Jagged Peaks, Drowning Depths

The story of Mountainclan, Oakclan, Mossclan, and Fogclan

[from-peak-to-valley]

Shellclaw

Deputy of Oakclan (Ch. 1)

Appearance;

A rare male calico with a large black spot over his back that resembles a turtle's shell. He has gold eyes.

Personality;

Cunning, ambitious, and loud about it, Shellclaw has always been keenly observant. While he seems impulsive and crude, his sudden ideas and rattling off about said ideas do often end up being very educated and solid. Despite this, he still has a reputation for being a bit thick-headed.

History;

Shellkit and his brother Heronkit were found as kits on the border of Oakclan and Mossclan by the medicine cats on their return trip from the Dragon Stones. The medicine cats saw fit to each take one back to their clans.

Shellkit was raised by Mousewhisker alongside Sunkit. Though Sunkit was about a moon older, she still took to Shellkit like a younger brother and they still banter constantly.

He was mentored by Ratclaw.

His trial was won on the second attempt, with assistance from his sister.

He earned his warrior name before Sunshadow did, even though she's a moon older.

Shellclaw despises his adopted 'father', mostly due to influence from his sister and mother, and after Mousewhisker's death, he challenged the deputy... And won.

He is currently mentoring Bristlepaw, and has no former apprentices.

[from-peak-to-valley]

Whitestar

Leader of Oakclan (Ch. 1)

Warrior name;

Whitethroat

Appearance;

A large, black tom with a white blaze down his neck and amber eyes

Personality

Whitestar is a snarky, ambitious cat, and has been since he was a kit. As he aged, he kept these qualities, but grew from an annoying, know-it-all bully of a kit into a talented, well respected warrior who teased his clan mates the harshest, but light-heartedly. As a leader and a father, though, pressure caused him to crack, and his short temper became harsher and his scathing remarks became blades.

History;

Whitestar was born to Onxyleaf and her mate, the previous leader, Owlstar. He was mentored by Owlstar. His trial was won on the first try by a mere hair, but he completed his chosen task without assistance.

His best friends growing up were Volepelt and Weaseltongue.

His mate was Mousewhisker.

He mentored Willowgaze, Lilywatch, and Silverfang.

He was made deputy by his mother, Owlstar, when he successfully challenged and defeated the previous deputy.

When the eclipse happened and Sunshadow was born, he was scared, horrified even. Terrified of what it might mean, he tried to rip his only daughter off of his mate's belly, but Volepelt was faster. The large brown tom dragging his leader out of the nursery to protect his sister and niece until the leader's madness passed with the darkness over the sun. He still hasn't earned back Volepelt's trust, nor his mate's.

He has lost six lives at the beginning of Pinepaw's story. One to a badger found on their territory, two in separate skirmishes with Mossclan, one to a strange loner named Whisper he caught on their land, one to a fellow clan mate in an attempted coup, and the most recent to illness during the previous winter.

He has recently been told a prophecy by Berrytail, their medicine cat, that his final life will be taken by a strange white cat with two differently colored eyes.

[from-peak-to-valley]

There were four, once. Now there are two.

These clans live in the shadow of a mountain range, near a small town. They tell tales of the four original clans that their ancestors fled years ago, but the warrior code has been changed by so many years of oral tradition. Some may even consider their new codes twisted, warped, by misjudgements.

First is Oakclan, who live in the shade of tall trees and among the undergrowth of bushes and enjoyed plentiful prey, but risk the dangers of the Two-Legs, so close they are to their homes. They get their name from the tree at the center of their territory and at the heart of their camp, the Heart Oak. Known for strength like their namesake tree, but also known for their rough and uncaring nature like the bark of the same tree. Today, they are considered brutes by the other clans, aggressive and unnaturally cruel. They put their apprentices' through harsh trials before they can be considered warriors, and many of them are not considered grown until they've passed this trial. Even if they are many moons old, they will still bear the -paw until they have either passed the trial... Or died.

Mossclan, who live lower down the mountain in the spaces between the flowing rivers that came from the mountains, where water gathers in pools that shimmer and lined with moss. Fish and frogs made up for the fact that mice and birds are less common. They are notably kind, though firm. They stay closest to the oldest known tales of the clans they are descended from, most traditional in their worship of Starclan and their warrior code. Humbly named for the soft moss that lines their nests and graves their paws as they jump from rock to rock to traverse their marshy home. Still, there is blood in those waters, and a bitter taste in their mouth from a leader since passed.

And then there are two almost now forgotten.

Fogclan who once lived even further down. There the water gathers into a large lake, and the clan was so named for the great fog that fills the valley in the early morning. Their cats were strong swimmers, able to dive and fight the strongest currents where Mossclan cats dared not tread. They would test their medicine cats every halfmoon, for the river leading to Dragon Stones turned into harsh rapids just before the lake, and they believed to be a medicine cat was the greatest honor and could only be achieved by the strongest. If one could not swim up they would simply not be allowed to make the journey to speak with their ancestors. A kit was born to them one day, a young she-cat with green-brown eyes named Floodscale. It's said by those remaining that Fogclan was swallowed by the lake in a great flood, one so great even such legendary swimmers could not fight the waters. Mossclan remembers them best and honors them most, connected together by the water.

In reverse, highest on the cliffs was once Mountainclan, above the mines of the twolegs and well out of reach. Their territory was said to be the most vast, and they claimed the path to Dragon Stones within that, it was their pride. They prided themselves closest to Starclan, so high on the mountain. Though prey is most scarce in the heights, they believed the struggle to be the price to pay to be so close to their ancestors. It's said they were the most proficient of climbers, they could scale the trees and cliffs as easy as walking on flat ground. They valued members with white or pale coats the most to blend with the snow, and so dark coated members so rarely had kits that one day they simply no longer had any dark colored members. A kit was born to them one day, who developed a dark face and dark paws and was named Omenmask. It's said that the clan was simply one day punished for their arrogance when an avalanche swept down the mountain... And the clan was never heard from again.