[Fawn]

[googlefont=Roboto Condensed]

Vinetail was the first cat who brought dark word of a strange, massive shape swooping through NightClan's territory. He had stumbled down into the camp with a wide-eyed, shocked look in his eyes and launched into a wild tale of a creature that cast a shadow big enough to swallow the tabby tom up. It had whisked silently over his head to kill an unfortunate rabbit, and that was the last Vinetail had seen of it, as he hadn't been too eager to stick around. The story had elicited snickers of disbelief and incredulity from the warriors of NightClan. No bird of that size had been seen in NightClan territory for generations, and even the stories of such a creature had been attributed to nothing more than legend. Deathclaw, they called her. A queen among owls, often portrayed in the old tales as a NightClan symbol of feminine strength. "So, you've seen Deathclaw yourself, Vinetail?" The others teased, a joke that quickly became the bane of the lanky tom's existence.

Time crawled slowly forward, and those rumours of Deathclaw wreaking violence among the marshes and pines grew. Discoveries were made of large pellets of tangled fur and bones, so big they couldn't possibly have been made by any ordinary-sized night-owl. Vinetail was rather smug that evidence of his night-time monster had come to surface. Fewer cats spoke the name "Deathclaw" with amused tones, the name became something to be whispered as a word of caution.

But NightClan refused to be made prey in their own land. They were creatures of the night as much as this intruder. And she was one, while they were many.

There was a quiet, excited atmosphere as the large patrol of warriors and older apprentices gathered outside the entrance to NightClan camp. The moon shone warmly down upon the group, almost as though nodding at the courage of this endeavour. For the patrol had only one simple objective, to drive the creature they'd named Deathclaw from their lands once and for all. Ghostshadow turned to the group of felines, and many probably would have expected him to offer some form of speech. But all the white tom did was nod, and the cats whispered after him silently, no encouragement needed. They all knew what was expected of them.

They were silent as death as they came to the location Vinetail had first seen Deathclaw. The Black Woods. Even now, so long after the fires that scorched this territory, there was still a bitter taste of ash in the air. The ground was thick with foliage and herbs that flourished in the nutrient-rich soil, the black trees looming around them like phantoms. There was an eerie quality to the silence, broken only by the chirrup of crickets. "Wait." Moondance waved her tail to the patrol, whispering the word so quiet it was barely a breath. She was looking down upon a pale, striped feather that was a tail-length long, lying among a clump of clover. Some of the warriors shared uneasy glances. All of them could detect the fresh, thick smell of a bird on the massive feather. It was fresh. Which meant Deathclaw was close.

Greenleaf 17 - A cool morning heralds a beautiful, refreshing, and sunny Greenleaf day. Birds are heard chirping everywhere, but the sounds of the valley are dominated by the incessant noise of the cicadas. Even the Tribe can hear their distant mating calls, though faint.

OOC: You cannot participate in both the NightClan boss battle and the StoneClan boss battle at the same time! One boss must be defeated in order to join the other fight. Have fun, and don't die! Each reply counts as either an attack or an attempt to dodge Deathclaw's attacks. Clovermask has the ability to order a retreat at any time during the battle. If your cat is defeated (loses all HP) they cannot continue to participate in the battle, but it does not mean that they must be killed off if that isn't what you want. You can simply have them be too injured to continue or be knocked out. This is the perfect opportunity to earn some interesting battle scars for your character, so by all means, work away! Deathclaw will appear in the thread randomly, you will know her when she arrives. For now, have your cats try to use their powers of deduction to track down any evidence of the owl in the area and where it might be. The cats who bring her down will earn a prey reward for their player, a badge, and a beautiful owl feather item with which your character can decorate their nest as a trophy of their victory.

Good luck, everyone!

[Katara]

[googlefont=Playfair Display] [googlefont=Roboto] [googlefont=Kumar One]

if i was born as a blackthorn tree
i'd wanna be held by you, felled by you
fuel the

PYRE OF YOUR
enemies

clover

clovermask.

NIGHTCLAN DEPUTY // 48 MOONS

W

hen Clovermask had first heard about the legend of Deathclaw, she'd been instantly fascinated. A sort of morbid interest had led her to demand tales of the deadly owl from the elders' den as an apprentice, but once she'd pulled every bit of information she could out of her Clanmates, she'd abruptly lost interest. That was the thing about legends; they were usually mythical, not real, and though she should've been relieved a terror like Deathclaw didn't actually exist, she was a bit disappointed.

Until a few moons ago, when Vinetail had returned to camp with reports of sighting the owl. Nobody seemed to believe him, and though Clovermask usually tried to mimic the behavior of the others, she couldn't hide her interest in the warrior's story. Her morbid fascination had crept back, bringing delightful shivers down her spine, and she was probably one of the few cats who asked him more about what he'd seen. She said nothing when he questioned whether he actually believed her, always determinedly neutral in matters like this with her Clanmates. To reject him and mock him would only make him feel ostracized, but to side with him would ostracize her too. Or it could give him credibility, but she hadn't been willing to risk it.

That was until the pellets turned up, and more stories came back to camp of Deathclaw wreaking havoc in their territory, and suddenly the threat was real. It hadn't been long after she'd been appointed deputy, and it felt like the universe's way of allowing her to prove herself. Leading the defeat of the legendary Owl Queen had felt like a personal goal of hers since she'd first heard about Deathclaw as a young apprentice. It seemed all her morbid fantasizing had finally come to fruition.

It was decided they would track down the owl and drive her off with a large patrol of warriors and older apprentices that night, beneath the light of an unclouded moon. Though Clovermask didn't believe a word from anyone's mouth about StarClan blessing the patrol with the light of the full moon, she had to agree it was a sign of good fortune for them. Trying to see a murderous owl in the pitch black of a new moon or a clouded moon would be difficult, even with their keen night vision. After all, the owl was a seasoned hunter of the night as well.

Ghostshadow was in the lead, with the NightClan deputy bringing up the rear, her mouth parted to allow the scents of the forest to alert her to any danger, and her eyes on the swath of stars above their heads. She kept her ears pricked as well, finding it strange the harsh cacophony of cicadas was decidedly absent from this part of the forest, until Moondance spoke and found what they'd all been looking for. Clovermask inhaled, tasting the scent of the deadly owl. A thrill of excitement rushed through her, unable to feel the apprehension and fear her Clanmates felt as they exchanged significant looks at Moondance's discovery. She didn't understand how they didn't see it the way she did - as an incredible opportunity to take down a living legend.

"Listen," she spoke in a lowered voice. She flicked her tail, sweeping her gaze at the patrol. "The forest is too quiet. Even the cicadas have moved elsewhere - Deathclaw is very close. Keep your eyes peeled for other signs - pellets, feathers, dead prey. Keep close to other cats, and make sure one of you is always looking at the sky." She doubted the Owl Queen would swoop on such a large patrol, but maybe she'd be tempted if they broke into smaller groups of three. It would take only a moment for the others to rush to their aid; but Clovermask wouldn't explicitly order such a thing, not when it could be seen as needlessly risking lives. No, she needed to make sure this was played out carefully.

[attr="class","cltag"]tagged Anyone!!

[attr="class","clnotes"]notes let's goooooo!!

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[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont=Spirax]

when you grow up your heart dies

Bramblepaw

nightclan she-cat 16 moons

The night settled around the patrol like a blanket of darkness. Keen eyes glinting in the shadows, each cat strained their senses into the night. NightClan cats were endowed with the ability to see more clearly in complete darkness than their forest, moor, mountain and river-dwelling cousins. Each cat could pick out the slightest flicker of movement in the shadows, the scuttle of a mouse through the marshy environment. The heavy plop of a frog caused some ears to swivel nervously  towards the sound. Each cat there was on edge, waiting for something to happen. The interlocking branches of the coniferous trees attempted to block out the moon and stars, but Bramblepaw could just pick out the glint of them up there through the greenery. She was uncharacteristically quiet tonight.

Like most NightClan cats, Bramblepaw had been told tales of Deathclaw since she was younger. The stories had initially terrified the little brown kitten, who began to dream that the wide-eyed creature peered down into the cave at night when the patrols had left, blocking out the comforting glow of the moon. Those fears faded somewhat as she learned the truth about the legends; that there was no evidence a creature such as Deathclaw ever existed. Besides, she was big enough now to fend off an owl. She wondered how Hollowpaw felt about the stories they had been told. Her brother had always been better at putting on a brave face than his sisters, but Bramblepaw suspected that the imagery of a gigantic owl whisking away kits and cats alike disturbed him as much as it did his sisters.

Her heart clenched at the thought of Hollowpaw. The chocolate point tom had been missing for over a moon, now. She thought about her brother just about every day she curled up next to Breezepaw in the apprentice's den, wondering where he was, why he hadn't come home. Had he become so frustrated with Roachpaw that he ran away? Had something... She shook her head. She couldn't let herself think like that. Her brother was out there, and he was coming home. Someday, she'd see him again. The last thing that Bramblepaw had ever said to him was out of annoyance. The word "newt-brain" had poured out of her mouth before she could stop it. She'd been planning to apologise to him when they returned from late-night training that morning. But when she'd come back, he hadn't returned. She'd fallen asleep, and that night, his nest was still cold and his scent fading. Bramblepaw had been trying her best to be there for Breezepaw, but their brother's absence had weighed heavily on their hearts. The three litter-mates had always been close and unshakably loyal. It was unthinkable that Hollowpaw would leave them behind.

Moondance's discovery of the pellets was what brought Bramblepaw abruptly back to the present, her golden eyes fixing with curiosity on the hard brown mass of dirt, fur and bones. She crept forward quietly to sniff at the stuff, then wrinkled her nose with distaste. It smelled like old dirt. Clovermask began to speak, and Bramblepaw perked her ears to listen to what the newly named deputy had to say. Find feathers or pellets, huh? She thought, excitement sparking in her heart and driving the painful thoughts of her brother away. Wouldn't mind a nice feather to put in my nest. She pictured Roachpaw's face as she lined her mossy nest with fierce-smelling owl feathers, and grinned slightly. Putting her speckled nose to the ground, she hunted around for a smell that reminded her of those disgusting, black-brown pellets, tail flicking. "I don't know what all this fuss is about, anyway." Bramblepaw meowed aloud, her golden eyes unimpressed. "It's just a bird." Ghostshadow shot her a scathing frown. "Be quiet, Bramblepaw!" He whispered, hushed tone heavy with irritation. "What?" Bramblepaw retorted, sounding defensive. "It's not like we haven't had owls in the territory bef-"

There was no sound to warn her that anything big was in the sky. The only reason she knew to duck and roll was because she caught the rapid movement of a shadow over the ground before her, the unmistakable silhouette of an owl. Throwing herself flat to the ground and rolling over the foliage, the older apprentice let out a yowl to warn the patrol that she was being attacked.

Deathclaw was here.

And the Owl Queen did not appreciate being referred to as "just a bird".

744 words

[Ghost the Undead Goddess]

Rewrite your history

The massive tabby tomcat was probably the only one of the group who's heavy paws made a noise with each passing step through the pine needles that blanketed the ground below. A ear twitched, attempting to keep alert for any sounds other than his lumbering form as he trailed behind Clovermask, Moondance, Ghostshadow and Bramblepaw, keeping guard for the rear while the other Nightclanners in front of him searched for clues.

The thick coated feline had wanted to accompany the group purely because of his size when it came to those around him. He was one of the largest warriors within Nightclan, heavy set with muscles that rippled unseemingly beneath his long and rather dense brown and striped coat. Deathclaw was a story from kit-hood, but if she were a real living legend then the patrol would need all the strength it could get.

A plume tail waved slightly behind the tomcat as he paused mid-step to look over a broad shoulder behind him. Buckfur swore he felt like a pair of eyes were watching, but he couldn't hear the sound of wings or feathers moving within the night sky. The eerie quietness of the supposed owl's hunting grounds was enough to set the already alert tom on edge. 

Moondance's hushed tone caught Buckfur's attention as he padded forwards on large paws to meet up with those of the patrol that had wandered farther off from where he had stopped to scout. There was a faint morbid curiosity on what Buckfur believed his rather ill-tempered brother would have thought about all this. Blackstag had not been in the camp during the picking of the patrol, though surely the massive black tomcat would have eagerly jumped at the attempt to ruin the name of a legend like Deathclaw. 

To feel the life fleeing the body of the massive predator...

Buckfur flickered an ear to remove that thought from his head, instead keeping hope that he could return to his nest at the end of the night and curl up beside the warm and familiar shape of Nettleheart as she slept peacefully within the Warrior's Den. His heart ached for her, the young tortoiseshell lost since the death of her brother. He had seen the devastation that waded through her heart after the loss of Briarthroat many moons ago, he could only imagine the loss of a sibling.

Blackstag may have not been much for affection or emotions, but he was still Buckfur's brother when it came down too it...

Bramblepaw's rather loud voice seemed far out of place within the quietness of the deadly silent forest, and it seemed as if Ghostshadow didn't have the proper ability to quiet the brash apprentice. Though, Buckfur was not surprised as she was Graywolf's young ward, perhaps had the dilute coated beauty been her she could have contained her better. Or perhaps they'd be too busy trying to keep the two she-cats quiet instead of worrying about the true danger that lurked within the shadows of the tall trees. 

The massive tom's heart practically leaped from his chest as it beat wildly within the cage it was held captive, tail bushing up from the sound of a horrible screech as a shadow descended upon the group of Nightclanners. Had his brown and striped coat not been so dense, perhaps it would have poofed up to make him look even bigger, but as it was his hackles were barely noticeable while thick claws slid from large paws quickly and automatically. 

"Bramblepaw!" Buckfur called out in that deep, gruff tone of his, alarm wide within his green pools as he stared at where the speckled she-cat flattened and rolled herself in an attempt to steer clear of the massive talons reaching out from beneath the gray breast of the mighty Owl Queen. Deathclaw in all her glory was as beautiful as she was deadly, those intelligent and hungry eyes staring with cruel ambition at the cats within her presence. 

Without hesitation, the massive tank like tomcat pushed himself forwards as he left fear behind with the pine needles. Nightclan had already lost too much recently, and he wasn't going to let this raptor take another promising youngster from her life. His heavy set caused small drumming with each movement of his paws against the ground before he bunched and attempted to leap at the flying creature. Though he was better on the ground, the least he could do was scare the owl from where Bramblepaw was at, he could keep her safe with his own massive form.

Or die trying, as a paw lashed out in an attempt to swipe Deathclaw away.

Light up your wildest dreams

BuCKfUr

40 Moons Warrior NightClan

Katara Fawn ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 || 791 words || o.o

[Fawn]

The kid has got a dark side

Push too far you'll see

This was nothing like fighting the ducks with Clovermask. Roachpaw instinctively ducked under the forceful torrent of air from the Owl Queen's wings. His stomach lurched, as if trying to hide itself from the ripping, murderous claws of which Deathclaw's infamy stemmed.

Roachpaw almost wished for the absurd quacking of ducks over the lethal beat of powerful wings and the rush of air as Buckfur landed, a few feathers knocked free in his attempt to strike Deathclaw. Focus Roachpaw, focus. For once, he didn't care what Bramblepaw was doing. First he felt chilly, as if the lingering bite of kithood fright decided to spider-crawl up his spine. But that fear burned away like mist in morning light, unable to subsist on the adrenaline plucking at his heart and spicking his fur.

My turn!

The owl lashed out at Buckfur and Roachpaw seized his chance. With his heart beating a heavy blood-stoccato in his ears, he lashed out, trying to sink his claws into something other than feathers and night air.

Roachpaw

nightclan apprentice | 12 moons | words| @tagged

[Katara]

[googlefont=Playfair Display] [googlefont=Roboto] [googlefont=Kumar One]

if i was born as a blackthorn tree
i'd wanna be held by you, felled by you
fuel the

PYRE OF YOUR
enemies

clover

clovermask.

NIGHTCLAN DEPUTY // 48 MOONS

N

o sooner had Clovermask issued instructions to the patrol, that Deathclaw chose that moment to make her entrance. The Owl Queen's wings blotted out the moonshine above them, and the bengal she-cat bunched her muscles, ready to strike - but Buckfur was quicker. He lunged to Bramblepaw's aid in a mighty leap, and the owl missed the apprentice. In doing so, Buckfur seemed to be in a good position to do real damage, but when he dropped back to earth he didn't even have any feathers in his claws - though Deathclaw had let out a screech when he'd reached for her. Apparently furious at this, the great bird dove for Buckfur, talons flashing, and Clovermask launched herself forward.

Unwittingly, her attack had coordinated with Roachpaw's, who successfully slashed at Deathclaw, eliciting a screech from her. Clovermask watched, her eyes bright as she realized they could make this work to their advantage. So far, the owl had been distracted each time she'd been attacked, allowing another cat to launch an attack. If they continued like this, rescuing each other by attacking Deathclaw next, they could continue landing blows on her until she was dead. With that in mind, she threw herself at the Owl Queen with her claws outstretched, letting a snarl rip from her throat to force her attention away from Roachpaw.

[attr="class","cltag"]tagged Anyone!!

[attr="class","clnotes"]notes I figure shorter posts now so we can beat the pulp out of her? xD

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[newclass=".clnotes"]background-color:#16141a;font-family:Playfair Display;font-size:12px;color:#3e4436;letter-spacing:2px;border:1px solid #666;padding:10px;[/newclass]

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont=Spirax]

when you grow up your heart dies

Bramblepaw

nightclan she-cat 16 moons

A shadow fell in front of her as Buckfur reared up to fend the creature off, his claws flashing in the moonlight. Watching as he barely skimmed the bird, Bramblepaw found herself frozen in a state of shock. The sheer size and intimidating presence of the mighty avian queen made her heart seize in her chest. Her eyes locked with those great round yellow orbs of the wide-faced creature, and Bramblepaw was struck by the thought that she was looking at death itself. Her pale claws dug into the earth beneath her as she struggled to regain her composure, blood surging in her veins as the yowls of warring NightClan cats rose into the night. Perhaps they would frighten her off. Perhaps not.

It was the dark chocolate form of Roachpaw rearing up to let the owl feel his claws that rose Bramblepaw to her feet. Her fangs bared with all the ferocity of a wild creature, she raced in beside Roachpaw, a cat she had never considered remotely likeable, and attempted to sink her teeth into any bit of flesh she could grasp. He was not her friend. But he was her clanmate, and she wasn't about to let him face this monster without her.

206 words

[Fawn]

The kid has got a dark side

Push too far you'll see

The scent of blood was starting to fill the air. Cat blood. Roachpaw, for all his vitriol and thirst to prove himself, his worst injury was the little scar on his cheek from a nursery fight. No, that wasn't true. Cobrastrike's brand of mentoring often left him sore and a little ragged, but it was nothing like this.

Clovermask, her hide distinctive in the crisp moonlight, writhed under the onslaught of talons that threatened to permanently mar the pattern of her coat. Roachpaw's breath came out in short puffs, his pelt brushing briefly against Bramblepaw's; he didn't have time to shoot her a disgusted look at the unwanted contact. They were fighting. They were fighting for their lives.

Again. Attack it again. Roachpaw lunged the same time as his denmate, the two apprentices trying to provide Clovermask with any kind of cover to reorient herself. Buckfur, with his thick fur and even thicker frame, wasn't an easy target for an owl. Adrenaline sang through Roachpaw's bloodstream, the dark-toned tom raking his claws, trying to latch onto anything substantial, anything that he could do serious damage to.

Roachpaw

nightclan apprentice | 12 moons | words| Ghost the Undead Goddess ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 Katara

[Fawn]

The Owl Queen wrests herself free of the attacking party, but she is injured. Her flying is jagged and getting steadily lower as she tries to escape into the rest of the forest. As warriors of NightClan, you pursue without question. Injuries are present in the attacking party as well, but it's clear to everyone involved that you are so close to finishing this.

She gets maybe fifteen, twenty feet before the damaged flight feathers finally give way. A messy landing and angry screech make for a cornered wild animal.

Be careful.

OOC: The battle continues! Please follow the link below to enter the new combat thread with the Owl Queen. Her health stats have been drastically reduced (now 60 HP!) to make this go much, much faster and reflect the damage done. Per the rules of the first thread, please pick one mini boss and one mini boss only - we don't want to confuse the plugin's algorithm by having one user in multiple fights.

LINK: fiveclansfate.proboards.com/thread/9555/tooth-claw-event-nightclan-mini

Katara ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 Ghost the Undead Goddess