[ sequel to project SEA ]
>> we can run forever, if forever's what's in stall...
Most would say it is impossible to survive in the badlands - very little water, food scarce, shelter non-existent.
But for WildClan, it is simply second na...
This roleplay follows WildClan - as you may have guessed, a desert/canyon dwelling Clan facing the harsh reality of heat and dehydration.
WildClan is in fact very wild - while they are regular cats, they have mainly brown or warm grey coats, strong shoulders and tough grey pads. Their fur is dense and thin, to both keep out insects and keep them cool. They have smaller paws [ with large surface area ] and thick claws, suited for climbing and running through sand.
WildClan themselves live at the bottom of a shallow canyon, the way in/out situated at one end via a series of rocks sticking out of the walls. A series of caves house the cats at one end of the canyon. A small creek [ the main source of water ] travels down the middle of the canyon, and ends in a small pool, where the medicine den is situated. This water draws predators, but is the cat's lifeblood.
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The territory is harsh, but functional. The canyon is surrounded by shrubbery and packs of tall trees. There's a very diverse gradient and lots of raised ground. Trails left by the cats and other animals run throughout the entire area. The ground cover ranges from bare rock to sand, and in some places thin shrubs. Nights are cold-mild, and days are either steaming hot or raining constantly.
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// PREY // The Clan hunts predominantly at night because of the heat. All prey is found at night as well as day unless specified / Mice / Field mice, commonly found in areas with small shrubbery or seed plants. / Squirrels / Found in the line trees or around larger seedy shrubs. / Bats / A night hunting prey, found in trees and small shrubs. Occasionally perched on the canyon walls. / Birds / Ranging from huge bride of prey that have to be caught in teams to small birds found in seed and tree areas. / Rabbits / Small grey fluffy creatures. They're everywhere. And they're adorable.
// PREDATORS // WildClan faces a huge number of threats, so they've adapted to avoid and fight them. / Snakes / Found in rocky outcrops and sometimes the canyon itself; incredibly deadly to smaller cats. / Mountain Lions / Death itself. Run. Just run. Found in rocky outcrops, and smaller canyons. / Bighorn Sheep / Watch the horns. Found everywhere. / Bison / Mounds of muscle and trampling potential. Found everywhere. / Deer / Watch the horns. Found in shaded areas. / Wolves/Coyotes / Death. Run. They prey on the lone. They will find you, and they will kill you.
// OTHER THREATS // / Heatstroke / Being out in the harsh sun for too long causes cats to become delirious, and faint. / Lightning / A terrible rush of electricity that often starts fires. / Getting lost / With the rain to wash away familiar scents, it's not uncommon for young cats to simply lose their way and ever return to the Clan. / Dehydration / The loss of water in the body. Causes cats to faint and eventually die. / Falling / Due to the high gradient of the ground, many inexperienced cats can fall and hurt themselves, becoming prey to dangerous animals nearby.
In addition to warriors, there's specialist or elite role skilled warriors can choose to take on. // Runners // These fast, lithe and thin warriors are incredibly agile and tactical. They function as the Clans elite hunters, chasing the fastest rabbits across the most open plains. More morbidly, they draw predators away from hunting groups. See a mountain lion? Send a Runner to distract it while you head back to the cave.
Cats become apprentices at 6 moons. You can't be apprenticed to a runner! They're too relied upon to be trailing around with an overactive youngin. To become a warrior, a group of apprentices must survive by themselves for four moon rises - shadowed of course, by senior warriors. Unless they are in grave danger they aren't aided.
WildClan has a strong connection with their ancestors. They have the sky above them constantly - thus they call their ancestors SkyClan, not StarClan. To speak with their ancestors, herb cats and leaders go to the highest point on a pillar in the canyon and drink from a small pool of rainwater there. If there's no water, it's not a good time for SkyClan so back off. This pillar is of course the Moonpillar.
The leader calls meetings from a rock jutting from the side of the Moonpillar, far below the top.
If you read this, write a herb in the other section of your form!
