Foreword

The Elysian Peninsula is home to a colony of cats that delight themselves in the amplitude of their territory. Born and taught to be exuberant, this community thrives peacefully all year long - there are hardly any losses, most of them occurring due to the complications of old age.

But not all is flawless.

On a fateful evening, the corpse of their beloved leader, Juniper, was discovered by the shores, ready to be washed away by the ocean. The murderer was nowhere to be found. There wasn't a single scent trail by the body, and approximately five cats have gone missing on separate occasions before and after said catastrophe. The higher ranks were the most apprehensive among the colony, fearing for the disturbance of the utopian image that they worked so hard to build over the last generations.

The eldest of Juniper's kin was arranged to take her place, and their younger siblings were conveyed to fellow broodmothers to look after. Juniper's slaughter not only shattered a whole family but also brought sadness and fear upon the Elysian cats.

While some prefer to mourn the loss of their matriarch, others have taken action to investigate what happened a few weeks ago, as well as to scavenge their surroundings for clues on where the five missing cats might have wandered off to.

Will you fight for the truth or let despair eat you alive?

Storyline

Main plot: Juniper's slaughter.

Sub-plot 1: Five cats have gone missing (two chasers, a kitten, a pregnant sentinel, and a herbalist)

Sub-plot 2: One of the sentinels seems uneasy. Perhaps they've seen something unsettling during their last patrol and can't find the courage to open up?

Sub-plot 3: A devoid fox burrow has been recently discovered just a kilometer away from Juniper's memorial. Along with a nearby pile of rodent skulls, a mysterious scent of cloves and hibiscus flowers is imprinted all around the den site.

Rules & Terms

⚜ Respect the player and their characters alike; always separate in-character discussions from out-of-character discussions.

⚜ Visual references of your characters are highly preferable, so long as they are appropriately credited and follow all of WP's regulations. If you do not wish to use an image, please be as descriptive and accurate as you can regarding your characters' appearance.

⚜ Romance and drama are encouraged, but don't make it excessive, and always maintain your focus on the main plot!

⚜ Before killing, seriously causing harm to, or making romantic advances towards a character, PM their player beforehand to ask for their consent.

⚜ As The Paragon is a semi-literate RP, we require that you put some effort into each of your responses. A full paragraph (7 ~10 sentences) is the minimum accepted.

⚜ No perfect characters. Everyone has flaws, issues, and insecurities.

⚜ The Paragon is a realistic RP (if you ignore the fact that cats are fully sentient and able to have conversations among themselves, cough). Keep your characters' appearances and abilities realistic and accurate to that of actual cats - no giant felines, wings, horns, neon/rainbow coats, etc. The only exceptions are eye colors, feel free to be creative with those,

⚜ Your characters' names should not sound anything similar to you-know-which fandom. Instead, aim for simpler, single-word names. (Examples: Acorn, Winter, Skittles, Rosie, Wang, etc.)

⚜ If your form gets rejected, I will notify you of what's wrong with it via PMs so you can get your form fixed. I will then go through it again and add your characters to the list!

⚜ You shall register as many characters as you wish, so long as you can manage all of them equally.

⚜ Any questions you might have should be asked through PMs to keep the thread clean!

⚜ If you wish to reserve a spot, please PM me about it. Reservations typically last for 24 hours, but exceptions can be made.

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The Elysian Peninsula

Prey: sparrows, woodpeckers, cardinals, snake eggs, box turtles, salamanders, frogs, and fish.

Predators (most to least common): bald eagles, snakes, bobcats, red foxes, coyotes, grey wolves, and bears.

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The Colony

(The numbers indicate the starting amount of cats for each rank. When the sign-ups are officially closed to the public, our players may continue registering new characters!)

Juniper's eldest offspring, chosen to take her place instead of the counselor due to their significant resemblance to their mother. The Elysian cats seem like they're still not ready to move on. The leader is the highest authority figure in the colony; their word is the law and should not be disdained.

The second-in-command; a cat who takes matters into its own paws if the leader is ever absent. They do not make the rules, but rather instead reinforce the regulations imposed by the leader. The counselor is handpicked by the current leader and is usually an old friend of the royal family.

A small group of felines that function as the "guardians" or "keepers" of the colony, chasing off nearby predators and keeping watch during nighttime whilst their fellows sleep. They must report all their findings to the leader during the daytime. The sentinels are typically larger, intimidating, and sharp-eyed cats.

This rank represents the majority of the colony cats. Their duty is very simple: to bring food home. They have been taught to endure running for absurd distances without ever catching a break. Chasers are typically lightweight felines with great fighting skills, and should ideally be intelligent enough to come up with a backup plan in case their hunting endeavors don't go as planned.

A tiny group of brilliant cats who tend to others' wounds. They harvest plants and berries that can be used for treating various diseases/infections. Herbalists are expected to be very empathetic and wise.

Female cats who are expecting kittens or have recently given birth. Once a pregnant cat starts getting contractions, she will remain in the nurturer's burrow and temporarily retire from her previously assigned position until her kittens are old enough to eat solids (around ten weeks after birth). Cats can give birth to 1 ~ 12 kittens per litter, with the average number being 4.

The pride and joy of the colony. Kittens will step out of the nurturer's burrow for the first time as soon as they are weaned. At 4 months of age, each kitten should declare what its desired future rank is, and will move into their respective burrows (Example: a kitten who wishes to be a sentinel should move into the sentinel's den site).

There is no such thing as assigned tutors; kittens will observe and learn from more than one adult at a time. A kitten will only ascend to their desired position upon their first birthday.

Application Form

Links

Pack Name & Nbr: Zakzel #290105

~ [ 🌛 Salem 🌜 ] ~

Name: Salem

Nicknames: Sal.

Age: 5 Years old.

Gender: Male.

Orientation: Gay.

Appearance:

[Salem's headshot - art by Zakzel #290105]

A tall and slim cat with a rough, short coat. His fur is mostly white, with a few asymmetrical black splotches scattered here and there. Born with a pair of pointy ears and big eyes, Salem always looks like he’s amazed by something. He stands at 31 cm (12 inches) from feet to shoulders and has an abnormally elongated body (40 cm / 15 inches long). Unlike the rest of his body, Sal has a plum-like, velvety tail that is perfect for keeping him warm during winter. Salem has copper-colored eyes.

Brief Backstory: Salem was born and raised in the Elysian colony, there is nothing too special about his past. His parents were both renowned sentinels who passed away due to natural causes on separate occasions. Their death didn't seem to affect Sal much, for he knew that they enjoyed their life to its fullest and loved their only son as much as they possibly could.

Personality: An introverted fellow who has an enigmatic, cynical attitude. Instead of stating exactly what he wants, Salem would much rather leave you puzzled by his plethora of difficult words and double entendres. If he doesn't like you, he will try his best to keep it low-key to avoid unnecessary discussions, although he could never refrain from making the "You're such an idiot, please stop talking" kind of face.

Raised with no siblings or friends to play with, Salem has developed a liking for spending his free time all alone. He enjoys solitude and finds comfort in isolated places such as the beach. Despite his independence, sometimes Salem, too, feels needy and craves attention. That is when he turns to the young kittens in the colony or the chasers' trainees, so he can play, chatter, and bring food to them. Salem might not be the best with kittens but finds it delightful to watch those little bundles of sunshine waddling and prancing all around the camp.

Rank: Chaser.

Desired Rank: Achieved.

Offspring: None at the moment.

Significant Other: None at the moment.

Crush: None at the moment.

Parents: Nebula (Mother, NPC) & Marx (Father, NPC)

Siblings: N/A

Other: Salem smells like forget-me-not flowers, watermelons, and lemon zest.

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~ [ 🦋 Monarch 🦋 ] ~

Name: Monarch

Age: 2 Years old.

Gender: Female.

Orientation: Bi-curious.

Appearance: Monarch is a calico she-cat with long fur and a fluffy tail. She shares some sort of resemblance to the Maine Coon cats, letting aside the fact that she isn't that huge. Her body is rather bulky and she prances around in a confident, upbeat gait. Her eyes are shiny and come in a beautiful, warm shade of hazel. Monarch stands at around 20 cm / 10 inches tall and has an overall body length of 30 cm / 12 inches. She has a charming brown nose and mottled paw pads.

Brief Backstory: Born in the Elysian colony to a young she-cat who passed away shortly after giving birth, Monarch was given away to a broodmother whose kittens had just recently left the burrow. She was her adoptive mother's pride and joy, and both of them have always been inseparable. Upon receiving the horrible news that her dear mother, Pidgeon, had disappeared during one of her hunting endeavors, Monarch was shocked to an indescribable extent. For the past few weeks, she has been searching restlessly for Pidgeon near the forest's outskirts

Personality: Monarch has a strong sense of justice and teamwork, not hesitating to express her discontentment when someone's opinion is invalidated or when someone is not putting any effort into a cause that can have a positive outcome for the colony as a whole. She is very empathetic and is always concerned for others around her, constantly presenting difficulties to put her finger on which problems are hers and which problems are everyone else's. Sometimes she can be selfless to the point of putting aside her own needs and limits for others.

As a hopeless utopian, Monarch is always daydreaming about a tranquil and easygoing life while simultaneously reminding herself that to achieve this kind of stability, she must work as hard as she can in the first place. She is deeply afraid of being alone and is highly dependent - if you demonstrate even the slightest bit of interest in getting to know her, Monarch might just start following you around and addressing you with the highest respect possible as if to show just how much your friendship means to her.

Rank: Sentinel.

Desired Rank: Achieved.

Offspring: None at the moment.

Significant Other: None at the moment.

Crush: None at the moment.

Parents: Pidgeon (Mother, NPC - Missing cat No. 2)

Siblings: N/A

Other: Monarch smells like fresh brewed coffee and peanuts.

Pack Name & Nbr: Nez.ity #276676

⊂ Fiver ⊃

Nicknames: Fiver is known as many things, normally he prefers to be called his rank. Sentinel, or anything along that line. Fiver is known for keeping his name to himself; took maybe some sunsets until he was 4 years old for felines to finally catch his name. He was formally known as " That cat " or " Kit ". He is fine with nicknames, just nothing too scandalous.

Age: 5 Years old

Gender: Brute/Male

Orientation: Poly-homosexual-amorous( He sometimes finds himself attracted to females)

Appearance: @Black Sand for art piece

Brief Backstory:

Once there was a decent enough brute, who fell in love with an amazing chaser. Her fur would shine even in the dark, her bright blue eyes would never dull around others. The brute thought too little of himself, he had a short tail, chipped ears, and a raggedy appearance. How would he ever be enough for this chaser? Her pride would never match his desire, her beauty would never match his burned-out hope. They were so different from each other, yet one day this chaser approached the brute one day and confessed her love, shocked by this confession the brute left no answer to her question," Would you be mine?", How could she embarrass him like that, confessing such a love that shouldn't exist! The brute took rage. He snapped. Rambling on about his many failures as a Sentinel, his many failures to come if they had kits. The chaser just laughed and asked the question again, this time she left no words unsaid about her love; and even touched subject on his features," I prefer my brutes a bit roughed up," The brute, now seeing her light and seeing that she did;t care about his failures or his failures to come because, in the end, they'll have each other.

Nights go on, and sunsets finally arose from the shadows, Fiver, Junebug, and finally Rain. The brute was so proud, especially since Fiver looked more like him, he finally made something worth living, and then on Fiver with his two kin; grew up to be large brutes. Who knew a litter of only males could be born under the stars. Fiver is the oldest and Rain is the youngest. Their bond quickly thickened with each passing night, they were a team, always fighting the same battle, and always laughing. Well...that was before what happened happened.

...

Personality:

You might as well be talking to a brick wall, that way when you expect an answer you'll give one. Fiver could never be seen casting a smile toward anyone, nowadays he keeps to himself and his job. Rumors would have it that Fiver is sick, not physically but in his mind, he truly believes that work should be the only thing a cat could do. Over the nights and sunsets, Fiver has gone through the stages of anguish, finally, over what happened, Fiver puts his all into his work. He could be seen mumbling a lullaby his mother would sing to him whenever he was doubting himself. You might be wondering if Fiver is the type of feline who would someday turn against everyone because of what happened, maybe he'll soon realize that the colony is to blame for his sorrow, the tears that would someday blind him from all his friends he's been trying to keep with dangling claws. But that's something Fiver would never do, his claws shall stay sheathed no matter the case because he truly believes that without the colony he'll be nothing. Without a special rank, he'll be among the few. In truth Fiver, is a really good soul; a cat who prides himself on his strength rather than size, a cat who takes reasonability for his actions even if they were right.

Because even in the wrong, Fiver knows he'll always do what's right, because by the stars; Fiver will be damned to lose anyone else. He'll chase whoever to their graves, he'll swear to his own death, he'll make sure they have no peaceful resting ground. This is why Fiver can be seen as a bit of a menacing brute, a deranged adversary; at most Fiver would scare the kits just for the hell of their same old same old reactions to a large cat with a story to tell. Playing the part seems fun and all, but sometimes being the big-and-scary cat can have its downs and lows; such as finding love. Fiver has had many crushes, love interests, and enough affairs to know he's sick of playing games. His urge to finally settle down and start a family is so strong that it's become surreal to even think about. He wants to sleep with his partners under the stars, he wants to overdose on their smell and fall deeply in love; only the thought of their fur bristling in the wind and their happiness is the only thought he wants to be made. If a cat can't find love, and if a cat can't do their job--what is a cat good for?

I'll add more later when I have his sketch fleshed out, but for now, stopping point.

Rank: Sentinel

Desired Rank: He's happy for now...

Offspring: None

Significant Other: None( He's open for an ex-lover)

Crush: Open( DM me)

Parents: Chaser( Mother ) and Brute ( father )

Siblings:

Junebug( Male/40 minutes younger than Fiver/Amber eyes: NPC : A bit lazy, always joking, annoying, bothersome, fearless)

Rain( Male/ an hour late/ was presumed dead at birth/ brown eyes: NPC: Shy, reserved, crybaby, a bit of a whiner, scared of his own shadow)

Other: Funny to say, Fiver always smells like a stream of water.

Note:

All characters that have been signed up so far have been added to the list. However, some things are still missing:

⥇ Fiver's appearance;

⥇ Sparrow's appearance, backstory, and personality;

⥇ Mallow's backstory and personality.

Once everything's fixed (and the RP thread has been created), you guys are more than welcome to start posting!