Post by Storm on Jun 28, 2022 20:41:32 GMT -6
COPPERhawk
LICHENCLAN
fierce cinnamon smoke tom with keen golden eyes
warrior
tom
25 moons
Appearance
Copperhawk inherited his father’s robust – bordering on chunky – build. His cobby body, thick in the middle and more square than rectangular, was apparent even as a kit. He has a large head, thick neck, broad chest and shoulders, and heavy limbs. To the eye his legs are like thick branches that root him to the ground. He lumbers in his movements, though his stride is purposeful and active. He is not overly tall, being of average height for cats in his clan.
Copperhawk has a solid, richly cinnamon shaded coat of smoky long hair. The fur of his cheeks, neck ruff, chest and belly grows paler in it’s length, and drapes down his body. His tail is over-abundantly furred, as are his legs and large paws. Due to how active he is, his fur is often dirty or mussed, and it annoys him to no end to sit in his den at night and groom it before he sleeps. Beneath his pelt, several scars now lie - most notably, upon his belly and chest are several long marring marks left by the talons of the hawk whose name he carries.
The tom’s head is large and thick like a rock, capped with a pair of squat ears that nestle into thick fur. His maw is wide with abundant jowls, and drooping whiskers beneath a shorter, somewhat pressed in nose. His eyes are big and observant, colored a soft warm gold that usually make him appear welcoming.
Copperhawk has a solid, richly cinnamon shaded coat of smoky long hair. The fur of his cheeks, neck ruff, chest and belly grows paler in it’s length, and drapes down his body. His tail is over-abundantly furred, as are his legs and large paws. Due to how active he is, his fur is often dirty or mussed, and it annoys him to no end to sit in his den at night and groom it before he sleeps. Beneath his pelt, several scars now lie - most notably, upon his belly and chest are several long marring marks left by the talons of the hawk whose name he carries.
The tom’s head is large and thick like a rock, capped with a pair of squat ears that nestle into thick fur. His maw is wide with abundant jowls, and drooping whiskers beneath a shorter, somewhat pressed in nose. His eyes are big and observant, colored a soft warm gold that usually make him appear welcoming.
Personality
WITTY - OUTGOING - ENTERPRISING - DUTIFUL - RASH - PRIDEFUL
Copperhawk possesses a natural wit. Thought he doesn't always enjoy talking to other cats, he can be amusingly clever and flirtatious when he wants to be. He uses this talent to his own advantage often, letting that be the surface level of himself that most other cats know. He also uses it to guide the path of conversations in ways that he desires.
He is a cat that thrives in environments of action, where his training and natural ability to engage with others can be applied. He is not necessarily sociable and is more likely to avoid conversations with others that he sees as pointless. He also dislikes being in crowds or groups larger than two or three, for he prefers to give all of his focused attention to one clan-mate at a time.
Copperhawk is active and always needs to be doing something. He doesn’t enjoy sitting around camp if he can avoid it, and will stay on his paws until he is too tired to go on. He is ready to undertake difficult tasks that are important to either himself or those that are close to him. He also feels inclined to perform any duties expected of him, hoping to show his capabilities and prove his worth.
This cat has a tendency to act hastily, based on the information or emotions he has in the moment. He does not give due consideration to consequences that might last far longer than the moment he is in.
Copperhawk has, for all of his life, been given a higher sense of self-worth due to the attention and teachings of his father, and then his mentor Wispfang and his family. He is incredibly confident in his own abilities and feels immense satisfaction when his accomplishments are acknowledged.
History
Father: Cliffbelly
Mother: Dappleshell
Siblings: Russetoak, Ochrewhisker, Brightflame, Goldripple
Copperkit was born along with the very first breaths of new-leaf, when ice still covered the beaches of Lichenclan and all the world seemed cold. It was only natural, then, that a litter of five large kits born without issue seemed a direct blessing from Starclan. Cliffbelly and Dappleshell rejoiced, and named their kits for the colors of their coats as was the tradition of Dappleshell's bloodline.
Their firstborn, Copperkit, quickly showed that he was a robust kit in both mind and deed. Often he was awake and exploring, playing, and leading his siblings into both mischief and praise. He was stronger than both of his brothers, especially Ochrekit who was the smallest kit of the litter. And while Goldkit was far wilier, Copperkit quickly learned how to read into her schemes. Within a moon, he became the favorite of his father, even over his two brothers. Cliffbelly saw in him the legacy of a capable warrior, which was expected in his offspring. Dappleshell noticed this, and knew that she would not sway her mate from focusing on their first son. So instead she tried her best to dote on the other four kits, especially Ochrekit who Cliffbelly ignored. Copperkit himself didn't notice this difference in how Cliffbelly treated him, innocently enjoying the attention and soaking up the lessons he was given disguised as play and stories.
Copperkit's time in the nursery was well spent and happy, save for one fear-drenched night that would stay in his memory for moons to follow. The litter was only a moon old the night that evil forest giants invaded the sacred caves of Lichenclan and attempted to murder Minnowstar. Copperkit did not know such details. All he knew was that he spent the night huddled with his siblings, hidden under his mother's crouching belly as Cliffbelly fought with a giant Redwoodclan warrior at the nursery entrance. Meanwhile across the nursery, a queen struggled through the pains of labor. It was the first time that Copperkit smelt blood. That night would have a lasting effect on the tom, who would look back on it with anger. He never wanted to be so afraid again, and he would do anything he could to be strong enough so that he'd never have to be.
Being a part of a large litter, where he was given constant interaction with kits that had different temperaments, helped prepare Copperkit for clan life. His brothers were as different from each other as they were him. Dealing with Russetkit's penchant for long thoughtful silences and bad attempts at humor while trying to balance Ochrekit's constant need for approval and clingy nature made playtime complicated. On the days when his sisters deigned to entertain the boys' more rambunctious play was when Copperkit was challenged the most. Goldkit's more mercurial nature and her natural inclination to try and gain the upper hand made her Copperkit's natural adversary when they played. And her usual refusal to spar often left him unsure of how to win. This naturally honed his social skills to fall more in tne with the traditional Lichenclan value of being convincing in conversation. And Brightkit, the gentle sister who was more interested in going to the elders for stories and following Dappleshell around camp, seemed the most distant to him. She always seemed to have a secret plan that he wasn't a part of.
And elsewhere in the nursery, Copperkit was given the perfect example of just how complex clan life could be. It wasn't hard to overhear the arguments between Sturgeonstone and Merlintail, or to notice the tension built like a wall of ice between them and their mates. Copperkit liked playing with the kits from both families when he could, but it took him a long time to understand why they all couldn't play together. Thought, admittedly he didn't like Riverkit very much, he was always trying to be bossy and ruin playtime. And Lilackit would stare off into the distance and say weird things that didn't make sense. He was glad that his siblings weren't so odd.
At his third moon, Copperkit followed behind Dappleshell on paws still too large for him as she led her kits to the Mooncave. There Cliffbelly awaited them, sitting proud and looking overlarge next to Minnowstar herself. In the presence of his leader Copperkit, for the first time in his life, felt shy. Her gaze was harsh and her silence as she watched the ceremony judgmental. Briarfall, in comparison, was a welcome presence. Even though the medicine cat had to dunk five large and unwieldy kits into the sacred pool, she made no complaint. Copperkit didn't particularly care for having his long fur drenched, but Dappleshell had admonished them all to be polite beforehand. Ever the dutiful son, he thanked Briarfall with a touch of his nose. He certainly didn't sneeze up water, the way Brightkit did.
Before that day, Copperkit had listened to Cliffbelly and Dappleshell tell stories of Lichenclan’s heroes and anecdotes of Starclan. They had been interesting in the moment, but nothing that would stay with him into the next playtime. However, the feeling of that cold, still water surrounding him stayed with him for the rest of the day. That night his dreams were haunted by the feeling of floating as if in water, with ghostly starlight surrounding him. He woke alone in the night, heart racing, and sought the warm comfort of his siblings around him before he slept again. From then on, his interest in Starclan grew. He listened to Flintheart’s sermons from the edge of the nursery and paid close attention to the lessons from his parents.
At six moons, Copperkit and his siblings let Dappleshell subject them to thorough baths before Cliffbelly collected the family from the nursery and led them out into the wide area of camp beneath Minnowstar's ledge. There, eyes shining, he was named Copperpaw and entrusted into Wispfang's claws as an apprentice. After hearing the rumors about what a capable warrior Wispfang was for all of his kithood, Copperpaw was vibrating with glee. Surely there would be no better warrior to teach him how to be brave, and fight, and never be scared again.
Copperpaw would get his wish - though perhaps not as he might have expected. Wispfang was a brutal teacher. Copperpaw was raked by fierce talons, bitten by sharp fangs, and left with deep aches and pains with every day of training that passed. He grew used to the sight of his own blood and numb to even strong pain. And more and more, he became convinced that Wispfang was forging him into a true Lichenclan warrior. At the same time, Copperpaw became closer with Wispfang's family as his training progressed. Merlintail taught the young tom how to fish, and soon it felt as though the tom had been adopted into a new family.
Several moons into his apprenticeship, Cliffbelly arranged an engagement for Copperpaw - to Lilacpaw. The strange, moony she-cat who he'd always kept his distance from as kits. The tom didn't know how to feel about it, feeling mostly sorry but also strangely protective for the small molly. It ended up mattering little, for in the end Lilacpaw was taken as a medicine cat apprentice, and the engagement was broken.
But, Copperpaw's entanglement with her did not end there. He was eleven moons and in fine war-form when, on a day exploring the cliffs, Copperpaw witnessed a hawk dive from the sky and attempt to carry Lilacpaw away. It would have been the small she-cat's death. Every moment of training and instinct that Wispfang had subjected Copperpaw to snapped into action, and without a thought he launched himself from the cliff and into open air to tackle the hawk. The two cats and the bird of prey landed bloody and somewhat broken upon the gravelled sands of the beach. Lilacpaw was saved, and a warrior name was earned.
Around this time, Lichenclan's great war with the island was also ended. The first battle that Copperhawk took part in, would be Minnowstar's last. Copperhawk took the loss in stride - even if there was no open war, his duty as a feircely trained warrior was clear. There would be more fighting eventually, he was sure. But, not the sort he'd expected. Soon, Copperhawk found himself fighting foxes - for one had savagely killed his mentor, Wispfang. Thirsting for revenge, the tom was rarely seen in camp or among his clanmates - even after the blizzard and flooding caused them to move onto Redwoodclan land temporarily. He ranged the island and chased down any red-pelted killers he could catch.
Not long after Lichenclan returned to their own camp, the tom was sure that he had fought and killed the one to have murdered Wispfang. He spent time recovering from his wounds in camp, and there, a molly caught his eye. One that shouldn't have, by all accounts. Not only was she quiet and unassuming, but Perchwhisker had a mate and kits. Still, the tom was entranced, and set aside chasing foxes for more pleasurable pursuits.
Mother: Dappleshell
Siblings: Russetoak, Ochrewhisker, Brightflame, Goldripple
Copperkit was born along with the very first breaths of new-leaf, when ice still covered the beaches of Lichenclan and all the world seemed cold. It was only natural, then, that a litter of five large kits born without issue seemed a direct blessing from Starclan. Cliffbelly and Dappleshell rejoiced, and named their kits for the colors of their coats as was the tradition of Dappleshell's bloodline.
Their firstborn, Copperkit, quickly showed that he was a robust kit in both mind and deed. Often he was awake and exploring, playing, and leading his siblings into both mischief and praise. He was stronger than both of his brothers, especially Ochrekit who was the smallest kit of the litter. And while Goldkit was far wilier, Copperkit quickly learned how to read into her schemes. Within a moon, he became the favorite of his father, even over his two brothers. Cliffbelly saw in him the legacy of a capable warrior, which was expected in his offspring. Dappleshell noticed this, and knew that she would not sway her mate from focusing on their first son. So instead she tried her best to dote on the other four kits, especially Ochrekit who Cliffbelly ignored. Copperkit himself didn't notice this difference in how Cliffbelly treated him, innocently enjoying the attention and soaking up the lessons he was given disguised as play and stories.
Copperkit's time in the nursery was well spent and happy, save for one fear-drenched night that would stay in his memory for moons to follow. The litter was only a moon old the night that evil forest giants invaded the sacred caves of Lichenclan and attempted to murder Minnowstar. Copperkit did not know such details. All he knew was that he spent the night huddled with his siblings, hidden under his mother's crouching belly as Cliffbelly fought with a giant Redwoodclan warrior at the nursery entrance. Meanwhile across the nursery, a queen struggled through the pains of labor. It was the first time that Copperkit smelt blood. That night would have a lasting effect on the tom, who would look back on it with anger. He never wanted to be so afraid again, and he would do anything he could to be strong enough so that he'd never have to be.
Being a part of a large litter, where he was given constant interaction with kits that had different temperaments, helped prepare Copperkit for clan life. His brothers were as different from each other as they were him. Dealing with Russetkit's penchant for long thoughtful silences and bad attempts at humor while trying to balance Ochrekit's constant need for approval and clingy nature made playtime complicated. On the days when his sisters deigned to entertain the boys' more rambunctious play was when Copperkit was challenged the most. Goldkit's more mercurial nature and her natural inclination to try and gain the upper hand made her Copperkit's natural adversary when they played. And her usual refusal to spar often left him unsure of how to win. This naturally honed his social skills to fall more in tne with the traditional Lichenclan value of being convincing in conversation. And Brightkit, the gentle sister who was more interested in going to the elders for stories and following Dappleshell around camp, seemed the most distant to him. She always seemed to have a secret plan that he wasn't a part of.
And elsewhere in the nursery, Copperkit was given the perfect example of just how complex clan life could be. It wasn't hard to overhear the arguments between Sturgeonstone and Merlintail, or to notice the tension built like a wall of ice between them and their mates. Copperkit liked playing with the kits from both families when he could, but it took him a long time to understand why they all couldn't play together. Thought, admittedly he didn't like Riverkit very much, he was always trying to be bossy and ruin playtime. And Lilackit would stare off into the distance and say weird things that didn't make sense. He was glad that his siblings weren't so odd.
At his third moon, Copperkit followed behind Dappleshell on paws still too large for him as she led her kits to the Mooncave. There Cliffbelly awaited them, sitting proud and looking overlarge next to Minnowstar herself. In the presence of his leader Copperkit, for the first time in his life, felt shy. Her gaze was harsh and her silence as she watched the ceremony judgmental. Briarfall, in comparison, was a welcome presence. Even though the medicine cat had to dunk five large and unwieldy kits into the sacred pool, she made no complaint. Copperkit didn't particularly care for having his long fur drenched, but Dappleshell had admonished them all to be polite beforehand. Ever the dutiful son, he thanked Briarfall with a touch of his nose. He certainly didn't sneeze up water, the way Brightkit did.
Before that day, Copperkit had listened to Cliffbelly and Dappleshell tell stories of Lichenclan’s heroes and anecdotes of Starclan. They had been interesting in the moment, but nothing that would stay with him into the next playtime. However, the feeling of that cold, still water surrounding him stayed with him for the rest of the day. That night his dreams were haunted by the feeling of floating as if in water, with ghostly starlight surrounding him. He woke alone in the night, heart racing, and sought the warm comfort of his siblings around him before he slept again. From then on, his interest in Starclan grew. He listened to Flintheart’s sermons from the edge of the nursery and paid close attention to the lessons from his parents.
At six moons, Copperkit and his siblings let Dappleshell subject them to thorough baths before Cliffbelly collected the family from the nursery and led them out into the wide area of camp beneath Minnowstar's ledge. There, eyes shining, he was named Copperpaw and entrusted into Wispfang's claws as an apprentice. After hearing the rumors about what a capable warrior Wispfang was for all of his kithood, Copperpaw was vibrating with glee. Surely there would be no better warrior to teach him how to be brave, and fight, and never be scared again.
Copperpaw would get his wish - though perhaps not as he might have expected. Wispfang was a brutal teacher. Copperpaw was raked by fierce talons, bitten by sharp fangs, and left with deep aches and pains with every day of training that passed. He grew used to the sight of his own blood and numb to even strong pain. And more and more, he became convinced that Wispfang was forging him into a true Lichenclan warrior. At the same time, Copperpaw became closer with Wispfang's family as his training progressed. Merlintail taught the young tom how to fish, and soon it felt as though the tom had been adopted into a new family.
Several moons into his apprenticeship, Cliffbelly arranged an engagement for Copperpaw - to Lilacpaw. The strange, moony she-cat who he'd always kept his distance from as kits. The tom didn't know how to feel about it, feeling mostly sorry but also strangely protective for the small molly. It ended up mattering little, for in the end Lilacpaw was taken as a medicine cat apprentice, and the engagement was broken.
But, Copperpaw's entanglement with her did not end there. He was eleven moons and in fine war-form when, on a day exploring the cliffs, Copperpaw witnessed a hawk dive from the sky and attempt to carry Lilacpaw away. It would have been the small she-cat's death. Every moment of training and instinct that Wispfang had subjected Copperpaw to snapped into action, and without a thought he launched himself from the cliff and into open air to tackle the hawk. The two cats and the bird of prey landed bloody and somewhat broken upon the gravelled sands of the beach. Lilacpaw was saved, and a warrior name was earned.
Around this time, Lichenclan's great war with the island was also ended. The first battle that Copperhawk took part in, would be Minnowstar's last. Copperhawk took the loss in stride - even if there was no open war, his duty as a feircely trained warrior was clear. There would be more fighting eventually, he was sure. But, not the sort he'd expected. Soon, Copperhawk found himself fighting foxes - for one had savagely killed his mentor, Wispfang. Thirsting for revenge, the tom was rarely seen in camp or among his clanmates - even after the blizzard and flooding caused them to move onto Redwoodclan land temporarily. He ranged the island and chased down any red-pelted killers he could catch.
Not long after Lichenclan returned to their own camp, the tom was sure that he had fought and killed the one to have murdered Wispfang. He spent time recovering from his wounds in camp, and there, a molly caught his eye. One that shouldn't have, by all accounts. Not only was she quiet and unassuming, but Perchwhisker had a mate and kits. Still, the tom was entranced, and set aside chasing foxes for more pleasurable pursuits.
