STORMCALL
RiverClan Deputy
“I am not impressed by “good”. To survive, you must be better than good—you must be precise and relentless. This Clan represents a legacy of sacrifice and resolve. I will not allow you to squander that legacy.”
--Stormcall to an outside born apprentice
NAME: Stormcall
GENDER: She-cat (she/her)
ALLEGIANCE: RiverClan
SEXUALITY: Lesbian
RANK: Deputy
AGE: 45 moons
SKILLS/ABILITIES: Stormcall is known for innovative and effective water combat. As a young warrior, she expounded upon and specialized RiverClan attack techniques that utilized the river and the sea to her advantage, and her opponent’s disadvantage. She is a skilled tactician and excels in developing battle strategies. Like a master chess player, Stormcall is calculative and objective, capable of seeing the bigger picture. She is neurodivergent, and her mind is unable to categorize stimuli by importance, so she processes every event occuring around her in real-time. Because of this, she can sometimes become overstimulated, but has learned to sharpen this unique trait to her advantage.
RELATIONS: n/a
BELIEFS: StarClan, the Dark Forest
THEME SONG: Desperado, by Rihanna
PERSONALITY OVERVIEW: As previously mentioned, Stormcall could best be equated to a master chess player. She is objective, perceptive, and prefers to evaluate all possible options and outcomes before acting. Because of her meticulous and practical methodologies, she is sometimes seen as cold or harsh; willing to circumvent pleasantries and subtlety in favor of statecraft and effectiveness. However, those who perceive Stormcall as cold or unfeeling often do not see the bigger picture from her perspective—most of her actions aim for a wholly beneficial outcome but require tenacity and resolve to achieve. She is deeply loyal to RiverClan and believes that the sovereignty and survival of RiverClan—including its customs and practices—are paramount to all other issues. She has a sharp-tongue and is not afraid to silence an antagonistic clanmate with a cutting sarcastic remark.
POSITIVE TRAITS: Logical, focused, independent, relentless, objective, calm, perceptive, judicious.
NEGATIVE TRAITS: Dispassionate, unsympathetic, cold, disciplinarian, stern, blunt.
ALIGNMENT: Lawful neutral.
HISTORY: Born in RiverClan, Stormcall is the daughter of two highly respected warriors. Faced with nearly insurmountable standards from an early age, the she-cat’s logical and calculative demeanor was an advantage, and she excelled in her apprenticeship. Unlike many other young cats, Stormcall was not competitive in the least—she had no interest in what her peers were engaged in, and instead, focused tirelessly on perfecting her own training. As an apprentice, Stormcall had a brief inter-clan romantic relationship with a WindClan she-cat. However, having struggled with conflicting emotions and interests, she forced herself to become completely emotionally detached from her young lover, abandoning her, going as far as seriously wounding her in a border skirmish to prove her loyalty to her clanmates—and to herself. Stormcall continually suffocates her own emotions in favor of principle and believes that clan duty and loyalty must come before personal ventures.
COAT COLOR: Solid blue gray with no white markings (Russian blue).
COAT TEXTURE: Short and slick.
EYE COLOR: Blue-green.
MARKINGS/SCARS: Scar running from the base of her left ear to the left side of her jaw from a battle with a rogue.
THE APPRENTICES' GAMBIT
A Stormcall characterization excerpt
Dewpaw felt as if she were going to collapse beneath the heavy glower of the blue-gray she-cat. Hawkpaw shifted uncomfortably beside her, crystalline beads of water slipping from their drenched pelts and dotting the cool stone before them. Stormcall sat, statuesque and wholly intimidating before them, her chin lifted, ears flattened in distaste.
“I believe you both owe me an explanation, among other things.” The austere warrior announced, her voice crisp and coldly enunciated.
“W-we’re sorry…” Dewpaw stammered, her heart giving a weak stutter in her chest. She looked away, ashamed to face Stormcall’s devout displeasure.
“’Sorry’ will not return ThunderClan’s prey to them.” Stormcall countered, raising a brow and twitching her tail lightly, “So…I am a reasonable cat. Do tell, what inspired this profound lapse of judgment?” she inquired, sea-green eyes narrowed.
Hawkpaw sighed anxiously, and decided to take the pressure off of Dewpaw, “Well…we were bored…and at the last Gathering, we overhead some ThunderClan cats talking about how…how delicious the squirrels had been since—since they had fattened up for leaf-bare…and we…we wanted to try one.” He defended half-heartedly.
“Yes, because you two, who have barely succeeded in learning to hunt in your own territory were entitled to take your pick of ThunderClan’s prey. Because if you can barely catch a half-frozen carp in a small pool you can definitely scale a tree and dispatch a squirrel a quarter your size.” She retorted dryly, shifting her position so that she was lounging across the slick granite, looking particularly unimpressed.
Hawkpaw lashed his tail in protest, “That carp was not nearly as frozen as Larkstripe says it was—”
“I am not finished,” Stormcall interjected. Dewpaw practically shrank away from the she-cat’s chiding, “How is it, that with a clan full of warriors with endless skills to offer, elders and kits with bedding that constantly requires changing, reed barriers that always need refortifying, and a fresh-kill pile that needs refilling, an apprentice could possibly be bored?” she mewed, the poignant sarcasm practically emanating from her perplexed glower.
Both apprentices fell silent, their gazes fixed on their paws.
“Dewpaw, you should know better than to betray the needs of your Clan like this,” Stormcall continued, “Your parents are esteemed warriors. You represent them, you represent RiverClan when you parade around in rival territory, stealing prey on a whim. We are not lawless savages like ShadowClan. You were born into the warrior code, into RiverClan heritage. Does that mean so little to you that you can wantonly fracture the respect of our neighbors?”
Dewpaw looked away, shaking her head slowly, pelt hot with shame “No, I—”
“And you,” Stormcall stood, and paced over to Hawkpaw, addressing the young tom with a severe stare, “You were an outsider. We took you in, provided for you, and extended our trust to you, and this is how you repay us? By making us look like fools to the other clans?”
Hawkpaw bristled instinctively, tail lashing, “You have no right to judge me based on where I was born.” He snapped.
Stormcall’s ears flattened, a cold fire ignited in her eyes, “I have every right!” she countered hotly, “Being a clan cat is a privilege. A privilege that comes with responsibility. You did not previously share our values, and as of today, you have done little to prove that you will. What am I to believe about you, Hawkpaw? I do not know a single RiverClan warrior who is a known thief.”
Hawkpaw recoiled, eyes narrowing, “You should be grateful to have me! I’m a good hunter and fighter, and I wasn’t even trained when I joined!” he snapped.
Dewpaw’s eyes widened, and she looked away. For a moment, Stormcall said nothing, her eyes frigid and unchanging. Then, she collected herself, and spoke.
“I am not impressed by “good”. To survive, you must be better than good—you must be precise and relentless. This Clan represents a legacy of sacrifice and resolve. I will not allow you to squander that legacy.” She wrapped her tail around her paws and closed her eyes briefly, “Yes, you have potential, but you are of no use to the clan if you do not abide by the code. Do you wish to become a warrior of RiverClan?”
Hawkpaw looked away, “Yes.” He murmured.
“Then I will confer with Sootstar, and you will likely be escorted to the ThunderClan camp to openly apologize to Buckstar, so that we can clarify that your actions do not represent all of RiverClan.” Stormcall decided.
Dewpaw’s eyes rounded, and Hawkpaw’s heart jumped.
“What?!” He exclaimed; ears flattened in alarm.
“Or perhaps you would like to return to the Outskirts, and eat crow-food and live without the protection of the clan?” Stormcall countered, “Go. I will speak with Sootstar.”
The apprentices, shocked into silence, slowly departed, exchanging a few fretful murmurs as they went. Stormcall watched, exhaling softly.
She knew that Hawkpaw would one day be a fine warrior. She did not question his loyalty, only his headstrong foolishness. If she did not challenge the young tom to act in a manner that justified his potential, he would be nothing more than a halfway useful cat with lukewarm loyalty. He was spirited, and determined, that much she respected, but he wasn’t a rogue anymore. He was an apprentice of RiverClan. He could despise her if he wanted to. She would not let his potential go to waste.
As she watched the apprentices depart, she contemplated how much like Hawkpaw she was at his age—ambitious, capricious, and constantly in over her head. They might’ve even been friends. Though she held the apprentices to high standards, she understood the need for young cats to test the boundaries of clan customs. It was, in a way, a rite of passage, one she had endeavored many moons ago…at the WindClan border. She shook her head and pushed the thought aside.
There was work to be done.
