Dapplestar

**Dapplestar** is a tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes.

## History

Born as Dapplekit, she was known for being rowdy in her youth with bizarre behavior, making her the last cat anyone would suspect to lead the Clan. She is apprenticed as Dapplepaw to Dewfrost, and starts to study the art of war underneath him. Her father dies on the battlefield after trusting a young tom that killed him, leaving Dapplepaw to vow to never trust any other cat. She becomes a warrior, Dapplewing, and is known for her relentless conviction. When the Clan deputy, Mintfeather, dies, she takes her place. Her brother, Marshfoot, plots against her, wanting to overthrow her to be deputy in her place. Dapplewing finds wind of this plan, and she pretends to be sick. Upon visiting her, Dapplewing kills him swiftly.
She becomes Dapplestar after Otterstar dies. Due to the tensions between the Clan, she proves RiverClan's power by invading the other Clans, showing her to be a fearsome enemy. She is known for her military tactics, and RiverClan began to increase in power by the lake. The cats in her Clan seem to understand Dapplestar's tactics, as they too are interested in RiverClan's territory expansion and asserting their might.
One day, she is patrolling her territory alone when she comes across a rogue. She attacks the rogue, who, much to her surprise, is able to fend her off and overpower her at one point. Pleased by the strength of the rogue, she invites him to join RiverClan, saving him from the hardships of life on his own. The rogue, Shell, pledges his loyalty and life to Dapplestar. Dapplestar trains him herself, and he eventually gains the name of Shellfall, and remains fiercely loyal to Dapplestar.
When Otterheart brings in Echokit, Dapplestar remains suspicious of where he got the kit, as he claimed to just find her roaming around. When Echokit requests to train under Starlingfern, Dapplestar refuses, not wanting a cat she could not trust under her rule. Otterheart, enraged by this, starts an argument with Dapplestar, in which the truth of Echokit's birth slips out. Enraged that Otterheart had an affair with a kittypet, she slices his throat, and sends him away to die. Unbeknownst to her, Echokit saves his life, but just barely. After Starlingfern's persistence, Dapplestar eventually relents, and gives Starlingfern Echopaw as an apprentice, only because she sees the wisdom in having two medicine cats during the war.
When Starlingfern and Echoblossom vanish, Otterheart crawls back to RiverClan, and begs for forgiveness. He reveals to Dapplestar that he went to stay in Twolegplace and become a kittypet to heal his wounds, and that time away had made him reconsider his loyalties. Dapplestar does accept him back, but only under the pretense that he will stay in RiverClan as the lowest of the low, and that she can torture him however she wants in revenge, thinking it will be funner than killing him. She lets him know that the only thing he will be doing will be fighting for RiverClan, and if he brings her victory, she will never ask of anything but to fight - but if he loses, no one related to him will be spared.
Starlingfern and Echoblossom eventually reappear, and Dapplestar interrogates them on where they've been. Not wanting to lie, Echoblossom blurts out the truth that she was having an affair with a ShadowClan warrior, Wolfshadow. Furious, Dapplestar kills both Starlingfern and Otterheart in front of Echoblossom as a form of punishment, completely traumatizing the small she-cat. As Echoblossom is now RiverClan's sole medicine cat, she forces her to stay as acting medicine cat, and tells her to prepare for the winds of war, that more lives lost will be on her conscience, that she does not know what will happen and no one will be spared, just like she told Otterheart. This order has Dapplestar send her foster family on the front lines whenever ShadowClan is invaded, and she tells her cats to keep a look out for Wolfshadow.
At the next Gathering, Dapplestar cruelly announces Echoblossom and Wolfshadow's affair to all the Clans in an attempt to slander the two. She declares war on ShadowClan over this, and Talonstar bites the bait, agreeing to war. Dapplestar invades their territory, believing that she can be known as stronger than StarClan if she asserts all her might. However, ShadowClan's ferocity matches RiverClan's inch by inch, and all battles end up being stalemates, with Dapplestar never quite being able to grasp control of ShadowClan land. After WindClan announces their support for Echoblossom, Dapplestar sets fire to their territory, killing their medicine cat.
However, Dapplestar does not stop and continues to attack. One day, she makes a visit to Talonstar alone, and informs him that the only way RiverClan's attacks will stop is if that they send her a hostage, out of Dapplestar's willingness to embarrass ShadowClan. Talonstar reluctantly agrees, and they send Icekit.
When the ShadowClan patrol is bringing Icekit to RiverClan, RiverClan ambushes them and take Icekit by force. Dapplestar welcomes Icekit into her camp, and keeps her as a hostage. When Icekit becomes Icepaw, Dapplestar mentors her, but focuses mainly on battle techniques, training her to be a perfect killer and to kill all of her feelings. She notices Icepaw becoming friends with Petalpaw, and, unhappy that Icepaw has feelings, she orchestrates a plot to frame Petalpaw as being disloyal. She orders Icepaw to hunt her down and kill her, and when Icepaw returns, Dapplestar praises her, but lets her know that Petalpaw's "betrayal" was necessary.
Shimmerwing, Dapplestar's deputy and closest adviser, sees the changes in Dapplestar by the day, but refuses to hold onto hope, still believing that Dapplestar was doing what she did for the sake of RiverClan. Finally, after Dapplestar sets fire to ShadowClan territory and orders a massacre, Shimmerwing decides that she is done, that she cannot keep chasing after a cat she will never reach. She leads a rebellion, finding Dapplestar deep in RiverClan territory. Fire is around Dapplestar already, and Shimmerwing realizes that if she did not set the fire, only Dapplestar could have. Dapplestar tells Shimmerwing she has waited for her, and the two fight, with Dapplestar injuring Shimmerwing. Shellfall, one of Dapplestar's closest advisers as well, arrives on scene. Dapplestar sees the two of them, and walks away into the flames. A tree falls, blocking Shimmerwing and Shellfall's view of their Clan leader - the last thing they saw was her walking straight into the flames. Shellfall screeches at this, and tries to search for her, but to no avail.
Shellfall leads a rebellion to avenge Dapplestar, despite Shimmerwing being one of his closest friends, but Shimmerwing's cats overpower him. When her death is reported, relief come to all of the Clans, and Nightstar, ShadowClan's new leader, enters RiverClan's camp to retrieve the hostage Dapplestar had taken. He hints at Shimmerstar to learn from her predecessor, and to not make the same mistake Dapplestar did.
Dapplestar's legacy still lives on in the Clans, as her brutal actions traumatized several cats.
## Personality

Cruel, ruthless, scheming, and manipulative, Dapplestar was not afraid to twist anything to go her way, and would not allow any challenges to her authority.
## Trivia

These are trivia facts about the character revealed by the roleplayer.

* She believes she is superior to StarClan, and through all her ruthless convictions, tried to get herself seen as higher in StarClan's eyes and her Clanmates' eyes.

## Quotes

"*Even on his deathbed, all he ever gave me were lies. He’ll be better tomorrow, he said. Always worried about everyone but himself. His kindness could do nothing to stop his cowardice from killing him. I face the truth, like he never did... and trust no one.*"
—Dapplewing about her father

"*You can't protect cats with kindness.*"
—Dapplestar to Shimmerwing

"*Dapplestar looks to be completely ruthless... but her sense of loyalty is unmatched. It's not just that... I admire her purpose, and how she is wiling to stop at nothing to get what she wants...she has vision. She has taken pains to make sure she knows of each and every warrior...below her. She is a warrior who will protect those who are loyal to her, no mater what it costs her.*"
—Shellfall about Dapplestar

"*No one can take the divine throne while still seeing the world with the eyes of mortals. Join me... and I will show you a new world.*"
—Dapplestar to Shellfall

"*You are whining. One must be prepared to do that which must be done in order to uphold one's principles.*"
—Dapplestar to Shimmerwing

"*You lack the fire it takes, Shimmerwing. You're lukewarm.*"
—Dapplestar to Shimmerwing

"*If you lose... no one connected to you by blood or mateship will be spared. If you bring me victory in these wars, I will never ask anything of you again. You will remain here, as the lowest.*"
—Dapplestar to Otterheart

"*Throwing a glance at Shimmerwing, who just stands there, looking as though the world had just ended, Dapplestar steps into the flames. She has a single goal: Talonstar's head.*"
—Narrator about Dapplestar

**Narrator**: "*In a sea of screams, of tears and sobbing wails, in an endless expanse of raging bellows... one cat emerges from the burning wreckage of ShadowClan territory. In her claws, tufts of fur and skin clog it, in her mouth, a large, lumpy mass. A closer look at the cat reveals herself to be Dapplestar. The mass in her mouth - drip, drip, dripping on the earth of her feet - is the head of Talonstar.*"

**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar.*"

**Narrator**: "*The sheer, daunting presence of Dapplestar as she approaches makes Shimmerwing take a step back.*"

**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar's teeth glint in a manic grin... and then a great pillar of fire ascends in the jet black darkness, rendering her silhouette fearsome and otherworldly.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*What more is there in having faith in the sacred? I alone will save the weak. Believe in me, for I am mightier than StarClan.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Dapplestar...?*"
**Narrator**: "*Shellfall's hoarse whisper is lost amid the crackling of the flames. Dyed from head to paw in black and crimson, hoisting a cat's head in her jaws... the flames laugh at Dapplestar's back. It is like looking upon a demon.*"

—Shellfall, Shimmerwing, and Dapplestar

"*With that, she is gone, the vision of a leader, of a savior. Slight though her shoulders may be, they carry the weight of this world so effortlessly and with such incredible presence... Shellfall dips his head to her without thinking, deep and reverent, as it must be.*"
—Narrator about Shellfall and Dapplestar

**Narrator**: "*Shimmerwing searches for someone she knows should be here among the thunderous roar of the inferno. She searches through blazing thickets and patches of ferns, but finds no one there. The flames are growing bolder and brighter, driving up a sense of panic as they spread. Her own cats should be roaming these woods, searching for a single individual. She continues onwards, leaving trails of stomped on thickets behind. At last, she lays eyes on the back of the cat she has been looking for all this time. The second she has caught sight of Dapplestar, all she can think is, "I knew it." Shimmerwing is not the one who has sacrificed the territory to the flames. Which means... there is only one cat who could have done this. Shimmerwing unsheathes her claws, not bothering to call out.*"

**Dapplestar**: "*So you've finally come.*"

**Narrator**: "*There, among the flickering, dancing sparks, with her back still turned to her deputy... Dapplestar unsheathes her claws and snarls.*"

**Dapplestar**: "*I grew tired of waiting.*"
**Narrator**: "*She turns, her green eyes flat and unsurprised as they take stock of Shimmerwing. A vague flicker of hesitation sprouts inside of Shimmerwing, something akin to hope.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar...*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar snorts derisively, as if this were any ordinary day, and then... crosses the space between them on swift feet, bearing down on Shimmerwing with an inexorable stroke of her massive, powerful paws.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Ugh!*"
**Narrator**: "*The blow comes down far too hard to push back against. Shimmerwing has little choice but to absorb the impact.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*Heh heh... what's wrong? Have your paws gone limp?*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar!*"
**Narrator**: "*Gritting her teeth so hard they might crack, Shimmerwing manages to repel Dapplestar's paws. However, within only a few steps Dapplestar has rallied again.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*If you don't want this enough, you will die.*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar laughs scornfully, letting forth another volley of quick slashes from her claws. Her body is undeniably heavy, her claws more powerful than any other warrior Shimmerwing has taken on, and the more their twin strikes slash each other's fur, the more obvious Dapplestar's relentless conviction becomes.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*You're weak.*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar deflects Shimmerwing's attacks easily; they are steeped in indecision. Shimmerwing wobbles backwards, knocked off balance. Dapplestar chases her back, pressing the advantage. She reels, falling back as a sharp, searing pain races across her shoulder. Shimmerwing turns to examine the slice in her skin, seeing the crimson liquid spill out. The pause in battle continues, the two of them simply staring at each other for the space of several heartbeats. The red glow of the flames illuminating Dapplestar's expression indicates no signs of faltering. It says that here, finally, she will let Shimmerwing know of her own naivete.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*I did not come here to take your life.*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar says nothing. She merely dons that feral smile of hers, the one that seems to know no fear. It is as Dapplestar once said; this is something Shimmerwing cannot stop. And yet...*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar...*"
**Narrator**: "*Readying her stance in spite of her wounded shoulder, Shimmerwing unsheathes her claws once more. The tip of her claws runs true, aimed straight for the leader she once believed in. The smile vanishes from Dapplestar's face as she senses the other cat's resolve.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*Come for me with everything you believe in... Shimmerwing.*"
**Narrator**: "*Dapplestar readies her stance, and then... their paws spring off the ground as once, paws cleaving the air in two as they exchange a fierce flurry of blows. Shimmerwing musters every ounce of her strength, determined to drive Dapplestar back, until... an ominous cracking overhead causes the two of them to immediately leap apart. Burning tree branches fall between them.... engulfing the glade in flames instantly.*"

—Dapplestar and Shimmerwing

**Shimmerwing**: "*Dapplestar!*"

**Narrator**: "*She screams mindlessly, watching as Dapplestar's eyes turn skyward.*"

**Dapplestar**: "*Heh...*"

**Narrator**: "*Even in the middle of an all-consuming blaze, Dapplestar's amused laughter ripples through the air.*"
**Dapplestar**: "*You great idiot.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*No!*"
**Narrator**: "*She walks on into the fire, further away from any hope of escape. ...She will not be reached in time. There is a sense of yearning that will not be silenced, a desire to run in after her. When was it that she lost her way? For so long, Shimmerwing had been convinced they were looking towards the same things.. Shimmerwing quietly lowers her head and turns. At that moment...*"
**Shellfall**: "*Dapplestar!*"
**Narrator**: "*A frantic cry makes her whip around again. Legs flexing as he hurtles headlong into the burning glade is Shellfall.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Dapplestar!*"
**Narrator**: "*Screaming her name over and over, he extends a paw, trying to reach beyond the flames.*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Shellfall!*"
**Narrator**: "*Shimmerwing yells, dragging him back bodily.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Let go of me! Dapplestar's in there!*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*...Dapplestar is no more.*"
**Shellfall**: "*What are you talking about? She's right there-*"
**Narrator**: "*With eyes wild and bewildered, Shellfall looks back into the flames. With a whoosh and a crack, another branch comes hurtling down... and Dapplestar vanishes into the depths of the inferno.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Dapplestar!*"
**Narrator**: "*He hollers until his voice breaks, but to no avail. The space in which Dapplestar stood a minute ago no longer exists.*"
**Shellfall**: "*Why?!*"
**Narrator**: "*Shellfall turns and slams Shimmerwing roughly into the ground, pinning her down.*"
**Shellfall**: "*What have you done?! Why didn't you stop this?!*"
**Narrator**: "*Shimmerwing flinches as if each enraged shout is a physical strike against her body.*"
**Shelfall**: "*You were the closest to her of any of us! Tell me why! How could you?!*"
**Shimmerwing**: "*Because... I was the closest.*"
**Narrator**: "*Shimmerwing answers solemnly. Her expression, her voice... all of it contains a cool sense of composure completely at odds with the punishing heat around them.*"
—Shimmerwing and Shellfall about Dapplestar

"*I was right to trust her from the day I met her. It shouldn't be a surprise that she saved me from myself. That warrior... though I mistreated her until the very end... she always let it go.*"
—Dapplestar thinking about Shimmerwing in her last moments