MarshClan

MarshClan is one of the four Clans of the forest who live by Raven's Wing Lake. MarshClan's territory primarily consists of the Lake's shoreline and many islands that vary in size. 
Their founder was a cat named Evening Lily. The current leader is Brookstar and her deputy is Oakwhisker. MarshClan currently has two medicine cats, Sparrowflight and Hazelpool.
== Description ==
MarshClan is the clan of fishers and swimmers. They are named for the lake that gives them their food and their strength. MarshClan's prey are voles, frogs, birds such as sandpipers and killdeer and fish such as trout, salmon, yellow perch, minnows, lake whitefish, Arctic grayling, crayfish and, on very rare occasions, white sturgeon. Swimming is MarshClan's most notable skill. They swim nearly every day, for hunting or for pleasure. They are experts at it, often going to the lake every day for a warm up. Even the oldest MarshClan elder is a competent swimmer. Glossy-furred cats with quick wits, MarshClan warriors make for ferocious fighters.
== Territory ==
MarshClan's territory extends into what the Twolegs call Raven's Wing Lake. The territory includes Twoleg landmarks such as Raven's Wing Lake Viewpoint, Raven's Wing Lake Recreation Site, Buppo Island, Whitefish Pond and Eagle's Landing Trail Head. Landmarks include:
* Camp - MarshClan's camp is an island between two rivers a fair distance from the shore. The island's edges are surrounded by a thick wall of reeds and rushes. The dry path to the island is known only to MarshClan cats.
* Falcon's Rest - The second-largest island in the Lake after the camp island. It is the furthest-east island, near off-territory. Home to birch trees and cattail, MarshClan uses this as a lookout point, as it has a rise in the center that overlooks the entire shore.
* Twoleg Half-Bridge - Across the river from Willow Grove, Twoleg elders seem to use this as a sunning spot and Twoleg kits use it as a place to jump into the lake and splash about. Some Twolegs get into strange, sometimes brightly-colored, tree trunks with odd-shaped twigs jutting out from the sides and [sail] them into the Lake.
* Willow Grove - A narrow strip of land across from the TreeClan border, overshadowed by willows and reeds. A good source of woodland prey.
* Mossy Pools - A peaceful clearing surrounded with undergrowth with one stone in the center. A river twists gently around the rock, and empties into a dip in the stony ground. A good place for collecting horsetail and lavender.
* Twoleg Hunting Path - This path is made of gravel and occasionally smooth rock. It serves as the main border with CaveClan and leads north into CaveClan's territory and the mountains.
=== MarshClan Camp ===
At the western edge of the camp is the Ripple Rock, a tall boulder with a cave at its base. It is where the Clan leader holds meetings and a small cave in the base is the leader's den. The warrior and apprentice dens are large clumps of sedge grass. The nursery and elders den are made of tightly woven reeds, though ever since the Crimson Guild War the nursery has been reinforced by brambles. The medicine den is a tumble of boulders opposite the Ripple Rock with a grassy, sandy clearing and a small pool in the back that connects to the eastern river. The clearing is grassy, with sandy soil. There are a series of stepping stones that provide an easy path to the sandy bank on the other side of the river. These are often used by kits to play on and catch minnows. 
The dirtplace is concealed by thick rushes.
=== MarshClan Territory ===
MarshClan's territory extends into the Lake itself in the form of islands which come in all manner of sizes. These islands are generally grassy and marshy, with a few being home to small trees; mainly willows and beeches. MarshClan's shoreline territory is mostly clear grassy spaces, cut through by many streams and ponds. Dotted around are more willow and beech trees. The trees are very spread out but there are enough for shade and for birds to hide in. There are many clusters and patches of reeds and other water-borne plants.
=== Borders ===
==== with CaveClan ====
The border begins as scent-line stretching from Four Stones to the Twoleg Hunting Path, known as "Eagle's Landing Trail Head" to the Twolegs. The Hunting Path services as an extension of the CC/LC border and stretches all the way to off-territory.
==== with TreeClan ====
The border is a river that divides a wide clearing in two, known as "Gorge River" by the cats. The rapids serve as excellent spots to catch salmon during leaf-fall. On the MarshClan side is Willow Grove and a clearing that is swarming with Twolegs in newleaf and greenleaf. On the TreeClan side is a much bigger clearing that marks the end of the forest. It has been the site of many battles between the two Clans.
== History ==
=== Early History ===
MarshClan was founded long ago by a cat named Evening Lily. Their descendants developed a strong affinity for the waters of the lake and would become the best swimmers and fishers of all the Clans. TreeClan and MarshClan have a bloody history that spans many moons beyond counting. Long after Evening Lily and their immediate bloodline faded, a cat named Rapidstar became leader. 
Rapidstar is remembered as a peaceful and noble warrior who, very early into his leadership, brought about a peaceful end to the long-lasted MarshClan-TreeClan Wars; a series of conflicts dating back moons and in which even FieldClan and CaveClan became involved, through a series of alliances. Rapidstar's cause of death is unknown, although foul play from his deputy and successor, the war hero Darkwind, is not to be dismissed.
=== A New Era of War and Tyranny ===
Immediately after receiving his leader name and lives from the Wildwalkers, Darkstar led MarshClan into yet another war, bringing an end to Rapidstar's short-lived reign of peace. Most of his fury was directed towards his old enemy TreeClan, although the other Clans received their fair share of attacks and raids. Almost immediately after taking power, Darkstar gained a reputation for ferocity and mercilessness. Not long after beginning this unhinged war against the other Clans, Darkstar took his deputy Cloverfur as a mate, who eventually birthed his kits: Darkfur, Creampaw and Brokenpaw. It is known that Darkstar looked down on Brokenpaw with disdain but had great (the author hesitates to call it love) for his daughter Creampaw and his son Darkfur.
At the beginning of the Wolf-Pack War he invaded TreeClan territory, securing the clearing on TreeClan's side of the river. His invasion plan was discovered by the TreeClan warrior Dawnspark, who returned with a battle patrol led by TreeClan's leader, Sagestar. Darkstar was doing battle with Quillfang when the Wildwalkers suddenly descended from the sky and ordered the two Clans to set aside their petty fighting to prepare for a larger threat. Reluctantly, they retreated but none of the animosity was forgotten. 
When two former Wolf-Pack rogues from Twolegplace, Dragon and Tawny, came to MarshClan, Darkstar reluctantly let them join for Dragon's strength in battle. This would be his ultimate undoing: Dragon fell in with the MarshClan warrior Heronsong and became good friends with another warrior named Firestreak. Both wanted to free MarshClan from Darkstar's tyranny and Firestreak had the added motivation of being in love with Cloverfur. Along with Brokenpaw the four planned an ambush by the TreeClan border. Heronsong came to the tyrannical leader one day, claiming that there was TreeClan scent over the river and that they had found remains of stolen prey. Darkstar went with them to investigate, taking Creampaw along. At the border Firestreak, Heronsong, Brokenpaw and Dragon ambushed the two. Creampaw was killed defending her father against the rebels while Firestreak struck the killing blow against Darkstar. It is unknown if the MarshClan leader was on his last life, or if Firestreak simply caused some manner of unhealable injury. Afterwards, Firestreak fled to TreeClan, while Cloverfur became leader of MarshClan.
=== MarshClan Under Cloverstar ===
Cloverstar's leadership marked a new beginning for MarshClan. Cloverstar shared none of her old mate's dark ambitions nor tyranny, working instead to put Darkstar's legacy far behind them. Her leadership was one of fairness and justice, even going so far as to attempt to build bridges of peace with their former enemy, TreeClan. Unfortunately, it is unknown how successful these attempts were. What is known is how MarshClan faired during this time. They prospered, new kits were born and new warriors made. Cloverstar did not make a new deputy for some time though she took an apprentice, Chasepaw. It should be commented on that she spent more time with his fellow apprentice Leopardpaw than she did with him. Cloverstar was known to have a markedly open policy to loners and rogues who wished to join MarshClan's ranks, be they from other Clans or complete outsiders. Eventually, she appointed a warrior named Riverfall as her deputy. 
Shortly into Cloverstar's leadership, the Wolf-Pack made itself known again. They had retreated to the Twolegplace and gathered their strength, preparing for the day they would again wage war on the Clans. Following Riverfall's death by drowning in the Rapids, Cloverstar chose Spottedclaw as her deputy, not fully trusting that her son, Darkfur, was the best choice. He had been too loyal to his father, too willing to follow any order - even if it was to kill innocents. Almost immediately after making Spottedclaw her deputy, Cloverstar was warned by one of her warriors that a fox pack had attacked a border patrol. She led a patrol out to the territory but it was an ambush planned by Wolf-Pack rogues and she was killed. 
=== The DarkClan War ===
The Wolf-Pack leader was being visited by Darkstar's spirit in their dreams, where the tyrannical former leader whipped them into a hateful frenzy, desiring nothing more than total destruction of the four Clans by the Lake. Contemporaneously, Darkstar's spirit was able to possess a young MarshClan cat named Redpaw. Over several moons, Darkfur began to recognize signs of his father's presence within the young kit, finally putting the pieces together after Redpaw became a warrior. Darkfur was able to release his father's spirit and Darkstar took full control over the cat, able to once again walk the Lake territories. This time, he didn't bother trying to win over MarshClan. He gathered those in MarshClan still loyal to him - in addition to the Wolf-Pack remnants and other various loners and rogues - and formed DarkClan in Off-Territory. He began campaigning for cats from the other clans to join him, using a network of misinformation and spies to win the more ruthless or bloodthirsty to his side. Cats from all four clans flocked to DarkClan and bolstered their ranks.
Spottedstar became leader of MarshClan and quickly sought to bolstering their defenses, stepping up battle training for all warriors and apprentices. She appointed Flameleaf as her deputy, a supposedly strong and noble warrior who was the son of Cloverstar and Firestreak. If there was any Clan most likely to face Darkstar's unbridled fury, it was MarshClan - followed by TreeClan. Some minor skirmishes and border wars were fought until at an unknown point, Darkstar invited the other four leaders to peace negotiations on neutral ground; the Twolegplace two days away from TreeClan's western border. This would turn out to be a deadly ruse, however, as Darkstar led the other leaders and their warriors into a rat-infested corner of the Twolegplace. An unknown number of cats perished, with DarkClan itself suffering the most losses of any other Clan. Among the dead were Spottedstar and CaveClan's leader, Timberstar. Darkstar was forced to retreat and relent on his attacks. All of the clans fell into a lull, severely weakened and deprived of fighters. 
While Darkstar worked to rebolster his numbers with the DarkClan Games - a series of gladiator-style battles - MarshClan struggled to restore its strength. They had lost warriors, kits and apprentices in both battle and desertion, including Flameleaf, and they had lost two leaders to Darkstar's vile plots. MarshClan was truly on their last legs. But it is in the darkest moments that light shines the brightest. MarshClan's light came in the form of a warrior named Smokethorn. He came from humble beginnings but was as loyal and steadfast as they come. Each member of his family had been killed in some battle with DarkClan or another, until he was the only one left. Smokethorn filled the power vacuum left by Flameleaf's cowardice and dedicated his entire life to remaking the broken and beaten MarshClan into the strongest clan by the lake; in the best possible way. His ambition was entirely benevolent, unlike the dark and twisted ambition a young Darkstar once possessed when he was leader of MarshClan. 
Having not been deputy nor had an apprentice, the Wildwalkers did not grant Smokethorn nine lives or show any outward sign of support for his leadership. This mattered not to the new leader, who took the name Smokestar of his own volition. He chose for deputy a warrior named Bloodfoot, a cat who had no true ambition of his own, only a desire to serve and protect his clan whatever the cost to himself. The previous medicine cat, Pikeflame, had died some time prior and so Smokestar appointed Skywatcher as MarshClan's new medicine cat, the only choice of the many made so far that the Wildwalkers seemed to approve of. 
When Jaystar of TreeClan approached the other leaders with his plan to unify the four clans into a single force, Smokestar was the first leader to accept; effectively putting a temporary end to the two clans' long and bloody rivalry. Cliffstar of FieldClan and Wolfstar of CaveClan needed little or no prompting to follow suit, joining forces as one against Darkstar and his blood-crazed warriors. The four Clans called themselves "ForestClan" and launched one final offensive against DarkClan. The resulting battle was long and bloody. 
Darkstar would fall early in the battle to one of his oldest rivals, a TreeClan warrior named Brackenheart. This loss quickly broke DarkClan's will to fight and Troutsurge, assuming leadership of the battle-weary clan, led a full-scale retreat. While this victory was climactic it was also pyrrhic, with the heaviest losses of any war or conflict to have been fought by the Lake previously - Jaystar and Cliffstar being among the dead. Fearing vengeful retaliation by the other clans, Troutsurge led the DarkClan survivors on a long and arduous journey to the north and west of the mountains. These DarkClan remnants would eventually come to call themselves SeaClan, though there are almost none alive today who even remember them. To the cats by the Lake, they were all as good as dead.
=== The Crimson Guild War ===
[Work in Progress]
== Trivia ==
* Darkstar was the first MarshClan leader to be roleplayed on the forum. 
** He was roleplayed by three different people. He was first created in 2013 by Zoe.Rogue. When she left, xxCanadaxx (who at the time roleplayed Cloverstar) took over for a short time until she passed him on to Quillfang, who proceeded to roleplay him until his final death in early 2015.
*Most of the DarkClan War is told from their perspective, so liberties were taken while writing this Wiki page to flesh out the lore of MarshClan. Special care was taken to be as accurate to the spirit of the characters as possible.
*While only vaguely mentioned a few times, it is believed by some that Troutsurge was the reincarnation of Evening Lily.
*MarshClan was formerly known as "LakeClan" and had been known as such for many years
== Gallery ==
File:LakeClanEaglesLandingTrailHead.png|The beginning of the "Twoleg Hunting Path" that separates CaveClan and MarshClan.
File:LakeClanTwolegHalf-Dock.png|The Twoleg Half-Bridge is swarming with Twoleg elders and kits during Newleaf and Greenleaf.
File:LakeClanMossyPools.png|The Mossy Pools are a good place for agitated cats to find respite and solace.
File:LakeClanWillowGrove.png|This grove of willow trees and the clearing across the Gorge River have been the site of many battles between TreeClan and MarshClan.
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