for keepsies

The old camp was a hollow by the pond. The ground is snowy, but you can still see the holes in the ground, the hollow logs, stumps, and the rock ledges that once made the dens of various cats. The old camp is patrolled frequently to make sure that no animal has made the old dens their home, and is often used as a resting point when cats hunting by the border are caught in a storm. The old camp is also a popular place among apprentices, who are curious to the way their ancestors lived, or simply want a spot to hang out and play.

broken aspen A beautiful part of the territory, where the mountain slopes down and there is a crevice between two rocks. Cats trying to cross over to the other side of the large gap can cross through the broken aspen. Covered in leaves during the fall and the summer, but topped with snow in the winter, this tree is a frequent place for cats to practice their balance, and apprentices are often brought here to learn how to cross properly. However, any young cat visiting this spot must always be accompanied by a warrior, in case anything happens.

"The Swallowing River is named for a reason," every mentor tells his or her apprentice, "and death by drowning means you will never be at peace." The rapids are quick and will overcome any cat when they are unaware. It's difficult to cross other than the few stepping stones at the narrow beginning, and once a cat falls in, they have about three minutes before they start to freeze. No one knows where the river leads, but warriors and apprentices are told to never go alone, risk they lose their lives or worse, become a white cat.

frozen lake The lake is at a high enough elevation that no trees grow near its edges, and it never fully thaws, except near the edges. During the coldest seasons, cats practice their balance by stalking and skating about on the surface. It's slick and fun for apprentices and warriors alike. Legend has it once the lake was liquid and full of life, and some of that life is still at the depths of the lake, beneath the layers of ice. A society of cats thrive beneath the surface, able to swim and breathe water, chasing fish and believing the ice is the sky above. Gill slits line their throats, their paw are webbed, and their fur is sleek and dense to resist the cold. If a WinterClan cat stands on the center of the lake on a cloudy day, they can see the flickers of cats beneath the surface, if they are lucky; if a cat beneath the ice looks up, they can see thesilhouetteof the cat above, and according to legend they believe WinterClan cats to be gods.


burial grounds These snowy ruins are never to be traveled alone. It is a fearsome place of darkness and superstition, and many cats have lost their souls due to weaknesses in their heart. The burial grounds are man-made ruins, but WinterClan has long since buried its dead here, on the top of a cold mountain in hopes that the high altitude means that their ancestors will reach the stars easier. Though many mentors bring their apprentices here for sight seeing, there is always a warning. This mountain especially, has caused the death of many, and the ghost of wars past and drowned cats linger here, never to find rest and never to find a home. During the solstice or the equinox, all cats are forbidden to enter. The white cats and demons linger here, and will devour any foolhardy souls who are too reckless for their own good, and they will take over to bring chaos to the clan if preparations are not made in time.

The meadow and the pond are prime hunting areas for the clan cats. The ground is soft with freshly fallen snow most of the time, and trees are scattered around to give shelter to the cats. The pond is a perfect place to get a quick drink, and the meadow is a wonderful place to relax on a nice day. It's quiet and peaceful other than the sound of birds in the distance, and all types of prey can be found, from the most common--rabbits, mice, voles--to some stranger foods--an occasional squirrel, shrew, snipes, and pheasants--the ground is perfect for practice. In the warmer seasons, the meadow bursts into colors of different flowers and colorful insects, and many queens bring their kits out here to relax and play in the sunlight. Occasionally, deer can be seen, and hawks or owls fly above. Every queen who brings their kits out must watch them carefully, and often warriors are assigned to watch over the meadow when the kittens are out.

The training hollow is in the bottom levels of the forest, where the ground is soft with grass or snow, and the trees grow tall and give shelter to cats below. The snowy grounds allow cats to practice hunting in the forest, and the trees are great for climbing practice, or for cover when the snow starts falling. There are plenty of prey about, which makes for easy hunting, and the small hollow, or the empty space, is perfect for battle practice.

The marsh is not often a place any cat wants to find themselves in. The ground is wet and soft, and cats often misstep and fall into puddles of water or mud. Long grass grows here, and if you miss the smell of the petrichor around you, you might find yourself stuck in a puddle of mud somewhere. Apprentices must be accompanied by warriors when they explore here, and cats usually only hunt around this place when the boggy ground freezes, making it easier to travel. During the War of the Broken Mountain, hope was near lost as the clan starved and shriveled under siege for a moon. Unable to escape their own desolate territory, they were on the verge of collapse when a young warrior by the name of Marmot led them to their saving when he discovered the Marshy Swamp held mink and frogs that were edible to the clans, and then to victory as he plotted to use the changing landscape to trap and defeat their enemies. WinterClan queens believe that if they name their kit Marmot in this cat's honor they will live a life of valor and discovery. Note: This is a marsh, not a swamp, so there are no trees growing here; it's also freshwater, so there are no mangroves.

skeleton sink A close grouping of sinkholes along the base of the WinterClan border became infamous during Understar's reign for the skeletons arranged among and within them. Cats and prey alike venture near these holes, never to return; those that fall within the sinkholes can rarely escape, and instead slowly starve to death or succumb to wounds, where they are stripped to the gleaming bone in days. A few cats that died near the holes rather than within left an intimidating arrangement of skulls behind to ward off any curious apprentices. Some whisper these holes are the product of a large, vicious predator; others argue that there is a murderer in the clan using nature as a defense; still others believe they lead straight to the Dark Forest. In truth, dermestid beetles have invaded the sinkholes. Light fearing, they stay away during the day and hide away in the sinkholes, but feast on the flesh of those that happen by and fall to their fate.

mothers mound Some mothers believe that the Era of the Judges is soon to come, and there is only one way to appear them: blood sacrifices. They will deliver the strongest kit of a litter (typically a female, as WinterClan's most influential leaders were often female) as a sacrifice to the Judges to keep them at bay, leaving the wailing youngling atop this large scatter of rocks. Many of these kits are carried off by predators, but those that survive long enough their absence is noticed are often saved by members of the clan, who return them under the claim they are strays found at the border. Thus, many joined WinterClan cats are truly clanborn, but intended sacrifices.