#defunct lore

Zente

Not much is known about the cat known as Zente. Accounts of his pasts are inconsistent and oftentimes contradict one another. He may tell you he was born under pitiful circumstances or that he is from a long line of successful (but private!) catfolk. He might have been an excellent student or a troublesome delinquent. He could have experience in numerous fields harboring numerous inside connections or be a hardworking underdog that simply trusts his gut. His story is ever changing, molded on a whim to suit his needs in a particular moment. After all, what is a narrative but a pristine block of clay? And Zente is keen to keep it pliable for as long as he can.

The Naturalist's Collective

The Naturalist's Collective is a camp residing in the Harvest borough. It was founded by a Metropolis cat, Zente, who claimed to have the solution to the misery and anguish denizens of the borough faced daily. He declared the cause of this suffering to be the unnatural state Metropolis cats resided in. Sprawling towers, constant lights, radio waves, and even medicine were touted as corruptive forces, poisoning the mind, body, and soul. The only remedy to such vile maladies was to escape from it all, to return to the primitive lifestyles of their ancestors, and Zente swore he could provide it. All he needed was a generous donation or two, and volunteers who could dedicate themselves to the cause.

Most saw through the scheme, but many fell hook, line, and sinker. Desperate cats who sought salvation from their suffering turned to Zente for sweet succor, and he delivered. Using funds amassed by his now devout followers, much of which were entire life savings, he purchased a plot of land in the Harvest borough. There he and his collective would set up camp to live their lives, free from the unnatural lifestyle that reigned in the Metropolis. They foraged and hunted their meals, for agriculture was the beginning of the end of catkind. They ate their food raw, as the cooking process destroyed vital nutrients. They relied on naturopathic remedies, because the surely the power of nature surpasses the unnatural chemicals peddled as medicine. The Naturalist's Collective is content with their way of life and eager to deliver the truth to the world, consequences be damned.

Fraud, sham, charlatan, call Zente whatever you like, but he is no fool. He is well aware the Naturalist's Collective runs on a misguided philosophy, but he does not care. While the other cats were satisfied with living like common fauna, Zente secretly enjoyed the luxuries of modernity from deep within his den. He ate warm meals made with the finest ingredients the Harvest borough had to offer, he listened to the radio to keep track of local and inter-borough happenings, and most damning of all, he kept his medicine cache well stocked. Of all his schemes, this was by far his best one yet. All he needed to do was keep everything under control. No matter the cost.

Cherryleap

Cherryleap was born to a couple residing in the "Naturalist's Collective", a camp that eschewed modern innovations and preferred to live a more 'primitive' lifestyle. She grew up as one of the few kits among the camp, as her littermates did not survive past kittenhood after succumbing to illness. She was led to believe that this was a normal and natural occurrence that was not preventable. She was a curious and rambunctious child, always asking questions. Though she was quite accepting of the answers she'd recieve, this open minded nature of hers would eventually lead to her leaving the fold.

Young Cherryleap would often join her family in campaigns to "deliver the truth" to wider world, relishing in the excitement of seeing just how different life outside the Naturalist's Collective was. In one of these trips, she bore witness to an educational agroforestry event, and in an instant she was captivated by the practice. Despite her interest, she was forbidden from interacting with the demonstrators further, being quickly ushered away and returned home. Though her parents tried to make her forget or diminish what she'd seen, the seeds had already been planted.

Upon reaching adolescence, Cherryleap was quick to jump on any opportunity that would allow her to leave camp unsupervised for an extended period of time. Unbeknownst to the Collective, she was not "delivering truth" on her excursion, but seeking out agroforesters to learn more about their practice. Luckily, it did not take very long for her to find a group of advocates that were willing to take her under their wing. Though her primary interest lied in agroforestry philosophy and techniques, she was also keen to learn how the wider world operated. She tasted cooked meals for the first time, experienced 'new' technological innovations such as indoor plumbing and radio, and most shocking of all, the power of true medicine.

Though the Naturalist's Collective boasted about the effectiveness of their natural remedies, Cherryleap soon realized that was nothing but a bold faced lie. The Harvest borough's herbal medicine seemed miraculous by comparison. Not only was there medicine for any ailment, but it was tangibly effective, and it saved lives. This revelation broke her.

THIS IS NOW CLOSED

In the last few months, the clan has seen a fairly large uptick of visitors to its generally...intimidating and unwelcoming lands. While before this would have been problematic and a precursor to war, now it is a sign of the clan’s growing prosperity and the far-reaching appeal of their wares.

Soibhan, the Ravener

Born in the ruins of the Mirrorlight Promenade to a nest made of dead bushes and scattered stones, Soibhan started life as all mirrors do—hungry and vocal about it. She marveled at the broken columns surrounding her while wondering whether anything to eat sat at their tops. The pack of her parents had long since departed, unable to stand staying still long enough for a nest to hatch, but her parents felt little worry. Another pack would be found; they would run again soon, and now they would have a daughter by their side. Perhaps because of the location of her birth, Soibhan was not like other mirrors. Though she found nothing to eat atop those columns, she found them intensely fun to climb, and even better to leap from. The wings of mirrors could not support them long, but she flew as long as she could whenever she could, a quirk that confused but ultimately satisfied her parents. She was different, and that wasn't bad.

Soon, another pack came, and away they went, running South through the Hewn City and beyond into the lands of storm and static. Soibhan learned how to hunt, how to run, and became well accomplished in both. Her penchant for flight helped her travel farther, as it gave her legs a rest. Hunting became a game she always sought new challenges for. Months of careful practice had her hunting with only a single set of eyes at a time, in situations opposite the intended use of each pair. After a year, she could hunt without sight at all. Younger mirrors flocked to her, begging her to teach them, seeing in her a sort of leader. Soibhan drank the attention as readily as water.

Their pack grew from a few to a dozen, to several dozen, and always they ran, always they ate. Hunger and companionship both drove these dragons through life. And while the pack always shifted, growing larger or smaller over time, Soibhan and her parents remained the same. They would always be together, even when everything else changed. The attack came when the pack found itself at its smallest. Harpies had accosted the pack before, but always in smaller numbers, and never so savagely. This time, the harpy flock tripled their pack and attacked with such speed and ruthlessness that the mirrors stood little chance. They were ground fighters, not fliers. Soibhan alone tried to fight in the air, and she paid dearly for it, though not as dearly as her parents. Her pack...gone. She was alone for the first time in her life, broken of body and spirit at the border of lightning and fire.

Maedoc found her as a thing of skin and bone, clinging to life by stubbornness alone. As with all orphans, he took her under his wing, bringing her to clan Ignatius and nursing her back to health. Soibhan's veracious appetite took the clan by surprise, all except Maedoc, who had known a mirror once, long ago. He hunted for her while she healed, ignoring her complaining and whining about being pampered and babied. When she could hunt again, he gave her the clan's blessing to use their lands, fully expecting her to disappear, as all mirrors incapable of settling down eventually do. But Soibhan found the clan of fire and metal intriguing. She found their companionship as a balm to soothe her wounded heart just as they'd soothed her physical injuries. She returned, again and again, until it was obvious she would be there to stay, even if she slept in the clan caves once out of every seven days.

Lightning Sprite : Are familiars important for your Clan?