a desert song reverberating through your spirit

[Archaeopteryx.]

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The Clan of Eternal Sun || Stars Main Page
Clan Playlist
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Hey girl, I can make lore and writing so convoluted to everyone but myself <3

A Clan (or a group of cats pretending to be a Clan, anyway) surviving in the desert after the apocalypse.

Mainly inspired by Welcome to Night Vale, Desert Bluffs, and blaseball's Hellmouth Sunbeams. Or just blaseball in general.
Along with a healthy dose of exploring abandoned buildings in the middle of the desert and anthropology studies. Make no mistake, this will be a horror-themed tragedy, but it's less about the horrible things and more about the spaces in between, where there is laughter and love and the will to survive despite the costs.

Uhhhh DNP? Just for now I guess.

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Basic timeline is (Spoilers);

Coyotesun is born, begins worshiping the Sun after a strange experience in the desert. Comes across a group of abandoned buildings nicknamed the Shelter, moves in.

Other cats start following suit, bringing news of calamities happening across the world.

The four original cats, Coyotesun, Everstumble, Obsidianwatcher, and Honeybreeze grow very close. At some point, Obsidianwatcher vanishes for a while and comes back with two kits in tow, Cascade and Lullaby. Obsidianwatcher has a prophecy, but never tells anyone about it.

Lots of new cats start joining the Clan. Buckwheat joins after a false sun destroys his Clan. Argent just appears one day. Glassheart and Timewatcher are both found in the desert independently of one another and are brought back to the Shelter.

Firewalker joins the Clan.

Buckwheat, Cascade, and Lullaby start growing very close. The three apprentices become curious of what's in the mountains guarding the desert. Coyotesun forbids them from going, afraid of what might happen to them, but they leave anyway.

They become the first Liminals, on a spiritual quest to find who they are supposed to be in life. They meet new cats and learn more about themselves, and eventually return as fully fledged adults, and choose their adult names. (Buckwheat -> Claymask, Cascade -> ???, Lullaby -> ???)

During their quest, Buckwheat and Cascade confess that they have feelings for one another, and start a family.

Time passes and the Clan eventually moves slightly out of the desert, away from the Shelter and into the Meadow, after an extreme heat wave hits the Clan. Unfortunately, someone else is already living there, and they aren't a fan of cats moving in and attacking their members.

Cats cannot communicate with the crows. The crows do not want to communicate with the cats. The Crow War begins.

One of Obsidianwatcher's descendants is born with extremely dark fur. They are born mute and tend to wander off by themselves. Eventually they discover a wounded crow their age and begins tending to it, and the two learn how to communicate among each other.

The cat grows to become Crowspeaker, and sets up the treaty between the crows and the Clan.

Eventually the Clan moves back to the desert, opting this time to settle in the Watching Stones. A descendant of Firewalker is born with the same curse as their progenitor, but much, much more powerful. Their mother does not keep an eye on them as a kit and they begin wandering into the desert.

An entity meets them and convinces them to let it teach them about their powers. The kit agrees.

The entity is a creature of chaos, who does things only to watch the world crumble around them. The kit does not know this, and is manipulated into giving into their curse. They can no longer control it.

They accidentally become a traitor, burning down the Clan and destroying all they knew and loved. Their curse prevents any cat from touching them, any cat from loving them. They become the last member of the Clan, burdening themselves with this legacy.

[Archaeopteryx.]

A Timeline of Events

Worldbuilding

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Details about legends, past present and future,
as well as tidbits about the surrounding environment, flora, fauna,
and how the Clan works.

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Allegiances
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Varies (NPCs, Canon cats)

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the world around the Clan
a brief history of the desert || afflictions of the Other
culture

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Prehistory

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At first, there was a single cat.

And ever so slowly, more cats came trickling in. Settling in, learning how to interact with
one another. Learning how to turn a ghost town into a home.


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Allegiances
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Coyotesun
Honeybreeze
Obsidianwatcher
Everstumble
Cascade
Lullaby

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link || link || link

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Liminality

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The group turns from a small set of close-knit individuals, into a
fully fledged Clan. Learning to survive in the harsh desert after the end of
the world has come and gone.

While the rest of the Clan are content to stay in this family they've created,
several apprentices begin to look off towards the mountains, where something
calls them away from the relative safety of their Clan. Away from the only
home they've ever known.

The trail calls them. And the world whispers hints to secrets no one in their
Clan has ever even dreamed of.


And while the apprentices begin to rechart lands now abandoned and shifting,
new discoveries occur at home. Strange curses, places between the sands where
one can slip in, cats born or given strange abilities (not all beneficial).


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Allegiances
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Founder — Coyotesun
Spokecat — Honeybreeze
Watchers;

Obsidianwatcher
Timewatcher

Scavengers;

Everstumble

Denwardens

Glassheart

Roamers

Enkmari

Apprentices

Buckwheat
Lullaby
Cascade

Elders

Argent

Kits

Gecko
Neon

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link || link || link

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[Archaeopteryx.]

Mythology

the Sun — The sun is widely regarded in desert cat culture as the progenitor of cats, and the guardian of the world. It is an aloof god, only occasionally choosing to meddle in mortal affairs, and when it does it is through cryptic messages sent to those it deems worthy.

the Moon — The moon is the sun's partner, a great Eye blinking down on those who live below. She rules the domain of prophecy, and all prophets were born of her ichor.

the Stars — The children of the sun and moon, the stars are quiet sentinels who see all and say nothing. Some may learn to read their messages, but they speak in tongues and even decoded messages are incomprehensible. They are also the gods of direction.

Elsewhere — Elsewhere is not a sapient entity, but rather a catch-all phrase for the blank space between this world and the next. Ghosts originate from this realm, and living cats may slip in and become warped.

the Wind — The wind is not one of the desert cat's gods, but is rather a god of the crows. After the treaty, wind-touched cats become much more common. The god of travel, messages, flight, scent, and trickery.

Other Sapient Species

Humans — The species that came Before, who vanished when the End came and the world was reborn. The cats have pledged to learn from their mistakes, exploring their ruins to learn of what could have happened.

Dogs — The natural enemies of the cats. The dogs still strive to bring back the humans, and aim to become like their partner species in an effort to bring them back. Some dogs are friendly, some actively hunt cats, but generally the two species ignore each other. The Clan remains in the wilderness, while the dogs prefer to stay within the humans' cities.

Crows — Unlike the other sapient species, the crows have never had a great relationship with humans. Are occasionally at odds with cats, as cats tend to try and hunt them. Metalworkers, travelers, with photographic memories and the ability to learn other species' languages.

Flora

Shadscale — A common shrub of the lower regions of the desert, growing to be 1-3 feet tall with small, circular, pale green leaves. The smoke from the leaves may be inhaled as a treatment for epilepsy. The boiled leaves are used as a liniment for sore muscles and aches. A poultice of the mashed leaves have been applied to the chest and a decoction of the leaves drunk to treat colds.

Iodine bush — A very small, low-lying bush with knobby green stems. The stem has a round texture, and the leaves appear as flaky scales scattered across the surface of the stems. Grows near Shadscale, used as an food source during emergencies.

Manzanita — A tree or shrub characterized by its rich, reddish-brown bark, and small, red, apple-shaped berries. Leaves, when chewed, help nausea and upset stomach. Soaked leaves can be used as a poultice to relieve itching caused by poison oak. Berries taste similar to apples and are often added to dried prey.

Sagebrush — A sweet-smelling bush with pale green leaves. Used to relieve digestive disorders and sore throats. Leaves can be used to treat pneumonia and other bad colds. Decoctions can be used on injuries to clean the wound, while poultices can be used to treat sore eyes. Also added to dried prey.

Buckwheat — A low-lying bush with small, dark green leaves, and large clumps of small white flours. Treats circulatory problems, such as high blood pressure. Can cause light-sensitivity. Poultices made from seeds can promote milkflow in queens.

Prickly Pear — A large, sprawling cactus with large, circular leaves. Pink to purple fruits grow during the late summer, which are a good source of hydration as well as being tasty.

California Poppies — A small, golden orange to yellow flower with soft petals. A bitter sedative that relieves pain and relaxes spasms. Can be taken to relieve nervous tension, anxiety, and insomnia. Roots can be used to promote milkflow in queens. Effect is similar to the common poppy, but milder.

Saltgrass — A small, thin grass with upright stems and fibrous, grain-like flowers. Salt can be scraped off the stems and can be used to dry prey.

Poison Oak — A low-lying vine with leaves arranged in clumps of three. Causes itching and rashes. Can be used to help rattlesnake bites.

Stinging Nettle — A tall-growing herb with serrated leaves containing tiny hairs. Contact with the hairs causes itching and rashes. Treats anaemia, internal bleeding, arthritic pain, burns, and bruises. Additionally can be added to a starving cat's diet for extra vitamins.

Datura — A small shrub with white, trumpet-like flowers. Used to treat epilepsy and heart diseases, and can be used as an anaesthetic. Overdose causes hallucinations and death.

Fauna

Lizards — Commonly hunted, lizards are plentiful in the region. All are edible, save for the gila monster (whom are generally ignored). They are not very filling, and tend to be very chewy, but do in a pinch. Most commonly found are: Alligator lizards (tend to bite), western fence lizards, skinks, collared lizards, whiptails, geckos, desert iguana, horned lizards, night lizards, and the chuckwalla.

Woodrat — A small nocturnal rodent who are active year-round. Can often be found by prickly pear plants, a common food source for them. Commonly hunted by the Clan, more filling than lizards with sweet meat.

Desert toad — Particularly the Yosemite toad and Western toad. Not commonly hunted by the Clan, but are high in fat and nutritious. Very susceptible to poisoning, should be avoided during extreme calamity events (such as acid rain).

Snake — Snakes are very common in the Clan's territory. The Clan regularly hunts them, particularly Gopher snakes, Coachwhip snakes, Sharp-tail snakes, California Kingsnakes, Western racers, Whipsnakes, Ring-tailed snakes, and Garter snakes. Rattlesnakes are a common danger and nests must be chased out of any area close to the Clan's home, as both they and Kingsnakes are known to steal kits.

Jackrabbit — Jackrabbits can fight back, but any brave cat who manages to catch one are hailed as a hero. A single jackrabbit can easily feed half the Clan.

Roadrunner — Large, ground-living birds who are incredibly fast. Not hunted by the Clan, as most cats don't want to waste the effort of trying to catch one.

Coyote — A common predator of cats, coyotes should be avoided at all costs. They tend to hunt in packs, and often compete with the cats for food sources, or hunt lone cats themselves. May be sapient, considering the dogs are, but no communication has been attempted.

Vulture — Large, dramatic birds who are usually scavengers. A particularly desperate one may go for a still-living cat, but circling vultures may be followed to find freshly-killed food.

[Archaeopteryx.]

According to the desert cats' history, the desert had always been there. It was not the absence of life, of greenery buried underneath sandstorms and burned underneath the angry eyes of the ever-present sun, but rather, the building blocks to which mountains rose from, forests sprouted, and oceans flooded.

There was always the desert. No matter what would change, what would shift, the desert had always been there, and therefore, it would always remain.

But even though the desert is a holy place, the birthplace of all that was and all that will come to be, the desert cats do not view it as "pure." Nor do they view it as a safe place to live. They do not envy the cats of the forest, nor the cats of the snow-capped peaks, nor the cats of the beaches and oceans and the concrete jungles. But they do understand why they stay away from the desert.

Hidden within the twisting sands and ever-changing dunes are creatures twisted beyond recognition. Coyotes who have stolen the voices of humans, who scream out at the moon in voices too loud, too screechy. Spaces in between the sand and stone, where an unwary cat can easily slip Elsewhere. Rabbits who bite back with too-sharp teeth, strange fish who was up on the shores of lakes in which no fish have ever lived. Flashes in the distance, eerie cries in the darkness— the prickling of fur as Something watches you from afar.

The desert may be the foundation to all life on earth, but hidden underneath the blinding sun are atrocities known only to those who dare step beyond the sunlight and into the darkness, who look too close to the foundation to discover that it is only but a thin layer of paint concealing something... else.

There are worse fates than death.

But at the same time—

There was the Sun overhead, guiding its chosen ones paws as they set upon the trail of life, warming up the fur of elders, watching over the kits playing in the sagebrush. There was warm nights filled with laughter and conversation, as strangers who had never met and would never reunite bonded over shared experiences. Young cats spending the blazing hot summer days swimming in hidden lakes, brave explorers slipping in and out of the ruins of human settlements. Stories painted in clay paint on the sides of rocks, that would wash away come the winter rain and summer thunderstorms. There were stars so bright, so close, that one could seemingly reach up and scoop them out of the sky like fish.

And so there had always been cats living within the desert, and there would always be, until the sun's eventual death. (As everything must die and return to the Elsewhere eventually.)


When the rest of the world began to fall apart, not much changed within the desert.

The cats there were already used to strange things happening, and if the Events increased in frequency, no one really noticed. Really, only those who occasionally traveled outside the desert, or those who were friendly to outsiders learned what had occurred.

And really, the Clan of Eternal Sun would become only a blip in the desert's history. It was a good thing, sure, but all good things must come to an end eventually. And, given enough time, the Clan would slip through the sand, fading away to Elsewhere as all things do.

And all that would remain would be the stories painted on the walls of long-forgotten caves, and the legends passed down through the cats of the desert.

[Archaeopteryx.]

Spirits, deities, and entities outside of this mortal plane (known to the cats as the Other) occasionally tamper with mortals. These are some of the ways mortal cats can be afflicted.

[blank]-touched — Touched cats have gained the favor of a specific Other entity, either from birth, through proving themselves to that entity, or from other such means. Cats with this affliction may not be harmed or affected by any additional Other afflictions (unless they were present before becoming Touched), nor can this affect be removed/cleared. They also tend to gain the same characteristics as the entity who has claimed them, such as sun-touched cats being incredibly warm to the touch, or sea-touched cats being able to breathe underwater.


cats with this affliction: Coyotesun (sun-touched), Enkmari (river-touched)

prophet — Prophetic cats are cats who can see, smell, hear, or receive messages of, the future. Generally this affliction appears at birth. Sensory overload is a very common problem in cats with this affliction, as well as nosebleeds, headaches, and migraines.


cats with this affliction: Obsidianwalker (message-based), Timewatcher (sight-based)

spectator — These are cats who can see past falsehoods to see the true nature of an entity, or cats able to see the Elsewhere cats without the use of a ritual or other such means. Cats with this affliction are generally not viewed kindly by the Other. This affliction is present from birth and cannot be acquired (though workarounds are possible)


cats with this affliction: Everstumble

spirit-scarred — These cats have been harmed, somehow, by the Other. These injuries never heal properly, and nearly always scar. Those scars may display unnatural characteristics (such as glitching, flickering, etc.) Commonly occurs in conjunction with possession.


cats with this affliction: Buckwheat (spirit-burnt)

possession — Possessions of any kind are rare, but complete possession is pretty much a legend. More common are limb (or incomplete) possessions— a cat whose mouth is possessed may speak both their own words and the entity's words, a cat whose ears are possessed will allow the entity to hear what they hear, etc. This commonly occurs in conjunction with spirit-scarring. Possession can either be voluntary, or involuntary.


cats with this affliction: Buckwheat (possessed eye)

warping — This is an affliction that only affects living cats who have fallen through and into the Elsewhere. Cats are not supposed to visit this in-between plane, and cats who manage to come back are often fundamentally changed. Cats with this affliction often have unnatural colors, glitching, distorted voices, amnesia, and ptsd symptoms.


cats with this affliction: none so far

instability — Cats with this affliction become much more likely to attract the Other, or to slip into Elsewhere. Similarly to warped cats, unstable cats tend to glitch in and out of reality, have unnatural colors, and have a distorted voice. Extreme trauma or dysphoria can cause instability. It can be cured, but chronic instability is relatively common. If you become unstable once, you become much more likely to become unstable again.


cats with this affliction: Neon (chronic)

[Archaeopteryx.]

Locations in Elsewhere

Elsewhere is not a physical location, but rather, a plane in-between this world and the next. It becomes the afterlife of any cats who were born in the desert, died within the desert, or whom were in the desert for a minimum of six months. It is possible to leave Elsewhere once you enter it, both back to the mortal plane or to where ever lies ahead, but doing so is difficult and dangerous.

As it is not a space present in the physical realm, locations, time, and space are inconsistent in this place. Locations listed here are approximations of known "biomes", and many are slang-terms created by the cats living within the desert.

starlit fields/ghost desert — Probably the most pleasant part of Elsewhere. Appears functionally similar to the mortal desert, however, there are some major key differences. Flora is nonexistent in this biome, and the sky is eternally gray and overcast. There is neither day nor night in this location. The sand in this area appears gray at a distance, but close up, reveals itself to be made up of billions of iridescent particles, leading to one of its names, the starlit field. This sand dissolves if brought back to the living realm. This is the most common place for ghosts to first appear, or for living cats to slip in. No native fauna can be found here, but in the distance, one can occasionally see giant, living mountains of beasts too far to properly make out. No matter how hard one tries, you can't get close to them. The biggest danger in this biome for living cats is the lack of both food and water. Many cats will die of starvation or dehydration long before they make it out of this region.

the oasis — The only place where beneficial flora and fauna can be found in abundance. The oasis is incredibly hard to find, and seems to appear solely based on luck. Flora and fauna located here cannot be found in any known place on Earth, but none have outwardly attacked any known cats. So far, anyway.

halocline — A biome very similar to the ghost desert, with some differences. The air here is very thick, with a texture similar to water. Living cats can walk and swim here, but have reported having difficulties breathing. Unlike the ghost desert, halocline contains some native biodiversity, namely, aquatic fish-like creatures. While some of these creatures are edible, many of them are predators.

the Beyond — The hardest biome to find. The beyond is just... the End of Elsewhere. The sands fade away, and brilliant bubbles of lights appear on the horizon, drifting and shifting. It's presumed that they mean something, but no one's gotten close enough to check. Generally, no one's ever gotten this far and still had enough strength to keep going.

[Archaeopteryx.]

Culture

The Clan of Eternal Sun's inhabitants have a wide variety of different cultures, beliefs, and traditions. Many cats are not Clan-born, but rather, make their way to the Clan well into their adult lives. Clan-born cats are still required to leave the Clan once old enough to fend for themselves, which means that all cats within the Clan have a diverse way of viewing things.

Since the Clan lives in a desert, water is considered their most precious resource, even more so than food. Not only is it required for life, but swimming is the fastest way to cool a cat from heatstroke, and it is also used to create clay pottery, clay paint, and teas for sick cats. As there is no moss in the desert, the Clan of Eternal Sun have developed a different way to collect and store water — clay pots and jugs. Making them requires months of time and effort, making them incredibly valuable, but they are much needed within the Clan.

The cats also do not shy away from human inventions to increase their chances of survival in the desert. Bags to carry food and water, fabric to keep the sun off their skin. Additionally, many expeditions occur at night, especially on full moons, to keep the heat exposure to a minimum. During years with plentiful prey, extras are dried using a blend of herbs and salt from saltgrass to help them keep for longer, in an exact replica of human's sun-dried jerky. Pelts are skinned and preserved to use as nests on cold desert nights, especially for kits and the elderly.

The Clan has only two semi-formal ceremonies, the Seeing-Away ceremony, and the Adult-Name ceremony. When apprentices feel as though they've learned all that they can from the Clan, they go off on their Liminal Quest to see more of the world, meet new cats, have new experiences, and find their place in the world. If they return, they are finally able to choose their adult name, as well as the rank they feel is most appropriate (scavenger, denwarden, roamer, medic). Cats who were not born in the Clan may change their name to a two-part name, or may keep their original name. Vigils are not required as different cats have different sleep schedules, and it's guaranteed that at least one cat will be awake at a single given moment.

Desert cats in general are proud, independent creatures, and though the Clan is an organized group it is no exception. The Clan has roles but there is no official leader (the spokecat acts as an "authority figure" to outside cats and Clans, relaying thoughts and opinions of the Clan as a whole to an outside entity, and the founder does a bit of everything). Apprentices do not have an official mentor, but will shadow different cats with different roles throughout their apprenticeship. Apprentices as young as six moons will go with other apprentices to the Milky lake to swim without adult cat supervision, which helps strengthen generational bonds. Denwardens and medics are the only cats to remain semi-close to camp — it is not uncommon for scavengers to leave for day (or longer) long patrols to gather supplies, and roamers will often leave for weeks, months, or even years at a time.

Though the Clan prides itself on being independent, there's an underlying current of care and reliance as well. They recognize that no cat is perfect, that they are all in this Clan so that they have others to lean on. Foundlings are cared for by the entire Clan. Elderly cats are valued for their experience and wisdom, and will often putter around the Clan to socialize with the other cats (they also tend to adopt younger cats, or to help out with newborn kits). They never turn away a cat that may be in need of help, even if it means putting the Clan in danger, and will fight to the death to defend those in need— even if they have never met before. This is partially why the roamers work so well in this Clan— they may only meet these elusive members a few times over the years, and yet, they still care for them, still look forward to their return, to the opportunity to share stories once again.

Speaking of stories— stories are considered almost sacred in the Clan (and desert cats in general) culture. It's not uncommon to find random caves sprinkled throughout the Clan's extensive territory with stories and riddles painted in clay paint. Nights filled with stories and laughter occur often, and many cats will go out of their way to learn an interesting story to bring back to share with the Clan. It's easy to find where their camp is— it almost always has something painted on it, and is covered with stray bits and pieces of the remnants of human civilization.