#powerofthesun

Scourge plays a large part not only in the events of TPB but of later arcs as well.

He tries to join ThunderClan but is driven out by Tigerpaw. He wanders the clan borders for a while before making his home in twolegplace. After the stories Quince told him about the clans, Tiny still wishes to live in a group like them. He forms BloodClan as inspured by his mother's tales of fearless warriors living a somewhat-noble life.

BloodClan remain a threat during Firepaw's apprenticeship. ThunderClan frequently encounter them in patrols near twolegplace.

BloodClan are more morally forgivable than in canon. They see clan cats as an oppressive threat to kittypets and loners. Skirmishes that take place in twolegplace are over border markings, the clans see BloodClan as a grouo of rogues, so they are to be treated as outsiders according to the warrior code.

BloodClan try to mimic the lifestyle of a clan through meetings and similar names, (Brickshard, Bonesnap, etc) however do not have a healer or an apprentice system. Although they do not have a warrior code, Scourge encourages his cats to be somewhat merciful. Seeing clan cats as a self-righteous evil group he wants his cats not to be as arrogant as they are.

Scourge is only mentioned in passing until Tigerstar persuades him to join his TigerClan allegiance. Scourge accepts out of the promise of a portion of territory for his cats and better relations with the clans. However upon witnessing Tigerstar's cruelty and arrogance he is reminded of when he was attacked as a kit. He kills Tigerstar and declares war on the other clans, hoping to drive them out the forest for good.

Within the battle he takes Firestar's first life but just before Firestar kills him StarClan orders him to spare Scourge's life. He had always been destined to be a clan cat, a medicine cat, however the incident with Tigerpaw threw him off that path. After the battle Firestar hesitantly accepts him into ThunderClan, giving him the name Iceheart. StarClan trains Iceheart to be a medicine cat through dreams. Although ThunderClan do not fully trust him, they understand that this was StarClan's will. BloodClan is handed over to new leadership.

After a power struggle in BloodClan, Iceheart finally earns ThunderClan's respect through aiding BloodClan to remove their corrupt leader Furyclaws who seized power. BloodClan ceases to interact with the clans with Iceheart's persuasion, moving deeper into twolegplace. Some cats join SkyClan when it forms in the gorge when the TNP travellers journey through twoleplace. Over time BloodClan eventually transitions to WarriorClan.

Iceheart believes in StarClan, however does not believe that they are always a force of good. He is willing to let acts against the warrior or medicine cat code if he thinks they are pointless. His closest friends outside the clans is Brokenheart, medicine cat of ShadowClan, despite Brokenheart's somber and soft personality he respects him. As well as Mothwing as the two hold similar beliefs.

He mentors Firestar's daughter Leafpool. However he develops joint problems and needs to retire from being a medicine cat. He helps her hide her pregnancy from ThunderClan, he views the rule of medicine cats not having kits as pointless. He dies of old age when the Three are kits. When Jaypaw walks in StarClan, Iceheart does not hesitate to speak to him unlike the other StarClan cats who fear his power.

Jaypaw only has a few memories of Iceheart's health deteroriating in the elder's den but heard and was fascinated by stories of the tiny cat who lead the cats of twolegplace and killed Tigerstar with one swipe. Rather than Spottedleaf attempting to guide him, it is Iceheart, with Yelowfang contributing occasssionally.

In his StarClan form, Iceheart wears his BloodClan collar for 2 reasons. The first is that when a spirit reaches StarClan their form is the one that is considered the peak of their success, the elders' tales of Iceheart as the legendery leader of BloodClan is responsible for this. The second representing Iceheart's own rejection of traditional StarClan beliefs. He believes in Silverpelt but does not follow them blindly.

Sun Case Solar lighter doing its job and a great way to tech kids about fire lighting and tinder collection  via @alphabushcraft.

Hi again, sorry its been a while since the last post, I've become less interested in art so wanted to structure this lore/headcanon post as a blog.

Apprentices and Mentors:

Some clans choose mentors that are related to apprentices (RiverClan), some actively avoid this (WindClan) and some are indifferent (ShadowClan)

The leader likely would take the mother's thoughts or requests into account

The leader rarely takes on an apprentice due to other duties but msy do so if they see leadership potiential in a kit, Firestar chose to mentor Hollykit due to the prophcey and her natural leadership with her siblings

Apprentices make a warrior eligible for deputyship as it shows the leader they can build rapport within the clan and give orders

The apprentice can strongly influences the mentor's relationship, if a young warrior is unruly or disobedient, their mentor msy be viewed as soft

Apprentices using have a close bond with their mentors once becoming warriors, rather than family this resembled a close friendship or allyship in the clan

Most warriors mentor 1-2 apprentices in their lives, a respected warrior considered for deputyship may have mentored up to four

Apprentice Duties:

Train with their mentor

Memorise the warrior code and clan traditions

Assist around camp such as picking ticks off the elders and making nests for the nursery, actively building a relationship with their clan

Often serving as messengers (e.g a border patrol spots a intruder and sends the apprentice back to camp to tell leader)

Often doing what is deemed as "dirty work" firstly for preparing them for camp-repairing in the future but also allows more experienced warriors time to hunt/patrol

Lives of Apprentices

All apprentices make friends at gatherings but a sign of maturity is being able to prioritise friendships in own clan. These friendships become more distant in adulthood

Most kits don't realise that a lot of being an spprentice is staying in camp, learning to maintain their home and building relationships with other cats

It is quite rare for an apprentice to catch prey on their first outing. Hunting practice starts esrly during greenleaf and is delayed during leaf-bare

Training Timeline (Moons)

1-2: Learning to become more familiar with camp, learning to identify borders and scents of own clan vs outsiders. Still too smsll to fight so basic battle-training is claw-swipes and self-defense. Starting to memorise code. A lot of time spent in camp taking care of it. Hunting practice may be delayed during leaf bare

3-4: Experiencing hunting and border patrols and encouraged to parpiciate. A lot more time out of camp learning to hunt and fight

5-6: Actively encouraged to make decisions during hunting. Given scenario-based questions about the warrior code. Trusted to learn more dangerous moves and to go into battle

Medicine Cat Apprentices:

Training period is 8 moons instead of 6

Basic Notes:

Green eyes because both her parents have them?!

Considered as 'daughter of Firestar' a lot more than Squirrelflight due to theur similar pelt patterns, body shape and strong connection with StarClan

Shares her connection with Squirrelflight, allowing them to sense what is happening to the other

Trained under her uncle and former BloodClan leader, Scourge, now Iceheart who had a supressed supernatural ability to contact spirits

Firestar falsely believed she was one of the 'Power of Three' prophcey he was given as a reward for sparing Scourge

PLOT CHANGES - TNP the SkyClan Patrol:

When sent on the quest to restore SkyClan, she is chosen to represent StarClan due to her healing skills and strong connection to spirits like her father. Squirrelpaw senses this and sneaks off to accompany her.

She is the healer and spiritual guide of the group, growing particularly close to Feathertail. She is quiet, kind and fades into the background when compared to louder characters like Brambleclaw, Feathertail and Crowpaw.

She helps to teach the future SkyClan members about StarClan. She is suprised to meet a cat shating the same name as her, a newly pregnant she-cat Leaf. Leafpaw is in charge of choosing which of the two possible medicine cat candiates will take the head position. Echo is both a natural healer and interpreter. The other, Sol has phrophcey capabilities far beyond Echo could ever dream of but is extremely lazy and has no desire to learn herbs. He eventually settles into the role of Echosong's assistant but is in charge of interpreting most of StarClan's messages.

Sol teaches her about interpreting messages beyond StarClan and gives her a warning:

"Your apprentice will destroy everything you love, then spirits you devote your to, then the code that lays broken around you"

Feathertail dies in the Battle of the Rats. Unknown to everyone, some spirits madr Feathertail carry out the act knowing that she will die. For the Three to be born she must die (she becomes a powerful spirit and guide for the 3 after her death)

On the way home to the forest, in their shared grief she and Crowpaw grow close and they have a rebound relationship of sorts. They meet most nights at Foretrees and she discovers her pregnancy shortly after earning her full name. Crowfeather ends their relationship, realising that she can never be Feathertail and cannot drag Leafpool into a grief she cannot resolve on her own. Leafpool chooses not disclose her pregnancy, wishes to carry on her medicine duties and ask StarClan for forgiveness. Crowfeather likes her as a friend, but never truly saw her in a romantic way.

Squirrelflight senses her pregnancy and offers to raise the kits. Just leaving a courtship with Ashfur and recently becoming mates with Brambleclaw, she is aware that cats will question their parentage but will use the Queen's Right. The Queen Right allows a cat to not disclose a kit's parentage, and Squirrelflight reasons both the mother and the father,and therfore would be able to protect them both.

Leafpool during Power of Three:

Loving Aunt to the Three

Solo med-cat when Iceheart retires due to mobility issues (possibly oestioperosis or similar condition?)

Mentors Hollypaw, then Jaypaw when the two switch

Has a loving, yet strained relationship with Jaypaw due to the warning she was given, as well as not being sure if the Power of Three phrophcey was really an omen

When Sol and the Sun Troop arrive into the forest she is not aware he slmost destroyed SkyClan. With Hollyleaf's help he blocks her contact to StarClan and threatens her into silence with the warning he gave her.

Hollyleaf takes over as leader and wants to punish Leafpool and Squirrelflight for breaking the code, but is unable to due to Squirrelflight's use of the Queen's Right. Distraught and furious, Hollyleaf works as an agent of Sol who annexes parts of ThunderClan, WindClan and ShadowClan into the Sun Troop.

SWIFTPAW

He has a more important role than canon here. Not only as Tigerstar's eldest son but as an incredibly influential spirit and guide within SkyClan.

His death was part of his destiny according to spirits beyond StarClan. For the Three to be born, he must die. Moments before his death by the dogs, ancient spirits spoke to Swiftpaw warning him that he would die but must go down protecting Brightpaw. Because if his sacrifice he was rewarded in Silverpelt with knowledge and power that made him even more influentual than some of the medicine cat and leader spirits.

Because of his death, this allowed Brightpaw to carry on living and become mates with Cloudtail. Eventually their daughter was born as the final member of the three. For Sol to be defeated, the Three must be born

Some of his influence allows him to appear to the Three in their living world. Although he is only able to appear and be heard by Dovepaw when she actively searches for his prescence at the Moonstone.

She finds out Swiftpaw's story when her mother eventually tells her about him after hearing his name mentioned in the elder's den. Swiftpaw becomes a personal guide to Dovepaw, he is rebellious and brash, often providing her instructions not on the orders of other spirits. He criticises her inexperience and her affection for Tigerheart. Ultimately he does mean well, driving her to not give up and to use her powers to protect others. However perhaps his determination comes from a place of desperation, after all in order for the clans to stand a chance against Sol, Swiftpaw's destiny was to die, he wants to make surw he died for something.

Queen's Right

(Pictured Rainflower on the left and Mapleshade on the right)

The Queen's Right is not officially part of the warrior code but its word can be held above if used correctly. It has been adapted from a rule used in many cat colonies. It gives the mother protection from discrimination and persucution as well as keeping the clan gene pool healthy.

The Queen's Right's Aspects:

1. Not forced to disclose kits' parentage or circumstance

2. The kits cannot be taken away from her or moved to another clan. If she wishes to leave or move clans, the kits go with her. If her kits are stolen or kidnapped StarClan calls on the clan to return them to her side

3. The kits names can be changed until apprentice age. Their mentors can be suggested by the mother

It gives the mother ownership over her kits until apprentice age. However some cats do not use the right to protect their kits' parentage such as Rainflower. A notable exception is that medicibe cats cannot use the Queen's Right.

The right must be sworn within the first moon or half-moon (depending on clan) of the kits' birth, accompanied by the medicine cat to verify as well as some witnesses.

Clan attitudes are different to the Queen's Right. In ThunderClan it is allowed however is seen as taboo, a cat broke the code or made a mistake and is trying to hide it (causing a scandal whwn Squirrelflight used the Queen's Right). ShadowClan cares little about parentage and clan purity in general. In RiverClan the Queen's Right is automatically given to all queens but some queen's like to confirm it anyways. WindClan honours the Queen's Right with less suspicion than ThunderClan, seeing it more as a mother's trust in StarClan.

Mapleshade's Vengeance

Mapleshade chose not to use the Queen's Right. In the aftermath of the kit's deaths and Mapleshade's murders, ThunderClan's attitude of the Queen's Right hardened while Darkstar made a blanket policy that all queen's are entitled to it to ensure a tradegy like that never happens again

Special Case - Adoption

As the Queen's Right states that the parentage of the kits does not need to be disclosed, a few cats have used this to also conceal the identity of the mother.

Squirrelflight swears the oath to hide Crofeather and Leafpool as the parents of the Three to protect her sister

Ashfur becomes close with Squirrelpaw when she returns from her journey to SkyClan. However he becomes jealous of Brambleclaw. He and Squirrelflight have a falling out over the nature of their relationship, with Squirrelflight seeing their connection strictly as friendship despite Ashfur believing she had feelings for him.

Upon seeing her happy with Brambleclaw he realises he will never truly win her over. He is already moody and struggles to manage his emotions so starts to take it out on others. He vows to make Squirrelflight as miserable as he was.

He takes out his anger on his apprentice and Squirrelflight's son, Lionpaw.

He abuses Lionpaw, subtly at first, hidden from his family and clan. Through vicious battle training (Lionpaw's combat training from the DF is from Ashfur instead in this AU).

He tells Lionpaw that he will never be as worthy as his littermates (Jaypaw being a med cat apprentice and Hollypaw being mentored by Firestar himself). He evokes all of Lionpaw's insecurities, his struggle to get along with his denmates, his legacy to live up to his family.

Although Lionpaw is heroic and wishes to protect his clan and family out of love, he inherits Ashfur's worst traits. Quick to anger, emotionally unstable and refusal to let himself heal from the past.

Upon learning from Squirrelflight about the Three's real parentage and Ashfur hanging the threat of exposing it over their heads Lionblaze breaks down. He is influenced by Hollyleaf to kill Ashfur just for her to be encouraged by Sol to reveal it at the gathering anyway.

DOVEWING & IVYPOOL

Immediate differences to canon:

Daughters of Cloudtail and Brightheart (Birchfall and Whitewing cut to simplify family tree) and to better fit 'Kin of your kin'

Hereditary Name meanings

Dove - Brightheart's feeling of peace being able to start a family with Cloudtail. Also in hope that her kits would not suffer during turbulent times in ThunderClan

Ivy - reference to ivy growing in Princess' garden and to the ones that grow in the forest. Decleration that Firestar, Cloudtail and their family's kittypet heritage does not limit them as warriors

Aged up slightly: They are newly apprenticed during Sunrise when both the Three's parentage and the prophcey are revealed.

Hollyleaf who stood in for leader while poisoning Greystar realises that she has no powers and suspecting 'kin of kin' could refer to Cloudtail's kits, Dovekit and Ivykit. While convincing the clans (who are all aware of the prophcey) that she is still the third member.

In order to keep an eye on the kits she takes on Ivypaw as an apprentice and assigns Dovepaw to her 'deputy' Lionblaze. Both mentors are way too young to have first apprentices and along with taking over leadership duties in the clan this results in Dovepaw and Ivypaw having quite a poor relationship with their mentors. After Hollyleaf betrayal and death Lionblaze does not assign Ivypaw a new mentor.

Both sisters feel exploited by StarClan and by extension Lionblaze and Jayfeather when they try and take down Hollyleaf and Sol. Dovewing wishes she was never part of the prophcey while Ivypool feels she was roped in by Lionblaze and Jayfeather but never treat her as an equal. Compared to her sister Ivypaw is expendable, a cat that coyld be disposed of to protect the Three. By Sol's defeat both of them end on bitter terms with Lionblaze and Jayfeather and the sisterly bond they once shared tainted with resentment.

________

Dovewing

She is pushed by Jayfeather to learn how to use her powers so she can hear what Sol is planning. After Hollyleaf's death Lionblaze reveals Dovepaw to the other rebels as the third prophcey cat. Dovepaw feels pressure to live up to be the saviour that her family, ThunderClan and rebels in other clans see her as.

Upon accompying Lionblaze to a meeting with ShadowClan rebels she falls for Tigerheart who is the first cat to wants to know more about her, not just what her powers can do. She is given the name Dovesong. Upon Sol's defeat she chooses to live with Tigerheart in ShadowClan, feeling neglected by her clan and used by her mentor who was supposed to protect her. ShadowClan easily accept her (due to less importance on blood ties) and due to them seeing her defeat of Sol as the feat needed in her initiation cermony. Rowanstar, the new leader of ShadowClan changes her name to Dovewing.

More info on ShadowClan here:

Ivypool

Ivypaw is also drawn into the rebel movement by Lionblaze who tasks her to spy on Sol under the guise of due to being Hollyleaf's apprentice (and by extension, her successor if things went differently). Ivypool begins to resent the Three as Lionblaze and Jayfeather repeatedly pile dangerous responsibilities onto her while openly aknowledging the fact that she will never be equal to them and Ivypaw soon grows to resent Dovepaw too, feeling disposable compared to her sister. She pushes herself to be the best fighter in the clan to show the Three that she is willing to pull her own weight. After Sol's defeat despite her tough exterior she is forced to deal with feelings of worthlesness. After meeting Fernsong (who is an outsider in this AU) she allows herself to heal and to move on from Jayfeather and Lionblaze, realising she does not need to prove herself to them, already being surrounded by cats who love and admire her for who she is like Fernsong, her parents, her apprentices and her friends.

_________

Relationship with Parents

Despite Dovewing choosing to leave ThunderClan Cloudtail and Brightheart are not neglectful parents although due to Lionblaze and Jayfeather's influence, Ivypool and Dovewing become more distant with their parents.