Rising p o w e r -nd-

[D a R K - R a H]

Taragoff's new rising star.
No one said stars had to be light.

The Basics;;
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[/b] Snake
Previous Callings: Strongstone, Stronglion
Soon-to-be-dubbed: Snaketail, Snakestar
Gender: Tom
Age: Aprox. 47 moons
Clan: The Druids
Rank: Highly-trusted Ranger
Up-and-coming Promotion: Leader[/sup][/ul]The Body;;
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[/b] A dark shadow of a cat. His fur is almost entirely black. In fact, there's only one spot of any other color. The rest of him is as dark as a night without a moon. On a regular night, you can see him as the particularly dark shadow sneaking up behind you. The only spot of light on him is a small white circle on his chest. It alone makes him stand out in shadows. Some see as it as a spot of goodness in an otherwise evil cat. [They, however, are mistaken.] Such a small and simply detail makes him appear a more average cat.
What also adds to his somewhat normal appearance is his very average stature. In stereotypes, the bad guys are either very large or very small. Snake is neither. His shoulders aren't overly wide and blocky, nor are they thin and lithe.
Image: xx
Strengths: Snake's greatest strength is his inability to feel emotions. The only emotionss he ever seems to feel are boiling anger, grim satisfaction, or... Well, no, that's about it. He easily separates himself from those around him and feels no guilt in manipulating those around him into doing what he wants.
Weaknesses: Snake really doesn't have many weaknesses. He's well-trained in being extremely quick and remains surprisingly strong for his very average stature. Perhaps his only weakness is his lack of faith. He believes in nothing and treats cats around him like mere toys. He doesn't care whatsoever for his fellow Druids. If they all died, the only thing he'd feel would be anger that he was bested.[/sup][/ul]The Soul;;
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[/b]
Likes: Power, manipulating his way into what he wants, proving his strength in battle, organization, genuine strength and wit, eagles
Dislikes: Weakness, complaining Praisers, whining kits, disorganization, foolishness, anyone who stands in his way[/sup][/ul]The Story;;
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[/b] Little is known about this particular Ranger's past. Bits and pieces are common knowledge, but there seems to be sections of the story missing. Snake himself cares little for stories of the past, so his account of his own life has never been widely shared.

The Praisers all gathered outside his parents' den when Snake first came into the world. The mother, a she-cat named Moon, gave birth to two little kits. The father, a tom named Stone, named his kits before his mate could so much as give her oppinion. Stone had a firm belief that she-cats were better for little more than raising kits. And even then, he believed the failed miserably quite often. He was going to be sure his kits -- particularly his son -- were raised exactly as he saw fit. To his dark-furred son he gave the powerful name Strongstone. To his tabby daughter he gave the adequate name Quickmoon. He named her in a single word, no more. His attention was on his son almost solely. After her mate had left, Moon looked down at her son with eyes gleaming with pride. Even so tiny, he had a pelt like his mother and a build like his father. Little Quickmoon recieved little attention from her mother either.

All through kithood, it has been said, Strongstone was very obviously favored over his sister. Not to say he was spoiled. Stone began teaching his kits simple things from an early age. Quickmoon tried desprately to achieve her father's love and attention, but she could never match her brother's instinctive strength. From the age of a moon old, the siblings grew further and further apart. Strongstone ignored his sister just as much as his parents-- not knowing any better. Quickmoon was deathly jealous of her brother and came to hate him early on.

When they became Listeners, the two took paths even farther apart. Quickmoon's training was given to a skilled she-cat Ranger named Stream. She was an intelligent Speaker and soon channeled her student's anger into her training. Stone wanted to train his son himself. However, a more-respected Ranger spoke to the Praisers and convinced them that it was best the young tom was mentored by someone other than his father. That particular Ranger was named Lion, and he was assigned Strongstone's training. So Strongstone became Stronglion. Stone was jealous from the start. Stronglion soon grew very close to his Speaker, and Stone felt that Lion was taking his son from him.

Lion was a very different Ranger than Stone. He constantly demanded better from his Listener. The closest thing to praise he ever gave was a small nod or a non-committal grunt. Stronglion craved to reach the level of perfection his mentor demanded. He trained almost constantly, soon growing thick muscles and quick paws. All of the Druids -- except Stone, that is -- commended Lion for his excellent work with the young tom. Lion quite often replied, "I know he can do better."

No one's sure if the next part of the story is fact or fiction. Some say that Snake himself doesn't know the full truth of what happened. One night, while Stronglion slept, Stone snuck into the den his son shared with his Speaker. Jealousy and hatred had driven Stone mad. Whether he planned to "steal" his son back, or simply kill Lion, different versions say differently. Needless to say, Lion woke and wrestled Stone silently from the den. Stronglion slept on. When he woke in the morning, his mentor was in his nest as usual. But Stone was never seen by the Druids again. It's been disputed whether the tom simply left, or whether Lion killed him. What everyone agreed on, though, was that Stronglion didn't bat an eye. His parents had never taught him to love, so the companionship he felt towards Lion was the closest to love or attachment he felt.

Again, the story is weak along this point. Every storyteller tells this part differently. Some say Stronglion and his sister Quickstream finally grew close, only to have Quickstream die in a battle against a badger. Others claim Quickstream couldn't handle her hatred any longer and attacked her brother, loosing the battle she'd been fighting her entire life. Others still say Quickstream disappeared into the night, searching for her father. Whatever happened, she never became a Ranger of the Druids.

Stronglion chose his name well. He admired his Speaker's strength and power, but he refused to name himself after Lion. No, he wanted a name that was his own, one that would someday strike fear and respect into the hearts of those around him. He finally chose the name Snake, after the lithe creatures that embodied fear and obvious power.

From there, Snake himself faded into the background. Well, at least enough for his story to go unremembered. The Druids don't recall much of what happened to the tom after that until he'd become very close and respected by the Praisers. He had trained several Listeners, though never taken a mate. He'd gathered around himself a close-knit group of supporters, cats who'd follow him to the death. The Druids admired him too much to see the trouble brewing before their very eyes.
Other:

Moon - Mother - Black and white patched she-cat - Dead
Stone - Father - Extremely dark tabby tom - Dead
Quickstream - Sister - Tabby and white she-cat - Dead
Lion - Speaker - Powerful silver tom - Dead

[/sup][/ul]The Extras;;
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Comments: [/sup][/ul]