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Eye of the Storm-- Clan of Storms ((Territory!))
Posted by Mockingstar,
31 January 2012
·
1,290 views
"Our darkest hours are bearing down upon us, and never has the monster bitten to close at our hindpaws..."
...Welcome to the Clan of Storms...
((A MOL and Mocking production. None of these pictures were taken by us, all credit goes to the websites we found them on.))
The Clan of Storms live along the West Coast of Canada, right on the fringes of BC. One side is protected by the Rockies. The rest is either wide open, forested, or made impassible by the ocean.
- - - -
The Beach
The beach leads off into the Pacific Ocean, and houses a colony of Sea Lions, as well as other prey birds that waddle along in the sand. It's not recommended you come here alone, or swim by yourself, or drink from it. Though hunting here is much harder due to the immensely powerful currents and waves, the fish you pull out will be larger than any river-dwelling kind. Off in the distance, the jutting tips of an island are visible. Many cats have tried to swim to it, though each try resulted in their bodies being found washed up on shore, if even found at all. Smooth brown sand and assorted rocks are lapped at by the salty ocean, which drops off into freezing, dark depths. While these depths teem with plant life and prey, they are also home to pods of Killer Whales, and the occasional lost shark. Despite the imminent threats, it's a very peaceful, calming place to be. Sunset washes the clouds with a soft lavender hue as long as the night is clear. Just be sure to keep your eye on the sky for eagles...
Sky River-- 'The Vein'
The Sky River- usually just referred to as the river or The Vein -marks the edge of the Clan of Storm's territory, where a piece of heavily forested land sticks out like a fang. Behind it, the mountains stand guard. The Sky River is extremely wide and lazy, not to mention icy cold. If it didn't have a small, narrow neck letting it connect with other rivers, than it would technically be classified as a lake. It's dyed a very breathtaking azure colour, resting in a 'bowl' of solid bedrock. Because it's completely pure with no debris besides sand and fish, you get the resulting stunning shade, like a shred of sky torn out by StarClan and placed on the ground. Trout, salmon, and water birds can be found here, as well as a wealth of small land creatures along the shore. It's good for hunting, cooling off, and swimming. When the Clan of Storms was first founded, they were weary of the Sky River. Such a place was rarely seen. Was it dangerous? Toxic? However, as time went on, they began to trust and see it for its true nature- a multi-purpose body of water protecting them from foreign intruders and providing them with all of the Newleaf to Leaffall things they needed. This is why it has also been referred to as 'The Vein' on several occasions, since it gives the Clan so much. As a result, the Sky River is defended
at all costs.
((By the way, the password is 'A storm is coming'))
The Forest
The forest, as typical of the Clan's area of BC, is comprised mostly of coniferous trees, such as pines, firs, cedars, and spruce. It's located just behind the Clan of Storm's camp, helping to separate them from the mountain bases and act as a natural barrier to deter threats. The occasional oak or maple may be mixed in, but it's mainly needle-leaves. The trees are immensely tall, with moss creeping up the sides and the foliage located mainly at the top. Because of this, sunlight streams in as beams. The ground is covered with assorted brackens, brambles, ferns, and bushes. The only safe way to navigate is to use narrow, cat-trodden paths, or deer trails webbing throughout the entire territory, or else risk an ambush. Due to the colder temperatures, most herbs here are either small and frail, or nonexistant. This can sometimes make the medicine cat's job very hard. But besides providing practically all of the Clan's land prey, owls, amongst other things, hide there. It makes prime stalking grounds for large predatory cats, wolves, bears, wolverines, fishers, snakes, and other things you don't want to mess with, although they rarely venture that close to the Clan. As long as you at least travel in pairs and keep on guard, you should be fine.
The Plains-- 'Sprintfields'
These magnificent, rolling grasslands are the final stretch- not to mention only open space free of trees -filling in the gap between the Clan of Storm's camp and the beach. Giant slivers of rock burst from the ground in clusters. They seem to form ramps. Apprentices like to use these as games, seeing who can launch themselves off and land the farthest away. This game has also resulted in many sprained paws.
Nevertheless, these Sprintfields are the only place the Clan cats are almost completely at risk. Since they are fast sprinters, but can't hold up for very long despite their superb endurance, they may fall prey to a whole manor of skybound raptors, or a lone wolf darting out to pick off a stray cat.
Even though they can be deadly, the Clan catches a large majority of their field mice here. Plus, it ends at an abrupt and soft ridge, where one may drop off to the beach below, leaving it as the only way to get there short of flying. Herds of wild horses, bison, and caribou stampede through here. All of these elements make it both vital to the Clan's survival, and at times, their worst enemy...
The Mountains
The mountains themselves are vastly huge, forming clustered ridges of jagged peaks and eyries that sever the Clanlands off from the rest of British Columbia. This example shows just one of the end rises. The bases are covered in a dense covering of forest. The forest is unlike the Clan of Storms'. It's darker, more compact, and so much more threatening. It provides prime living, hunting, and breeding territories for all of the Clan's worst enemies. Packs of wolves, cougars, lynx, bears, you name the threat, and it lives there. The tops of the mountains are entombed in glacial ice- the runoff of which melts into the clear lakes below. The more altitude you gain, the more prone you are to eagle attacks, or being kicked off by a herd of Mountain Goats. Each level of the mountains presents its own unique challenges and perks, but one thing they all have in common is a lack of air. If you ever make it to the top of one, you'll notice that breathing becomes a chore. Falling off them is certain death, and traveling to them is nothing better than that. Bottom line: if you plan on going there, you've either lost your mind and are merely searching for a creative way to commit suicide, or are going with the entire Clan for something of earth-shaking signifigance.
Dirt Road-- 'The Pinebreak'
This old, abandoned dirt road is what makes up the other border for the Clan of Storms. It's wider than it looks, and you can only tell this when up close. It is called The Pinebreak at times due to the fact that it slices the forest in half, dividing Clan territory from predator territory. No more Twoleg vehicles drive down it, though it was once abused by tires. In fact, most of the Clan cats have never seen a Twoleg or a Monster in their lives. Save for the occasional group of campers, or a lonely hiker, the path is always clear. If a Monster ever rumbles down, it's a once in a blue moon scenario that the Clan cats don't know how to deal with. The Pinebreak is starting to become overgrown, and is a hub for animals to move from one side of the forest to the other. However, should any prey animal venture into the Clan of Storm's territory, it's as good as gone. The cats aren't the only ones who need to eat.
The Mooncave-- Sharing tongues with StarClan
The yawning cave opening is located at the base of the mountains- meaning, the cats who wish to go their must trek through the forest for about a day and a night, maybe another half depending on how you travel. It doesn't look special from the outside. It could be anything. A bear den. Just a shallow hole. It's too dark to even peer in. But the air that billows out has a fresh, glacial-melt kind of scent, mixed with the tang of sweet herbs. This is what drew the original Clan of Storms to it. And it's where their StarClan resides. once you enter the cavern, it turns out to be much more spacious than it looked at a glance. You can suddenly see as light pours in from the entrance, a strange reverse effect. This light is just enough to illuminate a well-trodden, smooth stone path with herbs growing around the fringes, but nothing else. Do not step paw into the darkness. It's like a test to stay on StarClan's path of purity and good intentions. They say flitting into the shadowed portions of the cave turns you mad. At the end of the path, a speck of blinding light is visible. This is where you must go to share tongues with your ancestors.
The path ends with a rocky shelf. As you approach, the destination long ago reveals itself to be a shred of the Sky River, but the river part seems to have slowed to a complete stop. The near overpowering, distinctive scent of water-lilies is engulfing, though none of the plants are visible, and none can grow in such subzero temperatures. All you must do once reaching the end is lie on your belly, against the rock shelf, and stretch your neck down to touch your nose to the water. It's very cold. But the rocks are dry with an unlikely chance of slipping on algae, because no plants grow in these areas. StarClan can then speak to you. Falling into the water is considered a bad omen, because it means that for one reason or another, you could not connect with StarClan properly. On that note, drinking the water or swimming to this part of the Sky River is a serious offence that may result in you being demoted back to a 'paw. Strangely enough, no fish inhabit this portion of the Vein.
- - - -
Good luck, and make sure to keep your eye on the sky...stormclouds are rolling in...
...Welcome to the Clan of Storms...
((A MOL and Mocking production. None of these pictures were taken by us, all credit goes to the websites we found them on.))
The Clan of Storms live along the West Coast of Canada, right on the fringes of BC. One side is protected by the Rockies. The rest is either wide open, forested, or made impassible by the ocean.
- - - -
The Beach
The beach leads off into the Pacific Ocean, and houses a colony of Sea Lions, as well as other prey birds that waddle along in the sand. It's not recommended you come here alone, or swim by yourself, or drink from it. Though hunting here is much harder due to the immensely powerful currents and waves, the fish you pull out will be larger than any river-dwelling kind. Off in the distance, the jutting tips of an island are visible. Many cats have tried to swim to it, though each try resulted in their bodies being found washed up on shore, if even found at all. Smooth brown sand and assorted rocks are lapped at by the salty ocean, which drops off into freezing, dark depths. While these depths teem with plant life and prey, they are also home to pods of Killer Whales, and the occasional lost shark. Despite the imminent threats, it's a very peaceful, calming place to be. Sunset washes the clouds with a soft lavender hue as long as the night is clear. Just be sure to keep your eye on the sky for eagles...
Sky River-- 'The Vein'
The Sky River- usually just referred to as the river or The Vein -marks the edge of the Clan of Storm's territory, where a piece of heavily forested land sticks out like a fang. Behind it, the mountains stand guard. The Sky River is extremely wide and lazy, not to mention icy cold. If it didn't have a small, narrow neck letting it connect with other rivers, than it would technically be classified as a lake. It's dyed a very breathtaking azure colour, resting in a 'bowl' of solid bedrock. Because it's completely pure with no debris besides sand and fish, you get the resulting stunning shade, like a shred of sky torn out by StarClan and placed on the ground. Trout, salmon, and water birds can be found here, as well as a wealth of small land creatures along the shore. It's good for hunting, cooling off, and swimming. When the Clan of Storms was first founded, they were weary of the Sky River. Such a place was rarely seen. Was it dangerous? Toxic? However, as time went on, they began to trust and see it for its true nature- a multi-purpose body of water protecting them from foreign intruders and providing them with all of the Newleaf to Leaffall things they needed. This is why it has also been referred to as 'The Vein' on several occasions, since it gives the Clan so much. As a result, the Sky River is defended
at all costs.
((By the way, the password is 'A storm is coming'))
The Forest
The forest, as typical of the Clan's area of BC, is comprised mostly of coniferous trees, such as pines, firs, cedars, and spruce. It's located just behind the Clan of Storm's camp, helping to separate them from the mountain bases and act as a natural barrier to deter threats. The occasional oak or maple may be mixed in, but it's mainly needle-leaves. The trees are immensely tall, with moss creeping up the sides and the foliage located mainly at the top. Because of this, sunlight streams in as beams. The ground is covered with assorted brackens, brambles, ferns, and bushes. The only safe way to navigate is to use narrow, cat-trodden paths, or deer trails webbing throughout the entire territory, or else risk an ambush. Due to the colder temperatures, most herbs here are either small and frail, or nonexistant. This can sometimes make the medicine cat's job very hard. But besides providing practically all of the Clan's land prey, owls, amongst other things, hide there. It makes prime stalking grounds for large predatory cats, wolves, bears, wolverines, fishers, snakes, and other things you don't want to mess with, although they rarely venture that close to the Clan. As long as you at least travel in pairs and keep on guard, you should be fine.
The Plains-- 'Sprintfields'
These magnificent, rolling grasslands are the final stretch- not to mention only open space free of trees -filling in the gap between the Clan of Storm's camp and the beach. Giant slivers of rock burst from the ground in clusters. They seem to form ramps. Apprentices like to use these as games, seeing who can launch themselves off and land the farthest away. This game has also resulted in many sprained paws.
Nevertheless, these Sprintfields are the only place the Clan cats are almost completely at risk. Since they are fast sprinters, but can't hold up for very long despite their superb endurance, they may fall prey to a whole manor of skybound raptors, or a lone wolf darting out to pick off a stray cat.
Even though they can be deadly, the Clan catches a large majority of their field mice here. Plus, it ends at an abrupt and soft ridge, where one may drop off to the beach below, leaving it as the only way to get there short of flying. Herds of wild horses, bison, and caribou stampede through here. All of these elements make it both vital to the Clan's survival, and at times, their worst enemy...
The Mountains
The mountains themselves are vastly huge, forming clustered ridges of jagged peaks and eyries that sever the Clanlands off from the rest of British Columbia. This example shows just one of the end rises. The bases are covered in a dense covering of forest. The forest is unlike the Clan of Storms'. It's darker, more compact, and so much more threatening. It provides prime living, hunting, and breeding territories for all of the Clan's worst enemies. Packs of wolves, cougars, lynx, bears, you name the threat, and it lives there. The tops of the mountains are entombed in glacial ice- the runoff of which melts into the clear lakes below. The more altitude you gain, the more prone you are to eagle attacks, or being kicked off by a herd of Mountain Goats. Each level of the mountains presents its own unique challenges and perks, but one thing they all have in common is a lack of air. If you ever make it to the top of one, you'll notice that breathing becomes a chore. Falling off them is certain death, and traveling to them is nothing better than that. Bottom line: if you plan on going there, you've either lost your mind and are merely searching for a creative way to commit suicide, or are going with the entire Clan for something of earth-shaking signifigance.
Dirt Road-- 'The Pinebreak'
This old, abandoned dirt road is what makes up the other border for the Clan of Storms. It's wider than it looks, and you can only tell this when up close. It is called The Pinebreak at times due to the fact that it slices the forest in half, dividing Clan territory from predator territory. No more Twoleg vehicles drive down it, though it was once abused by tires. In fact, most of the Clan cats have never seen a Twoleg or a Monster in their lives. Save for the occasional group of campers, or a lonely hiker, the path is always clear. If a Monster ever rumbles down, it's a once in a blue moon scenario that the Clan cats don't know how to deal with. The Pinebreak is starting to become overgrown, and is a hub for animals to move from one side of the forest to the other. However, should any prey animal venture into the Clan of Storm's territory, it's as good as gone. The cats aren't the only ones who need to eat.
The Mooncave-- Sharing tongues with StarClan
The yawning cave opening is located at the base of the mountains- meaning, the cats who wish to go their must trek through the forest for about a day and a night, maybe another half depending on how you travel. It doesn't look special from the outside. It could be anything. A bear den. Just a shallow hole. It's too dark to even peer in. But the air that billows out has a fresh, glacial-melt kind of scent, mixed with the tang of sweet herbs. This is what drew the original Clan of Storms to it. And it's where their StarClan resides. once you enter the cavern, it turns out to be much more spacious than it looked at a glance. You can suddenly see as light pours in from the entrance, a strange reverse effect. This light is just enough to illuminate a well-trodden, smooth stone path with herbs growing around the fringes, but nothing else. Do not step paw into the darkness. It's like a test to stay on StarClan's path of purity and good intentions. They say flitting into the shadowed portions of the cave turns you mad. At the end of the path, a speck of blinding light is visible. This is where you must go to share tongues with your ancestors.
The path ends with a rocky shelf. As you approach, the destination long ago reveals itself to be a shred of the Sky River, but the river part seems to have slowed to a complete stop. The near overpowering, distinctive scent of water-lilies is engulfing, though none of the plants are visible, and none can grow in such subzero temperatures. All you must do once reaching the end is lie on your belly, against the rock shelf, and stretch your neck down to touch your nose to the water. It's very cold. But the rocks are dry with an unlikely chance of slipping on algae, because no plants grow in these areas. StarClan can then speak to you. Falling into the water is considered a bad omen, because it means that for one reason or another, you could not connect with StarClan properly. On that note, drinking the water or swimming to this part of the Sky River is a serious offence that may result in you being demoted back to a 'paw. Strangely enough, no fish inhabit this portion of the Vein.
- - - -
Good luck, and make sure to keep your eye on the sky...stormclouds are rolling in...
