CavernClan-VerdureClan War

In December of 2022, Brazenspine of CavernClan entered VerdureClan territory to collect vital herbs for CavernClan. During this trip, Nettleblaze, out of their mind with rage and delusion in regards to their brother, Hophallow, and CoveyClan's Healer, Orchidheart, attacked Brazenspine after the Healer did not stop his communications with the two. Nettleblaze's attempted murder on Brazenspine was interrupted and stopped by Hophallow, who chased his sibling away. Nettleblaze was later exiled by Venomstar, but allowed to recover from their injuries beforehand. This incident began a long line of many to come, causing tensions to build between the two Clans.

Shadowbird, VerdureClan's healer, disappeared on January 20th, 2022, with his last scent trail being near the CavernClan border. After an incident where VerdureClan breached the border to retrieve Shadowbird's dropped amulet, Mothflutter of CavernClan confronted them, brewing suspicion between the two Clans about the true nature of Shadowbird's disappearance. 

On January 30th, 2022, shortly after Shadowbird's disappearance, a great beast from The Dark Forest, Howlermoon, attacked VerdureClan's current Healer- Dawnsprig, leaving them to die. A great beast returned their corpse, streaked with starry white and glittering stars. The relationship between the Healer and the beast became known to VerdureClan, and the beast, Virtueblossom, revealed herself to VerdureClan. She told tales of herself as the former caretaker of the Clans from many, many moons ago, and how she had fallen ill with hatred and decay, dropping from her place in the Stars. That Dawnsprig had restored her memory and humanity, and of her capabilities to tamper with souls and memory. Virtueblossom vowed to assist finding Shadowbird, and to aid VerdureClan in any way she could. She was shunned away and told to leave, but refused. 

On February 1st, 2023, Weasel of CavernClan targeted Bloodhound of VerdureClan in an act of revenge after she had attacked Weasel's love interest, Shocksprig. Weasel attacked the VerdureClanner, and the two fought to near-death, with Weasel coming out as the winner. Presuming Bloodhound dead, Weasel returned to CavernClan. Shortly thereafter, when Bloodhound returned to VerdureClan, the truth of the attack came to light, and the decision to exile Weasel was made. However, controversially, Cherrystar allowed Weasel to remain in camp until his injuries healed, leading to rising tensions between the two Clans. Weasel later escaped CavernClan, disappearing into the territory without a trace. 

On February 20th, 2023, a CavernClan patrol was alerted by the sounds of a cave-in, braving the dangerous caverns to discover the source and any potential survivors. There, they discovered a frail, starved, and sickly Shadowbird, who unveiled the role Fernbreeze, a Miner Captain, had played in his kidnapping. At the same time as the CavernClan patrol began to aid Shadowbird in returning home, a VerdureClan patrol trespassed onto CavernClan territory to continue their searching efforts. The trespassing patrol was confronted, but Shadowbird was returned to them during the altercation. Tensions rose between the two patrols until CavernClan's deputy, Mothflutter, arrived. There, she dismissed VerdureClan's patrol and reiterated that VerdureClan paws were not welcome on their territory, as well as setting up a later meeting to discuss with Venomstar. 

Two days later, the two patrols met. Mothflutter, in an attempt to ease the troubles with trespassing, offered a grey zone deal to Venomstar. One yard of space on each side of the river dividing the two Clans became a peace zone, where the cats could traverse across without repurcussion to catch prey, retrieve lost items, or to lounge on the sands. This deal was agreed upon, and the Clans parted ways with a mutual agreement to let sleeping dogs lie.

However, VerdureClan was not pleased with the deal, and Venomstar was put on the recieving end of strong backlash from the decision. By the time the next gathering rolled around, the grey zone had been rolled back in agreement by Cherrystar and Venomstar, returning to a hard border.

One final attempt to meet together took place between CavernClan and VerdureClan, for ideas and suggestions to be bounced off of one another. This meeting was cut short with both Clans expressing distaste for one another, and the vicious cycle of expectation that had begun to grow for punishment and consequences for Guardians, or for cats who were no longer walking within Arcana. The Clans instead agreed to part ways, deciding to let the tensions lower naturally. 

While on patrol with her clanmate Fiercepink, Mothflutter was attacked by VerdureClan's Burrowbellow, who claimed that her death was ordered. The three cats fought viciously, Mothflutter taking several hits but still managing to blind Burrowbellow in one eye. Burrowbellow's littermates arrived mid-fight, and Mothflutter sent Fiercepink for reinforcements, anticipating a fight back from the two new VerdureClanners. Instead, they attempted to get Burrowbellow to cease attacking- however, the tomcat broke through their attempts, landing a bite on Mothflutter's throat. In response, the deputy speared him through with rock, killing the VerdureClanner instantly. Mothflutter declared war on VerdureClan then and there while Bellburrow and Fennelwhisker dragged Burrowbellow's tattered corpse home. 

Upon attempting to return to camp, an unknown attacker dropped from the trees, ripping her throat open. The identity of this attacker is still unknown.

Fiercepink returned to camp with a tattered Mothflutter, presumably returning mid-way to assist the Deputy instead of getting reinforcements, informing them of the attack that had taken place. The rest of CavernClan's council supported Mothflutter's call for war.

On April 22nd, 2023, the two Clans met at the border, a fierce battle sparking immediately. Cats from both Clans fought fiercely and viciously, releasing the pent up tension and anger that had been brewing ever since the turn of the New Year. While the battle started out stable, eventaully, distraught by her vows to protect VerdureClan, Virtueblossom stormed the battlefield, her massive size trampling cats from both Clans. Overwhelmed by the panic- both from VerdureClan never intending her involvement, and from CavernClan's sudden knowing of her existence, Virtueblossom killed two CavernClanners, consuming one in the process. Virtueblossom rapidly descended into a frenzy, losing herself and becoming a beast once more, killing blindly without considering she was harming the cats she was meant to be protecting. 

The cats all scattered in the wake of her rampage. However, Virtueblossom was not the only beast lurking. Eager to capitalize on easy pickings, Howlermoon appeared from the woodworks, but was killed in the blink of an eye by an enraged Virtueblossom. His own rot and decay bled back into Virtueblossom, corrupting her with hatred once again. With Virtueblossom blocking the route into VerdureClan, the VerdureClanners were forced into CavernClan territory, sheltering with their once-enemies in fear of a now common enemy.

Back in VerdureClan, Virtueblossom destroyed the old camp in search of Dawnsprig- the cat who had healed her once before. In denial of their death, she searched, infecting the land with disease and killing Pearblossom in her raid of the camp. Littlelamb became injured in her visit, and the rest of VerdureClan fled into both CoveyClan and CavernClan.

With their minds together, CavernClan and VerdureClan formed a plan to slay Virtueblossom and return the displaced cats back to their home, promising to forget about the tensions and warring once it all came to an end. A select group of cats travelled out to track her down, finding her still searching for Dawnsprig, calling out into the mountainous forests. What she seemed to seek lied on Phoenixgrin's body- Dawnsprig's amulet. The cats passed it around as they focused on tying Virtueblossom down with rocks and stone, while Virtueblossom desperately tried to retrieve the amulet. But, with the strength of her corrupted body, the amulet shattered in her grasp. 

With an eerie cry, the cats in the territories begin to drop one by one, as Virtueblossom realized just what she had become again. Out of a twisted desire to keep the cats safe, with her, Virtueblossom began to suck the life out of world around her. Cats began to drop, their souls siphoned out of their body as Virtueblossom fought to claim them all. With newfound power of the souls all around her, Virtueblossom tore a rip in space and time to challenge the Divines themselves, planning on taking their strength for herself to create a new order for the lives she held. Flora-soul stepped down to greet her, their overbearing power overwhelming the great beast immediately. The Divine, anguished for their children, flooded Venomstar's form with their divine power, turning him into their champion and restoring his life. 

Venomstar, now looking more bull, less cat, faced Virtueblossom head on, but found no true fight. Virtueblossom begged for her life to be ended, and for what she stole to be restored. Venomstar complied, slaying her as all the souls she'd claimed exploded from her body in a kaleidoscope of color. Like that, cats began to stagger back to life. Not all cats, however, survived. Half the souls that Virtueblossom had claimed faded into the earth and to the afterlife, used as energy to return the other half to the living world. 

Virtueblossom was later buried in the clearing where she had resided with Dawnsprig, reuniting them in death. The excess holy energy within her divine-like body sprouted VerdureClan's new camp as her last, and final, act of caring for VerdureClan, to right the wrongs she had left in the Great Valley.