Oakstar :: Leader :: RiverClan :: Tom
Mar 18, 2010 20:59:14 GMT -5
Post by .:Fawn:. on Mar 18, 2010 20:59:14 GMT -5
Name: Oakstar
Age: 60 moons (5 years)
Do you Honor?: StarClan, only when it counts
Mate: -
Kits: -
Gender: Tom
Clan: RiverClan
Rank: Leader
Breed: Toyger mix
Appearance:
Age: 60 moons (5 years)
Do you Honor?: StarClan, only when it counts
Mate: -
Kits: -
Gender: Tom
Clan: RiverClan
Rank: Leader
Breed: Toyger mix
Appearance:
Like the Shere Khan of the forest, Oakstar brings with him a massive presence of power and behemoth-like strength as he plays his role as RiverClan's noble leader. However, this beastly aura surrounding the tom isn't due simply to his reputation; his appearance alone has often provided those around him with more than enough reasons to give him a very very wide berth. Oakstar is like a living, breathing reminder of the Clan LionClan and LeopardClan once fought against—the proud and mighty TigerClan. Oakstar has a large, stable bone-structure, long bodied and muscular, his tail is set and carried low to the ground. Sharp, rounded ears, large white chin and muzzle with a broad dark-pink nose-tip, Oakstar is what some might call 'unique'. Oakstar is a brawny, broad-shouldered tom who looks as though he'd sooner sink than float on the waters RiverClan cats love so dearly, but, Oakstar, if anything, is packed full of unexpected twists—his overall agility being one of them. His fur is a deep, rustic orange that appears darker in some areas and lighter in others along his chin and the sides of his jaws, this dark color complimented by the fierce-looking black stripes covering him from front-paw to tail-tip. The texture of Oakstar's fur is something to be admired as well; short, sleek, and unnaturally plush, his thick fur presents him with a good defense against the chills of leafbare, but it does make him somewhat uncomfortable in the heat of green-leaf.Personality:
Oakstar resembles a ShadowClan warrior more so than he does a RiverClan warrior, and this has sparked some controversy in his earliest days, but nothing he cannot overcome. Oakstar's pelt has adapted to his daily water routine, and, despite his heavy, muscular build, he's actually a very strong swimmer. His 60 moons of life however, haven't been that nice to him. 30 moons ago, he had a nasty fight with an owl in the forest part of RiverClan territory, and escaped with one dead owl, a deep scratch across his muzzle, and a wickedly jagged-looking wound across his right shoulder. It took all of his strength to carry such a big creature back to camp in his injured state, but Oakstar has always been a natural born fighter. 30 moons later, Oakstar still carries the scar across his shoulder from the owl's attack, and keeps it as a warning to cats from enemy clans, as if to say 'be careful outsider, I've torn apart bigger prey than the likes of you, and have no qualms against doing it again'. All along Oakstar's hind legs are numerous scrapes and battle scars that have yet to heal completely, his body serving as a timeline of events that have happened most recently; Oakstar is a reflection to life within RiverClan.
In summary, Oakstar is a massive tiger-like tom with an overbearing presence of power and stamina, who presents himself as something to be both feared and noted by all eight Clans—as well as the divine Clans they hold their faith in. His eyes are a sharp bracken-leaf green, and seem to glitter with all the wisdom of RiverClan's previous leaders combined. However much power and force of presence comes from Oakstar's appearance, much of his notoriety amongst the Clans spawns from the tom's past, and his chosen method of handling certain situations.
Oakstar's personality definitely leaves something to be desired. After 60 moons of life and life-changing experiences, Oakstar comes off as a cold-hearted, occasionally fractious tom without much concern for anything that doesn't seem Clan-threatening. This wasn't always the case with him; Oakstar has led a very troubling life the likes of which no kit or apprentice could ever hope to understand—heck, even some of the older warriors can't quite fathom what all their leader has been through. The many moons he's fought under, trained under, and even loved under, have left claw-marks all over the tabby tom's heart, whittling away his emotions until only the bare necessities are left. At one time in his life, Oakstar had been a courageous, adventurous kit who cared only for the thrill of the hunt, delighting in exploring the outside world to it's fullest extent. As an apprentice, this rebellious, adventurous quality dimmed under the weight of his desire to prove himself, Oakstar becoming headstrong and wily, capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the best. His days as an apprentice and first few moons as a warrior were undoubtedly some of the best moments of his life, but only a few flickering shadows remain of the warm-hearted, fearless youth he'd once been. Oakstar's proud, loving younger self seems to have washed downstream a very long time ago...History:
As a warrior, he learned the bitter truths and realities he had yet to realize as an apprentice, and these affected him deeply. The death of his closest friends and comrades shook him to the core, consequently hardening his skin until each passing death of those around him rolled off his pelt like raindrops on a brand-new car. With this hardened resistance to feline mortality, Oakstar came off as ruthless and insensitive to his Clanmates, but it was only in the face of his enemies in which his newfound brutality and anger truly became something to fear. As a warrior, Oakstar had become furious with the world and with StarClan for taking away those he'd loved and needed—he held a grudge against those star-studded warriors for many, many moons. Life as a senior warrior and deputy found him cold and emotionally cut off from every cat. Before becoming deputy, his loyalty and honor, faced with the doubt and distrust from his Clanmates had strengthened and taken front-and-center on the list of Oakstar's best qualities. It's a short list, no matter how any cat looks at it.
Now the leader of RiverClan, his personality has suffered infinitesimal changes since his ascension to the head of the Clan. Oakstar continues to remain the stern, cold-hearted and fearless cat he's always been—but a few more normally well-hidden emotions can now be seen on occasion. Due to certain circumstances in Oakstar's past, the tiger-striped tom has a soft-spot for kits and she-cats, taking on a somewhat gentler tone and form of address when speaking with them. Yes, even the fearsome Oakstar is capable of showing affection. Whether Oakstar's grudge against StarClan has waned in recent moons is unclear, but all signs seem to point towards Oakstar taking an entirely indifferent approach to the matters of faith and the heart, shutting himself off from these things completely until needed. It's been moons since Oakstar has ever felt the need to laugh or truly feel happy about something, but this doesn't mean he isn't proud of his Clan; absent of a family or family ties of any kind, Oakstar views all of RiverClan as his family. He feels their pain, their sorrow, their joys, their love, and that quiet inner strength all RiverClan cats seem to possess. Oakstar isn't the most expressive of cats, but what he lacks in emotional understanding he makes up for in undying fearlessness in the face of animosity and strife. Oakstar would be the cat to call should someone ever need a strong back-up plan; he'll without question perform to the best of his abilities—with or without his claws unsheathed.
Oakstar was born to a much-loved RiverClan she-cat by the name of Willowstream, and an unknown ShadowClan tom. Rumors circulated around for a while that it was the fabled Russetstar of ShadowClan, but his mother fastidiously denied it. Oak-kit was the second born out of a litter of three healthy kits, his siblings being Riverkit and Lightkit. Oak-kit maintained a close relationship with his brother and sister for the first four moons, and he grew up happy and healthy, constantly playing with Riverkit and Lightkit whenever there was a chance. At 6 moons of age, a week or so before their apprentice ceremony, tragedy struck Oak-kit and his family. Adventurous and brimming with a curiosity that could not be stifled, Oak-kit had led his siblings out of RiverClan camp one afternoon, to have a quick peek around the water's edge before anyone could stop them. Riverkit, the youngest of Oak-kit's siblings, had been recovering from a small cold and was in no condition to be playing out by the riverbanks. Riverkit lost his footing and fell in. Oak-kit, naturally feeling responsible for his brother, went in after him and would've drowned right alongside Riverkit had it not been for the returning border patrol. Both kits were successfully pulled to safety, but Riverkit had swallowed so much water that no amount of herbs and prayers to StarClan was going to save him. Oak-kit blamed himself for the accident, but his mother and single remaining sibling denied any accusations of it being his fault. Oak-kit, now known as Oakpaw, welcomed the fun times his life as an apprentice brought him, eager to put the past behind him. Growing up, Oakpaw had two cats he could happily call his best friends. One was the playful and loyal Duskpaw, a tom, and the other was Oakpaw's future sweetheart, Goldenpaw—a beautiful golden tabby she-cat who never failed to put a smile on his face. There was another apprentice alongside Oakpaw, Oakpaw's sister Lightpaw and his friends in the Apprentice's den, and she went by Tawnypaw. Tawnypaw wasn't a cat Oakpaw was particularly fond of, but ask anyone around, and they'd all put forth the same information; Tawnypaw was obsessively in love with Oakpaw.Roleplay Example:
Tawnypaw had been the youngest of her mother's only litter, and, though no one could confirm for sure whether this was true or not, the occasional rumor circulated around camp that Tawnypaw hadn't been breathing properly when she was born. Perhaps the lack of oxygen to her brain had left her a bit...odd, or maybe she was just a little strange—whatever the reason, Tawnypaw was definitely a piece of work for Oakpaw and his friends. At 12 moons of age, Oakpaw became Oakstripe, Duskpaw became Duskstripe, and Goldenpaw became Goldenflower. Three moons later, Tawnypaw earned her warrior name of Tawnyfur. Now that they were warriors, the budding romance between Goldenflower and Oakstripe was free to blossom whichever way they wanted it to, and much to the dismay of Tawnyfur, the two were approved of by a majority of their Clanmates. Only Tawnyfur seemed to seethe with hatred every time Goldenflower's name was mentioned.
Perhaps it was Goldenflower's declaration of love that finally caused something in her brain to snap, or maybe it was the way Oakstripe glowed with pride and adoration whenever the she-cat entered the room... Whatever it was, Tawnyfur had finally had enough. The crazed female finally seized her chance to do something about this during a brief fight at the WindClan border; in the midst of all the action, no one really noticed Tawnyfur spilling Goldenflower's blood. It wasn't until the skies had cleared and the fight had ended that any warrior noticed their dead comrade. The incident was blamed upon the WindClan border patrol, but it was only Oakstripe and Duskstripe who pointed the finger of blame at Tawnyfur. It took all of his best friend's strength to restrain Oakstripe from tearing the wretched she-cat limb from limb, but soon enough Oakstripe and Duskstripe had bigger problems to worry about.
Oakstripe's first apprentice was a young, friendly she-cat by the name of Minnowpaw, and Oakstripe was finally given the chance to put his grief and his anger behind him, the tom able to be himself around the able-bodied, green-eyed she-cat. At 28 moons of age, Oakstripe was proud to witness Minnowpaw sit beside him as a fellow warrior, the she-cat he'd mentored for so many moons now going by the name of Minnowpelt. Only two moons later did the incident with the owl occur. At 40 moons, Oakstripe became deputy of RiverClan after the passing of Onestar and the ascension of the former deputy to the place of leader. It was at this time that Oakstripe's dearest friend, Duskstripe died from Blackcough. Oakstripe's list of friends and loved ones had gotten very short by this point, and it was during this unfortunate phase of his life that Oakstripe's less-than-pleasant qualities began to show themselves. After only 4 moons of being deputy, tragedy struck RiverClan once more with the death of their leader's last life—a strange, hereditary illness having robbed their leader of all 9 lives. Oakstripe was mentally unprepared to assume the role of Oakstar, leader of RiverClan, but his record as a warrior said otherwise.
Throughout 44 moons of life, Oakstar, formerly known as Oakstripe, had fought in 6 battles, 4 border fights, and personally chased off several rogues and kittypets from the premises. The next 16 moons of Oakstar's life saw him as the proud, mighty figurehead of RiverClan, the tom making sure that wherever he went, cats would know his name—and know that he had mourned, suffered, and fought greatly in order to get to where he is today.
Since becoming leader, Oakstar has refrained from losing any of the nine lives his loved ones have given him. He's somewhat stingy about losing them, because they're all that he has left to remember his friends and family by. That doesn't mean he'd hesitate to sacrifice himself for the sake of his Clanmates, that just means he'd inwardly complain about it the whole time.
Oakstripe's tail twitched uncomfortably as he lay down beside the Starpool, wishing for the world that there could be a less eerie way to communicate with StarClan—before the spiritually induced sleep overtook him, and he was whisked away into the heavens. He found himself in a forest shrouded in mist, the air cool all around his massive, striped paws as he walked a few steps forward—the tom on full alert for anything suspicious. So this is the fabled Silverpelt, Oakstripe inwardly assumed, his fierce green eyes narrowing as he glanced up—the tom suddenly lurching back in astonishment as the stars above him began to move. Without giving him much time to prepare, eight celestial shapes began to descend from the heavens to stand before him, Oakstripe's eyes widening as he started to recognize the many faces staring back at him from Silverpelt. “Duskstripe! Goldenflower!” Those were the first names to touch the striped tabby warrior's lips, a deep pang of sadness and loss entering Oakstripe as he fixed his gaze solely on his best friend and first love. They didn't rush out to greet him with open arms, but he could see it in their eyes that they were happy to see him. Oakstripe's rumbling mew penetrated the thick atmosphere between them as Duskstripe stepped forward to speak, “Are you here to give me my nine lives?” Duskstripe nodded, but Oakstripe's eyes narrowed as he recounted the cats here before him; there were only eight, so where then, was the ninth? It doesn't matter, perhaps some cat will give me two lives instead of one, he concluded grudgingly, and focused once more on the ceremony about to be performed.Pictures:
With warmth radiating from his pelt, Duskstripe touched noses with Oakstripe and murmured to him softly, “with this life I give you loyalty, so that you will always stay true to your Clan and to yourself. Take care, Oakstripe,” the last line was meant only for him to hear, and Oakstripe dipped his head in thanks as tears sprang to his eyes—the force of Duskstripe's heavenly glow proving to be too much for him. That, and the wave of ferocity that swept through every fiber of his being. It left him shocked and unsteady on his paws, as if he hadn't anticipated such a sudden rush of emotion—especially not from his best friend in all of RiverClan. With a sickening jolt, Oakstripe recognized the smallest cat in the group as he stepped forward, Riverkit puffing out his chest proudly as he approached his older brother. Oakstripe felt a fresh wave of pain run through his body all over again, and braced himself for the agony he would feel once Riverkit gave him his second life—feeling so sure that the tom would bear a grudge against him. Riverkit seemed to have nothing of the kind, for when he approached Oakstripe, he cheerfully looked up at him, touching noses once Oakstripe bent down low enough. “With this life, I give you kindness!” He squeaked, more than happy to play a part in his brother's ascension to the status of leader. “Use it to encourage and cheer on those around you! Especially when they need it most!” Oakstripe tried to speak, but his words became choked as he felt his second life, like warm water, flood around his body and warm him to the very core. Oakstripe, able to realize there was no ill will towards him on Riverkit's behalf, felt himself relax once more as his mother, the beloved Willowstream, stepped forward to give him his third life.
As their eyes met, Oakstripe felt himself smile as he looked upon her kindly, Willowstream returning his gaze with an affectionate look of her own. She leaned forward to press her nose to his forehead, whispering in that soft, loving voice he so often remembered from his kithood. “With this life, I give you gentility and compassion, so that you may always look upon those around you with a gentle, understanding heart.” Oakstripe nearly yowled in pain as he felt his mother's fierce compassion envelop him in a flood of emotion, the striped tom forced to lurch back on his already shaking paws. He hadn't been prepared for that. Wincing now, Oakstripe respectfully bowed his head to his mother as the fourth cat, a familiar RiverClan warrior, stepped up to greet him. It was Rustfur, one of Oakstripe's old rivals, and the cat he would've chosen for deputy had he still been alive. The rudi-colored tom glared at him proudly, as if he still considered himself better than Oakstripe somehow, but it was all in good fun. Touching noses with the tom, Rustfur announced in his proud, boastful voice; “with this life, I give you fearlessness in the face of adversary.” Rustfur's voice was strong, “use it well to guide your Clan into battle—even if all hope seems lost.” The blood roared in Oakstripe's ears, and the tiger-striped tom felt as courageous and mighty as all of TigerClan together, Oakstripe shivering with delight as he embraced his fourth life. If only the others had been like this one!
There were only four cats left in the clearing whom Oakstripe had not spoken to, and of these four, a beautiful silver she-cat approached him next. “Minnowpelt,” Oakstripe mewed with surprise and recognition, the young warrior dipping her head to him warmly, though unable to do more then that. She had died giving birth to Duskstripe's kits 15 moons ago. Filled to the brim with a kind of bittersweet pride, Oakstripe lowered his muzzle to hers and allowed their noses to touch, Minnowpelt's sweet, familiar voice wafting gently into his ears. “With this life, I give you guidance.” He felt the rush of pride and tenderness he'd first experienced when he became a mentor, and the tom found himself wishing for younger days, when he and Minnowpaw could still be out late hunting for the Clan or patrolling the RiverClan border. “Use it well to mentor the young cats of your Clan.” Finished, Minnowpelt licked Oakstripe's chest in a swift goodbye and padded back towards the other StarClan cats. Watching her go, Oakstripe suddenly stiffened as the beautiful outline of Goldenflower appeared before him, the she-cat approaching with the warm look of love in her eyes.
“Goldenflower...” he whispered, his mew full of helpless longing, but rather then feel her loving embrace as she pressed her pelt against him, he felt only the tip of her warm pink nose as it leaned against her own. Eyes glowing, the beautiful she-cat he'd once loved smiled back at him. “With this life, my sweet Oakstripe, I give you love and protection, so that you may always cherish the cats closest to you, and protect them with everything you have.” An agonizing spasm of pain shook Oakstripe on his paws, and the tom nearly collapsed from exhaustion and distress had it not been for the supporting, loving look Goldenflower was giving him. Body pulsating with the ebbing flow of gaining his sixth life, he gazed at the two remaining cats with badly concealed worry. If they expected him to survive two more rounds of that, then they'd picked the wrong cat for this job! Oakstripe gazed on sadly as Goldenflower, her warm love-filled scent still wreathed around him, stepped back to join Duskstripe and the others. The tom that approached him next was not a cat Oakstripe recognized, and the hair along his pelt bristled as the massive dark shape towered above him—Oakstripe now able to spot some of his own physical characteristics on the ghostly tom. Picking up the faintest hints of ShadowClan, Oakstripe glanced back at the other StarClan cats, as if to question what the meaning of this, but the solid brass mew of the ShadowClan cat caught hold of his attention once more. “Don't look so worried, Oakstripe.” The tabby tom growled, but there was a light spark of humor in the massive tom's eyes. “I, Russetstar of ShadowClan, give my son, Oakstripe his seventh life.” Whiskers quivering with surprise, the leader of RiverClan found himself staring as he looked into the face of the father he'd never known, and had no second to spare thinking up questions he could possibly ask him. The second his father touched noses with him, a sensation unlike anything he'd ever felt before rocked Oakstripe's very system.
“With this life, I give you power and tireless energy, so that you may never show weakness in the face of your Clanmates—or your enemies.”
Oakstripe felt as though the whole world was at his paws. He feared no living animal or thing. Let them come! Let the other Clans come out from the shadows and test his power! They would soon feel the sting of his bite and the pain of his claws as he tore the whole world apart. Oakstripe felt invincible, and he couldn't help but purr with contentment at this recently given life, the tom dipping his head to his father in silent gratitude. His purr was abruptly choked off by the appearance of his second sibling, Lightpaw, who had died bravely defending the nursery from a wily fox who grew too bold. Oakstripe let out a saddened mew as he touched noses with her first, wanting to speak before she left him forever, “The kits you protected, all of them have survived and grown up well, thanks to you.” This seemed to put a glow of relief and warmth back into his sister's eyes, and Oakstripe found himself giving her a guarded smile, not quite ready to embrace happiness when a dead loved one was staring him right in the face. “With this life,” she urged softly, “I give you trust. So that you can readily put your faith into your Clanmates just as they have put theirs into you.” Bracing himself for more pain and indescribable agony, Oakstripe nearly let out a mew of surprise as the feeling that hit him was not unpleasant, and he accepted the warmth and support blossoming in his chest readily. Growing alarmed however, the tabby tom realized that he'd only received eight lives that time—and that all the cats that had come here were sitting down, looking expectant. So where then, was the ninth cat?
Suddenly, a dark mist cut through the silvery night air like the edge of a knife, and the StarClan cats stood to allow one cat passage—Oakstripe letting out a murderous hiss as he recognized the she-cat padding toward him. Tawnyfur! Seething with rage, Oakstripe glared into the faces of his loved ones, silently demanding what their reasoning was behind all of this—and none but his own beloved Goldenflower seemed brave enough to explain it. “She has come from the Dark Forest to bestow your last life upon you, Oakstripe, please accept it. If not for yourself,” her eyes burned into his pelt, urging him on strongly, “accept it for your Clan.” That was the last thing he'd ever expected Goldenflower to say to him, and it was only because it was she who had spoken it that he even bothered looking at the guilty she-cat at all. Tawnyfur looked grim and apologetic as she approached, her tanned fur appearing matted and dirty as though she'd become a rogue recently, blood under he claws signaling her constant fight for food. “Oakstripe,” she spoke, and the tom she was addressing instantly hissed back at her furiously,Tawnyfur remained unflinching. “With this life, I give you forgiveness—“ again he hissed at her in contempt “—so that you can see through the actions of others and realize the emotions that lie beneath them.” Oakstripe, without waiting for a cue of any sort, bitterly pressed his nose to Tawnyfur's and then lurched back, his claws appearing once more as a searing, guilty pain coursed through his veins like wildfire. “There! You're done, now get out of here!” He snapped at her viciously, and had he not been in the presence of StarClan cats, he might've chased her all the way back to the Dark Forest himself.
Tawnyfur glanced back at him solemnly, looking mournful and upset—but Oakstripe paid her no mind, and forced his attention back upon the cats still remaining. Duskstripe, Oakstripe's dearly departed best friend, stepped forward one last time to complete the ceremony.
“I hail you by your new name, Oakstar.” The kind-hearted tom mewed, his eyes glowing.
“Your old life is no more. You have no received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants to you the guardianship of RiverClan. Defend it well; care for you and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with dignity and pride.”
“Oakstar! Oakstar!” Just as the forest Clans would acclaim a new warrior by name, so the cats of StarClan acclaimed Oakstar, their rich, wisdom filled voices tingling in the air as they cried. “Oakstar! Oakstar!”
The tiger-striped tabby awoke with a start, and, without waiting for word from the Medicine Cat, slowly rose to his paws. Rolling his neck and flexing his claws, the former deputy was glad to be back in the world of the living. Turning his gaze toward the exit tunnel, the mighty Oakstar, leader of RiverClan, proudly made his way out into the sunlight.
The Mighty Oakstar of RiverClan!Codeword:
Oakstar killed it.
. I really love Oakstar. He's very real, and full of faults and redeeming qualities. He's made mistakes, and he's made good choices. And I loved how you put his lives into his roleplay example. Does he still have all of his lives, or has he lost any? That's the only question I have.