Well...here it is. I'm not sure if the markings are acceptable, and all that, but I just discovered this contest today...(one day before the deadline) and noticed that Panacea was away, so I thought I might as well go ahead and give it a try.
I used some of the info from the Wikipedia article on lynxes to determine the accuracy of the markings- I did put the required white underbelly, chest, and chin, and the black tail tip, as well as some other things.
I included some paw pads...not sure if those are right, since I don't really draw cats that much.
Anyway, here's the form~
Username:
Athenian Dragon
Cat's Name:
Minerva
Gender:
Female
Age:
Teen
Species:
Siberian lynx (I have depicted her here in the winter coat, which is silver-gray for lynxes)
Rank:
Tracker. It was quite apparent from the start that while Minerva would kill to defend herself and her Clan, it wasn't something she wanted to do on a regular basis (for example, Scout), so she was given the job of Tracker (see personality for more information).
Does your cat have the Sight?:
Yes
What is your cat's Sight Bird?:
Minerva's sight bird is a Snowy Owl, as can be seen from the feathers she wears on her necklace and tail, as well as her eye color (which matches the eye color of her Sight Bird). Although this hasn't been proven to be true, she feels that it is easier to use the Sight when wearing the feathers.
I don't have a drawing, but I have a picture. Don't worry, it's a stock photo that I have permission to use ^^
Sight Bird's Name:
The Sight Bird's name is Nike, who in the Greek version of Minerva's name was essentially a helper to her. Even though it isn't quite the equivalent here, she still "helps" Minerva, of course.
Personality:
(I had this partially written out for something else before, so this is really her basis personality for everything ^^ It is based a lot off my own personality, because I find that very easy to write about and it...well, it flows)
Minerva is a bit shy and reserved at times, but is friendly with those she knows well- although, she does not make friends easily most of the time. She is very caring and gentle; always willing to help even if the task could affect her own plans. Around strangers, though, she can be a bit awkward in conversation, and often fears that they are bored by what she has to say. Minerva's quite cautious about doing things, always liking to plan things out before taking action.
Often she drifts into reveries, lying in the sun, staring into space, and thinking about things- the topics she thinks about vary broadly, so it's rather hard to describe that. She believes strongly in respecting all others.
As outlined in the "rank" portion of this form, she will kill to defend her Clan and herself but does not want to kill all the time, nor imprison others, but if the task is set to her she will do it without question, although she may not necessarily enjoy it.
A part of her personality that truly irritates some cats is that when she's concentrating on something and they're talking to her, she won't look at them. Essentially, she'll "address" the thing she is working on; for example, if she would happen to be eating and also talking to another cat at the same time, she wouldn't look at the cat but the food while she was talking. She means no disrespect, it's just a tendency for her to do so naturally.
She's a bit more superstitious than other cats...
Skills:
Minerva excels at, as the rank requires, stealth and instinct. Despite the size of her paws, which are a lot larger than they should be, she is able to walk silently and run fast (although if she's too excited, she is liable to trip over her own paws). Oh, and The Sight, obviously (she'd be a rather hopeless cat if she couldn't utilize it given that she has the power of The Sight)
Story:
The night was cold and unforgiving. Snow and hail drove mercilessly down upon the den under a dead birch tree where a mother lynx shivered. The biting wind seemed to reach all corners, even the deepest, of the den, blowing right through the bones of the mother lynx, and she howled as a sudden gust of wind carried wet snow into the den.
The blizzard had struck suddenly upon the loner as she trotted through the mountains around the Valley of Astrum, and in desperation she had searched for a den. It wasn't much, but she'd found a small buildup of rocks on the side of the mountain, and had to make do before the hail began to rain down. To make things worse, she was about to have puppies. Oh, where were the cats she had heard of, the Cats of Astrum? She knew that long ago her ancestors had separated from their Clan during a storm like this one.
Yowling in desperation, she cried for the Cats to save her; her endurance that she had inherited from many generations ago, from the noble Avalon who was created on the Day of Creation, was beginning to waver.
How She Was Found:The sleek snow leopard trotted through the snowy fields, glancing uneasily at The Gate of Moons, on the trail of a strange scent. Hm? It wasn't one that he knew. It didn't even smell like it had originated in the Valley. Ah! There it was, stronger than before! He snuffled at the snow, and noticed paw prints. The cat who had created them must have been tired, because the paw prints were close together and dragged out, as if it had been limping or shuffling. With a snort, the snow leopard ran a bit faster now, following the paw prints, until he reached a pile of boulders. Looking around, he noticed some tracks that didn't match the ones of his clan, nor the ones that he had been following, and quickly he squeezed into the little cave that the boulders made. He knew it was a great risk to be entering Velocia Clan territory, but he just had to find out where this scent was coming from! As he dug deeper, the scents of a female began intermingling with Velocia scents.
He gasped at what he saw. A bloody female lynx lay on the ground next to a Velocia scout, which was just as bloody. Both appeared to be breathing, but the snow leopard needed to eliminate the first threat. Quickly he clamped his jaws around the Velocia scout, and it died without struggling. Then he focused his attention on the female lynx, ears pricking as a low mewling sound reached his ears. "Save my kitten," wailed the female hoarsely, lifting her tail to reveal not one, but three kittens. "Kitten?" echoed the Warrior. There were three...but two were stillborn. There was one still alive, yowling and mewling as it was exposed to the cold. It was a little silver it with dark gray markings and a snow-colored white belly, the same color of which surrounded the exterior of the den. "Please!" whispered the female. The snow leopard looked at the female, then picked up the kitten by the scruff. Squeezing back outside, he deposited it on the boulders.
The mother lynx didn't look like she would live. Her beautiful golden eyes stared at him. The snow leopard stared back. And he knew what she wanted him to do. She was worthy of a quick death. Swiftly the snow leopard bent down and crushed her jugular, and backed away quickly as air and blood whooshed out of it. Then, he walked outside, and pushed boulders over the opening. It was as much of a burial as he could give her, as she was not part of a clan and there was no place for a burial anywhere near here besides this. Besides, he needed to get out of Velocia territory as soon as possible.
The snow leopard bent down and looked at the pup, straight into its eyes. Both were the color of molten gold, the color of his ancestor Avalon's fur. It mewled pitifully. Sighing, he stared at it for a while. And then suddenly he had a vision. It was simply of the kitten, grown, an owl by her side, and it erased his doubt. She had The Sight. Meowing to himself, he picked the kitten up and sprinted as fast as he could, back the way he had come, to bring to his Clan this new Cat of Astrum.
Her Training:5 months after that night, in the middle of spring, the snow leopard looked down proudly from the top of the largest boulder as the kitten he saved began training to become a tracker in the Cavallino Clan. He had hoped she might've become a Seeker like him, but the task didn't seem to be for her...But he was old now, and he wasn't sure if he'd be alive after the 7 months that it took for the kitten to train to become a tracker. Sighing, the snow leopard watched contentedly as the kitten frolicked with the cat that trained her. He'd thought about training the little kitten, whom they named Minerva for her courage and bravery despite the violent past of her birth and mother; before she'd came of age, and had almost asked the clan leader, but after a bit of pondering, he'd realized that he probably would simply be too old to keep up with the kitten through her training. Despite how much it pained him, he let another cat train Minerva. He mewled quietly and lay his head on his paws. Would Minerva even remember him, having being raised mostly by other cats? She simply knew him as a close friend, and had no idea of her history and the part that he played in it.
Over the last two months of his life, the old snow leopard watched her progress, each new thing she learned bringing joy to him as she scampered, stretching her tiny kitten legs, up the tall boulders to tell him what he had learned that day. There came the day when a conflict in front of The Gate of Moons mortally wounded him. Unable to stand, he was quickly finished off by the Velocia Clan.
She knew that he died fighting.
Art:
Both pieces are by me ^^
+
Facts:
Firstly, The Sight allows a cat, if bonded with a bird, to see through its eyes; or in some cases the larger of the bonded species.
Secondly, On the night of the Full Moon, both of the clans agreed on a day of relief where no cats will fight or search for the stone in the other's territory. This is a night of peace that only comes once a month.
And thirdly, The big cats that live in the Valley of Astrum only come in these species:
leopard, jaguar, mountain lion, bobcat, lynx.
I used some of the info from the Wikipedia article on lynxes to determine the accuracy of the markings- I did put the required white underbelly, chest, and chin, and the black tail tip, as well as some other things.
I included some paw pads...not sure if those are right, since I don't really draw cats that much.
Anyway, here's the form~
Username:
Athenian Dragon
Cat's Name:
Minerva
Gender:
Female
Age:
Teen
Species:
Siberian lynx (I have depicted her here in the winter coat, which is silver-gray for lynxes)
Rank:
Tracker. It was quite apparent from the start that while Minerva would kill to defend herself and her Clan, it wasn't something she wanted to do on a regular basis (for example, Scout), so she was given the job of Tracker (see personality for more information).
Does your cat have the Sight?:
Yes
What is your cat's Sight Bird?:
Minerva's sight bird is a Snowy Owl, as can be seen from the feathers she wears on her necklace and tail, as well as her eye color (which matches the eye color of her Sight Bird). Although this hasn't been proven to be true, she feels that it is easier to use the Sight when wearing the feathers.
I don't have a drawing, but I have a picture. Don't worry, it's a stock photo that I have permission to use ^^
Sight Bird's Name:
The Sight Bird's name is Nike, who in the Greek version of Minerva's name was essentially a helper to her. Even though it isn't quite the equivalent here, she still "helps" Minerva, of course.
Personality:
(I had this partially written out for something else before, so this is really her basis personality for everything ^^ It is based a lot off my own personality, because I find that very easy to write about and it...well, it flows)
Minerva is a bit shy and reserved at times, but is friendly with those she knows well- although, she does not make friends easily most of the time. She is very caring and gentle; always willing to help even if the task could affect her own plans. Around strangers, though, she can be a bit awkward in conversation, and often fears that they are bored by what she has to say. Minerva's quite cautious about doing things, always liking to plan things out before taking action.
Often she drifts into reveries, lying in the sun, staring into space, and thinking about things- the topics she thinks about vary broadly, so it's rather hard to describe that. She believes strongly in respecting all others.
As outlined in the "rank" portion of this form, she will kill to defend her Clan and herself but does not want to kill all the time, nor imprison others, but if the task is set to her she will do it without question, although she may not necessarily enjoy it.
A part of her personality that truly irritates some cats is that when she's concentrating on something and they're talking to her, she won't look at them. Essentially, she'll "address" the thing she is working on; for example, if she would happen to be eating and also talking to another cat at the same time, she wouldn't look at the cat but the food while she was talking. She means no disrespect, it's just a tendency for her to do so naturally.
She's a bit more superstitious than other cats...
Skills:
Minerva excels at, as the rank requires, stealth and instinct. Despite the size of her paws, which are a lot larger than they should be, she is able to walk silently and run fast (although if she's too excited, she is liable to trip over her own paws). Oh, and The Sight, obviously (she'd be a rather hopeless cat if she couldn't utilize it given that she has the power of The Sight)
Story:
The night was cold and unforgiving. Snow and hail drove mercilessly down upon the den under a dead birch tree where a mother lynx shivered. The biting wind seemed to reach all corners, even the deepest, of the den, blowing right through the bones of the mother lynx, and she howled as a sudden gust of wind carried wet snow into the den.
The blizzard had struck suddenly upon the loner as she trotted through the mountains around the Valley of Astrum, and in desperation she had searched for a den. It wasn't much, but she'd found a small buildup of rocks on the side of the mountain, and had to make do before the hail began to rain down. To make things worse, she was about to have puppies. Oh, where were the cats she had heard of, the Cats of Astrum? She knew that long ago her ancestors had separated from their Clan during a storm like this one.
Yowling in desperation, she cried for the Cats to save her; her endurance that she had inherited from many generations ago, from the noble Avalon who was created on the Day of Creation, was beginning to waver.
How She Was Found:The sleek snow leopard trotted through the snowy fields, glancing uneasily at The Gate of Moons, on the trail of a strange scent. Hm? It wasn't one that he knew. It didn't even smell like it had originated in the Valley. Ah! There it was, stronger than before! He snuffled at the snow, and noticed paw prints. The cat who had created them must have been tired, because the paw prints were close together and dragged out, as if it had been limping or shuffling. With a snort, the snow leopard ran a bit faster now, following the paw prints, until he reached a pile of boulders. Looking around, he noticed some tracks that didn't match the ones of his clan, nor the ones that he had been following, and quickly he squeezed into the little cave that the boulders made. He knew it was a great risk to be entering Velocia Clan territory, but he just had to find out where this scent was coming from! As he dug deeper, the scents of a female began intermingling with Velocia scents.
He gasped at what he saw. A bloody female lynx lay on the ground next to a Velocia scout, which was just as bloody. Both appeared to be breathing, but the snow leopard needed to eliminate the first threat. Quickly he clamped his jaws around the Velocia scout, and it died without struggling. Then he focused his attention on the female lynx, ears pricking as a low mewling sound reached his ears. "Save my kitten," wailed the female hoarsely, lifting her tail to reveal not one, but three kittens. "Kitten?" echoed the Warrior. There were three...but two were stillborn. There was one still alive, yowling and mewling as it was exposed to the cold. It was a little silver it with dark gray markings and a snow-colored white belly, the same color of which surrounded the exterior of the den. "Please!" whispered the female. The snow leopard looked at the female, then picked up the kitten by the scruff. Squeezing back outside, he deposited it on the boulders.
The mother lynx didn't look like she would live. Her beautiful golden eyes stared at him. The snow leopard stared back. And he knew what she wanted him to do. She was worthy of a quick death. Swiftly the snow leopard bent down and crushed her jugular, and backed away quickly as air and blood whooshed out of it. Then, he walked outside, and pushed boulders over the opening. It was as much of a burial as he could give her, as she was not part of a clan and there was no place for a burial anywhere near here besides this. Besides, he needed to get out of Velocia territory as soon as possible.
The snow leopard bent down and looked at the pup, straight into its eyes. Both were the color of molten gold, the color of his ancestor Avalon's fur. It mewled pitifully. Sighing, he stared at it for a while. And then suddenly he had a vision. It was simply of the kitten, grown, an owl by her side, and it erased his doubt. She had The Sight. Meowing to himself, he picked the kitten up and sprinted as fast as he could, back the way he had come, to bring to his Clan this new Cat of Astrum.
Her Training:5 months after that night, in the middle of spring, the snow leopard looked down proudly from the top of the largest boulder as the kitten he saved began training to become a tracker in the Cavallino Clan. He had hoped she might've become a Seeker like him, but the task didn't seem to be for her...But he was old now, and he wasn't sure if he'd be alive after the 7 months that it took for the kitten to train to become a tracker. Sighing, the snow leopard watched contentedly as the kitten frolicked with the cat that trained her. He'd thought about training the little kitten, whom they named Minerva for her courage and bravery despite the violent past of her birth and mother; before she'd came of age, and had almost asked the clan leader, but after a bit of pondering, he'd realized that he probably would simply be too old to keep up with the kitten through her training. Despite how much it pained him, he let another cat train Minerva. He mewled quietly and lay his head on his paws. Would Minerva even remember him, having being raised mostly by other cats? She simply knew him as a close friend, and had no idea of her history and the part that he played in it.
Over the last two months of his life, the old snow leopard watched her progress, each new thing she learned bringing joy to him as she scampered, stretching her tiny kitten legs, up the tall boulders to tell him what he had learned that day. There came the day when a conflict in front of The Gate of Moons mortally wounded him. Unable to stand, he was quickly finished off by the Velocia Clan.
She knew that he died fighting.
Art:
Both pieces are by me ^^
+
Facts:
Firstly, The Sight allows a cat, if bonded with a bird, to see through its eyes; or in some cases the larger of the bonded species.
Secondly, On the night of the Full Moon, both of the clans agreed on a day of relief where no cats will fight or search for the stone in the other's territory. This is a night of peace that only comes once a month.
And thirdly, The big cats that live in the Valley of Astrum only come in these species:
leopard, jaguar, mountain lion, bobcat, lynx.
