ShadowClan

The ShadowClan of the books is one that lives in darkness, seeks power and war. This dark and aggressive point of view is considered by Children of StarClan to be inaccurate and unlikely to have risen there due to thier isolation from battle with other Clans.

Territory

Shadowclan’s territory extends from drier, open moorland to soggy, marsh swept heathland. The edges of the land is punctuated by thickets of hardwood trees as well as a large, singular tree occupied by an owl. The eastern expanse of their land touches into swampy lands with rats commonly sighted.

Prey

While frogs, snakes and lizards abound in the swampland of ShadowClan, these creatures make up only about half of their diet. Southplains and Forest’s Edge play host to birds and squirrels, while the Heathlands are home to mice and other small rodents. The Ratfields are named for the prolific population of these large and aggressive rodents that roam from the Carrionplace. The Sidestream does not provide good fishing (it’s too shallow and brackish to support many fish), though small ones can occasionally be found.

Character

ShadowClan, partly due to their isolation from the other clans, and partly due to the difficult hunting conditions in mostly swamplands, has developed into a Clan of cats who are immensely focused on tasks at hand. They are an intense, hard-working bunch who thrive in these tougher conditions. While some cats are more easy-going, most are fiercely opinionated and serious in nature.

Appearance

Shadowclan cats typically have mid to long hair, providing them with excellent insulation against the cold, damp conditions of their swampy home. This fur also helps protect against thorns and brambles common in their territory. The coats of Shadowclan cats are usually darker shades, ranging from black and deep browns to dark grays and silvers. These colors, as well as common tabby or classic patterns, provide natural camouflage in the marshy reeds and waters of the territory. One of the most distinctive features of Shadowclan cats is their long legs. These help them wade through the often waterlogged terrain of their home, giving them a significant advantage in their swampy environment. Their paws are usually wide and sturdy, providing stability and preventing them from sinking too deeply into the soft ground.

ShadowClan Allegiances

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Local Herbs by Season

Territory and Maps

Camp

East Tunnel

A tunnel located in the eastern camp wall that permits passage into the camp. It’s about a foot across and the briars arch over the top to form a protective roof.

West Tunnel

A tunnel located in the western camp wall that permits passage into the camp. It’s about a foot across and the briars arch over the top to form a protective roof.

Fresh-kill Pile

A small depression in the soft earth at the center of camp where hunters deposit thier prey and hungry cats can collect a meal without having to go out hunting themselves.

Talking Spot

A small clearing amongst the briars of the eastern wall atop a small rise. This is the place where announcements are traditionally made.

Leader’s Den

A small den located just to the east of the talking spot. The dirt floor is hidden by a later of dried grasses and moss.

Deputy’s Den

A bit further east is the deputy’s den. This den is slightly smaller than the Leader’s but is decorated in the same way.

Medicine Cat’s Den

Between the Elder’s Den and Nursery lies the Medicine Cat’s comfortable den. All but one concern of the floor is bare dirt, and along the rest of the walls are the stores of herbs kept for healing, giving the den the heady fragrance of herbs and flowers year round.

Elder’s Den

The largest of the den’s on the northwall is the Elder’s den. The dirt floor is thickly coated in dried grasses and mosses, and extra care has been taken to ensure the walls are wind-proofed.

Nursery

To the east of the Medicine Cat’s Den lies the Nursery. This den has a thick covering of the softest mosses available in the territory, and the walls have been built thick with extra care to ensure there are no drafts.

Warrior’s Den

The largest of all the ShadowClan dens is the Warrior’s Den located on the southwall. This large den is bare-dirt at the center, but comfortable nests of dried grasses line the walls. The briar walls are thick, giving the warriors a secure place sleep.

Apprentice’s Den

To the east of the Warriors’ Den is the apprentice’s den. This den, though smaller, is almost an exact match for to the Warrior’s one.

Marshlands

Nearswamp

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Geography: A small area of swamp a short distance south of ShadowClan Camp Description: A medium-sized, marshy place just to the south of the ShadowClan camp. It is mostly flat, and the majority of it consists of grass and water, with an occasional low bush. It is a moderate place for hunting, as it would normally be prey-rich, but as it is near the camp, the comings and goings of large numbers of cats have scared off much of the prey.

Swamps

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Geography: A section of swampland south of the big Thunderpath between Southplains and the Sidestream Description: A large, wet marshy area, much larger than the Smallswamps and the Nearswamps. There are large amounts of standing water in some places as well as thick mud in others. The Swamps are made up of two large pools of standing water with boggy mud and much plant life. A wide variety of herbs adorns the marshes, such as chickweed, horsetail, tansy, and water mint. Much prey is found there, including amphibians, reptilians, fish, and small mammals.

Smallswamp

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Geography: A small swamp to the west of the Sidestream. Description: A small, marshy area near the south of ShadowClan territory. It is mostly flat and a mixture of grasses and water, with a few bushes. It is a good place for hunting, as frogs, snakes, small fish, water voles, water shrews, and lizards can be found there. It is fed mainly by the Sidestream, which lies just to the east.

Sidestream

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Geography: The southernmost end of the sidestream that branches off RiverClan’s River Description: A small stream snakes through between the swamps, feeding into them but running with small fish and rich with other prey attracted by water.

Thunderpath

Northplains

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Geography: A small plain to the east of Carrionplace. Description: A smooth plain thick with clover and hay. While not acctually a part of the hay field, the humans sometimes use it to graze livestock or mow it in the fall.

Carrionplace

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Geography: A place run by Twolegs, just beyond normal ShadowClan borders, bordered by the Heathlands, Northplains and the Ratfields Description: A place overflowing with Twoleg rubbish and crowfood. The place is often found crawling rats. There is also a Twoleg nest inside.

Tunnel

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Geography: A spot near Fourtrees along the Thunderpath, just beyond the ThunderClan border that permits cats to pass under the Thunderpath Description: An unnaturally straight and smooth tunnel that goes under the Thunderpath, coming out right near Fourtrees. Sometimes water flows through here.

Heathlands

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Geography: A broad area bordered on one side by the small Thunderpath and the other by Carrionplace Description: This broad, damp grassland area is home to some small trees and brush, giving it a fair variety in the prey that can be caught.

Heathlands Treeline

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Geography: A dense patch of trees that runs along the big thunderpath from the tunnel up to the point where it means the little thunderpath Description: This rich, dense trees are a mix of pines, poplar, maples and other leafy trees. They run moderately rich with mammal prey and are frequented by birds.

Open Lands

Ratfields

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Geography: The open lands surrounding Carrionplace. Description: The smooth slopes of the slight rise that surround Carrionplace are covered in grass taller than your average cat, and rats from the refuse-piles often shelter in it, giving the area its name.

Forest’s Edge

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Geography: An area to the northeast of ShadowClan Camp. Description: Trees dot the open plain before they give way to a small forest. The sycamore dominated trees stand tall, and give a place where ShadowClanners can hunt the squirrels that make their homes there, despite the fact that the thickest parts of the forest lay beyond the clan’s borders.

Forestplains

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Geography: An open swath of plains south of Forest’s Edge, North of the Burnt Sycamore, and east of Nearswamp Description: This open section of plains is dotted with only the occasional tree. The grasses here are rich and deep, providing a place to hunt the occasional rabbit and giving the clan access to many other mammal prey items.

Burnt Sycamore

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Geography: A tree just north of Southplains and east of the Swamps. Description: On a slight rise stands the dead and burnt out husk of a once proud Sycamore Tree. At the base of the blackened trunk is an apprentice-sized gap that leads to a small hollow.

Southplains

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Geography: A stretch of open land to the east of the swamps and south of the the Burnt Sycamore. Description: These smooth grass and reed covered plains stretch from the swamps to the ShadowClan border. The plain is dotted with bushes and foliage.

Southplains Treeline

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Geography: A clump of trees north of the Thunderpath, south of Southplains, and east of the Swamps Description: A thin clump of trees near the Thunderpath to the south of Southplains. It provides solid hunting for birds and squirrels. Some pines lie in amongst mostly elms and sycamores.