Needle in a fox, NIAF for short, is a(n upcoming) xenomoggy webcomic set in an alternate Austria, we follow cats of the so called groups as they try and solve a string of murders and corruption that has grown in the high ranks.
Niaf takes inspiration from xenomoggy and rewrites such as @bonefall's better bones, @ailurocide, @cryptidclaw's rise of change and others, while being an original story instead of a rewrite.
as my ass cannot keep my focus, I fell into a "is this too warriors" thought and through this thought of how to change some more wc esque things, will be updated and changed with worldbuilding posts
gatherings are held in the daytime, so daytime members can join, and include warriors dishes made together right before and during the gatherings, they also don't end after the leader announcements and continue on in smaller parts after the leaders call their groupmembers to go home (just say you'll stay behind else they'll frantically search). Leaders/cats in power can also call for a emergency gathering whenever, that's why messengers exist.
During lives ceremonies, outside of very rare cases (a guide or akin giving you a singular life usually), the giver doesn't give you a trait but instead highlights a trait of yours and bestows an epithet upon you. Example: "Exampletail, with this life I note your [trait]. Use this life wisely, [title] Exampletail the [trait]"
There are quite a lot of roles present in the groups, and while there are some that are exclusive to one of them, this post is about the roles every group has. Be aware that i can potentially add roles in the future, both general ones and group specific ones
These roles can be put into 6 categories - Those being Leading roles, Healing roles, History/Teaching roles, Relations/Group-interaction roles, Territory roles & Camp roles
Leading roles
Leader - the one in charge of a group, but each group has a different name for it; Parriarch in the fox faction, Representative in the shard union, Driarchs in the Peak Glare (coming from Driarchy, a government ruled by two people) and Pack leader (or just Leader) in Jagged Skulk
Deputy - also called second in command, the cat who takes over after the leader passes or retires. In both the shard union and shade guild these are chosen via a vote, even if the leader's vote counts as three in the shade guild - Fox faction and Jagged peak have the leader select the deputy, generally a relative or former apprentice but there have been exceptions - The deputies of the Peak glare are usually mates or at least very close and chosen by the driarchs.
Council – in a group, the different ranks choose a representative (excluding leader, deputy, healers, kits and elders) who will discuss suggestions and bring them forth to the other council members, the deputy and all healers are also apart of the council and the leader has final say unless majorly overruled.
Healing roles
Healer - basic healing role, these healers don't have a speciality (at least one that is another role), they care for the sick and injured and keep medicine, and have knowledge how to mix ingredients into specific medicine.
Head Healer - The healer in charge of everything, while most are the oldest healer, this isn't always the case as it depends on how skilled the healer is. They're the first choice when it comes to apprentices as well as serious health problems/concerns.
Medic – a subsection of both warrior and healer, these cats have a healer and warrior mentor and specify in helping cats in fights, if the fight gets too rough or the other side doesn’t have a medic or healer on their side, they will also help heal those on the other side. They will also hunt and do other warrior duties instead of healer duties outside of fights and in fights cannot be attacked under the group code
Counsel - subsection of healers which specialize in the mental wellness of the group, healers can also do the job they do, however counsel are focused on this and nothing else.
Star seeker - the same as counsel but instead of mental health, specialize in all star circle(s), they are noted to have a special connection to the dead. When a cat wants to talk to someone dead, a star seeker has to accompany them.
History/Teaching roles
Lore painter/keeper – paint the history of the group like important events in a space near the camp for it, these places are sacred. All cats of this rank come together to paint history affecting all groups, including history from the far away groups.
Linguist - Usually (ex-)kittypets and deaf cats, There’s two categories, either responsible for teaching kits or newcommers csl (cat sign language) or how to read writing of humans.
Relations/Group-interaction roles
Linguist - Usually (ex-)kittypets and deaf cats, There’s two categories, either responsible for teaching kits or newcommers csl (cat sign language) or how to read writing of humans.
Messenger – swift cats tasked with delivering messages to other groups or those outside, also sent out to get materials from other clans if necessary
Mediator – Mediate cats and try preventing and solving arguments. Also responsible for mediating between groups. They also are responsible for the gathering place’s plant life.
Trader - these cats get together every week to trade group specific materials (excluding the groups of far away), these cats are one of the most important of the groups
Territory roles
Scout – scouts out areas to ensure there’s no danger and mark borders, scouts of each group typically have a big bond with each other and further clan relations - Both a territory and relations role
Warriors - most common and basically a general role, they do hunting, marking borders, fighting if necessary and cooking as well as all other odd-jobs. Lore-keepers as well as Linguists believe the name of this role comes from a time when the groups were more akin to a war culture.
Apprentices - the young and learning cats of the groups, usually apprentices start out as healer or warrior apprentices and either branch to a specific role in the latter part of their apprenticeship or after finishing the apprenticeship completely
Camp roles
Monarchs - also called kings or queens, these are cats who are taking care of kits or expecting them.
Nurse – a permanent monarch (king/queen), often also a surrogate and some help the healers.
Campers – build dens and decorate, also guard the camp.
Okay. How did I manage to not realize that I forgot Trader in this for so long?? "One of the most important roles" but I somehow forgot abt it even when I was thinking about it smh
I've been thinking about giving one of the masked judges wings but outside of that cannot say more for spoiler reason
Those cats can control the weather (iykyk) - you cannot be actually smitten but if enough cats get mad at you they can induce bad weather which might kill you if they're lucky enough
Psychopompos are getting a big post abt them but one of them circles around and harbors spirits not ready to pass on as well as being a transportation for those who just died, belief shifts the afterlife
I really wanna repurpose the "kill me and live with the memory, then tell the stars that you've won" line for niaf because it's too metal for it's actual context in warriors
It will definitely be in the ancient era I haven't talked much abt because it's so WIP, Like i only know a few founder names (i need to look up where i have them saved if i do) and the historic event that lead to the 3 groups travelling further.
This event is where it would be dropped, even if it's one of the only things i have planned out for that point it's still vague, like if the idea of the masked judges (characters who if you looked at the worldbuilding masterpost will have their own post and this event stuff will be too) being stuck in a timeloop until dying together was something that actually happened or went through a long game of telephone leading to that translation/story of the event.
The line would most likely be said by the molly who went against the tyrant of one of the clans (haven't decided which one yet either), he however does not shy away because of that dare and they fight, the molly sacrificing herself, taking the tyrant, whom goes on to be the first cat to join the withering cold (placeholder name maybe), down with her. She survives a bit longer and is able to tell her apprentice how she should learn from this, setting off a line of cats through unofficial mentorship whom end up killing a tyrant in one way or another (it can skip generations where one doesn't exist they just have to pass down everything they learn), he could tell the stars that he won the fight by taking her down, but he lost the war.
Ok, so, Frecklewish is one of the only characters i will ever make a deadname for because it's thematically important.
It always felt odd that both pinestar and birchface are named after trees, but frecklewish wasn't. Here this is solved by having her actually be named after one. (Even if i wouldn't have to cus pine doesn't exist but yeah)
She doesn't just shed her name to show her transitioning, but as a sign she's disowning Oakphoenix, she is not apart of his family anymore, she is frecklewish, daughter of Bloomheart and Seedwhisker. The entomology of this name in her character post.
So, her prefix was Fir. Oak, birch and fir trees are common in austria. However i am still unsure about the suffix, after googling pines suffix, heart, I came to the realization that both birch and pine's suffixes are body parts, a face and a heart and so I wanna keep with the "physical part of a body". I'm unsure which one to use however. Do i just nab Pine's as he doesn't exist? Or another part?? I'm going to throw some suffixes in the air
Heart - highly emotional, sympathetic to many but reactionary to her emotions. Also nod to pine as well as Bloomheart, whom while not a mentor of either twin, was always in their lives.
Whisker - good senses and spatial awareness, irony as grief lessened her awareness and this led her to become blind and lose that sense as she didn't notice the snake biting her then spewing venom in her eyes. Would use whiskers more as ground keeper. Something against it is that I've only ever drawn appledusk with pronounced whiskers.
Tail - balance of skills, whom lands on their feet. Deeply tinted in irony because of how she couldn't bounce back after her mom and bro died. Obviously lost depth perception due to blindness.
"Autism be damned, that cat knows genetics" - Raven now knows about genetics and genotypes as well as mutations and such like chimerism, albinism and more! They're also one of the only cats that are allowed in the den of the sire trackers, as fae knows how to keep their mouth shut
I don't have a name for him and am unsure if I wanna keep his og name especially as freckle, reed and bloomheart keep theirs. Unlike many rewrites, i'm humanizing the canon victims while going with maplesnake being terrible, even if she has way less power post death.
He does kill Birchface, but it's made clear that it was an accident and he's very regretful and guilty because of it, however Frecklewish is very valid in her grudge for him and blaming him after, even if they mend their relationship (something i'll mention later), after the event he actually refuses to do any more fighting at all, Maybe even switching ranks even if i don't know which he would switch to if he does. He also by himself does apprentice duties and especially helping aound in the nursery and healers den/s.
Anyway, his relationship with Maplesnake and Reedshine, in niaf he does not cheat, him and Reed do have a litter together, but she's damming for him, even if the both decide to raise the litter together. They're nothing more than friends. After the kits are weaned he actually takes over.
He truly loved Maplesnake, but decided to break up with her because he couldn't be who she wanted him to be. However at this time Maple was already pregnant (worth noting, in niaf she only has one kit while the other two are stolen from the fox faction, which with how important kits are in the faction somehow makes it worse but this isn't about her). He gets his closure with her by talking to her after death with a star seeker by his side, really seeing the true Maplesnake and saying to her face that he was only wrong in not seeing how horrible she is sooner when it comes to her.
Now to him and Frecklewish, something i'm very excited for. In niaf as when she gets blinded there's no healer in the shade guild anymore, Bloomheart brings her to the shard union to get help. Apple and Reed spend the most time around her and helping her outside of the healers, even if Apple is way more quiet and keeps distance from her, not because he's not ready to admit what he did and face her, but actually because he doesn't want her to have to deal with this during that terrible time. He tries to help her and make her as comfortable as possible to try and make up for what he did, even if he knows he will never be able to truly make it up to her for killing her brother, even as accident. After she's better and back in the shade guild, he admits it to her, trying deeply to apologize but tells her that she does not need to accept this apology and it's his own effort entirely that's needed to make up for everything in front of Birch's grave, having come to place flowers on the grave. Their relationship is obviously very strained but they, especially Apple, make an effort to mend it. He let's her grieve and tried to help her as best as he can with it, together with Reedshine, now Frecklewish's mate (but that's a story for another day)
this is great worldbuilding, best of luck for the rest of your story. I’m looking forward to it
The roles specific to one or two groups! There's likely to be more added, especially for Jagged Skulk and Peak glare
All ranks will be written in the format of "rank name - category - description"
Shard union
Weavers – Camp - weave material out of fibers, spiderweb, wool and other similar materials into different objects and resources.
Swimmers - Territory - specialize in catching prey and gathering objects in the lake. They are the groups best when it comes to anything water related, helping with storms and digging routes for the water. Usually done by paralyzed cats as permanent rank
Shade guild
Ground keepers - Camp+Territory - in charge of burial and safe keeping of the dead, they will often come to bury and check on the dead of the other groups, they are taught in the burial practices of all of the groups.
Herders - Camp - those responsible for caring for the domesticated livestock, keeping them healthy, fed and slaughter of the livestock. This is mostly rabbits and mice as well as fish.
Beekeepers - Camp - responsible for the caretaking and keeping of bees as well as gathering honey while letting the bees have enough to survive. They're also responsible for telling the bees major events that happened, ensuring all messages get to the star circle members. Many will also tell the bees to tell personal messages to specific members as well as venting to them.
Fox faction
Tunnelers - Territory+Camp - Dig tunnels and make them navigatable for their faction members. This includes making edits to existing tunnels, suiting them. This includes making and enhancing burrows
Name advisor - Camp - Help monarchs who can't decide on names for their kits. These especially are called upon when it comes to honor names and how to name a kit after a passed cat.
Sire tracker - Camp - In charge of keeping track of sires and dames, especially outsider ones, to ensure no cat sires or dames too many litters. Like ground keepers, these cats go to each of the groups to check.
Jagged skulk
Tunnelers - Territory+Camp - Dig tunnels and make them navigatable for their faction members. This includes making edits to existing tunnels, suiting them. This includes making and enhancing burrows
Peak glare
Sire tracker - Camp - In charge of keeping track of sires and dames, especially outsider ones, to ensure no cat sires or dames too many litters. Like ground keepers, these cats go to each of the groups to check. (Funfact, this role started as Fox faction exclusive but because of its importance became a Peak glare role)
Relationship advisor - Healing+Relations - relationships are quite important for Peak glare, which is why this role came to be. These cats try and help mates through trouble or help them come to terms with it just not working out.
There are quite a lot of roles present in the groups, and while there are some that are exclusive to one of them, this post is about the roles every group has. Be aware that i can potentially add roles in the future, both general ones and group specific ones
These roles can be put into 6 categories - Those being Leading roles, Healing roles, History/Teaching roles, Relations/Group-interaction roles, Territory roles & Camp roles
Leading roles
Leader - the one in charge of a group, but each group has a different name for it; Parriarch in the fox faction, Representative in the shard union, Driarchs in the Peak Glare (coming from Driarchy, a government ruled by two people) and Pack leader (or just Leader) in Jagged Skulk
Deputy - also called second in command, the cat who takes over after the leader passes or retires. In both the shard union and shade guild these are chosen via a vote, even if the leader's vote counts as three in the shade guild - Fox faction and Jagged peak have the leader select the deputy, generally a relative or former apprentice but there have been exceptions - The deputies of the Peak glare are usually mates or at least very close and chosen by the driarchs.
Council – in a group, the different ranks choose a representative (excluding leader, deputy, healers, kits and elders) who will discuss suggestions and bring them forth to the other council members, the deputy and all healers are also apart of the council and the leader has final say unless majorly overruled.
Healing roles
Healer - basic healing role, these healers don't have a speciality (at least one that is another role), they care for the sick and injured and keep medicine, and have knowledge how to mix ingredients into specific medicine.
Head Healer - The healer in charge of everything, while most are the oldest healer, this isn't always the case as it depends on how skilled the healer is. They're the first choice when it comes to apprentices as well as serious health problems/concerns.
Medic – a subsection of both warrior and healer, these cats have a healer and warrior mentor and specify in helping cats in fights, if the fight gets too rough or the other side doesn’t have a medic or healer on their side, they will also help heal those on the other side. They will also hunt and do other warrior duties instead of healer duties outside of fights and in fights cannot be attacked under the group code
Counsel - subsection of healers which specialize in the mental wellness of the group, healers can also do the job they do, however counsel are focused on this and nothing else.
Star seeker - the same as counsel but instead of mental health, specialize in all star circle(s), they are noted to have a special connection to the dead. When a cat wants to talk to someone dead, a star seeker has to accompany them.
History/Teaching roles
Lore painter/keeper – paint the history of the group like important events in a space near the camp for it, these places are sacred. All cats of this rank come together to paint history affecting all groups, including history from the far away groups.
Linguist - Usually (ex-)kittypets and deaf cats, There’s two categories, either responsible for teaching kits or newcommers csl (cat sign language) or how to read writing of humans.
Relations/Group-interaction roles
Linguist - Usually (ex-)kittypets and deaf cats, There’s two categories, either responsible for teaching kits or newcommers csl (cat sign language) or how to read writing of humans.
Messenger – swift cats tasked with delivering messages to other groups or those outside, also sent out to get materials from other clans if necessary
Mediator – Mediate cats and try preventing and solving arguments. Also responsible for mediating between groups. They also are responsible for the gathering place’s plant life.
Trader - these cats get together every week to trade group specific materials (excluding the groups of far away), these cats are one of the most important of the groups
Territory roles
Scout – scouts out areas to ensure there’s no danger and mark borders, scouts of each group typically have a big bond with each other and further clan relations - Both a territory and relations role
Warriors - most common and basically a general role, they do hunting, marking borders, fighting if necessary and cooking as well as all other odd-jobs. Lore-keepers as well as Linguists believe the name of this role comes from a time when the groups were more akin to a war culture.
Apprentices - the young and learning cats of the groups, usually apprentices start out as healer or warrior apprentices and either branch to a specific role in the latter part of their apprenticeship or after finishing the apprenticeship completely
Camp roles
Monarchs - also called kings or queens, these are cats who are taking care of kits or expecting them.
Nurse – a permanent monarch (king/queen), often also a surrogate and some help the healers.
Campers – build dens and decorate, also guard the camp.
I never actually officially announced it here, did I?
Due to mommyclans implosion gaslight has been moved to play a part in @needleinafox and as such will appear in the comic!
This blog will be kept as side blog to niaf where you can ask him stuff though, maybe i'll have it also let y'all ask other characters something here!
I also want to show my hands with everything I was building up to for him, so if you're curious for what would've been and in some ways will be in NIAF, click read more
First and foremost, mommyclaws and me had planned something which is why I was so vague about their rank - we planned for borh cheetahchirp and Gaslight to be mediators! It was gonna be a comic announcement iirc but that never panned out lol.
He was also gonna have a buddy that was a higher power than starclan who actually lead them to mommyclan!
Backstory wise is where the entire starclan beef thing comes from! - he had a brother and their parents died when they were young and so they stuck close together, but in some way related to starclan (like telling his bro to do something) his brother died, this caused huge doubt in them.
Needle in a fox uses the nine lives system, but the concept of spirits giving someone more lives is something that exists outside the groups, even if it would take more out of the spirits than it does for star circle cats as it's affected by belief.
If it's ever mentioned in the comics, it would be by gaslight
As some of you might know, I have taken major (at least to me) characters and some ideas and foundations from mv, taking these as my own characters and making the ideas their own story
Needle in a Fox: Turnabout Roots, the name inspired by ace attorney, a huge inspiration for this arc, is a story of victims of abuse of many kinds, corruption and conspiracy. It is also a prequel to the main story of niaf
