CLAYPAW

LICHENCLAN

Pale ginger tabby tom with dark amber eyes.

This tom's a bit of an outcast compared to the rest of the Clan's standards. Claypaw's long and lanky legs made him look like he was built to be a graceful swan among the swimming LichenClanners. However, his rather large frame and small paws made him a rather clumsy cat, and his only saving grace being his long, thin whip-like tail that keeps him rather balanced among the uneven rocky caves they made their home in. A notable feature is a long, jagged scar along his leg from when he tripped over some sharp rocks as a kit. He isn't sure why this cut didn't heal properly. Maybe it's a sign from StarClan?

His fur is a sandy bright ginger. His fur is feathery and short.
His build is not the only stark difference between him and LichenClan. His bright sandy fur makes him stick out among his own silver and dark furred Clanmates, coupled with the dark stripes that dance across his back in jagged edges. White splotches cover his muzzle and chest, and slither down until it covers his whole belly. His paws are a mismatch of white toes and dark stripes, and his tail is covered in pale ginger patches. The only similarity is the semi-long, feather-like texture, which is easily maintained by periodic grooming.

His eyes are the darkest thing on his pale body, acting like pitless depths to show there was more than a one-sided nuance to the tom. They are a dark amber, almost gold in a certain light, yet during the night become as dark as copper. His face is circular, and his ears remain as stubborn points despite his attempts to lay them flat for hunting.

Let's focus on Claypaw's positives first. Claypaw is already set apart from his family in multiple ways. He has none of the religious zealotry of his father, nor the passive fear of his mother. He shares very little in common with either of his sisters bully-like nature or pacifism.

He stands out as a unique cat for his exceedingly kind soul. Claypaw has a rather chipper and happy-go lucky attitude that is drastically out of place in the rather serious and intellectual Clan. He makes it his daily quest to try and make the days at least a little brighter for the other cats.

Secondly, he is a rather empathetic cat. He has a good gauge of other's feelings and unintentionally inflicts these emotions on himself. Another cats happiness sends his spirit soaring, while another cats sorrow and anger afflicts him deeply to send him into a wreck. But in conjunction with his kindness, he likes to use it in his quest to help others.

Finally, Claypaw tries his best to become a reliable warrior for LichenClan. He stakes his reputation on his ability to reliably get the job done, no matter how hard or challenging it is. He hates to feel like a burden, and his only choice is to try harder until he can complete the task at hand.

Now we go to the negatives. Claypaw is a rather squeamish cat. Blood, gore, the thought of hurting another with his empathetic nature, it all doesn't sit well with the young tom. He also found that he couldn't handle heights. You could not bribe Claypaw with as much prey as he wanted to climb a tree.

Secondly, Claypaw is a rather anxious cat. His mother's worry and fear of warriorhood affected him to some degree, and with no real outlet for these unnerving thoughts, it comes out in an anxious temperament that flares up from time to time.

Finally, his inherent reliability and anxious moodiness makes him a very stressed workaholic. He doesn't know when to quit at a job, even when it's affecting his own mental health. He'll try at something until he passes out, or until he's forced back away by another cat.

Claykit's family was an interesting one to say the least. His mother Skypetal was eager to stay as far away from her warrior duties as possible, and got with the first tom that showed any interest her, Martenfoot. However, this isn't the first time she had pulled that stunt. Her first litter, Mallowtail and Rootclaw, had been her first attempt to settle in and become a permaqueen. So when she was about to resume her warrior duties, she once more became pregnant with a second litter to keep out of the fighting.

Due to the confusing lineage, and his parents stark contrast in livelihoods, Claykit knew immediately that he had to escape all of his family's shadow and make a name for himself as an individual. He stayed away from most of them except for Dustkit, and made an effort to make himself known as a kind, gentle, and trustworthy soul.

And not much had changed when he finally earned his apprentice name of Claypaw.