Post by Wildheart on May 1, 2009 22:14:04 GMT -5
I'm going to throw out some various ideas for Hillclan and Crowclan. I want you guys to pick favourites, pick them apart, pick bits you like and don't like, propose new ideas... basically just another brainstorming for the boards 
I'll propose multiple ideas for areas like camps and whatnot, I'll try to keep the different ideas all numbered to prevent confusion.
Hillclan Ideas.
Camp 1 - Hillclan make their camp in the patch of wasteland just behind the landfill. There are several bushes scattered here and there, under which are the earths that form the dens for the nursery, apprentice, and elder's dens.
The Medicine cat's den and leader and deputy dens are found in the pile of rocks to one side of the camp.
Outlook Rock - A tall, flat-topped rock that juts out from the top of the pile where the stone dens are found. It is about three fox-lengths above the ground. The Hillclan leaders makes announcements form here, but it is also used by any cats currently on guard duty, watching out for intruders to Hillclan territory.
Camp 2 - The landfill is overlooked by a low, gently rolling hill that is actually the oldest part of the landfill, long-since covered over by earth and allowed to grow over with grass, brambles and shrubs. There is a slight dip in one side of this hill, bordered by short, scraggly bushes. This is the hollow that Hillclan make them camp within. Warriors sleep out in the open, under Starclan, taking cover under the bushes during the worst of weather.
(Idea taken from this picture:
www.shoosmith.com/landfill.JPG
If Camp 2 is better liked some parts of Camp 1 like some stone and some underground dens can be used here)
The pool - Located in a small stretch of wasteland, the pool bubbles up form underground and provide the Hillclan cats with a fresh source of drinking water. It it screened by stunted shrubs and long grass, and it is a popular spot for Hillclan cats to meet and share tongues, or just get away form the camp for a while.
The landfill - There are numerous piles of rubbish found here, and the rats and ibises that flock here for the twoleg scraps make good hunting. Some of the older, covered-over area have sprouted long grass and thick weeds, making excellent cover for the Hillcan cats. Beware the Twoleg trucks that arrive in the morning to deposit fresh loads to the landfill.
Every week the Twolegs rumble in with their heavy machines, leaving a layer of soft earth over the rubbish. But after two nights, the trucks start arriving again with their full loads.
(This is based off actual landfill program - most of them are covered with soil every so often. I figured if say, every friday the landfill were covered over and there was no fresh rubbish dropped off until monday, over the weekend Hillclan would be more likely to hunt outside the landfill. Just something to make it a bit more challenging for them
The Sports Complex - Not far from the landfill site is the sports complex. It is rather old and poorly maintained. Many of the fields are overgrown and attract many rabbits for Hillclan to hunt. The fields are separated by lines of short trees or hedges, making movement between the different fields fairly easy for cats.
The Complex Headquarters - A series of several buildings standing close together, with an open center scattered with seats and chairs that form the restaurant. It is rarely busy here, but food scraps can be found here, as can the rats, mice and birds also attracted by such things.
Crowclan Ideas.
Camp 1 - In the quieter area of the graveyard a small stream that once cut through the churchyard before twolegs diverted it away. It had long since dried up, but left behind a sandy dry bed in which the bank has become overgrown. Dens and tunnels into the bankside form the nursery, warrior, apprentice, elder and medicine cat dens. The leader sleeps on top of the bank in a hollow under a bush, watching over the clan.
The churchyard - It has long since overgrown and fallen into disuse. The church itself is also starting to crumble and now houses many birds that fly in through the bell tower, which is open and empty since the bell rusted and was removed.
(Shell, I didn't know if you wanted to make the crows a permanent thing or just have them when the clans were adapting... if you did want to keep them, they could live in the old church, perhaps?)
The cemetery - lined with headstones, this is the newer portion built around the older graveyard. During the day twolegs can be seen here, but Crowclan do not fear them the way other clans do. These twolegs seems different somehow, quiet and keeping to themselves - they do not seem worried if they see a rare Crowclan cat during the day, heading home after a night's hunting.
The grounds are well-kept, the grass short, with many shady trees planted every so often. The air is scented with the fresh flowers the twolegs leave behind. Some areas are fenced off by wooden or stone fences but few are more than a foxlength in height and pose no problems for Crowclan.
(Not sure how you guys feel about the twolegs bit? I figured if humans were coming into the cemetery to mourn their loved ones, they're not exactly going to be aggressive towards a cat, even if they did see them out during the day or evening.
Some of the photos I looked at getting a feel for graveyards/cemeteries:
pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/new_zealand_II/images/Te%20Waimate%20Mission%20graveyard.jpg
photography.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Photography/Images/POD/f/fall-graveyard-523325-sw.jpg
www.charlestonphotographs.com/images/graveyard.jpg
www.7is7.com/otto/travel/photos/20040312/graveyard2.jpg
)
The Garden (May change name) - A small, private area of the cemetery surrounded by tall hedges. The ground was paved over long ago, but weeds and grasses have since sprung up in the cracks. There are benches around each edge and tall, shady trees provide shelter. It is a quiet, scheduled area.
(Maybe have a few rose-bushes growing between the benches and call it the rose garden?)
The stream - once running close to the graveyard, it was diverted by twolegs and now flows behind the old church. It is quite wide for a stream, especially after heavy rainfalls. It would be difficult if not impossible in many places for a cat to leap over, so stones sticking up out of the water are often used to cross. Crowclan come here to drink. Rushes and willows grow along the banks. It is a popular place for apprentices to come to relax and play by the water's edge.
Camp 2 - A thicket of multiflora rose was once planted beside the old church but has long since been left to grow wild. Under the large bush all of Crowclan make their camp. It has mainly been hollowed out inside, and it is large enough to contain the entire clan. Separate sleeping areas are divided up and marked by borders of rocks for the elders, warriors, apprentices, medicine cat den, and the leader and deputy. The thorns on the rose bush deter unwanted visitors, though the Crowclan cats know where the two well-disguised tunnels lie for safe entrance in and out of the bush.
(Idea from this photo:
www.hiltonpond.org/images/RoseMultifloraThicket01.jpg
The big white-flowered bush is a multiflora rose
)
The Highledge - A section of brick wall that once ran around the church yard but had mainly crumbled into dust. This section still stands, and is where the Crowclan leader addressed the clan from. The grass is soft and dense in front of the Highledge, perfect for the cats to gather to listen to the clan developments.
Grass Meadow - Between the camp and the stream is an expanse of grassy land, longer than it is wide. Shrubs grow on either side, and it is a popular place for mentors to train apprentices or for the clan to gather in the evening. It is a peaceful area, and in Newleaf it fills with flowers.
Orchard Grove - Fruit and nut trees were planted long seasons ago beside the churchyard. Now untended, they still thrive and attract many a mouse and squirrel to them, making this a prime hunting ground for Crowclan. Apple, bayberry, chestnut, cherry, hazel, and pear trees all grow here. The undergrowth is mainly comprised of blackberry brambles and strawberry thickets.
I'll propose multiple ideas for areas like camps and whatnot, I'll try to keep the different ideas all numbered to prevent confusion.
Hillclan Ideas.
Camp 1 - Hillclan make their camp in the patch of wasteland just behind the landfill. There are several bushes scattered here and there, under which are the earths that form the dens for the nursery, apprentice, and elder's dens.
The Medicine cat's den and leader and deputy dens are found in the pile of rocks to one side of the camp.
Outlook Rock - A tall, flat-topped rock that juts out from the top of the pile where the stone dens are found. It is about three fox-lengths above the ground. The Hillclan leaders makes announcements form here, but it is also used by any cats currently on guard duty, watching out for intruders to Hillclan territory.
Camp 2 - The landfill is overlooked by a low, gently rolling hill that is actually the oldest part of the landfill, long-since covered over by earth and allowed to grow over with grass, brambles and shrubs. There is a slight dip in one side of this hill, bordered by short, scraggly bushes. This is the hollow that Hillclan make them camp within. Warriors sleep out in the open, under Starclan, taking cover under the bushes during the worst of weather.
(Idea taken from this picture:
www.shoosmith.com/landfill.JPG
If Camp 2 is better liked some parts of Camp 1 like some stone and some underground dens can be used here)
The pool - Located in a small stretch of wasteland, the pool bubbles up form underground and provide the Hillclan cats with a fresh source of drinking water. It it screened by stunted shrubs and long grass, and it is a popular spot for Hillclan cats to meet and share tongues, or just get away form the camp for a while.
The landfill - There are numerous piles of rubbish found here, and the rats and ibises that flock here for the twoleg scraps make good hunting. Some of the older, covered-over area have sprouted long grass and thick weeds, making excellent cover for the Hillcan cats. Beware the Twoleg trucks that arrive in the morning to deposit fresh loads to the landfill.
Every week the Twolegs rumble in with their heavy machines, leaving a layer of soft earth over the rubbish. But after two nights, the trucks start arriving again with their full loads.
(This is based off actual landfill program - most of them are covered with soil every so often. I figured if say, every friday the landfill were covered over and there was no fresh rubbish dropped off until monday, over the weekend Hillclan would be more likely to hunt outside the landfill. Just something to make it a bit more challenging for them
The Sports Complex - Not far from the landfill site is the sports complex. It is rather old and poorly maintained. Many of the fields are overgrown and attract many rabbits for Hillclan to hunt. The fields are separated by lines of short trees or hedges, making movement between the different fields fairly easy for cats.
The Complex Headquarters - A series of several buildings standing close together, with an open center scattered with seats and chairs that form the restaurant. It is rarely busy here, but food scraps can be found here, as can the rats, mice and birds also attracted by such things.
Crowclan Ideas.
Camp 1 - In the quieter area of the graveyard a small stream that once cut through the churchyard before twolegs diverted it away. It had long since dried up, but left behind a sandy dry bed in which the bank has become overgrown. Dens and tunnels into the bankside form the nursery, warrior, apprentice, elder and medicine cat dens. The leader sleeps on top of the bank in a hollow under a bush, watching over the clan.
The churchyard - It has long since overgrown and fallen into disuse. The church itself is also starting to crumble and now houses many birds that fly in through the bell tower, which is open and empty since the bell rusted and was removed.
(Shell, I didn't know if you wanted to make the crows a permanent thing or just have them when the clans were adapting... if you did want to keep them, they could live in the old church, perhaps?)
The cemetery - lined with headstones, this is the newer portion built around the older graveyard. During the day twolegs can be seen here, but Crowclan do not fear them the way other clans do. These twolegs seems different somehow, quiet and keeping to themselves - they do not seem worried if they see a rare Crowclan cat during the day, heading home after a night's hunting.
The grounds are well-kept, the grass short, with many shady trees planted every so often. The air is scented with the fresh flowers the twolegs leave behind. Some areas are fenced off by wooden or stone fences but few are more than a foxlength in height and pose no problems for Crowclan.
(Not sure how you guys feel about the twolegs bit? I figured if humans were coming into the cemetery to mourn their loved ones, they're not exactly going to be aggressive towards a cat, even if they did see them out during the day or evening.
Some of the photos I looked at getting a feel for graveyards/cemeteries:
pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/new_zealand_II/images/Te%20Waimate%20Mission%20graveyard.jpg
photography.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Photography/Images/POD/f/fall-graveyard-523325-sw.jpg
www.charlestonphotographs.com/images/graveyard.jpg
www.7is7.com/otto/travel/photos/20040312/graveyard2.jpg
)
The Garden (May change name) - A small, private area of the cemetery surrounded by tall hedges. The ground was paved over long ago, but weeds and grasses have since sprung up in the cracks. There are benches around each edge and tall, shady trees provide shelter. It is a quiet, scheduled area.
(Maybe have a few rose-bushes growing between the benches and call it the rose garden?)
The stream - once running close to the graveyard, it was diverted by twolegs and now flows behind the old church. It is quite wide for a stream, especially after heavy rainfalls. It would be difficult if not impossible in many places for a cat to leap over, so stones sticking up out of the water are often used to cross. Crowclan come here to drink. Rushes and willows grow along the banks. It is a popular place for apprentices to come to relax and play by the water's edge.
Camp 2 - A thicket of multiflora rose was once planted beside the old church but has long since been left to grow wild. Under the large bush all of Crowclan make their camp. It has mainly been hollowed out inside, and it is large enough to contain the entire clan. Separate sleeping areas are divided up and marked by borders of rocks for the elders, warriors, apprentices, medicine cat den, and the leader and deputy. The thorns on the rose bush deter unwanted visitors, though the Crowclan cats know where the two well-disguised tunnels lie for safe entrance in and out of the bush.
(Idea from this photo:
www.hiltonpond.org/images/RoseMultifloraThicket01.jpg
The big white-flowered bush is a multiflora rose
)The Highledge - A section of brick wall that once ran around the church yard but had mainly crumbled into dust. This section still stands, and is where the Crowclan leader addressed the clan from. The grass is soft and dense in front of the Highledge, perfect for the cats to gather to listen to the clan developments.
Grass Meadow - Between the camp and the stream is an expanse of grassy land, longer than it is wide. Shrubs grow on either side, and it is a popular place for mentors to train apprentices or for the clan to gather in the evening. It is a peaceful area, and in Newleaf it fills with flowers.
Orchard Grove - Fruit and nut trees were planted long seasons ago beside the churchyard. Now untended, they still thrive and attract many a mouse and squirrel to them, making this a prime hunting ground for Crowclan. Apple, bayberry, chestnut, cherry, hazel, and pear trees all grow here. The undergrowth is mainly comprised of blackberry brambles and strawberry thickets.
I'll toss out the Tunnelclan ideas that've been bouncing around in my head as soon as I have more than ten minutes at a computer. XD