Pinepaw and the Forgotten World is a journal-style webcomic based on the lore of the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. It is written and illustrated by notable Warriors fan content creator Razmerry, initially based on the Clan Generator Challenge that hit the fandom in mid-2022. It follows the story of the hardy survivalist clan known as Barren Clan, the only surviving cat-clan of an alternate, drought-ridden version of Nebraska. We follow the healer's apprentice, Pinepaw, a curious gray-blue shorthaired cat as he navigates the mystery surrounding his wasteland of a home. With the introduction of Pinepaw's love interest, Cormorantpaw, the danger that plagued his clan's past seems closer than ever....
Alternate History: Much more small-scale than many other examples of this trope, but Barren Clan has been explicitly described to live in an alternate version of Nebraska, where some of the sweetgrass prairies have been destroyed by fire and drought. The non-cat characters' species have reflected this location. From burrowing oels to coyotes to mule deer, all of the species used are native to the area.
Evil Is Burning Hot: Defiance, a mafia-cult of bloodthirsty animals, is rife with fire motifs - the three branches of the organization are named Ash, Smoke, and Fire.
Faux Affably Evil: Deepdark, the leader of Defiance, has a generally polite disposition - until he stomps you to death and laughs on your grave.
Foreshadowing: Largely in the form of symbolism, as well as through Pinepaw's dreams.
- In issue 14, Pinepaw has a dream of a canine killing his sister. This canine turns out to be symbolic for Rainhaze, and the outcome when he met Asphodelpaw again was about the same, with Asphodelpaw not surviving and even having a streak of blood on her face identical to that seen on her in Pinepaw's dream.
- In issue 24, one panel shows a wolf with Mallowstar's color pallette, as to show comparisons between his old highest authority figure and his newest, Prowl. In issue 27, Mallowstar asks when the wolves started closing in in a metaphoric sense, and a panel shows him surrounded by wolves. This all comes together when Mallowstar confronts Prowl and is ultimately killed.
Happy Rain: As Barrenclan lives in a drought-filled wasteland, rain is seen as a good thing, bringing fresh water and a break from the oppresive, dry sunshine.
- Invoked through the name of Rainhaze, a consistently positive force in the lives of those around him and the favored child of Dustfeather, who named him.
- Later subverted through Rainhaze's involvement with Defiance, where his character takes a turn for the worse.
- Invoked through the name of Rainhaze, a consistently positive force in the lives of those around him and the favored child of Dustfeather, who named him.
- Also subverted in issue 32, as rain is used as a negative force, likely in reference to the previous events with Rainhaze and something Nightberry sees them as being lashed by.
Meaningful Name: Both intentionally and unintentionally.
- How Dustfeather named her kits falls under this, as slugs always come after the rain, which relates to Rainhaze and Slugpelt, the latter of which she carried resentment for.
- Unintentionally on the author's part, Asphodelpaw. Asphodels are flowers associated with death and mourning in Greek mythology and Asphodelpaw, aside from characters who died in flashbacks, is the first Barrenclan cat to die in the timeframe Pinepaw and the Forgotten World takes place in.
The Cassandra: Nightberry fits this role to a T - from her prophecies of doom, to her maddened state - even to the way that all her ravings are dismissed as her just being old and senile.
- Lampshaded out of universe — although cats have no idea what the ancient Greeks were, Raz has often compared Nightberry to Cassandra. The issue where she gets her first vision is even called "Cassandra", and features a quote from Ovid's Heroides.
