Was Ripplestar groups particularly brutal in how they conducted war, or was it just because they did so much of it that Gorseclaw betrayed them?
Or am I reading a little bit to much into "little war crime kitty" when you were talking about spotted
Make no mistake, it was absolutely BRUTAL. It was constant, fight-to-win warfare with psychological elements.
On the funnier side of this, they'd uproot berry bushes in ThunderClan, and leave no flax for WindClan. On the less funny side of this, Ripplestar would attempt to start moor fires in summer and attack during sleeping periods. Scare tactics were an effective strategy.
His goal was VICTORY, at any cost. If they gave up and agreed to do this with as little blood as possible, he didn't mind being underhanded.
But if they were going to keep repeating, "there is simply no room!" He'd MAKE room. That included killing cats who did not bow. The attack on the Gathering wasn't the only bloody night during the Ripple Era. Gorseclaw didn't betray him completely without cause.
There are probably battle tactics that Brokenstar took from his playbook, as if he was studying a forbidden art of warfare. ShadowClan got its reputation for playing dirty from Ripplestar's strategies.
How does Gorseclaw view all this? Sure, he probably got a lot of good boy points with Starclan for what he did, but also the blood of most of his family on his hand, and also directly responsible for a curse, and also Skyclan came back anyways. What was his life in Thunderclan afterwards, does he regret this or does he stand by what he did?
He stands by it. He stands by it firmly.
Ripplestar and Spottedpelt attacked a Gathering. Their last ditch effort to pummel the Clans into submission and bring back people who were already gone. They would brutalize the people in front of them for those they had never met-- and they dragged rebels of every Clan into it, too.
They tried to use strength to get what they wanted and were outpowered. As was SkyClan. This is the way of the Clans.
Gorseclaw doesn't see himself as responsible for the curse. THEY did it. He did what he had to do and they couldn't accept it. Sore losers practicing dark magic, punishing him and his descendants through the generations...
You might think he has a ferocious personality, like Oakstar, Frecklewish, Tigerstar, etc. He doesn't. He has the composure of a businessman who made a descisive and painful choice. It hurt him to do what they compelled of him, and he blames them for all this grief.
He lived this way for the rest of his natural life, peacefully, rationally explaining away any guilt that nagged at him. He did what he had to. And when invoked by his descendants, he comforts them on that principle.
Do what you must, remember the cost, for others will also do what they must.
When SkyClan comes back and Cloudstar stands before him, Gorseclaw says nothing. So it survived, without Ripplestar to bring it back. Why should he feel guilt for this? It all turned out fine, and if it didn't, then they weren't strong enough to be fetched back in the first place.
I think, over time, he comes to be used by Clan cats as a God of Conflict with SkyClan. Invoking him in front of a SkyClan cat can be openly insulting, but is sometimes done in the face of SkyClan invoking controversial figures of their own-- Brokenstar, Spottedpelt, Ripplestar, etc.
Gorseclaw accepts this placement, not regretting or trying to discourage it. So be it. This shall be his role.
How do the clans actually tell the story about ripplestar's rot? I can imagine they use it as a cautionary tale against cleric who broke the code. Like larkstripe bore a curse on the world because she forsake her oath. Or do they not even mention larkstripe at all?
When Larkstripe is mentioned, it's always with emphasis on the "Killing of Swiftstar" and she's portrayed as a Cleric driven mad by all her childrearing responsibilities. Dalestar is framed as putting an end to the madness by taking her child away.
"She didn't know what she was doing because she was so stressed out by all the responsibility, the GLORIOUS DALESTAR saw the problem and fixed it. But then it was revealed that the Cleric's child WAS CURSED. This is EXTRA why Clerics can't have babies."
Ripplestar's Rot is about a bloodthirsty leader and how he attacked a peaceful Gathering, with StarClan ending the conflict by blasting the base of the tree that was no longer needed. The rebels of other Clans are rarely mentioned, only Gorseclaw and his heroic stand against the cuckoo chick that was put into his litter.
The exact specifics of the story change between Educators, though. ShadowClan will sometimes rewrite history entirely to JUST focus on how cool and strong Ripplestar was (and then he went too far). WindClan likes to really focus on Dalestar and frame the whole conflict as petty revenge. RiverClan likes talking about SkyClan and how they deserved it to draw parallels to why holding Sunningrocks is important.
Sure! He's a supporting character in Ripplestar's Rot, and becomes leader of ShadowClan after the Great Pancakening at the Battle of the Gathering.
I wrote about him and every leader post-Ripplestar over here
Marshpaw was a little older than Ripplekit when he was brought to the Clan, just newly apprenticed. Their apprenticeships overlapped and they were teenage friends.
Marsh has always been a sort of quiet dude, he's never been a go-getter. More of a steady, practical guy.
He was friends with Spottedpelt and Gorseclaw too, him and Gorse were the more "level headed" people in the group.
His first name was Marshtail. "Scar" is an Honor Title.
Him and Ripplemoon were young warriors when they became mates. Marshtail could tell you that he liked his passion and drive, but, it would be a half truth. He can't really pick anything in particular that is his favorite trait
He could spend a day stuck in a tree hole with him and it would be enjoyable. He just likes his vibe, he likes to be with him.
There's not much to say about him before the ending of Ripplestar's Rot, because he's a mild guy. His ideal life would have been being a background character who goes on patrol a lot lmao
But at the death of Ripplestar and Spottedpelt, suddenly he was thrust into power he NEVER wanted, in the middle of mourning the loss of his mate and his extended family, and the end of a war he'd given everything to.
His heart broken, he had to clean up what Ripplestar left behind. The other three leaders blamed ShadowClan for everything, and the war had taken a chunk out of the population.
Especially in ShadowClan, with a ton of their warriors being slaughtered at the Gathering. Because of Gorseclaw, they'd seen the attack coming and prepared by only bringing their strongest warriors.
In fury, Dalestar of WindClan and Birchstar of RiverClan exiled many of the outed rebels within their ranks
So, Marshstar was dealing with the other Clans baying for a severe punishment of ShadowClan, adding a flood of new commandments to the code, and also a political refugee crisis
This was a mess. An exhausting, painful mess
It didn't get better, either. No matter what Marshstar did, someone was going to be furious. He couldn't appease the other Clans while maintaining ShadowClan, so, they started exacting revenge by attacking constantly.
(And, mind you, this was the age of Kit Stealing and pillaging. These attacks were high-stakes)
Eventually he stopped apologizing or even negotiating at all. ShadowClan became a sort of secluded, defensive nut that shared very little news, and even skipped Gatherings a few times.
But even that didn't please his warriors. They wanted the Gatherings. They wanted their own revenge. Even as the population recovered, Marshstar refused to do anything else.
The rest of his life felt like he was just biding time. 9 long lives without Ripplestar felt like a curse.
He did do one thing though-- when Houndfang was young, she was a goddamn punk. Little rebel without a cause, the Clan used to be frustrated that she was given such a ferocious name; she could have used a name to calm her down instead :/
She reminded Marshstar of a casual discussion about warrior names he had with Ripplestar, once. About how he liked names that simply made sense, and didn't need to be defended with prose. A Hound and its Fangs
He took a shining to Houndkit, in his melancholic way. She liked bothering him, he wouldn't snap at her or push her away. He would even sometimes enable her-- telling her little tricks for sneaking past the big warriors or giving her advice on how to persuade them to do what she wanted.
So the habit only got "worse." She had absolutely no fear of him as an apprentice and would just announce her opinion to his face.
thinking about it, Marshstar probably took her as an apprentice towards the end of her time as Houndpaw, after getting in too many fights with her mentor and the mentor trying to appeal for a delay of her assessment until she learned respect.
"Hm. No. I don't want her spirit broken. I think the other Clans deserve some hell, actually."
Houndfang didn't have ambition as a kid, she didn't know what she wanted. Marshstar gave her an outlet and it became electricity in her veins.
She quickly took over the Clan when she became deputy, and was more of a leader than he ever was. He just let her start running it.
I feel like he cast his name off, just before he died. He did not want to be Marshstar, he wanted to return to Marshscar, so he held a renaming ceremony for himself and passed on leadership officially.
ShadowClan was reignited in a way it hadn't been in years when Houndstar took power. In the passionate cheering of the crowd, Marshscar slipped away.
No one ever saw him again after that. He was probably sick and went somewhere he could pass away in solitude. Cat behavior
His heart remained with Ripplestar for the entirety of his long life, and for him, it was a relief when it was finally over.
When he got to StarClan, they tried to put him on trial. He got frustrated shortly into it. Ripplestar and Spottedpelt are not here so Literally Why Should I Care?
And they're going to throw this big bombastic ballyhoo, why? To posture? For who? This is pointless and quite frankly embarassing.
He actually interrupted the court proceedings with an Excuse Me. I Don't Want This.
"Thank you for your time. This has been a waste of mine."
It's kind of funny to think that if Houndstar knew about what her mentor did here she would flip her shit at him lmao.
Honestly, he does not mind being in Hell. Like, at all. He'll follow Ripplestar wherever, but in Skypelt I can imagine him making occasional statements about missing the taste of bloodsap or something.
Tell us more about Larkstripe! She sounds cool as hell
[ID: Larkstripe from the Better Bones AU, along with her young son, Ripplekit. Larkstripe is a silver-gray cat with yellow eyes, and black, diamond-shaped markings. A black stripe stretches from her cheek down to her paw. Ripplekit is a fluffy black kitten with heart-shaped ginger markings on one side of his body.]
A minor character in Ripplestar's Rot!
In every time, there have always been people who've done the right thing and gotten punished for it. Never believe that there was an oppressive system, or a cruel choice, that someone didn't fight against. History is written by the winners, but the truth will never die.
When SkyClan was exiled, the Clerics protested immediately. 1/5th of the stars would be discarded like trash, their descendants scattered to a horrible fate. Larkstripe of WindClan rallied her fellow medics, going on strike against the four remaining leaders.
When Swiftstar got sick, Larkstripe reminded him of their demands, and told him,
"If you won't listen to your Cleric, then speak to StarClan yourself. If you live, I will take it as an omen that this suffering is their will. If you die, then we are correct. Gamble with your last life, Swiftstar, we have been clear."
But the deputy, Dalerunner, did not intend to negotiate.
In those days, the Cleric's Vow was not law. It was a personal oath that the Clerics took between mentor to apprentice, and served to encourage the cat to value medicine above loyalty to the Clan. Larkstripe had a single child, Ripplekit, but no cat had dared to accuse the ferocious senior Cleric of neglecting her commitment to her job.
But Dalestar did. She had allowed Swiftstar to die and refused to council him, destabilizing the entire Clan and leading the Clerics into rebellion. All Clan cats must be loyal, and StarClan had clearly stopped talking to her because of her violation of the vow. Ripplekit was taken from her to make an example, tossed to ShadowClan and raised at Birdflight's belly.
The Cleric's Vow was codified into law, and the strike was broken. Larkstripe had lost everything. Ripplekit never got to see his mother again, she was said to have died of a broken heart shortly before his apprenticeship.
More trivia, and an alt color, under the cut!
Larkstripe was previously Larkwing FQ! She has been renamed due to conflict with Sedgewhisker's daughter in the modern day.
Because of changes, Larkstripe is going to get a successor. That's going to be Thrushpelt WC, who is also getting a renaming to Thrushbreeze.
Larkstripe canonically links Mapleshade's Vengeance to Cloudstar's Journey, which is what my reworked timeline is based on.
Ripplekit was 4 moons old when he was taken from his mother, similar to being 8 or so. He remembers her very clearly.
Lark didn't have a mate. The honor sire is someone in WindClan.
This was before the Queen's Rights, but Honor-Siring within a Clan existed before that. The father was known but not involved.
She was experienced, self-assured, and intense. Honor and honesty were her favorite values; Ripplestar is a lot like her.
I slowly turned Ripple's generic blotches into heart-shapes and I realized it would be cool as hell if Larkstripe had diamonds. I just think card motifs are Neat.
I forgot that she's canonically silver-and-black and corrected it as soon as I remembered, but I did finish a coloring before I did. Bonus tortie Larkstripe be upon ye.
Does anyone in StarClan (i.e: the leaders responsible for SkyClan being exiled) feel regret for what happened to them, knowing that they became horrific rat-beasts? Or did they just go "Huh. Well, that'll never happen to MY clan so I won't ever need to reflect on the consequences of my actions. :D"
Unfortunately it's mostly the second option. StarClan has Problems. FORTUNATELY though, those spirits are not particularly powerful in Silverpelt anymore, as their time has come and gone.
Redstar of ThunderClan:
Believes it's a result of not being strong enough to keep their own territory. SkyClan was also a major rival of his Clan at the time, so he really did not feel bad at all to see them go. One less problem for him. Definitely the most antagonistic leader here, if anything he was happy they were gone.
Dawnstar of ShadowClan
In BB, it's actually DAWNSTAR who takes in Birdsong and her kits. When she hears of SkyClan's ultimate fate, she's really clinging to her justifications because that fate is horrific. I think if any of the four really regret it, it's probably her. But mostly I think she paw-wave it away with, "The past is the past."
Swiftstar of WindClan:
Thinks it's unfortunate, but really SkyClan's fault in the end. They should have procured their borders, settled closer, or cut out a piece of some other territory. And besides... SkyClan's ancestors are not his ancestors. Why should he care?
He's the only one who really PAID for it though, with Larkstripe letting him die during her strike.
Birchstar of RiverClan
Was the sort of guy who lived in her own little world. RiverClan was historically notorious for wanting to mind their own business and Birchstar was no different. If you invoked her to ask her opinion, she'd say something WILD like, "ew. perhaps they turned into rats because they had rotten souls. it isn't my fault they have icky little rodent hearts. couldn't be me."
If you flip the spade upside down and put it on Gorseclaw’s neck, it could kind of look like a tie
Hello anon with the most convenient ask in my inbox, you have been selected to receive a FLOOD OF SKETCHES
I had only drawn Gorseclaw and Ripplestar before, and I'm about to do a redesign of Larkstripe so that she has the "hearts" motif that her son gets. I did a bunch of sketches just to try and figure stuff out so, messy post
Glossary:
Ripplestar
Gorseclaw and Spottedpelt
Larkstripe
Birdflight, Marshscar
After I post this I'm gonna jump back into Clip to play with Cloudstar next
RIPPLESTAR
[ID: A sketch of BB!Ripplestar. The text points out his major features and reads, "Heterochromia: Amber + Brown." Smooth scruff, with an arrow that points out the shape. Ginger on 1 side. Deer-eared. 3 layers with an arrow that points out the three stacks of fur on his chest. Wooly, kinda like a half-shorn sheep.]
I've actually drawn Ripplestar a lot in the margins of my notes and such, so this design's pretty solid.
I change the side the hearts are on, plus the number of hearts, literally every single time I've ever drawn him lmao. It dozen madder.
What DOES matter though is that there's a HEART over his BRIGHTER eye. I use it as a bit of a visual metaphor, if he's trying to size you up or negotiate with you, he keeps you in the bright eye. When he trusts you or becomes comfortable with you in some way, he turns the brown eye on you.
So in most scenes where he's not talking to family I imagine he's not fully looking at his conversational partner. Especially on the Highrock as leader of ShadowClan, because the layout makes the leaders sit side-by-side. Might as well play with that simple logistic fact, y'know?
He does this because I imagine this marking kind of intimidates people. It's like the ginger of his eye socket has set his iris ablaze with fire, while the other is as cold as rain-soaked peat.
The ear on the "colorful" side is also orange. All of his orange is on one side, except for his tail-tip.
He's actually distantly related to Nightcloud-- his Honor Sire (who was known but not involved) went on to have a mate. So he's the half-brother of one of her ancestors, and Nightcloud has inherited this thick, wooly fur texture.
Again, I draw him a lot so this was the easiest one. I didn't have to decide anything besides that I made his nose into a cute lil carebear heart.
The drawing I did for this synopsis of Ripplestar's Rot was actually the first time I drew him, for comparison! It's fun to see what's been streamlined.
GORSECLAW AND SPOTTEDPELT
FIRST sketches didn't feel right.
[ID: BB!Gorseclaw and BB!Spottedpelt. They have long, curly tails, long claws, and bell-shaped heads. Gorseclaw has a sharp 'tie' on his chest, and Spottedpelt has a heart]
I feel like Gorseclaw's spades look too much like diamonds in this one, but I was really going for a tie.
I've been giving him those sideburns for months, so, they don't really fit the "shape theory" but I'm having a hard time removing them lmao.
And this is the first time I drew Spots which is a shame. I love a bad bitch.
If you look at my designs, you can notice that I have a few traits that cats from each Clan "tend" to have. They're all pretty genetically similar actually and there's a lot of crossings between the groups, secret or otherwise, but some traits just get selected for more than others, and StarClan is likely to toss them into kits. SkyClan has saggy skin (like a bear) and really bendy tails.
Don't think it's come through well here, though. In future drafts I'm going to try and make them saggier.
(Why? It actually helps them against insect stings and impact damage, like falling from trees and being hit by branches)
Then I went on to draft 2,
[ID: Second draft of the characters above. Spottedpelt is fatter, with "dapples" on her back which are actually spades, and a distinctive spade-shaped mask. The ears of both siblings are now spade-shaped, and Gorseclaw's tie is different, along with Spottedpelt's heart with is now more of a medal.]
I like Spottedpelt a LOT more in this draft. That's probably going to be close to the final design I do, I'm really vibing with the dapple-spades.
I DON'T like Gorseclaw in this one though, the face shape reminds me waaay too much of Dustpelt's familial face-plate. Absolutely going to revise that, probably making it more mask-like akin to Spots'.
Also very proud of myself for the spade-shaped ears.
Hate Gorse's tie here though, that's not a tie that is a stinkhorn mushroom.
But Spots' medal is excellent. Absolutely keeping that. She is a distinguished little war crime kitty
Still not fat and saggy enough. Coming back to this. I need to learn how to draw a primordial pouch.
LARKSTRIPE
I'm trying to redesign her and I'm losing :/
[ID: BB!Larkstripe. She's a very plain cat with a string of hearts from her eye down to her leg, with a heart-shaped nose, cutie marks, and a heart-shaped tail tip]
This was the FIRST first draft of the redesign and that heart chain is underwhelming.
It felt like too much of a downgrade from the diamond-pattern Larkstripe I did, and I'm worried that maybe it's because diamonds just look so much nicer in a "chain"
I feel like I see too many perfect hearts on chests in WC designs, so when I do them, I try to do something weird with them like what I did to Heartstar
So I turned hers into a little fur tuft splash. I like the idea tbh, I might repurpose it for another design.
[ID: A version of the above sketch with bigger hearts on the chain and a single heart on the flank, followed by another sketch attempting to make the stripe more "blobbish"]
I'm beginning to think that maybe I don't like the sketches because Larkstripe is sad :( I like when I can draw her angry, before the strikebreaking broke her
And unfortunately she is the absolute most tragic character in BB. They took the fight out of her. I figure it would be symbolically fitting for the heart shape on her chest to "break" after Dalestar's decree.
For those asking questions, no, she never joins Skypelt. She is convinced she did the wrong thing and ended up unleashing an era of suffering on the Clans by having Ripplestar follow in her footsteps, though she had no control over him.
She's a character who would offer her life as an example during trials involving the Cleric's Vow, especially since I've gutted Moth Flight in BB. She argues about how important it is to avoid birthing cats who will claim their conquest is holy in the name of their parents.
She would also have something to say to Mudfur, admonishing him for breaking his Vow so openly, even saying that he's responsible for Leopardstar and all of her choices.
Basically, Larkstripe is beaten. She is a very tired, shameful spirit who repeats exactly what Silverpelt told her, during her own trial. She's so grateful to be here that she acts with devotion towards it.
Hurt people hurt people and all
But anyway, I still feel like it's a bit of a downgrade from the older design for Larkstripe, so I'm probably going to keep playing with it.
BIRDFLIGHT AND MARSHSCAR
[ID: BB!Birdflight. She's a tabby with the spades motif, long bases stretching up into hears on her shoulder, side, and flank.]
I want her to look old and tired. She's got that Leafpoolyness about her.
She's technically the very first member of the Tigerkin family, and has those characteristic long-claws.
I imagine in Clanmew her name is actually Yassgafba, "Raptor preparing to take flight." I have this really sad mental image of a majestic hawk that keeps spreading its wings, as if to take off and fly away, but never does.
Fitting, because she waited her whole life for Cloudstar to send word they'd found a new home, to come and fetch her and their children, but never did.
While I'm at the trivia, yes, Ripplestar and her were very close. Larkstripe argues in StarClan that Ripplestar started his war because of her, but it's not true. It was Birdflight who made him believe that Cloudstar would never abandon his family; if they hadn't heard from him, something was very wrong.
She died before he became leader, probably of a sickness outbreak. She likely didn't take the journey because she's immunocompromised in some way, plus the two newborns.
She was given a place in StarClan, but I'm not sure if she followed Ripplestar and Birdflight into the Dark Forest. She DID vote to accept them though.
I think she's practical about this. Leave for the Dark Forest, and you loose your voting power in StarClan.
She sees that there are very few SkyClan ancestors left here, hears Skystar scoff that the others are fools for leaving, that if more had remained then the rebels would not have been damned... and understands the value in his words.
If there's any reason for the Tigerkin Curse (which I hadn't really been working with until now, tbh, I just chalked it up to Bad Mojo on the night of Ripplestar's last stand), it's probably related to Birdflight in some way. Which is why no one knows what's causing it.
I don't know why, yet, though. Maybe it's an accident on her part. She could be crafting their litters, but every time she finishes a set, she can't help but cry about how much the fresh souls remind her of the newborns that stopped her from joining her mate, and her kits in the Dark Forest.
It's probably why the PROPER curse might stop abruptly after SkyClan's return. She joins Skypelt as soon as it's an option.
[ID: BB!Marshscar. He's a scrawny, battle-scarred old tabby with a diamond motif.]
He doesn't have any markings in-canon so I tried to just make all of his scars diamond-shaped. I don't think it works, I'm going to give him some markings.
I like the ears though, that's staying. I might also borrow from the old Larkstripe design, give him those funky diamond-spikes on his chest.
I have barely talked about him, but he is actually very important to Ripplestar. They've been mates since they were young warriors.
I kinda want to make it so that Spottedpelt was Ripplestar's deputy before being killed that night, but it was always implicit that if something happened to them, Marshscar was next in charge.
This drawing is definitely when he's older and more worn-out, he lives a long life without Ripplestar, ruling ShadowClan reluctantly, half-heartedly doing the bare minimum.
It's a downer story, and I think it really fits the theme here that Clan Culture is about to get a whole lot worse before it gets better... but still I love the fact that Ripplestar's Rot just ends with the entire cast like
[ID: Spongebob sits at a diner with his hands folded, frowning slightly, disquieted and deep in thought]
Like there really isn't a happy camper in this one lmao. Nobody wins. Alexa play 'That's Not How The Story Goes'
Larkstripe’s fate breaks my heart in the best way, thanks Bones
Something about her clinging on to Silverpelt because she was broken into believing all this suffering was her fault and they’re the only thing she has left for so long that she doesn’t accept the kindness of the clan she fought for when it finally returns while her son becomes part of its family because he could hold out for a better future with his supporters as company in the Dark Forest… tasty parallels
It makes me wonder how different she would be if she was sent to the Dark Forest instead
She would be VERY different. You are the company you keep.
I think it's one of the saddest parts of BB that Larkstripe, first unwilling victim of the codified Cleric's Vow, becomes one of its strongest defenders in StarClan. But it's also needed.
Guilt isn't wisdom and shame isn't enlightenment. People can hurt you for their own ends. StarClan changes over time and shifts with the makeup of its most recently deceased, but Larkstripe is a product of her time and will enforce the code as such.
Just because anyone can change for the better, doesn't mean everyone will.
