MarshClan Figures

## Marshstar

A black golden spotted tabby tom with amber eyes. The first leader of MarshClan, Marshstar was the last to establish a Clan along the coast; he was originally part of a wandering group of rogues that moved up and down the coast, stealing from and killing other cats, and sometimes even those within the group itself. Marshstar, despite being born into the group, was said to be typically reactive, not preemptive; he would often not initiate conflict with other cats or Clans unless he felt that his own Clan was slighted or wronged first. However, when he did fight, it was said that he had the strength and ferocity of a warrior double his size and strength, capable of tearing through scores of enemies single-pawed. He was a leader prepared to make sacrifices and take action when it needed to be taken, and because of this and his background, he was sometimes villainized by the other Clans, made out to be crueler than he actually was. Within his own Clan, he was a fair leader, never allowing injustices to pass without strong protest, and always striving to give his cats the best lives they could possibly have. This sometimes meant going out of his way to obtain resources not readily available on the marshes — things that he may have had to fight other Clans for — but he always supported those within his own Clan. He was said to be the kindest gentleman to his mate, always doting on her and providing her with everything he possibly could, and was a loving father to their later kits. Stories vary on how many kits or litters they had, but all of them agree that the pair had kits at one point or another. Some speculate that their blood still runs through the Clan today.

## Dawnlight

A long-furred red, brown, and white calico she-cat with sky blue eyes. Originally a cat from another Clan — though no one can seem to agree on which one it was — Dawnlight began to fall in love with Marshclaw when he helped her get her wounded Clanmates off of a battlefield, betraying the rogue group he originally came from in the process. As evidenced by this event, Dawnlight was always a very protective and motherly cat, aiming to keep her loved ones out of harm's way whenever she could, even if that meant throwing herself headfirst into danger in order to ensure others' safety. She was known to be a bit reckless at times, but never endangered others by making rash decisions, only putting herself at risk for others' sakes. Although she was a risk-taker at times, she was generally very calm and wise, not one to get riled up easily, and often the voice of reason in tough situations. She always advocated for diplomacy between MarshClan and others, be them the other Clans or outsiders like rogues or loners. She was a gentle soul unless someone she cared about was threatened, at which point she would be overcome with cold fury, doggedly continuing on despite any difficulty or injury inflicted upon her in an effort to make anyone who wronged her or her loved ones pay. She was always very sweet and loving towards her mate, though she was said to have teased him from time to time, and could apparently be an incorrigible flirt, if only with him alone. She was a loving and kind mother to the kits they had together. Stories vary on how many kits or litters they had, but all of them agree that the pair had kits at one point. Some speculate that their blood still runs through the Clan today.

## Snakeweed

A skinny pale brown tom with black tabby stripes and yellow-green eyes. The first medicine cat of MarshClan, he was originally a loner living nearby the coast. His territory and neighbors' territories were terrorized by the rogue group that Marshstar was originally a part of, and Snakeweed grew to distrust any large, organized groups of cats, not liking the rogues or the Clans that began to take root along the coast later on. However, when Marshstar changed and helped the Clans drive away the rogues, only to be forced to stay in the marshes, Snakeweed found some respect for the Clans. He, being an experienced marsh cat, encountered and eventually agreed to coach Marshstar and Dawnlight through surviving the harsh salt marshes. Though a generally distrustful and prickly cat, Snakeweed was known to offer small, quiet kindnesses to others, such as his helping Marshstar and Dawnlight, though he often insisted that he was acting in self-interest for mostly transparent reasons. He is often used as an example in "don't judge a book by its cover" stories that queens or elders tell to kits. He was also responsible for pioneering treatments for infections and other contaminants in wounds, as well as treatments for poisoning — in fact, he was the first to use firethorn as it is commonly used by medicine cats today. Many stories described him as Marshstar's best friend, and he was said to have delivered his and Dawnlight's kits himself.

## Fleetstar

A speckled pale gray tom with icy blue eyes. A mostly cold and aloof tom, Fleetstar was not one to form close bonds with other cats easily, and his combative and rather temperamental attitude often led him to jump to conclusions or make accusations easily. However, he was still an intelligent and calculative cat, being quite charismatic, capable of being persuasive and drawing other cats in when he really put his mind to it, which was part of what helped him to control his Clan despite some of his more controversial policies during his lifetime. He was not necessarily an evil or malevolent leader, but he cared little to nothing for the other Clans, and his intense pride in his Clan led him to seek conflict with others if he ever felt that MarshClan was insulted. He was constantly seeking to expand and gain more territory, and anytime any cat from another Clan seemed to disrespect MarshClan, Fleetstar wouldn't hesitate to order an attack. This attitude caused a lot of strain between MarshClan and the other two Clans, and the Clan was almost constantly in conflict during his rule. In this war-mongering time, Fleetstar put value on a warrior's ability to fight and defend the Clan rather than any other contributions they could make. As a result, elders, sick cats, the crippled or otherwise infirm, and even the medicine cat(s) to some extent were not treated with the respect they deserved, and were oftentimes even pushed aside and shunned or forgotten. Apprentices saw battle young, and cats were pushed to be very, very fierce fighters, to the point that some opponents were killed, and most cats who lived through that time aren't really sure if some of the cats they battled lived or died after they left the battlefield. Though the Clan became more peaceful and stable under the leadership of his successor, Honeystar, and her later successor, Reedstar, Fleetstar's rule still greatly shaped the lives of many of MarshClan's warriors, the Clan's overall culture, and how the other Clans viewed MarshClan.