ShadowClan's Great Sickness

ShadowClan's Great Sickness, also known as the Carrionplace sickness, was an epidemic caused by diseased rats from the Carrionplace that infected ShadowClan during Rising Storm and Tigerclaw's Fury. The sickness killed nearly half of the Clan, and severely weakened ShadowClan, providing an opportunity for Tigerclaw to win their favor and seize leadership.
==Summary==
===Premise===
:The Carrionplace, a Twoleg dump, resided on ShadowClan's territory in the forest. The pine-dwelling Clan typically left the area alone due to the vicious rats, but they occasionally raided the area when prey was scarce. However, the rats were known for carrying a highly infectious disease. Nightstar, the leader of ShadowClan, was only granted one life instead of nine since the previous leader, Brokenstar, was still alive. Tigerclaw, the former ThunderClan deputy, was exiled for his treachery against Bluestar and the Clan, and he sought out his former rogue allies in his quest for revenge against Fireheart.
===Overview===
:Six moons after ShadowClan overthrew Brokenstar, ShadowClan becomes plagued with the Carrionplace sickness from infected rats. ShadowClan's medicine cat, Runningnose, is helpless against the sickness since there is no known cure. Nearly every cat falls ill, including Nightstar and his deputy Cinderfur, and Runningnose divides his attention between asking as temporary deputy and treating his leader since he only has one life. With the Clan starving since hunting and border patrols are being neglected after Cinderfur dies and Nightstar does not name a successor, Littlecloud and Whitethroat flee to ThunderClan for sanctuary. However, Bluestar turns them away, though ThunderClan's young medicine cat Cinderpelt treats them beyond ThunderClan's border and successfully finds a cure for the sickness. Littlecloud brings the herb mixture back to ShadowClan. With his Clan dying of the disease, Runningnose receives a sign from StarClan that they will survive the illness, but it will come at a great cost. Meanwhile, Tigerclaw and the exiled ShadowClan warriors provide prey and security for ShadowClan while they recover, and Tigerclaw slowly wins over their loyalty and dedication for his own gain. After Nightstar dies, Runningnose steps in as temporary leader, until he finds a sign from StarClan signifying Tigerclaw should be their leader.
==Description==
===A plea to help===
:An apprentice accidentally brings back an infected rat from the Carrionplace, not realizing it was infected with a deadly disease. The rats in the Carrionplace begin to die off, demonstrating the first sign of the illness. The sickness spreads to the rest of ShadowClan, causing a widespread epidemic in ShadowClan. ShadowClan's warriors quickly fell ill and were unable to properly hunt, resulting in more cats becoming weaker and falling sick. Cinderfur, ShadowClan's deputy, is one of the first to die. Runningnose, ShadowClan's sole medicine cat, worries over Nightstar, since his Clan leader only has one life, and his inability to properly treat the illness causes others in his Clan to die. Two young warriors, Littlecloud and Whitethroat, venture to ThunderClan to beg for help, but Yellowfang convinces Bluestar to turn them away to avoid the infection. However, Cinderpelt, ThunderClan's young medicine cat, takes pity on them and offers the two ShadowClan warriors shelter in an ancient oak near the edge of ThunderClan's border. She manages to discover the right combination of herbs to cure their illness, and Fireheart agrees to let them stay until they recover. However, Fireheart later interprets a warning from Spottedleaf that the ShadowClan cats must leave. Whitethroat and Littlecloud return to ShadowClan with Cinderpelt's herb mixture, but rumors began to circulate about them seeking shelter in ThunderClan during the height of the sickness.
:In the midst of the death and despair, Runningnose receives a sign from StarClan: a beam of light shining from a star signifying ShadowClan's survival from the sickness. ShadowClan's future will be great, but an owl blocks out the starlight, and the medicine cat realizes that his Clan will pay a heavy price for their new dawn.
===The exiles===
:While living in exile not far from ShadowClan's territory, Tigerclaw is convinced to help ShadowClan with the sickness after hearing reports from Blackfoot and Tangleburr and receiving a dream about shadows helping him defeat ThunderClan. Tigerclaw convinces a ShadowClan patrol to let him help catch prey for the Clan, and he and his cats are horrified of the state of ShadowClan when they arrive in their camp the next day with prey. They meet with Nightstar and Runningnose, the latter explaining that their deputy Cinderfur had died and Nightstar has yet to name his successor. The ShadowClan leader thanks the rogues for their generosity, and Tigerclaw offers for him and his cats to continue hunting and patrolling for the Clan until they all recover. ShadowClan's warriors soon recover from the worse of the illness thanks to the herbs Littlecloud brought back from Cinderpelt, with the exception of Nightstar.
===Nightstar's death and the new leader===
:Nightstar eventually succumbs to the sickness, only having one life instead of nine. Tigerclaw urges Runningnose to take temporary leadership until they receive a sign from StarClan. With the brunt of the sickness over, Runningnose urges his Clanmates to resume patrols and battle training, assigning the latter task to Tigerclaw. As thanks, Runningnose allows Tigerclaw and his rogues to officially join ShadowClan. Three days after the fire in ThunderClan's territory, Runningnose expresses his worries to Tigerclaw about the upcoming Gathering since ShadowClan still does not have a leader, but the former ThunderClan deputy urges him to have faith. The day before the Gathering, Runningnose notices a claw at the bottom of the Clanrock with the moon casting striped shadows on it. The medicine cat declares this to be a sign from StarClan signifying Tigerclaw as their new leader. Tigerclaw accepts Runningnose's offer, though later learns that his ally Jaggedtooth faked the sign by ripping out one of his own claws.
===Cats who were infected===
==Aftermath==
:The epidemic came to be known as ShadowClan's Great Sickness. According to Cinderpelt and Littlecloud, half of ShadowClan died during ShadowClan's Great Sickness, leaving the Clan severely weak. 
:Tigerstar introduces himself as ShadowClan's newest leader at the Gathering, reporting on how the sickness killed Nightstar, Cinderfur, and several others. Despite this, ShadowClan is thriving under Tigerstar's leadership, though Runningnose holds some doubts. On the way to the half-moon meeting, Runningnose tells Fireheart the truth about Nightstar's lack of nine lives and how StarClan sent Tigerstar as their destined leader. Tigerstar becoming ShadowClan's savior allowed him to use ShadowClan in his future schemes, such as plotting ThunderClan's demise with the dog pack, creating TigerClan with Leopardstar, and joining with BloodClan to rule the forest, which would later lead to his own downfall by Scourge's claws.
:Tigerstar's deputy, Blackfoot, later realizes during his leadership ceremony that Tigerstar never cared for ShadowClan during the sickness, as he only wanted their loyalty when he became their leader following Nightstar's death. Littlecloud also decides to train under Runningnose as a medicine cat apprentice after being inspired by Cinderpelt's kindness and talent for healing.
:During the destruction of the forest, ShadowClan plans to rely on rats on the Carrionplace to survive the prey shortage, though Cinderpelt and Littlecloud object due to the previous illness. Blackstar reasons that the sickness was punishment by StarClan because of Nightstar's improper leadership. Littlecloud later prepares the herb mixture in case any warriors fall ill with the sickness again.
==Characters==
===Runningnose===
:Runningnose was ShadowClan's medicine cat during the sickness. While the gray-and-white tom was familiar with the sickness, he was unaware of a cure. Only Runningnose knew that Nightstar only had one life, and he prioritized his leader's wellbeing over the rest of his Clanmates during the height of the sickness. When Nightstar was ill, Runningnose took the mantle of deputy, and later temporary leader after Nightstar died. After Littlecloud brought back the cure for the sickness from Cinderpelt, Runningnose used it to treat his Clanmates, and a majority of them soon recovered. The gray-and-white tom relied on Tigerclaw's support during his temporary leadership and tasked him with assigning patrols and organizing training sessions. He later welcomed Tigerclaw and his rogues to the Clan, and identified the claw sign signifying Tigerclaw's right to lead. Runningnose believed Tigerstar was sent as ShadowClan's savior as StarClan had fortold, but knew that his Clan would pay the ultimate price as his ancestors warned.
===Nightstar===
:Prior to becoming leader, Nightpelt was an elder who was exiled with the other elders during Brokenstar's leadership. As Brokenstar's tyranny continued, Nightpelt led the opposition to overthrow their leader to save ShadowClan's future. Following Brokenstar's defeat, ShadowClan unanimously chose Nightpelt to be their new leader; however, StarClan refused to grant him nine lives since Brokenstar was still alive. Nightpelt took the title of Nightstar despite this, and he vowed to watch over the Clan until ShadowClan's rightful leader was chosen. With only one life, the elderly black tom was susceptible to the Carrionplace sickness, and he became too ill to rename Cinderfur's successor and organize patrols. Nightstar thanked Tigerclaw for his assistance when the rogue offered to help, but his premature death provided an opening for Tigerclaw to assume leadership. Nightstar realized his mistake in welcoming Tigerclaw while in StarClan, though trusted Blackfoot to keep ShadowClan's best interests in mind as its new leader following Tigerstar's death.
===Tigerclaw===
:Formerly ThunderClan's deputy, Tigerclaw was exiled from his Clan after his failed attempt to kill Bluestar and succeed her as leader. While initially hesitant to help ShadowClan during the sickness, Tigerclaw realized ShadowClan's faltering leadership and weakened state could assist in his quest for revenge against Fireheart and ThunderClan. The former ThunderClan cat earned their loyalty and respect by providing fresh-kill and leading border patrols while the ShadowClan cats recovered from the sickness. However, Tigerclaw himself did not care about their well-being and feigned his concern for the ShadowClan cats. Tigerclaw became a frequent advisor to Runningnose after Nightstar passed away and urged him to listen to their ancestors for a sign who should be their new leader. When Jaggedtooth faked a sign signifying that Tigerclaw should be the new leader, ShadowClan readily supported him after everything he did for them during the sickness. Tigerstar led ShadowClan through an era of prosperity, though his treacheries against the Clans would soon redefine his heroics.
===Littlecloud and Whitethroat===
:Littlecloud and Whitethroat were young ShadowClan warriors who grew up during Brokenstar's leadership. Realizing they had no hope of recovering while Runningnose focused on tending to Nightstar, the two young toms ventured to ThunderClan to beg for help and treatment. However, they were turned away out of fear of spreading the sickness, though Cinderpelt took sympathy on them and successfully treated their illness while they hid beyond ThunderClan territory. After Fireheart made them leave after the two warriors recovered, Littlecloud provided the cure to Runningnose for the sick cats. However, their Clanmates began to suspect them of disloyalty for fleeing their Clan during the height of the sickness. Whitethroat was eventually killed on the Thunderpath after a ShadowClan patrol invaded ThunderClan's territory, and Littlecloud decided to train as Runningnose's apprentice to become a medicine cat after being inspired by Cinderpelt's kindness.
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
===Mistakes===
*Littlecloud said that an apprentice brought the infected rat that caused the sickness, but in Tigerclaw's Fury, Cinderfur is said to have brought the infected rat.
*In A Dangerous Path, Littlecloud explains how Whitethroat mysteriously died when he refused to return to ShadowClan's camp after Fireheart made them leave, but in Tigerclaw's Fury, Whitethroat returns to ShadowClan and Tigerclaw explains to ShadowClan how Fireheart killed him on the Thunderpath.
*Despite being killed by Graystripe in Fire and Ice, Clawface appears in Tigerclaw's Fury, which takes place during Forest of Secrets and Rising Storm and helps ShadowClan out during the sickness. This is fixed in Blackfoot's Reckoning's version of the same events.
===Interesting facts===
*It is possible that Volewhisper died during ShadowClan's Great Sickness, as while he returned to ShadowClan following Brokenstar's exile, Blackfoot remembered him as Volepaw, believing the ruse that Runningnose and Clawface told the Clan that he died by an infected rat bite.
*Hollyflower, Archeye, Crowtail, Featherstorm and Brightflower are also shown alive and returning to camp in Exile from ShadowClan, but are absent when Tigerclaw and his rogues return to the camp in Tigerclaw's Fury, and are in StarClan when Tigerclaw gets his nine lives in The Ultimate Guide: Updated and Expanded Edition, suggesting that they, too, possibly died during ShadowClan's Great Sickness.
===Continuity===
*In Secrets of the Clans, a 2007 field guide, ShadowClan's first medicine cat, Pebble Heart, was the first to discover the rats from the Carrionplace as the source of the sickness, but he later died from it.
*In Su Susann's "Missing Kits" on Vicky's Facebook, Brownpaw, a ShadowClan apprentice, Lavenderkit, and Cinderfur and Ashheart's litter—Rubblekit, Quietkit, and Turtlekit—died of the Carrionplace sickness.Revealed on Vicky's FacebookRevealed on Vicky's FacebookRevealed on Vicky's Facebook
==External links==
*
==See also==
*Rising Storm
**Rising Storm/Cliffnotes
*Tigerclaw's Fury
**Tigerclaw's Fury/Cliffnotes
*Blackfoot's Reckoning
**Blackfoot's Reckoning/Cliffnotes
==Notes and references==
de:Namenlose Krankheites:Enfermedad del vertederofi:Varjoklaanin suuri sairauspl:Wielka Choroba Klanu Cienia
Category:Events
Category:Natural disasters
Category:Rising Storm
Category:Tigerclaw's Fury
Category:Blackfoot's Reckoning