#swarmclan

Events and Interactions

Due to a unseasonably windy storm, this moon's Gathering was cancelled. In the days following the full moon, most Clans send a few warriors each to help clean the Gathering place of debris. Flameblink is adamant that he help rebuild, after missing out on seeing his friends, and Freezebubble comes along to escort the stubborn elder.

Rowandapple helps out whenever she can find time, organizing cats to move some of the larger branches that require multiple cats to lift. Flameblink ends up overexerting himself in the heat and is forced into bedrest.

Rowandapple saves Freezebubble's favorite prey for when she returns back to camp, proud of her sense of responsibility. Rowandapple is very pleased that Shatterfur remembers her favorite prey, despite Rowandapple only mentioning it once before. 

Anisekit worries when she notices Flameblink doesn't come home one night. He's her favorite cat to annoy and always teaches her new words! When he comes back to camp, delirious from his heat exhaustion, she can't wait to jump on him. She's only a little disappointed when he snaps at her and orders Pumpkintrot to help get Anisekit off him. Flameblink, however, is plotting even more ways to try and avoid the annoying kitten.

It's Piperstar's job to help catch cats before they fall--both literally and metaphorically. This moon, he manages to prevent Shatterfur from slipping while carrying packs of herbs and the two share a laugh. He also catches Pumpkintrot, who usually isn't this clumsy but was distracted by Shatterfur's singing (She's a good singer, and most of the Clan pauses their activities to come listen). Piperstar doesn't, however, manage to catch himself and faceplants into a field of clovers... which honestly make his eyes pop. He weaves some into his tail.

Hyacinthpaw got rid of all her fleas, just in time for her ceremony. She's annoyed when Piperstar lets the ceremony drag on, praising her hard work, her hunting skills, her enthusiasm--yes, yes, on with it--and then finally gets to her name... Hyacinthcreek. She grins. She can work with that! Hyacinthcreek can't wait to leave camp on her own for the first time without asking permission first. Finally, she's free!

At the end of the moon, Hailtail announces she's expecting kittens. She's glad she's retired and can immediately move into the nursery--Auburnshell is grateful to have some help managing Anisekit, though is even more grateful when Rowandapple fixes the internal walls in the nursery so he can have some privacy too. Auburnshell is annoyed that Hyacinthcreek is constantly in and out of the nursery, the young molly overawed by Hailtail's pregnancy and asking too many questions. Hailtail enjoys the apprentice's attention, though, and encourages it.

Patrols

Shatterfur needs to stock up on cobwebs, which can be hard to find in any significant quantity out in the grasslands. She wanders around, but the only webs she manages to collect are the strands she accidentally walks into. It seems she'll need to wait until later in the season, when the orb weavers grow large enough to weave their webs between the tall grass en mass, before she can collect them efficiently enough to be worth her time.

Rowandapple asks Freezebubble to join her in a hunt, and the two head off around dusk. It's the perfect time of day and the perfect night; both mollies have plenty of opportunities to make catches and neither fumbles a single one. Everyone that is still awake when they return comes to comment on the patrol's success and help sort their catches onto the pile.

Silentstar, a black tabby cat with teal colored eyes.

It's a year before she meets another cat.

Silentstar hasn't been coping with the solitude very well and she knows it, but it's at least given her time to grow accustomed to the name that the figures in her dream declared was hers. A good thing, she supposes, since when she woke up to this... this world like this, she hadn't been able to remember anything.

The other cat yowls something about it having been twelve moons since the world ended, and attacks her. This is it, Silentstar thinks as she lays there bleeding. She'll die here. Like this.

And then she wakes, gasping for breath and shivering. Alive. The other cat is dead, and she watches the other cat for a long time before she comes to the realization that they're just not getting up. She did, though, and it takes a minute for her to make the connection.

Those wild cats. Clan cats. She remembers hearing about them Before. Their leaders were said to have literally nine lives. And... names that ended in -star, wasn't it? Like Tigerstar (who...? The name does not have an image with it, but does have a feeling of contempt). That must be what's happened - she... has nine lives now? Okay. Sure. Well, eight now.

A leader will want for a clan name, right? While she's alone, all she can think is a name that will give her a measure of defense. A name that will make hostile cats think she's not alone...

( Our first real moon! I write these before skipping to the next moon, so this one is me getting a feel for the characters. )

Events and Interactions

The moon passes in a blur, as if StarClan is holding their breath. Even the typical spring rains are muted: the sky is grey and gentle drizzles sputter on and off without warning, but no floods or storms and no sunny days break the monochrome monotony.

Shatterfur continues to spoil Hyacinthpaw, allowing the young molly to spend the time she isn't training in the warm healer's den. Hyacinthpaw is not happy that Shatterfur also allows the elder-advisor Hailtail the same luxury, nor that Hailtail's presence takes Shatterfur's attention away from her. Hyacinthpaw is certain the two mollies are flirting.

"Old people flirting, gross." While sulking, feeling kicked out of her spot, she shares her suspicions with Pumpkintrot, who tries her best to commiserate with the dramatic apprentice behind her own smile.

The elder Flameblink starts an argument with Piperstar. Not unusual in the least, really, but it's not the time for fighting within the Clan, not with so much danger at their borders. Rowandapple helps diffuse the situation; Shatterfur is impressed by how well SwarmClan's leader and deputy have learned to work together.

In a small meeting with Piperstar, Rowandapple, and Hailtail working out their strategy for navigating the current political crisis, Hailtail puts forth the idea of challenging the CinderClan tom Reedfang to a duel. It would be an easy way for SwarmClan to take revenge without the risk of escalating into a war, as duels to the death are respected in CinderClan's code of honor.

Rowandapple is appalled by the idea: not only are fights to the death against the nature of the Warrior Code, but who could SwarmClan send?

Piperstar? Leaders can't participate in honor-duels, as they can't risk their life in the same way.

Freezebubble? While she is fast, she isn't a particularly strong fighter, and it isn't really fair to force her to be the only one risking her life for SwarmClan's honor.

Flameblink is the closest thing they had to a fighting warrior, and they can't ask their oldest elder to fight against a tomcat in his prime. Ridiculous. This is a complex puzzle, but a duel to the death is not the answer.

PATROLS

Freezebubble and Hyacinthpaw go to mark the MorelClan border. Neither of them particularly want to be here--their border with MorelClan is perhaps their longest border, and the spring drizzle would turn icy by the time they reached the end--but it needs to be done, and they are the cats that had the opportunity to do it.

At least they aren't alone in their suffering: a small group of MorelClan move the opposite way on the same task. A rare occurrence, spotting the elusive forest cats, but apparently the weather is so miserable they don't want to hide away and wait for the SwarmClan duo to pass by.

"Horrible weather, this moon," a MorelClan molly mumbles, and Freezebubble mutters an annoyed agreement, flicking water from her ears as the two groups shuffle away to continue their dismal duty.

Piperstar takes it upon himself to hunt alone, unwilling to distract Hyacinthpaw's training or risk Rowandapple's wounded tail growing infected. He admits he was a bit careless, unaccustomed to hunting alone, and missed all the signs that he might not be alone here, on the eastern border of their territory.

A vixen takes him by surprise, knocking him down to steal the sparrow from between his claws. Frustrated and annoyed, he hisses and prepares for a fight... but he's alone and the red fox is nearly twice his weight. It isn't worth it for a single sparrow.

Even more frustrated now, the leader flees. At least the vixen had chosen to simply shove him in a rosebush rather than take a chunk of his flesh, though the scrapes still smart something fierce, reminding him of his carelessness.

Shatterfur does better for herself, if only because she doesn't have to go very far to collect the herb she is seeking. Plantain is most common on well-worn trails… and the most well-worn are those just around SwarmClan's camp. She can easily pick a time when the rains pause, scampering out to collect what she can before the drizzle start up again.

Plantain is quick to come back in the spring, already bright green and ready for collection. It will help reduce the swelling of wounds, or at the very least soothe mosquito bites that will plague SwarmClan once the rains fill the marshes in the south.

( Tiny moon 0 since the first turn only has patrols. Happy turkey day to those who feast! )

Patrols

Freezebubble wants to give Hyacinthpaw some fighting training, knowing that she'll be required to hold her own as their conflict with CinderClan is very likely to escalate--and quickly. Hyacinthpaw, with the audacity of a child who has never been told no or been given anything but praise, demands Freezebubble skip the basics and teach her something useful instead.

Freezebubble, ever practical, pretends to refuse for a while and then caves and agrees to teach her some "advanced" techniques... that are just simple strikes and blocks. But the young Hyacinthpaw doesn't know the difference and goes to work enthusiastically. Freezebubble has an easy time making corrections too, under the guise of "this is hard".

Maybe it's a good idea to never call anything simple in front of her... it's all new and difficult material for Hyacinthpaw, even if the swipe is a simple one for a warrior. The context illuminates something in Freezebubble--it seems they both learned something today.

Piperstar and Rowandapple find muddy pawprints on a border patrol. The trail is messy and hard to follow; Rowandapple has her nose to the ground and doesn't see the rogue in the grass until far too late. The blasted cat bites her in the tail--rude!--and before she can spin around and show them a warrior's claws, the rogue has already swam half-way across the river.

She and Piperstar hiss and spit threats from their side of the river as the rogue shakes dry, but they don't give chase. It's RippleClan's problem now. The two have to cut the patrol short so Rowandapple can have her tail bandaged.

Shatterfur uses the blustery newleaf morning to try and catch the scent of garlic on the breeze. But perhaps it's a little too blustery--she can't smell anything but rain, growing stronger and stronger as the wind picks up.

A very low-key, casual Clangen playthrough with lore + doodles + whatever I feel like doing. I wanted to start a smaller project that's fun and low-impact where I can just write and vibe. I'm writing moons as I play but I do have a little backlog already stocked up, so I'm hoping to make this a daily update for at least the next month or so!

Expect detailed summaries for each moon, complete with quick character interaction scenes, patrols, and all important moon events. There will be intermittent screenshots of the game and some commentary, as I'm playing on the dev branch for the first time in over a year and am still encountering new patrols, events, and features! There will likely be some doodles and character art scattered throughout the moons too when I feel the itch~

Clan details, starting cast, bordering Clans and territory all below the cut! This will serve as the info masterpost as well as the starting point for the playthrough!!

STARTING CAST

I used the quick Clan button to generate the Clan and ended up with a lot of elders and only one warrior, which gives the Clan a very unique dynamic!

Piperstar is a small, cinnamon tom with emerald eyes. He's only 32 moons and by far the youngest cat in the Clan besides Hycanithpaw. I wonder how he was the choice for leader? He is very charismatic, a good storyteller, and an incredible runner despite his small size. He is easily annoyed by Shatterfur and tries to ignore her.

Our deputy is the gloomy Rowandapple. She is a beautiful chocolate/red tortoiseshell molly with silver eyes. Very clever, but has depression and struggles to motivate herself without a bunch of tasks. Being deputy is very stressful to her, but the routine is slowly helping her mental state as she grows more comfortable with the responsibilities. She is 89 moons old. She enjoys being around Freezebubble and has high hopes for the Clan's apprentice, Hyacinthpaw.

Shatterfur is our healer. A grumpy and old cat at 119 moons, she was about to retire when our younger healer, Fluttertrot, was killed. She's not very happy to be forced into being a healer for longer. She is a long-furred black smoke molly with grey eyes. Despite her grumpy nature, she feels a lot of loyalty and love for her Clanmates, though she doesn't respect many of them. She has a soft spot for Hyacinthpaw and spoils the young cat when no one else is around to see her do it.

Freezebubble is the Clan's only warrior at the moment, and she's honestly pretty happy about that. She never liked large patrols anyways and has always been a bit of a social outcast. Her fur is a gorgeous color: white with dapples of pale grey (with hidden rosetted tabby markings) and a stripe of dark russet over her shoulders. Her eyes are a fiery copper. She has glossy, medium length fur with a tufted tail and a thick mane. She is extremely fast. She is 88 moons old and is mentoring Hyacinthpaw. She is close friends with Rowandapple.

Our Clan's apprentice, Hyacinthpaw, is 7 moons old. She's rebellious and is shaping up to be a good hunter. A long-legged molly with medium fur; her chocolate bengal markings only show at her tail-tip, rump, and ears with a small patch over her nose. Her eyes are a murky yellow-green. She is in awe of Piperstar and only really listens to him; she loves Shatterfur but knows exactly how to twist Shatterfur's paw to get what she wants from the healer.

We have tons of elders, starting with Flameblink, 144 moons, a medium-furred cream ticked tabby tom whose markings are only barely visible as a mask-and-mantle on his white fur. He has amber eyes and very fluffy paws and cheeks with drooping whiskers. He has a scar across his left shoulder. He's a good fighter and was a former kittypet; he's childish, complains a lot and can be very petty. He doesn't think Piperstar was a good choice for leader and thinks Freezebubble would have done better.

Pumpkintrot, 135 moons, is a beautiful long-furred blue bengal tabby molly. She has lost a lot of her sight but still gets around well enough without it, relying on her exceptionally sharp hearing and sense of smell. She tends to sneak out to hunt when she can get away with it, and enjoys subverting expectations. She does not feel strongly about most her Clanmates and finds Auburnshell creepy.

Auburnshell is 124 moons, a long-furred russet smoke tom with cyan eyes. He doesn't talk much and spends a lot of his time in the oak tree near camp... though struggles to get down from them, often requiring rescue from his perches. He is snappish when pushed and prefers to be ignored. He likes to settle beside Pumpkintrot, and appreciates that she doesn't force conversations with him (he doesn't know that's because she thinks he's a bit of a creep).

Hailtail at 122 moons is our youngest elder; a medium-furred blue sokoke tabby with pale yellow eyes. She's nearly as charming as Piperstar and as clever as Rowandapple, serving as the Clan's primary advisor to the two cats. Hailtail's tail is only 3/4's length and her hind left leg is heavily scarred and weak; it's hard for her to get around much anymore. She likes and respects all of her Clanmates, though she can be annoyed when Piperstar doesn't take her advice.

TERRITORY + CAMP + CLAN TRAITS

SwarmClan lives in a pine/oak barren. Large swaths of prairie separates small stands or even individual trees, casting pools of shade like islands amid the sea of grass. The oaks are mostly burr oaks where the ground is higher and swamp white oak where the elevation is lower and more flood-prone. The pines are either pitch pine (with their quite hideous, stunted growth and black bark) or red pine (taller and narrower, with thick chipped red bark) and tend to be more clustered in groves than the oaks.

The southern prairie floods during the winter and spring, mostly only a paw or two deep, but some pools can be large enough to make small ponds. This area is populated with sedges, rushes, and skunk cabbage, with other flood-tolerant plants like irises, scrub willow, and dogbanes providing color. The standing water dissipates by mid-summer, though the soil remains marshy.

In the north, where the ground is higher, are more typical prairie environments: grasses, goldenrods, prairie dock, and bergamot are the most common, with coneflower, clovers, and roses giving extra color at different times of year. Fire is an important part of all of the barrens. Small fires cleanse parts of the territory every years, and a larger fire comes through every generation or so. The cats know how to avoid the flames and smoke, and the fires are typically quick to burn. The cats simply migrate to the river and associated floodplains beside RippleClan in the south for a moon or so until it's safe to return to their hunting grounds.

SwarmClan's camp is currently hidden within a thick snarl of hazel bushes. Dens are dug underground or made from willow swatches and dried grasses, though sleeping in the open is preferred when the weather is suitable. Due to the nature of the frequent fires, den positions and even the camp itself are moved every few years, though there are a few spots SwarmClan keeps returning to.

SwarmClan are known for their steadfast loyalty to one another and their quick aggression if one of their Clanmates are attacked; the other Clans know not to poke the hornet's nest. Or they should, but CinderClan must think that SwarmClan's lack of warriors makes them a target, and has rather publicly murdered our younger healer when she was visiting a secret lover. They claim it was in self-defense, but really? a healer? Piperstar doesn't really want war, but CinderClan has given him little choice.

SwarmClan are also known for their basket weaving and their honey collecting tactics. Open flames are far too dangerous to wield in their territory, so they don't cook like MorelClan and RippleClan do, but they can collect the resin in their pitch pines, which gives off huge amounts of smoke when burned, coating a makeshift torch that they can use to smoke honeybee hives and access their precious honey, which SwarmClan can then trade for other goods. They have a well-established tradition of beekeeping and have a few hives they tend to near their camp.

BORDERING CLANS

RippleClan lives along the riverbanks and marshes to the south. They are known for their fishing, crafting, and cooking and are by far the most technologically advanced Clan in the area, having a tool for practically anything. They are shrewd, trading with both the Clans and local loners; they aren't afraid to socialize with outsiders and some even take mates among them, but have a very strict rule that no outsiders can ever truly join their Clan. They grudgingly allow SwarmClan to occupy some of their territory when we have bad fires.

MorelClan lives in the more forested south eastern land. They are known for their mastery of herblore and all things healing. They keep detailed records of all plants and their uses and are expert forgers. They are equally skilled with poisons, and are rumored to poison their claws during wars... though no Clan has gone to war with them in a very, very long time. Perhaps because they are nearly impossible to find when they want to hide, elusive in their shadowy forests; perhaps its because they centralize the herb trade for all six Clans and no one wants to be on their bad side.

MidnightClan is a very small Clan on the far western edge of the territories. They don't even border any Clan directly, existing in a small bubble beside the human village. They intermingle with humans, loners, and housecats, having "daylight warriors" much like canon SkyClan, where some of their members only spend some time with the Clan and most of their time away. They are looked down on by the other Clans, but are an important resource when things really go sideways, as they are much more in-tune with the humans and give early warnings of human activity, access to the veterinary clinic for desperate Clan cats, and news and technology from the broader world. They only interact with the Clans during gatherings, typically.

BurnClan lives north of MorelClan, in an area that is not quite barrens, but not quite forest either. Sparse pine trees and grass with hardly any undergrowth is evidence that the fires claim this land too, though it's far slower to bounce back after the flames rage through. The soil is very rich, however, which allows BurnClan to farm in open bits of land--they are very close with MorelClan and provide much of what MorelClan can't gather or trade for. BurnClan is known for hunting large prey using group tactics and traps: deer and boar are on the menu here, and they have plenty of ways to preserve the extra meat by salting, smoking, or making jerky from the remains of their feasts.

CinderClan is the last Clan and live directly north of SwarmClan, where the barrens give way to savannah. Their territory is even dryer than SwarmClan's, and fires tend to be more common and destructive, leaving CinderClan constantly scrambling to keep up with the changing landscape. They rely heavily on rabbits and birds and tend to swing wildly from good years (where they might have the easiest hunting in the territories) to bad ones (where they're forced to steal prey and territory from their neighbors to stave off starvation). They tend to be proud cats that scorn technology and value personal strength. They put a strong emphasis on being battle-ready and dueling; their younger cats are apt to start skirmishes to prove their prowess and honor against other Clan opponents. They currently have a very hot-headed leader which turns their honor-seeking fights into pure aggression.

STARTING PLOT

Our story starts with the recent death of Flickerstar to old age. He'd hoped to hold on a little longer to give Pipertuft some time to mature, but StarClan had different plans and a harsh winter was hard on the elderly tomcat. He dies in the depths of winter, and the young Piperstar takes his name.

Two moons later, Fluttertrot's body is found on the CinderClan border. She was very obvious her murderer toyed with her before she died of blood loss; a lack of fur between her own claws indicates the healer likely didn't even hit a single strike on her assailant during the unfair "fight".

The investigation doesn't last long, because CinderClan doesn't hide what they did. A cat named Reedfang claims he killed her to defend his sister, whom he found with Fluttertrot well within CinderClan's borders, clearly trespassing on CinderClan land and so clearly there for nefarious reasons. Shatterfur knows her former apprentice was engaging in some sort of secret relationship, but didn't pry. Of all the Clans to pick, CinderClan!

SwarmClan buzzes, enraged by the murder of one of their own. They want war, revenge, but with only three cats able to fight and four elders to feed, war might spell their doom. But they can't just sit back and leave Fluttertrot unavenged...

(the chrono tag does work! if you want to start reading SwarmClan from the start, the link is on my pinned post under the "SwarmClan" header.)

Events and Interactions

It's been over a year since SwarmClan has mourned a loss. The weather has slowly been growing warmer and warmer, but Pumpkintrot's fight with yellowcough left the elder too weak to pull through. Rowandapple in particular mourns the feisty elder's passing, and desperately wishes the older molly would have let the humans at least try and heal her. Still, she admires Pumpkintrot's loyalty, and respects her choice to stay with her Clanmates until the very end. The Clan swaps stories of Pumpkintrot's adventures during their vigil. Everyone has something nice to say.

Hailtail recovers from greencough. The younger elder is still very hale, despite her age, and pulls through quickly. Mantiskit spends too many days playing in the melting snow and gets a runny nose.

Piperstar doesn't trust Oatkit. For some reason, SwarmClan's leader just has a bad feeling about this tiny kitten. It seems as though Oatkit might be interested in following the healer's path: not only does he spend a lot of his time in Shatterfur's den this moon, but he also offered to bring Flameblink his morning herbs, gently waking the old tomcat up (despite the fact that Oatkit doesn't even like Flameblink, and is honestly a little scared of him). He also motivates Anisepaw to do well today!

Hailtail tells Piperstar everything. She has learned to trust the young leader and confides in him, recognizing that he can make his own calls if she gives him the information needed. Hailtail makes it her job to gather information from her Clanmates, so she can then make concise reports for Piperstar, freeing up the tomcat for more important tasks. The nosy Hailtail is good at this task... though she's a bit too forceful asking Freezebubble to report to her after a patrol and annoys the Clan's senior warrior.

Freezebubble, Hyacinthcreek, and Rowandapple hang out a lot this moon. The three mollies learn to lean on each other and help each other without needing to be asked first, splitting tasks as if they share the same mind. Hyacinthcreek asks Shatterfur for some fragrant herbs to freshen up the warriors' den; Freezebubble covers for Rowandapple's dawn patrol so the deputy can grieve; Rowandapple takes over watching Mantiskit when Freezebubble is needed to fix a leak in the nursery.

PATROLS

With Rowandapple grieving, Piperstar takes Anisepaw's training into his own paws. The two explore the northern territory, visiting landmarks that were too dangerous to take the young apprentice with the war being so close. It's a wonderful day for wandering, and by the time they finish, Anisepaw feels she knows every tree north of SwarmClan's camp. Piperstar spends the evening planning more training with the young molly, to ensure she doesn't fall behind pace.

Freezebubble and Hyacinthcreek hunt. It's drizzling, the first rain since spring began, and the melting snow and ice are frigid on the mollies' paws. Hyacinthcreek has a good angle to pounce on a groundhog, but she underestimates the slippery mud and her bad leg slides out from under her, drenching her in freezing sludge. Rather than risk hypothermia, the two warriors return to camp to dry off and warm up; SwarmClan has enough jerky and smoked fish from their winter stockpile, they can hunt fresh-kill when the weather is better and there are more opportunities.

Shatterfur knows just the burrow for cobwebs. The best part: collecting cobwebs from underground protects her from the rain and the wind. It's a cozy job. The healer winds cobwebs up the lengths of twigs until she has a pair of thickly padded sticks to add to her collection. It's always good to have plenty of bandages on hand, just in case.

(A calmer moon, though perhaps warning of a new threat...)

Events and Interactions

The war is over. This comes as a bit of a surprise, as SwarmClan expected CinderClan to rally around Kestrelstar's death and prolong the war to avenge their fallen leader, but at the Gathering, CinderClan's new leader, Comfreystar, bluntly puts forth peace terms with SwarmClan.

Apparently Kestrelstar wasn't as popular as the other Clans assumed, and with their death, Comfreystar and his faction--who hated the aggressive policies of late--were able to wrest control of CinderClan. They are not interested in pursuing war when his own Clan is in such shambles, especially since it is obvious SwarmClan has the backing of MorelClan. This Comfreystar is sharp, alright.

The peace terms came at a fortunate time, as MorelClan isn't as firm an ally as Piperstar thought. Though the SwarmClan leader kept his word to the letter, Vinestar plays coy, pretending she owes SwarmClan nothing, pretending their deal didn't exist at all. It's a low blow, though perhaps one Piperstar should have expected from the cunning and elusive MorelClan. It sours their relationship and breaks any trust he might have had in Vinestar... but at least he didn't have to rely on her anymore, now that the war is over.

Back in SwarmClan... We move back into our main camp. Now that the threat of CinderClan is over, there's no point spending the rest of the cold season in the temporary camp, which is far less insulated than our main one. Rowandapple tries to convince Pumpkintrot to make the journey to MidnightClan before she grows too weak, insisting that she needs human healing.

Pumpkintrot scoffs and says she'll put her life in Shatterfur and StarClan's paws; she's lived this long without human help, she'll beat yellowcough on her own or she won't. Auburnshell is very upset about this and tries to force Pumpkintrot to understand how much she means to him, but he isn't good at talking about his feelings and she's not very receptive.

The time spent in the cold doesn't do any cat's immune systems any good, and the elders were particularly vulnerable. Hailtail, the youngest of the elders, didn't want to take up the limited space in the temporary camp's singular den and spent her nights huddled with the warriors.

Hailtail ignored her discomfort, and it isn't until they move back to the main camp that she falls ill with greencough. Freezebubble spends a lot of time tending to the older molly and keeping her company. Piperstar worries over her, terrified of losing his mentor, and she reassures him that she still has plenty fight in her yet.

Shatterfur is caught by a MorelClan patrol after sneaking over the border to collect herbs--plants are more protected under MorelClan's forest canopy, after all. The MorelClan patrol escorts SwarmClan's healer all the way back to our camp. Shatterfur makes a scene, snapping that she doesn't have to respect Clan borders if MorelClan's leader can't honor her own promises. Rowandapple apologizes for their healer while Hyacinthcreek pulls Shatterfur back to her den so she can calm down.

Piperstar shows even more favoritism over the kits, upset at Oatkit for being too loud and encouraging Mantiskit to speak her mind. 

Anisepaw is the star this moon, going out of her way to help every cat with their problems. She checks Flameblink for ticks, brings Pumpkintrot prey, helps Shatterfur sort herbs, volunteers for extra patrols whenever Rowandapple asks, and reports to Piperstar whenever she has free time to help with extra chores.

The fawn apprentice is (rightfully) annoyed when Freezebubble scolds her for sleeping in on her day off, and Anisepaw stands up for herself, reminding the warrior of how much work she's done on top of her training and how exhausted she's been because of it. Hyacinthcreek stands up for Anisepaw and forces Freezebubble to apologize. [ Anisepaw how has an active imagination ]

Hyacinthcreek gets stuck in the elder's den during a sudden snowstorm. Flameblink is excited to have someone to talk to, but Hyacinthcreek wishes he'd be quiet so she can nap. Auburnshell compliments her and says she looks very put together, which is nice.

PATROLS

Rowandapple takes Anisepaw out hunting. They find a burrow, the freshly-dug soil stark against the snow. Rowandapple hesitates, unsure if it's worth checking. The snow masks any scent that might have been around, and there aren't any tracks... But SwarmClan needs prey, and this hole isn't quite big enough for a badger or a fox. She pokes her nose inside and is met with gopher scent! The small rodent isn't any threat to Anisepaw and the small apprentice is easily able to squirm her way inside the burrow to catch the trapped prey.

After Shatterfur's failed invasion of MorelClan's territory for herbs, she decides it's not worth the risk to leave her patients behind. She'll have to work with what she has and resupply once the snow melts. Hopefully with Oatkit's help.

Piperstar, Freezebubble and Hyacinthcreek head out to mark the long eastern border. Piperstar finds an odd scent and the three spend a while discussing what it might be. Certainly canine. But is it dog, fox or coyote?

(by far my favorite moon... it's a good one. If you're going to read any SwarmClan, moons 8-10 are the move)

Events and Interactions

Perhaps it was the groundhog that made the difference, or perhaps it was the presence of Reedfang on the CinderClan side that rallied the SwarmClan patrol and set them abuzz. Either way, in the next skirmish, SwarmClan is the clear winner.

Reedfang in particular took the brunt of SwarmClan's ire: the tomcat left the fight with a shredded ear, a deep slash on his face that is certain to scar (courtesy of Rowandapple), and quite a bit less fur than when he arrived.

Unlike CinderClan, however, SwarmClan follows the Code. They don't need to kill to have their revenge. It helps that Piperstar won his fight against Kestrelstar, leaving them with several small cuts and a limp.

At the Gathering, the other Clans are quick to pick up on SwarmClan's small victory.

Fallenstar (BurnClan): "I, too, stepped on a hornet's nest in my youth. I remember their sting every time I hear the buzzing of wings," he says, a smile hidden in the old tomcat's amber eyes.

Nillastar (MidnightClan): "I still don't understand your Clans' fascination with fighting and blood," she mutters, looking down her muzzle at the others.

Marigoldstar (RippleClan): "A wise leader knows when to sheath her claws," she states, looking pointedly at Piperstar.

Vinestar (MorelClan): "The infection is surface-level. A salve, applied correctly, could still salvage the limb," she says smoothly, her dark gaze even more pointed.

Piperstar looks between the two leaders. He stays silent.

[HEHEHEHE]

Piperstar has a lot weighing on his mind and snaps at Oatkit when the young kitten tries to steal a clover from his tail. Shatterfur takes the kitten in and asks him to unwrap the bandages on her ear. The small scrape is healed, but she hopes to foster a curiosity for healing in the shy tomkit.

It's clear Mantiskit has no interest in being a healer, but Oatkit… She feels he has potential. She asks Rowandapple about it and the deputy agrees that it might be best to encourage him into the role--Shatterfur isn't getting any younger. Freezebubble also agrees, believing Oatkit has a lot of untapped potential as a healer.

Hyacinthcreek brings Shatterfur some prey, and has spent the entire moon putting burdock burrs in Auburnshell's nest when he's not looking. She's gotten Anisepaw to help her with her pranks, the two young mollies covering for each other. Anisepaw even goes so far as to pretend to be indignant on her father's behalf, promising she's looking hard for the culprit… and then giggling with Hyacinthcreek after.

The elder rarely notices the large burrs on his back and sometimes it takes several hours before one of the other elders takes pity on him and removes it. The harmless fun is a spot of light this moon.

Piperstar puts off the Clan meeting for as long as he can, but eventually he has to face that little jar with an X on it and decide if he's willing to go through with his promise to Vinestar. He asks Hyacinthcreek to watch over Anisepaw and the kits while the rest of the Clan gathers in the leader's den to cast their votes.

Flameblink immediately casts his vote aye. "It's only a matter of time before we have to confront Kestrelstar. Better do it on our terms."

Hailtail also votes aye, though is more cautious. "I don't like that it's Vinestar's idea and I really don't like being her paw in this… but I can't fault her motives."

Rowandapple is the first to cast nay. "This," she taps the clay jar with its X's, "was only meant to be a last resort. A defense in case CinderClan attempted a raid on our camp. We cannot use it aggressively. It is not honorable."

Shatterfur seconds Rowandapple, casting nay. "Fluttertrot was the closest thing I'll ever have to a daughter," the healer says softly. "I hate Kestrelstar for enabling her warriors' bloodlust. I hate their duels. I hate their disdain for the Warrior Code, for the Healer's Rights. But this will only make things in CinderClan worse, not better."

Freezebubble abstains. She can't bear for the choice to be on her conscience.

With Pumpkintrot too sick to attend, it lands on Auburnshell to cast the last vote. The quiet tomcat is obviously annoyed to be put in the position of tiebreaker. He speaks slowly, as if trying not to slip on his words. "Seven moons ago, I would have voted nay. We have leverage to force a truce now, no point in drawing this out. But if we do not kill Kestrelstar, it will be Anisepaw that must bear the weight of that choice. Aye, Piperstar. Do it."

Piperstar wishes he could find an argument, wishes he could cast his vote otherwise. But he'd sold his honor to Vinestar last moon, and he was a cat of his word. "I'll do it," he says, with all the weight the moment deserves, the same words he spoke during the trade. "We'll lure Kestrelstar into a fight... and I'll kill them."

PATROLS / Fight scene

(CW FIGHTING BLOOD POISON DEATH) Piperstar doesn't have to wait long for his opportunity. For the last moon, every patrol to the northern border ended in blood, and today would be no different. It's a bright day, the dawn light glinting pink and gold against the settled snow. The perfect day for battle. Kestrelstar has the same thought, and both sides bring a full patrol of cats to the border. They leap into battle without a second thought.

The fight is long and hard, but Piperstar knows its over before it really began. He has to fight his way to Kestrelstar, finally ending up beneath the CinderClan leader's claws. "Do you know what it feels like to take a life, Piperstar?" they growl. "It tastes sweeter than your Clan's honey." Except Piperstar didn't come here to fight fair. Behind him, the clay pot lay smashed in the snow, seeping red like blood. The poison mixed with the blood already on Piperstar's claws, red on red, as he slashed upward.

Vinestar said it was the most potent poison MorelClan could distill, enough that a single scratch could spell doom for a warrior. But Piperstar didn't think it would be so easy. One scratch across Kestrelstar's cheek is all it takes. Kestrelstar slows almost immediately. A few heartbeats later, they stumble back. A few after that and their front legs collapse beneath them. Piperstar doesn't take risks; he rakes his claws along Kestrelstar's flank, ensuring the poison cuts deep. Vinestar told him that Kestrelstar had five lives left, but Piperstar stopped watching after the poison took three, one after another after another. Finally, they stop writhing and gasping in the snow. When he checks one last time, the leader's eyes are empty. Dead.

He finds no joy in calling his warriors back, SwarmClan's victory assured, at least for the day. He doesn't doubt this will only spark more war between the two Clans, but in killing Kestrelstar and fulfilling his promise to Vinestar, he secured alliances with both MorelClan and BurnClan for the duration of the conflict. The war might drag on, but with two Clans backing him, SwarmClan would survive.

It was the only choice he could make.

(soooooooo Piperstar kills Kestrelstar basically in cold blood, ruining his reputation but perhaps giving the smaller SwarmClan a chance in the war. I really debated having the Clan vote to not go through with it, but I promised to leave it up to the generator to decide who agrees with Piperstar and who agrees with who, and this is how it rolled. So here we are.