Post by lightning on Jul 30, 2024 10:02:11 GMT -6
HOWLFEATHER
LichenClan
an amber smoke she-cat with grey-green eyes
warrior
she-cat (she/her)
23 moons
Appearance
With long, dense fur, of golden hues, Howlfeather almost appears more suited for RedwoodClan's forests rather than LichenClan's shores if not for her stature. While she is about average in height, she is thin and bony beneath her pelt, with a certain waif-ish frailty she has carried since birth. Her rich-hued pelt, on the other paw, was not always her own. Dull tabby fur slowly grew brighter as she aged, her coat finally reaching a mixture of pale creams, golden browns, and soft greys by the time she received her warrior name.
Howlfeather's face has a certain softness to it. Her head is a rounded square atop a mane of pale fur. Her ears are large and tall on her head, tufted in white at the tips. Her nose is black, and dark greys and browns rise from the bridge of her nose - the darkest furs on her body. Soft tabby stripes line her face and forehead. Her eyes are rounded and grey-green in color.
Howlfeather's face has a certain softness to it. Her head is a rounded square atop a mane of pale fur. Her ears are large and tall on her head, tufted in white at the tips. Her nose is black, and dark greys and browns rise from the bridge of her nose - the darkest furs on her body. Soft tabby stripes line her face and forehead. Her eyes are rounded and grey-green in color.
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8.3 lbs // 9.5"
8.3 lbs // 9.5"
Personality
+ Faithful & Dedicated ~
Above all earthly pleasures and responsibilities, Howlfeather always puts StarClan and their wishes first. Their laws and customs are of utmost importance to her, and she takes each of them seriously. Much of her spare time is spent in service of Silverpelt, whether that be in prayer or in doing kind and generous acts for others. While she does see value in kindness in principle, she is ultimately guided by her perception of StarClan's wishes for her - something that could be manipulated depending on who is speaking for the stars and whether they pay particular mind to Howlfeather. The value she places in different individuals and ideals is as follows: StarClan is above all, then LichenClan's general well-being, the well-being of the earth (so that it may provide prey, shelter, and herbs), herself and her well-being, and finally interpersonal relationships. It's little wonder she struggles to make long-lasting friendships.
~ Calm & Light-hearted +
Howlfeather is, by nature, gentle and calm almost to an unsettling degree at times. Very little ruffles her feathers, as she is steady in her placidness in the face of adversity, struggle, and celebration in equal measure. Despite her cool disposition, she takes pleasure in wit and comedy. With an apathetic outward disposition and a light-hearted internal world, her jokes rarely land as anticipated. Most view Howlfeather as serious and matter-of-fact or strange and air-headed. Given this conflicting awkwardness, she finds herself at the tail end of teasing often, though, with her light-hearted attitude, she usually appreciates the humor within them and gently teases back instead of getting upset.
- Naive & Passive -
Despite the depths of her desire to follow StarClan's way, Howlfeather has never been able to make a significant impact on her own life or the lives of others. She views herself as a leaf on a stream, incapable of influencing the direction she is headed. She does little to thwart adversity, instead pacifying herself with small jokes and attempts to make the best out of a bad scenario. She deeply believes that with StarClan's light upon her shoulders, no one would dare bring any true harm to her, and therefore no danger can touch her nor can any cat act against her wishes. She trusts all of her superiors to make decisions to her benefit, including the clan's leaders and medicine cats, as well as her family and mate. StarClan speaks of obedience and duty, and she will follow earnestly.
History
Mother: Cottonflower (NPC)
Father:Bearstripe (NPC)
Littermates:Screamkit, Hailkit, Thunderkit (NPCs)
Mentor: Twigtail (NPC)
The night of Howlkit's birth was a night of terror and blood. Two clans ravaged LichenClan's camp, traitors killed their sworn kin, and even the catacombs whistled with the screams of the long-forgotten as they tore through the loyal and the sacred. It was that very night that Minnowstar had died, her body desecrated and dragged into the waters, a final act to sully the Heron line forever.
Howlkit's birth was not one cradled in the nursery in a bed of plush moss, away from the elements. Instead, she was born upon the grasses of the fields, far from the battle. It was not luck that she was spared the sight of it, but in fact, a new type of betrayal. It was the night before the attack that the bold Bearstripe pushed Cottonflower to her feet despite the great weight of her belly and her many complaints. "I cannot explain it all to you," he said, "but you cannot be here when the moon rises next."
In the frost of the field, Howlkit let out her first cry, her and her sisters. They cried and cried for warmth and milk, and despite her weakness in birthing so many little ones alone, Cottonflower obliged.
She named them each after the great storm of screams that tore across the entire island, the horrible warriors clashing with her kin, slaying them in the name of the darkness.
While all survived their birth, illness was quick to take each of Howlkit’s sisters. Screamkit was the first to die, not even surviving the return journey back to LichenClan's nursery. Hailkit was just as ill-suited for life, perishing a night after, wrapped against Cottonflower's belly. When Thunderkit was also unwakable, wrapped in the moss of the medicine cat den, Howlkit was declared an only child.
It was in the following days that Houndstep, Cottonflower's brother, died of wounds he received during the great battle at LichenClan's camp. She grieved him, but held in much of her pain, instead unleashing it as anger when retelling the events of the war and the LichenClan of old to her daughter each night as spiteful bedtime stories.
Cottonflower doted on her single daughter, never telling her that she might've been one of four should her siblings have not been so weak of will and spirit. That was, of course, until Bearstripe accidentally let slip that she was not an only child, for she looked a great deal more like her mother than she did like him, unlike most of her sisters. As time progressed, Howlkit began to unwind her parents' many secrets, some of which were hidden exclusively from her, and some of which they hid from each other and the entire clan. She learned a great deal about Bearstripe's unjust punishment during Minnowstar's reign, and of the high blood that she held in her veins in a changing LichenClan. She learned how to be a proper lady, how to hold her tongue and act with grace, and most importantly, how to be a queen of high blood within her clan.
It was nearing her apprentice ceremony when she discovered a terrible, horrible secret, one that might ruin her family should it be revealed. Her father had told her mother to run that night not because he overheard some cat speaking of an attack, nor because StarClan warned him in a dream. He knew of it because he had been there, aiding in planning it. He had fought side by side with the enemy to strip LichenCan of their power. He had been the one to wound Houndstep, wounds that had led to her uncle's death.
Her father was one of the traitors to LichenClan that Cottonflower had spoken so hatefully about, and not even his mate knew the truth.
Howlkit decided then that she would be her father's keeper and spread his secret to none. It was luck, perhaps, that he had perished in the flood, leaving the only ones knowledgeable about his actions to be herself, and the remaining rebels.
She was named an apprentice far from LichenClan's camp in the birch forest and was entrusted to Twigtail as her mentor. Twigtail was an absent figure in Howlpaw's life, showing her how to fight and to hunt and little more. All that Howlpaw learned about the world was at her mother's shoulder, and all of her skill was claimed as good breeding rather than Twigtail's influence. Clumsy and uncoordinated, Howlpaw had little in regards to hunting or battle skills. She was most adept at fishing of all the warrior's duties, but where she really flourished was in the more mundane arts. Detail-oriented and with an eye for aesthetics, she spent most of her apprenticehood within the makeshift camp's walls. She weaved dens of grasses and fallen branches, changed bedding material for the nursery and her peers (with permission), and tended to the elders with a gentleness suited for her station.
When the flood had receded and all had returned to LichenClan's camp, Howlpaw did not remain an apprentice for long. A wave of litters had exploded within LichenClan, and she was taken under the wings of senior queens in order to make sure her skills were suitable for warrior life despite her underperformance during assessments.
On her twelfth moon, she was named Howlfeather for her gentle nature and her soft pelt. She wore her name proudly, content to be the only one to be named during her ceremony. Her mother may have mourned her fallen siblings, but Howlfeather thrived on the loneliness she held in her heart.
Talk of arrangements crossed her mother's lips, and Howlfeather vowed to heed her decision. It was Wavefrost's eldest litter that had her eye, but there was little that could be arranged with any speed. Meanwhile, Howlfeather was content to perform tasks around the clan's camp, ridding it of debris and ensuring each den was well-kept and waterproof with ample nesting material.
As the moons passed, Howlfeather's ability to proceed as she always had waned. The tunnels became more and more dangerous, and no longer could she spend her days at the moon pool in prayer or search the depths for the freshest moss for nests.
Her position as a den-keeper was also put into question as queens were pressured to give in their titles and perform warrior tasks, no matter how ill-suited they were given their camp-oriented training. Howlfeather had been raised not to complain, so she was silent through it all, doing as instructed without complaint.
Quickstar's position as the leader and Emberscorch's role as the deputy were both determined by StarClan. Who was Howlfeather, a promised queen who had not yet born kits of her own, to argue with them?
Her mother's arrangement plans finally saw fruition, and Howlfeather was promised to the promising young tom, Sacredlight. She delighted at the announcement, eager for the opportunity to fulfill her duties as a queen and mate even if her life's trajectory was split between what she was raised to expect from her parents and what it seemed her leader wanted of her.
to be continued...
Father:
Littermates:
Mentor: Twigtail (NPC)
2022 (0-2 moons)
The night of Howlkit's birth was a night of terror and blood. Two clans ravaged LichenClan's camp, traitors killed their sworn kin, and even the catacombs whistled with the screams of the long-forgotten as they tore through the loyal and the sacred. It was that very night that Minnowstar had died, her body desecrated and dragged into the waters, a final act to sully the Heron line forever.
Howlkit's birth was not one cradled in the nursery in a bed of plush moss, away from the elements. Instead, she was born upon the grasses of the fields, far from the battle. It was not luck that she was spared the sight of it, but in fact, a new type of betrayal. It was the night before the attack that the bold Bearstripe pushed Cottonflower to her feet despite the great weight of her belly and her many complaints. "I cannot explain it all to you," he said, "but you cannot be here when the moon rises next."
In the frost of the field, Howlkit let out her first cry, her and her sisters. They cried and cried for warmth and milk, and despite her weakness in birthing so many little ones alone, Cottonflower obliged.
She named them each after the great storm of screams that tore across the entire island, the horrible warriors clashing with her kin, slaying them in the name of the darkness.
While all survived their birth, illness was quick to take each of Howlkit’s sisters. Screamkit was the first to die, not even surviving the return journey back to LichenClan's nursery. Hailkit was just as ill-suited for life, perishing a night after, wrapped against Cottonflower's belly. When Thunderkit was also unwakable, wrapped in the moss of the medicine cat den, Howlkit was declared an only child.
It was in the following days that Houndstep, Cottonflower's brother, died of wounds he received during the great battle at LichenClan's camp. She grieved him, but held in much of her pain, instead unleashing it as anger when retelling the events of the war and the LichenClan of old to her daughter each night as spiteful bedtime stories.
2023 (3-15 moons)
Cottonflower doted on her single daughter, never telling her that she might've been one of four should her siblings have not been so weak of will and spirit. That was, of course, until Bearstripe accidentally let slip that she was not an only child, for she looked a great deal more like her mother than she did like him, unlike most of her sisters. As time progressed, Howlkit began to unwind her parents' many secrets, some of which were hidden exclusively from her, and some of which they hid from each other and the entire clan. She learned a great deal about Bearstripe's unjust punishment during Minnowstar's reign, and of the high blood that she held in her veins in a changing LichenClan. She learned how to be a proper lady, how to hold her tongue and act with grace, and most importantly, how to be a queen of high blood within her clan.
It was nearing her apprentice ceremony when she discovered a terrible, horrible secret, one that might ruin her family should it be revealed. Her father had told her mother to run that night not because he overheard some cat speaking of an attack, nor because StarClan warned him in a dream. He knew of it because he had been there, aiding in planning it. He had fought side by side with the enemy to strip LichenCan of their power. He had been the one to wound Houndstep, wounds that had led to her uncle's death.
Her father was one of the traitors to LichenClan that Cottonflower had spoken so hatefully about, and not even his mate knew the truth.
Howlkit decided then that she would be her father's keeper and spread his secret to none. It was luck, perhaps, that he had perished in the flood, leaving the only ones knowledgeable about his actions to be herself, and the remaining rebels.
She was named an apprentice far from LichenClan's camp in the birch forest and was entrusted to Twigtail as her mentor. Twigtail was an absent figure in Howlpaw's life, showing her how to fight and to hunt and little more. All that Howlpaw learned about the world was at her mother's shoulder, and all of her skill was claimed as good breeding rather than Twigtail's influence. Clumsy and uncoordinated, Howlpaw had little in regards to hunting or battle skills. She was most adept at fishing of all the warrior's duties, but where she really flourished was in the more mundane arts. Detail-oriented and with an eye for aesthetics, she spent most of her apprenticehood within the makeshift camp's walls. She weaved dens of grasses and fallen branches, changed bedding material for the nursery and her peers (with permission), and tended to the elders with a gentleness suited for her station.
When the flood had receded and all had returned to LichenClan's camp, Howlpaw did not remain an apprentice for long. A wave of litters had exploded within LichenClan, and she was taken under the wings of senior queens in order to make sure her skills were suitable for warrior life despite her underperformance during assessments.
On her twelfth moon, she was named Howlfeather for her gentle nature and her soft pelt. She wore her name proudly, content to be the only one to be named during her ceremony. Her mother may have mourned her fallen siblings, but Howlfeather thrived on the loneliness she held in her heart.
Talk of arrangements crossed her mother's lips, and Howlfeather vowed to heed her decision. It was Wavefrost's eldest litter that had her eye, but there was little that could be arranged with any speed. Meanwhile, Howlfeather was content to perform tasks around the clan's camp, ridding it of debris and ensuring each den was well-kept and waterproof with ample nesting material.
2024 (16 moons - present)
As the moons passed, Howlfeather's ability to proceed as she always had waned. The tunnels became more and more dangerous, and no longer could she spend her days at the moon pool in prayer or search the depths for the freshest moss for nests.
Her position as a den-keeper was also put into question as queens were pressured to give in their titles and perform warrior tasks, no matter how ill-suited they were given their camp-oriented training. Howlfeather had been raised not to complain, so she was silent through it all, doing as instructed without complaint.
Quickstar's position as the leader and Emberscorch's role as the deputy were both determined by StarClan. Who was Howlfeather, a promised queen who had not yet born kits of her own, to argue with them?
Her mother's arrangement plans finally saw fruition, and Howlfeather was promised to the promising young tom, Sacredlight. She delighted at the announcement, eager for the opportunity to fulfill her duties as a queen and mate even if her life's trajectory was split between what she was raised to expect from her parents and what it seemed her leader wanted of her.
to be continued...
