In a city abandoned by humans, three young cats find themselves caught in a web of bitter rivalries, old wounds, and long-standing conflicts powerful enough to shake the world they live in.
Sorry for the radio silence here. I’m still plugging away at old stains in the background, but there have been a lot of overhauls to stuff like worldbuilding and character names so I’m pretty hesitant to post much, since this blog is already full of stuff that’s not accurate anymore. The characters themselves are mostly the same (with a few minor exceptions being cut because I have Too Many Characters) but some names have been changed as I’ve come up with a more concrete worldbuilding system for them.
I’m also shifting from a specifically nuclear post-apocalypse to a more undefined post-apocalypse because I’ve been struggling to find research resources on how domestic cats adapt to nuclear fallout and I don’t want to play fast and loose with the details when it’s something like nuclear fallout that heavily affects many peoples’ lives irl. The details of what caused all the humans to leave the city aren’t really relevant because the cats don’t know themselves, but the salient points are that humans have not lived in the city for decades and plant and animal life has gradually taken over a lot of the city as a result.
Hopefully it’ll get to the point where everything is outlined soon and I’ll have more to share! I’m planning to leave the old posts up for arcival purposes anyway.
Time to do some maintenance on this blog!
A lot of stuff has changed, but I'm going to keep the old posts up for archival purposes, just tagged as "archive".
Expect new and updated character profiles soon and a full list of updated names for all the characters in the factions!
A long time ago, far beyond the memory of any living cats, the city in which the characters of Old Stains live was populated by humans.
However, all of that changed when a nuclear explosion nearby left the city too dangerous for humans to live in, causing a mass evacuation. The population of stray cats, however, remained in the area, as did many former house cats who had either been left behind by their housefolk or ended up accidentally lost in the chaos of the evacuation.
With most of the humans suddenly gone, the animals within the city started taking over human spaces. Decades later, the city is overgrown and populated with all sorts of animal life. The only humans that enter only visit temporarily to do research.
The ambient radiation in the area has led to some effects on the cats living there. Back when the humans first evacuated, it was common for cats to become ill and die quickly, but now that it has been several decades, that has become far less common. One residual effect is that cats tend to have smaller litter sizes: the average is one to two kittens per litter, with three being very uncommon and anything above four being almost unheard of. Cats are also occasionally born with visible mutations, like a shorter tail or four ears.
Because a lot of the cats in the city are descended from house cats, it's pretty common to see cats that have some traits of purebred cats, most likely because some of their ancestors were from that breed. (And because I'm playing fast and loose with genetics here lol)
Because of current discussions on twitter with regards to some of the indigenous stereotypes in the canon Warrior Cats books, I've decided to change Old Stains to a more warrior cats adjacent thing instead of being a group of fanclans.
The characters and setting will still be mostly the same, but some of the terminology and structure of the clans will change. The naming system is also getting overhauled and most characters are getting renamed. I'm planning on making Rippleclan and Mossclan (though they won't be called that anymore) into more distinct groups too, and I have some neat ideas for how they will change!
Rippleclan is still going to have one central leader in Aspenstar (now called Asphodel), but instead of having warriors, medicine cats, etc, the clan is mostly composed of Sentinels. Each 3 or so sentinels have a section of territory that they take shifts watching over. They also hunt during their time watching that territory and bring the prey back to the main camp afterwards. There are also some cats that are designated as fighters and don't hunt or do any patrolling, and there are scouts and healers as well (though the healer role is different too).
However, because Asphodel has so much control over the group, he often uses these role assignments to punish or reward his cats. For example, he might force cats he doesn't like to take the worst sentinel shifts or assign them to a particularly dangerous part of their territory. Being a fighter is also seen as a more prestigious position, since you spend most of your time in the camp and get the best food and places to rest, so he tends to reward people by assigning them there.
I haven't been as active on here lately because of life stuff, but I figured I'd let you all know where I'm at with regards to all this. I don't want my own story to have the same stereotypes that canon warrior cats does. I've also been doing research on my own, and I encourage anyone to send me a message if I mess up and unintentionally include any harmful stereotypes!
Cats that live in the sections of abandoned twoleg city closest to Rippleclan and Mossclan territory.
Groups are named after members for the purposes of this list, but they generally do not have a strict leader, name, or hierarchy system. Groups are also generally fluid, so it’s not uncommon for cats from different groups to spend some time living together.
Penelope’s Group:
Penelope: Tortoishell-and-white she-cat with thick fur and golden eyes. Mate of Hazel.
Hazel: Short, reddish-brown she-cat with long fur, a fluffy tail, and green eyes. Mate of Penelope.
Shrike’s Group:
Shrike: Large, broad-shouldered brown tabby tom with amber eyes and long fur. Deaf. Older brother of Goldfinch.
Goldfinch: Small, golden tabby tom with short fur and orange eyes. Younger brother of Shrike.
Fennel: Golden tabby tom with green eyes and thick fur. Mate of Howl.
Howl: Slender, smokey gray-and-black tom with yellow eyes. Mate of Fennel.
Orchid’s Group:
Orchid: Small white she-cat with green eyes and large ears. Sister of Blaine.
Reece: Cream she-cat with thick fur and blue eyes. Mate of Blaine and is expecting his kits.
Blaine: White tom with long fur and green eyes. Brother of Orchid and mate of Reece.
Loners:
Mallow: Light brown old she-cat with white front paws.
Wyatt: Pale tom with dark brown points, long legs, blue eyes, and large ears. Brother of Olive, who he is nearly identical to.
Olive: Pale she-cat with dark brown points, long legs, blue eyes, and large ears. Sister of Wyatt, who she is nearly identical to.
Stratus: Long-legged white tom with pale ginger spots. Has one green eye and one blue eye. His left front leg was badly injured when he was younger, and has since healed, but he walks on three legs as a result. Lives on his own, but often visits with Penelope and Hazel.
Click the readmore to see the allegiances for Mossclan in book 1 of Old Stains: Empty Sky!
Leader:
Fernstar: Pale tortoishell she-cat with green eyes. Sister of Daisypetal and aunt of Roseclaw, Swanflight, and Nettlefang.
Deputy:
Cinderstorm: Large, dark gray tabby tom with white front paws and orange eyes. Son of Littlestep, nephew of Brightfur, and older brother of Basilheart.
Medicine Cat:
Brackenheart: Fluffy golden tabby tom with green eyes. Uncle of Sunleap and great-uncle of Featherpaw and Breezepaw via their birth father. Mentor of Fishpaw.
Warriors:
Condorstrike: Reddish-brown tom with white patches and green eyes. Brother of Elkstride and uncle of Fishpaw and Dapplepaw.
Elkstride: Brown tom with a white underbelly and orange eyes. Brother of Condorstrike. Father of Fishpaw and Dapplepaw.
Daisypetal: Pale tortoishell she-cat with yellow eyes. Sister of Fernstar and mother of Roseclaw, Swanflight, and Nettlefang.
Basilheart: Dark gray tabby tom with pale green eyes, a short tail, and a white muzzle, chest, and paws. Son of Littlestep, nephew of Brightfur, younger brother of Cinderstorm, and adoptive father of Featherpaw and Breezepaw.
Sunleap: White tom with ginger spots and yellow eyes. Nephew of Brackenheart and uncle of Featherpaw and Breezepaw via their birth father.
Hornettail: Large, dark ginger she-cat with a fluffy tail and bright green eyes. Has a scar across the bridge of her muzzle. Sister of Gingerfur. Mentor of Breezepaw.
Gingerfur: Large, dark ginger she-cat with a fluffy tail and one, bright green, right eye. Sister of Hornettail. Mentor of Featherpaw.
Roseclaw: Tortoishell she-cat with yellow eyes. Sister of Swanflight and Nettlefang. Mentor of Dapplepaw.
Swanflight: Tall, black-and-white tom with yellow eyes. Brother of Roseclaw and Nettlefang.
Nettlefang: Black she-cat with yellow eyes. Sister of Swanflight and Roseclaw.
Apprentices:
Fishpaw: Brown tabby tom with white patches and orange eyes. Son of Elkstride, nephew of Condorstrike, and brother of Dapplepaw. Medicine cat apprentice of Brackenheart.
Dapplepaw: Cream-and-white she-cat with orange eyes. Daughter of Elkstride, niece of Condorstrike, and sister of Fishpaw. Apprentice of Roseclaw.
Featherpaw: Pale tabby she-cat with green eyes. Sister of Breezepaw. Adopted by Basilheart after her birth parents died, and related to Sunleap and Brackenheart via her birth father. Apprentice of Gingerfur.
Breezepaw: Pale tabby she-cat with green eyes. Sister of Featherpaw. Adopted by Basilheart after her birth parents died, and related to Sunleap and Brackenheart via her birth father. Apprentice of Hornettail.
Elders:
Brightfur: White she-cat with yellow eyes. Sister of Littlestep and aunt of Cinderstorm and Basilheart.
Littlestep: Silver tabby tom with green eyes. Brother of Brightfur and father of Cinderstorm and Basilheart.
Click the readmore to see the allegiances for Rippleclan in book 1 of Old Stains: Empty Sky!
Leader:
Aspenstar: Elderly, stocky pale tabby tom with long fur, pale green eyes, and distinctive dark brown stripes. Has small ears and a long scar across his left hip. The oldest cat in the forest. Adoptive father of Galefang.
Deputy:
Galefang: Tall white tom with blue-gray tabby points and light blue eyes. Has several scars dotting his pelt, including a few claw marks under his right eye. Adoptive son of Aspenstar. Mentor of Icepaw.
Medicine Cat:
Redflame: Broad-shouldered, large, dark ginger tom with short fur and yellow eyes. Has a flash of white fur on his chest.
Warriors:
Oakwhisker: Tall brown tabby tom with long legs, large ears, and pale amber eyes. Walks with a gait that favors his right hind leg, as his left hind leg was broken several moons ago and has not completely healed. The oldest warrior in Rippleclan. Father of Moormist and grandfather of Batpaw and Icepaw.
Badgerclaw: Large, fluffy, black-and-white tuxedo tom with green eyes and big paws. Mate of Pearflower and father of Embertongue.
Pearflower: Pale ginger she-cat with a white muzzle and green eyes. Mate of Badgerclaw, daughter of Wheatwhisker, and mother of Embertongue.
Shadefoot: Short black she-cat with green eyes and thick, short fur. Mate of Moormist and mother of Batpaw and Icepaw.
Moormist: Tall white tom with silver patches, long legs, and amber eyes. Son of Oakwhisker, Mate of Shadefoot, and father of Batpaw and Icepaw.
Embertongue: Ginger tabby tom with a white muzzle and green eyes. Son of Badgerclaw and Pearflower and grandson of Wheatwhisker.
Bouldercloud: Pale gray tabby tom with yellow eyes. Son of Shellbird and brother of Petalflight and Spikekit.
Petalflight: Pale gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. Daughter of Shellbird and sister of Petalflight and Spikekit. Mentor of Batpaw.
Applenose: White she-cat with black and ginger patches and blue eyes. Adopted into the clan at a young age.
Apprentices:
Batpaw: Black she-cat with amber eyes, long legs, large ears, and thick fur. Daughter of Moormist and Shadefoot, granddaughter of Oakwhisker, and sister of Icepaw. Apprentice of Petalflight.
Icepaw: White tom with amber eyes, large ears, and thick fur. Son of Moormist and Shadefoot, grandson of Oakwhisker, and brother of Batpaw. Apprentice of Galefang.
Queens and Kits:
Shellbird: Pale gray she-cat with green eyes. Mother of Bouldercloud, Petalflight, and Spikekit.
Spikekit: Brown tabby tom-kit with a white muzzle and white front paws. Son of Shellbird and brother of Bouldercloud and Petalflight.
Elders:
Wheatwhisker: Pale ginger tom with yellow eyes. Father of Pearflower and grandfather of Embertongue.
Slender, tall, lynx point tom with blue eyes and several scars.
Ever since the leader took him in as a kit, Galefang has been fiercely devoted to Aspenstar. As Icepaw’s mentor, he emphasizes loyalty to his clan, to his leader, and to him, which is exactly what Aspenstar taught him moons ago.
Most cats seem to think that he killed Mooneyes under Aspenstar’s orders, because Aspenstar had every reason to want Mooneyes dead and Galefang would have done what was asked of him, but no one witnessed Mooneyes’ death. The clan knew that Mooneyes and Galefang were not friends, and Galefang has done nothing to dissuade these assumptions.
Kin:
Aspenstar - Father (adopted)
Interesting facts:
His first apprentice, Gullpaw, was nearly a warrior when she was killed in a battle against Mossclan
Aspenstar was his mentor alongside being his father.
He comes off as cold and intimidating to others and is not particularly close with any other members of the clan, aside from Aspenstar.
Elderly, stocky, long-furred pale tabby tom with green eyes, small, ragged ears, and a long scar on his left hip.
Rippleclan’s ancient leader is the oldest cat in the forest, and he wouldn’t have been leader this long if he didn’t have a sharp and cunning mind. He preaches absolute adherence to the warrior code at all costs, and that includes absolute loyalty to him. After all, the warrior code says to always obey your leader, doesn’t it?
However, his interpretation of the will of Starclan has historically clashed with the opinion of the previous medicine cat, Mooneyes. But Mooneyes is no longer around to oppose him, leaving only Redflame, who listens to his leader’s commands.
He is also not above bending the code himself to further his own needs, such as when he accepted Applepaw into the clan despite her not being clanborn and his usual disdain for outsiders. Rippleclan had no apprentices at the time, and fewer warriors than Mossclan, so he rationalized it to his clan as them needing more apprentices.
Kin:
Galefang - Son (adopted)
Interesting facts:
He spends almost all of his time in camp, often watching his clanmates and managing what they do. Galefang leads battle patrols for him.
He first became leader when Oakwhisker was an apprentice.
He preaches that Rippleclan needs to take what they need in order to survive, even if that causes bloodshed.
These bios all describe things as they are at the beginning of part one, but The Lion’s Roar pmv actually includes several events from the climax of part one, so you probably know spoilers if you’ve seen it lmao
Long-furred, slender, silver and white tom with yellow eyes.
Growing up, Moorpaw was always the more outgoing and sociable of the two brothers, where Moonpaw was more reserved and could be rude at times. He was even friends with the younger Galepaw for a while, though the two of them gradually drifted apart as they grew older.
As an adult, Moormist was shocked when his brother was exiled for breaking the code by siring a kit with a clanmate, and horrified when he was later found dead at The Source. Like most other cats, he immediately assumed Galefang killed Mooneyes under the orders of Beechstar. Mooneyes had sometimes clashed with Beechstar over interpretations of signs from Starclan, so it made perfect sense to Moormist that Beechstar would have his brother killed to consolidate his own power.
By the time his first litter, Batkit and Icekit, were born, he had earned a new reputation as a troublemaker within the clan for being openly defiant of Beechstar. Never enough to get him into any serious punishment, but enough that everyone knew how he felt. This led to a lot of scrutiny being cast on his family.
Kin:
Oakwhisker - Father
Silvertail - Mother (deceased)
Mooneyes - Brother (deceased)
Shadefoot - Mate
Batpaw - Daughter
Icepaw - Son
Interesting facts:
Shadefoot is a few moons older than him, and he had a major crush on her for all of his apprenticeship and several moons of his warriorship until Mooneyes finally convinced him to tell her how he felt.
When Oakwhisker’s leg was injured, Moormist was suspicious that Beechstar had somehow caused it, though Oakwhisker assures him it was an accident.
Former Medicine Cat of RippleClan, until his exile. Now deceased. - he/him
Long-furred, slender, silver tabby tom with white undersides and yellow eyes.
For several years, Mooneyes was the well respected, if not particularly popular, medicine cat of Rippleclan. He was good with herbs and with interpreting the will of Starclan, and he trained Redflame well after the former warrior gained the ability to see spirits and was told to become a medicine cat. He got into disagreements with Beechstar from time to time over how best to interpret Starclan’s will, and had a pretty abrasive personality, which didn’t lead to him having many friends.
However, that respectable reputation was shattered when it was discovered that he was the father of a young kit after being in a relationship with one of his clanmates for some time. He, his mate, and their kit were all exiled, which led to the death of his mate and kit in an accident. Enraged by what he perceived to be Starclan’s cruelty, he stormed into the next gathering and publicly denounced Starclan in front of the gathered cats.
Later that night, he was found, dead, at the head of The Source, a spring that serves as the spiritual connection to Starclan. Since that day, no cat has heard from Starclan at all. No one witnessed what happened to him, but the generally accepted belief is that Galefang killed him on the orders of Beechstar, which neither of them have confirmed nor denied. The clan was already unsympathetic toward him after everything, so many of them believed Beechstar when he said that Mooneyes was to blame for Starclan abandoning them. The only person to vocally oppose Beechstar and Galefang since has been Moormist, which has led to Moormist and his family becoming distrusted by a lot of the clan.
Kin:
Oakwhisker - Father
Silvertail - Mother (deceased)
Moormist - Brother
Ferretwhisker - Mate (deceased)
Larkkit - Son (deceased)
Interesting facts:
Despite being Redflame’s mentor, he and Redflame did not actually get along very well.
He did not have many friends in the clan even before his relationship was revealed, and was mostly close to his brother, father, and “close friend” Ferretwhisker.
Long-furred, slender, tall, black she-cat with yellow eyes.
All Batpaw has ever wanted was a peaceful life, but she was born into a warlike clan that is suspicious of her entire family due to her uncle, Mooneyes, betraying the clan before she was born. Batpaw does her best to be a good apprentice, and is a skilled hunter, but she feels the weight of everyone’s expectations on her back.
