Can you tell more about the bogwallows
Of course! Apologies for the long wait, I’ve been quite busy lately.
I have more lore posts about the bogwallows in my drafts, but I haven’t had the time to edit them, so I’ll give a summary of them along with some fun facts.
They are literally the definition of skrunkly. They would be perfect meme material with how weird and bug-eyed they look. Modern social media would go insane over them.
The current leader Sootstar has kitty asthma! Although he struggles with physical exertion and often rests in camp, no one can deny his skill and loyalty for his colony. Not only is he my favorite character, he’s a main character.
The patron animals of the bogwallow colony are the corvids! They love crows and ravens, and throughout history they have been protectors and guides. They are not to be hunted and instead treated with the same respect as a deity in the flesh.
Speaking of crows and ravens, to be a leader of the bogwallow colony one must convince a crow or a raven into willingly giving them one of their feathers. This is a chance for the leader’s personality to shine. Some use their voice, whether it is to sweet-talk them or to recite an epic with such vigor and grace that the bird surely will become impressed. Some leaders lead with their heart, giving them puzzles, riddles, prey, or little trinkets. Some share a memory of a lost loved one or proclaim their devotion and loyalty to their colony.
They have a special rank, the Sibyl, which is a seer who steps up to become leader. This practice was started years ago when the leader and deputy of the colony both died and there was no cat fit to rule, so the seer themselves took charge. This is done if the both the leader and deputy happen to die at the same time or are both deemed unfit to rule. Throughout history there has been some controversy regarding this, as cats argue if they really do need the leader position at all, but others argue back that having one cat singlehandedly talking to ancestors and leading a colony as a leader and deputy at the same time would be impossible. Plus, they would be more vulnerable to corruption if they have just one cat in complete power, but this is still a hot topic to this day.
The bogwallows have an intense respect for their elders. All colonies respect them, but the marsh cats take it to the next level. It’s a common joke throughout the territories that when a cat wants to retire, they want to be pampered like an elder in the Bogwallow colony. Because of this, older cats are expected to be treated with upmost respect. This leads to the taboo of having a young leader, which Sootstar has tried his best to overcome.
On a more morbid note, although it’s a well-kept secret, cats have died from falling into the geysers. That’s about as horrifying as being boiled alive in holy water. Yea that’s not a fun time when that happens. Cats spend weeks in intense fast and prayer, begging their ancestors for forgiveness. Cats are torn between grieving for their clanmate and wondering if it was the gods’ way of getting rid of the bad apple before they rot, even if the clanmate in question was a young apprentice.