Skyfall Clowders: The Shadoweyes
Shadoweye Clowder written out in English on the left with their ClowderMew name on the right. The ClowderMew to English translation is as follows: washa "shadow" + ipa "eye" + ulnyams "clan/clowder". The center symbol is the standard heraldry for the Shadoweyes, depicting a stylized bog asphodel and sedge leaves.
Warriors of the Bog
The Shadoweyes, also known as Shadoweye Clowder, are one of the five churl clowders. In the Forest they resided to the east, opposite the Thunderpath from the Thunderhearts. At the Lake they live the south between the Rivertails and Windpaws. They were founded by Tall Shadow, a Cavepaw settler. They were the third clowder to be founded and were a splinter group of Windpaw Clowder.
Shadoweye Territory
The Forest
The Shadoweye Forest territory lay the furthest to the west, opposite the Thunderpath from the other three clowders. Their southern border was with the edge of the Town, their eastern border was the Thunderpath that separates them from the Windpaws and Thunderhearts, and their northern border was a Thunderpath that seperates them from Highstones. The Fourtrees sat to the east of the Shadoweye territory.
Shadoweye territory was a mixture of sparse evergreen woodland and wetlands. The eastern and lower parts of their territory were mixed wetlands while the upland sections were pine forest. Most Shadoweyes preferred to hunt in the pine woods, but the wetlands proved valuable during for trying times as a source of food. The Carrionplace, a human dumping ground, sits on the northern edge of the territory and is yet another place for food during desperate times. Proximity to the Carrionplace occasionally resulted in plague for the Shadoweyes in the form of Carrionplace disease carried by infected rats and birds.
The Lake
At the Lake, the Shadoweyes live to the south in the wetlands between the Rivertails and Windpaws. Their boundary with the Rivertails is the New River to their west while their eastern boundary with the Windpaws is less defined. The two clowders have mostly settled with marking the border at a series of boulders just beyond Mudclaw's Bridge and the Gathering Island, thus making the Shadoweyes the protectors of the Gathering Island the gateway that is Mudclaw's Bridge.
Similarly to their Forest territory, the Shadoweye lands have a lowland wetlands and upland forest, although the forested section is now much smaller than it was in the Forest. The wetlands and lake shore make the northern boundary of their territory while a stretch of mixed woodlands divides the wetlands from the Thunderpath that forms their southern boundary. As a result of the new wetland to forest ratio, the Shadoweyes have become much more reliant on wetland sources of food as compared to the Forest and have even begun fishing, much to the confusion of the non-Rivertail cats. Despite their healthy rivalry, the Rivertails are more than willing to show the Shadoweyes fishing techniques, so long as they stick to fishing on their side of the River.
Distinct Cultural Traits
First Born Kittens
Unlike most other clowder cats, the Shadoweyes care quite a lot about the birth order of a litter. Their governing system follows primogeniture and that preference has leaked down into the everyday churls as well. Eldest kits are considered the heads of their families once their parents pass away. Ceremonies also occur in birth order, with the oldest kit being brought forward first the continuing down the line to the youngest kit.
Under the Moonlight
The Shadoweyes' waking hours overlap far more with nighttime than the other clowders. They prefer to live their lives in the quiet of the darkness when far fewer cats (and humans) are awake. The night comes with it's own dangers, but the Shadoweye's prefer to take those risks as compared to the increased human and cat activity that occurs during the day.
Poetic Tradition
Shadoweyes are known for their long-winded epics and stories, often told as poems by their warblers. Oral tradition is strong in the Shadoweyes and warblers are much more highly respected than they are in other clowders. They are the backbone of clowder education and participate in clowder festivals by telling stories while the other churls feast and celebrate.
Agnosticism
Generations of hardship and exposure to outside cats and belief systems have begun to turn the Shadoweyes away from the Stars as a faith system. They understand that the Stars are a source of magic within the world, but they increasingly refuse to worship a force they believe allowed the suffering of their clowder for so many seasons. In the present day clowder, Star worship is relatively uncommon and most Shadoweye cats are agnostic, atheist, or some other form of spiritually ambiguous. The priest role has gone unfilled for around a generation and the Shadoweyes don't seem eager to fill it. They find spiritual meaning in other ways, and while they respect the Star-based traditions of their culture, they do not necessarily find Star worship necessary to live fulfilled lives. This turn towards secularism has soured their relationship with the Windpaws substantially, but has also made them easier allies of the Skypelts with whom they share their spiritual ambiguity and diversity of belief.
Rule by Primogeniture
The Shadoweyes follow a monarchical leadership system and have since their founding days. The eldest kitten of the thegn, regardless of their role or gender, will become the next reeve and then thegn. It is exceptionally rare for this chain to be broken and these circumstances are usually the result of some other upheaval such as a famine or plague leading to a coup.
Leather Crafting
Shadoweye artisans are especially adept at making and using leather and other skin-based materials to make accessories, bandages, and slings. Their boggy territory necessitates a strong bandage than most other clowders since the standing water creates the perfect environment for infection if an open wound is exposed. As a result of their increased need for leather, at least one artisan at any given time will be fully dedicated to the production of leather and leather items. This artisan is called the tanner.
Persistent and Resourceful
Shadoweyes are known have incredible emotional endurance. They have gone through hardship more times than most cats can count and they get back up every time. Their more recent string of dictatorial, territory-hungry thegns has left a bad taste in many cats' mouths but the Shadoweyes persist, proud as ever of their kin and clowder and carrying the song of the good times to maintain hope during the bad. They are also known to be incredibly resourceful, making the best of their often resource-poor territory.
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