Warrior Cats RP (With Shifters!)

The Idea

Right so hear me out guys! I’ve noticed that the two most popular roleplays on this site are Apocalyptic Shifter RPs and Warrior Cat RPs. What would y’all think about combining the two of these?

For example, it would run a lot like an average Warrior’s RP. The positions of leader, deputy, medicine cat, warrior, and everything else would all be the same. Other than that, the warriors would refer to themselves as cats, even in human form and also refer to their human forms as ‘twoleg’ forms, keeping in line with the book’s tradition.

So other than that, you ask, what does shifting into a twoleg offer advantage-wise to the clan cats. Well, their human forms are stronger, have more dexterity, larger (aka: can cross vast areas in fewer steps, saving energy), have more complex/ clear communication skills, and can carry much larger loads of supplies and food.

Therefore, many of the patrols would take place in twoleg form, while hunting would be in either form (depending on prey). Fighting, would strictly take place in cats form, simply because: this is Warriors based. Plus, most of us have more practice RPing scratching and biting than punching.

Quick Plot Summary
(If you want to break my heart and not read the Lore, this is all the basic information.)

It’s Warrior Cats, but they can shape-shift into ‘twolegs’ (humans) at will. This is a result of a large-scale human extinction, which lead to the ecosystem collapsing and killing off many other animals. StarClan gave this gift to to DawnClan, as they were the only surviving clan. The gift should be used to help build and restore the clan and its’ surrounding to a balanced state. Yet, some cats are beginning to consider breaking away from DawnClan so that they can ‘abuse’ these gifts and use the power of their twoleg forms to expand their territory and build things to make their lives more convenient. They basically want to break away from tradition and learn how to use prey traps and weapons to make life easier. The downside to this is that their actions will mirror the negatives about the original twolegs. How will you deal with the discourse within your clan?

The Lore

The last surviving Clan, DawnClan, has thrived these past few generations. Where other Clans failed to adapt to the end of the times, DawnClan cats have gained the skills and knowledge to ensure their own survival. It may not be a comfortable life, but it’s a rewarding one. When the world ended centuries ago, and twolegs underwent a mass extinction, the Clans, at the time, were celebratory. Yet, the destruction that came afterwards was unlike any that the cats had ever seen. Machines that the twolegs had built imploded, leaking fire and black water into the soil, their dens crumbled to the foundations, and the twolegs’ territory fell into an abandoned state.

With the Earth dying, and all of their territory affected, the Clans struggled to survive. Many of the leaders were adamant that their warriors would persevere, their ego taking over reasonable thinking. Dozens of cats were was lost to poisoned water and burning air. With only a few DawnClan members surviving, now alone in the decimated forest territory were forced to migrate into more livable conditions. They would have never thought that their paws would direct them to a massive expanse of unclaimed twoleg territory in a faraway stone forest (city).

The area was covered in a variety stones, nearly from border to border. There were smooth rocks that lined the ground, and jagged clumps of rock that reached towards the sky. Of course, patches of dead grass peaked out between the stones, and climbing ivy had attempted to reclaim the walls of any surviving stone dens. The sparse vegetation was pale and delicate at the time of the Clan’s arrival. Until StarClan delivered a gift to DawnClan.

The ancestors saw that although twolegs had been a nuisance to Clan life, they had wedged themselves into the natural order of things. Without the twolegs’ presence, the world had become disarrayed. The rectify this cataclysmic event StarClan banded together to gift their surviving children with a skill that they had never before been conceived. DawnClan cats, and any cats that held allegiance with them, were able to shed their pelts and manipulate their bones so that they took on the appearance of twolegs at will. The ancestors hoped that this reintroduction of twolegs into the animal kingdom would help rebalance the natural world and avoid the inherent evil of the true-twolegs’ instinct to destroy.

With this new ability DawnClan has been attempting to restored peace and stability to their home in the stone forest. A few generations have gone by since they receive these gifts, and still they are learning how to use them. More often than not the twoleg forms are useful for the increase in strength, building capabilities, clearer communication, long distance travel, and the newfound dexterity.

Yet, what will happen when it becomes apparent that some of the Clan cats feel strongly about capitalizing on the skills their twoleg forms can provide for the Clan? Cue an insurgency within the Clan, a mindset that is slowly taking power over some cats. They believe that the twoleg forms should be used for their strength and skill, that the Clan should build and expand as the true-twolegs did before them, in order to grow their influence and territory size. While the rest of DawnClan has reservations about becoming too similar to the former true-twolegs, these rebels are certain they will not become like their ancestors’ enemies. If this rift in the Clan continues to grow, the rebellious individuals may just decide to leave DawnClan and create their own clan, one that supports their goals.

Setting

The DawnClan camp would mostly likely be on the edge of a city. I’m picturing a small shell of a commercial building on a city street that has been overtaken by undergrowth. A large fallen tree has smashed through the rear wall of the building. Little of the roof remains. Its mangled roots and hollowed base create the perfect main den. The hollow center of the tree is were Warriors and Apprentices sleep. They each have unspoken sides of the den, with very pliable boundaries. In the overturned root system dried foliage is stuffed thick to keep a Nursery area warm and safe. Just to the side of this the building has a staircase to nowhere, the top of which is known as the High Step. Here the leader has built their own personal den from branches and cement slabs. In the area under the High Step, the Medicine Cat’s den is located. The entrance is covered by dangling ivy, protecting both the medicine cat and the herbs. The camp is accessible to both forms, but the dens are only be for their cat forms, as it is their natural skin. It would be socially expected to be more often in their cat forms when in camp, but not unheard of to hang-out as a ‘twoleg’. There are two main entrances and exits of the camp. One that leads to the main city street, and a back exit that leads past the dirt place and into a more alley-like setting.

Human/Cat Ages

With the potential ability to shift into humans, I have to suggest we stick with this cat age to human appearance scale. (Kits cannot shift until they are 6 Moons of age, which would equal 16 years old, thus making this work with Lioden's RP rules.) Going along with this aging scale the rest of Moons to Years conversions would be as follows.

I recognize that the aging scale is not an exact science, just keep in mind this is fantasy. (Which also explains why they shift into ‘twolegs’ with clothes on.)

Your Input

I'd love some feedback on whether or not I should go through with creating this RP. If you guys don't mind I'd like to know what you think!

Questions
Does this sound interesting to you?
Would you participate?
Do you have an issue with anything in my lore or logic?
Any suggestions on how to improve this idea?
Other?