Post by KARAZHAL on Nov 15, 2019 17:47:01 GMT -5
--- a matte-gray tomcat with brilliant green eyes ---
picture + adopted from Ghost the Undead Goddess
BIRDTALON - 39 MOONS OLD - TOM - WARRIOR OF STONECLAN
BIRDSTAR - 45 MOONS OLD - TOM - LEADER OF STONECLAN
picture + adopted from Ghost the Undead Goddess
BIRDSTAR - 45 MOONS OLD - TOM - LEADER OF STONECLAN
l o o k s. He is a completely gray cat with no breaks in color. Birdstar's short fur is downy, and he's a popular fellow in the sharing tongues department because of how comfortably soft he is to sleep beside. When at home, he's a frequent groomer, both of himself and others; he appreciates beauty and cleanliness. However, when out in the territories, Birdstar will take dust baths. His matte fur is great for camouflage in all sorts of terrain. It only shines whenever it's freshly groomed or he's in the presence of StarClan.
Birdstar's ears stick out at a 120 degree angle, bending backward or down to show changes in his emotions. His most stunning feature are his eyes. They are huge, set inside his skull like gemstones. Lined with black, the irises begin blue as the sea around his pupils and then blend into an olive ring around the edges of his eyes. Birdstar's coal-colored nose is the same color as his callused pawpads. His whiskers are dark gray with faint white tips. He has an average physique, not bigger or smaller than most. However, his claws are sharp and can dig in instantly whenever he needs them too. They often get caught in thick pelts.
b r a i n s. Birdstar is generally friendly and easygoing. He has a kind nature, one that stems from his best friend Icefang and his mother's lessons on respect and dignity. While he does take his duty as a leader seriously, Birdstar is not a stick in the mud about the job. He likes to facilitate things and make sure that things go smoothly and easily for everyone involved. He just wants a civil house. To a bellicose cat, he comes across as non-confrontational, appeasing, or even just weak because of his preference to talk things out. In fact, as an apprentice, he was all those things, surrounded by argumentative, proud toms in his family. He could often evade anger and fights by just saying what they needed to hear. It was hard to grow out of being a yes-man to please his father and brothers, but Birdstar has learned to stand up for himself and be more self-confident. When he became leader, his faith in StarClan and in his clanmates made him strong. StarClan gave him not only his nine lives but also encouraging words and the will to put his dreams into action.
He is a hardworking member of StoneClan and even before become leader, he frequently was seen patrolling and fixing dangers within the territory. Because he remembers his sister's death, he is compassionate toward others who have lost a loved one. Birdstar's loyalty runs as heavy as his grief. Losing a clanmate is like pulling a whisker off his face. However, unlike many of his family, he will not jump blindly into a fight to protect StoneClan's so-called pride. He finds boasting to be tasteless. Strong words and a strong presence are enough for him. He's resilient and not afraid to rely on his clan when his own strength gives out.
After having the temperamental Cobrashadow as his mentor (not to mention their father, the tyrant-tongued Silentstrike), few things intimidate him or ruffle his feathers in public now. In the past, this tom certainly didn't have it together. He was a very emotional apprentice, prone to holding it all in or isolating himself before unleashing an outburst. He is thankful to his friends for being understanding of who he was back then, but he's most indebted to his best friend, Icefang, who StarClan blessed with compassion and kindness. He puts on a brave face and tries to smile often now that he's become Leader, since he knows every StoneClan cat looks to him for guidance. Betraying fear invites defeat, he feels. He does not like to fight but that doesn't mean he won't if pushed. He possesses the ferocity of a wolf especially when coming to the defense of his comrades. While he may hide his emotions and opinions around certain members of his family, Birdstar speaks freely around members of the Clan he trusts. He is magnanimous and very forgiving as long as no one takes advantage of his kindness.
Regarding StarClan, Birdstar is rather dogmatic; he thinks non-believers are in denial of the truth and he never entertains that kind of talk. He has a high sense of filial piety. If a cat were to disparage the name of StarClan around him, Birdstar would scold them for such disrespect, even slap them for repeated offenses.
l i f e. His father was a very handsome tomcat sought after by several she-cats. He'd broken many hearts before finding his so-called true love in Foxwhisker. They had spent moons courting and wooing. Foxwhisker felt bad for Sandcloud and the other she-cats before her, but Silentstrike was "different now" and she wasn't about to give up on this relationship just because Sandcloud was only now deciding to tell Silentstrike she was pregnant. Sandcloud's kits would grow up to hate her and their father, but stalwart Foxwhisker remained ambivalent to Sandcloud's three kits. When her own kits were born, Foxwhisker did not deny them knowledge of their older half-siblings but she told them to be careful and respectful in their presence. She saw no reason to start up intraclan trouble. Birdkit heard many angry words spoken by his father. He tried to stay out of everyone's way, but his brother Cloudkit loved bossing him and their sister around. It seemed like they were always arguing.
Although he was quite glad to become an apprentice, training to be a warrior of StoneClan was tough. His mentor had a reputation for being a taskmaster. He remembered a mousy looking apprentice talking about it while changing out their nursery moss. Birdpaw didn't have a problem working his paws off. It just seemed like Cobrashadow treated him unfairly whenever he got temperamental. Throughout his apprenticeship, he had his sister to confide in and talk to. Birdpaw and Redpaw were close while he and Cloudpaw clashed considerably. A few moons later, a new apprentice named Icepaw received her name and became Birdpaw's friend after doing chores together enough times. They were even in a relationship at one point.
Together he, Redpaw and Cloudpaw all grew up into strong hunters and fighters for StoneClan. Since he and Redpaw were good as a pair, their mentors agreed to assess them together. Cloudpaw wanted to show off his own abilities solo and so his mentor and Hawkstar oversaw his warrior's assessment in a different part of the territory. Birdpaw and Redpaw were to bring back enough prey to feed four warriors. Together, they hunted several small rodents and got lucky with an already injured owl. Upon returning with all of their prey, they passed by a well-camouflaged set: a den hole for a badger. The lure of prey was too much for the creature to resist, and the big mother sprang out like an alligator. The creature clapped down on his sister and her food before Birdpaw could react. The crunching made him drop his prey. He screamed and leapt forward to defend her, but the badger knocked him aside with her huge claws. Cobrashadow and Viperstrike charged in to fight it off. Birdpaw rushed to his sister's aid and rushed her back to Dawnblossom.
Hearing his sister die and the aftermath that followed rocked Birdpaw's world. Suffering with survivor's guilt, he disintegrated and broke up with Icepaw. He felt that he didn't deserve her. Despite only having minor injuries from the badger attack, he later failed his make-up assessment with Hawkstar watching. This led to Cobrashadow scolding him for his incompetence. Silentstrike showed up while Birdpaw took the verbal thrashing and told Cobrashadow to take on a cat his own size. Ignoring Birdpaw's protests, Silentstrike followed up with a harsh accusation--that Viperstrike and Cobrashadow were at fault for Redpaw's death! The tom spun such a wild tale that a bloody fight ensued. Viperstrike appeared, and she and Birdpaw tried to intervene, but their words weren't heard over the yowling scrap. Goaded by his father's words, Birdpaw hissed at Viperstrike before she could say anything. He was a pawn under Silentstrike's paw, their father, the demagogue. He agreed, if only to be as non-confrontational as possible in the wake of a badger kill and a Cobra bite. After the awful day this was, having his father be angry with him was the last thing Birdpaw wanted.
With the fight done, Silentstrike slunk off and Cobrashadow shooed the crowd they'd attracted. Birdpaw limped forward to stand before his mentor. He promised his best tomorrow and asked for permission to retire, which Cobrashadow gave rather curtly. On his way to the apprentice's den, he was intercepted by Icepaw, who was still his friend despite being driven away in his grief. She let him unload everything from that day. He fell asleep quickly and woke up to his pelt being groomed and other cats purring and sleeping closely around him. It wasn't Redpaw's reassuring scent, but it felt like her and surely shared her spirit. He wondered which star was hers on the Silverpelt.
Cloudtail would receive his warrior name before Birdpaw, which he brags about endlessly. Birdpaw took some more time to train and improve himself. With Icepaw's support, he was able to complete his second assessment successfully. It wasn't necessarily a compliment, but if Cobrashadow passed him, Birdpaw figured that alone counted. He was named Birdtalon for his hunting and battling prowess, his claws hooking into prey and enemies alike.
Despite being a leader, Birdstar still does apprentice chores whenever he wants to occupy himself during the day. From the moment he was given his warrior name, he was committed to the improvement of his Clan. Even before he rose to power, he would frequent the elders' den and nursery to check up on everyone and ask about their health and needs. He was partial to the late dowager Frozenrain, but he dotes on Nightpetal and Rabbitfur when he can.
At 30 moons, Birdtalon was given his first apprentice named Fernpaw. It was a tough time for her as greencough affected almost a third of the clan, including her parents. Training and forming a bond was a good way for both of them to get their mind off other things. He found it was fun and rewarding to teach another cat, and Fernpaw gained her warrior name with pride. However, it would be the last apprentice anointed to him by Hawkstar. Shortly before leaf-bare of his 39th moon, the venerable leader died, and leadership passed to his deputy, Smokestorm. Birdtalon mourned greatly, for not only had Hawkstar died, but Frozenrain as well, the beloved mates walking side by side into StarClan's hunting fields. The clan was allowed to mourn but ultimately life went on. Smokestar named the senior warrior Valiantstride as her deputy. Birdtalon threw himself into preparation for leafbare, hunting everyday in order to keep enough food stocked. There were always tasks to be done. He had no time to cry his days away in his den.
He often left meals for the medicine cats Sandblaze and Ebonyheart so he soon noticed when things changed inside the meddie den. Sandblaze's hearing was starting to falter, Ebonyheart confirmed it on one of his escort journeys with her to fetch herbs. He was acting strange, like an elder, but Birdtalon didn't dare suggest he retire. It wasn't his place. Instead, he focused on helping Ebonyheart with whatever the medicine cat apprentice needed with the hopes that she would be prepared when the time came. Leaf-bare came and went, and StoneClan survived. However, he did not expect that the next high rank cut short would be StoneClan's new leader. In the middle of new-leaf, rains always affected the valley, some clans worse than others. A horrific rock slide buried several StoneClan cats under mud and gravel. When Alderfrost returned to camp yowling for help and reinforcements, Birdtalon leapt to the occasion, leading volunteers to the site of the disaster and searching for every body. It took hours, but finally they recovered Smokestar. It was too late. They returned to camp with leaden paws, waiting to hear what Valiantstride had to say before he would leave them for the Moon Tree. It was an announcement that changed Birdtalon's life forever.
Valiantstride, a wise veteran of the Clan, had been a warrior for over sixty moons and had seen deputies come and go in his lifetime. The golden tom had intended on retiring once Smokestar had her bearings, hoping to live out his days in the Elder's Den. He and Smokestar had already named the replacement, but Smokestar hadn't gotten the chance to announce it, so he was. Birdtalon. He named Birdtalon as the future leader of StoneClan. Dumbfounded, Birdtalon had to have his jaw closed by Ebonyheart during the declaration. He overcame his surprise and self-doubts to accept the position. The next day, after Smokestar was buried by their elders, he left home for the Moon Tree and returned a leader: Birdstar.
Birdstar's ears stick out at a 120 degree angle, bending backward or down to show changes in his emotions. His most stunning feature are his eyes. They are huge, set inside his skull like gemstones. Lined with black, the irises begin blue as the sea around his pupils and then blend into an olive ring around the edges of his eyes. Birdstar's coal-colored nose is the same color as his callused pawpads. His whiskers are dark gray with faint white tips. He has an average physique, not bigger or smaller than most. However, his claws are sharp and can dig in instantly whenever he needs them too. They often get caught in thick pelts.
b r a i n s. Birdstar is generally friendly and easygoing. He has a kind nature, one that stems from his best friend Icefang and his mother's lessons on respect and dignity. While he does take his duty as a leader seriously, Birdstar is not a stick in the mud about the job. He likes to facilitate things and make sure that things go smoothly and easily for everyone involved. He just wants a civil house. To a bellicose cat, he comes across as non-confrontational, appeasing, or even just weak because of his preference to talk things out. In fact, as an apprentice, he was all those things, surrounded by argumentative, proud toms in his family. He could often evade anger and fights by just saying what they needed to hear. It was hard to grow out of being a yes-man to please his father and brothers, but Birdstar has learned to stand up for himself and be more self-confident. When he became leader, his faith in StarClan and in his clanmates made him strong. StarClan gave him not only his nine lives but also encouraging words and the will to put his dreams into action.
He is a hardworking member of StoneClan and even before become leader, he frequently was seen patrolling and fixing dangers within the territory. Because he remembers his sister's death, he is compassionate toward others who have lost a loved one. Birdstar's loyalty runs as heavy as his grief. Losing a clanmate is like pulling a whisker off his face. However, unlike many of his family, he will not jump blindly into a fight to protect StoneClan's so-called pride. He finds boasting to be tasteless. Strong words and a strong presence are enough for him. He's resilient and not afraid to rely on his clan when his own strength gives out.
After having the temperamental Cobrashadow as his mentor (not to mention their father, the tyrant-tongued Silentstrike), few things intimidate him or ruffle his feathers in public now. In the past, this tom certainly didn't have it together. He was a very emotional apprentice, prone to holding it all in or isolating himself before unleashing an outburst. He is thankful to his friends for being understanding of who he was back then, but he's most indebted to his best friend, Icefang, who StarClan blessed with compassion and kindness. He puts on a brave face and tries to smile often now that he's become Leader, since he knows every StoneClan cat looks to him for guidance. Betraying fear invites defeat, he feels. He does not like to fight but that doesn't mean he won't if pushed. He possesses the ferocity of a wolf especially when coming to the defense of his comrades. While he may hide his emotions and opinions around certain members of his family, Birdstar speaks freely around members of the Clan he trusts. He is magnanimous and very forgiving as long as no one takes advantage of his kindness.
Regarding StarClan, Birdstar is rather dogmatic; he thinks non-believers are in denial of the truth and he never entertains that kind of talk. He has a high sense of filial piety. If a cat were to disparage the name of StarClan around him, Birdstar would scold them for such disrespect, even slap them for repeated offenses.
l i f e. His father was a very handsome tomcat sought after by several she-cats. He'd broken many hearts before finding his so-called true love in Foxwhisker. They had spent moons courting and wooing. Foxwhisker felt bad for Sandcloud and the other she-cats before her, but Silentstrike was "different now" and she wasn't about to give up on this relationship just because Sandcloud was only now deciding to tell Silentstrike she was pregnant. Sandcloud's kits would grow up to hate her and their father, but stalwart Foxwhisker remained ambivalent to Sandcloud's three kits. When her own kits were born, Foxwhisker did not deny them knowledge of their older half-siblings but she told them to be careful and respectful in their presence. She saw no reason to start up intraclan trouble. Birdkit heard many angry words spoken by his father. He tried to stay out of everyone's way, but his brother Cloudkit loved bossing him and their sister around. It seemed like they were always arguing.
Although he was quite glad to become an apprentice, training to be a warrior of StoneClan was tough. His mentor had a reputation for being a taskmaster. He remembered a mousy looking apprentice talking about it while changing out their nursery moss. Birdpaw didn't have a problem working his paws off. It just seemed like Cobrashadow treated him unfairly whenever he got temperamental. Throughout his apprenticeship, he had his sister to confide in and talk to. Birdpaw and Redpaw were close while he and Cloudpaw clashed considerably. A few moons later, a new apprentice named Icepaw received her name and became Birdpaw's friend after doing chores together enough times. They were even in a relationship at one point.
Together he, Redpaw and Cloudpaw all grew up into strong hunters and fighters for StoneClan. Since he and Redpaw were good as a pair, their mentors agreed to assess them together. Cloudpaw wanted to show off his own abilities solo and so his mentor and Hawkstar oversaw his warrior's assessment in a different part of the territory. Birdpaw and Redpaw were to bring back enough prey to feed four warriors. Together, they hunted several small rodents and got lucky with an already injured owl. Upon returning with all of their prey, they passed by a well-camouflaged set: a den hole for a badger. The lure of prey was too much for the creature to resist, and the big mother sprang out like an alligator. The creature clapped down on his sister and her food before Birdpaw could react. The crunching made him drop his prey. He screamed and leapt forward to defend her, but the badger knocked him aside with her huge claws. Cobrashadow and Viperstrike charged in to fight it off. Birdpaw rushed to his sister's aid and rushed her back to Dawnblossom.
Hearing his sister die and the aftermath that followed rocked Birdpaw's world. Suffering with survivor's guilt, he disintegrated and broke up with Icepaw. He felt that he didn't deserve her. Despite only having minor injuries from the badger attack, he later failed his make-up assessment with Hawkstar watching. This led to Cobrashadow scolding him for his incompetence. Silentstrike showed up while Birdpaw took the verbal thrashing and told Cobrashadow to take on a cat his own size. Ignoring Birdpaw's protests, Silentstrike followed up with a harsh accusation--that Viperstrike and Cobrashadow were at fault for Redpaw's death! The tom spun such a wild tale that a bloody fight ensued. Viperstrike appeared, and she and Birdpaw tried to intervene, but their words weren't heard over the yowling scrap. Goaded by his father's words, Birdpaw hissed at Viperstrike before she could say anything. He was a pawn under Silentstrike's paw, their father, the demagogue. He agreed, if only to be as non-confrontational as possible in the wake of a badger kill and a Cobra bite. After the awful day this was, having his father be angry with him was the last thing Birdpaw wanted.
With the fight done, Silentstrike slunk off and Cobrashadow shooed the crowd they'd attracted. Birdpaw limped forward to stand before his mentor. He promised his best tomorrow and asked for permission to retire, which Cobrashadow gave rather curtly. On his way to the apprentice's den, he was intercepted by Icepaw, who was still his friend despite being driven away in his grief. She let him unload everything from that day. He fell asleep quickly and woke up to his pelt being groomed and other cats purring and sleeping closely around him. It wasn't Redpaw's reassuring scent, but it felt like her and surely shared her spirit. He wondered which star was hers on the Silverpelt.
Cloudtail would receive his warrior name before Birdpaw, which he brags about endlessly. Birdpaw took some more time to train and improve himself. With Icepaw's support, he was able to complete his second assessment successfully. It wasn't necessarily a compliment, but if Cobrashadow passed him, Birdpaw figured that alone counted. He was named Birdtalon for his hunting and battling prowess, his claws hooking into prey and enemies alike.
Despite being a leader, Birdstar still does apprentice chores whenever he wants to occupy himself during the day. From the moment he was given his warrior name, he was committed to the improvement of his Clan. Even before he rose to power, he would frequent the elders' den and nursery to check up on everyone and ask about their health and needs. He was partial to the late dowager Frozenrain, but he dotes on Nightpetal and Rabbitfur when he can.
At 30 moons, Birdtalon was given his first apprentice named Fernpaw. It was a tough time for her as greencough affected almost a third of the clan, including her parents. Training and forming a bond was a good way for both of them to get their mind off other things. He found it was fun and rewarding to teach another cat, and Fernpaw gained her warrior name with pride. However, it would be the last apprentice anointed to him by Hawkstar. Shortly before leaf-bare of his 39th moon, the venerable leader died, and leadership passed to his deputy, Smokestorm. Birdtalon mourned greatly, for not only had Hawkstar died, but Frozenrain as well, the beloved mates walking side by side into StarClan's hunting fields. The clan was allowed to mourn but ultimately life went on. Smokestar named the senior warrior Valiantstride as her deputy. Birdtalon threw himself into preparation for leafbare, hunting everyday in order to keep enough food stocked. There were always tasks to be done. He had no time to cry his days away in his den.
He often left meals for the medicine cats Sandblaze and Ebonyheart so he soon noticed when things changed inside the meddie den. Sandblaze's hearing was starting to falter, Ebonyheart confirmed it on one of his escort journeys with her to fetch herbs. He was acting strange, like an elder, but Birdtalon didn't dare suggest he retire. It wasn't his place. Instead, he focused on helping Ebonyheart with whatever the medicine cat apprentice needed with the hopes that she would be prepared when the time came. Leaf-bare came and went, and StoneClan survived. However, he did not expect that the next high rank cut short would be StoneClan's new leader. In the middle of new-leaf, rains always affected the valley, some clans worse than others. A horrific rock slide buried several StoneClan cats under mud and gravel. When Alderfrost returned to camp yowling for help and reinforcements, Birdtalon leapt to the occasion, leading volunteers to the site of the disaster and searching for every body. It took hours, but finally they recovered Smokestar. It was too late. They returned to camp with leaden paws, waiting to hear what Valiantstride had to say before he would leave them for the Moon Tree. It was an announcement that changed Birdtalon's life forever.
Valiantstride, a wise veteran of the Clan, had been a warrior for over sixty moons and had seen deputies come and go in his lifetime. The golden tom had intended on retiring once Smokestar had her bearings, hoping to live out his days in the Elder's Den. He and Smokestar had already named the replacement, but Smokestar hadn't gotten the chance to announce it, so he was. Birdtalon. He named Birdtalon as the future leader of StoneClan. Dumbfounded, Birdtalon had to have his jaw closed by Ebonyheart during the declaration. He overcame his surprise and self-doubts to accept the position. The next day, after Smokestar was buried by their elders, he left home for the Moon Tree and returned a leader: Birdstar.
