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WEATHER
🍂
Leaf-Fall
Year 00 — Fall Moon This season is the wettest time of the year, with the most rain falling. The moisture is bringing out all sorts of moss and fungus. Fog is often dense in areas. The leaves are magnificent colours of auburns and golds. The salmon are running upstream now, and are plentiful. Temperatures vary, but it tends to get no warmer than 51°F/11°C and can get as low as 23°F/-5°C.
Dawn had barely begun to kiss the horizon when the patrol arrived to the Valley of Snow. It bathed the valley in a soft pink glow as it chased away the evening and brought forward some much welcomed warmth to the peaks. It was beginning to become frigidly cold outside in recent mornings, and today was no exception. Frost hung on the delicate green clovers until it was pushed aside by hurried paws. SummitClan cats, you have been given a simple task. Gather what supplies you can of moss and herbs, and then head back to camp with haste. The marmots have disappeared for the foreseeable future, and there are many hungry eyes scouring the rocks here.
Next Steps
Must Be Canon By: October 26th, 2024
Auto Skip Timer: 72 hrs Synopsis: The marmots huddling down for leafbare so early has been noted as a sign from StarClan that it is time for SummitClan to brace for the winter as well. You’ve been sent to go to the Valley of Snow and gather the lush moss that grows there and the dwindling herbs, but this isn’t just some apprentice task. With the marmots hibernating, the predators of the mountains are growing hungrier… Hopefully, your patrol can avoid them. 🚨 Content Warnings: Potentially mild violence ⌛ Pacekeeper: solstice 🐾 Post Order: 1. Cottonpaw, played by solstice 2. Magpiestrike, played by safi 3. Geraniumclaw, played by luna 4. The Realm, played by the The Realm
Welcome to the first Catalyst Thread! If you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to the Keeper team on Discord. Please make use of the C.A.T.S RPG system and use an ability in your post! We will likely require certain types of abilities to be rolled as we continue through this thread. Let's test out this system!
every step cottonpaw took was calculated, though the fact he could barely feel his paws was making it far more difficult than he initially thought it'd be. his fur was fluffed up, and he swore the moisture that clung to it from brushing against some of the remaining grasses was freezing to his pelt. he was very aware that this was a dangerous mission, and though he went on it enthusiastically, he wasn't feeling the most confident about their chances.
he stayed close to magpiestrike, keeping himself quick but silent as he crept onward, keeping his ears pricked and his eyes keen. the sooner they found what they were looking for, the better. his tail flicked gently behind him as he pressed on, trying to ignore his numb paws.
"i feel so exposed," he finally spoke softly, "how much do you think we'll need? the longer we're here, the more it feels like i've got bugs under my fur."
sneaking roll: 2
almost on cue, the tom stumbled slightly, his numb paws making it difficult to feel the ground underfoot. he let out a soft yelp of surprise, quickly catching himself and pulling himself back up with puffed-out fur and wide eyes.
"...uh, sorry." he blurted quickly, trying to flatten his fur.
he stared at the other two before quickly giving his chest a few nervous licks, then licking at his frozen pads, trying to warm them up enough to feel the ground. how embarrassing...
[attr="class","prismcol-quote"]so i leaped, down, down, down i go, tell myself i'm a tough girl
[attr="class","prismh2"]
[attr="class","prismcol-body"]
[attr="class","prism-textbox"]If she was asked whether she wanted to freeze off her whiskers in pursuit of moss and herbs, Magpie would have sworn with a streak so blue that Starclan themselves would look upon her and bar her from entry. She sticks close to Cotton lest she catch a lecture from Geranium about... Well anything really. She had tried to avoid being drafted to collect herbs in the first place regardless.
Why not take her brother? He would have surely enjoyed a task like this more. She can do something more interesting like hunting. She hopes that they see a predator so she at least have something to break up the monotony. But that's not worth speaking aloud into existence lest she suffer someone nipping at her tail or batting her around the ears for being so reckless.
"Not the foggiest. I think my whiskers are gonna freeze off." She says to Cotton, snickering to herself when he puts a paw wrong and nearly falls over. She's much more used to the cold, although that might have more to do with her thick fur than any experience. Still, she moves over to offer a paw if needed, even though he has no problem getting back to his feet.
"What about you Ger, any idea of what exactly would make our esteemed medicine cat happy?" She says, loud enough for the other warrior to hear without her voice carrying too far.
[attr="class","prism-meta"]
[attr="class","prism-notes"]roll for exploring, competent, looking for moss/herbs - 5 great success
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geraniumclaw wasn't sure who thought it was a good idea to take her on an adventure that involved plants and not animals. she was no medicine cat, that was for sure. but she thought the two sent along with her would at least be comfortable with a few herbs. geraniumclaw could only reliably recognize two or three, and so had assumed she had been sent on this particular mission for protection. or in case an increasingly rare prey animal stepped in front of her.
it was obvious, to geraniumclaw at least, that the two younger cats preferred each other's company as opposed to her own. fine by her. they were here to do a task and do it well, no matter what their opinions were of each other.
"it seems they should have picked a different trio" geraniumclaw responded to magpiestrike, "or at least sent someone who knows more than moss."
geraniumclaw clucked her tongue. there was probably a reason behind it all, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel annoyance that she didn't know a little more. she pressed her nose closer to the ground, attempting to pick up a familiar scent that would lead them to herbs. it was the one time she wished she spent more hours recuperating, so that she might better recall the scents and appearances of the herbs.
to her surprise, a memory flooded over her, from when she was younger? she wasn't sure, but her father had dragged her along to lecture at her while the medicine cat had treated his wounds, and little geraniumkit had been astounded by the many sights and smells.
"this is good." geraniumclaw gestured towards something that a more experienced cat would certainly recognize and be able to name, but what she was only able to identify as necessary
cats: used expert tracking to find herbs. results: 6
Magpiestrike you identify the herb that Geraniumclaw has pointed out as marigold, a flowering herb that's brightly colored. You can't quite remember it's specific use, but maybe it had something to do with helping injuries? You're sure you've smelled it in a poultice placed on a scrape or two.
Geraniumclaw, you can't help the skin-prickling feeling that snakes its way up your spine. Beyond the marigold, you scented something else. Something musky. Something... feathered. The realization hits you early enough for you to turn your gaze skyward just as the shadow of a winged hunter skates over the patrol and it dives.
Cottonpaw, you were too busy fixing the front of your chest fur to even notice. It might as well have been a cloud for all you gave heed to the strange shadow. But it saw you. You feel the displacement of the air above your head just as sharp talons graze your top whiskers.
The juvenile golden eagle haphazardly lands and skids to a stop ahead of the patrol with a flurry of sharp chirps and snaps of it's beak. It's aggravated that it missed, but it's all long brown feathers and none of the grace of it's parents. Too busy trying to right itself, it never bothers to turn and look at the cats.
Patrol, you have two clear options, and a wide breadth of opportunity. You can run and hide, and hope the eagle leaves so you can collect your herbs. Or, you can choose to stand and fight or try and scare the eagle away, so that you can collect your herbs in peace. If you choose to engage in combat, this will be our first time! So please refresh yourself on the rules surrounding it. Please ping The Realm when the end of the post order comes around, so we can reply. Best of luck and happy rolling!
[attr="class","prismcol-quote"]so i leaped, down, down, down i go, telling myself i'm a tough girl
[attr="class","prismh2"]
[attr="class","prismcol-body"]
[attr="class","prism-textbox"]"Slim pickings I guess." She replies, shrugging with a flick of her tail. It seems that none of them have a good idea of what was going - why send warriors to do a healer's job? Why indeed, but she still recognises the flower that Geranium finds. It was something that she'd saw with her brother one time, bright yellow petals mixed into a mush of something. "Marigold I think? But yeah it's good-"
She's all but thought about picking the herbs before there's the sound of flapping wings and they are no longer alone. It's claws barely graze Cotton and she has visions of them sinking into his head, crushing down as hard as they can, for a brief moment before it's barely than a few paces in front of them. It must be a baby, she thinks, because an adult would not simply ignore them nor would it miss. She's seen eagles before - they aren't exactly the type to be clumsy too often.
She looks towards Geranium, trying to silently communicate something. She does decide to pick the flowers, and she takes a few quiet steps back. She could probably evade it's attention and then grab anything else that they find - she has faith that it shouldn't be an issue. It's whether the other two can keep their nerve in check, and if they can't, it's better to have at least someone who can get the drop on the bird.
An ear flicks, and she prepares to drop the marigold far enough away that it should be safe from whatever happens.
[attr="class","prism-meta"]
[attr="class","prism-notes"]rolled a 4 for sneaking - success
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