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KittyStorage In reply to ??? [2019-12-20 12:02:33 +0000 UTC]

Thank you~

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KittyStorage In reply to Weidenlied [2018-04-14 13:14:36 +0000 UTC]

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that!

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KittyStorage In reply to Saakumi [2018-04-09 18:48:31 +0000 UTC]

Omg that's the most awesome thing I've heard, thank you so much! Hmm I'd love to elaborate, but like I kinda have to ask if you want the very basics first or specific details - or both, in that order? x'3

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Saakumi In reply to KittyStorage [2018-04-10 00:23:45 +0000 UTC]

bring it all to me in whatever form, order or medium you want i just know it'll be g o o d

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KittyStorage In reply to Saakumi [2018-04-10 15:36:10 +0000 UTC]

(((((QwQ))))) hnng careful now or else my ego will start sprouting wings oh my~

Okay so, the basis for this whole AU this time around, was the idea of "what ifs". I asked myself what I'd like to try and change, and how, and what the aftereffects would be from such a change. Cause -> Effect kinda thinking. I'm not really a worldbuilder I just like to entertain what ifs and only make up some new lore to back it up like the lazy bean I am haha. Example: What if Moonflower didn't die? What sort of effect would it have on her family, would she and Stormtail break up, etc.

Then we have like, the three "main points" of the AU, the three biggest tweaks that lay out the foundation for the events themselves;

1. "The leader's word is law" - here I play it to its absolute fullest. Since leaders are blessed by StarClan with lives and their authority, they are physical representatives of the ancestors' wills, so you don't just challenge your leader willy-nilly anymore cuz it's cause for charges of blasphemy. Medcats are a close second in terms of authority but even they, as mouthpieces of StarClan, fall short of the actual representative. The code also makes for a lot of juicy in-Clan conflict bc leaders are like apples - some are good, some are rotten, and some are even rotten tho they look good. And finally like... there are now so many headcanons and AUs that clean up the bad business in Warriors and the injustice and all that stuff - which is totally great just saying I mean I've argued for that before and all but... now since so many good kids are doing that, I felt like going the opposite direction for funsies, and lay out a basis for more bad characters, decisions, and general dictator-making haha. Example: if Sunstar says he wants to fight for Sunningrocks, you can argue with him about it, but if he says final, well shit you don't have much of a choice. It also makes dethroning leaders more troublesome and time-consuming cuz you have to come to terms with the fact you're actively seeking to challenge StarClan's divine choice~

2. "The family denning system" - a new feature, this time I didn't care for the whole warriors den, nursery, apprentices den yadda yadda been there done that right? So now I made a system based on family spheres. Families keep the same dens, starting with a mated pair and their offspring, whichever of the offspring stays single, and maybe one or two of their elderly parents later in life. Instead of a handful dens now the camps are sprinkled with them all over the place, dugouts, underbush dens, tree trunk and tree root dens, depending on territory. Some Clans have more dugouts compared to others, like RiverClan has to bear in mind their riverbank camp and can't just make new dens wherever in case of floods, while ShadowClan have tree root dens in abundance, ThunderClan's dried riverbed is good for dugouts, and WindClan... well it's pretty cold out in the open and they're more exposed so they keep to shared fox sets instead - so instead of separate dens, they have more like separate rooms in a shared tunnel network kinda like rabbits and stuff. The denning system keeps to a certain set of rules tho, higher ranked cats get the best dens while adopted warriors (housecats/rogues) start with the shittiest dens. Between the mated pairs also the she-cat has dibs on the den in case they split up, since they may have had kits together and the kits' rights to stability and security rank highest aka their daddy-o will have to go. The only exceptions are the leaders' and medcats' dens, which are inherited by title - like when a new leader is elected, the previous leader's family (if they had any) will be relocated to another den. Example: Adderfang and Swiftbreeze get together, and are given a new den where they'll live and have a family; Leopard, Red and Willow move out to start families of their own, while Spotty moves out when she becomes medcat, and finally Patchpelt stays a bachelor all his life and so stays in that same den with Adder and Swift. Upon their deaths, the den's rights go to Patchpelt, as the one who keeps it.

3. "ThunderClan the bad guys" - my favourite part of the whole gimmick haha, cuz the biggest what if I thought about was this one - what if ThunderClan itself was an antagonist? Like in the original series Firestar is meant not merely to save the Clan as his prophecy insists, but to save all the Clans. However this time he really doesn't have the time to save all the others cuz ThunderClan's biggest enemy is itself. Generations of bad leadership, violent policies and hard-cut territory defenders have instilled such a rule of protectionism, narrowmindedness and arrogance towards the other Clans that ThunderClan has become a warmonger Clan in its own right, nearly on par with ShadowClan. It's not so much that the leaders really felt they were evil, but that their neglect towards neutral Clan relations and peace promotion has backfired on them. Redstar, Oakstar, Sunstar - all of them focused on "winning" their wars no matter what, Doestar didn't have enough authority to change things and was too fearful of StarClan, and now finally it's all coming to its head with Thistleclaw as ThunderClan's leader instead of Bluefur - he embodies all the worst aspects of a leader, from his wilful violence to his twisted jealousy that doesn't accept anyone else to be right but him, finally to his irrational and paranoid dealings with the other Clans. At the time of Rusty's arrival, the Clan ain't really that far from folding in on itself. Ofc this doesn't mean I'm making ALL the early characters be unreasonably mean either, they're simply... ignorant of how their home policies have coloured their outlooks. They're only just starting to realize something is fundamentally wrong. Example: Sunstar could have chosen the middle road and not been so insistent about Sunningrocks, but despite one visit to RiverClan to deliver a warning - not even asking for diplomatic talks - he never even once sought a different approach than war to solve the issue.

So these are the grand pieces of the setting. Now follows a list of smaller, important tweaks (cuz I'm organized like that lol)

- "status and hierarchy" - while not blatantly obvious, status plays a bigger part this time than before. Being born to good families have a greater impact, and improving your status yields certain luxuries, like a better pick of sleeping dens, respect from your peers, and affects your duties to a smaller extent. The Clan still all work together, for sure. But now there's a small but noticeable difference between being an esteemed senior warrior, and an esteemed senior warrior who also happens to be son/daughter to a famous leader, for example. It's petty if anything, but it's how they see it. Ofc this does play into the attitude of impressionable cats, some flattening themselves against the rules, some fighting them, and some exploiting them. It also work together with the "leader's word is law" bit bc in some ways, warriors' ranks can be lifted up by the leader, tho this is most important for adopted warriors and former rogues/housecats. They're only "half" a warrior in terms of status until their leader decrees otherwise, and have to prove themselves all the more compared. Example: No matter how badass and well adapted Russetfur was, before Cedarstar said "you're a great warrior and a true daughter of ShadowClan", she was only half a warrior.
- "gift-warriors" - they're war crime compensation, more or less. Compensation in the shape of young warriors (tho preferably apprentices) gifted from one Clan to another. It used to be a common thing back in the day bc gift-warriors also improve Clan relations and are important in the rotation of blood (which was my secret agenda for the whole thing admittedly lol) but have almost fallen into disuse due to all the hostilities. Example: ThunderClan provokes a battle with WindClan on baseless accusations, and a WindClan warrior is killed. Later during peaceful times WC may then forward a claim to a gift-warrior, if they feel their loss of a set of healthy paws have caused them much harm. TC may choose to ignore or respond to the claim, either refusing or agreeing to gift them a gift-warrior as apology and promise never to do it again.
- "The Four-Clan Law" - a big bad ultimatum to be sure, something the Clans can only invoke if they truly feel like the balance and survival of the whole forest is in peril, be it from an outside source, a natural catastrophe, or in-Clan wars. When invoked the Law forces a truce just like the Gathering, only this truce lasts until the threat has passed. It was Redstar's generation who formed the law, so as to avoid future scandals like when SkyClan fell, and it's a last resort-kinda deal. The only time the Law acts differently is when it's aimed at a single Clan or Clan leader (who is the threat) in which case all the three Clans must be in agreement to use the Law, else it doesn't hold power. That's not to say any bad leader will accept being dethroned on the basis he/she gets the Law invoked in their faces tho lol. Example: Brokenstar's reign threatened the balance of the forest when he attempted to run out WindClan. WindClan and RiverClan sought to invoke the Law to stop Brokenstar, but Thistlestar's refusal to go along stopped their plans, and they had to settle for a casual embargo of ShadowClan instead.
- "StarClan's memory" - my take on a viral cloud feature for the Clans basically. xD It's a thing exclusive to medcats, in that they learn lore, legends and tricks from their ancestors bc their memory is much better than that of mortal cats. It's also a security measure against the disaster of a Clan losing their medcat prematurely, either before it has finished mentoring an apprentice, or taken an apprentice at all. This way, the next medcat will still have access to Clan-exclusive information through its ancestors. However the system is juuust as prejudiced as the Clans themselves, so borrowed medcats or adopted medcats from other places do not have the same access bc this is privy information and part of the Clan itself. Example: Yellowfang was allowed to practice medicine in TC after Spottedleaf's death, but she did not have access to TC's part of StarClan and so the old lore and stuff had to be taught to Cinderpelt directly from StarClan.
- "The starflower" - I kinda ended up giving up my venture in finding realistic cat medicine (found a handful herbs, but most natural meds need some sort of preparation to be applied and that's a headache all of its own) and from the precariously short list of herbs I did salvage, I found I had nothing akin to pain relief anymore. So, good person that I am, I went and made one up on the spot heh. I borrowed that weird flower from DotC, the one that really didn't serve a purpose at all, and made it a divine plant, gifted to the Clans by Silverpelt herself after the legendary First Battle, to heal the cats' wounds. It grows only in Mothermouth and blooms in moonlight as a response to Silverpelt, and it responds to faith. If the Clans lose faith in the starflower's effects, it'll disappear. However good a plant it is tho it's not a universal cure; it can't heal everything, and it can't save everyone, and it can't be over-harvested either. To begin with all the cats knew of the starflower, but after a scandal involving a cruel leader and an attempt to seize the starflower on a single Clan's behalf, the herb's now only known to the medcats alone, for safety's sake. Example: the starflower is mostly used to soothe pain and "hopefully" cure the patient, but if the patient still dies the medcats know then it was nothing they could have done.

Oh holy shit this got SO. LONG. wow sorry about that I'm too eager to share omg. Hope that answered for the basis tho, I can touch up on some details about charas and such if you're curious about specific things~ ;w; 

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AviRayburn In reply to KittyStorage [2018-06-19 14:20:45 +0000 UTC]

I'm curious now, what herbs are you using for your rewrite?

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KittyStorage In reply to AviRayburn [2018-06-19 15:32:10 +0000 UTC]

Ahem, yeah that's a good question, cuz I'm really not sure myself atm. There are so few herbs I dare use, I mean the only one I'm kinda assured of is red clover... I reckon the medcats will cheat a bit, say they're using this and that herb, and add my fantasy starflower herb LOL

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AviRayburn In reply to KittyStorage [2018-06-19 17:49:20 +0000 UTC]

Okay

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Saakumi In reply to KittyStorage [2018-04-11 17:02:44 +0000 UTC]

Don't worry about being lengthy, I love to read!
I really like your take on this whole thing, I especially love the "gift Warrior" thing. Maybe they could be apprentices or young Warriors? Simeone who can be influenced more easily and is not seen as much of a threat. I just think it would be a easy way to get an spy in the enemy so maybe only inexperienced cats are accepted in

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KittyStorage In reply to Saakumi [2018-04-14 14:33:47 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, then I'm relieved. And thank you too, it makes me reaaaally happy trust me!
Yeah, certainly the preferred gift-warriors are apprentices, or at most newly minted warriors - the younger the better, because they're more adaptable to change, easier to teach, less of a threat and has little to no potential for spying just like you said - it's very important to be clear about gift-warriors since they're meant to be moving Clans permanently. 

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Saakumi In reply to KittyStorage [2018-04-14 21:28:43 +0000 UTC]

Question time!
I'm curious about what happens to some of the unfortunate characters in the series, considering they're in a whole different reality.
What about Tigerclaw? He appears in the cover so I'll guess he is still relevant. But does he take over? Does he still try to rule the whole forest?
Is Scourge gonna make an appearance? Hope not 'cause he is such a pathetic excuse of a plot, but I'm interested by your take on the awfulness of this character.
Does the whole Tigerstar-Leopardstar plot happen? Does Stonefur survive? If so, what's up with him and Mistyfoot, what do their lives become?

Heard you're throwing the whole New Prophecy journey off the window, so what's up with Stormfur and Feathertail?
Does she live? What about her "romance" with Crowfeather?
And Stormfur never stays with the Tribe (thank goodness) so what happens with him?

Also since Squirrel and Bramble never happen here, does Bramble get a lady for himself or no?
How ironic would it be if he fell for someone out of the Clans; I mean... There was a certain kittypet who caught his eye once, maybe dear old Jessie but with an actual personality could make a good fit.

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KittyStorage In reply to Saakumi [2018-04-14 23:32:12 +0000 UTC]

"Cracks knuckles" righty no let's see here~

1. Tigerclaw - there are admittedly 1001 different AUs and headcanons about him being bad, so I tossed the coin the other way this time and made him good haha. His good basis is laid in his childhood, despite his dad dropping out of his life and his mother dying early (I killed off Leopardfoot since she was described as being in such a bad way prior/during the birth) and Tiger was raised together with Whitestorm by Bluefur. She instilled a certain moral compass in Tiger that even Thistle couldn't beat out of him, however the Clan itself doesn't welcome different opinions either so Tiger kept them mostly under lids growing up. Losing Bluefur to exile was a really hard blow to him, so Tiger kinda lingers on the social periphery, not happy with the turn of events, but not... inspired enough to change it himself. Thistle still fancies him a "minion" so when he ascends Tigerclaw is picked for deputy. He's stupid enough to vouch for Rusty's mettle when he wants to join the Clan so Thistle gets back at him by apprenticing Firepaw to him lol whoops~ Tigerclaw plays a pretty relevant role in that sense, because he's Firepaw's mentor (and father figure) and Firepaw really looks up to him, while Tiger has this ambivalent relationship to the youngster cuz on the one hand "ewww he's a former housecat and a brat to boot why me" but on the other he sees a lot of himself, and by extension Bluefur, in Fire, and feels this twinge in his chest cuz now here's Firepaw voicing his thoughts about change, the same thoughts Tiger himself lingers on but doesn't dare voice, and he doesn't know whether to shut him up or cheer the brat on. Tiger still manages to get his ass exiled in time for canon tho, because Thistlestar proposed him an ultimatum; either he takes Fire and Cloud into the forest and gets rid of them, or who knows what'll happen to Goldenflower and the kits -- insert evil insinuation here. Tiger isn't able to go through with the plan and so attacks Thistlestar instead and gets booted out of ThunderClan on basis of treachery.

2. So nope, this time around there's no Tigerstar who wants to rule the forest - technically, the only one here who wants that is Brokenstar. Even Thistlestar, main antagonist tho he is, is a pro-home protectionist fanatic whose paranoia and warmongering is coming to a boiling point. He doesn't want to conquer the other Clans so much as he wants to annihilate them when they cross the border...

3. Scourge - he's late, trust me. I didn't want him joining the party and screwing up the first arc again so this time around I let his plot take the place of the DF shit of OotS and stuff. Like, instead of being shucked in awkwardly at the bitter end, BloodClan doesn't properly show themselves until laaaaate. To begin with there's only hints of a menace going on in the urban area, that when the Clan cats pass by they notice the local rogues' hostility has increased and they're getting attacked willy-nilly, the rogue presence at the borders increase et cetera. It's only... hmm, not long after Hollyleaf and co. gets their names that Scourge comes into the light and demands the forest because his territory keeps getting pushed back by human interference, and former Clan cats told him such wonderful stories about their former homes (Clawface, f.ex) and starts a war. He loses the first battle then retreats to regroup, and the entire year spanning OotS time is mainly about the Clans preparing for the big showdown, never knowing when it's coming, and arguing whether to stay passive or make the first move. As a character Scourge isn't much improved, tho instead of lying and stuffing his ridiculous collar with dog teeth he does things the rogue way - fights himself to the top, uses terror and charisma to stay there, and purges his ranks whenever the cats begin wanting to rally against him. Scourge likes to stay ahead of things y'know.

4. TigerstarxLeopardstar - it happens, yet it doesn't happen. Depends on how you see things. When Tigerclaw is exiled, he's heavily injured thanks to Thistle roughing him up, and he nearly passes out on his way through RiverClan's territory. Leopard finds him, and having been awed by him in her youth (mostly his strength) she helps him in return for kits. Literally she wants to bear her own Clan strong, healthy warriors yet hasn't been able to find a tom there that's either suitable, or interested in her. There's little more than a certain small-scale attraction there, and Tigerclaw doesn't look a gift horse in the mouth like if all she wants is a litter of kits in return for saving his life well shit. Though it may not be counted as Leopard's smartest move in the world cuz it comes back to bite her in the ass later.

4.5. Stonefur - yep he lives, there's no TigerClan takeover so he survives fine. As for him and his sisters, their mother just happened to spill the beans about her secret when they were kits and so all four of them were booted out of ThunderClan - Oakheart took them all to RiverClan to stay, and Crookedstar let em cuz afterall they're family and Blue's an old friend despite Clan differences. Besides of all the four Clans RiverClan's the most open-minded at the time (mostly Crooked's work, admittedly) so it didn't bother them overmuch. Besides that, Blue was uncomfortable living in another Clan and left to become a loner (Oakheart the romantic sap joined her) so they only visit now and again. Stone, Misty and Moss were raised partly by RiverClan and are pretty happy everything considered. Stone is not appointed deputy under Leopard, instead Leopardstar makes the terrible choice of picking Hawkfrost, her own blood son for deputy (LeoxTiger result) and what with all the shit Hawk committed Leopardstar had to take the blow and so was dethroned for nearly sparking an all-Clan war with bad decision-making. Misty was elected leader by the Clan and chose her brother for deputy, and the two ruled pretty swell together - Stonefur later actually retired and was succeeded by Rippletail. 

5. Well registered, yeah no I wasn't impressed with the journeys and I certainly wasn't going to change territories willingly, so I staged something different. I let a bunch of cats (mostly the same as the NP cast, minus a few changes) get kidnapped by humans and taken far away. Idk about the details yet but they're kept by hostile humans for some awful purpose, and have to find their way home. Cue the Tribe to the rescue, a failed send-home via SkyClan (they're neighbours lol) and an unknown number of search parties sent by the Clans later, and they finally get their asses back home again. Only to find themselves neck deep in the political hotpot bc the Clans haven't cooperated in forever and this sudden truce based on kidnapped cats sparked hostilities between liberals and traditionalists.

6. Feathertail - she lives, however this time the FeatherxCrow thing is entirely one-sided on Crow's part - Feathertail tolerates him and is kind to him during their imprisonment, but Crow sees it differently (partly because he suffered the much mentally being caged up) and so clung to her like a saving grace. It shattered him when he realized Feathertail had never even considered him mate material, bc she goes and gets shacked up with Crag from the Tribe whoops. Feather is injured after their imprisonment so she and Stormfur are forced to stay behind in the Tribe while she recovers, and both make the mistake of falling in love whilst there - Storm takes Brook back with him to the Clans, but Feathertail is so attuned to Tribe life become she doesn't want to leave. 

7. Bramble's love life - indeed you're the first to ask, and indeed you're right, Bramble does get a ladyfriend of his own. An OC to be precise named Copperwing (a granddaughter of RosexThrush (maternal) and MoonxSun (paternal) ) she's a stubborn, vain calico but inwardly very insecure about herself, so part of her snark is overcompensation. I did consider mating him to a loner/rogue, I actually did, but I discovered my new lineages would amount to nothing if Copper didn't breed cuz she turned out to be the last survivor of the two lines and Bramble was the only available bachelor who fit her. x'3 Copperwing unfortunately suffers from low fertility (oh the irony) so they only managed to have one son together; Talonfoot.

... I suppose you could say I like petty political conflict and long-lasting wartime a lot lol.

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Saakumi In reply to KittyStorage [2018-04-15 14:26:36 +0000 UTC]

That's really interesting!
I adore the concept of good Tigerclaw and his relationship with Fireheart <3 so different and yet so good~
Does he and Bluefur ever return to ThunderClan? Maybe when Fire is leader?

Also what happens to dear old Cloudtail? Considering this universe is much more strict, does he suffer much more because of his lack of faith? Is he as open about his atheism?
On the same branch, what about Mothwing?

I'm a little surprised about Storm and Feather tho, considering they are so extremely close and loyal to their Clan and eachother.
I mean in the books one of the reasons Storm stays in the Tribe is because his sister is buried there.
I just don't see the siblings parting ways like that but that's just my opinion

I'm still curious about Crowfeather. I asume the Three exist in your AU; so how does the whole CrowxLeaf thing play out?
And do they have powers?
Does Hollyleaf die? Is Jay a medicine cat?
So many questions, sorry

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KittyStorage In reply to Saakumi [2018-04-15 23:15:56 +0000 UTC]

Yaay~ <3
I'm so glad, good!Tiger is such a refreshing viewpoint now cuz I admit I am getting a bit tired of the constant hurrdurr angerface~

- Tigerclaw and Bluefur - Bluefur is invited back to ThunderClan by Firestar when he is made leader, becoming one of his closest advisors. Tigerclaw probably would have been taken back too, but he is killed in the battle to overthrow Thistlestar. Instead of coming back home he'll get to grant Firestar a life upon becoming leader. Idk what life yet tho, strength maybe...

 - Cloudtail - he doesn't have it much easier, like Thistlestar barely tolerated Fireheart on a good day when he came with the kitten he nearly blew his top. But Brindleface and Redtail were both so eager to adopt him so there was no getting around it all. He still has his issues about finding his way between Clan life and his housecat roots, but it passes now too. He is admittedly not as open about his conflicting feelings about StarClan's existence as in canon, bc his standing is on thin ice as it is and noisily declaring he has troubles finding StarClan plausible would only cause him a heckload of problems. His lack of faith mostly comes from how he just doesn't get it, how he lacks enough spirituality and evidence and he's never really seen how praying to StarClan solves anything. This also isn't any better bc StarClan chose Thistlestar, and Cloudtail hates him, so great spirits favouring such a bad guy sits badly with him - he doesn't get how they're good guys if they can make such bad choices.

- Mothwing - I need her in this verse to communicate with StarClan for plot's sake (in order to reveal hers and Hawkfrost's half-Clan roots to stop him radicalizing RiverClan) so she's more of a wavering person when it comes to faith. On the one side, she's in touch with StarClan as a medcat, but on the other, she feels... let down, by the ancestors, because of her origins and everything. Her personal struggles affects her belief, and while she can do her medcat work more or less, she has a hard time believing in what the ancestors are telling her, distrustful become of their assurances. She's more than happy to give Willowshine all the leeway she needs to speak with StarClan bc she'd prefer not to as far as is possible for her.

- Storm and Feather - yeah it sure felt unnatural to split them up, bc you get the sense that they're a two-in-one package haha. Like I guess Stormfur wanted to please his Clan mates and his family and come home with them, like Greystripe f.ex. would be really sad that Feathertail would live so far away and losing one child at a time would surely be difficult, taking Brook with him he kinda avoided Grey losing both, but he'll constantly feel that loss in his chest cuz his other half isn't there. Stormfur wants to please, but suffers for it, especially because Brook cannot cohabit well in the Clans, especially now that the politics are flaring up and old prejudices are coming back to the forefront. Had Brook joined RC under other circumstances, say before or after Leopard's reign, her opinion might have differed, but the political environment she enters doesn't welcome her. So it makes more sense this time too that Storm and Brook go back to the mountain again. He and Feathertail have a jolly good time there tho, to say as much, cuz I refuse to portray the Tribe as the idiots they were in canon.

- CrowxLeaf - it starts out pretty similar. Crow and Leaf are both chosen to go to the mountains to collect Storm and Feather come springtime (they had to wait cuz the other kidnapped cats only made their way home by late autumn and traveling cross-country in wintertime wasn't in anyone's interest) and they hit it off as friends to begin with. It's only after Crow's rejected by Feathertail that stuff begins to change, bc Leafpool had liked him well enough as a friend, but had told herself not to push it since he was in love with someone else and she wasn't allowed to have it anyway. His heart breaking kinda broke her restrictive bonds and Leaf got burned by it. Their romance is pretty short and indulgent and just as much about experimenting as anything else, and both decided to end it almost as quickly as they began it, fearing the consequences - like, every Clan knows the tragedy of SilverxGrey and OakxBlue at this point and the Clans' views on half-Clan relations haven't improved as much yet. However the damage was already done. Crow didn't know about Leafpool's pregnancy, bc the Clan kept her hidden once it became known to them - however Leaf contracted a fever after the birth and died shortly. Squirrelflight, left to foster the kits, didn't know Leafpool hadn't told Crow of her pregnancy and so spoke with him about the kits' custody, to his shock and humiliation. He laments her death, but also struggles with guilt, thinking if only they'd stayed friends, like they were supposed to, like they felt much more comfortable as, she never would have died.

- Powers - eeeeenope. Nadda. No fancypants powers this side of the road. 

- Jayfeather - I'm a bit on the fence about it still, but yeah for now he's still medcat. However he wasn't born blind in this verse - as a kit, he and his siblings were kidnapped by Ashfur who wanted to get rid of them (crazy dude y'know, thought getting rid of them would mean he could have Squirrel all to himself) and Ashfur roughed Jaykit up. His wounds became infected, as did his eyes, and he nearly died, to Squirrelflight's horror. Despite surviving, his eyes lost nearly all their sight, coated in thick, milky cataracts, and he can only see basic shapes, light, and dark. Cinderpelt mentors him since Leafpool is dead in this AU, and they actually get on really well - for all his whining and angsting, Cinderpelt reminds him that life isn't all about what should have been, and besides... however much he'd moan and grumble she'd just counter that she, afterall, lived with the grumpiest medcat ever to exist and he's not even close to Yellowfang's level.

- Hollyleaf - Unfortunately, she still dies. However not in the same circumstance. Here, the three are told about their true parentage when they become apprentices, to prepare them for any nastiness they may experience during gatherings and such. All three felt hurt to realize their mother wasn't really their mother, and finding they were just an accident never even meant to happen, however of the three Holly takes the longest to forgive Squirrel. It's not helped by the fact she's apprenticed to Sunstripe, an OC who is underhanded and vengeful, and nurses a hatred for Firestar for exiling his father (his father, Batfang, a MoonxSun child, was among Thistle's most stubborn followers and refused to bend knee to Firestar, so chose exile instead) and Sun exploits Hollypaw's weakness by feeding her false comforts and fires up under her feelings of being unfairly treated, how not everything or everyone can be forgiven etc etc. to turn her to "his" side, against Firestar, in other words put her against her family. It nearly succeeds but Hollyleaf turns back at the last moment, when she realizes Sun's set her up as his assistance in his carefully prepared attempt to assassinate her grandfather. The shame nearly eats her up tho, and she barely has time to make up with her family before the first war with BloodClan rolls in, and she ends up an unfortunate casualty during their retreat. She dies literally in Squirrel's paws.

No worries, ask away as much as you need I'm only happy to oblige QwQ

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AviRayburn In reply to KittyStorage [2018-05-09 00:37:43 +0000 UTC]

I like how your CrowxLeaf goes! Can I share how my Sqirrelflight and Leafpool relationships go(tell me if this is starting to annoy you...):
Squirrelflight is only friends with Brambleclaw. She became friends with Ashfur, who was struggling from the death of a sibling. Ashfur thought that they were mates, and became enraged when Squirrelflight told him they were only friends. He ended up raping her, and making her pregnant.
Meanwhile, Leafpool, medicine cat of ThunderClan, fell in love with Crowfeather, warrior of WindClan. It was only a fling, but it made Leafpool pregnant. She died giving birth to her kits three days after Squirrelflight's kits were born. Leafpool's last words were telling her sister of her affair with Crowfeather. Squirrelflight told Firestar everything, and Firestar immediately told the clan about Ashfur's raping, to which he was promptly banished.
He also told of his daughter's affair, and when WindClan heard it, Mudstar blew his top and banished Crowfeather. Crowfeather tried to join ThunderClan, but Firestar was pissed that his daughter died giving birth to his kits.
After practically groveling at Firestar's paws, Firestar begrudgingly let him in with half a moon to prove his loyalty. Crowfeather passed, and became a full warrior of ThunderClan. Most clanmates still avoid him though. Squirrelflight and Crowfeather raised the kits, and told them what happened. Jaykit, Hollykit, and Lionkit try to prove that they won't the same mistake their parent's did.

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KittyStorage In reply to AviRayburn [2018-05-09 14:05:46 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, glad you think so! And sure, shoot, I'm only happy to hear what people have come up with and we all need to tell it sometimes, I mean it sorta tickles on your tongue right? x3

Whoa, dramatic~ I like how you didn't necessarily make Brambleclaw the bad guy here tho, just this guy on the side, while Ashfur retains all his crappiness - with additional features to boot! It makes sense actually, that rape is something a too-far-gone Ashfur would stoop down to doing, because of his need to own and dominate Squirrelflight, it's the epitome of male ownership issues. 
Oh your Leafpool dies too?! I'm sorta relieved to know I'm not the only one who sees the potential in a dead!Leaf AU! And yess at least Ashfur gets punished here too, I take it exiled!Ashfur will either disappear forever, or come back with a vengeance? And oh my that's actually enough to make me feel bad for Crowfeather and trust me that doesn't happen easy - I love how he isn't able to suck up to his stricter Clan (WindClan in canon didn't act very liberal in regards to half-Clan... except for that weird shit in Crookedstar's Promise but hey that's a long time ago politics will have changed by then~) and then having to prove himself worthy of ThunderClan oh god yes this is exactly what I want.
But the idea of him and Squirrel awkwardly but dedicately raising those furballs is really tender?? <3

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AviRayburn In reply to KittyStorage [2018-05-09 14:43:30 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! I realized that this would give Hollyleaf more of a reason to stick to the warriors code so much, and get mad when Lionblaze starts seeing Heatertail, since she feels like he's forgetting the consequences the their parents suffered. Also, I feel Mudstar wouldn't try to make WindClan the bad guys, but would set in stricter policies, and he would be furious when he learns that one of his warriors decided to mate with ThunderClan's medicine cat. And Ashfur does come back, but he's killed by Lionblaze. Also, Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze become really close the Squirrelflight's kittens, Emberkit and Ashenkit.

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KittyStorage In reply to hawkthespork [2018-04-07 20:34:31 +0000 UTC]

Oh my, I would be delighted to~ I'm just as happy every time someone become interested in my AUs. 

Is there anything in particular you're curious about, or should I just explain its basis to begin with? :3

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hawkthespork In reply to KittyStorage [2018-04-07 20:46:31 +0000 UTC]

I think explaining the basis of it to begin with would be great, thank you!! 

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KittyStorage In reply to hawkthespork [2018-04-07 22:19:16 +0000 UTC]

Very well~ 

Ahem, before I began the AU properly, I worked through which canon events I wanted to keep, and which I wanted to change, and how. Cause -> effect. Once I covered that, I made some "in-AU" rules, additional lore, so I'd have more basis for a few of my canon tweaks. 

F.ex. in this AU, I play the warrior code "the leader's word is law" to its absolute fullest. The Clans believe the leaders are physical representations of StarClan itself, and baseless opposition towards leaders can and likely will get you accused of blasphemy. Medicine cats too enjoy a grand status, being the "mouthpieces" of StarClan, but their status is still lesser compared to the leaders. Status rules quite a bit of in-Clan interaction, tho not often blatantly, and the leader's kin and favoured cats enjoy certain privileges compared to casual warriors - there's still an equal respect for elders and senior warriors, but there's a difference between being an esteemed senior warrior, and being an esteemed senior warrior who ALSO happens to be a son/daughter of a previous/current leader. There's quite a lot of faith put in good bloodlines. At the other end of the spectrum, adopted warriors and former loners/housecats are lowest on the rankings, but unlike full-blooded warriors who can easily prove themselves, adopted warriors' ranks can only rise by word of the leader, and their acknowledgement. Example: Russetfur was a mighty fine fighter, but until Cedarstar/Raggedstar acknowledged her skills and worthiness of being called a Clan cat, she didn't have the same rights as the other cats. 

Another thing which differs quite a lot from canon in this AU is my new denning system; each family sphere has their own sleeping den, that mated pairs share with their kits (and eventually elderly parents if they so wish) unmated cats usually stay in their family den, while those who mate are relocated to any available dens in the camp. Even so they do not have equal rights to the den - in the case a mated pair splits up, the she-cat has dibs on keeping their den, considering they may have kits together, and the kits deserve security and stability. The dens also feature in the hierarchy - the best dens are reserved for the most respected/esteemed warriors, and are dug-out dens in the ground compared to dens that are mainly just coverage under bushes and in dead tree trunks. The only dens that do not adhere to the same rules are the leaders' and medicine cats' dens, which are inherited - when a new leader is elected, the former leader's family are relocated to another den. As for the medcat den, well that one is basically shared either way. There are some Clan differences in this case, like ThunderClan and ShadowClan have several more dens scattered in their camps compared to the other two Clans because of suitability (the soft earth of a dried riverbed makes for a better foundation to dig more dens than compared to RiverClan - their riverbank campsite has to bear in mind eventual flash floods)

The third most important change made in this AU is the antagonization of ThunderClan. By the time Firepaw enters the Clans, ThunderClan has dragged its own reputation through the mud several times over and is looked upon as a warmonger Clan on nearly the same scale as ShadowClan. It's not really a conscious thing - ThunderClan has simply endured a long line of rather unfortunate leaderships, leaders who didn't necessarily mean for things to become more violent, but who inevitable changed it that way. A focus on combat and wars, and especially "winning" said wars came to the forefront of the Clan's policy, and keeping the peace, yielding for the sake of the majority, came second. Redstar waged war against RiverClan and SkyClan; Oakstar initiated new wars; Sunstar refused to bend knee to RiverClan's demands and kept up the rivalry instead of suing for peace; and finally now Thistlestar is bringing it all to its head with his protectionism, paranoid self-preservation and willingness to spill blood to ensure he has his way. ThunderClan doesn't really notice it, after generations of propaganda, but they're not far away from folding in on themselves. So Firestar's arc, instead of being one that ultimately is about him saving ALL the Clans, here he has his paws full just getting ThunderClan back on its feet.

Those are the main features at any rate. Bear in mind I'm a rather... sporadic, scatterbrained storyteller so I don't always develop things purely for the sake of "lore", but rather based on the "what ifs". Like "what if ThunderClan were the bad guys?" "What if Thistleclaw made leader?" And so on. The lore shapes itself around my what ifs instead of the other way around, if that makes any sense. I'm truly not a very good "world-building" person I basically wing everything and hope for the best haha. ^^

Lesser points I work with;
- "gift-warriors" - a recurring theme, it's war compensation in the shape of a warrior given from one Clan to another who has suffered unfairly at their paws. Example; ThunderClan provoked a battle with WindClan groundlessly, which caused the death of a WindClan warrior. During peace times, WindClan may then forward the claim that their loss of a set of paws has injured them greatly, and they demand compensation. ThunderClan may either answer this demand or refuse it, depending on policy - Clans used to comply to this more easily before, because gift-warriors not only heal Clan relations, they also improve inter-Clan ties, makes war less desirable to both parties (usually!!) and also helps the gene pool which was my secret agenda for the whole thing lol.
- "the Four-Clan Law" - a sort of ultimatum that is not to be taken lightly. If one or more Clan leaders feel that the balance of the four Clans is in danger, they may invoke the Four-Clan Law. It demands full stop to all inter-Clan activity until the threat has been dealt with, and was created in order to avoid another scandal like the fall of SkyClan. Ofc this may be used against common enemies/disasters, but can also be used against lone leaders and Clans, f.ex. if Brokenstar's reign in ShadowClan began threatening the sustainability of the other Clans. However in the case the law is used against a Clan, all three other Clans must be in agreement to invoke the law.
- "StarClan's memory" - a medcat-exclusive feature, StarClan's memory is basically a "viral cloud feature" lol the ancestors store a lot of the Clans' history and tales, and share them with the medcats. This is particularly useful during those scenarios where medcats die prematurely, either before finishing teaching their apprentices, or taking an apprentice at all. Bc while other Clans' medcats can teach them the basics, the lore of the Clan is exclusive, and can only be taught directly by the ancestors. F.ex. while Yellowfang was TC medcat and taught Cinderpelt, she was not privy to all of ThunderClan's tales and legends, and so those things Cinderpelt learned by communing with the ancestors instead, bc StarClan is just as prejudiced as the living Clans and don't share their secrets with anyone who isn't "one of them".
- "The starflower" - something I borrowed from the DotC series. I did a lot of research to try and enable medcats to use "proper" medicine and not just random herbs encyclopedias tell me will kill a cat in 0.5 point seconds. However that list became precariously short, and since it definitively lacked pain killers, I went and made one up instead. Bad me Ikr, terrible for a fan who enjoys realistic warriors haha. So like the starflower is a divine plant, given to the Clans by Silverpelt herself shortly after the legendary first battle, to heal their wounds. It grows only in Mothermouth and blooms in moonlight, and it is basically a universal cure plant. Its' five petals ofc reflect that of the original five Clans. However potency aside, it comes with a few restrictions; you're not to over-harvest, it's not guaranteed to work cuz even this herb can't cheat death, and medcats aren't allowed to tell the rest of the Clan about the plant. Mainly cuz it once happened a leader decided to be evil and block other Clans from getting to it and after that StarClan decided it was best to restrict knowledge of the starflower as much as possible. So usually medcats will give this herb to a patient, but pretend it's something else entirely so as not to alert any greedy/evil soul about this life-saving plant's existence.

Whoa okay that became quite a bit longer than I figured it would be, sorry. x'3 I hope I laid out the basis well enough to you tho, I'm happy (almost too eager lol) to share~

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hawkthespork In reply to KittyStorage [2018-04-07 22:33:58 +0000 UTC]

Aaa I love where you're going with it!! About the whole realistic herb thing, I found a tumblr blog where someone talks about realistic medicines and alternatives for the herbs that the erins got wrong (ex. burdock root is not actually used for rat bites) and if you'd like to see it I would be happy to send a link to you!

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KittyStorage In reply to hawkthespork [2018-04-07 23:01:26 +0000 UTC]

That makes me feel really happy thank you! A lot of this was like, just made up on the spot and woven together best as I could haha. x'D but oh yes, if you could link me to that I'd be very grateful, cuz I've just about given up herb research these days since it gives me headache~

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hawkthespork In reply to KittyStorage [2018-04-07 23:43:16 +0000 UTC]

You might have to scroll a bit or poke around the site to find something specific, but it seems really cool from what I've read! actualmedicinecathelp.tumblr.c…

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KittyStorage In reply to hawkthespork [2018-04-18 20:33:03 +0000 UTC]

Thank you~

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KittyStorage In reply to AstarGoldenwing [2018-04-01 22:41:53 +0000 UTC]

Glad to hear it, thank you very much! Yeah Thistle is like, the last level boss here so he needed his place of honour in the picture haha. Yep Blue's still around, though in a slightly different circumstances, good or bad I guess depends on how one looks upon it, cuz I kicked her (not her kids, they're still in RiverClan where they belong) out of the Clans~

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KittyStorage In reply to mepisgod [2018-03-26 12:52:16 +0000 UTC]

Indeed, that is similar, differing details or no~ Sounds quite dramatic on your end too. :3

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KittyStorage In reply to RainfoxArts [2018-03-26 12:51:35 +0000 UTC]

I'm glad that you think so, thank you!
Hehe now I wonder, are any of them in TC anymore~

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KittyStorage In reply to UnicornCat [2018-03-26 12:51:07 +0000 UTC]

Oh thank you very much, that makes it all worth it then!

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KittyStorage In reply to TheMarchBunnyMadness [2018-03-26 12:50:42 +0000 UTC]

Oh thank you very much, happy to hear it!
Hehe indeed, both Blue and Tiger are much changed due to these circumstances, but some things are simply meant to be, canon or not~

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KittyStorage In reply to Twistedfoot [2018-03-26 12:50:03 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much, glad to hear it! (indeed that makes two of us, some things just cannot be borne anymore lol - and I'm glad I could inspire you a little~)

That's pleasing to hear, actually, comforting, if that makes sense? xD

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KittyStorage In reply to gabbycat17 [2018-03-26 12:49:09 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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gabbycat17 In reply to KittyStorage [2018-03-27 01:45:21 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome as always.

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KittyStorage In reply to gabbycat17 [2018-03-27 11:04:57 +0000 UTC]

;3;

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KittyStorage In reply to le-letha [2018-03-26 12:49:03 +0000 UTC]

Thank you very much, I'm so glad you think so! I'll probably be making a lot of stuff for this verse from now on~

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KittyStorage In reply to X-raywhisker [2018-03-26 12:48:37 +0000 UTC]

Ehehehe pleased to hear it!

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