Origins & Lore
Art by 1000warriors (Tumblr)
The CrossroadsBelladonnaClan had been traveling for moons, starving, fighting amongst themselves, never knowing when their next meal would be – their homeland had been burnt to ash. Finally, omens from StarClan delivered to their medicine cat, Rowanwind, led them to their new home. An expansive territory, woven with forests, rivers, plains, and more, known to locals as "the Crossroads." Rogues, loners, travelers, even kittypets crossed the land often as a hotspot for stopping to rest on their journeys. Despite the Clan's distrust and hostility to outsiders, they gratefully took the new territory, and their deep faith in StarClan strengthened as a result. Perhaps a little too much.They owed their lives to StarClan and to Rowanwind for interpreting their ancestors' omens, after all. In turn, the Clan adamantly enforced their faith, as they saw it as their saving grace in their darkest hour.Rowanwind's cousin, Liongrace, was selected as deputy after the medicine cat received visions from StarClan.
Art by 1000warriors (Tumblr)
In Another WorldWhen all kits in a litter are able to walk and talk, they go to the big flowerbed in the middle of the labyrinth to plant a seed of their favorite flower. That flower becomes bonded to the kit's soul, tended to by gardeners and fairies. It grows, blooms, withers, and dies with their soul-bond. If the cat dies, the flower dies – and vice versa. The flower grants immunity to most poisonous plants, and the colony surrounds itself in flowers as part of everyday life. Flowers are embedded in their culture.Born into this colony, in this strange world without Clans, was Camellia. She planted her flower, a rose – and her sister, Rose, planted a camellia. Their other sister, Clover, died when they were all young. They floated their sister's body down the river, a wreath of daisies upon her, topped with the wilted daisy that died with her.As young adults, Rose pressured Camellia to go on an adventure with her, to a place forbidden from the colony. Ruins of an ancient castle, once ruled by humans, now reclaimed by nature. While there, Rose accidentally stepped in an odd, tar-like substance; black and magenta in color, sticking to her paw, and searing her skin. The colony called it "Malice."The Malice spread over Rose's body and into her brain, turning her violent. Worst of all, it spread through the colony. Once the Malice reached Rose's brain, the colony was forced to kill her flower, and, evidently, her. There was no way to stop the spread.The last cat without Malice, Camellia set fire to the garden after carefully uprooting her own flower. She was sent away from her world as punishment from the Great Fairies.
Art by 1000warriors (Tumblr)
The GardenOn one of BelladonnaClan's very first hunting patrols in the Crossroads, Liongrace split off for a solo hunt when he chased a squirrel over an ivy-covered cobblestone wall. He landed in a bed of lilacs, and that's where he met Camellia for the first time. A lone she-cat tending to a beautiful, lonely garden in the wild. The two exchanged banter, and Liongrace took Camellia on a date to make up for trampling her lilacs.And then they met again, and again, and again. Finally, Camellia ended up joining BelladonnaClan upon learning she was pregnant with her and Lion's first litter. The Clan was passive aggressive to the newcomer, and though some warmed up to the molly's cheerful and sassy nature, many spread gossip about her behind her back. Rowanwind was very supportive of her newfound sister, and the two became close.
Art by 1000warriors (Tumblr)
The FamilyCamelliashade and Liongrace wanted a big family, and so they did. In total, twelve daughters across three litters: Ashkit, Blackkit, and Claritykit from the Genesis Litter; Daybreakkit, Everkit and Fairykit from the Exodus; and Gemkit, Heartkit, Islandkit, Junekit, Kitekit, and Larkkit from the Eden. The first two litters were loved deeply by their parents, and while the sisters all had different personalities and interests, they bonded over one shared love for gardening. The Garden was their safehaven.When each of the first six kits reached one moon, Camelliashade would take them to the Garden to pick their favorite flower. No longer in her homeworld, Camellia substituted the traditional flower planting with painting her kits' favorite flowers on the stepping stones in the center of the Garden.
Art by 1000warriors (Tumblr)
The ManorHowever, during her third pregnancy, something went wrong. Ashpaw, Blackpaw and Claritypaw, already distrustful of the clan, took their mother and three younger sisters and fled to the nearby Twolegplace. Their mother had begun acting strangely and almost got hit by a monster on the Thunderpath shortly after consuming herbs for her pregnancy. They ended up on a wealthy Twoleg's property and befriended her kittypet, Lunafreya. Lunafreya consulted with an ex-medicine cat in town with descriptions from the older daughters of the herbs Camelliashade consumed. They quickly pinpointed the culprit: belladonna, a poisonous flower. Clearly, their beloved aunt Rowanwind had been the one to give it to their mother.Camellia's soul-bond to her rose back in the Garden was the only thing that kept the poison from killing her. The older kits decided to keep Rowanwind's betrayal a secret from Camellia, not wanting to give their pregnant mother anymore stress. She deserved to be happy. Together, the family spent their time exploring the manor and its expansive gardens. It took their minds off their troubles.
Art by 1000warriors (Tumblr)
The Eden LitterOn Camelliashade's insistence, she gave birth in the manor gardens to her third and final litter – the Eden Litter. Gemkit, Heartkit, Islandkit, Junekit, Kitekit, and Larkkit. They came into the world surrounded by flowers.With her kits all healthy, Camellia had her heart set on returning to the Crossroads, to BelladonnaClan, to the Garden, and to Liongrace. Ashpaw put up a fight. She and her mother got into an argument over returning home, but in the end, the decision was made: they'd return to the Crossroads when the kits were one moon.The older sisters worried for the newborns and the environment they'd grow up in in BelladonnaClan. Being away from the Clan and getting an outside perspective from Lunafreya made them realize just how restrictive their Clan was, and how wrong it raised them. Camelliashade and Liongrace were the best parents one could ask for, yes, but they had nothing on the judging eyes and sharp tongues of the rest of the Clan.
Art by 1000warriors (Tumblr)
The BridgeOne rainy morning, just a few days later, unknown Twolegs showed up at the manor with the intention of taking the family to a vet. Lunafreya warned them before the Twolegs reached them, and in a hurry, the family left the manor much earlier than expected.The gentle morning rain turned to a torrential downpour, battering the travelers with water and wind. When they approached a cobblestone bridge to stop and take shelter, a fox came out from the shadows. It must've lived under the bridge. Camelliashade, the only one not carrying a kit, moved to defend her family. But she had no fighting experience. The fox lunged forward and bit her neck.Ashpaw and Blackpaw set down the kits they carried and leapt in to attack the beast, and managed to send it running.But the raging wind had sent the two little kits they'd carried tumbling down the riverbank. Camelliashade threw herself into the rapids after Gemkit and Kitekit; Ashpaw followed.Camellia saved both kits, handing them off to her oldest, before sinking beneath the surface herself. Ashpaw dove in after her mother. When she went under, Camelliashade's half closed eyes stared at her, and the molly only managed to shake her head at her daughter before disappearing into darkness.The devastated daughters returned to BelladonnaClan without their beloved mother.
Art by 1000warriors (Tumblr)
The FallThings seemed to change for the better, at least for a little bit when they went home. Liongrace, now Lionstar, was heartbroken over his love's death; but he remained strong for his daughters. He took them to the Garden frequently, which he'd tended to by himself in their absence. Though the Eden Litter never got to know their mother, their father showered them with the love of two parents.For their courage in guiding their sisters home, Ashpaw, Blackpaw, and Claritypaw received their overdue warrior names. Ashfall, Blackbelle, and Claritywish went on to take over their mother's tradition of painting their little sisters' favorite flowers in the Garden for them.The sisters stayed in their own den together while they recovered from the trauma of losing Camelliashade. It seemed BelladonnaClan finally softened around the family, and treated them as equals.The future looked bright; until, one day, Lionstar suddenly fell ill.