Howdy! I’m Furbert (gnc she/they) and I’m writing Stars Above The Lake: Building Thunder, the first book in my Warriors fanfic series :] This is a blog all about it! I’ll be hosting art, extra information, world-building, and much more. Asks are always welcome! (Visit my about page for more info)
Building Thunder follows Lichennose, a young ThunderClan warrior, as he’s swept up in his Clan’s budding rivalry against ShadowClan - though that’s not the only storm brewing on the horizon... the book deals with interclan politics, brotherly drama, and lots of rainy weather.
The fanfic is not currently out - when it is, it’ll be hosted on AO3
I just found this blog and am absolutely in love with your creative takes and neat art, and it’s inspiring me to work on my own fanfic. Can’t wait for your fic to come out ❤️ I hope you have a nice day
—riverclan-in-spirit
Thanks so much for the kind words! That means a lot, I wish you the best with your own fic :]
Some general SATL news: sorry about the recent radio silence! I'm off to college this year and most of my time is consumed by preparing for that. I've also just been in a bit of a rut with SATL, starting the writing process made me realize some things I'm unhappy with so I've been back-and-forth tweaking them ^^" Overall trying to build up more motivation & love for the idea again. Thank you everybody for sticking around and being so patient.
Favorite Clan?
I'm very partial to RiverClan and WindClan! RiverClan for their aesthetics, WindClan for their tunneling - I wish tunneling had stuck around or made a comeback in later arcs. Honestly, if SATL were more WindClan-focused I'd definitely include it.
Most interesting conflict?
Hm... I really enjoy the imposter / Bramblefake! Broken Code is one of my favorite arcs overall, I loooooove the characters and ending. I love that Ashfur gets to be a horrible petty bastard, I love the code-based conflict, I love the ghosts and long winter and crazy storyline... it's all very interesting to me.
A look at ThunderClan as of the start of Building Thunder. Also some extra content - a list of cats by skill, and trivia!
The Allegiances
High Ranks
[Leader] Berrystar - silky white tom.
[Deputy] Coneleap - brownish-gray tabby she-cat with a cream underbelly.
[Medicine Cat] Willowwhisker - long-haired ginger-and-white tabby tom.
[Medicine Apprentice] Hatchpaw - thick-furred white she-cat with gray markings.
Warriors
Bumblebee - old yellow-black-and-white calico she-cat.
Cedarwatcher - old russet tabby tom with long, drooping fur.
Apprentice: Mothpaw
Chicoryjump - gray-and-white tom (he/they).
Apprentice: Elmpaw
Webtail - lanky silver tabby jack (she/he) with rippled black stripes.
Apprentice: Wortpaw
Ashcloud - sleek pale gray spotted tabby tom.
Apprentice: Sedgepaw
Aspenshade - mostly black tortoiseshell jack (they/them).
Stormgaze - thickly-built gray tom with a nicked ear.
Sorrelspring - slim calico she-cat.
Brackenbird - long-haired dark brown tabby tom (he/they).
Apprentice: Nettlepaw
Quailflight - stout cream-and-gray classic torbie she-cat with a bobtail.
Bramblefoot - dark brown tabby tom with a twisted forepaw.
Lichennose - light brown tabby tom.
Apprentices
Elmpaw - big, scruffy dark brown she-cat.
Mothpaw - fluffy tan tabby she-cat.
Wortpaw - dark ginger tabby tom.
Nettlepaw - small black she-cat.
Sedgepaw - black jack (she/he/they) with big ears.
Nursery
Sagetail - old white she-cat; mother to Foxkit, red-and-white tabby tomkit, and Firekit, ginger-and-white tabby tomkit (Cedarwatcher’s kits).
Pebblefur - gray-and-white tabby she-cat; mother to Dewkit, gray she-kit, and Birchkit, pale gray-and-white tomkit (Ashcloud’s kits).
Fennelheart - long-haired silky tan she-cat; mother to Cherrykit, tortoiseshell she-kit, Finchkit, tan tabby tomkit, and Seedkit, black she-kit.
Elders
Amberstripe - scruffy ginger tom with a gray muzzle.
Hollyfire - tortoiseshell she-cat.
Aldertuft - silver tabby she-cat with strangely curled fur.
Cinderstep - dark gray she-cat.
Cats Listed by Skill
Best Hunters: Bumblebee, Webtail, Sorrelspring
Best Fighters: Stormgaze, Brackenbird, Pebblefur
Best Trackers: Cedarwatcher, Aspenshade
Best Runners: Berrystar, Webtail
Best Weavers: Sagetail, Ashcloud
Other:
Coneleap (climbing)
Fennelheart (complex problem-solving)
Extra Trivia
- Sagetail was the Clan’s top weaver for many seasons - unfortunately, over time she’s found it harder and harder to physically sit and weave. Nowadays she instructs others on it. Notably, she’s been showing Wortpaw the ropes, and he’s become a promising up-and-comer.
- Sagetail and Ashcloud have distinctly different weaving styles. While Sagetail always enjoyed adding special touches (like flowers) to her projects, Ashcloud prioritizes function over form, so his work is generally uncreative.
- Berrystar is one of the fastest cats in ThunderClan. His warrior name was Berryfrost for his endurance.
- Willowwhisker and Hatchpaw get into a lot of friendly arguments, many of them started by Hatchpaw.
- Bumblebee and Cedarwatcher are ThunderClan’s oldest warriors and trained together as apprentices many years ago.
- Fennelheart joined the Clan while pregnant, seeking a good place to raise her kits. She’s still adjusting, but overall enjoys the structure and the friends she’s made. She and Sagetail are notably close.
- Brackenbird is among few cats who would volunteer to collect honey.
- Aldertuft and Cinderstep are both mates and very skillful story-tellers.
World-building in Building Thunder #3 - Dirty Battle Tactics
Brackenbird of ThunderClan displays a blade crafted from the sharpened antler tine of a red deer.
A clean fight involves two cats facing off, just claws and teeth and whatever training they can remember; this is the battle honored by lake Clan culture. Unfortunately, it is not always respected. The tactics listed below are considered generally dirty, but regarded differently between individuals - they’re only considered during times of war or unusual hostility between Clans.
Thornpelt Armor
- Practice of tying thorns (traditionally blackthorn) into a long-haired cat’s pelt, for the purpose of damaging attackers.
- Can be effective, but may pose a threat to the wearer if done improperly.
Diseased Claws
- Act of dousing the forepaws in dirty water or rotten prey before a battle, the idea being that any injuries dealt are more likely to get infected.
Lack of Mercy
- Refusing to let an enemy warrior flee and continuing the battle until they’re physically unable to fight back.
- Considered by some to be a breach of the Warrior Code, given that this style of fighting is much more likely to result in fatal casualties.
Dog-piling
- Act of many warriors facing down one opponent and overwhelming them with sheer numbers; can also refer to two or more warriors fighting an apprentice at the same time.
- Considered unfair to the enemy and unnecessarily violent.
Weaponry
- Bringing any sort of prepared weapon to a fight is considered both dishonorably cruel and a bit cowardly (what sort of warrior needs a sharp stick to win their battles?)
- Prepared weaponry refers to anything crafted by a cat - sharpened sticks, antler tines, rocks, shells, etc.
- Improvised weaponry (for example, a stick used in the middle of a fight and then discarded) exists in a gray area. Cats don’t like it, but you might get away with it if you have the right excuse.
World-building in Building Thunder #2 - Sculpting; Clay, Pots, and Grinders
Chicoryjump of ThunderClan guides Sedgepaw through sculpting a rainwater pot. Meanwhile, Elmpaw and Wortpaw take advantage of the fact that their teacher is distracted.
Clay is a valuable resource to the lake Clans! It’s used to sculpt bowls and pots, the latter of which are used to store rainwater and honey.
Gathering and Processing Clay
- Natural clay is gathered from riverbeds. Cats collect it by shoveling with the paws, sticks, etc, then moving it to a nice flat surface for processing.
- Processing involves cleaning the clay (picking out sticks and pebbles) then mixing in sand, which helps it hold its shape. While the sand isn’t totally necessary, it’s better to mix it in now rather than deal with misshapen pottery. Finally, the clay is sculpted into the desired shape and left to dry in a sunny location.
Bowls and Grinders
- Mortar & pestle for cats! Used by medicine cats (to make poultices) and RiverClan warriors (to prepare mashed salmon).
- Bowl is crafted out of clay. The grinder is just a small rock that can be held in the mouth (often surrounded by moss for comfort).
- Bowls can be made in a variety of sizes! Usually they’re small, but RiverClan makes bigger ones in late greenleaf to mash salmon in.
- Bowls are often crafted in batches and may be traded between Clans that have a good relationship.
Pots
- Pots have two uses in Clan culture: storing rainwater and storing honey. Rainwater is collected for cats who can’t leave camp, while honey is an invaluable antibacterial.
- Crafted out of clay and topped with a cover. The cover is woven and weighed down with a rock to keep it in place.
- Rainwater pots are larger than honey pots and stored around the edges of camp. When water needs to be collected, they’re rolled out into the clearing and left there during rainfall; to prevent disease, they need to be emptied after about two days.
- Honey pots are stored in the medicine den and are strictly off-limits to anyone but the healers.
world-building in building thunder #1 - the wondrous world of weaving
galepaw, windclan’s medicine apprentice, collects sorrel and lavender in a (small) basket harness.
Yes! Though all Clans are good at it and have their own skilled weavers, RiverClan is the best overall. They have plentiful material (reeds) and they value creativity & beauty - weaving is a real craft to them.
Fun fact: RiverClan’s best weaver is a queen named Grebewing! She enjoys adding intricate patterns and shells to her work. Other top-tier weavers around the lake include Sagetail & Ashcloud of ThunderClan, Longpounce & Jumpthistle of WindClan, and Hollybreeze & Squirreltail of ShadowClan. There’s also a handful of promising apprentices.
World-building in Building Thunder #1 - The Wondrous World of Weaving
Galepaw, WindClan’s medicine apprentice, collects sorrel and lavender in a small basket harness.
The cats in Stars Above can weave! Woven cases are used to transport all sorts of goods, typically prey or herbs. These cases are crafted out of grass, reeds, cattail leaves, vines, brambles, and honeysuckle - materials are dried before any actual weaving takes place. Weaving is a time-consuming but important task for all four Clans.
Twine
- Simple twine is crafted from willowbark, woven grass, vines, or blackberry brambles. It’s used to tie together other materials.
Healer’s Rope
- Sturdy string crafted from stinging nettle fibers.
- Used to make splints for limbs, tie herb bundles, and hang up herbs to dry.
Baskets
- The hardest project a weaver can undertake, baskets are tricky to get right and take a long time to put together. Due to this, a Clan typically has only 2-3 baskets at a time - when not in use, they’re stored in a dry, sheltered spot within camp.
- Always have some sort of handle and cover! The handle is a sturdy reed that can be replaced when worn out. The cover is a woven mat that’s secured by being slipped over a piece of bone, stick, etc tied into the basket wall.
- Held in the mouth via the handle.
- Sometimes decorated with flowers or colorful shells!
Pouches
- Smaller version of a basket; these are easier to make and transport, but hold less. A Clan always has more pouches than baskets.
- Held in the mouth with a twine handle or slipped onto a basket harness.
Basket Harnesses
- Kittycat backpacks!
- Small woven baskets attached to a woven harness that slips over the body. Used to transport plants, prey, and other small objects like rocks or shells.
- The size of the basket varies depending on its intended use. In the featured art, Galepaw has a small basket intended for carrying small amounts of herbs.
- Most often utilized by medicine cats when carrying herbs to another Clan for trading or when gathering large amounts at once. Also frequently used by warriors on fruitful hunting patrols or for gathering construction materials.
Fish Harnesses
- Unique to RiverClan! Used to carry large fish from the river back to camp.
- First, a flat surface is constructed out of sturdy sticks and tied together with thick twine. This is then tied to two separate harnesses worn by two different cats. These cats walk in tandem, supporting the fish between them.
- Wearing a fish harness is awkward due to the weight distribution and teamwork required. Apprentices practice by carrying around rocks and smaller prey items.
- RiverClan usually has 4-5 of these at any given time; warriors are careful not to break them, but accidents happen. New fish harnesses are usually crafted in late greenleaf, in preparation for the salmon run, and may be repurposed into basket harnesses for the following leafbare.
ThunderClan territory map! View below for info on the landmarks
ThunderClan’s territory is thick deciduous forest, with mixed coniferous species near the western border. In the east, the forest thins out into hilly fields, butting up against Moon River. ThunderClan camp lies in an abandoned quarry.
The Sky Oak
An ancient oak tree that grows near the lakeshore, its branches reaching high into the sky. Apprentices learn to climb here, as the wide branches and soft, rich grass make for a relatively safe training space. It’s a popular hangout spot in general, especially on hot greenleaf afternoons.
The Mossy Hollow
A narrow clearing where moss grows thickly. It’s considered a beginner’s training spot - the open environment allows mentors to see exactly what their apprentices are doing. “Graduating” out of this area is often a mark of pride for aspiring warriors.
Deadfall Ditch
Two big trees that fell into a narrow ditch, their branches criss-crossing into a maze. The trees fell long ago and have since been colonized by smaller plants, lichens, and fungi. As opposed to the Mossy Hollow, Deadfall Ditch is considered a difficult training spot, one conquered only by determined fighters - the tangled branches and slippery trunks make for a difficult battle. Apprentices and warriors alike enjoy training here for the extra challenge.
Newt Pond
A nice, weedy pond, situated just west of the Old Path. There’s lots of rich foliage and mud. There’s also a low elderberry tree, serving as the clan’s sole source of elderberries - other herbs include sweet woodruff, horsetail, and valerian. Aquatic wildlife flock here as well, and cats may hunt the native frogs and newts when prey is scarce elsewhere. Newt Pond is widely considered one of the territory’s prettiest locations (at least if you enjoy water).
The Abandoned Twoleg Nest / The Herb Garden
An abandoned house with a toppled garden wall made out of cobblestone. The house itself is degrading as well, with a collapsed roof, missing windows, and gaping door. The old garden is overgrown but cared for by ThunderClan’s medicine cats, who cultivate rare herbs here; foxglove, ginger, rosemary, poppy, and sage. Ginger and rosemary aren’t found anywhere else in the territory.
The Old Path
Once a dirt road, now an overgrown path through the forest. It winds from camp northwards past the abandoned twoleg nest. It’s used as a trail through the woods and for orienting oneself when lost.
The Greenleaf Twolegplace
A campsite in the northwest corner of the territory, situated just beyond the scent markers. Twolegs visit during greenleaf - warriors are careful to avoid it during that time. When vacant, cats may sniff around, but it’s considered too dangerous for further exploration.
Dandelion Glade
A nice sunny meadow in the woods, often blanketed by dandelions during the warm seasons. Cats like to come here to sunbathe in greenleaf, making it quite the social spot - it’s deserted other times of year.
Sun-down Hill
A hill near the northern border. The land here opens into a little cliff, overlooking the territory - one can sit atop it and see all the way across the lake. It’s considered a beautiful scenic overlook with oft-romantic connotations.
The Lone Ash and the Cave
The Cave is just that, a rocky tunnel that twists deep into the earth; its entrance is narrow and marked by a singular ash tree. Unknown to the clans, this cave system connects to the abandoned passageways below WindClan. ThunderClan cats avoid this spot, as they find it frightening or useless, but apprentices might visit to freak each other out.
The Lush Woods
A section of mixed deciduous-coniferous forest, widely considered to begin just past Newt Pond and end at Border River. in greenleaf, the variety of foliage attracts many different prey species - in leafbare, birds and squirrels are drawn to the abundance of nuts and seeds. These factors make the lush woods an invaluable hunting ground year-round. Due to its importance, cats avoid cutting through here on patrol, preferring to leave it be and let prey accumulate for later hunting parties.
The Weedy Clearing
A long, narrow clearing that runs along the ThunderClan side of Border River. It’s thickly overgrown with water-loving plants.
Border River
The river that separates ThunderClan from the neighboring ShadowClan. Generally difficult to cross, given its rapid current and depth - cats avoid entering it, as even wading a few paces in can expose one to dangerous conditions. It widens and slows a bit near the lake.
Splash-cross Point
A shallow spot in Moon River somewhat near the lakeshore, this location is used as a crossing-over point from ThunderClan to WindClan land. ThunderClan cats use it primarily to get to the monthly Gathering.
Moon River
The river that separates ThunderClan from WindClan. Its current is slow and meandering, though the water is deep in places. It gets its name for how medicine cats follow it north to the Moonpool (the two bodies of water aren’t connected, however).
A dark brown classic tabby tom with scruffy, medium-length fur. He’s tall with a muscular build. He has dull gold-green eyes and a stiff, twisted left forepaw.
Calm, calculated, reliable, protective, moral, sarcastic, distrusting, and grudging
Parents: Hollypad, Nightwind
Brother: Lichennose
Former mentor: Bumblebee
