Post by Mama Oak on May 17, 2013 22:27:12 GMT -5
basic identity •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Name: Name Reasoning: Elm- prefix used to represent browns; -whisker suffix used to represent exceptional tracking abilities; -star suffix given to all leaders Gender: Tom/Male/XY Age: 86 moons Position: Leader [1/9 Lives] Clan: ThunderClan capabilities •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Capability Stats:
Strengths: ➝ Level-headed ➝ Professional appeal ➝ Nimble, fast, & agile ➝ Able to think quickly in the face of danger ➝ Not easily upset or shocked ➝ Strategic, logical, & pragmatic ➝ Tracking, hunting, & stealth ➝ Mentoring & training ➝ Fiercely dedicated to his clan Weaknesses: ➝ Comes across as aloof & impassive ➝ Not immune to thoughts of treachery ➝ Vindictive/vengeful ➝ Can be pretentious & belittling ➝ Can struggle to be diplomatic ➝ Frequently insensitive ➝ Physical strength (he's brain, not brawn) ➝ Secretive ➝ Capable of being dark ➝ Though it doesn't surface often, a dangerous temper (that's too often readable in his bristling, static-y fur) Type # (Clan): ➝ A powerfully-charged bite, though his fangs have dulled slightly due to age ➝ Long, curved claws that protrude from his toes even when sheathed; very strong in both being able to support his insignificant weight when climbing and in electrical-potential ➝ Long and surprisingly-strong tail that can curl around branches and effortlessly support his weight ➝ Fur is sleek with shock-resistant secretion, and often crackles with small, static charges when he grows emotional ➝ Extra toe on each paw that provides easier climbing appearance ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••  Description: Elmstar is a lithe, wiry feline with a build of excellent speed and adequate strength. His frame is layered, admittedly, quite thinly with muscle, but not so that he appears feminine or incapable. He's well-shaped with long, slender legs and a lengthy, thin body. He holds himself with pride and grace, an appearance that's always well-groomed and demanding of respect (despite not being that impressive). He strives to appear professional and regal in manner; a talent at which he naturally succeeds. His pelt is predominately a dark tawny color, with an undercoat of paler gray-brown that mottles and brindles throughout his fur, most notably upon his chest, belly, and forelegs. Almost untouched by these lighter variations, Elmstar's face (perhaps beside his paws) was once the darkest region of his coat, which made for an attractively-stark contrast to his pale, yellow-green eyes. Now however, his face is mottled with the white dappling that signify his mounting age, perhaps drawing slightly from the piercing radiance of his calculating, champagne-colored orbs. A long, pink scar stretches down his left side, fur-less and incapable of being overlooked. He obtained the distinguishing mark from a battle-training session with his cruel and spiteful mentor, in which they fought ruthlessly and with claws unsheathed. Elmstar's fur itself is slightly longer and thinner than most, while also soft, sleek, and almost silky. While the older tom is far from vain and cares little about appearance (beyond the requirement of looking leader-like, of course), he does take pride in his looks and refuses to present himself in a crummy, grimy state. personality •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Personality: Through his long reign as leader, and even before in his warrior moons, Elmstar has distinctly marked himself as a harsh and strict leader. He demands the best from his clan and, while not to the extent of being cruel or abusive, he can be quite adamant when it comes to the discipline and upkeep of his warriors and apprentices. With a keen eye for picking out disobedience, he has a subtle way of reprimanding. For example, he's the type who would definitely notice a young apprentice getting mouthy and aggressive toward another during a Gathering ¡ª while he wouldn't confront this apprentice directly, even in the confines of camp, but said tom or she-cat would likely find themselves on dawn patrol every day for the following moon. Among warriors, Elmstar is known as a cat always expecting ridiculous amounts of work and constant improvement; he's never impressed and always scrutinous. Even when he is impressed, his recognition isn't always awarded in a way that it should. In his eyes, doing something well isn't something to gloat over because doing your best is expected. This isn't to say that he's ungrateful or dissatisfied though, for he is always quite content and proud of ThunderClan, even if it doesn't always show. Among apprentices, he's known as a hard-ass and is usually grumbled about and regarded with grudging disdain. Sometimes he struggles being diplomatic and his relations with the other clans can often be strained by his distant and unclear way of managing existing allegiances. He has a reputation for being secretive and... well, almost shady; never giving direct and straight-forward answers. His intentions are not easily read and often doubted. Unlike some leaders, Elmstar isn't the type to debunk the value and importance of the occasional act of treachery. An evil in the favor of his clan is one that he won't immediately refuse. Of course, he won't throw ThunderClan into controversy without first assessing their consent, but when it comes to doing what is best for his clan, sometimes general morality is disregarded. For an example, if a foreign, supreme power were to threaten the forest with war and Elmstar was asked to allegiance himself with them... he would likely be inclined to do so. Not out of a hunger for power or a desire for excessive violence, but simply because he would refuse to let ThunderClan be ripped to pieces by a force more powerful than the clans, no matter if it meant defying the warrior code. Elmstar is indeed capable of darkness and treachery, but only in the protection and health of his clan. Elmstar is also a very democratic leader. Before committing to a decision that would have notable impacts on ThunderClan, he usually consults with and holds discussions with his deputy and senior warriors. This isn't to say that he can not lead without the opinion of others though, because the experienced tom is more than capable of making his own decisions. He just prefers to draw the perspectives from other voices within the clans; not only is it a representation for those he speaks for, but also a way to measure the minds of his older warriors. By asking their opinions and hearing their thoughts he can assess their strategies and logic. Through moons of judging such conversation, when it comes to choosing a deputy, he knows very well which cat has the head to lead ThunderClan after him.[ Specific Moral Values: The clan above everything else. Treachery in the good of ThunderClan should never be easily dismissed. history •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Elmkit was born to two full-blooded ThunderClan warriors, Juniperfrost and Eagletalon. Both were well-aged and respected. Eagletalon was once a formidable warrior with his eye for leader and an almost-unquestioned candidate for the next deputy. Shortly before his second litter of kittens were born, however, Eagletalon was attacked and maimed by a predator. With a lame leg and his lost vision, the warrior's aspirations were struck and he was forced to become an elder. Elmkit's litter was a very tight-knit and supportive family, though even at a young age, Elmkit was the exception to this — he often went off on his own and kept, even his littermates, at a strange sort of distance. The only relationship he was noted for having was found in his sister, Goldenkit. When their sister, Sorrelkit died from greencough, the family was torn with grief. Only Elmkit seemed unaffected and was excluded from the mourning. At six moons, the kittens received their new names and began their training — Elmpaw, Morningpaw, and Mottledpaw as warrior apprentices and Goldenpaw as a medicine cat apprentice. Elmpaw's mentor was a relatively-young she-cat named Featherstep. She moved at a slower pace than Elmpaw desired, but she was a more-than-adequate teacher and Elmpaw was proud to be her apprentice. In his training, the young tom was extolled for his performance and talent. The only thing he came second in was battle-training, beneath his brother, Mottledpaw. It soon became apparent to Featherstep that her apprentice possessed a sort of dangerous, raw power; not only in his abilities, but in his mind and aspirations as well. He was aggressive and competitive and about the time that he started to draw blood on his littermates during sparring, did their training take a turn. Teaching him morals and guiding him upon the right path, Featherstep was successful in directing her apprentice's determination and universal strength into a fierce and unyielding dedication to his clan (something that would eventually be seen by Redstar in his warrior moons). On the day of their warrior assessment, Morningpaw was killed by a large beast of prey. Again their family mourned, and again Elmpaw excluded himself. The warrior ceremony was cloaked by a gloomy air of sorrow, and yet the young tom only felt joyful pride as he was given his full name, Elmwhisker. Very shortly afterward, he was given Minnowpaw as an apprentice. As a kitten, Elmwhisker had listened with awe to the stories of his father's once-upon-a-time valor. Although he had no personal relationship with the damaged elder, he looked up to and admired him, as well as aspired to fill the pawsteps that misfortune had stole away from Eagletalon. He trained Minnowpaw with the wisdom and caliber that he had admired in Featherstep, and he quickly grew into the same cat that ThunderClan had seen in his father — formidable, respectable, and with undeniable leadership skills. In the moons that he trained Minnowpaw, his sister received her full medicine cat name and his first litter of kittens were born; the product of an impersonal relationship. He visited his kits occasionally, acknowledged them, and loved them in his own way, but overall he was an absent father. Their mother was not a mate to him and their family was hardly a family at all. Minnowpaw became Minnowleap; a warrior who — like his mentor before him — was acknowledged for his talents and loyalty. A few moons later, the deputy was killed by an adder and Elmwhisker was (to no one's great surprise) appointed his successor. He fulfilled his father's dream and, only weeks later, the lame elder succumbed to greencough. Once again Elmwhisker's family was distraught, with him basically unaffected. Adding fuel to his sibling's sorrow, Juniperfrost disappeared immediately following her mate's death. She just left camp one sun-high and never returned, allegedly taking her life to join Eagletalon among StarClan. When Elmwhisker's kittens reached their sixth moon, he was given one of them as his second apprentice. His firstborn son, Cerisepaw, was a rowdy tom who, at first, seemed a disrespectful and dishonorable pawful. Elmwhisker made quick work in ironing him out, however, and the two managed to form an actual bond; something that Elmwhisker simply was not known for. They shared a mentor and apprentice relationship with eventually grew into a father and son bond that Elmwhisker shared with none of Cerisepaw's littermates. It was about this time that Redstar lost his eighth life and began to change. ThunderClan was in a long-standing time of peace. Diplomatic relationships were so peaceful, in fact, that the leader was expected to lose his last life to old age. But his mind began to go before his body, as was quickly becoming apparent not only to the warriors of ThunderClan, but the others as well. In his frail age, Redstar had grown senile and irrational; making some rather questionable decisions that, if left unchecked, would inevitably descend trouble upon his clan. At Gatherings he would accuse other clans of trespassing and prey-stealing, despite the lack of evidence. He would be openly hostile and challenging with the other leaders, to the great surprise and puzzlement of his warriors. It seemed he was almost instigating a war and inter-clan relationships became strained. So, at twenty-four moons, Elmwhisker found himself responsible for sending his closest friend to StarClan. The two toms were close. No one would suspect the deputy of such actions, not even Redstar himself. But it wasn't out of a hunger for power or out of spite — really, Elmwhisker respected the leader and considered him a respectable cat... in his prime — he simply felt that "impeaching" the tom was in the best interests of ThunderClan. Though undeniably treacherous, he did what he thought was best for the future and stability of his clan, with all personal feelings aside. (His only hope and expectation is that his deputy would do the exact same.) Coming across the leader on his own was no difficult task — as his mind became more and more loose, Redstar was often found wandering the forest by himself. He was usually never around, sometimes disappearing for whole days, and most clan issues were already being handled by his deputy. When he did find Redstar, all it took was reassured solitude and a subtle bump from one of the trees. He left his leader's body broken among the forest floor, where it was soon drug off by a larger beast of prey. Back at home, when a long period passed — longer than usual — and Redstar didn't wander into camp, the deputy organized search parties. He appeared persistent in finding the misplaced leader and only when the clan began to lose hope and expressed their consent for his becoming leader, did Elmwhisker even appear to consider the option. Eventually, with the governed approval of his medicine cat and warriors, Elmwhisker made the journey to receive his nine lives and chose ThunderClan's new deputy, Quailfoot. Not even a moon into his leadership, Cerisepaw died by greencough. The first death of someone whom he had actually had a personal relationship with, Elmstar — not used to feelings of grief and loss — found solace in his sister and medicine cat, Goldenflower. Their relationship grew tight-knit and strong; she was not only the ThunderClan medicine cat, advisor to the ThunderClan leader, but the only kin, beside his now-deceased son, whom the tom held dearly. Around the same time that Goldenflower became the full-fledged medicine cat (her mentor dying off to old age), Elmstar gave his first warrior ceremony as the leader of ThunderClan — to his very own kittens. It was a very proud and satisfying moment in his life and one of his fondest memories, followed immediately by the birth of his second litter. Elmstar's first brush with death took not only one of his lives, but two. Mauled by a pack of predators during a hunt, he received many severe wounds that covered two agonizing and unforgiving deaths. He managed to get away from the beasts and alone and in pain, his opened veins spilled the lifeblood of two beating and dying hearts among the forest floor. It would have been more lives lost, had he not been discovered and brought to the quick, attentive care of his healing sister. While still recovering from this attack, Elmstar's second litter were made apprentices, one of them choosing to train beneath her aunt, Goldenflower. Even with her apprentice at her side though, the ThunderClan medicine cat was unable to keep the life of her brother — his wounds still healing — from once-more slipping away, this time to greencough. After this death, Elmstar's strength returned with a vengeance. Tinypaw was found to be unfit as medicine cat apprentice and her father took her in as his warrior apprentice. Like Cerisepaw before her, she became the only kit of her litter that Elmstar formed a strong bond with. With Cerisepaw's death still locked somewhere in his heart though, Elmstar was very protective of his apprentice and daughter, fearing that ache and pain that accompanied the loss of his son. After losing another life to greencough, twice in the same leaf-bare, Elmstar's second litter of kittens (excluding Tinypaw) earned their warrior names. Then a very strange and eerie thing occurred — exactly like his father before him, Mottledbird was attacked and blinded by a large bird; condemned to an early retirement to the elders' den. Although it would have plucked at the heartstrings of a more sentimental cat, it hardly grieved Elmstar to deliver his brother's elder ceremony. Contradicting this aloofness, Elmstar showed a great amount of care and sacrifice when he gave up a life to jump in the path of his apprentice and a lethal snake-bite. The pain and agony that was venom coursing through his veins, was nothing in comparison to the pain he would have felt if his daughter had died instead. Following this attack, Elmstar made a speedy recovery and awarded Tinypaw with her warrior name, Tinycrow. In the next leaf-bare, which the ThunderClan leader had learned to grow cautious of, it was Elmstar's brother who succumbed to the dreaded and devastating greencough. Soon after, the leader's only remaining littermate also made her journey to the stars. Goldenleaf, realizing that she had taught her apprentice all that she needed to know and that the young feline was prepared to receive her full name, laid down and ceased to eat. She told her brother that she was ready to join their family, and that she would watch over the remainder of his lives and be there to welcome him among the starry ranks when his time came. Elmstar was with his sister when her emaciated body released its last, shuddering breath, and although he hadn't been particularly devastated about the passing of other denmates, or even his parents, Goldenflower's death was a visible loss and he mourned her in his own privacy. As a sister and as ThunderClan's medicine cat, she was the closest feline to him. Only a few sunhighs after this passing, Elmstar passed his sixth life. While some of the more imaginative observers might claim that the death was the result of a "broken heart", his eyes had stilled due to him choking on a tough morsel of prey. The death was not a glorious one by any means, but luckily took place in the privacy of his own den. Consequently, most cats (if not all) are unaware of this passing. They were, however, all aware of Elmstar's seventh and eighth deaths shortly following his sixth — another two lives lost to greencough. Timeline/Briefing: |
[li] Born to Juniperfrost & Eagletalon; four littermates — Sorrelkit, Mottledkit, Goldenkit, and Morningkit
[/li][li] Sorrelkit dies by greencough
[/li][li] Goldenkit chooses to become a medicine cat apprentice
Apprentice [6 ➝ 12 moons]
[/li][li] Apprenticed to and trains beneath Featherstep
[/li][li] Shows exponential talents in his trainings as well as a fierce determination to become a warrior
[/li][li] Begins to grow violent in his battle-training, occasionally injuring his littermates with unsheathed claws
[/li][li] Featherstep sees Elmpaw's potential for darkness and proceeds to channel her apprentice's energy into loyalty and "good"
[/li][li] Morningpaw is killed on her warrior assessment by a large beast of prey
Warrior [12 ➝ 21 moons]
[/li][li] Elmpaw becomes Elmwhisker; Mottledkit becomes Mottledbird
[/li][li] Elmwhisker receives his first apprentice, Minnowpaw
[/li][li] Goldenpaw becomes Goldenflower
[/li][li] Elmwhisker's first kittens are born
[/li][li] Minnowpaw becomes Minnowleap
Deputy [21 ➝ 24 moons]
[/li][li] The deputy is killed by an adder strike and Elmwhisker is appointed his successor
[/li][li] Eagletalon dies to greencough
[/li][li] Juniperfrost disappears
[/li][li] Elmwhisker's kittens reach their sixth moon and he is chosen to mentor his son, Cerisepaw
[/li][li] Cerisepaw and Elmwhisker grow close and actually form a bond
[/li][li] Elmwhisker takes Redstar's last life
Leader [24 moons ➝ Present]
[/li][li] Elmwhisker receives his nine lives and becomes Elmstar
[/li][li] Cerisepaw is killed by greencough
[/li][li] Elmstar's first litter of kits are made warriors
[/li][li] ThunderClan's medicine cat dies to old age, leaving Goldenflower the sole healer of ThunderClan and open to choosing an apprentice
[/li][li] Elmstar's second litter of kits are born
[/li][li] First and second life are lost to major wounds inflicted by a large beast of prey
[/li][li] Elmstar's kittens reach their sixth moon and are apprenticed; his daughter, Tinypaw, becomes medicine cat apprentice to her aunt
[/li][li] Third life lost to greencough
[/li][li] Tinypaw is unfit for the medicine cat path and is reassigned to train beneath her father
[/li][li] Fourth life lost, once more, to greencough (same leafbare)
[/li][li] Like Cerisepaw before her, Elmstar forms a close bond with his apprentice/daughter
[/li][li] Elmstar's second litter become warriors, excluding Tinypaw
[/li][li] Mottledbird is blinded by a bird and becomes an elder
[/li][li] Elmstar loses his fifth life to a snake bite
[/li][li] Tinypaw becomes Tinycrow
[/li][li] Mottledbird is killed by greencough
[/li][li] The medicine cat apprentice becomes medicine cat and Goldenflower willingly subjects herself to death
[/li][li] Elmstar loses his sixth life by choking on a morsel of prey
[/li][li] Elmstar loses his seventh and eighth lives to greencough[/li][li] Lizardstripe has a litter by a gypsy loner, Tansy: Elmstar accepts the kittens but exiles his son[/li][li] Quailfoot retires and Elmstar chooses Flowerfur as deputy[/li][li] Begins training Ravenpaw[/li][li] Wages war against RiverClan[/li][li]Sanity begins to slip as age finally catches up, not only with his body, but with his mind[/li][/ul]
[/div][/div]
tracking
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Relationships:
Mother ➝ Juniperfrost [Deceased]
Father ➝ Eagletalon [Deceased]
Littermate ➝ Goldenflower [Deceased]
Littermate ➝ Mottledbird [Deceased]
Littermate ➝ Sorrelkit [Deceased]
Littermate ➝ Morningpaw [Deceased]
Older Siblings ➝ Elmstar and his siblings were the second litter of Juniperfrost and Eagletalon. None of his older siblings remain living.
Mentor ➝ Featherstep [Deceased]
Ex-Apprentice ➝ Minnowleap
Ex-Apprentice ➝ Cerisepaw [Deceased]
Ex-Apprentice ➝ Tinycrow
Apprentice ➝ Ravenpaw
Deputy ➝ Flowerfur
Close Friend, Former Deputy ➝ Quailfoot
Mate ➝ Leafcloud
Second Litter ➝ Mottledbug, Tinycrow, Lizardstripe, Kestrelflight
Grandchildren ➝ Falconpaw, Eaglepaw, Lizardpaw
Featured In:
Young Isn't Forever - w/ Flowerfur
Arise & Ascend - ThunderClan ceremony
Master & Mentor - w/ Ravenpaw
September Gathering - w/ all Clan cats
Pull the Curtain - w/ Flowerfur
We Cannont Forgive - ThunderClan vs RiverClan patrols
Without Threat For Once - w/ Flowerfur
Morning Pains - w/ Flowerfur
Assignments:
Young Isn't Forever - Jun/Jul
We Cannot Forgive - Nov/Dec
Mother ➝ Juniperfrost [Deceased]
Father ➝ Eagletalon [Deceased]
Littermate ➝ Goldenflower [Deceased]
Littermate ➝ Mottledbird [Deceased]
Littermate ➝ Sorrelkit [Deceased]
Littermate ➝ Morningpaw [Deceased]
Older Siblings ➝ Elmstar and his siblings were the second litter of Juniperfrost and Eagletalon. None of his older siblings remain living.
Mentor ➝ Featherstep [Deceased]
Ex-Apprentice ➝ Minnowleap
Ex-Apprentice ➝ Cerisepaw [Deceased]
Ex-Apprentice ➝ Tinycrow
Apprentice ➝ Ravenpaw
Deputy ➝ Flowerfur
Close Friend, Former Deputy ➝ Quailfoot
Mate ➝ Leafcloud
Second Litter ➝ Mottledbug, Tinycrow, Lizardstripe, Kestrelflight
Grandchildren ➝ Falconpaw, Eaglepaw, Lizardpaw
Featured In:
Young Isn't Forever - w/ Flowerfur
Arise & Ascend - ThunderClan ceremony
Master & Mentor - w/ Ravenpaw
September Gathering - w/ all Clan cats
Pull the Curtain - w/ Flowerfur
We Cannont Forgive - ThunderClan vs RiverClan patrols
Without Threat For Once - w/ Flowerfur
Morning Pains - w/ Flowerfur
Assignments:
Young Isn't Forever - Jun/Jul
We Cannot Forgive - Nov/Dec
[/div][/div][/td][/tr][/tbody][/table][/div]
