THIS IS OUR HOME

Past the geysers, past the campgrounds and hiking trails, past all of Yellowstone National Park's most beloved and famous sights, another place stretches towards the horizon. A well-kept secret of natural splendor, no light pollution reaches this region of the park. It was named for this reason: Stargazer Steppe. 

Stargazer Steppe is barred from public entry, nor is it marked on any park map. It is notable for the close proximity within which several biomes are found, from Sagebrush-dominated steppeland to vast wildflower meadows and riparian wetlands to pine forests and mountainous foothills. A devastating wildfire occurred within the recent past and the area is still recovering, marked by charred trees at the distant edge of the sagebrush sea. To the north, where the steppe meets the Rockies, a river flows all the way from its peak to bring life to lush meadows. These meadows bloom so intensely that sometimes the flowers last into the colder months. Within those mountains, a cave system that has never been fully charted sits just below the craggy surface. 

Cat's eyes keep watch from high peaks and between blades of grass. Stargazer Steppe is home to a thriving population of them- surely long descended from escaped pets, yearning for freedom, and certainly wild now. 

Giliaclan, the clan of the faithful and dilligent, scale mountains and cliffs, guarding the Stars' earthly ties with their lives.

Spurclan, the clan of the resilient and wild, make their homes wherever they go, following the Stars like a map and teacher.

Camasclan, the clan of the poetic and decisive, lounge in their meadows, worship the Stars and know true peace is possible.

But is it?

This moment, as seen by some, is very peaceful. There is no fighting, and the clans work with one another to make sure nobody goes hungry or perishes from the cold in the winter. But to those who remember- the drought, the war, the fire, the loss- tension still cuts the night air. A new dawn will always come, no matter what might have happened the previous night. What will this new dawn bring? What will it mean for the clans?

WHAT LIES BEYOND

If life lasted forever, it wouldn't mean anything. The clans all know this in their hearts, and hold both death and the afterlife in high importance within their cultures. Each clan has their own relationship to spirituality and the afterlife, but there are some facts that hold true no matter what.

Starclan

Many- maybe even you- have noticed their own feline friends seemingly staring at or batting at nothing, or yowling when nobody else is in the room. This is because cats can see something beyond human eyes, a force beyond life and death altogether. Steppecats call it Starclan. Starclan is one of the planes of the afterlife, a glittering expanse of kitty paradise that goes on forever and ever. Cats with good and true hearts come here after their deaths, to join their ancestors in decadence and lead the cats that still live into a bright and beautiful future. 

Starclan is born from the collective spirit and will of the cats that live together in the Stargazer Steppe. Many other parts of the world have their own clans with their own traditions, and in turn, their own Starclans. This Starclan, however, is special. When a shooting stars trails across the night sky, a Starclan cat dips his paws into reality to communicate with the living for a short time. Ranks hold tangible meaning to the clan cats, and thus they hold tangible meaning for Starclan. Healers, with their deep spiritual connections, are able to receive complicated dreams from Starclan and hold full conversation with cats from beyond. Leaders hold within them the lives of eight other cats, and in turn sometimes receive flashes of memories belonging to those cats, as if those memories were their own. Warriors and Deputies, being devoted but less attuned to Starclan, are only able to receive small, short, and simple messages, as words or feelings. Apprentices have not yet proven themselves before Starclan, and do not recieve communication.

Sometimes, ghostly images of cats long-dead appear to the truly devout. Any cat would be able to see a spectre of Starclan, if they have touched the waters of the Sundrip.

EARTHLY TETHERS

Starclan's Reach

Within the heights of Giliaclan’s territory lies Starclan’s reach – the absolute summit of the mountains, providing a view over the entirety of Yellowstone. Here, the air is thin, cold, and uncomfortable, marking what the cats of Stargazer Steppe believe to be the very line between their lands and Starclan’s grounds, split in two by the Sundrip and Starclan’s Maw.

Legend has it that the summit is imbued with mystical properties and visiting it is said to bring good luck and fortune. Regardless of these beliefs, it remains an important spiritual site for cats of all clans and is a testament to the enduring relationship between the living and the dead.

The Sundrip

When one reaches Starclan’s Reach, they are met with two pathways. One of these is the path to the Sundrip, which makes way for a small outcropping where one can touch noses with the meteorite that is nestled on the cliffside of the summit. The meteorite is of unknown origins, though the story goes that it was a heavenly gift from the Stars, to give their earthly protectors a place to gather and convene with their late loved ones and cats from distant pasts. It is coloured almost completely, solidly black, though it dons a sheen that reflects the sun’s light into the furthest reaches of the lands. Upon closer inspection, there is light marbling and specks upon its surface that one might liken to the appearance of a clear night sky. 

When leaders and healers travel to the Reach, it is tradition to visit the Sundrip first – to touch noses with the meteorite and say a prayer personal to each individual, akin to a greeting, before proceeding below to enter the belly of Starclan’s Maw. This is said to set a good precedent for receiving their blessing. 

Starclan's Maw

The other pathway leads to a large opening to a cave system. Appropriately dubbed the Maw, the entrance vaguely resembles the open mouth of a large beast. There is only one hallway that is winding and dwindles in size the further one goes, and eventually, it leads into a chamber with high ceilings and rough walls, with stalactites and stalagmites around the edges. In the back end of the cavern is a pool of black water. This is due to the bottom of the meteorite that has pierced the chasm’s ceiling, hanging over the pool. The colouration comes from the years it has deposited its minerals and metals into the aquifer. It is toxic to the touch, and when smelt leaves a lingering taste of something akin to blood in the senses. Many believe the meteorite coming from the ceiling serves as a conduit to the Stars, making for easier communication between Starclan and its living counterparts. 

Some believe that the Maw has a vast underground network of tunnels and caverns, where Starclan has relayed many of its secrets. Others believe that the pool of black water is a gateway to the afterlife, where the spirits of the dead can commune with the living.

When high ranks are ready to convene, they will settle next to the blackened aquifer; closing their eyes and focusing on the smell of the water, the faint echoes of their own breathing, and their relation to the Stars. 

Pieces of the Stars

Over the many years and quite possibly aeons of the meteorite’s existence, parts of it have broken down and been scattered around the main chamber. Some might have found their way to the outside, onto the rest of the summit. Regardless of where these pieces lay, a leader will find one to keep after receiving their lives – some report feeling a pull to a certain piece – and bring it home with them. Here, the shard will be carved by the leader to fit what they feel symbolises them, though some leaders might choose to give it to their deputy, healer or a loved one to carve it for them. The sizes and shapes of these shards vary greatly and depend wholly on the individuals who picked them out. 

The significance of the shards is so grand that they are often passed down through generations, becoming a symbol of a leader’s influence. It is not uncommon for a leader to gift their shard to their successor, passing on their connection to the stars and the responsibility of leading their clan. However, sometimes a leader may choose to keep their shard with them even after their reign has ended, as a reminder of their time as a leader and their connection to the cosmos.

The process of carving the shard is seen as a personal and sacred one, often involving meditation and contemplation. It is believed that the energy of the meteorite is transferred into the shard, and thus it becomes a powerful symbol of the leader's connection to the stars and their ancestors. The shards are typically worn as pendants or otherwise kept close to the leader's self at all times.

For most clans, a leader is never truly officiated if they do not carry a piece with them – a piece of the stars – and in the past this has hurt the reputations of former ones. Adderstar never collected his shard, and thus many believe that this is why the late Giliaclan leader went down the path he did. 

It is said that the shards have a protective quality as well, shielding the leader from harm and guiding them on their journey. Some particularly devoted cats even believe that the shards hold special powers and abilities, though this is not a widely accepted belief. Nevertheless, the shards remain a cherished and integral part of the clan's culture and tradition, and are a testament to the enduring connection between the stars and their earthly counterparts.

The Burnt Tree Place

A mysterious other plane with an entrance supposedly at the very far border of Spurclan's expanse. Called the opposite place to Starclan by many, but is this true? Nobody knows. Nobody knows much of anything about this place- except that you should avoid it at all costs.