CAMPIONSTAR

Campionstar is a quiet cat, only for the fact that he prefers to listen and observe where he can. He speaks with a strong, commanding voice, not one to be overlooked. He is orderly and punctual, he dislikes when others show up late to patrol, training, or meetings. He is a traditional Marrowclan cat in all regards. He dislikes and distrusts the other clans. He is open to friendships with cats outside Marrowclan, but he would never let said friendships sway him if he met them on the battlefield- he is first and foremost loyal to Marrowclan.

Campionstar carries tremendous guilt over the deaths of two of his siblings, Cedarpaw and Dayrunner, which influences his choices as leader every day. He has a fear of being at fault for deaths within Marrowclan and will do anything to prevent them from happening. Towards younger cats, especially kits and apprentices, Campionstar is very protective. Apprentices might see him as strict, but from his point of view every rule he sets is meant to keep every member of the clan safe. He is especially adamant about apprentices not leaving camp without a warrior to accompany them. Campionstar is a great mentor and forms close bonds with all of his apprentices.

Campionstar is quick to put others before himself. If the clan is running low on food, he will not eat until everyone else has, if the clan is being affected by sickness or disease, he will make sure healthy warriors assist the oracles in finding sufficient herbs. He takes time to check in with every member of the clan to see if their needs are met, and if they're not, he makes sure the situation is seen to, either by himself or another trusted clan member.

Campionstar can be secretive. He will not disclose details to others unless he thinks it is necessary for their knowledge and safety, though he keeps close counsel with Lionshadow, Hollownight, Candlenight, and Grizzlyroar, along with a handful of other trusted cats. Campionstar can be an emotional cat, but he hides it well from others, only those especially close to him or good at reading him can tell what he is feeling when he is truly masking his emotions. He loves his family deeply- at least what remains of them. Even with his suspicions about Grizzlyroar's dark nature, he still gives his brother the benefit of the doubt, clouded by his love for him. He tends to forgive cats who are close to him for wrong doings easily, so long as they atone in his eyes. It’s no secret that Campionstar has his ‘inner circle’ of warriors, mostly made up of those who assisted him in his ascent to leadership.

Campionstar is quick to act when he believes something needs to happen, even if that means overlooking essential details. Though he will take time to listen to those who give him advice, at the end of the day he will make the decision that he feels is best, not necessarily the choice that is most popular. He is well aware of how fragile his position as leader is, especially coming from a line of unstable and short leaderships. Campionstar has no ambition for power just for the sake of it— he only recognizes that Marrowclan is in need of a strong and capable leader, and believes he is the best fit for that role.

HISTORY .

Campionkit was a quiet kit from the moment he came into the world. His mother would often tell others about how her darling son gave the Oracles a scare when he was born without a cry into the warm early Greenleaf night. Her son never made a single peep up to the point he learned to talk, only mewing politely to ask to be fed or cuddled. So unlike his siblings.

Campionkit was one of a large litter. With seven siblings, it was almost like little Campion knew the monarchs would need one less kit yelling at them at every hour of the day. Cedarkit, Grizzlykit, Sycamorekit, Granitekit, Streamkit, Buckwheatkit, and Daykit were their names, each one more rambunctious than the last. Only one of them would survive to the present day.

Campionkit doesn't remember how Streamkit passed. His parents never spoke of it, but they mentioned her name fondly over the following moons- they prayed to Lunae to keep her safe in Starclan. Campionkit's parents were traditional Marrowclan warriors. They rejoiced when their children were born under an animal sign. They raised each of their children to be individuals, to not rely on the rest of the clan to fill their every need, but they were still loving parents, and very proud of their kits.

One other sibling passed during the Leaf-Fall of their kithood. Campionkit remembered this time, how the sickness took the bold Granitekit under its grasp and never let go. The day after her passing, the rest of the siblings were made apprentices. :whatsthis: Under the mentorship of Harriereye, Campionpaw was a dutiful and tenacious apprentice. Eager to become a great warrior, Campionpaw embraced every second of his training, and soon learned how to throw his weight around in battle, and how to be light on his paws while hunting. He showed promise, which was soon noticed by others within the clan. He wasn't as strong as Grizzlypaw, or as swift as Daypaw, but he was calculating and quick to act. He was a golden child to his parents, especially to his mother, Finchchirp, who often praised him for his kindness and thoughtfulness towards his clanmates and siblings. His mother affectionately called him "Wishbone" for the white marking on his nose, the name caught on with the rest of his siblings, and even some of his close friends would call him by it on occasion.

Campionpaw was close with all of his siblings, but he was especially close with his brother Grizzlypaw. The brothers challenged each other to work harder in their training, however Grizzlypaw often pushed the boundaries past what Campionpaw would normally consider. Grizzlypaw was stronger and more violent than Campionpaw, which resulted several times in Campionpaw gaining scrapes or bruises when his brother became overzealous during training. Campionpaw never cared much, he just laughed it off with his brother.

One day, midway through their apprenticeship, Grizzlypaw finally convinced the rule-following Campionpaw to sneak out of camp to explore the territory. Their sibling Cedarpaw found out about their plan and insisted on coming along, having always idolized their brothers. Cedarpaw had always been the smallest and most sickly of the siblings, it was all too easy for their tiny cries to go unnoticed as Campionpaw and Grizzlypaw raced through the forest. Cedarpaw's remains were found at the bough of a tree three days later, it was hard to say what predator ended up getting them.

Campionpaw stayed in his nest for days after Cedarpaw's death, weighed down by immense guilt. His father, Manzanitathorn was furious with both of his sons and shunned them; they wouldn't speak to their father again until they were made warriors. His mother was grief stricken by the loss of her third child. She snapped at the boys at first, but was quick to comfort Campionpaw when she realized how devastated he was. The night after the patrol recovered Cedarpaw's body, Campionpaw fell asleep from exhaustion in the middle of the cleaning while sitting vigil, curled up against his mother's stomach. :whatsthis: Withdrawn from the rest of the clan, Campionpaw ignored Grizzlypaw. He saw how apathetic Grizzlypaw had reacted towards their siblings' death, it made him feel sick. After a week, Grizzly finally confronted Campion. Grizzlypaw believed Campionpaw solely blamed him for Cedarpaw's death. Campion neither confirmed nor denied, and Grizzlypaw stormed off in rage.

Campionpaw found comfort in his close friend, Lionpaw, who was the first cat able to bring the grief-stricken apprentice out of his stupor. The two increasingly spent more time together as warriorhood drew near. Campionpaw found peace in his friend’s presence, he couldn’t help but develop a little crush on the handsome dark tom.

At 12 moons, the remaining siblings became warriors, but not before Buckwheatpaw was taken by sickness, just like Granitekit had been. Another ceremony tainted by the loss of a sister. Campionpaw began to wonder if perhaps their family was cursed.

A few days after their ceremony, the newly named Campionblaze approached his brother, now Grizzlyroar, to make amends. Grizzlyroar embraced him immediately and the two became close once again. :whatsthis: Even as an apprentice, Campionblaze had been no stranger to Marrowclan's politics. His first gathering at 6 moons old had ended with his leader being struck by lightning and stripped of all lives at the same moment. When Harriereye had become deputy, he observed his mentor closely during her daily duties, and became aware quickly of how unpopular of a leader Greystar was. His caught whispers between warriors of the leader's incompetence, of what they might do to free the clan of his rule. It was clear to him even from a young age that while she was called deputy, Harriereye was the true leader.

After he was named a warrior, Campionblaze became more involved in talks of a possible coup. While he was hesitant about the idea of outright killing Greystar, Campionblaze knew that if it came down to it, he was willing to put the well-being of Marrowclan over the life of an undeserving leader.

With Harriereye taking up the position as "leader" in Greystar's place, Campionblaze may as well have been her "deputy". Some members of the clan expressed their annoyance with such a young cat becoming such a prevalent member of the clan so quickly. However Campionblaze was quick to make connections throughout the clan and gain the trust and respect of many due to his organization and tenacity. He was assigned his first apprentice, Pheasantpaw around this time. He saw quite a bit of himself in the young molly's eagerness to learn.

Campionblaze mourned Harriereye when she suddenly disappeared. He led countless patrols to search for his former mentor, however they all came back empty-handed. When the clan realized it was likely Harriereye would never return, it came time for Greystar to name a new deputy. Backed by his family and other conspirators, Campionblaze visited Greystar in his den the night before the ceremony for a conversation. The conversation remained civil as Campionblaze worked to convince Greystar to make the right decision. However convincing his case may have been, Grizzlyroar's blood red eyes staring Greystar down from the entrance of the den did most of the talking for him. :whatsthis: At moon high, when Greystar summoned the clan. Campionblaze was officially named deputy. In the moons that followed, daily clan life remained largely the same as it had before. He took on Harriereye's responsibilities well, and even when they weighed on him, he was well supported by his family and friends. Grizzlyroar was never seen far from his brother, helping organize patrols and performing other duties in order to help the clan. He promised to Grizzlyroar that if he were ever to become leader, Campionblaze would promote him to deputy without a second thought.

Campionblaze had been raised to hold Lunae as his object of worship. He couldn't help but to pray especially hard as he witnessed Astron and Vanus battle across the sky. A new fear grew in his mind, a divine fear he had never felt before. Campionblaze didn't have a clue as to how he could protect Marrowclan against a being as powerful as Vanus if he were to turn his sights on the living. He confided this to Grizzlyroar one evening, however his brother remained unusually quiet.

After this interaction, Campionblaze began to notice more strange behavior from Grizzlyroar. Most days he seemed exhausted, as if he never slept. His patience seemed non existent, and the cat who once had been good at holding back his fiery temper now snapped at his clanmates over trivial things. Worst of all, Campionblaze noticed a violence about his brother that he had been blind to since their apprentice days of scrapes and bruises. The change in his brother made Campionblaze think of all of the blank stares and apathetic words of prayer during all of their siblings' funerals. Campionblaze avoided Grizzlyroar in the following moons, preferring to spend his time with Lionshadow- whom he has recently officially become mates with- instead. Grizzlyroar seemed to recognize his desire for distance and even respected it, however more often than not Campionblaze still noticed his bother keeping watch over him from a distance.

Campionblaze was skeptical when Barkclan threw accusation at Greystar for the death of one of their warriors. He hardly believed the leader capable or competent enough to commit a murder. Barkclan seemed adamant. In addition to war being declared by Barkclan, the Dark Forest made it clear that there would soon be a war with Starclan. :whatsthis: Campionblaze led the charge for Marrowclan at the battle at Stars Fall. One of the first deaths of the battle was that of Campionblaze's sibling Sycamoreshade, brought down by the Barkclan warrior Tidebreaker. As he went to pursue her, another warrior, Cometshard, knocked him off of his paws. The two warriors engaged in battle briefly, until Campionblaze grabbed a sharp bone from the ground and impaled Cometshard through her skull. Campionblaze had no time to process what he had done, by the time the Barkclan warrior's body had fallen limp to the ground, he was already battling another warrior.

What initially began as a war between clans erupted into a fight of the living alongside the dead as the sky shattered. Campionblaze fought the majority of the battle alongside Dayrunner. When the Dark Forest cats were finally sent running, Dayrunner was nowhere to be found. He searched for her among the casualties and eventually found her with a huge bite taken out of her throat. Beside her, Grizzlyroar sat, covered in blood, explaining to his brother that he had found her too late, that the Dark Forest warrior had already sunk their teeth in before he could come to their sister's aid.

The casualties were extensive. Campionblaze couldn't help but feel a sense of relief when Greystar's body was discovered among the dead- Marrowclan would finally be free of his leadership.

It had all come at a cost, having lost two siblings on the same day. Campionblaze laid beside Finchchirp and Manzanitathorn as they groomed the bodies of their kits, watching as his only remaining brother groomed his own blood-soaked fur.

The following day at moon high, Campionblaze preformed the Rite of the Sickle. He had never given much thought to the ritual, he assumed that if Greystar had somehow been able to survive it, he had nothing to worry about. In the end, the liver went down much easier than Campionblaze could have imagined. :whatsthis: Following the Rite, Campionblaze visited the Mooncave to receive his lives. He was teary-eyed reuniting with lost friends and siblings as they each gifted him a life. Back at camp, Campionstar took to the high stone to call a clan meeting. He avoided eye contact with Grizzlyroar as he named his former apprentice, Pheasantplume deputy. After he called the meeting to a close, Grizzlyroar was nowhere to be found in camp, he wouldn't return until the next night.

After consulting the oracles about the new divine members of the pantheon, Campionstar begins to notice cats defying what the clans had agreed on. He let Candlenight address these cats for the most part, but would step in where he saw fit. Specifically, he warned his former apprentice, Seraphimflame against setting out his shrines. Other cats join in, however it remains a mostly harmless practice, so Campionstar did not punish those involved.

During a skirmish with Barkclan, Pheasantplume was killed. Campionstar, distraught and enraged, ordered patrols to buff their numbers and patrol more frequently. He named Hollownight, another trusted former apprentice of his, as deputy. This time Grizzlyroar had little reaction, much to Campionstar's surprise. If anything, Grizzlyroar seemed to begin acting like his old self again, becoming less withdrawn. Campionstar was hopeful that whatever had been bothering his brother had blown over, and that the anger at not choosing him as deputy had waned over time.

Amidst continuous tensions with Barkclan, Seraphimflame and the others who worshiped the new "gods'' only proved to be more of an issue as moons went on. It all culminated the day that Seraphimflame very publicly suggested that the daemons of the dark forest were worthy of respect. Campionstar snapped at his former apprentice, shaming him for saying such a thing about the things that hailed from the same place that caused so much death during the Battle of the Stars. He banished Seraphimflame, the cat he had once been so proud of, hardly even casting a second glance as his followers left camp with him.