Tyranny of Brokenstar

The tyranny of Brokenstar was an event that took place from Yellowfang's Secret to Forest of Secrets, in which Brokenstar rose to power, starting an oppressive and tyrannical rule that lasted for moons and led to the deaths of many cats.
==Summary==
===Premise===
:Brokenkit was born in secret to Raggedpelt, then ShadowClan's deputy, and Yellowfang, the ShadowClan medicine cat. He was given to Lizardstripe, another ShadowClan queen, to raise, though he was frequently bullied by his foster littermates. His father Raggedpelt spoiled him, and he encouraged his son's strength as Brokenpaw grew up. His skill and strength in battle earned him the admiration of his fellow Clanmates. Brokenpaw's cunning and ambition grew when he became a warrior early after his father became leader, though he strongly desired to become deputy and eventually leader himself. After conspiring a battle with WindClan that resulted in the deputy Cloudpelt's death, Raggedstar named Brokentail his new deputy. However, Brokentail craved more power than deputyship, and he murdered his father in cold blood, ripping all nine lives away from him at once. He lied that his father was killed by a WindClan patrol. Entering his new leadership, Brokenstar desired to be respected and feared by every cat, including his own Clanmates, leading to him implementing various radical reforms to Clan life.
===Overview===
:After becoming leader, Brokenstar began apprenticing kits much too early, resulting in many dying when they should have still been in the nursery. Furthering the conflict with WindClan, Brokenstar blames Raggedstar's death on them, fueling his Clan's drive to wipe them out. Despite the numerous casualties, most of them caused by Brokenstar's callous ways, ShadowClan manages to drive out WindClan from their territory. Brokenstar pressures ThunderClan and RiverClan to share their territory with ShadowClan to feed his growing Clan. Twice, Brokenstar sends warriors to steal kits from ThunderClan, resulting in the deaths of Lionheart, Rosetail, and Spottedleaf. With the help of ShadowClan's exiled elders, ThunderClan rescues their stolen kits and drives Brokenstar out from ShadowClan. However, Brokenstar and his exiled warriors attack ThunderClan moons later in revenge, though it results in Clawface's death and Yellowfang blinding Brokenstar. Bluestar decides to keep Brokenstar, renamed to Brokentail, as ThunderClan's prisoner, much to the horror of WindClan and ShadowClan, who attack ThunderClan's camp in hopes of killing the former ShadowClan tyrant. Brokentail conspires with ThunderClan's own deputy, Tigerclaw, to try and take over the Clan, but this attempt fails. Realizing that Brokentail was too dangerous to be kept alive, Yellowfang poisons him with deathberries, but not before revealing to him that she was his mother.
==Description==
===Changing the code===
:Now under the name of Brokenstar, ShadowClan's new leader makes Blackfoot his deputy. Brokenstar reorganizes the Clan to prioritize battle training instead of hunting. To spearhead ShadowClan's battle training, he appoints Mosspaw his own apprentice, despite Mosspaw being three moons old; half the age of which a cat would normally become an apprentice. Brokenstar's reasoning is that that he wants ShadowClan to be stronger, and thus they should be training their cats in an earlier age.
:Brokenstar starts focusing solely on fighting tactics rather than hunting, appealing to the younger generation of ShadowClan. He leads his warriors into numerous battles against WindClan and ThunderClan, and he encourages all of the kits to participate in battle training sessions. During one such session, Mosspaw is killed by Wetkit and Brownkit. Unfazed, Brokenstar makes Dawnkit, Volekit, Brownkit, Wetkit and Littlekit apprentices, despite all five being well under six moons old. He gives himself Volepaw as an apprentice, and the rest are mentors who are rather close to him, including Clawface, Stumpytail, and Boulder. However, the apprentices are brought through a fierce training regiment that prioritizes fighting over hunting; apprentices were instructed to willingly provoke rats at the Carrionplace as part of their warrior assessments. When Volepaw's leg is wounded, Runningnose and Clawface sneak him to Nightpelt's camp so the kit can have a second chance at life, knowing that Brokenstar would refuse to help Volepaw recover. Brokenstar's cruel training regiment went against the warrior code, and it resulted in the deaths of Mosspaw, Badgerfang, Blossomkit, and Swampkit.
:In addition, Brokenstar reasons that all of the elders should live outside of camp and fend for themselves to avoid bothering them with the Clan's priority for battle training. Nightpelt, Brokenstar's former mentor, leads the elders to live elsewhere in ShadowClan's territory. When the elder Poolcloud is mortally wounded by a fox during leaf-bare, Nightpelt has to beg Brokenstar to allow Yellowfang to tend to her wounds, though Poolcloud eventually dies. Nightpelt eventually became the leader of the exiled cats.
===Exile of Yellowfang===
:ShadowClan's medicine cat Yellowfang was one of Brokenstar's most outspoken opponents; Runningnose kept Volepaw's survival a secret from Yellowfang because he feared she would attack Brokenstar for it. To remove her from ShadowClan, Brokenstar kills Marigoldkit and Mintkit, two young kits and Yellowfang's younger siblings, in the forest and pins their deaths on Yellowfang. He manages to convince almost the entirety of ShadowClan of this lie; even Yellowfang's mother and father, Brightflower and Brackenfoot. Only Runningnose, Nutwhisker, Rowanberry, and Newtspeck side with Yellowfang and challenge Brokenstar's claim. In spite of her repeated claims of innocence, Brokenstar exiles Yellowfang from ShadowClan. She goes into ThunderClan territory and meets Firepaw shortly thereafter. Brokenstar warns the other Clans of Yellowfang's exile, insisting she is a danger to their kits. With Yellowfang gone, Runningnose is left to treat the wounds of his Clanmates, despite privately disagreeing with Brokenstar's leadership.
===Territory gain===
:ShadowClan had been at war with WindClan for several generations. With Brokenstar claiming that WindClan killed his father Raggedstar, he funnels ShadowClan's rage towards destroying WindClan in aspirations for peace. ShadowClan relentlessly raided WindClan's camp from leaf-fall to newleaf, as Brokenstar saw any excuse to attack their neighbors to secure more prey for ShadowClan. Eventually, Brokenstar and Blackfoot arrange a meeting with Tallstar and Deadfoot by the Thunderpath to force WindClan to leave, though ShadowClan mercilessly attacks WindClan's camp in the process. Brokenstar demands WindClan should leave or face death, causing WindClan to flee their home. ShadowClan claims the moorlands for themselves, and pressures RiverClan and ThunderClan to share their territory or risk the same fate as WindClan. Only Crookedstar relents, wanting to prevent fighting two Clans at once with the loss of Sunningrocks to ThunderClan. ThunderClan alone stands against Brokenstar's treacheries.
===Stealing the kits===
:To fuel his growing numbers, Brokenstar orders Blackfoot to lead a raid on ThunderClan's camp to steal their kits when Bluestar is detected leaving for the Moonstone. Blackfoot leads Ratscar, Stumpytail, Clawface, Lizardstripe, Russetfur, Deerfoot, Boulder, and Scorchwind to raid ThunderClan's camp while Blackfoot sneaks into the nursery. The elder Rosetail confronts him, resulting in Blackfoot killing her. Blackfoot's attempts to steal the kits are halted by Yellowfang just as Bluestar and her patrol arrives back into camp. ShadowClan eventually flees, though the deputy Lionheart and the elder Rosetail are killed.
:As a result of the failed attempt, Brokenstar orders Clawface alone to abduct kits from ThunderClan. He steals Frostfur and Lionheart's four kits and kills ThunderClan's medicine cat Spottedleaf. Yellowfang heads off on her own after detecting Clawface's scent, causing ThunderClan to suspect her of stealing the kits. Bluestar sends Firepaw to find Yellowfang, and Yellowfang tells Firepaw and Graypaw the truth about Brokenstar's crimes. Yellowfang recruits Nightpelt, Dawncloud, and Ashfur to help ThunderClan retrieve their missing kits in exchange for defeating Brokenstar. The plan is successful, and many ShadowClan warriors join in on forcing Brokenstar out. After the battle, Brokenstar is forced out of ShadowClan with his most loyal followers. Now humiliated and his intentions known, Brokenstar begins plotting his revenge. 
:Nightpelt takes up the leadership mantle of ShadowClan, becoming Nightstar and appointing his nephew Cinderfur as deputy. However, because Brokenstar was still recognized by StarClan as ShadowClan's leader, Nightstar is refused his nine lives. Nightstar and Runningnose decide that no cat needs to know that Nightstar was refused nine lives, and instead lie that he had actually received them.
===Attack on ThunderClan===
:Brokenstar plots his revenge on ThunderClan due to their pivotal role in driving him out. Fireheart finds rabbit bones left on their territory, and Yellowfang recognizes Brokenstar's scent on them. However, Bluestar is already away on a patrol and Tigerclaw leads another patrol to brazenly attack the nearest ShadowClan patrol in revenge. With so few warriors left in camp, Fireheart sounds the alarm and sends Brackenpaw to fetch Tigerclaw's patrol immediately. Brokenstar strides into ThunderClan's camp with four of his exiled warriors. However, Brokenstar and his band of rogues are defeated, with Graystripe killing Clawface to save Fireheart's life and Yellowfang blinding Brokenstar.
:Instead of killing Brokenstar for his crimes, Bluestar decides to keep him as their prisoner, with Yellowfang and Whitestorm insisting that killing him would make them as low as he was. She reverts his name to Brokentail. This is met with outrage from many ThunderClan cats, but does settle down after Brokentail is revealed to be blind and no longer a threat.
===Conspiring with Tigerclaw===
:Even though Bluestar showed Brokentail mercy, he is relentlessly harassed by kits, while some warriors such as Darkstripe do nothing to stop it. Yellowfang still displayed motherly affection to Brokentail, allowing him supervised time outside of the camp and grooming his pelt. Tigerclaw begins to spend more time with Brokentail, secretly plotting to take over ThunderClan. Nightstar and Tallstar are outraged to learn that Brokenstar is still alive, and threaten to kill him themselves if ThunderClan does not. Crookedstar remains indifferent about Brokentail, but somewhat agrees that he is too dangerous to keep alive, even if he is blind. Bluestar refuses to kill Brokentail, which results in both ShadowClan and WindClan attacking ThunderClan's camp in an attempt to kill the former ShadowClan leader. They are beaten back by ThunderClan. Despite challenges by her warriors, Bluestar remains firm in her decision to protect Brokentail.
:Eventually, Tigerclaw is revealed to be a traitor to ThunderClan, and was conspiring with Brokentail and his rogues to usurp the leadership from Bluestar and become ThunderClan's leader. After sending out most of ThunderClan's warriors on patrol, he tries to kill Bluestar, but he is defeated by Fireheart. Brokentail, while blind, is a formidable fighter, though a RiverClan patrol arrives to help ThunderClan defeat the rogues. Realizing that as long as her son is alive he remains a threat to all cats, Yellowfang poisons Brokentail with deathberries under the guise that they will heal him, knowing he is on his last life. Brokentail eats the berries, and is then informed that Yellowfang is his mother. Brokentail refuses to believe his mother was Yellowfang, and succumbs to the poison, ending his life and his hold on ShadowClan.
===Deaths as a result of Brokenstar's schemes===
==Aftermath==
:Even in death, Brokenstar's reign had many effects on the living world. He was sent to the Place of No Stars upon his death, due to his evil nature, where he gave himself back his leader name and conspired with cats such as Hawkfrost and Mapleshade to train young cats in their dreams to fight for them. He had notable influence on Tigerheart and Blossomfall, appealing to them with the promise of power. His spirit was eventually killed by Yellowfang during the Great Battle.
:Brokenstar's followers eventually banded together with Tigerclaw when he was exiled from ThunderClan. In ShadowClan, Nightstar and several other cats perished from the carrionplace sickness, leaving ShadowClan for Tigerclaw to take control of.
==Characters==
===Brokenstar===
:Being born in secret to Yellowfang and Raggedstar, Yellowfang believes Brokenstar's evil nature was a result of her breaking the Warrior code. Brokenstar was emotionally abused by his foster mother, Lizardstripe, and bullied by his foster siblings. His heritage also sparked rumors that a Kittypet or even Foxheart was his biological mother. Regardless, due to his arrogant and aggressive tendencies, Cedarstar gives him Nightpelt as a mentor, hoping that Nightpelt's more positive personality would edge out Brokenpaw's. However, this backfires as Brokenpaw sees Nightpelt as "weak", from his illness, and instead seeks training from Raggedpelt, who spoiled him.
:When he becomes a warrior, Brokentail remains his aggressive attitude, showing aggression when he isn't named deputy, and when Cloudpelt is dying, he urges Yellowfang to let him die, because of a promise from his father. When Cloudpelt dies, he is appointed deputy by Raggedstar, as he had promised, and not long after, all of Raggedstar's lives are mysteriously ripped away from him, leaving Brokentail, now Brokenstar, as ShadowClan's leader.
:As his reign goes on, many young cats die and some question his authority, but Brokenstar bends the warrior code to his own needs, going so far to banish the elders from the camp and exile Yellowfang and pinning the deaths of her younger siblings on her. In an effort to train more young cats (as ShadowClan had far too few kits and apprentices), he orders Clawface to steal kits from ThunderClan. This results in ShadowClan cats outraged with their leader and a ThunderClan patrol going to ShadowClan and taking the kits back, forcing Brokenstar out with his most loyal followers.
:Even when he was blinded and taken care of by ThunderClan, Brokentail plotted against them with Tigerclaw and tried to fight, but was poisoned with deathberries by Yellowfang, which resulted in his death, sending him to The Dark Forest.
===Yellowfang===
:A warrior-turned-medicine cat, Yellowfang fell pregnant with Raggedstar's kits and gave birth to them in secret, two daughters and a son, but the daughters died and the son was born with a bend in his tail. Unable to raise him as his mother, Yellowfang gave him to Lizardstripe, and had to watch as her son was abused by many cats and rise up in power to the bloodthirsty murderer he grew up to be. Powerless to stop him, Yellowfang was accused of murdering her younger siblings, Marigoldkit and Mintkit, in cold blood. Only four cats stood up in defense of Yellowfang, and Brokenstar exiled the medicine cat.
:Yellowfang found solace in ThunderClan, and helped take back ThunderClan's kits when they were stolen. She blinded Brokenstar in hopes of stopping his reign, but that was not enough, as her son plotted with Tigerclaw and his followers. Seeing no other option, Yellowfang fed her son deathberries, and told him of his true heritage; she was his mother, and he killed his father in cold blood because he was too ambitious. Brokenstar refused to believe her, but died from the poisoning.
:When the war against the Dark Forest came, Yellowfang killed Brokenstar's spirit after he had killed Ferncloud, destroying his existence forever.
===Raggedstar===
:After fathering Brokenstar with Yellowfang, he affirms Brokenstar as his son and spoils him, giving him training that Brokenpaw prefered rather than the training his mentor, Nightpelt gave him. Raggedpelt's spoiling continued into his leadership, and went so far as to make Brokentail his deputy following the death of Cloudpelt, after a promise he made when Cloudpelt was appointed deputy. Soon afterwards, Raggedstar begins to see Brokentail's true colors, and reveals to Yellowfang that he knows he made a mistake in making his son his deputy.
:Brokenstar's ambition outweighed any care and affection he had for his father, as he killed him to obtain the leadership, ripping all nine of his lives away, showing no remorse for his actions; only pretending under the pretense that ShadowClan would accept him as Raggedstar's successor.
===Nightpelt===
:Nightpelt was appointed as Brokenstar's mentor, and tried to teach him patience, virtue, and honor among other things, but Brokenpaw was uninterested and called Nightpelt "weak" due to Nightpelt's own health problems and moral code. He was forced out of ShadowClan with the elders when Brokenstar became leader, as he had retired early due to his health problems, and assisted ThunderClan with forcing out Brokenstar and getting their kits back.
:Now leaderless, Nightpelt took up the leadership role, but was denied his nine lives as Brokenstar was still alive. However, when news reached him that Brokenstar was dead, his health had deteriorated due to the Carrionplace rats and died, leaving ShadowClan leaderless and ready for Tigerclaw to take control over.
===Badgerfang===
:Badgerfang, then Badgerpaw, is an apprentice during Brokenstar's rule but is under 6 moons, much to the shock of the other medicine cats at a gathering. His mentor is Flintfang. During the battle where ShadowClan drives out WindClan, the kit is attacked by an enemy warrior and is fatally wounded. Badgerpaw's last words were to change his name to his warrior name, Badgerfang, in honor of his mentor, Flintfang. Flintfang vows to never take another apprentice that is not old enough to be trained yet, after Badgerfang's death.
==Quotes==
==See also==
*Battle for ShadowClan
==Notes and references==
fi:Rikkotähden tyranniapl:Tyrania Złamanej Gwiazdyfr:Tyrannie d'Étoile Brisée
Category:Events
Category:Conflicts
Category:Yellowfang's Secret
Category:Exile from ShadowClan
Category:Into the Wild
Category:Fire and Ice
Category:Forest of Secrets
Category:Blackfoot's Reckoning
Category:The Prophecies Begin (volume 1)
Category:Battles