Carrionsaunter

***Spoiler warning:** Plot and/or ending details follow.*
*"Mates, littermates, clanmates, we're all connected in that way. Where does kittypet fit in there? Exile? Rogue, Loner?* The answer was simple. *It doesn't. And if [Snowthistle] can't prove he's worthy, he won't be welcome. Starclan help this mange-pelt if he's to sleep in my den."*

## General Information

### Scent:

subtle garlic scent masked with old water

## Historical Information

### Date Introduced:

7/17/22

**Carrionsaunter** is an inky black color-point dark brown tom with grizzly features and dull, foggy blue eyes.

**Carrionsaunter** was born to Moldspore and Harpyspiral, inititally named Crowkit by the pair. He has served under Valleystar's and Dawnstar's Reigns.

## Relations

Crush: Ceciliazeal

Friendships: Windsear, Dawnstar (one-sided on his part)

Enemies: Silvershrine, Shallowshrine, Snowthistle, Skyrose

Mentors: Unknown

Apprentices: Bunnyorchard, Squirrelpaw

## Interests

*Likes*

his likes are currently unknown, as many cats haven't been fortunate enough to learn that much about him. though its assumed from cats who've met him that he enjoys the feeling of cool stone, he usually can be found in his den resting on a cool stone that he claimed that he hides under his nest.

*Dislikes*

being followed, apprentices having fun, kits sneaking out of camp (or what he thinks could be their attempts at this), loud noises, the scent of rot, hot temperatures, being in direct sunlight, cats not listening to him, not getting his way, cats talking his ear off, cats making mistakes, death, cats acting weak, cats not doing proper work, cats not putting their energy to use, not being able to work, poor weather conditions preventing him from being underground, soft mud, having to thoroughly clean his pelt and claws, clearing debris from his or other cat's pelts, being touched, the scent of flowers, the scent of honey, flies, having to speak up, slow down what hes saying, having to dumb things down for cats, cats making mistakes, cats attempting to lie to him, the feeling of fur brushing against his own, being grabbed by his scruff, cats touching his tail, small, short, unfinished tunnels, having to look for apprentices/kits, the feeling of being hungry, exploration, expansion of territory, changes in camp, cats touching his property, cats laying on his stone, bossy cats, arrogant cats, hypocritical cats, being given a list of tasks to do, cats with high pitched voices, cats with little pain tolerance, being nagged, uptight or stuck up cats, the feeling of being trapped, being cornered, cold prey.

## Skills/Faults

*Skills*

he's one of the clan's best tunnelers, with massive paws seemingly built to scoop dirt out of his way. he also has great hearing, not finding it difficult to hear any problems that may be forming underground while navigating the tunnel system. hes quick to act, and won't hesitate to give his own opinion on any matter. he's an aggressive cat, making it strange he'd pick the option to be a tunneler, though its assumed its because of his dark pelt, making travelling the moors above ground difficult for him, though he won't say so out loud. he seems to feel as if he's deserving of respect despite never earning it, his ego is almost unmatched when it comes to how uptight he is. he's somewhat resistant when it comes to harm being brought to him. as much as he whines about the apprentices of the clan, every cat knows that in the first sign of danger he'd throw himself in front of it, blocking any harm from coming to his clanmates whenever he gets the chance. he's got a relatively low pain tolerance, and he's incredibly bulky and durable due to his thick pelt, more similar to hide than fur. his claws are very sharp, and because he seems too lazy to clean them a swipe from him could be very dangerous due to the high amount of bacteria they contain. while he'll whine and moan about rotten prey, he wont back out from getting his pelt dirty. he works in the tunnels even in dangerous conditions, preferring to put himself in danger rather than his clan mates to get things done as soon as possible. he works best while working, more capable of holding a proper conversation while his mind is busy.

*Faults*

due to his dark hued pelt he seems to struggle in direct sunlight, usually staying in his den on hot days or leading patrols down into the tunnels. due to his outspoken and aggressive behavior, cats dont usually like to associate with him, though he won't mention thats why. he dislikes the idea of apprentices goofing off and having fun, often shutting their adventures down before they start. he seems quite sensitive about his past, and has a history of growing quite aggressive at cats who are capable of remembering it that tease him on it. he hasn't got the thickest skin, and he seems to be somewhat antisocial, finding it difficult to engage himself im conversations that he needs to start. he prefers to walk beside a cat rather than have a long conversation with them. he's one to hide his pain, refusing to see a medicine cat unless he's gravely injured and no longer able to care for himself. he doesn't take illnesses like greencough entirely seriously, and will work through even the most brutal of illnesses as he always assumes his immune system will pass it through his body. he's not one to talk about himself, and will consistently changethe subject when cats attempt to speak with him about anything. he genuinely believes he's not destined to love another cat again after the loss of his mother and father, believing it's a curse from Starclan keeping him alone. he's known to sulk and grow increasingly miserable, though he doesn't let his own brooding consume him. he's not one to complain about how things are done as long as he believes he came up with the idea. he's headstrong and is known to become violent if a cat patronizies him, though he's been scolded many times for this. he's not the fastest cat on the moor, and tends to grow out of breath easily if not pacing himself. he has a very negative outlook on life, and believes that theres nothing but bad and worse with cats. he's somewhat paranoid because of this at times, though he wouldn't ever let it show. he doesn't seem to handle change well, and he grows incredibly defensive over his personal life and his belongings. he needs to feel like hes in control almost at all times, or else he grows cold and sour. his favorite thing to use on cats is the silent treatment, ignoring them until they crack and apologize or finally begin to leave him alone. he tends to allow cats to drift away, and he's self sabotaging to his own relationships, as he assumes cats will only fail his expectations either way. it may take him moons to finally open up to a cat about his past. he's very squeamish, and wouldn't be a great cat if someone needed healing. he also attempts to pressure sick cats into working before being forced to leave by the medicine cat, some cats believing his resistance to infection is caused by how dirty the tom constantly gets himself.

## Personality

he's an arrogant, hypocritical, and somewhat cruel tom on the surface with a lot more to unpack as cats get to learn more about him. he cannot handle the concept of change, and he prefers his life to be planned step by step, he doesnt do well without routine. he's very dedicated to his work, and takes great pride in the tunnels he's created. he doesn't entirely understand the concept of fun, as if no cat had ever tried to play with the tom in his life. he doesn't accept failure, and seems eager to correct mistakes others make, leading by example of narrowly avoiding mistakes often times himself. he's not a very quick thinking cat, its not uncommon for cats to become confused if he responded to a question or not when he looks at them before slowly stalking off. he doesnt much appreciate cats being loud, and he especially doesn't accept the childlike antics of apprentices or kits, finding their idea of fun rather irritating. though some cats have believed he could have a soft gooey center to the hard casing he covers himself with. he's intimidating, taking advantage of his appearance and story (for the cats who know of it) to scare them into doing what theyre meant to. hes insanely loyal, some cats believing he'd never stepped a paw in the wrong spot since the incident with moldspore. he cares for his clanmates genuinely, though, always going out of his way to help when needed depending on the task, he values his place in the clan greatly. he's also quite old fashioned, and while he doesn't favor a kittypet leader he'd rather a Starclan chosen one than any other cat, so he respects her nonetheless. he doesn't seem to share the same respect for the deputy though, hes one to harshly criticize cats and the way they do things, with the deputy being one of the ones most harshly picked apart. he nitpicks cats he dislikes and things they do wrong, his tone hard, solid, closed to any debate. he tends to wander off during conversations he's not inherently interested in. he is relatively ambitious, clearly believing himself to be the most capable option for the deputy position. he can't see himself as leader, however. he imagines himself at dawnstar's side commanding his cats the way he chooses, somewhat appreciating her wavering command over them since it gives him more room to boss them around. he loves the chance to explain things to cats, and easily is swayed if cats feed his ego. he needs to believe he came up with the idea if hes going to do it. hes a workaholic, never seeming to sleep and constantly being underground.

## Detailed History

*Dawnstar's Reign*

**Moon 2**

## Detailed Appearance

carrionsaunter is a sleek, slender, short-furred tom with roughly textured fur. he has color pointed markings on the coolest parts of his body (face, paws/arms, tail tip) and large paws. his neck is thick, covered with a thick layer of pelt that protects his body from some amount of injury. he has boxy muscles and a square motif, not making him one of the most attractive toms, but possibly making him look intimidating in certain context. he usually settles into a glaring expression, his icy gaze piercing into the cats around him. he has a narrow back with blocky haunches, his back legs are strong and well-muscled. he has a thick, large tail that he usually only uses to give orders with. his tail tip is tapered at the end. his haunches are large and muscular, giving him a powerful leap if necessary. he's got well defined muscles, and massive paws making scooping Earth quite easy for the tom. he has long dark claws he doesn't bother cleaning the dirt out of anymore, so getting a swipe from him could be relatively dangerous. he usually lets his pelt get decently messy before taking the time to groom it, with leaves and debris often getting caught in his fur. he has pale green-blue eyes with little detail, and a thick browline that rests close to his eyes, giving him an unattractive resting expression. he has a wide nose and a flat muzzle, with small ears that round at the tips softer than other cat's.

## Kin

Mother: Moldspore

Father: Harpyspiral

Brother: Icekit

Cousin: Nectarwing

## Backstory

(this is not a story he'd share lightly with any cat. roleplay with him to learn about it/more details from him! only cats who are his age or older would know of this story.) carrionsaunter was born as crowkit to his parents prairiesun and harpyspiral alongside his brother, icekit. icekit was born weak, and seemed to die mysteriously after he was named. outraged she'd even consider such a name for her kit, valleystar exiled his mother, saying her intentions were filled with hate and her neglect killed her kit. prairiesun denied the claims, and screeched that she was heartless for forcing her to abandon her young kit. her mate attempted to stand up for her, explaining he named the kit and did not understand the implications since he was a rogue, though valleystar refused this explanation, sending the molly away and punishing harpyspiral with apprentice tasks and keeping him bound to camp for several moons. furious, she fled, promising to return to raise her kit. as an apprentice, crowpaw met prairiesun, who had renamed herself moldspore. the two spoke briefly, with crowpaw immediately forgiving her due to everything harpyspiral had told him about her. the two continued to meet at the border up until harpyspiral was no longer being punished and was welcome to leave camp. he met her again, where she exclaimed her desire for him to join her as a rogue. she promised him the opportunity to steal from and harm his clanmates, to which he was taken aback by. he didnt want to hurt his clanmates, but he didnt feel like he belonged either. he renamed himself carrionpaw then, and continued to ask cats to call him that until word reached valleystar, who gently questioned his motives for the name change. he pardoned her by briefly explaining away his reasoning, much to valleystar's distaste. she allowed it, though hesitant. the tom grew more distant from his clanmates after that, the idea of leaving becoming a much more attractive option the longer he spent alone. though when he went to meet moldspore, he found that her and harpyspiral were brutally fighting on the border. he hid from sight, watching in horror as moldspore killed the tom, before wiping her paws clean and dumping the tom inside of sunlit prairies' territory, before fleeing the scene. carrionpaw was mortified, believing subtly that his name change was to blame, as after it was announced he recalled seeing his father look hesitant and struggling to understand. he carried his father's body back to camp, though it took an entire day due to the weight. he collapsed and sobbed, and cats came to give him their sympathies as he explained the entire story. he was given his full name after he discovered moldspore attempting to recruit him one final time. he viciously attacked her and chased her far off the territory, never to be seen again. he was granted the name carrionsaunter for his slow pace to grow to connect with his clanmates. he has since become one of the most talented, but also one of the most introverted and somewhat feared tunnelers that has lived to current date, with queens telling the kits and apprentices to avoid the tom at all costs if at all possible. though he'd never bring any harm to his clanmates, making that clear when he decided to stay with them, some cats still have a lack of trust in him due to his name change, as if a part of him will forever still be connected to moldspore.

## Trivia

* he doesn't seem to mind if cats call him by his prefix, he wont bother to correct them and generally doesnt have a negative reaction, though he seems more irritated if random cats try this rather than a cat he's become friends with. being called crow however will infuriate him beyond reasonable belief.

## Quotes

*"He looks like nothing more than a drowned hare-kit with twisted whiskers. Where'd you find this one, the tunnels?"*

- Carrionsaunter's initial reaction to Snowthistle joining the clan.

*"Mates, littermates, clanmates, we're all connected in that way. Where does kittypet fit in there? Exile? Rogue, Loner?* The answer was simple. *It doesn't. And if he can't prove he's worthy, he won't be welcome. Starclan help this mange-pelt if he's to sleep in my den."*

- Carrionsaunter's thoughts on outsiders.

## Links

Theme Song/Voice Claim

* Playlist: Spotify

*End of spoiler warning*