[almondkitty]

Username: AlmondKitty
Clan: rosemary meadows

Quest Number: 1
Response:
before she was known as scrunch, the elderly she-cat had many names. some were lost to time as her memory faded, but one she could never forget.

as a young cat, she had been accepted into a clan after spending a long time fending for herself in the wilderness. when they welcomed her amongst their ranks, they asked her what her name was. scared and alone, she found herself asking the same question. it seemed to her that she had been alone too long and had forgotten who she was.

so, standing among these her new clanmates, she was dubbed "nightpaw" for her dark fur, mysterious appearance and the fact that she was around apprentice age. she quickly became acquainted with her mentor, a large fluffy grey cat called ashfall.

he quickly found that she didn't need much training in combat or hunting, seeing as she had often needed to defend herself in the wild and hunt to survive. however she was incredibly jumpy and mistrustful of everyone except for ashfall, which caused a rift to form between her and her other clanmates. the rift only worsened when, completely by accident, nightpaw caused the death of a litter of kits. it happened like this.

it was nearing the end of greenleaf and the camp was full of life. everyone was busy preparing for the upcoming gathering where neighboring clans all came together to announce significant events within their respective clans, such as deaths, births, apprenticeships & new warriors being appointed. everyone would be attending except those who could not travel or were too young, and nightpaw. despite being a new member of the clan, she was not welcome to attend the gathering in fear that she might cause trouble.

left to care for four young kits and a few elders, nightpaw was disappointed that she couldn't go to see all the cats at the gathering. nonetheless she did as she was asked and stayed behind.

the four kits in her care were dappledkit, needlekit, softkit and riverkit, the first three from one queen and riverkit from another. she actually enjoyed their company as they pestered her about how cool it was that she had been a rogue before. she felt proud that someone actually looked up to her rather than down on her.

that night, under the light of the full moon, nightpaw felt whole. at least until a grumpy elder called for her to remove the burrs from his fur, cursing her for paying too much attention to the mewling kits. so she did as she was bid, telling the kits to go to bed so they would not be so tired tomorrow.

but kittens often don't do as they're told and while nightpaw was busy pulling burrs out of the pelt of an old cat, the four kits snuck away from camp. fuelled by dreams of living like nightpaw had, they bounded through the dense forest in search of prey.

when the elder was satisfied with her job, nightpaw wished him goodnight and went back to ensure the kits were sleeping. when she found their nest empty, terror gripped her. her heart was beating out of her chest as she desperately searched camp, trying not to alert the elders. with no sign of the kits anywhere, she quickly made her way out of camp and into the woods, calling out for the four kits.

when at last she caught their scent, she was horrified to find their limp bodies underneath the towering figure of a furious badger. she knew that she had to do everything in her power to get those kits back to camp and into the medicine cats den. rationality was not at the forefront of her mind as she savagely lunged at the badger.

when the battle was over, nightpaw was covered in deep gashes and shallow cuts. her whole body ached, yet the badger was dead. kneeling, she picked the four kits up by their scruffs. they were limp and cold yet she ran back to camp anyway.

when she arrived the gathering had ended. her clanmates poured back into camp only to stop dead in their tracks upon seeing nightpaw covered in blood, panting and desperately trying to resuscitate the kits. crestfallen, she looked around at her clanmates. they stared back at her with shock and disbelief on their faces. the kits mothers wailed and their fathers pushed nightpaw away from them, shielding their tiny bodies.

after that, nightpaw spent a considerable amount of time in the medicine cats den healing from her wounds. ashfall visited her every day and often slept in their with her. he had always regarded her as his own kit since the day she had been found on patrol and was devastated that she was being blamed for the death of the four kits. despite him urging her to defend herself against accusations, nightpaw stayed silent. she believed herself wholly guilty on any and all charges and didn't care what anyone thought or said on the matter.

not long after she fully recovered, nightpaw was made a warrior and given her warrior name. she was known as nightscar. when her new name was announced, only ashfall called out in recognition and pride. it was only out of love for him that she had stayed that long and she wouldn't stay a moment longer.

she left that night, under the cover of stars. ashfall was waiting for her, like he knew she would go. they shared a tearful goodbye. it was the second hardest thing she ever had to do.

laying in the grassy fields near rosemary meadows, scrunch sighed. the night sky looked down at her the same way it had all those years ago. she knew that it had been years and years since those four kits died and she had been to many other clans since then, yet she knew that she had never and would never do anything worse than she had that night she let those kits escape her sights.
Word Count: [1,006 words]

[néktar]

Username: nektar
Clan: pondclan

Quest Number: 1
Response:


"what's the worse thing i have ever done?" the broad shouldered white deputy leaned back on his haunches, contemplating this question. his eyes looking to the sky, his mind seemed to drift and his red eyes got misty. he took a deep breathe in before lowering his head and gazing at hana, "i abandoned my homeland and disgraced my ancestors." his meow sounded solemn but it was layered with deep aching pain. mothfur turned his gaze away again, looking to his paws. "i am extremely lucky to have night of no stars as my lovely companion or else i wouldn't have made it. my tribe would've killed me." the white furred tom gritted his teeth as he fought back tears. "i was chosen by the ancestors to become stoneteller when my father passed, they told him i would be the most spiritually connected out of any of the tribe born, when my father presented this to the tribe they recoiled. my heritage had been hidden to the rest of the tribe until this point in my life, once they heard this they exiled my father for taking a mate when it was forbidden."

the tom's eyes had return to hold that of hana's, his tail sliding across the sandy floor, ears pricked and eyes no longer welled with tears. "my tribe sentenced me to death, they would've taken night's life as well, seeing my existence as a taint on the tribes 'pure' bloodline. i had overheard the new teller of the tribe discussing this in hushed tones in the middle of the night. i took night and left, not knowing where to go or if we would make it out of the rocky shore territory alive. i learned to hunt and to scavenge, i found my father far away from the shoreline. he spoke of a marshy plane not far from him where my mother had come from and returned to once she had me." his gaze shifted to look towards the small area of forest close to pondclan's camp. "so night and i made our way towards this mysterious place, we stumbled across bugstar and one of their patrols. all of whom accepted us without a second thought once i explained myself. i still carry the burden of leaving my homeland as well as the pain of not being able to fulfill my ancestors prophecy due to my tribemate's traditions. i often have dreams and premonitions for the tribe, though i will never set paw back in that territory." with the story of his past spoken to another, his chest heaved and a heavy sigh came from his maw.

Word Count: 440

---

Username: nektar
Clan: pondclan

Quest Number: 2
Response:
Word Count: -

----

Username: nektar
Clan: pondclan

Quest Number: 3
Response:

sootkit was sitting just inside the nursery, from the leaf crowded bush he saw softwhisper speaking with his father, pinestorm. he adored his father and strived to make him proud with everything he did. as he grew older the black silver classic tabby kit noticed the favor of his father turning to palekit, his sister. this soured his feelings towards his father, as he watched pinestorm speak to his mother, his tail twitching in irritation as palekit rushed out of the nursery and towards the tom. she giggled and mewed for his attention, he entertained the young molly by pawing at her playfully before bowing his front half down and raising his tail up behind him; flicking it back and forth as he began to run around camp.

the young tom grumbled something under his breath, his ears getting hot with jealousy, he turned around and scampered back to the nest as he saw his mother peaking into the nursery. he hid under the bits of moss, tucking his face into the nest trying to hide from his mother. softwhisper immediately found him, she poked at him with a paw, speaking ever so softly to the tom. "come now little one, i know it looks like your father has taken favor to your sister but that's only because you don't interact with him." she meowed, nudging him with her nose as he didn't budge. after a thrid prodding he still had not given in. she grabbed him by the scruff and padded out of the den, the sun hitting sootkit's face made him purr a little though he realized this and cut it short, returning to his grumpy state. softwhisper sat him down just outside of the nursery, plopping him right down between her paws she laid down and began to groom him. his mews of detest went unheded, he soon quieted down and watched pinestorm run out of energy for young palekit. his fur prickled as he watched his sister and father return to them, pinestorm eyed the tom and gave a warm smile. sootkit's jealously melted away for a moment before once again he returned his father's greeting with a sour scrunch of his nose and turned towards his mother. maybe someday soon he'll feel more compelled to create a proper bond with pinestorm.

Word Count: 386

[Skarrred]

mark

[Swishy & Broken]

There will be no quests this month, as we have a flash event running instead !
Check it out here; Forum/viewtopic.php?p=141136029#p141136029

We'll have prizes to give out for last month's responses some time later this month <3

[Vivika]

[ Start of Round ]

"Thank you all for your replies!!"
The current round has ended.

January Quests

Quest #1
canadianhowl ━ +20 exp
Arrikanez ━ +35 exp
literal.swag. ━ +50 exp
AlmondKitty ━ +60 exp
néktar ━ +30 exp

Quest #2
canadianhowl ━ +60 exp
razr ━ +62 exp

Quest #3
Arrikanez ━ +35 exp
literal.swag. ━ +25 exp
razr ━ +30 exp
bsktcase ━ +60 exp
I Like Bees ━ +30 exp
néktar ━ +25 exp

Please remember to link to this post in your next explore post to claim your exp!

"And here are some special prizes for those who put extra effort into their entries!
You can use this to buy some cool stuff from StarClan's shop!"

canadianhowl ━ +160 stardust
Arrikanez ━ +140 stardust
literal.swag. ━ +150 stardust
AlmondKitty ━ +120 stardust
razr ━ +184 stardust
bsktcase ━ +120 stardust

"Thank you all for participating! I loved hearing about each of your Clans!"

"While I loved all of your entries, these ones were my favorites! Here's something extra for your hard work!"

Quest #1 - Arrikanez & AlmondKitty
+1 UN MYO each

Quest #2 - razr & canadianhowl
+1 R MYO each

Quest #3 - I Like Bees & literal.swag
+1 UN MYO each

"Wait wait wait, I have more questions, don't leave yet!"

A new round has begun!

QUEST #1
Tell me about the relationships between your leader, deputy, and/or medicine cat
You may write and/or draw your response to this prompt.

QUEST #2
Draw when your leader found out that they'd be taking over as leader for the clan, decided to officially claim their 9 lives, or otherwise took up a role of leadership in your group.
You may only draw your response to this prompt.

QUEST #3
Tell me about one of your cats that believes they've been visited by Starclan before.
You may only write your response to this prompt.

[ArtMajor]

Username: ArtMajor
Clan: The Elysian Fields

Quest Number: 2
Response: heavy is the head that wears the crown

Word Count: n/a
* small edit that I wanted to clarify if allowed- heavy is the head that wears the crown is what I titled the piece mentally, its not meant to be a text accompaniment, it’s just the name of the pic

[Goatmom]

Username: Goatmom
Clan: Grove Clan

Quest Number: 1
Response:
There is no cats in Grove Clan that Owlstar trusts more than her Deputy, Redthistle, and her Medicine Cat, Goatheart.

It's not just because of their many moons of experience or even their stead fast loyalty, though those things do play a part.

No. The bond the three share comes from a shared trauma and the struggles of forming a new Clan.

You see, the three cats were once apart of a different Clan along with a few other of the older Grove Clan cats. However one day a great storm (tornado) swept through the clans territory and camp. The camp was destroyed and many cats were lost.

This left Owlstar, then just a Deputy herself, Goatheart, who had only just earned her Medicine Cat name, Redthistle, still a young Warrior, and a few other cats with nowhere to live.

Owlstar earned her name and 9 lives the night after the storm but struggled to choose a Deputy as the other cats were still shaken or recovering from injuries. She chose not to decide until they found a new place to live.

The journey to their new territory was hard and she and Goatheart bonded as they struggled to adapt to their new roles. At the same time Redthistle began stepping up and helping organize and keep the other cats spirits up. Owlstar noticed and appreciated his help.

By the time they found the Oak Grove that became Grove Clans new camp, the three were so close they could just about communicate without words and Redthistle was made Deputy officialy.

Not to say they always agree or never fight but they understand and support eachother with a friendship that rivals family.
Word Count: 281

Username: Goatmom
Clan: Grove Clan

Quest Number: 2
Response:



Word Count: n/a

[Gravis Cordis]

Username: Gravis Cordis
Clan: The Fallen

Quest Number: 1
Response:

Star Reader and Petal that Dances in Breeze have a strained relationship. As the leader and healer of The Fallen, they should get along and be able to work with each other. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for these two felines. Things were going well enough when Petal was just an apprentice training under her mentor, Owl in Mid Flight. However, this changed when Owl died in a rockslide while Petal was still getting the hang of things.

Star Reader refused to let Petal travel to their ancestors' resting place, now known as Star Reader's Hollow. Petal desperately needed guidance if she would be a good healer, but Star Reader insisted that the hollow was a sacred place and that a long trip like that would do more harm than good.

So, Petal did what she could and tried to find other ways to expand her knowledge of herbs and medicine. She went on expeditions to find loners and any cat who knew anything about healing. In some cases, she would often test herbs on herself to ensure she was correct about their uses. Every now and then, this made Petal sick, but she persevered, knowing that it was for the good of her tribe.

Once Petal became a proper healer, the tensions seemed to die between her and Star Reader. However, things came to a head when the drought began. Petal sided with a few radicals, stating that it would be best if Star Reader allowed the tribe to travel the far reaches of the continent like they used to.

Star Reader was furious with Petal and took her aside, lecturing her on the proper way to voice her concerns and that publicly speaking out against their wishes undermined their leadership.

Petal was adamant; however, that Star Reader was in the wrong. As punishment, Star Reader sent Petal with a small group of cats that were loyal to them. This patrol's goal was to find a new home for The Fallen, flourishing and full of life, unlike the dry lands of the Golden Peninsula. Star Reader told Petal to think carefully about her place in the tribe and sent her on her way.

Fearful that she may be banished by Star Reader, who had been growing increasingly strict by the day, Petal agreed to leave the tribe with the rest of the patrol, silently promising that she would one day return, having found the perfect home for her tribe.

Word Count: 410 words



Quest Number: 2
Response:

Screenshot 2023-03-29 124952.png (471.28 KiB) Viewed 253 times

Word Count: N/A


Quest Number: 3
Response:

As one of the oldest providers for The Fallen, Wolf that Howls at Night is part of the foundation of the tribe. He is a calm and level-headed tom known for his witty remarks and great tactical strength. Despite not being a fighter, Wolf often helps plan any defense strategies the tribe could need, giving him a bit of a paw hold within that branch of the tribe. All members of the tribe eagerly accept his guidance and wisdom, given the great respect his tribemates hold for him.

However, Wolf was not always so well known or respected. As a young warrior, no cat ever took him seriously due to an event that happened the day he took his trail, a big test each trainee takes to earn their full status as a provider, fighter, or healer of the tribe.

It took many seasons for Wolf to finally understand what happened that day and even longer for him to come to terms with it.
.
.
.
"Let's get a move on, Wolf; our trial begins soon!" Wolf's best friend in the whole world, his brother, Call of Ferocious Lion, was also taking his trial today. However, the two toms' tests would be quite different since Wolf was a provider in training, and Lion was training to be a fighter. Wolf grinned at the other trainee, his amber eyes glinting mischievously.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. I just wanted to make sure I look my best!" Wolf did a little spin, showing off his perfectly groomed coat. "What d'ya think? Pretty good, huh?" Lion rolled his eyes and playfully shoved Wolf. The black tom sputtered unhappily and glared at his now ruffled fur. "Hey!" Lion lifted a brow, unconcerned. "What? You're gonna get messy anyway."

Wolf groaned but didn't argue back; Lion was more stubborn than any cat he'd ever met. After a moment, he opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get the words out, their mentors called their names from opposite ends of the camp. Wolf hesitated for a moment before offering a friendly smile to his brother. "Good luck out there."

Lion licked the top of Wolf's head. "You too; I'll see ya later." Wolf nodded as his brother padded away, then turned toward his own mentor, Moss, on Rocky Streambed.

"Are you ready to go? This trial isn't going to be as easy as any normal training session, you know." Wolf inclined his head; his eyes were stony and serious. "I understand. I'm ready." Moss hummed, pleased with his answer. Alright then, let's get going.
.
.
.
The sun was high in the sky, ruthlessly beating down on Wolf's dark pelt. His jaws parted slightly as he panted heavily. It was so hot, and he was so tired. Moss was out there somewhere, probably watching him right now. All he had to do was catch one more piece of prey; then, they could move on to identifying dangerous plants.

For now, all Wolf could think about was this final catch.

As he stalked through the undergrowth, Wolf felt a strange presence nearby. He turned slowly, his eyes going wide with shock at the sight of his brother, Lion, behind him. He hadn't even smelled or heard him coming!

"L-Lion? What are you doing here? I thought you needed to fight your battle?" Lion smiled calmly and moved to walk alongside him. "I've finished already; I just wanted to check on you and let you know how much I love you." Wolf smiled weakly, he was exhausted, but he truly appreciated that Lion came to see him right away. "I'm so glad you finished your trial. Oh! And without a single scratch on you! That's truly amazing, Lion."

Lion paused and looked away. "Hey, what's wrong?" Wolf gazed at his brother, concerned, but Lion shook his head and lovingly nuzzled his shoulder. "Nothing, I have to go now, but you're gonna do great, I know it."

Wolf pressed his forehead to Lion's, feeling rejuvenated. "Thank you, and I love you too."

The toms parted ways once again, leaving Wolf feeling much better than earlier. He could do this! He'd pass his trial just like Lion had, and together, they would help protect the cats of The Fallen!
.
.
.
Just as Wolf pounced on his final catch of the day, Moss ran up to him, her green eyes glimmering with tears. "Wolf! You have to come quick! Something went wrong with Lion's trial! He-he's hurt!"

Wolf dropped the mouse in his jaws, the fur along his body frizzing up fearfully. L-Lion was hurt!? But how!? He'd just seen him a few moments ago, and he was fine; his trial went fine! This made no sense at all! He stared blankly at Moss, his eyes watering. "B-But...I just saw him...I thought he finished his trial..." Moss shook her head, annoyed. "Stop joking! You need to see him!"

They returned to the camp, the scent of blood heavy in the air. Wolf pushed his way past each cat in the way until he finally reached the healer's clearing. Laying on a soft, now red, bed of moss was Lion.

"Lion! Lion! Is he okay!? What happened!?"

The sole healer of The Fallen, Owl in Mid Flight, rested his tail across Wolf's shoulders, his yellow eyes dark with sympathy. "He's gone, Wolf. He didn't even survive the trip back to the camp. I'm so sorry." Wolf stumbled back, tears pouring from his eyes. He looked around, confused, lost, and heartbroken. His tribemates were looking at him as if he were a wounded animal.

"I don't understand! I saw him just a few minutes ago! He was perfectly fine!" His voice trembled with fury and sadness as he spoke; he couldn't stop his tears anymore.

Moss approached Wolf, her gaze stern. "Wolf, calm down. I don't know what you saw, but it wasn't Lion. Just try to calm down; you're scaring your younger tribemates." Wolf followed Moss's gaze to where some of the kits were backing away from him. "I don't care! This isn't right! This makes no sense!"

Wolf stared at Lion's body, his ears pinned against his head. If that cat in the forest wasn't Lion, then who was it?

Word Count: 1,045 words

[Arrikanez]

Username: Arrikanez
Clan: The Dark Carnival

Quest Number: 1
Response:

The Dark Carnival dispenses with terms such as Deputy and Medicine Cat, but the three leaders - Viperstar, Hope Within Tears, and Truth in the Mouth of Lies - get on rather well. This is mostly because they used to be together before becoming cats as well. Viperstar was the ringleader back then, too, and called most of the shots. Back then, his name was Ian Drayton. Trek and Valisk just sort of followed his lead. They were close-knit then, and they're close-knit now, although Hope and Truth have eyes for each other moreso than Viperstar. The "medicine cat" - or the doctor - Hearthunter - is close to several cats in the Carnival, but not so much Viperstar, Hope, and Truth. They feel like he's a few cards short of a full deck, and they're honestly not wrong. His kind of mental state isn't something the three of them really know how to deal with.

However, Hope and Truth are more than capable of correcting Viperstar's mistakes, and understand that this whole 'leader of a group' thing is new to all of them, and mistakes are ALLOWED to be made. It isn't too much of a stretch to say they do love each other, though, and can often be found curled up around each other in an attempt to keep warm. The whole situation with the state of the Carnival has them all worried, even Hearthunter, who - by all counts - is generally the most carefree of the 'top cats' in the group. Warmth, light, and food are rather scarce these days for no real known reason, so they're keeping close watch on everyone in the group to make sure everyone has enough, and everyone is kept safe.

Keeping them safe is generally the job of the Knights [Depth Strider among them] - but the stakes are higher now with more mouths to feed, and more disasters around the corner. In terms of how the top three get on with Hearthunter on an individual basis... well, that highly depends on the time of day, and the day of the week, and if it's nighttime or broad daylight. That cat is unpredictable, as some of his mental issues followed him over from his previous life, and it's hard to keep track of how he's feeling from moment to moment.

Each of the lead cats feels a different way about every one of the others individually, versus as a group.

Viperstar believes that Truth is too willing to give himself over for the group. He believes he has no sense of self-preservation, but isn't super-surprised by this, given the manner which he lived his previous life. He thinks that Hope is a strong cat, with a gigantic source of energy that he honestly wishes he could pull from. He notices, and understands, the bond the two cats share, and attempts not to interfere in their personal business - although they sometimes invite his input into quite personal matters. Hearthunter is a mystery to him, an enigma. He hasn't a clue why the pink cat chose the profession he chose, nor why Chroma chose that name for him. The idea of being poly isn't a new one - Ian himself is - but his choice of companions ALSO doesn't make sense to him. He's left that by the wayside, so long as Hunter does what it says on the tin.

Truth in the Mouth of Lies is a sweetheart to most everyone he meets. He knows this is a second chance, and he's bound and determined that he won't mess this one up. Viperstar is his el Capitan, the one he looks to for orders and for the sense of knowing anything that's going on. When Viper doesn't know what's up, that's when he really worries. Hope Within Tears is his, his one, his only. He loves Viperstar too, but Hope has his heart, and anything the other says he hangs on like a limpet. Granted, there might be a bit of an issue with that when he needs to think with his HEAD and not his HEART, and something that Hope says isn't completely the right thing to do - but he can't help himself. He's in love, and he knows it. Hearthunter, is someone he avoids like mad. The cat is unhinged, and Truth wants none of that. He's glad he knows his medical stuff, but he isn't about to hang around and have a conversation.

Hope Within Tears only has eyes for Truth in that he is obsessed with keeping him safe, keeping him calm, keeping him HERE. He lost him once before, and has promised himself that he won't lose him again. Never. Again. Viperstar is his commander. The one who makes the plans, and puts troops on the board. Hope follows his reasoning, but sometimes calls his judgement into question if he thinks he has a better option. It wouldn't be too far to say that the two butt heads a lot when it comes to decisions of strategy, but they still love each other personally. The rest of the cats may fear Hearthunter, but Hope just feels sorry for him. He's been in that half-aware, half-not state for a good portion of the years he was around in the other life, and he understands the need for giving that cat a wide berth when he's not feeling himself. Other times, he's happy to sit and chat with him, although keeps most of his cards very close to his chest.

Word Count: 918

Quest Number: 3
Response:

Fortune's End has met StarClan before, just before Chroma scooped him up. Actually, he's been seeing ghosts a lot lately, and unfortunately, he doesn't believe that they're ALL StarClan. He's right. When he was with StarClan, he remembers many warm, furry bodies pressed against his legs, purring, all telling him he was going to be alright, and they'd watch over him. One of them even told him he was 'Pretty okay for a twoleg', and then put his paw on the Not-yet-Fortune's chest, and told him to be well. They waited with him as though they knew he was destined for the Carnival, passing on cat wisdom, and the knowledge of things yet to come. Of course... Fortune doesn't remember a good portion of this - just vague feelings, visions in dreams, and the constant fact that he knows he's being watched over.

Word Count: 143

[canadianhowl]

Username: canadianhowl
Clan: https://toyhou.se/canadianhowl/characte ... er:2458110

Quest Number: 1
Response:

These three cats have the perfect dynamic. Tulipbreeze is very sassy and outgoing. She is quite intelligent and is the best medic the clan has seen in moons. Vixencloud is more shy, reserved, and is very nurturing. She is great with comfort with the sick cats. Pepper leap is very levelheaded. He is more logical and quick thinking and is very on his paws about storage and diagnosing. Their three personalities all go well together with them balancing each other out. Tulipbreeze knows how to lighten the mood, Vixencloud can bring comfort and peace, and Pepperleap helps keeps all of them grounded.

Word Count: 102