral — also known as the starmaster or Mistress Dîvani; leader of the Starfollowers and bringer of chaos
• The Attendant — possibly refers to the Eternal's personal servant, but it's rather unlikely
• The Alter-Attendant — no one knows who this refers to
• Stars/Starfollowers — fae who got bored of peace and yearned for chaos (they got their wish; the fae are extinct)
• Xana — Goddess of Balance and the master of time (uses they/them pronouns; takes the form of a demonic, winged beast)
• Anhima Kepríne — son of the Lord Condor; guardian of death
• Aburría Keprina — daughter of the Lord Condor; guardian of rebirth
• Cadejo — a being capable of being either truly good or truly evil (white fur = good, black fur = evil; though it depends on who you ask)

• TSA — the Three Suns' Alliance (the clans' faction during the upcoming war)
• ED — Exèrcit D'estrelles (the Stars faction during the upcoming war)

• The Abyssal — a junkyard-like prison where the souls of traitors are left to rot
• Calamity — the term used to describe the ongoing fall of the clans (due to the Stars' interference)
• Space — the infinite, unexplored expanse that lies over Cternia, and also where the Stars made their base

• The Iternasoul — literally the Eternal's soul; those who are reincarnated carry two souls (their past soul and their present soul)


Familial Terms: warning, large image below!! clicky here for a smaller version of the image (it's also on the second "page" of the Caladium's archive if you prefer)



*Old Andrian is the present-day language of the Caladium cats (since Averdi died out around a thousand moons ago). For my own sanity, I tend to write them speaking English regardless.


Caladium Terminology: (mostly bird-based)
• condor — leader
• nighthawks — the condor's bodyguards
• deputy — (what's a deputy? never heard of such a thing before)
• whitewing — commander of the magpies and currently the Caladium's only healer
• blackwing — the deputy commander of the magpies (nonexistent for now; rank not in use)
• healer — (is it really a bad thing that the Caladium can't heal? it's never been a problem until the High North {the clan renowned for their healing magicks} fell)

• raptor — any active member of the clan (or any member {active or not} with how it's used these days)

• seriemas — frontline offensive warriors (think wonder woman style); traditionally female, but nowadays any frontal assault warrior
• caracaras — defensive warriors (but not guards); traditionally male + seen as "lesser" compared to seriemas, but not anymore (with their current leader being male and all)
• magpies — scavengers; they do less scavenging and more hunting than one would expect (for cats who don't want degrees in effective murder)
• aracari — specialized hunter (for those who don't want to follow the rules of normal hunters)
• normal hunter — *cough* what's that? (magpies do most of the hunting, aracari do whatever they want, and nearly everyone in the Caladium hunts anyway)

• cardinal — more of a title than a rank; commander of their respective force (there's a cardinal caracara, a cardinal seriema, and a cardinal magpie... oh wait, those and called whitewings)
• court members — exist to bother the leader; all cardinals, the whitewing, the blackwing, and the condor himself are court members
• sabrewing — a court member's apprentice
• flycatcher — a normal apprentice (no, it's not an offensive term; flies are very hard to catch, being able to catch one is an achievement)
• cowbirds — queens, den-mothers, whatever one usually calls them (whoever's in charge of watching the kits)
• rook — the formal term for a cowbird (think of the most intimidating matriarch imaginable and you'll understand the need for a formal term)
• warblers — kittens (also known as parakeets, especially the cute, well-behaved ones)

• merlin — a newer/inexperienced male warrior (term rarely used)
• kestrel — a newer/inexperienced female warrior (term rarely used)

• ward — used medieval style (they're former fae, remember?); not a clan member, but under the condor's protection
• imperial family — not a rank; never even mentioned until their god was reincarnated
• heir — only ever used to refer to Prince Araucoquill (or Anhima Kepríne, as he prefers to be called)

• trogon — kittypets and outsiders (occasionally used as an insult which occasionally inadvertently insults former trogons)
• shansho — exiled/traitor

• bloomsurge — the rainy season
• harshlight — the dry season

☣ ☣ ☣

V. The Imperial Family | "We fell from the sky / with a silent cry, / never again will we fly."

V.I — eun. — The King



Manchineel woke up one day, only to note that his twolegs were missing. In fact, not only were they missing, but they'd been gone for at least a week. The other trogons [kittypets] hadn't noticed anything until wrong until Manchineel pointed it out.

As the hours passed by, the oddest sensation passed through him: a hatred of Stars he never knew of, coupled with the unmistakable need to find his subjects, and so, just like any good protagonist, Manchineel ignored his survival instincts and ran off into the rainforest.

Not long after he stepped into the Ferals, a band of cats greeted him, speaking of the Eternal's return. Time seemed to pause, and formless spirits calling themselves the 'Stars' introduced themselves to Manchineel. They called him Eternalstar, praising him for all his works. Tired of all the hero-worship, Manchineel rejected the title of Eternal, instead claiming the name 'Condorstar.' For whatever reason, the cats of the Caladium took this as a good sign...

V.II — deo. — The Prince



Anhima Kepriné is the Lord Condor's heir, twin brother of Aburria Keprina. Upon hearing of his father's return, Anhima rejoined the mortal world, calling himself 'Arauco' after a bird known as the horned screamer. Arauco was rather disappointed when he finally met Condorstar; Condor and Eternal were nothing alike. While they technically shared the same soul, obviously, something didn't go right. Arauco's father was never so rude, so impatient, and certainly never so inexperienced. Now Arauco tries making life as difficult as possible for his sire, without overstepping his boundaries, of course. In a way, he ranks higher than Condorstar. While Araucoquill is the true prince, he currently views Condorstar as nothing but an imposter.

V.III — tra. — The Princess



Unlike Araucoquill, Guanfeather (formerly Aburria Keprina) is much more patient with her father. She knows, better than most, the intricacies of the rebirth cycle. While Arauco dwells around death, Guan's fae style revolves around rebirth. Although, even she has to admit that it's rather strange — rather than going to her father for advice, as of right now, it's the other way around. So maybe she laments Condorstar's leading skills at night — at least Guan's trying while Arauco repeatedly lashes out. Who knew being mortal could be so tiring?

☣ ☣ ☣

VI. The Fae | "The sky was ours / now gone are our powers..."

VI.I — eun. — The Dame



𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝...

The black-furred feline stood along the border, purple flowers compiled at his paws. He shifted, uneasy. Declarations of love were complicated enough, harder yet when speaking to a molly someone adored in their past life. Harder yet when said molly dominated the court, when said molly acted as apathy incarnate.

Araucoquill managed to fiddle once more with the flowers before a [description] seriema emerged from the Ferals. Following a steadying breath, Araucoquill called, “Miamora, bienakai!” He stepped back. It came so naturally, speaking that tongue, despite him not having uttered a word in hundreds of moons.

His love approached, expression stone-like. “Excuse me?” Maravillabeacon inquired, blunt.

The tomcat felt as if someone slashed at him. Most fae don’t remember their pasts, his own voice reminded him. He knew that already. He simply hadn’t expected it to physically hurt.

“You were...” Araucoquill attempted to explain. Were what? Reincarnated, formerly my first and only love but the world ended too soon for us to get together? The dame, the second princess, beloved by an entire (now nonexistent) kingdom? The feline shook his head. “What do you know about the Before?” he asked instead.

“They were in old cowbirds’ tales,” Maravillabeacon replied. She waved her paw. “Now if you mind? I need to report back to Condorstar.”

“Condorstar can wait,” Araucoquill responded more harshly than intended. It was nearly a growl. He hastened to amend, “What I mean is… Did you ever dream of it? The Before?”

The molly stared at him as if he’d grown a second head. Araucoquill had no doubt that—if not for him being the prince—his love would’ve shoved straight past him long ago. “When I was a kit,” Maravillabeacon answered. “Now may I—”

“What if I told you those dreams were real?” Araucoquill blurted. “If you dreamed of black-furred keprínes, of birds and fae, of infinite skylines, of clouds and flight, eternal happiness, those dreams were real!” He added, “If you dreamt of darkness and flashes of light, of falling, of screamers and guans, then that was real too.”

“I…” Maravillabeacon scrutinized him. “Anhima Kepríne,” she murmured, “is that you?”

“Yes,” Araucoquill smiled in relief. “Myrmeciza Dama, miamora.”

“I don’t recall you calling me that,” the seriema commented. “In fact, I don’t recall us speaking at all.”

“That’s because I never got the chance,” the prince sighed. He nudged the purple flowers towards her. “May we try again?”

“I suppose,” Maravillabeacon allowed. She glared at him again. “Now may I please report back to Condorstar? Before he sends out a rescue patrol, preferably.”

By the time Araucoquill opened his maw to reply, the raptor had already strode past him. He looked at the ground and sighed. Was this success or rejection? She hadn’t even acknowledged the flowers!

𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝. 𝐍𝐨𝐰, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.

VI.II — deo. — The Daughter



𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.

Fae, creatures of a hundred shapes, bustle around the gold-gilded metropolis. Two young ones in particular laugh and shove as they pass by the town square. A too-powerful push later, one teases, “Hey, if you make me fall, the Xana will come and get you!”

“The Xana’s a myth,” the other dismisses. “You know they’re a story the elders tell.” They both laugh, tackling each other to the ground. They know that only the Imperi have such strong skills. They don’t want to hear that their leader isn’t best.

Just then, an emerging shadow casts darkness upon the forever dawn. The empire hushes. Avian in form yet covered in weaponry, larger than twenty skyclimbers, draconic in nature… the Xana.

“The Xana’s real!” the dismisser yells suddenly. Heads turn, ‘don’t be so loud!’ the action screams silently. The first stamps a clawed paw over his panicking friend, then looks up to see the Xana glaring right at them.

Legend calls the Xana master of time, master of space, master of infinity. A triple balance, capable of toppling both worlds if provoked. The first young one looks up, gulps at the abyss, the galaxy in the Xana’s eye. ‘Never look the Xana in the eye,’ they say. He just did. Oh.

[1467 moons later]

Yucapaw yowls, an ear-piercing yowl, as pain flashes through her mind. “🇩🇪🇸🇹🇷🇴🇾,” the monster tells her. “🇧🇦🇱🇦🇳🇨🇪.”

“I’m not going to hurt her!” the feline yells silently. Disappointment rolls through her, the same sort of disappointment when someone says ‘you disgrace’ to one of their favorites. Pink flashes through her vision, then red, then blue, then finally indigo. Something went wrong—she guessed wrong. But… “I don’t know what you mean,” Yucapaw admits soundlessly.

Indigo flashes again, this time in a pinched oval shape. Like an eye, or an almond—a marañon. But that’s silly. The monster wouldn’t be telling her to find a blue almond, would it?

So Yucapaw tries as hard as she can. She tries to ignore the monster. She can’t understand it, she can’t help it. For some reason, she’s cursed.

The monster makes her yell at her mentors; it makes her fail her assessment. Flashes of anger, of happiness, of neutrality. Of fire and ice and water. She screams, she laughs, she cries.

And then… nothingness. No more monster. It stopped speaking to her one day, one night in the middle of a conversation. Silence.

And… maybe Yucapaw tried seeking it out. (She lost part of her soul when it fell quiet, it felt like. What happened? She doesn’t know.)

“What happened?!”

When Poinsettiabriar died, Yucapaw yelled. Felt something she hadn’t felt in days, in ages. (It felt like ages.)

“🇱🇮🇻🇪, ” the voice confirmed.

I didn’t kill her? Yucapaw almost asks. Instead she cries, “Where were you?!”

“🇦🇱🇹🇪🇷,” it points, “🇦🇨🇭🇮🇪🇻🇪🇩.” And then, “🇼🇪 🇨🇴🇳🇻🇪🇷🇹.”

“We?” Yucapaw breathes.

Around them, rain falls. It’s raining loudly. No one can hear her (hear them) yell.

(Thousands of moons of information wreck her mind; thousands of thoughts and dreams and everything; the future is hers, the past is, too; fire and ice and time itself…)

Yucapaw wants to sob, “Why me?!” She knows too much, has too much power. She will be feared; she will be known,
aaaafor she was once,
aaaaaaaafor she is now,
aaaaaaaaaaaafor she will be forever and ever,
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaathe Xana.

“𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰... 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫... (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬).”

VI.III — tra. — The Demon



𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠...

“Mother!” the black-white chimera crowed. He padded towards his guardian, burying his nose in her frozen fur. Mother was always cold, never warm — so was Father. Long ago, they’d been as warm as Cadejo, but the prison’s chains seeped away all their power.

Mother chuckled, resting her tail on his back, but then her expression turned serious. “Cadejo… you are a month old.”

“Yes?” Cadejo prodded warily. Mother’s aura felt off. It was sad, sadder than usual.

“Father and I have conversed, and we have come to an agreement. The Abyssal is no place for you. You are New and have potential for Light. The Abyssal is a Dark, Dark place. Father and I think you should leave.”

Cadejo froze. “I don’t want to leave.” He frowned. “I want to stay with you.”

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“It does,” Cadejo admitted, “But I can hurt for you.”

Mother’s weak power spiked. “No!” she cried, scandalized. “You will not hurt for us, Cadejo. You will leave, you will learn and grow and prosper in the Light. Father and I made mistakes, so the loyal fae chained us. You will not make the same mistakes as us. You will not grow up in a prison.”

Cadejo pulled his ears back. Mother laced her words with intent, with poison. She really, really wanted him to leave if she dared to use magic on her own child. “I’m sorry, Mother,” Cadejo apologized, unsure of what exactly he was apologizing for. Father and her being in a soul-chained prison, perhaps.

Conceding beneath Mother’s pitiful gaze, Cadejo reluctantly agreed, “I’ll leave.” He shook his pelt out, touching noses with Mother for possibly the last time. “I’ll miss you, Mother. Tell Father I’ll miss him.”

Later that night, Cadejo left.

[...]

The Light was nothing like Cadejo imagined. Their cities were gilded gold, sparks of excitement and amusement everywhere. Cternia’s happiness overwhelmed Cadejo. It was a haven — everything was perfect.

Everything was perfect and his parents were rotting away in a prison. Indefinitely. Forever. For one little, puny mistake. And the Light didn’t care, not at all.

“Excuse me?” Cadejo called out to anyone who would listen. “I’m lost.”

A fae sauntered up to him, grin too large. Mother and Father never grinned at Cadejo. Grins were tiring. The fae looked him up and down, then announced loudly, “Damn. You’re a Starfollower.” He said it like a curse.

Cadejo flinched. “I’m — no I’m not?” Mother and Father were Starfollowers in their youth. That was their mistake. The Light caught them and chained them and poisoned their souls. Now they were forever trapped.

“Kid, you reek of death,” the fae scoffed. “All Starfollowers smell the same.” Cadejo’s fur prickled.

Before he could respond, another fae pushed the rude one aside. “Stop harassing the kitten, Avilo,” she sighed. Turning to Cadejo, the fae purred viciously, “Now run along kitty. Go back to your evil mommy, or is she already dead?”

Cadejo’s magic snarled, dark magic surrounded by light. Mother said that the Light would happily take him in, but obviously, they wouldn’t. Not if these two were examples to go by. Cadejo’s magic pulsed so wildly that he nearly missed the approach of another magical presence — it felt more like death than his own magic did.

“Are you implying that I am a Starfollower, Avilo?” the newcomer inquired.

The original rude fae paled. “Not at all, Anhima,” he blurted.

“Anhima Kepríne,” the newcomer corrected harshly, yet Cadejo relaxed. This was the Crown Prince of Cternia and the Prince of Death. Even Starfollowers respected him despite his surprisingly Light magic.

The prince opened his maw to say something, but seemed to think better of it. “I felt you enter Cternia and thought you might need help getting past the more prejudiced fae,” he told Cadejo. “Apparently, I was right. Come, my father expects you at the palace.”

Curious, Cadejo followed. He already missed Mother and Father, and the Light fae were rude… but if he stayed near the prince, perhaps it would be alright?

𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠... 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭.

VI.IV — quat. — The Attendent



𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮...

Despite the dark and dreary twilight, Whitewing Marañonflicker padded through camp, eager to escape before sunrise. Not a day ago, Condorstar’s self-proclaimed heirs arrived at camp, and while the raptors were certainly glad to see them, the leader himself seemed uneasy in their presence. To further unnerve Marañonflicker, the male heir kept trying to corner him.

Unfortunately, it turned out that both black-furred felines woke equally early. The light padding of pawsteps gave Prince Arauco’s presence away. “Arenáse,” the heir said, “Ani.”

Irritation flickered through the whitewing. “What?” he questioned, unintentionally rude. “Speak in some language I can understand if you’re going to talk to me.”

The tension around the two spiked, and Araucoquill lashed his tail. “Oh, nevermind,” he huffed. With a strong accent, he added, “Aburría was right; what do you know?”

“Was that an insult?” Marañonflicker asked, baffled. “I’m of higher rank than you, your highness, so watch what you say.”

The prince paused, peering at the other tomcat strangely. “Oh, really?” he inquired. “Last time I checked, Death overpowers all with the exception of Time and Rebirth.” Araucoquill lifted his maw. “How terrible—neither my father, my mate, nor my best friend remember me.”

“Your what?” The whitewing glanced at the camp exit, wondering if he could simply walk past the prince without issue.

“Ah-ray-ná-say,” Auracoquill said again, making sure to emphasize each syllable and effectively bringing Marañonflicker back to attention. “Did they not tell you the stories?”

Marañonflicker replied, aggravated, “The only story I recall is the one about Anhima and the matendere… Matendere Arenáse?” At Araucoquill’s expectant look, the whitewing added, “Anhima Kepríne was best friends with Matendere Arenáse, who was the Lord Condor’s main attendant.” He growled, “That still doesn’t explain why you keep bringing him up!”

Whatever Marañonflicker managed to say wrong, it made Araucoquill huff, “You’re hopeless,” as he stalked away.

“Picazuro,” the whitewing shot back at the retreating figure.

(That night, Marañonflicker dreamt of endless skies and flying high, of forever day; of a golden palace, crowded plazas; paper and laughter, gilded halls; of princes and lords and fae and gods…)

He blinked awake in his nest and hid his face behind his paws. “Oh ’lei, Anhima was right. I’m from Semperia.”

𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮. (𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.)

☣ ☣ ☣

VII. The Plot | The Caladium is a complicated mess of lore, plot, and random side-plots. From the Cardinal's kits running off to a side-character revealing that they're actually fae incarnate, there's always something going on.

VII.I — eun. — The Three Suns' Prophecy

Pure white—blinding white.

She sniffled, burying her head into her guardian’s fur. “It’s over, isn’t it,” the young molly whimpered. The entire clan, dead. Her leader and guardian, dying. “We’re done for. Soon, AuroraClan’s going to be nothing more than myths and legends.

From her nest, the last leader of the North allowed a weak, wistful purr. “I’m sorry. I promised but… I don’t think I can protect you anymore, Paraíba.”

The feline whimpered once more. “No, no—I’m sorry. I’m the one who led you there; I’m the one who… ‘When the reef descends onto the land; the skies will fall alongside it.’ I should’ve never come for help; I knew the prophecy, had it memorized by heart, and I still...”

“Hush, darling,” the leader shushed. “It’s not your fault. We are the eldest of the three clans; we were bound to fall eventually. The world is changing… the ice is melting. It’s a miracle that we survived for as long as we did.”

Paraíba made a noise of distress. “But it’s not the lack of ice that killed them; not the lack of food—I said I knew where we were going; you trusted me and I led us straight into a pack of dogs!” She groaned. “I’m a failure and now you’re dying, too… and then I’ll have nowhere to go.”

She expected a reply but received none. “Aurora?” she prompted. Wetness filled her eyes; she’d been so caught up in herself that she hadn’t realized that her guardian was already dead; what a hopeless, pathetic failure.

“Paraíba... “ came her leader’s voice. Her heart skipped a beat. “Do you remember… what I said…”

Said when? “Don’t look back?” the molly guessed. Or… “Never stop running?”

“Mm. Never… don’t... forget.”

A hundred thoughts rushed through her mind. This was the end; this was the end… but never stop running? Running to where? Running from who? The last lesson that her guardian would ever teach: never stop running. (Never look back.)

[a few moons later]

And so Paraíba ran. She ran through the rainforest, ran past predators, only ever stopping for a moment to rest and hunt for prey. The young one grew faster, stronger. She’d only been learning for a moon when the North fell; she knew the basics, but she had much more to learn, many more skills to practice and perfect.

She would take her guardian’s final lesson to heart: “Never stop running.”

Running from the wolves, running from her past. Both literally and figuratively. Because AuroraClan was no more; their allies were no more. The world was changing; their clan had been the last to fall. Sure, more would rise, but for now… she had nowhere to go, and everywhere to run.

Something moved in the bushes—it reeked of warmth, fresh-kill, and caladiums. A curious scent. One that only a few cats could hold, but that made no sense—that meant…

“Halt,” a strong voice commanded. A black-furred tomcat stepped in her path; Paraíba skidded to a halt. She hadn’t been running that quickly, and since she had no destination still, she supposed she could humor this cat for some time. “Explain your presence at the Mire.”

The Mire? “Not unless you introduce yourself first,” Paraíba stated clearly.

“Not bad,” the stranger chuckled. “Condorstar of CaladiumClan.”

Condor… star? But — but that didn’t make sense; the Caladium was dead! Died out seasons ago, much earlier than the North ever had.

“I… but how?” She recited:

1234“When the plants wither, the Eternal shall rise;
1234the lights shall shine,
1234the bells shall chime,
1234and the tides recall once more…
1234Against the Stars, they wage their war.”

A flash of something crossed Condorstar’s face. “You’re from AuroraClan,” he realized. “From the North, known for ice and light; healers and wielders of words and pure magics. But I thought…”

“That the North had fallen? I thought the same of the Caladium. Unless you’re the Eternal…” That same flash. “You’re... the Eternal, aren’t you,” Paraíba whispered.

“I never wanted to be. And for your information, that word is taboo in my clan. The Second Coming of the Caladium doesn’t believe in fate.”

Paraíba watched him. “Neither do I,” she admitted wryly. “They said I would be a hero—all I did was bring about the destruction of my clan.”

“If that’s the case, then I assume you have nowhere to go?”

She thought about that. It was, presumably, an invitation to join the New Caladium. But as her guardian had told her long ago… “If I join, then I can’t stay. My guardian told me to never stop running, and I plan on abiding by her words.”

Condorstar frowned. “I see… you should at least stay for a while. For all your youth, you likely know more about healing than our entire clan combined. Stay, teach our healers, then leave if you must. The North and Caladium were once one; I have no qualms about honoring our past alliance. Though, you still haven’t spoken your name.”

Oh. Right, her name. And the Caladium was once allied with the North so long ago. All three of them were at peace when Calamity fell. “I’m… Aurorapaw, I suppose,” Paraíba decided on. If Eternalstar went by Condorstar, she saw no reason to keep her old name.

“I’ll respect that,” Condorstar allowed with the flick of his tail. “Well, then, Aurora of the Shattered North. I should return before my raptors send out a search-and-rescue patrol to find me.”

Paraíba — or, Aurorapaw, now, she supposed — chuckled. “Of course, Condorstar. Lead the way.”


VII.II — deo. — Side-plots

[deo-eu] "feral hounds" (6.20 to 18.20 AR) — After the fall of both ThevetiaClan and AuroraCan, the Stars move against CaladiumClan. An unnaturally bloodthirsty pack of feral hounds descends upon the already leaderless clan, massacring the majority of their warriors. Not much later, the Caladium experiences a boom of kits who grow up in the aftermath of the attack. Most of them have an intimate relationship with death, which, in the long run, actually prepares them for the future war.

[deo-de] "chiranthodendron" (11.20 to 18.20 AR) — Chirankit adores the raptor Bromeliadwicker for his dark demeanor and "strict" teaching methods. When best friend Temporalkit reveals that Bromeliad verbally abused Chiran's brother, Kernel, Chiran has to make a decision: Bromeliad or his friends. Chiran chooses Bromeliad over Temporal and Kernel, which leads to the trio falling out. Later, Chiran apprentices under Bromeliad (whose former apprentice mysteriously disappeared). Chiran's absent father reminds Bromeliad of his own past, and the two bond over terrible home lives and self-destructive training methods. (Eventually, Chiran becomes Cardinal Caracara and de-facto leader of the TSA.)

[deo-tra] "maravilla" (15.10 to (ongoing) AR) — Araucoquill, better known as the Prince of Death (Anhima Kepríne), discovers that his former love was reincarnated in the form of Maravillabeacon. Despite the Caladium's strong belief in fae, Maravilla has trouble understanding what it means to be in love with a prince. Over the course of moons, Arauco manages to win her love back, only to be sent to the front of the war. Arauco and Maravilla agree not to have kits until the the ends, but as it drags out for seasons, they start to reconsider.

[deo-qua] "volcanic earth" (18.15 to 24.30 AR) — Calderapaw has been friends with Stratumpaw since birth. Unbeknownst to the molly, Stratum is actually fae incarnate, formerly known as the demon Cadejo. Stratum convinces Caldera to play a prank which results in the total destruction of the nursery. In the aftermath, Condorstar exiles Stratumpaw (but not before revealing that he knows Stratum's true identity). Moons later, Caldera yearns for adventure. She abandons her clan in search of Cadejo, who accepts her and declares her the second-in-command of the ED. The two play a precarious game of war and romance that threatens to destroy both Caldera and their faction.

[deo-syn] "balance" (17.30 to (ongoing) AR) — Yucapaw thought there was a monster living in her head until she manifested as the Xana's fae incarnate. The Xana, which often takes the form of a demonic dragon in old tales, is a Triple Goddess. They control all aspects of time: past, present, and future. Despite the Xana being a creature of balance, Yucapaw allows the ED to gain power when she refuses to reveal the Ephemeral's true identity. The clans are put at even more of a disadvantage when Calderastrike, Yuca's friend, turns out to be the ED's co-commander. Yucapaw struggles with her own wants against the good of all. One wrong move can end the reign of clans as she knows it.

xx. Credits | clan font credit • text font credit

[miraphoenix]

I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: miraphoenix
Clan link: Havenclan
Prompt: Lore, social mores, ecology, geology, and cat information can be here in a google doc!
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I'd love to tell you about my clan, Swishy!
Username: miraphoenix
Clan link: The Timelost
Prompt: Lore doc here!