#arty talks

BASIC DESCRIPTION

ThunderClan are thought to be named for the Thunderpath that divides them from RiverClan’s territory, though many ThunderClan warriors also claim the legend that Thunderstar gave them the boulders unique to their territory by sending them crashing down from a distant mountain. 

Much like their neighbours in ShadowClan, they generally pride themselves on being self-sufficient in spite of their small and hazardous territory. However, this can also manifest as pride to the point of stubbornness when they enter hard times. Perhaps due to the natural barrier that is Mosswood, they are a defensive Clan by nature, not prone to starting conflict but keen to strike out when they feel threatened.

The Clan’s main prey includes mice, voles, squirrels, rabbits, and occasionally bats, as well as birds such as pigeons, jackdaws, blackbirds, thrushes, finches and others.

ThunderClan takes advantage of thick undergrowth to hunt, and are proficient at stalking prey until the very last minute, catching them from close up.

NOTABLE TERRITORY FEATURES

Mosswood - the heart of the forest that makes up most of ThunderClan’s territory is dominated by a tangle of stunted oaks, covered in mosses and lichens, rarely frequented by Twolegs. The ground is rocky and treacherous to outsiders, thus making it an easily defensible place to camp for ThunderClan.

Sky Oak - amid the tangling branches of stunted oaks, a tall oak towers above them all. From the top of it, a cat can look out onto the moor and sight even the river that divides RiverClan from the other Clans.

Snakerocks - though all the rocky ground in Mosswood can prove a dangerous hiding place for adders, a tall pile of rocks southwest of camp boasts the most abundant population of the venomous creatures. Much like the Snakerocks in the forest territory, it is a valuable yet risky source of herbs and prey.

The blue hollow - a low clearing in a sheltered part of Mosswood forms the ideal area for battle training. The hollow is littered with bluebells in the spring and summer, earning it its name. Beyond it, the tangled forest is used to practice ThunderClan’s unique hunting skills.

ThunderClan’s camp is located in a natural dip in the forest, and surrounded by brambles and mossy boulders, making the clearing incredibly well hidden. The official entrance is located through a small gap in the brambles, though it is deliberately difficult to pass through, and instead a number of secret entrances are more frequently used, including a gap in the roots of a tree, and several cracks in the boulders. In the center of the clearing is a giant oak with deep roots that form dens.

The leader’s den is located at the base of the tree, beneath Mossbranch, the announcement point. The warriors sleep in one of two alcoves on either side of the tree. The medicine den is located in a deep cave within the boulders with a wide entrance and stone roof, draped with moss and lichen and grasses for shelter. The apprentices sleep in a smaller cave on the far end of camp. The nursery and elder’s dens are located at the back of camp beneath bramble bushes and reinforced by boulder walls. The boulders around camp provide natural den walls, but in winter dens are often insulated with dried ferns.

LEADERSHIP HISTORY

Thornstar - first leader of ThunderClan, one of the founding leaders of the moor Clans, though obviously not remembered as such. Authoritative with an eye for his own idea of tradition. Best remembered for defining the warrior code as it exists today, and creating the seventeenth rule which outlaws nepotism.

Stemstar - second leader of ThunderClan. She was somewhat of a daughter figure to Thornstar, and so respected the things he put in place and emulating his leadership style though in a relatively inoffensive manner, leaning more toward defensiveness. She died in a freak lightning strike, empowering Violetseer’s coup.

Violetseer - an unofficial leader of ThunderClan, a keeper who believed himself to be blessed by StarClan, took Stemstar’s death as a sign and elected himself leader, ending the deputy succession and creating a brief theocracy. He was very quickly ousted by ThunderClan warrior Silverpelt, who first exiled and later killed him.

Silverstar - third leader of ThunderClan, taking over officially after Violetseer’s death. She was never Stemstar’s deputy, but her Clan put their faith in her due to her decisive action. She became the strongest leader known to the moor Clans, but not without her own wars - a prolonged war with ShadowClan eventually resulted in her death.

Loudstar - fourth leader of ThunderClan. She rose to leadership after Silverstar’s death and fostered peace with ShadowClan. Despite her brash and exuberant personality she is remembered as one of the most actively peace-seeking leaders of the moor, mediating many conflicts. She was the first to advocate action to countermand the blackcough disease, which she herself ultimately succumbed to while delivering aid to WindClan.

Fernstar - current leader of ThunderClan, rising to the position after Loudstar’s death to sickness. He is an insecure leader, seeking advice from the more experienced and basing decisions solely on what makes him feel at ease. He knows he must perform as a strong cat, but his leadership is weak and will cause problems down the line.

ALLEGIANCES

FERNSTAR -  he/him - 89 moons Fernstar is a dark reddish-brown tom, and the current leader of ThunderClan, taking over from Loudstar after she succumbed to blackcough. He is roughly 7 years old, and is the son of deceased ThunderClan warriors Frostfeather and Thunderfoot, alongside his littermate and deputy Sparrowsong. Their half-sibling is WindClan leader Applestar, sharing the same mother as Frostfeather left her birth Clan to be with her new mate.

SPARROWSONG - she/her - 89 moons Sparrowsong is a speckled brown molly, and Fernstar’s littermate and deputy. Her mate is the warrior Waspfang, and they’ve had three litters together: Ravenwatcher and Gorseclaw, Timbertail and Perchpaw, and Featherkit, the youngest of which is nursed by the den queens. Sparrowsong’s apprentice is her grandson Amberpaw. TIMBERTAIL - he/him - 13 moons Timbertail is a slight brown tabby tom with a wiry brush of a tail, and ThunderClan’s current keeper. He became a full keeper at a mere 9 moons old after former keeper Darkleaf passed away and the Clan was forced to elect a new one from the warrior apprentices, and he has since been receiving supplementary training from WindClan’s Dapplemane as per an agreement between the leaders, though RiverClan’s Cedarglint has also shown an interest in the young cat. Timbertail is the son of Sparrowsong and Waspfang, and the littermate of Perchpaw. Though he is reluctant to take an apprentice before he is ready, he has been watching his infant sibling Featherkit with interest.

WASPFANG - he/him - 104 moons Waspfang is a solid black tom and mate of Sparrowsong. Born openly half-clan as the son of RiverClan’s Cinderstorm and ShadowClan’s Whitebranch, he chose to move to ThunderClan to escape his familial ties entirely. Roughly 8 years old, he has had three litters with Sparrowsong, and hopes to mentor his youngest Featherkit when he is of age. Though he seems devoted to his mate, there are questions raised about his fidelity, though he openly spurns these rumours as prejudice against his half-Clan heritage.

CHERRYSHADE - she/her - 96 moons Cherryshade is a huge blue-gray molly with large paws. She is the only daughter of deceased warrior Eeltail, brought into the Clan at a young age as rumours proliferated that her mother was a rogue. Nonetheless, she is a strong and devotedly loyal warrior, and at 8 years old her allegiances are no longer questioned. She is the mentor of Vinepaw.

CLAYPOOL - he/him - 60 moons Claypool is an energetic red tom and Gorseclaw’s mate. He is also the father of their kits: Halfkit, Shadekit and Nutkit. Before settling with Gorseclaw, he was originally the mate of her sister Ravenwatcher, but backed out of the relationship barely a moon after their kits were born due to his criticisms of Ravenwatcher’s personality and perceived idleness. He is not ignorant of his older kits, but does not treat them as kin. He is also the mentor of Perchpaw.

PERCHPAW - he/him - 13 moons Perchpaw is a reddish-brown tom with dark tabby stripes, and part of Sparrowsong and Waspfang’s second litter. After the former medicine cat Darkleaf died, he and his brother were brought to the Mooncave by the other medicine cats, for StarClan itself to make its choice. Perchpaw does not resent his brother being chosen as medicine cat, happy to be a warrior apprentice under Claypool, but he ponders the reasons behind the outcome every day. After his brother is threatened by a mysterious wraith-cat one night, he goes on the search for answers.

AMBERPAW - he/they - 7 moons Amberpaw is a creamy brown tom, and the son of Ravenwatcher and Claypool, his littermate being Vinepaw. Having been apprentices only a moon, he and his sister are eager to prove themselves and help rejuvenate ThunderClan’s numbers in the wake of the blackcough plague. Amberpaw has ambitions of one day being leader, due to his familial connections and apprenticeship to his deputy grandmother, who he is much closer to than his birth parents.

VINEPAW - she/her - 7 moons Vinepaw is a dusky brown tabby molly with bright green eyes, and Amberpaw’s littermate. Just as eager and ambitious as Amberpaw, she has a lot to learn from those who lived through the plague. She is fiercely close to her mother Ravenwatcher, not fully understanding other cats’ perspective on her.

GORSECLAW - she/her - 39 moons Gorseclaw is a dark brown molly, and a nursing queen. She is currently caring for her and Claypool’s three kits: Halfkit, Shadekit, and Nutkit. She is also nursing Sparrowsong’s son Featherkit so Sparrowsong can continue her duties.

RAVENWATCHER - she/her - 39 moons Ravenwatcher is a brown molly with dark eyes and a torn ear. Though her kits with Claypool are well into apprenticeship, she remains in the nursery as a den mother, caring for the kits part-time and only occasionally joining hunting patrols. She appears to other cats as a standoffish sort, talking rarely to other cats outside her mother and her younger brother Perchpaw. Her mate was formerly Claypool, though they seemed to have fallen out due to his criticisms of her perceived idleness, and he now pursues her sister Gorseclaw.

HALFKIT - she/her - 5 moons Halfkit is a russet molly with a stumpy tail, which was partially amputated after an infection. She has a weak constitution but is resilient and risk-taking. Daughter of Gorseclaw and Claypool.

SHADEKIT - he/him - 5 moons Shadekit is a dark red tabby tom, and is the more measured among his siblings. Son of Gorseclaw and Claypool.

NUTKIT - she/her - 5 moons Nutkit is a red molly, and seems to share her father’s energetic and boisterous personality. Daughter of Gorseclaw and Claypool.

FEATHERKIT - he/him - 2 moons Featherkit is a smoky black tom. He is curious and solemn, drawing comparisons to his brother Perchpaw. Son of Sparrowsong and Waspfang.

TRIVIA

ThunderClan practices ‘cadent’ naming, and cats are often named in a way that is satisfying to pronounce, whether due to alliteration, sibilance, or other such quirks.

ThunderClan’s territory, Mosswood in particular, takes inspiration from Wistman’s Wood, an oak wood in Dartmoor known for its abundance of boulders and mosses/lichen.

I went around and looked about the audience I was presenting myself to compare my prices, kind of getting an average of what my friends and peers were charging without comparing myself to them, the pros. 

Figure out what you might feel comfortable drawing. I was scared of drawing much more than faces/portraits and figured, I would be decent enough to knock out them quicker than a full body or clothes.

Set my prices to something you also feel comfortable with. I knew I wasn’t the best, but not the roughest! I was like, well this person is close to my level, so okay I will be a little lower without feeling I was ripping myself or a client off. I knew I could raise and lower prices as I got better or have sales, etc. 

“We teach people how to treat us.” Long story short, I used to do full pieces for 5 or 10 bucks for a friend and they quickly took advantage of it and got offended when I wanted to charge 20 bucks for a portrait. I refused to budge because she didn’t seem to respect my time nor cared about supporting my work. She quickly took off ending a very one-sided friendship as it seems. (she wanted 8pics for 10dollas total).

Limit the number of commissions I offer, 3 or 5 at a time as to not overwhelm myself and stress out! I knew if I was done early I could always open them again instead of panicking and starting a vicious cycle of anxiety.  Depending on things at Uni I can go up to 10 and as low as 3, not taking any some months. 

I set some terms from the beginning to save you and the client a hard time! If they know I give them 2 Free Edits, they tend to have a more clear idea of what they want in mind and it will save you from suddenly reworking a whole piece. 

Keep transparency is a big plus for me. At any time I allow a client to see the work, even if it's not a finished line art, or mid colouring, etc. I've also started a public page on my blog that lets people see what’s going on. If I haven't started, I tell them. I will be honest if I am having trouble.

Honestly Anony, my biggest suggestion from experience is to start small and be honest always with those that commission you. As you get comfortable in what you do you can adjust as you need. Nothing is set in stone and whatever you do, don't worry about not getting a lot of commissions right away! The less you have, the more care you can spend on them.

And please, know my DMs are always open if you want to talk more or if I missed anything you may have questions about.