1962, before the Shattering
A sprawling Twoleg civilization dominated the main island. Coal veins ran thick and deep beneath their town. They made their living fishing and mining, until the fateful day when the coal mines caught fire. The cause has been hotly debated, but no conclusion was ever made.
Nonetheless, the air grew toxic, and the Twolegs panicked, summoning others in their boisterous, raging monsters. Many abandoned the town, unwilling to face the risks of remaining. In the chaos, Twolegs scrambled to seek out the kittypets left behind. Every cat was in danger, kits taken from queens and queens from kits. Curious spectators were snatched from the tree line, housepets and wild dogs alike all loaded into monsters.
Some of the wild cats followed suit, crossing the wetlands to cleaner territory.
Others left the surface, seeking refuge in the caverns. The smog threatened to suffocate them, but desperation drove them. Deep within the caverns, cats fell into mineshafts and natural vents. Many perished, some were still abducted from within the caves. Some began to adapt, though; it became easier to breathe, their trips to the surface less of an importance. The scarce prey in the caves grew more plentiful, more tasteful. Their pelts grew darker, as the dark-coated cats lived the longest, blending into the shadows within the caves.
In time, the remaining cavewalkers bound together for survival; this was the beginning of SootClan. They found a small cavern deep within the mines that housed a giant orange crystal that glowed blindingly when struck by reflected light from somewhere deep in the earth. When the stone lit, the cavern walls were revealed to be covered in more crystals, creating a dazzling display of light. The Lavastone, discovered by a cat known as Starwatcher, allowed cats to visit with their ancestors in StarClan.
The weakest and smallest of the cats, those trapped within the city, were abandoned. Without refuge, they were cast into the wild. The weak had one strength, though: unity. Together, they formed BoroughClan, a clan based on loyalty, reliance, togetherness. They rose and erected their own city, a refuge for the less fortunate, and a legion of their own kind of warrior. They were made up predominantly of the lighter-colored cats, the ones that were unable to camouflage and survive in the wild. Eventually, the city developed a code: with the order kept by their legion, there will be no violence within city walls. Their goal, as their strength grew, was to carve out their own perfect society, and either convert or kill any who resisted.
A few miles west, in the great King's Forest, trouble stirred.
Many of the cats that lived in the city before the Shattering fled to the King's Forest, named for the massive tree hollowed out long ago by ancient Twolegs. Squirrels had mostly lived in it for years, until the city cats flocked like flies to mouse dung. There were many bloody battles fought for king of the hill, and many died. One cat grew fed up with the violence, and that cat, Odin, led a peace rally. The cats agreed to form the mighty ThicketClan: a Clan of fellowship and family.
Bitter territory wars were fought between the developing Clans for some time after they formed. City cats sought vindication from those who looked down upon them, the treerunners and cavewalkers sought city land. The near-blind Starwatcher convinced the leader of SootClan to meet with the leaders of the other Clans, and the first medicine cat took the three leaders to the Lavastone.
At the Lavastone, StarClan gave the leaders an ultimatum: have peace, and be granted nine lives, or witness their families burn.
The leaders of the three Clans left the cave eight lives richer, with a code written and a treaty agreed upon. Starwatcher left the cave without his sight, but with hope for the Clans' future.
