The new oaklands content had me curious, whats Rowanstorms relationship with Stagcharge like? Are they close enough for him to see him as family or is he just his dads new mate?
They are sort of close, yes.
Rowanstorm's mom died when he was only 2 months old or so. Elmtail had had an unofficial relationship with Stagcharge for a long time before that. Many cats in Oak Colony are poly, so Beechleaf was aware and she was fine with it, she just wanted Elmtail to have love.
So, Stagcharge is kind of a step-dad figure to Rowanstorm. Vinestripe sees him as her little brother in a way too.
Select rangers who oversee the training of all new-claws.
The Oak Colony Mentors have a certain hierarchy about them, with those who have mentored longer being higher “ranking.” They teach young new-claws during their field training and supervise the Rangers who are given new-claws to train; training the trainers. They work as a unit to make sure that young cats have their footing on the cliffs, learn the best ways to hunt in the territory and fight effectively.
Stagcharge is basically the top Mentor who reports directly to the Captain and shares the status of training in the entire Colony-it helps that the Captain is also his mate. This group of five has an interesting dynamic with each other and can sometimes be a bit clique-y as they all
get along and view each other highly. They hold daily meetings at sunset to communicate about training techniques and new-claws that are struggling. They are a united force in Oak Colony.
They were joined by Snowfeather, who spotted her own new-claw, Moon, trying to sneak away after Wrensong on her way to the Cliff Gardens. There was no doubt Moon would be an Herbalist someday, as Snowfeather assured the young molly—but until that day, she had to learn to hunt and defend herself like every other ranger in the colony.
"Did you hear that argument when the patrol brought Birchfrost back?"
"Yeah- saw it too. Head hunter or not, Meadowblaze hasn't changed a bit in all of these moons."
"That really what you took away from it? If anyone said that sort of thing to me, I'd give them what for!"
Credit: Art Credit to Yuki; Stagcharge design belongs to Yuki; Meadowblaze design belongs to Lake.
"I don't want to hear a damn WORD from you! You and your cursed namesake who did nothing to help us!-"
"-Usually when you do that, you ignore them into oblivion, but leaving them to die is low, even for you.”
At the end of a day already drenched in grief and blood, the recounting of the encounter with the Rotbeast goes sideways when tempers flare between two estranged littermates. Meadowblaze (Head Hunter of BoarClan) was one of the four cats chosen to come with Ashclaw to try and rescue Birchfrost and their escorts. The fight was harrowing, with almost no-one leaving unscathed and new discoveries brewing. But in the end, they failed to save the life of their Cleric, who bled out and delivered a prophecy before passing. Stagcharge (Member of the Leader's Guard of BoarClan), among the remaining cats in BoarClan who were tasked to guard camp, fiercely believes he could've done something to change the outcome if he'd been chosen to go. He marches up to the returning patrol, cutting into their conversation with sorrow and accusation, and Meadowblaze reacts explosively.
Both littermates — friends with Birchfrost before they died — are deeply affected by the death of their clanmate, and the two nearly come to blows before they're interrupted- but it does nothing to quash the growing animosity between these two, and the weight of loss that settles in both of their hearts.
Interested in finding out more about Stagcharge and Meadowblaze? More information on the Wildrest's upcoming opening can be found here.
The Oak Colony Mentors have a certain hierarchy about them, with those who have mentored longer being higher “ranking.” They teach young new-claws during their field training and supervise the Rangers who are given new-claws to train; training the trainers. They work as a unit to make sure that young cats have their footing on the cliffs, learn the best ways to hunt in the territory and fight effectively.
Stagcharge is basically the top Mentor who reports directly to the Captain and shares the status of training in the entire Colony; it helps that the Captain is also his mate. Stagcharge is a generally stoic and measured individual with a hard head and a bit of stubbornness, though he can be warm and caring toward young cats, making him a good teacher.
Stonestep can be cold and sharp. Many Rangers prefer to be supervised by Stagcharge or Tornleg over Stonestep because of her spicy attitude and conniving nature, she is the strictest mentor and the most skilled, having trained more cats than any other Ranger in Oak Colony. Stonestep is rarely impressed and has few friends because she views herself as above most others. Many find it quite odd that Redleaf is her mate as he is so chipper and kind.
Tornleg is the mentor all the new-claws want as their teacher. He is wise and calm, kind and fair. His past experiences have taught him many things that help him relate to young cats, he views his own mistakes as his best teaching tools, using his disability and the story of his injury as examples for trainees. He can be quiet and somber at times, but always brightens up while training a new-claw.
Rowanstorm is close to completing his training as a Mentor, but actually has yet to actually teach a new-claw! He knows he is ready though, he takes pride in his colony and loves the idea of training the next set of Rangers. He is extremely good-natured and accommodating to the point that he tends not to share his feelings so that no one is inconvenienced. His bright attitude and kindness will make him a great Mentor.
Snowfeather is in training to become a Mentor and spends a lot of time with Stonestep. She is one of the cats that Stonestep actually likes due to the fact that she was Stonestep’s new-claw as she struggled through ranger training. In fact, Stonestep calls Snowfeather “Oak Colony’s Gem!” because of how Snowfeather was able to impress her by bringing back a tourmaline crystal during her Sundown Challenge, a difficult and rare feat. Snowfeather can be unsure of herself at times, but she feels that this will help her gain insight into any new-claws who struggle with confidence themselves. From unbound to Mentor, Snowfeather is truly an Oak Colony success story.
This group of five has an interesting dynamic with each other and can sometimes be a bit cliquey as they all get along and view each other highly. They hold daily meetings at sunset to communicate about training techniques and new-claws that are struggling. They are a united force in Oak Colony.
