Humans in the Ghost Town begin disappearing, leaving their housecats behind. These cats live in the now-abandoned homes and slowly learn to survive on their own.
The remaining housecats are terrorized by a small group of feral barncats. One of the barncats betrays their brethren to help the housecats and convinces them to fight back.
The barncat is eventually killed by the other barncats, but not before teaching the housecats to fight. The housecats, larger in number, force the barncats to surrender.
They move into what would become known as Two-Floor together. According to oral tradition, these are the cats that would eventually become the Tree's Leaves.
Unknown, at least 75 YBO
The Tree's Leaves form. Their first leader is unknown, but is presumed to be one of the cats the barncat trained.
47 YBO
The Tree's Leaves's 6th Presider, Klo the Healer, discovers herbal medicine.
43 YBO
A young tomcat named Pine is appointed the 7th Presider of the Tree's Leaves after Klo dies of unknown causes. He discovers how to fish and is named Pine the Master Hunter.
36 YBO
The 9th Presider of the Tree's Leaves, Red the Path Finder, discovers the shards and that they can create fire.
34 YBO
Aru becomes the 10th Presider of the Tree's Leaves. She discovers how keep fires going safely in fire pits and becomes known as Aru the Flame Keeper.
21 YBO
Birk becomes the 13th Presider of the Tree's Leaves. He studies the seasons and weather, earning him the name of Birk the Weather Maker.
15 YBO
In a distant kitten mill, a cat named Lio discovers that he can open doors with his paws. He escapes and takes the others in the mill with him. While wandering, Lio earns the nickname Mouser for his hunting skills.
Birk passes away due to being struck by lightning while climbing a tree, resulting in the naming of the Lightning Tree. A young mollie named Feder is elected the 15th Presider of the Tree's Leaves.
13 YBO
Mouser's group arrives at the Ghost Town. They make peace with the Tree's Leaves, and they agree to share their home in the Two-Floor. The Tree's Leaves nickname Mouser's group the Mouse Catchers, after their leader.
A season later, a flood strikes. The Tree's Leaves flee from the Two-Floor under the assumption that it will flood while the Mouse Catchers stay. When the Tree's Leaves return, they learn that they were wrong about the flood's reach. The Mouse Catchers refuse to let them in and a fight ensues. The Mouse Catchers win, and the Tree's Leaves are forced to let them have the Two-Floor. Mouser earns yet another name, Mouser the Strong.
Having lost their home to the Mouse Catchers, the Tree's Leaves move into the forest. Feder fights the hawk at the top of their tree, bringing rise to the legend of Feder and the Hawk and gaining the name Feder the Hawk Killer. She is the first cat to learn how to control fire, rather than just starting it, but she does not share this secret with others in fear of its potential for harm.
Mouser collapses from infection. His mate, Eli the Loyal, takes over as Head of the Mouse Catchers. She demands that the Tree's Leaves teach the Mouse Catchers how to heal, and their Presider sees no reason to refuse. However, Feder believes that Mouser is beyond saving and feeds him foxglove-tainted water, viewing it as a mercy.
2 YAO
Cats begin showing up at the Ghost Town (mainly from a nearby city), saying that the humans are disappearing. The Tree's Leaves take in many, while the Mouse Catchers only take in the "purest" ones.
4 YAO
Not liking the way they're treated in the Mouse Catchers, a group of "impure" cats leaves. They accumulate as travelers come, and name themselves the Crow Hunters.
7 YAO
The clowders have grown significantly.
Eli retires and dies of old age. Her daughter, Saran the Mirthful, takes her place as the 3rd Head of the Mouse Catchers.
Saran attacks the Tree's Leaves, intent on driving them out of the forest, and is killed in the fight.
Three siblings, Eklis, Sal, and Nik, take joint leadership as the first multi-set of heads, and the 4th Head if counted together (or, the 4th, 5th, and 6th if not).
Instead of focusing on the Tree's Leaves, the Mousers focus on the Crow Hunters. They attempt to drive them out, taking their territory slowly season by season.
8 YAO
Tobi the Underhanded starts a rebellion among the "impure" cats of the Mouse Catchers. They kill Sal, but are quickly put down by Eklis. Tobi is publicly executed, and those that followed him are forced to hide away and do the worst duties. They become known as Hiders.
Hun, the 29th Presider of the Tree's leaves, agrees to help the Crow Hunters reclaim their territory, and believe the only solution is to kill Eklis. They attack Eklis and Nik at squarestones. It goes terribly. Hun is killed by Eklis, who earns the name Eklis the Warmaster.
Beedel the Peaceless becomes the 30th Presider of the Tree's Leaves. He plans to fight back and sets a trap a month later. Eklis and Nik walk into it, and it develops into a battle. The Mouse Catchers lose, and Beedel kills Eklis. Nik surrenders all of the taken territory, and seasonal meetings are officially declared.
Beedel dies from a bladder blockage a season or so later. His daughter, Tenu, takes his place after a vote.
9 YAO
Tabith the Vengeful, Nik's mate, orchestrates a coup to save the life of her only surviving kitten, Snobal, after Nik calls for his culling. She and Keth the Quiet take over the Mouse Catchers.
Once her son, Snobal the Regretful, reaches two seasons, she appoints him as a head.
Snobal has an affair with Aster, a Hider. Several months after Snobal is appointed, his affair is discovered. Aster flees with the kittens and a chase ensues. The Tree's Leaves and the Crow Hunters attempt to hide her, but are unsuccessful in the end. She and Snobal fall into the lake. They both drown. The kittens are split between the clowders.
Tabith blames the death of Snobal on the other clowders and vows revenge. She attacks the other clowders and refuses to attend seasonal meetings.