#nightstep

row 1: eclipsestar, murkmist, frostmoon

row 2: riverhaze, silvertongue, nightstep

row 3: wolfstorm, ashfrost, lightningclaw

except for lightningclaw, who is the SkyClan deputy, all of these guys belong to PineClan, which is one of the four clans formed far in the north after several lake clan cats were wrongfully chased from their home. their territory borders MountainClan and ValeClan, while CavernClan makes their home in the cave system underneath the three territories. they make their camp in a pine forest, but their hunting grounds also include a muskeg dubbed The Frozen Mire by the cats. most of their ancestors come from either ShadowClan or SkyClan.

their territory also includes the outer edges of the Fox Hollows, home to an intelligent fox pack that long pre-dates the Clans. PineClan maintains an uneasy truce with the foxes over the strip of their territories that overlaps, and as such all PineClan apprentices are taught to speak a little bit of fox. while it doesn’t always stop natural predator conflict, they live in peace most of the time.

PineClan prides themselves on their wisdom and history. they have strong oral traditions, and some stories claim to date all the way back to the old forest. elders are revered to a greater degree than in other clans, and their stories are a favorite among apprentices of other clans at gatherings. PineClan also has a role called the Lorekeeper. they hunt but do not fight or patrol borders, however their main role is to record Clan history. a large stone wall, sheltered from the elements in an abandoned burrow, is painted on to record births, deaths, and changes in position (think kinda like Paleolithic cave paintings). 

their build is lean and elegant, their fur kept sleek and well-groomed. dark coats are valued for nighttime hunting, while tabbies and tortoiseshells are great for hunting in trees. many of them, oddly enough, have large and pointy ears, which legend says they developed to listen for prey in the silent woodland. their scent is reminiscent of pine needles, with a muskier undertone from the wetland.

i won’t get into it too much here but it is important to note that all four clans have a special warrior called their Guardian. this warrior is stronger and wiser than the average clan cat, and their soul is continually reincarnated. though not technically a Guardian, the “original” soul comes from Moonchaser, who led the clan cats to their new northern home. there is a LOT of lore surrounding this bit but think like a mix between the avatar and the nerevarine.

anyway cats.

Eclipsestar (Eclipsestream): current leader of PineClan. she’s chill. has a very relaxed and open policy to outsiders (the northern Clans usually do to prevent inbreeding, but even by these standards she’s very welcoming). was very young to be appointed deputy by the previous leader, Wolfstar, so her inexperience and the need to grow up quickly does sometimes still show. however, she’s overall seen as a wise and peaceful leader.

Murkmist: eclipsestar’s deputy and longtime best friend. while she disagrees with some of eclipse's policies, they’re overall a good fit for each other. sly and crafty, she’s usually the first cat to send when dealing with the Fox Hollows. not above causing drama with the other clans, but she will do so in a manner that makes her seem completely uninvolved.

Frostmoon: the senior medicine cat, very old by the time most of these characters roll around. strict, cold, and deeply rooted in tradition. as an apprentice she was considered a prodigy, but like eclipse, she also lost her mentor at a young age, which led to her developing a deep desire to prove herself. this led to her severely mishandling a situation involving the Clan’s previous Guardian, and many cats (perhaps wrongfully, perhaps not) sadly ended up losing their trust in her.

Riverhaze: frostmoon’s former apprentice. nervous, a bit flighty, and eager to please. not a whole lot to say about him, but he’s a good healer and a nice dude. despite his mentor’s failings, he’s still close with her.

Silvertongue: the current Lorekeeper. not a kittypet since humans are gone in this world, i just thought the collar looked nice. though he probably does have outsider roots. clever, sassy, good-natured, and takes his job VERY seriously. also nightstep’s mate, which means he puts up with a lot of nonsense haha. 

Nightstep: the current Guardian and main character of this hypothetical story (and also the cat iteration of my beloved skyrim character, teravyn, though they’ve kind of evolved into separate characters). adventurous, impulsive, and gets into more trouble than what’s good for him. kind to the point where some might call him naive, but to his credit his heart is in the right place, and he’ll grow into the role. however, his impulsivity is again a problem, because he can be absolutely terrifying in battle. very close with wolfstorm and considers her a sister, and his mate is silvertongue whom he loves very much. his other best friend is a former loner called mireclaw, who’s not featured here.

Wolfstorm: young warrior, found by the Clan as a kit. assumed to be a loner kit, but her mother is actually the MountainClan deputy Magpieshadow, who secretly left her kit with PineClan after her mate died and she felt unprepared to raise a kit alone. due to her MountainClan genes, she’s HUGE (and fluffy) compared to the average PineClan cat. to wolf, the warrior code is...more of a suggestion than a rule set. she’s sneaky and not above stealing prey to feed her own clan, but by starclan is she good at staying hidden. some believe her blessed by the (currently unnamed) patron of stealth. very close with both nightstep and silvertongue, as well as another warrior called mireclaw (not featured here).

Ashfrost: a background warrior. also not much to say about her, but i like her a lot. you will never ever find her in the midst of any drama--she is too laidback and too chill with everyone for that nonsense. however, gossip? she is MORE than happy to listen to it, just don’t make her get involved.