Post by shrikestar on Dec 19, 2013 21:22:51 GMT -6
R I V E R C L A N
HE SAID GOD ONLY HELPS THOSE WHO LEARN TO HELP THEMSELVES.
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anyone who steals this template will be reported.
HE SAID GOD ONLY HELPS THOSE WHO LEARN TO HELP THEMSELVES.
personality
↑ dignified
Strikestar is a cat that considers himself of a very honorable spirit. Whether or not he truly is what he believes himself to be is up to those around him, but in his own opinion he has a very regal nature and calm personality that exudes confidence and skill. Even in the most tumultuous of circumstances Shrikestar has the ability to keep calm and dignified at all times, meant to both comfort his clan by having a strong, fearless figure to look up to and a face devoid of secrets for rival clans to see. He wants every cat to look upon him and feel respect, and so he behaves in a manner that he believes is worthy of that. It has the downside of making him appear colder than he intends to, but Shrikestar is not entirely bothered by that: he believes that is better to be feared than loved, respected than considered a casual friend. ↑ practical
There is never a more practical cat than Shrikestar. He doesn’t care to sit about talking plans and theories; this cat wants to get the job done, and he works with efficiency. If there is a problem with his Clan, he will set a plan into action immediately, sometimes without even considering the ramifications. Whether the result is positive or negative Shrikestar believes that taking action is the best way to ensure his Clan’s survival instead of sitting in his den mulling over all the ways he could fail and causing a panic for himself and others. Shrikestar wants his Clan and rival Clans to know that he will never sit idly by if something is expected of him: he will solve a dispute as soon as it is presented to him, and work hard to keep the peace for his warriors.- enigmatic
Some cats can be read like they are the earth. Their vast, barren plains and dense, lush forests, muddy swamps and rocky crags are no mystery to the eye. They may be beautiful in their own form, or perhaps cruel and savage like the span of a desert, but they cannot hide their own appearance from the world. Shrikestar is more like the stars, a senseless pattern to the naked eye that needs diagrams and history and secrets to reveal its hundreds of beautiful, complex constellations. He is a cat that keeps more than he gives, and even the cats that have known him all his life may know his past, but not his mind. From friends and family and mates he has kept it all hidden, and while it may serve him well in correspondence with enemy leaders it does little to endear him as a friend to his Clanmates.- stern
Sympathy is not a word that Shrikestar knows well. He is made of stone and ice, unmoved by pleas for mercy and gentleness. As a young cat he learned that mercy earned nothing but insolence from those you spared, and so his demeanor at times is rather ruthless. A cat that breaks the rules will expect a stiff punishment, aimed to deter them from misbehaving again. A leader has no time for petty games with his subordinates and he expects them all to be well behaved and mature, even the younger cats still bright-eyed with naivety. His demand is simple: obey him and be useful, and he will reward you with respect and even sometimes friendliness. But make a fool of him or the Clan and act insolent and a swift, forceful end to such behavior is ensured. ↓ cruel
Of fatal flaws Shrikestar has his own fair share, and cruelty is one of them. His sternness has a sharp edge, a blade no cat wants to balance on. There are times that Shrikestar takes pleasure in exacting his power over lesser cats, and in these times he can be heavy-pawed with his rulings. In battle he is formidable even when calm, but the feel of blood and torn fur beneath his claws can very well drive him mad. Blood-mouthed, his father had called it; a barely-reined cruelty that could very well drive a cat to evil. Shrikestar is not quite so savage as to attack without provocation, to kill without meaning, but if one were to cross him on the wrong side of the battlefield, they could never be too sure they’d come free with throat and belly intact. ↓ narcissistic
The final most obvious trait of Shrikestar is his narcissism; he is rather smitten with himself and his abilities, often completely denying any negative traits he may possess. Only fools humble themselves, he believes, when many a cat is out there to humble them. It is his pride in his abilities that makes him fearless, but also unbearable due to his own selfish arrogance. He is vain enough to consider himself the greatest leader that RiverClan has ever had, better still than any of the other leaders in the new territory, and to deny it draws amusement and irritation from him. Shrikestar tends to exalt himself over other cats, going as far as to demean and patronize them, particularly at gatherings when he’s juxtaposed against other leaders. To be frank, he often despises cats from other Clans for the fact that they do not recognize his abilities.history
Shrikestar’s birth was a meager affair, a normal birthing in the middle of newleaf to an older queen named Robinfoot and her long-time mate, Sloepelt. He was the first of three kits, born alongside Otterkit and Ripplekit, a tom and a she-kit. Shrikekit was rather distinctive from his brown and grey siblings, for he bore bright white markings against a pelt that looked like ripples of smoke against a night sky. He was named Shrike for his resemblance to that small, yet fearsome bird of prey – little did his parents know, that name would suit him well in later seasons of his life. As a kit, however, he showed no real distinction from his siblings, except for being a bit more standoffish, more independent than the rest. There was little concern about how the kits might grow: their early-year births would promise many moons of plentiful prey, and their parents, though past their prime, were a good match of two skilled and loyal warriors.
Shrikekit came to be apprenticed to a tom named Rookstorm, a young warrior of great repute and greater ego. Shrikepaw showed himself to be a skilled fighter and fair fisher, but more notably prone to extreme bouts of self-flattery, which Rookclaw encouraged. The young tom believed that a cat with a good self-opinion was able to hold more ambition and pride than meeker cats too unwilling to show themselves as distinct from their fellows. Coming from a self-absorbed cat himself, this advice was hardly impressive, but as young cats do, Shrikepaw soaked up the lessons like plants soak up much-needed rain. And so the tom was set on the path of vanity, but also of incredible strength and skill on the battlefield and precision in the water. After a successful six moons of training, Shrikepaw was raised to warrior status and gifted the name Shrikeclaw, for his abilities in combat and deftness with his paws.
Shrikeclaw’s warriorhood began in a very nondescript nature and continued that way until he found his first mate, Dawnwhisker. She was a pleasant cat to be around, and had become rather enamored by the powerful, proud, handsome creature that was young Shrikeclaw. She tried for several moons to attract his attention and it was a while before he noticed, but once he did, he was far from disappointed. She had a fiery personality and was not bad on the eyes, either, her pelt a lovely golden orange, eyes a shimmering green. It was not long after he took notice of her that there was talk of kits about the clan, and surely enough, within a few moons she was moving to the nursery. She bore the tom three kits, one of whom he was particularly fond of: Fallowkit, a dainty yellow tabby she-cat with a dear love for her father.
At the time that Dawnwhisker gave birth, however, Shrikeclaw was given Doepaw for an apprentice. He found the shy brown she-cat to be a chore to train and focused much of his attention on her, often neglecting his kits and mate. This angered Dawnwhisker and led them to frequent quarreling, but aside from inflaming him at her daring to insult him he seemed unconcerned about the degrading of their relationship. There was no remorse to be seen with the tom when they separated as soon as their kits reached apprenticeship; not long after, Doepaw was raised to Doestep, and Shrikeclaw’s ability to overcome her timidity and turn her into a clever warrior earned him praise from Spottedstar and the senior warriors.
It was three seasons later that greencough ravaged the RiverClan camp. Times had been peaceful for many seasons for RiverClan, and illness was long overdue: it savaged the dens like a rabid fox, bringing down elders and slaughtering the young. Spottedstar lost a life, and Dawnwhisker was one of the first warriors to succumb, but the most staggering loss was that of Icebreeze, the well-loved deputy of the Clan. Grief was rampant among every cat, and the decision to replace her was a difficult one. Spottedstar announced that moonhigh that Shrikeclaw was to be the new deputy, much to the surprise and delight of his Clanmates. He was not a senior warrior, but he had proved himself to be worthy of the role and had become popular with his fellows. His daughter, now Fallowfern, was his strongest supporter. Not long after Spottedstar lost her final life in a battle with WindClan, resulting in Shrikeclaw receiving his nine lives far before anyone ever expected.
The burden of leadership was rough on Shrikestar at first, but he settled in well, certain that he would be the cat to steer RiverClan to prosperity no matter the problems it faced. This was not put to the test until cats started dying, apparently poisoned by prey and herbs that seared their bellies and stilled their hearts. At first Shrikestar sent his cats foraging further and further away from camp, certain that it was merely a strain of illness poisoning local flora and fauna as RiverClan had seen in the past. But no matter what was brought back or where it was found, cats would die in droves from an illness that herbs only seemed to accelerate. The severity of the situation did not hit Shrikestar until Fallowfern was among the dead waiting for burial, and his grief over her loss drove him to realize that his Clan needed a solution.
Leaving the territory that had sustained his Clan for seasons was a hard decision to make, but he forced himself to make it. The journey was grueling and many cats succumbed to the elements, but now that they are in their new territory, RiverClan has begun to again prosper. Shrikestar has no worry about whether this is the place where his ancestors wish for his Clan to be: no matter where they are, he is the leader vowed to guide them to prosperity, and he does not need StarClan’s guidance to do that.
After all, he was chosen for a reason.
Shrikekit came to be apprenticed to a tom named Rookstorm, a young warrior of great repute and greater ego. Shrikepaw showed himself to be a skilled fighter and fair fisher, but more notably prone to extreme bouts of self-flattery, which Rookclaw encouraged. The young tom believed that a cat with a good self-opinion was able to hold more ambition and pride than meeker cats too unwilling to show themselves as distinct from their fellows. Coming from a self-absorbed cat himself, this advice was hardly impressive, but as young cats do, Shrikepaw soaked up the lessons like plants soak up much-needed rain. And so the tom was set on the path of vanity, but also of incredible strength and skill on the battlefield and precision in the water. After a successful six moons of training, Shrikepaw was raised to warrior status and gifted the name Shrikeclaw, for his abilities in combat and deftness with his paws.
Shrikeclaw’s warriorhood began in a very nondescript nature and continued that way until he found his first mate, Dawnwhisker. She was a pleasant cat to be around, and had become rather enamored by the powerful, proud, handsome creature that was young Shrikeclaw. She tried for several moons to attract his attention and it was a while before he noticed, but once he did, he was far from disappointed. She had a fiery personality and was not bad on the eyes, either, her pelt a lovely golden orange, eyes a shimmering green. It was not long after he took notice of her that there was talk of kits about the clan, and surely enough, within a few moons she was moving to the nursery. She bore the tom three kits, one of whom he was particularly fond of: Fallowkit, a dainty yellow tabby she-cat with a dear love for her father.
At the time that Dawnwhisker gave birth, however, Shrikeclaw was given Doepaw for an apprentice. He found the shy brown she-cat to be a chore to train and focused much of his attention on her, often neglecting his kits and mate. This angered Dawnwhisker and led them to frequent quarreling, but aside from inflaming him at her daring to insult him he seemed unconcerned about the degrading of their relationship. There was no remorse to be seen with the tom when they separated as soon as their kits reached apprenticeship; not long after, Doepaw was raised to Doestep, and Shrikeclaw’s ability to overcome her timidity and turn her into a clever warrior earned him praise from Spottedstar and the senior warriors.
It was three seasons later that greencough ravaged the RiverClan camp. Times had been peaceful for many seasons for RiverClan, and illness was long overdue: it savaged the dens like a rabid fox, bringing down elders and slaughtering the young. Spottedstar lost a life, and Dawnwhisker was one of the first warriors to succumb, but the most staggering loss was that of Icebreeze, the well-loved deputy of the Clan. Grief was rampant among every cat, and the decision to replace her was a difficult one. Spottedstar announced that moonhigh that Shrikeclaw was to be the new deputy, much to the surprise and delight of his Clanmates. He was not a senior warrior, but he had proved himself to be worthy of the role and had become popular with his fellows. His daughter, now Fallowfern, was his strongest supporter. Not long after Spottedstar lost her final life in a battle with WindClan, resulting in Shrikeclaw receiving his nine lives far before anyone ever expected.
The burden of leadership was rough on Shrikestar at first, but he settled in well, certain that he would be the cat to steer RiverClan to prosperity no matter the problems it faced. This was not put to the test until cats started dying, apparently poisoned by prey and herbs that seared their bellies and stilled their hearts. At first Shrikestar sent his cats foraging further and further away from camp, certain that it was merely a strain of illness poisoning local flora and fauna as RiverClan had seen in the past. But no matter what was brought back or where it was found, cats would die in droves from an illness that herbs only seemed to accelerate. The severity of the situation did not hit Shrikestar until Fallowfern was among the dead waiting for burial, and his grief over her loss drove him to realize that his Clan needed a solution.
Leaving the territory that had sustained his Clan for seasons was a hard decision to make, but he forced himself to make it. The journey was grueling and many cats succumbed to the elements, but now that they are in their new territory, RiverClan has begun to again prosper. Shrikestar has no worry about whether this is the place where his ancestors wish for his Clan to be: no matter where they are, he is the leader vowed to guide them to prosperity, and he does not need StarClan’s guidance to do that.
After all, he was chosen for a reason.
this layout was made by specklized for fidelis strictly.
anyone who steals this template will be reported.
