Harbinger
Slayer of Stars

Outsider

a calico point tom with deep blue eyes

In many ways, Harbinger matches the physical physique of his LichenClan ancestors. He is a bit taller than average for the clan, but is a thin, lithe cat who specializes in being quick and slippery with his attacks. He is light weight, partially due to his genetics and partially from poor dietary habits. Throug his thin coat an observer can easily see that his fur that his muscles under his fur are toned through intense training and frequent conflict.

The tom's pelt on his body is mottled between greys, gingers, and pale creams. Upon careful observation, it can be seen that these markings hide his identity as a ticked tabby. The largest factor in hiding the specific type of tabby patterning Harbinger shows is his pointed form. This results in his extremities reaching much darker in their stripes than his midsection. On his face and paws, the stripes are clearer, with short lines on his legs and the typical tabby "M" on his forehead. His tail's stripes are particularly dark, almost being black in color contrasting heavily next to the creamy color between them.

Harbinger's face is the most interesting facet of his appearance. His face is split in two, half ginger and half brown. The line that splits them descends the center of his nose and up into his forehead. As a younger cat, he hated his ginger half as it betrayed him, hinting at his origins. However, he has grown to appreciate the split, finding it adds to his imposing disposition.

His muzzle is pronounced and square, especially when compared to his rather sunken cheeks and high cheekbones. He sports large almond-shaped eyes, each one a startlingly deep blue, another symbol of his pointed lineage. The tom's ears are large and wider than average, increasing the triangular appearance of his head. His nose is outlined in black, and his muzzle an intense tan before being dusted with white at his mouth.

After years of being shown that no cat is to be trusted, Harbinger is unwilling to open up to others. He instead stays a fair bit away from anyone. He recognizes that he acts this way, and rationalizes it as self-preservation. He is unwilling to admit that what drives this behavior is the fear of getting hurt. There are rare occasions where cats have managed to weasel their way into Harbinger's life. While most have abandoned or betrayed him, those that reach past his barriers and remain there are trusted without doubt. He is blindingly loyal, willing to give anything to protect those he holds dear.


Grudges, in many ways, are what governs Harbinger's actions. Cats that give him a reason to dislike them are intensely hated. He gives no quarter to those that harm him or those he cares about and is never afraid to use his claws and teeth to show this. He can be particularly cruel when he wants to be, choosing to cause as much pain and horror to those he hates rather than letting them simply die an easy death.


By the way that Harbinger interacts with the world, it would be easy to assume him unintelligent. He is crude with his word choice and does not hesitate from saying whatever is on his mind. However, hidden under his outward appearance he is cunning and sly, a snake that hides behind a dim-witted persona. His intelligence makes up for his lack of bulk in combat. He can analyze his opponents and predict their next moves with enough accuracy to stand against stronger felines.


Harbinger, surprisingly, is a trustworthy tom. He generally doesn't find the need to lie, as he believes that the act causes more trouble than it is worth. When he agrees to carry out a service, he will see it through to the end. This won't stop him from attempting to negotiate the terms, however. He views most relationships as transactions except for his closest allies and friends. While he has goals of his own, he understands sometimes the best way to get what you want is to work well with others. This willingness to work with others when convenient as well as his transactional view of the world leads him to find himself in a mercenary-like position, always looking for cats who may require his services in exchange for something he wants.

Mother - Softfur
Father - Palewhisker
Littermate - Duststripe

Mate - Qrow

Brightkit and Dustkit were destined to fail from the moment of his first breath. Born as a particularly weak kitten to a family known for their defecting ancestors, the small tom had a bad start. The tiny tom's mother, Softfur, had ancestry that was notorious for supporting Egret. Despite her attempts to seem a loyal warrior and queen to the current leadership, her dead ancestors had doomed her and cursed her family to a low rank within LichenClan. While Brightkit's father had family who had supported the Heron line during the time when some of the clan questioned their loyalty, his line had been soiled due to a past of flirting with the enemy. Many moons ago, the grandparent of Brightkit's father was discovered to be involved with a RedwoodClan she-cat. While the relative was long dead by the time of Brightkit's birth, it was enough to spoil his father's line for eternity.

Because of the curses of both of his parents, Brightkit and Dustkit grew up expecting others to look down upon them. They had relatives who sympathized with RedwoodClan, no matter how distant, and a battle with the enemy led to the death of LichenClan's leader mere days before his birth. Even as kits, this spawned a powerful hatred of the tree-dwelling felines that lived across the border. Brightkit blamed the enemy clan for his family's misfortune, not yet understanding the complexities that led to his family's low rank within LichenClan.

Brightkit and Dustkit were made apprentices together on a wintery morning. They were assigned strong, powerful warriors in the hopes of being led down the right paths towards clan loyalty and success. Brightpaw's mentor was a harsh she-cat with a fiery temper and a quick wit, something that Brightpaw soon began to admire. He had a talent for insulting others and did so relentlessly. This led to him becoming increasingly unpopular among his fellow apprentices. Without the friendship of his peers, the tom instead put all of his effort into training.

His dedication bore fruit, leading to a relatively seamless apprentice hood. He was an older apprentice, nearly 13 moons old when Minnowstar declared war on RedwoodClan. In preparation for the upcoming battles, his mentor pushed him to finish his assessment to gain his warrior name. Brightpaw passed with flying colors. With his brother in tow, the pair were named warriors: Brightface for the splash of ginger on his face, and Duststripe for his brother's tabby stripes.

Brightface was a loyal warrior and served LichenClan to the best of his ability, but it was clear that his status in the clan was fixed. His parent's curses had tainted him, dooming him to be looked down upon by those with more reputable blood. While Duststripe managed to live his life knowing his place, Brightface grew increasingly unhappy with his life. He blamed StarClan for delivering him to the wrong cats, believing that he had been meant for parents with different pasts. StarClan was always silent, twinkling stars in the distance that Brightface would never reach.

The resentment Brightface felt led him to act out in small ways. He neglected his warrior duties and wandered near borders to pick fights. In a battle gone wrong, Brightface fell to the mercy of a strong RedwoodClan tom. Despite struggling to escape, a blow to the head left him unconscious. He expected to see the stars, to be able to attack them for cursing him, but he awoke among trees. He was confused but quickly realized that the other tom had spared him. Not only did he refuse to kill Brightface, but he didn't even leave a scar to remember the fight. The tom even applied the most basic first aid, slowing the bleeding of his wounds upon his awakening. He could tell where he was dragged, his body moved from the open air to a nook beneath a tree. The mysterious stranger had not only spared him more pain and suffering but had cared for him. It was the strangest encounter Brightface had experienced in his life.

His trips to the RedwoodClan border increased, but not to fight. Instead, he lurked on the LichenClan side of the border, waiting patiently to see the tom once again.

It was a moon before he met saw the familiar pelt that marked the cat he had attacked. He approached cautiously, careful not to startle the other cat. It was not a fight that ensued, but a conversation.

It was not long before Brightface and the mysterious tom were seeing each other much more regularly, and less so as enemies than as friends. A few moons passed before Brightface was seen by none other than his own brother, Duststripe.

The look in his brother's eyes was one of utter betrayal, and it took all Brightface had not to feel sorry for his actions. He chased his brother down, tackling the smaller tom before he could get too close to camp. An intense conversation ensued, one where Duststripe asserted that he would not tell Minnowstar as long as he repented for his sins. It then became clear that the divide between brothers had grown too wide; that Brightface did not have Duststripe's loyalty in a way that mattered.

Brightface refused to repent, only driving his brother away further. He resented StarClan and their ceaseless gaze but unwillingness to enact true change. He resented LichenClan for making him feel so helpless due to aspects he could not control. The only cat who ever made him feel worthy was a RedwoodClan cat, someone who he was forbidden to speak to by both StarClan's code and LichenClan's intense rules.

With Duststripe's threat still hot on Brightface's ears, he fled. if Duststripe told LichenClan's leadership, he would be exiled or worse. If he was going to leave LichenClan, it was going to be by his own will. Little did he know that after the night's events, Duststripe didn't say a word to anyone.

It was moons of wandering, looking for territory to hunt in without being chased away before he found his old friend. He learned that the tom had taken the name Qrow. It suddenly hit Brightface that he too could switch to something that fit him better and didn't remind him of his previous, worthless life.

It was a powerful feeling, to change one's name to something else just because you could. After much internal turmoil over the decision, his ultimate decision was a suggestion brought from a joke. He laughed and laughed, side by side with Qrow and looking up at the starry night sky. His name would be Harbinger. He was to be a dark portent on the horizon, slowly plotting to slay each star one by one. If he was going to be a sinner, he was going to sin.

After spending more time together, the newly named Harbinger and Qrow became closer than friends and eventually took each other as mates. The pair were happier together than they would be otherwise, and while many rogues did not couple together long term, it would not be the case with Harbinger and his Qrow.

Adjusting to life as a rogue continued to be daunting, but as a pair, it was much easier to secure resources like prey and room to roam. Harbinger found himself growing bored of the wandering, but he knew he didn't want to settle either. Instead, he found himself interested in spending more time interacting with the other rogues of the island. It became clear that on occasion, a rogue would have a problem that they could not solve on their own. Harbinger, always one to strike a deal, would agree to help, but for a cost. Since his work has drawn him to stranger and stranger locations. While he largely only is with his mate for long periods of time, he is always on the prowl for a job that needs to be done.