The lake territories

The lake territories (also called the Lake) is the location that provides the main setting of "Warriors: The Lost Stories." It consists of a vast and varied landscape and gives home to the four (at one time, five) Clans of the roleplay.
==Geography==
Despite its name, only a small part of the region is connected to the actual lake; mainly the southern part claimed by MarshClan as their hunting grounds. The rest are rocky foothills, grassland and deciduous woodland. Many rivers and streams cut through the landscape, sometimes at the bottom of deep gorges (such as the one between FieldClan and TreeClan's territories) and other times as calm, bubbly streams. The streams flowing from the Mountains to the northeast are all snowmelt save two: one (called "White Pine River" by the Twolegs) flows from a deep underground lake and the other (called Quillfang's Creek) originated from a spring that formed into a large pond whose overflow created CaveClan's southern stream. 
===Location===
The Lake has no true location. It is located somewhere ambiguously in British Columbia, Canada. As ideas have developed over time, the moderation team hesitantly (and quite loosely) based its location near Terrace, BC, CA and the Skeena River - specifically near Lakelse Lake - while still preserving the RP's fantasy elements (there is no large, open grassland region near Terrace in real life).
==History==
In the beginning, the region was a wilderness, without predators or humans living nearby. After some time, a cat named Badger arrived with his immediate family. After scouting for a good place to make their camp, the cats settled in a clearing surrounded by four great stones. Over time, other groups of cats were attracted to the idea of safety in numbers and decided to join Badger and his family. The cats came to be referred to as "ForestClan" though it is unknown if they actually called themselves this or not. For many moons they lived together as one.
It was not to last, however, as problems eventually arose. This first clan of cats grew larger and larger until Four Stones, as they'd come to call their camp, was no longer large enough to sustain them all. Around this time, different parts of the lake territory called to them and they split. The leaders of these splinter groups were Bright Marsh, Evening Lily and Tall Grass. Evening Lily, a sleek-furred silver tabby, was the first to break off from ForestClan and took a group of like-minded, water-loving felines to the marshes near the lake shore, eventually becoming known as MarshClan. 
Meanwhile, a cat named Bright Marsh had, over time, gained an affinity for the rocky foothills of the nearby mountain and spent much time exploring caves and crevices. Quiet Cave often took others with them on these adventures and eventually decided to stop coming back to ForestClan. Other cave-crawling explorers went with them to eventually found what they called CaveClan.
Finally, the last splinter-group was led by Tall Grass, one of Badger's kits. Tall Grass was essentially a loner who preferred to spend time in the open fields and grasslands to the north and east of Four Stones. Other cats called them "Two Whiskers" or "Boring" but they didn't mind. Other cats cottoned on to this idea of living in the fields, some tiring of the noise and others feeling overcrowded. They came to be called FieldClan after congealing into a Clan-like structure. 
Badger himself was eventually convinced to move his own camp deeper into the forest of oak and birch trees. His descendants referred to themselves as TreeClan. Ever after, Four Stones was viewed as a special site, the birthplace of Clan life and many of their beliefs; like the warrior code. It was decided by the leaders of TreeClan, FieldClan, MarshClan and CaveClan to gather at Four Stones every full moon to honor the spirits of their founders - called the Wildwalkers - and for one night become a single Clan under the stars once more.
==Maps==
[Will be added later, currently under development]
==Clan territories==
===TreeClan===
TreeClan claims the western part of the region, their territory consisting of deciduous woodland known to the Twolegs as Bordeaux Woods. Their camp is a clearing in the heart of the forest surrounded and concealed by tall trees and brambles on all sides.
Landmarks in TreeClan territory: 
*The Gorge (Fletcher's Gorge), which serves as the northern part of the border with FieldClan.
*Thunder Falls, where the Gorge comes to an end as a waterfall (Oreo Falls), then continues through the forest as a wild, free-flowing river, called Thunder River.
*The Thunder River's delta (Harper's Leap) where it empties into the Lake serves as the border with MarshClan. It is collectively called Willow Grove by the cats, as groves of willow trees grow on both sides.
*The Greenleaf Twoleg Camp and Twoleg Half-Bridge (Raven's Wing Lake Recreation Site) are near the delta, on MarshClan's territory.
*To the southeast of TreeClan's camp are the Twisted Oaks, four oaks that have been planted very near each other and have grown with the trunks intertwined to one huge tree. Apprentices are tested on their agility and treetop hunting skills.
*To the west of TreeClan's camp is the Broken Tree, a tree that was once the largest in the entire forest but fell due to harsh lightning. Here, TreeClan apprentices practice stealth and ambush tactics.
===MarshClan===
MarshClan claims the southern part of the region, consisting of the lake itself and almost its entire shoreline, as well as some of the deciduous forest near TreeClan's border. Their camp is an island a fair distance from the shore (Buppo's Island) that can be reached by swimming, though well-concealed dry paths do exist.
Landmarks in MarshClan territory:
*The lake itself, a source of prey for MarshClan cats. They swim regularly and kits catch minnows on the shore and stream banks.
*Nearby, the Mossy Pools (Whitefish Pond) offer a quiet place for cats to meditate and sun themselves on rocks that extend above the waterline.
*The lake's second-largest island - which the cats call Falcon's Rest - is on the opposite side of the territory, along the eastern shore. This island has a large hill in the center that provides an excellent vantage point of the entire shore.
*To the north of Falcon's Rest is the border with CaveClan, the Twoleg Hunting Path (Eagle's Landing Trailhead). Most active during leaf-fall and greenleaf, this Twoleg path leads up into the mountainous foothills of CaveClan and beyond.
===CaveClan===
CaveClan claims the northeastern part of the region. Their territory consists of sparse coniferous woodland and the rocky foothills of the nearby mountain range, called Brannon's Peak Mountain Range by the Twolegs. Both of CaveClan's camps have been large cave networks in the hills, with their entrances obscured by large boulders. The previous cave collapsed and CaveClan's new cave is a little smaller. 
Landmarks in CaveClan territory: 
*The border with FieldClan is a free-flowing, non-snowmelt stream that cuts through fields of sagebrush in both territories.
*Not far from the FieldClan border stream are the Crumbling Stones, a pile of boulders that have been crumbling away for a long time. They provide an excellent vantage point for monitoring the FieldClan border. Apprentices can dare each other to climb and reach the highest point. The cracks in the boulders also shelter snakes.
*The Bat Cave is a medium-sized cave near the center of the territory. It is a nesting place for bats and as such is extremely dark. It's layout is completely unknown, as most cats only stick near the entrance.
*CaveClan's original camp - now referred to as the Collapsed Camp - used to be a hole in the mountain, partially hidden by a harsh waterfall. After the cave collapsed, though, the waterfall slightly changed routes and carved a new path into off-territory. Most cats spread rumors that the camp is haunted by the spirits of those who died in the cave-ins.
===FieldClan===
FieldClan claims the northwestern part of the region. Their territory is wide, open grassland called Quillfield by the Twolegs. The meadow has patches of deciduous and coniferous woodland on their borders with TreeClan and CaveClan, respectively. FieldClan's summer camp is on a grassy hill in the heart of the meadow.
Landmarks in FieldClan territory:
*Spanning the Great Rapids is a structure called the Ancient Bridge (Broken's Bridge). It was once a tree that grew in the territory, beside the FieldClan/CaveClan border stream. It crashed down on the stream many moons ago and is now a bridge, sturdy and strong.
*The Gorge, which serves as the northern part of the border with TreeClan.
*Just north of FieldClan's off-territory border is a Twoleg Farm (Lambert's Ranch) that grows primarily corn and barley. The Farm was built recently.
*In the east, near the mountain foothills and the CaveClan border is Stinkmud Pond (Absent's Rest), a pond that forms during newleaf that carries a terrible smell but is a fantastic place for mushrooms, water-borne herbs and frogs
*To the southeast of FieldClan's camp is the Exile Camp, a small copse of trees that has been used in the past as a makeshift camp. Apprentices train stalking woodland prey here.
===DarkClan===
DarkClan was at one time the fifth clan of the Lake. Its leader, Darkstar (formerly MarshClan's leader), took his loyalists off-territory to found a new clan and plot his revenge against the other four clans. DarkClan claimed for itself a large region of forested land east of MarshClan and CaveClan's borders. Their camp was a large cave network similar to CaveClan's. Since DarkClan's defeat during the DarkClan War the territory is now abandoned, as the DarkClan remnants journeyed far to the north to become SeaClan.
==Other territories==
===Four Stones===
The Four Stones (known by the Twolegs as Silent's Hand) is a clearing in the center of the four territories, where Gatherings are held every full moon. The Four Stones is named for the four tall boulders that line one end of the clearing. The clearing is wide and has a shallow dip from constant use. Borders are marked on each Clan's side of the clearing.
===Spirit Nest===
The Spirit Nest is beneath a massive overhang like one you would only ever see in a fantasy children's cartoon. Grass covers the top of the thin ridge, and moss grows beneath it. Roots hang down from the ceiling, despite the cracked rocks that keep it stable. Running past it is a clear stream but it doesn't completely section off the overhang area. Underneath the ridge is a cave where cats interact with the Wildwalkers.
===Off-Territory===
Off-Territory ranges from fields to forests to mountains. It is anywhere that is not claimed by one of the four Clans by the Lake. This is the land without defined borders and territories. It is home to many rogues and loners and even runaway kittypets. Some more prominent Off-Territory locations:
====The Crying Mountains====
The Crying Mountains (Mount Strun Range) are northeast of CaveClan's territory. They are where the rocky foothills and coniferous forests turn into jagged peaks and barren tundra. Some claim these mountains stretch on forever, while others claim they were once home to tribes of giant cats, ancestors of the bobcat and lynx. 
====Trjegul's Twoleg Den====
Trjegul's Twoleg Den is located in the mountains northeast of CaveClan's territory. In recent days his Twoleg dammed up a stream to make a large pond of freshwater, fed by an underground spring. The stream that was dammed up was Quillfang's Creek, a non-snowmelt stream that flowed into CaveClan's eastern territory. Without this stream, CaveClan will have to rely on White Pine River during greenleaf and leaf-fall.
====Twolegplace====
One day of travel west from TreeClan's forest is a small Twoleg village of about 20 dwellings, home to black-hearted rogues and spiteful kittypets. The dreaded Wolf-Pack came from this very Twolegplace. It is vital to the Clans' survival as it possesses an overabundance of bitter root - the only cure for the deadly nightcough disease - as well as catmint, used to treat whitecough and greencough. 
==Trivia==
*The Twoleg name for the Lake was given in honor of the user "Shadow of the Raven's Wing" who kept the roleplay alive when it died in 2019 by moving to Discord and overhauling the server canon and lore.
*Prior to "Raven's Wing Lake" being named in July 2022, the Lake territories had no definitive Twoleg name.
*Many other Twoleg names are references to other members of the old server:
**Absent's Rest
**Silent's Hand
**Quillfang Creek
**Quill's Field
**Oreo Falls
**Buppo's Island
**Eagle's Landing Trail Head
**Falcon's Rest
**Zoe Rogue Memorial Forest and Wildlife Area
**Lunar Caverns
**
Category:Locations
Category:Information
Category:Reference