Welcome! This is a reference for lifestyles and rules. Read them and begin!

Camp
The pride camp has one large cave that they all sleep in, regardless of status. Outside is surrounded in a tree line with a pool of clear water at the edge. There is one great stone on the other side opposite the pool and smaller stones underneath for sunning, rest or play, although the higher, larger rocks are typically reserved for older or higher ranked members. These are called the SunStones.

Prey
There is no prey pile - prey is hunted for each day fresh, and only kill what they can eat. They do not eat every day, whether they did not catch anything or it is the Lunar Fasting. The king and queen get first choice over a bit of prey, then cubs, on to the subordinates and finally trainees. Lunar Fasting is a period of fasting every month for five days after the full moon. In this time they are allowed to chew bones or plants, but hunting prey and meat are prohibited. Used as a tablemarker for time.

Royal Blood
Monarchy is through inheritance OR power. The oldest cub of the king and queen will be the heir, but if there are no cubs it will pass to the sibling of the inherited monarch. They can become overthrown by force in which case the bloodlines pass on to the next family. King and queen must be mates, although there does not have to be both - there can be just a king or just a queen. If there are no living relatives to these positions the heir is chosen by the monarch and may be challenged or declined. Rulers may step down or be challenged at any time. Their word is law.

Afterlife
The equivalent to an afterlife is the Great Plains, where lions from prides far and wide will live together in peace and prosperity after they have served their time. These spirits are called Hunters of the Great Plains, or simply Hunters. Any lion may seek spiritual insight if they wish, but stronger connections with spirits are few and far between.

Animal Groups
There are few other prides in the area, mostly loners. There is a cackle of hyenas, and herds of zebra, antelope, and wildebeest. Of course there are other animals, this is just for reference.

Training
Trainees do not have mentors! They are trained collectively as a pride, so they are given the opportunity to learn a variety of skills. Some may choose not to learn certain skills. This is the time when they start to integrate into the pride and learn to pull their weight. Skills may include hunting, tracking, fighting, running, swimming, sensing, listening, smell, carving (bones and sticks), etc. There is no limit to what a lion can choose to learn, but focusing on their assets is typical. All lions will learn basic medicine (wound dressing, shock, colds, etc), we can use Warrior based solutions if its easier. Other medicine such as broken bones, infections, etc will be done by lions who chose to continue in this skill.

Outside the Pride
Lions may choose to leave the pride with the approval of the king and queen. They may also be banned or exiled if felt necessary by vote.

General Rules
Cubs/romance is allowed, but please don't make it a primary focus. Keep it PG.
Don't injure another persons character without permission.
You can always, always have input, don't be shy if something is wrong or you have questions/suggestions.
Hate the character, not the player. Let's be honest, some characters can become annoying, especially if that's purposely the personality of the character!
Have FUN my dudes.

Posting
Sometimes, it can be a bit difficult to remember who plays who, especially when you're just reading through. It can be tedious to guess all the time, especially if they have multiple characters. For the sake of this please format as such (it is much appreciated!):

Name / F or M / Rank / Mentions: other character or None (anyone mentioned in the post except for your own character)

Ex: Ayize / F / Trainee / Mentions: Zobona
Busa / M / Subordinate / Mentions: None

I am welcome to suggestions on morals/spiritual practices! You can always find them here.

Ping List
Dragonsrcool54, Shayni, Dragongem23, Eevee17, Hawkeye, PiperLake

Sign ups: https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=66827

Busa / M / Subordinate / Mentions: Zobona

Busa groggily covered his nose with his paws, wrapping his tawny tail around himself.

Not yet, please, not yet.

It was too early. Too early to hunt, too early to patrol, too early to open his eyes. He flinched as one of the trainees nearly stumbled over him, hurrying out of the cave. Busa opened an eye critically.

It was that bubbly half-blind lioness. Busa never had anything against her personally, other than the fact she got up so early.



Ayize / F / Trainee / Mentions: Vusumuzi

Ayize's head rested gently on her paws, mind swirling with thoughts. She hadn't been able to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the memories of cubhood in her nightmares. She could see her mother again, hear her voice. She could relive Lungile's death over and over again. This was not supposed to happen.

She shivered. It was chilly compared to most days, and she hoped it would warm with the sun. She layed outside the prides cave in the open. Ayize felt so strange sleeping among these lions she had never met before. It had only been her, her on her own, or with her mother. The pride's queen had been welcoming, but she couldn't say for the rest of them. Still, Ayize couldn't seem to get a grip. She closed her eyes, whispering to herself.

"Ayize. Ayize. Let it come. Ayize."



Zobona / F / Trainee / Mentions: Ayize, Vusumuzi, Fundisia, Busa

Zobona dashed out of the cave, feeling the cool morning air ruffle her dark fur in a quick burst. A new day.
The sun was just barely cracking through the sparse tree line around the camp. She hurried over to the SunStones, scrambling over the rocks as fast as she could. No one else was up yet, save one other trainee laying just outside the cave, head on her paws. Zobona barely noticed. Without hesitation, she climbed to the highest stone and looked out.

Oh the view! She could see past the tree line, out past the river, gazing upon distant herds of grazing zebra and wildebeest. The rising sun cast the plains in red and gold as creatures began to wake. All the places she could never go. If only she would be queen! A queen as respected as Vusumuzi. No one would dare question her, no one could stop her from roaming as she pleased, no one would lift a paw against her and her eye. Her mother could never restrict her.

But she would never be queen. She was not of royal blood. Nor did she have her eye on Busa in any fashion.



Fundisia / F / Subordinate / Mentions: Zobona

Fundisia woke with a jolt. She had only been dreaming - her and her cub, now a trainee, hunting zebra. The dream would repeat, over and over. The herd would spook into a stampede, and her cub, half blind, would never see the charging beasts, and Fundisia would dash to her rescue. Each dream was slightly different. They would spook for a different reason, or she would seek a different way to save her cub. But in every dream, she couldnt save her in time.

But where was she now? Her trainee cub was not beside her. Not in the cave. In a panic, Fundisia jumped to her paws, scanning the cave quickly before looking outside.

In the growing light, she exited the cave and her eyes went straight to the small silhouette of a lion on the very top of the SunStones.

"Zobona!"



Vusumuzi / F / Queen / Mentions: None

The dark queen hugged the walls of the cave, blue eyes coming to rest on each lion dozing inside. Her pride. Her family. Her home. Her responsibility. She loved them dearly. Careful not to disturb any one of them, she snuck outside to meet the early sun.

A new trainee rested outside, and a tiny, troublesome young lioness scrambled down from SunStones to be scolded by her mother. As worrying as Fundisia was about Zobona, Vusumuzi knew better than to try and change her mind about what was best for her daughter.

Sighing sleepily, she wandered over to a shimmering pool of water, a fiery red in the sunrise. The pride would be awaking soon.

Nyeupe / M / Loner / Mentions: none

Nyeupe woke up in a cave near the pride. Lonely and bored, he went out, deciding to hunt. Hopping down from his perch, he noticed the cave the pride was in for the first time. Curious, he slowly, and very quietly crawled there. He murmured, *please dont be caught, please dont be caught, I dont want to die...* as he crawled closer.

Shujaa / M / King / mentions: Vusumuzi, Busa

Shujaa woke in the cave, surrounded by his pride. He grumbled slightly, got up, and saw his mate, Vusumuzi. He smiled. He had his mate, his son Busa, and he pride. What more could he want? He walked over to Vusumuzi and nudged her. *good morning. How are you?*

Xolani / F / Subordinate / Mentions: Everyone awake

Xolani watched the sunrise every morning.

It was a habit of hers. She hated missing even on of them, and she loved the colors that were painted across the sky. The young lioness was sitting just past the SunStones. She wasn't too far from the rest of the pride, but she still could get in trouble if anything went wrong.

Despite that she fixed her golden eyes on it again on last time, as most of the sky had become brighter. Xolani turned and walked back to the rest of the pride as the sunset faded. "Good morning, everyone." She gave a slight nod of the head to the Queen and King in respect. She would have done the same to Busa but he wasn't King... yet.



Inyoni / F / Subordinate / Mentions: Nkosi, Nyeupe

Inyoni's head snapped up as she caught a scent. Inyoni never ignored what her nose told her. It was her strongest asset, after all.

"Nkosi! Get up!" She hissed. "I smell something." Without waiting for his approval, she stalked out of the cave, towards where she smelled something. "I think... I might be another... lion?" Her yellow eyes narrowed as her nose twitched.

Who are you and where are you hiding?



Nkosi / M / Subordinate / Mentions: Inyoni, Nyeupe

He sighed as Inyoni prowled around the outside of the cave. "Are you sure that's what you smell?" He regretted saying it at once, as the lioness turned and gave him a thoroughly peeved look. He shrugged but helped her in her search.

"I don't think we'll find anything but..." He froze as the smell hit his nose. A lion could identify who was in their pride based on their scents. He could smell Inyonis but the second smell was not anyone he new was in the pride.

Nyeupe / M / Loner / Mentions: Inyoni, Nkosi

Nyeupe froze stock-still, hearing talk about a new loins scent. he thought, crap. im found, or at least noticed. now what? he sniffed, smelling the 2 loins who noticed his scent. defintily not his old pride. thats good, because they banished him before becuase hes alibino, and threated to kill him if they found him again. however, he didnt want to reveal himself just yet, so he continued to hide in the shrubs and trees, trying (not very sucsesfully) to make his white coat hidden.

Shujaa / M / King / Mentions: Xolani, Inyoni, Nkosi (these 2 kinda), Vusumuzi, Nyeupe

Shujaa turned to Xolani and smiled. *good morning, Xolani.* he did eavsdrop on Nkosi and Inyoni, and frowned slightly.

Vusumuzi / F / Queen / Mentions: Shujaa

The queen lifted her head from the water, droplets dripping off her long whiskers. "Goodmorning, Shujaa!" She greeted cheerily as she shook the water from her face and nuzzled her mate

Shujaa / M / King / Mentions: Vusumuzi, Nyeupe, Iyoni, Nkosi


Shujaa smiled and nuzzled her back, then became serious. *i overheard Inyoni and Nkosi talking about somthing. they said that they smell a loin near. and its not of our pride. should we check it out?*

Nyeupe / M / Loner / Mentions: Shujaa, Iyoni, Nkosi


Nyeupe listen for the first 2 loins who smelled him, and froze even more, hearing another loin talking about him. and that loin had power in his voice, and while it had kindness, it also had strictness. Nyeupe gulped. the pride leader knows im near. CRAP. i need to get out of here. he slowly backed away, trying to keep hidden. which was hard with white fur and peircing red eyes.

Vusumuzi / F / Queen / Mentions: Shujaa, Nyeupe

The queen tipped her head. "Another lion? It must be a loner, then, it would give another pride trouble to come all the way out here. If they are near, let them go about their business. If they choose to make trouble, we will deal with it then. If they wish to confront us, let them. Don't deprive them of prey - there is plenty enough to go around in the herds."

Vusumuzi knew how hard it was for loners. As a cub she had often had witnessed new members, or lions who had chosen to leave begging the king to return, many of them injured, malnurised, and close to death. The previous king had not been so kind, and many of the pride's members were lost to exile - including Ayize's mother, Lungile, which is why Vusumuzi had allowed her cub's return.

Fundisia / F / Subordinate / Mentions: Zobona
Zobona / F / Trainee / Mentions: Fundisia

Zobona scrambled down off the SunStones to confront the lectures of her mother.

"Zobona! How many times have I told you not to climb so high on SunStones? Not only is it disrespectful, you could hurt yourself!"

The black lioness flattened her hears. "That's ridiculous! You hardly let me do anything! I'm a trainee now, not a cub! Stop treating me like one!" Hurt and frustrated, Zobona stalked away, tail high, to the pool.

Nya / F / Trainee / Mentions: None

Nya woke up to the sun shining on her closed eyelids, she got up and yawned, she slunk out of the cave past the lions that were still sleeping, she went down to the water and took a drink, after drinking she shook out her fur and wondered when they would go hunting.

Nyeupe / M / Loner / Mentions: Shujaa, Vusumuzi

Nyeupe heard what Vusumuzi said, and pondered it. shes certianly not like my last pride leader. maybe its safe to go out? he gulped and whispered, *one way to tell.* then he took a deep breath and tentiavly took a step out, and another, until he was in full view and his red eyes could be spotted.

Shujaa / M / King / Mentions: Vusumuzi, Nyeupe

Shujaa watched the loin walk out, and inhaled sharply when he noticed that the Loners eyes were red. blood red. *Vusumuzi, that loins albino.*