Sky Runners

Subject: Sky Runners Sat Feb 06, 2021 11:54 pm

the sky runners live on the peak of the tallest mountain that rises in the near center of their territory. a small lake sits at the juncture between their home mountain and the neighboring one, feeding a stream that runs down through the gap between the mountains and into the valleys. the mountains rise above the tree line, and the peaks are bare, but the valleys are green and lush, full of prey, herbs, and berries.

the cats that reside there make their home on a flat outcropping about a quarter of a mile (.4 km) below the summit, making use of old gem mines that have been long since abandoned. a lot of sky runners tend to be named after the shiny rocks that mountain tunnelers find in their explorations in the mineshafts, or after the weather phenomena that fill the sky. as well, the camp glimmers and shines from the decorations that the cats have implemented around camp from their findings, and are known to be collectors of anything shiny, brightly colored, or otherwise interesting. they also make rudimentary dyes from berries they find growing in the valleys, and paint their fur with them.

when a cat is born, theyre given a first name, and when they prove themselves as capable, fully grown adults, they go on a spiritual journey to figure out what their second name is. the name-journey is personal to each cat that goes on it, and the discovery of the name is akin to a gut feeling or an epiphany. it's also not too uncommon for a cat's ancestor to help nudge a cat in the right direction on their name when said cat has gone on their name-journey.

the cats tend to sleep in the open, with only the leader figures, healers, queens and elders having dens to utilize, the rest of the commune feeling more comfortable sleeping under the stars. they will also have group-wide stargazes, trading stories about their ancestors, and recalling fond memories of those who passed before them. in the cold months, the cats will take shelter and sleep in the cave/mine systems until the snow melts and the warmer months come around again.

sky runners tend to fall into one of two roles/archetypes, mountain tunnelers or cliff runners.
cliff runners are sure-footed and quick, dashing along precipices that other cats wouldn't dare set foot towards with incredible speed and agility. theyre nimble and quick, and usually thin and lithe. theyre really hard to hit, let alone pin down. however, they're usually not super strong, and rely more on smarts and speed to fight their battles.
mountain tunnelers are the opposite of cliff runners, as they're usually stocky and slow, but incredibly strong. they're unafraid to delve into the deepest of tunnels that run through the mountain that they call home, and bring back pretty rocks and trinkets that the sky runners covet.

their diet consists mostly of birds of prey and their prey, predominantly rabbits and rodents. they also make use of the lake and the streams in their territory, fishing and swimming for fun.

their general disposition is very fun-loving and airy, considering that they're the cats that reside the closest to the sky. they tend to come across as whimsical and kind of strange, but they're generally very kind and gracious. they're very much open to outsiders, always extending their kind nature to strangers that need a break on their journey through the mountains, or a home, provided they find that they want to stay.

their camp has never been taken by enemy forces due to the harsh landscape that they live in, and their general isolation, and there have only been a handful of attempts to attack the group's camp in its history.

their culture greatly embraces the vast expanse of the sky, and it's a great part of their culture to attempt flight, in hopes that one day they'll figure out how to fly. they speak of a legend, the cat that gave their colony its name, sky runner, the winged one. they hope to one day do what she did, transcend the boundaries of land and sky, and become creature of not just the land, but ones of the sky as well.
they often wear the pelts of the birds of prey that they kill, so that if they were ever to gain wings like their founder did, they can.

they have their own set of ancestors, cloud dancers, though the runners don't fully worship them, they treat them as long lost friends, and because the runner afterlife is much closer to the living world than starclan is (as the runner afterlife is a cloud city), the cloud dancers visit the runners more often and for much more trivial things. they also don't limit themselves to visiting leaders and healers, and it's not uncommon for a regular cat to dream of and have a chat with one of their deceased family or friends. the dancers are called such as the afterlife is seen as a large friendly gathering of all the cats that frolic and play, dancing through the sunlight that always shines on them.
cloud dancers have wings, which lets them inhabit the clouds above, and the runners have adages and sayings that correspond with the weather.

sunny, no clouds - "the [cloud] dancers must all be out hunting"
partly cloudy - "the [cloud] dancers are busy building the city"
overcast - "the [cloud] dancers are napping"
rain - "the [cloud] dancers are in mourning"
thunderstorm - "the [cloud] dancers are battling the great eagle"
snow - "the [cloud] dancers are sharpening their claws"

their origin legend: how sky runner got her wings

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allegiances

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» Amethyst | | Sky Runners
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» Lightning Dust of the Sky Runners
» Thunder Rush of the Sky Runners