Travellerclan: An introduction
Say hello to Travellerclan! A small but up and coming clan with many high hopes for the future. If there is a future.
(I drew Riftstar and Alderspeckle in a time when I was a bit happier with my art style which is why they are of better quality and why I spent more time on them. So apologies if my style changes here and there as the story goes on.)
I will try to draw updates every 12 or so moons but if anything major goes down I will make small updates rather than large bulk ones.
With that being said this is more of a fun little passion project so there will be times where I cant update for a while, so please be patient.
...
Travellerclan, formerly only consisting of a group of four clan-born cats looking for new territory hence the name, lives by the seashore in the remains of a broken down ship. Besides the original four, the rest of the founders consist of five loners and one stray.
Before Travellerclan there were three clans, all sharing the same forest, with plentiful prey and enough land to go around the clans remained happy for many moons. Until it all changed.
After so many moons of easy winters and bountiful springs the clans had grown larger and greedier, taking more than they needed until it all came crashing down in a particularly harsh freeze. Suddenly there wasn't enough land to go around leading to many battles and wars being called upon every other moon, the clans were beginning to implode. And to add to the chaos many cats started disappearing or turning up dead with the smell of two-legs and dogs on their fur.
Alderspeckle, formerly a simple warrior of _clan, decided to take matters into her own paws after receiving omens of the clan's downfall. Coming up with a plan she was sure would benefit all three clans. One full moon, when the clans warily decided to put their quarrels aside to meet under the great tree, Alderspeckle made her move before the glaring eyes of the many gathered cats.
She proclaimed that the only way to save the clans from certain doom, would be to get a large willing group of cats from all three clans to travel far away in search of unclaimed territories in order to lower the number of cats in the forest.The clans did not react well to this idea, she was chased out of the gathering with her embarrassed and outraged leader loudly proclaiming that she was no longer be welcomed in her old home.
Heartbroken and defeated, Alderspeckle told anyone who would listen that she would wait till sunhigh of the next day by the stone-turned forest for anyone else who would join her in her travels.
In the end only three cats joined her. Fernbite, a senior warrior from her old clan. Simply stating that the hierarchy of the clan had become so unbalanced the weaker and older cats seemed to be slowly getting pushed to the edges of the camp, getting less and less food as the moons went on in favor of the younger stronger cats.
Fallentuft of _clan, a warrior considered to be extremely loyal and a runner up for the role of deputy. His reason was that he agreed with Alderspeckles statement, the only way to save the clan would be to lower their numbers. So making the ultimate sacrifice he decided to leave of his own accord.
Finally Elmfur, a medicine cat of _clan who joined out of pure care and worry for any cats that might decide to set out into the unknown. She stated that they would need a medicine cat wherever it was they were going and she was willing to leave her clan to care for her new unlikely companions.
And so they set out on a long journey looking for a new place to call home.
...
I will continue to add on to the backstory with every update + character descriptions since the story is getting a bit long.
...
Below I will post each individual cat with a description of them as a character. (These may change as the story goes on)
Riftstar!
Riftstar, formerly known as Rift, was a loner before he came across Alderspeckle’s group and decided to originally join them as their unofficial guide. After leading them through many dangers that dwelled in his birthland, he finally found them a more permanent home in the abandoned shipwreck (Next to the fractured sea). On their journey there Rift had managed to recruit a stray, who he had previously seen wandering around the area scavenging for food, as well as a couple of kits, who had been dumped by two-legs only surviving that long thanks to an older kit who had been taught in the ways of the loner.
Throughout the journey Rift had proven to the clanborn companions that he had all the necessary qualities of a great leader. So after talking it over with the others, Altherspeckle finally approached him with the proposition. Feeling touched by their trust in him, Rift graciously accepted the role of leadership, taking Alderspeckle as his trusted deputy to help him lead the small clan into a new dawn.
Riftstar is a very outgoing and friendly cat who tries to connect with those around him. Despite his apparent lack of aggression, he more than makes up for it with cleverness, being able to snake his way out of most conflicts with little injury or casualties. While most loners turned leaders would have struggled with the task, it's like he was born for it going around with such confidence you could swear it would be bursting out of his body if he got any more compliments.
Alderspeckle!
Alderspeckle, formerly a warrior of _clan, found herself chased out of her home by both her clanmates and the situation that befell the clans. Joined by three others that saw the wisdom of her words they set out to look for a new home where they could hopefully start anew, far away from the troubles of the olden forest. After enduring so much they were finally able to find a place to call home thanks to an unlikely friend they met along the way, Rift. Despite it all, Alderspeckled managed to keep the group together, earning their respect as a noble warrior that put others' interest above her own. With all that in mind the newly appointed Riftstar appointed her as his second in command, hoping that with her help they will both be able to build a clan better than the one she left behind.
Alderspeckle is a thoughtful cat that tends to put others before her, sometimes to an unhealthy extent. Despite her going down the path of becoming a warrior, Alderspeckle was born particularly sensitive to the presence of those who have long left the living, giving her a unique ability to sense omens of the future that others can't otherwise see. Knowing that not everyone will look upon her with kind eyes if her particular gift were to come out, Alderspeckle has decided to keep abilities a secret for the time being.
Elmfur!
Before setting out on the journey that would change the course of her life forever, Elmfur was a revered medicine cat of _clan. Praised for her charisma and care for others, Elmfur was on her way to becoming head medicine cat of the clan after her mentor finally decided to retire. However even with her success within the clan she was not blind to the troubles that riddled her clanmates on the daily.
Every moon there seemed to be at least one casualty, whether it be from lack of food or the constant battles, she was beginning to fall into a deep sadness, the feeling of helplessness slowly becoming a constant theme in her life.
So when the opportunity to potentially fix it all presented itself in the form of Alderspeckle’s plan, Elmfur decided right then and there that she would devote her healing abilities towards the group of cats, who like her, where willing to leave their home in order to save their loved ones from certain doom. She became Alderspeckle’s biggest supporter, backing her up whenever she saw others attempting to put her ideas down. While she hasn't outright confronted Alderspeckle, she knows there is more to her than meets the eye. Elmfur can sense a strong starclan presence around Alderspeckle but she won't push her to say anything unless she comes to her first.
Elmfur is a highly likable cat, seemingly making friends with any and all cats that cross her path. While she never had a particularly strong connection to Starclan outside of half-moon visits to the ‘weeping river’ back at her old home. It never really presented itself as a problem since medicine cats usually divided themselves according to their abilities, with her leaning more towards healing. However now that she is far from the comforts of home as well as the sole medicine cat of Travellerclan she fears that her healing abilities might not be good enough for the growing clan.
Fallentuft!
Before his life in Travellerclan, Fallentuft was a loyal warrior of _clan. Having worked his way up the ranks of his previous leaders' favor. Gaining the respect of cats of all three clans as well as a reputation for being a fierce warrior in battle, with many outright avoiding him if it ever came down to a fight.
Unbeknownst to all his close friends and family, Fallentuft was beginning to crack under the pressure of his struggling clan.
As a descendant of a long line of respected leaders and warriors, he felt it necessary to live up to his clan's expectations. Which led to a lot of burnout and feelings of deep seated resentment towards all those who heavily relied on his accomplishments as a warrior. All of this led to his current situation, leaving his original clan with the pretense of a personal sacrifice for the good of the clan, when in all reality he saw it as an escape from the judgmental eyes of his over-reliant clanmates. Hoping to perhaps start his own legacy far away from the one he was born into.
Fallentuft is a quiet cat who prefers to keep to himself, only ever interacting with others if he feels like it's necessary to his daily routine. While many of his new clanmates seem wary of him, this doesn't seem to bother him at all. In fact he is happy to for once have a say on how his clan views him as an individual. He is a hard worker and despite previous negative feelings about others' reliance on him, he is slowly learning to allow himself to rely on others just as much as they may rely on him.
Fernbite!
Fernbite was the first cat to join Alderspeckle at the stone-turned forest, as well as the only other _clan cat to set out on the journey apart from her. As a warrior of _clan he had never been particularly respected by his clan mates due to his general lack in fighting abilities. However he made up for that with his larger size, dwarfing a majority of cats while looking intimidating to others who didn't know he was all bark and no bite. Despite his size and lack in certain important warrior abilities, he is an excellent hunter, specializing in larger prey with his best catch as of present time being a large owl that he caught by surprise as it hunted its own prey.
He decided to leave _clan due to a power gap that seemed to be growing between the younger and the older members of the clan. Unlike when he was a kit, senior warriors and elders were not getting any respect or appreciation. When it came to rationing, the younger stronger cats got the bigger rations while older or weaker cats had to fight over scraps. Even the medicine cats had started to focus more of their resources on cats they believed could still be useful to the clan. Meanwhile their leader, while never outright setting these rules, would watch on in seeming quiet support of the new unofficial rankings placed within the clan.
Fernbite is an ambitious cat who always strives to earn his clanmates respect, and due to his past he no longer cares if it's earned through fear. He is constantly looking for new things to complain about, and likes to point out others shortcomings if it means bringing them down to his level. Despite all his faults he has mellowed out during his time in the newly settled Travellerclan, the traumas of his past slowly loosing their tight grips on him. Maybe with more time he will allow himself to form bonds within his new clan.
(While in the old forest there were rumors amongst the clan that he was part wild cat -Lynx-, but in reality he gets his larger size from his great-great grandfather who was a Maine Coon)
Riverpaw!
Formerly known as a stray called Lucy, Riverpaw was dumped by her owners after an unexplained move. Oblivious to her situation, poor Lucy simply thought they had accidentally forgotten her so she decided to surprise her up-walkers by finding her own way home. However when she finally made it home after many days of travel she found it cold and empty, no sign of where her precious up-walkers had gone. Still Lucy held out hope, thinking that they had been stolen and made it her mission to rescue them and bring them home. So off she went on a journey with no real plan, scavenging for food wherever she could and sleeping out in the open with no knowledge of the dangers of the night. That is how Rift found her, malnourished and weakened after many moons of little to no proper food. Taking pity on the young cat, he invited her to join him and his friends with the promise of food and shelter.
The more time she spent with the traveling group, the less she wished to return to her solitary journey. She learned how to hunt and fend for herself, gaining confidence she never had as a kittypet. However feeling restless and hoping to gain some form of closure, Lucy momentarily parted from the group to travel back to her old home on one last personal mission. When she finally got there she saw what appeared to be a new family living there, and she had a momentary moment of doubt. She could choose to stay with these new up walkers, or she could go back to her friends with the uncertainty that came with having no real home. However, just as she was about to step in through an open window, she realized that home isn't a place, home is where her loved ones are.
Burying her collar as a last goodbye to her old life, Lucy tracked down her friends to their new permanent home. She became the apprentice of the newly appointed leader Riftstar and took on the name of Riverpaw, in honor of her love for water and its ability to adapt and overcome even the toughest terrains.
Riverpaw is a bold cat who isn't afraid to step up to any task presented to her. She has much to prove, whether it be to herself or her clanmates, she strives to be a good warrior of Travellerclan and hopes to one day go down in legends for generations to come. Due to her past she has general separation anxiety and abandonment issues, she tends to form unhealthy bonds that can become very clingy very fast. She has some issues to work out but the general love and support of her clanmates is a good start towards her recovery.
Ferretkit!
Ferretkit, originally simply known as Ferret, was born to a loner called Jess. She was the lone survivor of a litter of three including herself, causing her mother to spiral into a deep depression. Which in turn led her to give Ferret only minimal care enough for her to survive, but not enough for her to thrive. This forced Ferret to mature and adapt to her living conditions at a very young age, which in turn made her very distrusting of the world around her.
She had only just turned four moons old when her mother stopped showing up at the den, truly leaving her to fend for herself. Even despite her having already learned how to hunt, she still struggled to keep herself fed. With her having to avoid larger predators such as owls, and foxes, and only ever catching the odd bird or mouse. Things were not looking good for her, especially once the cruel clutches of winter arrived.
One day when she had wandered too close to the thunderpath she came across three kits that had been cruelly discarded at the side of the path. Feeling pity towards their similar situations, Ferret herded the kits away from the path and towards her den, not stopping to consider the great responsibility she had just placed upon herself. In the few days she cared for them before they all joined the traveling group of cats, she would leave most of her catches for them. Taking time to chew the meat in order for the younger kits to more easily digest it. When the travelers found them, she had been dragging the remains of a half eaten rabbit back to her den.
At first she spat and fought, trying to chase away the much larger cats not willing to let them discover her vulnerable companions. However after much gentle talk and reasoning, she finally gave in and led the way to her den where cats gathered up the kits and took all four of them back to the recently established camp. Despite her strong urges to run away back to her den, Ferret was unwilling to leave her three companions behind with strange cats, and so she officially joined Travellerclan as Ferretkit, if only to keep her friends safe and properly cared for.
Ferretkit is a quiet cat that only speaks when spoken to, while initially worried her clanmates soon learned that she simply chose not to speak when she didn't feel it necessary. Even though she agreed to join the clan, she still feels out of place and doesn't particularly like living amongst so many cats. Due to her mothers actions, she seems to believe that all cats must set out on their own once they reach a certain age. At the end of the day, even if her actions and words say otherwise, she truly hopes to someday fit in with the rest of the clan.
Bloomkit!
Bloomkit was one of three kits who were dumped on the side of the road after her up-walkers were unable to get rid of her.
Despite being the same age and having been dumped by the same up-walkers, Bloomkit is not related to the other two kits. She, like the other two, was born in a farm that houses multiple cats of many breeds for the purpose of selling them. She came from a litter of 5, all of which were either sold or given away except for her.
Unwilling to keep any unwanted kits for more than a month, the up-walkers took her and the two others to a deserted road where they then dumped them on the side before driving away. If it hadn't been for Ferret they all would have perished that day. She took them in and cared for them until they were taken in by the traveling cats where they were later officially introduced into Travellerclan. She was given the name Bloomkit, for despite the hardships she has endured she will bloom into a strong and beautiful cat when her time comes.
Bloomkit is a shy cat who prefers to keep to herself. She enjoys the company of birds and the chatter they bring with them.
(Bloomkit is a American shorthair mix)
Oakkit was one of three kits who were dumped on the side of the road after her up-walkers were unable to get rid of her.
She is the runt of a litter of 7 kits, hence she was born weaker than her siblings. Because of this she wasn't even given a chance at a proper life and placed with the unwanted kittens. Despite these shortcomings, Oakkit is extremely intelligent, being able to memorize her surroundings within minutes. It only took her a few days to start causing trouble in Travellerclan when she would find secret exits that the other cats didn't even know existed. Even though there is more than one cat that would love to cuff her over the ears, she has managed to gain the adoration of her clanmates with a simple tilt of her head and bat of her eyes.
Oak kit is an impulsive cat that tends to act first and deal with the consequences later, despite her intelligence. She enjoys getting up to mischief alongside her best friend Butterflykit.
(Oakkit is a Egyptian mau mix)
Butterflykit!
Butterflykit was one of three kits who were dumped on the side of the road after his up-walkers were unable to get rid of him.
Butterflykit came from a litter of 5, and similarly to Bloomkit, he was dumped after the up-walkers were not able to sell him within a month.
Despite his troubles, he was the one who stepped in front of the other two when they first met Ferret, making himself a target in order to give the others a chance to run away. In the few days that they lived alone, depending on Ferret for food and protection, Butterflykit was quiet and mostly kept to the shadows. However once they were within the safety and security of a clan, he became fast friends with Oakkit who is as troublemaking as he is.
Butterflykit is an impulsive cat who will follow his friends into danger if the chance ever presents itself. If there is ever a fire in the camp, Butterflykit most likely caused it.
(Butterflykit is a Bengal)
If you couldn't already tell, the younger cats have a less developed backstory compared with the older cats. I have an explanation for that: I was getting a bit of writer's block. So their stories will definitely get more detailed with later updates.
Well that is all of Travellerclan so far, hopefully with the coming moons they are able to thrive as a clan.
May the odds be ever in their favor.