#dustclaw

Fabrics and Materials

Within the Vale, there are a number of materials that can be used for making clothes. These include cotton, flax, hemp, sheep and goat wool, angora hairs, and deer leather. Flax and hemp grow naturally in the Vale and deer and longhaired rabbits roam the lands. Cotton, along with sheep and goats, were brought from the Gray Family.

All five clans have sheep and/or goats, though Windclan has the most with Riverclan as a close second. Herdsmen and domesticated minor monsters care for the sheep and goats. Every so often, the animals are sheared, the wool is cleaned, spun, dyed, and woven into blankets and winterwear. Sometimes they’re made into slippers and socks for winter.

Cotton, while practical and comfortable, is one of the hardest fabrics to produce due to the nightmare that is extracting seeds (cotton seed picking duty is commonly given as a punishment to unruly apprentices and warriors). They’re most commonly farmed in Sky and Thunderclan and used for all-season clothing.

Linen, like cotton, is used for clothing, but is also used for blankets. It’s grown from flax and the fibers are dried and woven into a light, durable fabric. They’re commonly worn in summer and are grown by every clan.

When bringing back game, hunters will leave the skin of caught deer for tanners. The skin will be laid out to dry and refined with old bones. The leather is often used for making boots, gloves, and grips for weapons. Leftover scraps can be used to make durable rope.

Hemp is grown in all clans due to it being so useful. While it is commonly used for parchment and rope, felids can weave it to make shoes and water-resistant cloths.

Angora fur isn’t normally used to make a full piece of clothing. It’s commonly used in lining for leather boots and coats or trimming for cloaks and hoods. The fabric is made from the hairs of angora rabbits. Every clan has them, and shearing them is a common minor task given to older kittens not yet ready to be apprenticed alongside the rabbit keepers. Outside of textile usage, these rabbits are common pets. Every settlement will have at least one felid who keeps one as a pet.

Dyes

Acorns create a warm brown dye when boiled. Oak bark makes a slightly lighter dye. All clans except Windclan have easy access to these dyes.

Alder bark is used to make a warm, reddish-orange dye. Thunder and Skyclan commonly have them, but some alder trees are in Riverclan.

Basil makes a pale lavender gray dye. Shadowclan has access to this color.

Blackberries can be used to make either a pinkish-purple dye or deep purple dye depending on the juice-to-water ratio. Thunderclan has most blackberry bushes, but Skyclan have a few. 

Bloodroot is used to make an orange dye. All clans have access to this color.

Broom sage stalks are used to make a golden-brown dye. They’re commonly found in Windclan territory, but Riverclan has a sizable portion of them too.

Cherries are used to make a pink dye. They’re often found in Thunderclan with River, Shadow, and Sky having a few of them.

Chokeberries are used to make a pinkish-red dye. They’re commonly found in Thunder and Skyclan.

Dandelion roots are used to make a warm brown dye while their flowers are used to make a golden yellow dye. Every clan has access to these colors.

Dogwood bark makes a blue dye and the red fruit makes a greenish-blue dye. Thunder and Skyclan have access to these colors.

Elderberries are used to make either soft red using unripe berries or deep lavender using ripe berries. It’s found in all clans except Windclan.

Fennel flowers and leaves are used to make a yellow-brown dye. The dried seeds can make a very pale brown color. Windclan has most of the fennel in the Vale.

Goldenrod flowers make a sunny yellow dye. River, Wind, and Thunderclan have most of the goldenrod.

Heather is used to make a yellow dye. They’re found in abundance in Windclan, but some are found in Shadow and Riverclan.

Hemlock bark is used to make a reddish-brown dye. It’s commonly found in Shadowclan.

Huckleberries/blueberries can be used to make a pale lavender dye. Thunderclan has access to most of these berries while Skyclan have not as much.

Marigold is used to make a yellow dye. They’re found in all clans.

Oak galls are much like walnut hulls in their color range, but are a little more expansive in their locale. Shadow and Riverclan has limited access to the dye, but it’s still enough for some fabrics to be colored this without need of trade.

Raspberries can be used to make a deep pink dye. They’re often found in Thunderclan, but some are in Skyclan.

Sumac berries are used to make a soft dark red dye. They’re commonly found in Thunder, Sky, and Shadowclan, but some creep into River and Windclan. Sumac dye is commonly used on leather.

Walnut hulls are boiled in water to produce black and brown dyes. They’re often found in Thunder and Skyclan.

Willow bark is used to make a peachy brown dye. Riverclan has these in abundance with Shadow, Thunder, and Skyclan having a few.

... I’m making a comic based in this AU and need BG characters. Your ability to make it through this makes you immediately awesome in my eyes (if you understood it, even more so, because I am so dense, I can’t even tell what I’m saying), so I’d be honored to draw your Warriors OCs in my comic.

Dustclaw - Oak Colony Keeper

Parents: Maplebark and Ashbranch

Sibling: Frondsway

Dustclaw is Frondsway’s brother and mate to Vinestripe. Dustclaw is gruff, but good-natured; he tends to be more confrontational and on edge around those outside of Oak Colony. Patrolling around the borders spikes Dustclaw’s anxiety, and he’d rather not risk running into who he considers strangers. 

Dustclaw was pretty harsh on Frondsway when Tornleg had his accident, and agreed with Brakenfoot that justice should be served. His sister shouldn’t be able to neglect those in her colony who were depending on her because she didn’t plan ahead. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Frondsway and Dustclaw don’t share friendly banter and a bird together as often as they used to.

Dustclaw knows a lot about fibers such as grasses, vines and saplings; he is a master den builder and often organizes repairs after storms and damage, teaching weaving techniques. He take a lot of pride in his work and that extends to his kittens: Larkwing and Aspenbreeze. He looks forward to raising a second litter with the love of his life, Vinestripe, if she is up for it

Vinestripe - Oak Colony Envoy

Parents: Stormclaw and Stagcharge

Currently training Frost

Vinestripe is the daughter of Stormclaw and Stagcharge, but has more of a sense of humor than her serious natured parents. She has a bit of a devil-may-care attitude and loves a good brawl, but her tongue is often sharper than her claws. She loves to fling insults, but is also quick to forgive. She settled down with Dustclaw because she views him as the most practical tom of her prospective mates, though she’ll never forget the relationship she had with a rogue tom at a younger age…Ah, youth. 

As a mother, Vinestripe wasn’t too controlling of Aspen and Lark’s behavior, allowing them to wander and make mistakes. She is truly more of a solitary cat, but Colony life is what she knows and prefers.

Vinestripe is quite a bit more radical in her political ideals, maybe a trait that was carried over from her late mother, and tends to roll her eyes at Captain Elmtail whenever he makes lukewarm decisions about things. What the Colony needs, in her opinion, is a bold and decisive leader, willing to throw their weight around! She mostly keeps it to herself though, and is more content to busy herself with hunting.