So I read though the Hinterlands doc and got to the df section and was wondering if you could drop some lore on why all the df cats are currently there? (if you can't say anything without spoiling something important its alright)
Certainly! I think I have talked about the reasons they're all there once or twice before, but it may have very well changed since then.
Keep in mind that some of these characters do not have very much thought put into them at all and I might replace them eventually, idk
Warnings for mild/vague descriptions of violence, abuse, and various means of murder and death below!
GlenClan
Barkfang: SO there was this whole situation over whether PineClan or GlenClan got to own the Sunstones and surrounding field. Barkfang was the GlenClan deputy at the time, and when negotiations started to come to a close with a compromise, he got it in his head that this was a Really Bad Thing that would show the other two Clans that GlenClan was weak and would just give away territory without a fight. He killed Dewstar, and when the two healers (Briskwater and Sandytail, who was formerly Barkfang's apprentice and was TERRIFIED of him) figured it out, they poisoned him with traveling herbs. They named the warrior Redgleam as leader afterward.
Dawnshatter: A very corrupt healer who used yew to poison cats he didn't like. I have this idea that maybe he had a close friend or mate who wanted to become leader, and Dawn said "don't worry, I'll take care of it ;)" and when high-ranking cats started dropping dead, they called him out on it. Idk! His cause of death was starvation after being banished from the Clan.
Sparkflame: She was a major bitch of a warrior who was super abusive to her apprentices in the belief that it hardened them into better warriors. She was super cruel, working them half to death and verbally berating them when they couldn't keep up with her demands. Her last apprentice drowned in the river when she was giving him swimming training, as she tossed him into the water and wouldn't let him return to shore until he could swim "properly." She was eventually killed by a rogue during a skirmish.
Chillyfur: She was a queen, and I have it written down that she killed her kits, but I don't know why? Maybe there was some drama with her mate, or maybe she thought there was something wrong with the kits. I have no clue. She fled the Clans after her crime was discovered, and her cause of death was a snake bite.
PineClan
Silverpine: Silverpine! The oldest OC in this group! She grew up bitter towards her sister Birchstripe, and when Silverpine's mate Leafswirl left her for Birchstripe, who was tone-deaf enough to flaunt that she was having his kits, Silverpine led her out into the middle of nowhere and murdered her. She was determined to make Leafswirl suffer but felt guilty about what she'd done, and Birchstripe tormented Silverpine with visions of what she'd done until she broke. She freaked out, inadvertently admitting her crime before running back to where she'd killed Birchstripe (with a furious Leafswirl giving chase behind) and was crushed by a falling tree branch. She knew that what she'd done was wrong, but refused to go to StarClan if Birchstripe and Leafswirl were allowed to stay there too.
Bramblewasp: He's basically Ashfur if he'd actually killed the three, lmao. He was in love with this cat named Petalbreeze, but Petalbreeze was 1. never interested in him and 2. secretly mates with this RiftClan tom named Ravenpatch. Bramblewasp followed Petalbreeze to the border one night and saw them meet, and, heartbroken, decided to get even with her. After she had moved to the nursery, pregnant with Ravenpatch's kits, Bramblewasp instigated a skirmish with a RiftClan patrol that ended up with Ravenpatch dead. Petalbreeze was heartbroken, but she at least had her three kits to remember him by. But Bramblewasp wasn't done yet, and later led two of her kits to get killed in some way I haven't thought of yet, maybe led them out into the snow and left them? The third kit, Shadepaw, was attacked by Bramblewasp after he got him alone during a hunting patrol. But Petalbreeze, who had had her suspicions about who was behind the murders and had been keeping a close eye on Shadepaw, fended him off before killing him outright.
Tawnyfoot: Another one I haven't though much about, at one point I had it written that they tried to take over PineClan but failed and then ended up getting hit by a car, I think I'm going to make it that they built up a kind-of cult within the Clan and tried to use them to help them become leader (to accomplish what? idk) but they somehow failed, running off to twolegplace before meeting their demise.
Vinestar: He was generally very Not Good but the final straw was when he decided he was going to genocide GlenClan after his mate Sunbelly was killed in a fight over the Sunstones. A rebellion led by his deputy Blackreed and warriors Roseblossom and Hollyfrost stood against him and, after Blackreed basically challenged him to a duel for leadership, they killed each other and Rosestar became leader. He was convinced that his bloodline should stay in power in the Clan, a belief carried by Sunbelly and Shimmertail, who passed it on to...
Tangleflower: Vinestar's granddaughter, heavily influenced from a very young age to believe that she was destined to become leader one day. She was fed stories of how noble and powerful Vinestar had been, and these convinced her that the position of leader was her right, no matter the cost. She conscripted Blackreed's son Cindershock, who was convinced that he had to become leader to live up to his father's name, and she revealed her plan to get them both to be deputy and leader together. They became mates, and when they got their apprentices Fleetpaw and Swiftpaw, they enlisted them and Cindershock's best friend Splinterfang into their little group. Swiftpaw was more than happy to help, wanting to do anything for his cool uncle Cinder and too young to really understand the gravity of the situation. Fleetpaw and Splinterfang were a bit more hesitant, and this became the plan's downfall. Tangleflower (unexpectedly) had a kit, Strikekit, and while Tangleflower left the nursery as soon as possible, she was still quite weak when the plan went into motion VERY off-schedule. Splinterfang and Fleetpaw finally worked up the courage to warn Rosestar of what was about to happen, and Cindershock, realizing this, went to attack her. Tangleflower joined him and attempted to kill Hollyfrost, who quickly threw her off and went to the aide of Rosestar. Rosestar lost a life in the fray, and Hollyfrost grabbed Cindershock by the neck and threw him off, killing him. Swiftpaw was subdued by a few other warriors, who were baffled as to why he was trying so hard to attack them. Tangleflower was banished, but a moon later she returned, delirious with hunger and fury, and tried again to kill Rosestar while PineClan evacuated during a forest fire. Tangleflower was caught in the flames and died of smoke inhalation. Cindershock came to her in the Inbetween and asked her to give up her memories and anger and go to StarClan like he did. but she refused and now spends her time in the Dark Forest.
RiftClan
Quietstar: By all rights, she really shouldn't be in the Dark Forest. She was the leader of RiftClan during a famine, with a lack of the large prey birds RiftClan cats hunt spelling doom for them. She pleaded with the other Clan leaders for aid, but they refused. They were all starving, after all. Quietstar, furious, gathered whichever of her warriors were still strong and attacked at the Clan borders, mercilessly claiming patches of land to hunt on. When the other two Clan leaders confronted her during a gathering, she attacked them, and her Clanmates followed. The ensuing battle only ended when Quietstar was struck by lightning, killing her instantly. She chose to go to the Dark Forest, hating it there but standing firm in her hatred of the cats who refused to help her Clanmates.
Twilightpaw: Another cat who really shouldn't be there. Twilightpaw was a meek little tom, training to become a hunter. His brother, the brash and somewhat hateful Sleetpaw, was training to be a fighter. One leafbare night, the two were out hunting together when they got in some kind of fight. Twilightpaw was pinned by Sleetpaw, and when he finally succeeded in kicking him off, Sleetpaw slipped and fell from a ledge. Sleetpaw was killed by the impact, and Twilightpaw, scared of the consequences of the accident, left him there. Sleetpaw's body was found the next day, his Clanmates assuming he'd simply slipped jumping for some prey in the dark. Snow had already covered up most signs of a fray. Twilightpaw developed whitecough from rolling around in the snow, and this turned to greencough, which increased in severity until it killed him. When he was in the Inbetween, Sleetpaw came to confront him. But Twilightpaw, so scared of what he might say, ran in the opposite direction until he found himself in the Dark Forest. There, he was found by Sparkflame, who took him on as an apprentice until he was rescued from her by Quietstar. They now travel the forest together, keeping each other company until they can find a way to get Twilightpaw to StarClan where he belongs.
Blackflame: SHE. Ok so her dad left RiftClan to join GlenClan because he fell in love with a cat there after he and his first mate broke up. Blackflame was livid over this and wanted to get even with him for abandoning her mother, her sister, and herself. So, being a healer, she faked a sign from StarClan and told her Clanmates that it meant they were to attack GlenClan. So they did, and during the battle, Blackflame made it look like her dad was attacking her so that her mother and sister would come to her defense and hurt him. Which they did. He didn't die tho, just wounded pretty badly. StarClan contacts Blackflame in a dream and tells her that, for violating both the warrior and healer codes so badly, she has been cut off from StarClan permanently. She's fine with this because the whole situation made her realize that, being the one expected to interpret StarClan for her Clanmates, she technically holds more power over her Clan than StarClan itself. She uses this to fake more signs and omens, dragging the two Clans into a war with each other. Around this time, a young apprentice named Sunpaw became obsessed with the idea of becoming a healer and started following Blackflame everywhere. When Sunpaw accidentally discovered her setting up one of her "signs," Blackflame killed her and dragged her body to the border to make it look like she'd been killed by GlenClan. RiftClan was furious, and began to head to the border for another battle. A GlenClan patrol met them there, and retrieved their leader and other warriors upon demand from the RiftClan leader. As they were denying any murdering of apprentices, Sunpaw's ghost appeared to the cats and named her killer as Blackflame. Her Clanmates turned on her, and she ran, falling into the river and drowning.
Starklight: Frankly I kinda hate Starklight and I'll probably replace him bc I can't think of any story for him. I had it written down that he was just an abusive asshole to everyone, especially his sister and her mate, but I can't really think of anything beyond that so sorry!!
And that's all of them! There are many baddies in Clan history, but most of them choose to forget their past in order to join StarClan. There are few who choose to be in the Dark Forest, and some of them, those whose crimes are unforgivable, are never given a choice at all.