Post by Disabled on Aug 7, 2019 10:39:44 GMT -5
ROOTSTAR
Name:
Age:
56 moons
Gender:
Tom
Clan:
ShadowClan
Rank:
Leader (all nine lives remain)
- ambition, loyalty, sympathy, endurance, strength, duty, mercy, forgiveness -
Reason For Name:
The coloring of his pelt and stomach.
Summary Appearance:
Dark and light brown tom with fierce green eyes.
Appearance:
Rootstar is a slim but muscled tom, darker brown on top like one giant leaf while the underside of him is a light brown, like roots in the sunspots of the trees above. The only other colors on him are the white that covers his mouth and the fierce green that makes up his eyes. Because of his personality, he seems bigger than he actually is and first impressions are usually intimidating. His paws are large, as is his legs, and he doesn't stand very tall. To outsiders, he has an unwavering, unimpressed expression, especially at Gatherings when his cold glare doesn't flinch. His clanmates, however, know how much is a mask and how much isn't; in camp, he's still unwavering, and yes, he can come off as intimidating, but he's warmer, some cat smaller in size and more equal to them than those outside see.
Breed:
Domestic Shorthair
Summarized Personality:
distant, intimidating, unrelenting, passionate, protective
Personality:
When asked to describe Rootstar, most cats cannot come up with the same answer. Some say distant, others say dutiful, some say intimidating, yet others say he's selfless. The truth of the matter, is that he's all. He has a strong distrust of the other clans, with that comes a cold and impassive attitude to anyone that doesn't belong to ShadowClan. He won't necessarily deny help to a cat in need, regardless of Clan. However, to his clanmates, he's still intimidating at the worst of times and distant at the best, but he makes himself available to talk if anyone needs it. He respects his Clan and makes every attempt to keep it safe and secure and well-protected, tries to make sure that no drama lies in camp. He tends to be slightly awkward underneath his frosty exterior.
Relations;
Parents:
Leafsong - Mother
Thrushthroat - Father
Siblings:
Amberpaw [F - deceased]
Mate:
None
Kits:
None
Mentor:
Barkclaw
Previous Apprentice(s):
Swiftrunner [deceased], Owleyes
History:
"He'll be the root of all of our problems, Leafsong, just you wait." Rootkit was born, along with his sister Amberkit, to Leafsong and Thrushthroat. Since his birth, his father had taken an immediate dislike to him, finding his silence as a kit to be unnerving and believed there was something wrong with him and never treated him fairly. He strongly favored Amberkit and tried to split the family apart. Leafsong tried to keep the family together, tried to convince Thrushthroat that Rootkit was just quiet and there was nothing wrong with him, but he wouldn't believe her. Rootkit spent his kit years trying to impress his father and keep the relationship he had with his mother and sister, who reacted like any other kit sibling would and played with him.
"If we don't root him out now, there might not be a ShadowClan left!" His apprentice years didn't fare much better. His only saving grace was that his mother and sister still supported him and he was assigned a senior warrior as a mentor who was determined to teach him everything he knew in an effort to make him the best warrior after the rumors spread by Thrushthroat. Amberpaw was assigned a more gentle mentor but Rootpaw didn't mind, he enjoyed the extra hard work that went into caring for his Clan. Things were starting to look up for a while, he had a wonderful relationship with half of his family and he and his mentor got along great; he was learning everything quickly and efficiently. fighting to improve himself every day he went out with Barkclaw.
Things, however, did not stay peaceful. Nearing his ten moon mark, Amberpaw suddenly went missing, vanished from the territory with the only trace being her scent mixed with Rootpaw's and the sharp smell of blood in the far reaches of the territory. Thrushthroat went into a frenzy, blaming Rootpaw for her disappearance and insisting that he had done away with her. The entire clan searched and searched, yet no sign of her was found. Rootpaw was stricken; he loved his sister! He wasn't very talkative - she was - but he enjoyed listening to her stories about her adventures and her training exercises and he loved training beside her. She was one of the few who supported him! He'd never do anything to harm her! Unfortunately for him, the clan was more inclined to believe a senior warrior over an apprentice who didn't seem to get along with any other cats. They called for him to be cast out but Cedarstar, the fair leader that he was, insisted that he wouldn't unless evidence was found that Rootpaw had anything to do with it. There wasn't. A week later and her body was found under the Burnt Sycamore, body bruised and bloody and lifeless with the strong scent of rogue over her.
A party was formed to hunt the rogue down, Rootpaw and Thrushthroat among them. Their hunt took them just outside of the territory to a makeshift den, one rogue laid out peacefully. After a small interrogation, the rogue admitted to killing her, shrugging, 'she attacked me first. I didn't know she was basically a kit, she looks just like the lot of you now!' Rootpaw attacked, barreling the unsuspecting rogue over and poised his claws to kill, but he couldn't find it in him to take a life in an act of revenge. His father did it for him, screeching at him that he was weak and a fool before murdering the rogue before him. Many apologies were give to Rootpaw that day, and he accepted all of them; he would forgive - but he would not forget.
"Thrushthroat, he is the root that is binding us together right now so I suggest you back off!" Thrushthroat and Leafsong split apart a moon before his warrior ceremony, his mother unable to take the obvious hatred towards Rootpaw, even after he was proven innocent. The Clan believed Thrushthroat was starking mad, but some remained his friend and others believed he was useful. Rootpaw was left alone to suffer in his silence, only his mother for support. He received his name, Rootbelly, for his coloration and not much else, but he didn't mind. Barkclaw had trained him well, and the knowledge would serve him for moons more to come.
He got his first apprentice five moons later, a spunky apprentice by the name of Swiftpaw. She was eager to learn and it reminded him of the relationship he had with Barkclaw, plus she didn't hate him so he poured all his energy, and her energy, into training her. She learned quickly, mastering the basic hunting and fighting moves before she was halfway through her apprenticeship. The advanced moves took a bit longer but she didn't give up, instead putting her energy to getting better and better. As far as Rootbelly was concerned, Swiftpaw was the best apprentice he could've asked for. He followed her into battle and into hunts and watched as she came out victorious each time, proudly sitting next to her when she became Swiftrunner, named for her agility.
Things couldn't last forever, his good streak finally failing the day Stonetooth, the previous deputy, died one leafbare to greencough. Rootbelly was appointed the new deputy that same night, and shortly after Swiftrunner was escorted to the medicine cat's den for coughing fits. She never got better, and as they honored her body, Rootbelly caught sight of his father's smug glare from across camp, chilling him. If every cat close to him died, how could he possibly be deputy?
He was appointed a new apprentice three moons later, a shy apprentice named Owlpaw that Rootbelly had trouble bringing out of his shell. But he tried hard to impress Rootbelly - he was the deputy, after all! Swiftrunner's death still hung heavily over his head whenever they would go out for training sessions, but overall, nothing important happened during Owlpaw's apprentice years, and eventually he became Owleyes, for his impressive sight. Rootbelly worried something would happen to Owleyes too, but nothing did.
"You will be the one who shakes ShadowClan to it's very roots." With newleaf came the end of Cedarstar's final life, and with that his travel to Highstones for his lives. He was hesitant to even travel there, partially worried that Cedarstar's final life was ended by him in some way, but the medicine cat, whom he had shared his troubles with, pushed him along, almost dragging him there. His world blossomed the moment he laid back down. Cats he had lived with but never forgotten were suddenly before him again, and even though he wanted to brush his fur against their's, his paws stayed firmly rooted (unintended pun, for once) to his spot.
With Cedarstar came the live of ambition, to always seek new ways to improve the Clan and better himself for the Clan.
With Stonetooth came loyalty, to stick to his Clan through thick and thin and never give up on the cats close to him.
With Lilydrop, a former queen killed by greencough, came sympathy, to understand his warriors might have their own troubles and to never punish them for mistakes they may make.
He greeted Swiftrunner with a firm lick to her head, resting his head on her shoulder. The life she gave, endurance, burned his muscles until he felt he had been running for moons without stopping. With her life came the endurance to lead, whether it be through the cold moons or through battle, and never exhaust. It pained him to see her step back into StarClan's ranks, but he knew it had to be done.
With Brindlenose, a queen who died during labor, came strength, to know the strength of him and his Clan and knowing when to stop and reserve strength for another day, and the strength to keep going.
With Mossfire, the elder who had passed away to old age when Rootbelly was young, came the life of duty, to understanding that it was his duty to care for his Clan and see it through until his very end, to never stop giving and never taking.
With Mousetail, a warrior who had died shortly after the confrontation of Amberpaw's murder, came the life of mercy, to forgive his enemies without killing in retaliation and understand not every battle must end in revenge.
Lastly, was Amberpaw, the sister who would never see the joy of being a warrior. She was so young, unfitting of the other warriors and leaders and queens who had given his lives previously. With her life came forgiveness, to understanding that some things happen for a reason and some don't and not to let it fuel his anger, to not seek revenge over anything that could happen to him. To forgive and forget, means forgiveness. Her life felt like it was crushing all of his bones while also healing them at the same time, and she stepped back before he could call out for her.
As he woke, he made one thing clear. No matter the battle, no matter the war, his Clan would prosper, even if it meant burning the others to the ground.
