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Long ago, before history was recorded properly, an extremist group broke off from the Jini-msemi pride and began their own following. Like the Jini-msemi, they believed in communication with the spirits of the world, but they were far more committed to certain aspects of their beliefs and practices than their former pride. This commitment was held to an exaggerated state, including sacrificial rituals to pay tribute to their spiritual guides and companions. They then formed their own pride, the Mizimu'Tungika, which began their own nomadic tradition in history.

Split into two sects, the pride relied on both their strength and their connection to the spirit world for the group's survival. The Warleader's duty as ruler was to be the commander of the warriors, devoted to the protection and physical care of the pride's members. The Queen's duty as ruler was to ensure peace between the physical realm and the spiritual realm, protecting the pride from certain doom should the spirits go too long unappeased. Together, the two parts balanced the other. Due to her spiritual heritage it was the Queen's bloodline that succeeded the throne, while the Warleader's reign was determined by the might of his claws and therefore was never a hereditary position.

Once it was determined by the Queen (via aid of her spiritual connections) that the Warleader was no longer certain to be the strongest lion in the pride, whomever should be able to fight and overpower him would become the next monarch at her side. This happened on several occasions throughout the pride's history, leading to the creation of the 'second' position - the second most mighty warrior, who is given the right of first challenge to the warleader.

This cycle continued until the mighty warrior Afya assumed the position of Warleader, a position he held for the lengthiest period marked to date. It was through Afya that the pride saw its most prosperous years, and they grew many in number, finally settling down from their generations of wandering ways. The Queen at that time, Hofu, gave birth to her first litter, producing both the heir, Jinichongo, as well as the scion, Hodari'Nafsi. Together, both parents taught their offspring the ways of their land and tradition, just as their parents had done the same for them.

By the time the cubs had reached adolescence, the number of warriors greatly surpassed that of the scryers. Hofu, despite her physical body having left her old and weary, was still possessed of quite a devious spirit. She knew that as the warriors grew in number and power her hold over them would weaken. Sensing their restlessness (and listening to the will of the spirits), she made use of their boredom and declared that the spirits were unhappy here. It was time, she claimed, that they relocate their territory. The warriors, naturally, were eager to follow the will of the spirits (and their Queen) and traveled onwards until happening across a neighboring pride. Here, the Queen proclaimed, the spirits had decided would be their new home. Naturally, this new territory would need to be purged of those who were already tenants among the lands. So the battle began, and the warriors of the Mizimu'Tungika eventually overtook the opposing pride, claiming the land for their own.

Although they were victorious, the battle was not won without exacting a hefty toll. With a large number of their warriors now departed from their ranks, the scryers once again were equal in number to their balancing counterpart. It was then that Hofu finally felt herself at peace, her lineage safe from potential mutiny. Relaying her last words of wisdom to both the heir and the scion, the Queen descended the throne and her spirit joined with the others into the world of the afterlife.

The new Queen, Jinichongo, then ascended the throne in the shadow of her mother, with her faithful brother at her side as the Vates. Sakata, now the strongest lion in the pride, has become the new Warleader, and it is only a matter of time before the new generation of scryers and warriors determine the fate of this newly settled pride...

Coming of Age
Young members of the pride remain fully under the care of the minders until they have become juveniles. At that time, they may choose to either remain with the minders or be apprenticed with an individual of the rank they aspire to. While they are still considered to be youths and have no set responsibilities, juveniles are expected to learn their role well enough that they may become useful members of the pride.

At adolescence, the fate of the youth is determined. Individuals who are not well-suited to any particular task are usually consigned to the ranks of the followers or sacrifices. Skilled adolescents take on a task and are placed with a more experienced adult who can help them learn their new role. It is not uncommon for adolescents to change their mind and switch tasks upon becoming an adult, but indecision of that sort is not encouraged.

When the adolescent is ready to be recognized as an adult and a full member of the pride, he or she is given a rare honour - a one-on-one reading with a Haruspex. At this time the fate of the young adult is read in the entrails of an offering (the value of the offering is determined by the skill of the youth). Afterwards, the newly-recognized member of the pride is given a token from the offering, and ushered into his or her new role.


Changing Ranks
Any lion with the appropriate skills may enter the following ranks freely, and switch between them if desired: Master/Mistress, Scryer, Minder, Healer, Scout, Hunter, and Warrior. Climbing higher through those ranks requires dedication and skill, however, and above all - the favour of the spirits.

Any lion may choose to become a Master, Minder, or Healer if they show the appropriate skills and personality. Minders and Healers often have overlapping roles, and most Healers will return to being a Minder when their services are no longer in high demand. Masters also share a kinship with the Minders, oddly enough, as the responsibility of caring for a Slave is similar to dealing with annoying juveniles. If a Master wishes to become an Overseer then they must prove their worth by successfully freeing their Slave. After accomplishing this task they may petition the other Overseers to join their ranks.

The path from Scryer to Augur or Haruspex is based largely on personal preferences, and ability. One who wishes to become a Haruspex will 'practice' reading entrails, using their prey or other smaller creatures. To become an Augur, the hopeful Scryer will spend vast amounts of time in communion with the spirits, trying to read their will in the patterns formed by the natural environment. Promotions are handled by the Vates, after he confers with the spirits (or the Queen).

Hunters become Huntleaders after proving their worth as a part of their team. The Huntleader they are currently under will make her recommendations to the Second, who will then promote the Hunter in question and give them a new team to lead. Warriors are promoted to Veterans through the same mechanism, however it is the Warleader who offers the promotion.

Non-lion followers may become Scouts at the discretion of a Veteran, as they are beneath the notice of the higher-ups. On rare occasions a non-lion will become a Hunter, again at the discretion of a Huntleader.


Lifemating
The Mizimu do not typically bother with elaborate lifemating rituals. If two lions wish to mate exclusively with each other, then they do so. There is no need to involve the higher ranks unless a member of the pride wishes to mate with an outsider. In that case the Vates must be consulted, to read the will of the spirits in a suitable sacrifice and determine if the outsider mate-to-be is worthy. Outsiders who are deemed suitable as a mate are also considered as eligable to officially join the pride as a Follower.

Many new lifemates choose to hold a small celebration of their union, with a small feast and entertainment. And, of course, a Haruspex will be invited so that he or she may bless the joining with a sacrifice.


Chosen Sacrifices
Surprisingly, becoming a Sacrifice is an honour that is not offered to every member of the pride. Some individuals are forced into the role of mere Follower, rather than being permitted to become a Sacrifice. Adults who have passed their prime or suffered an injury will often choose to become a Sacrifice. And in some rare cases a weaker or somehow unsuitable individual who would normally be little more than a Follower is offered the rare honour of being sacrificed.

But sometimes the spirits make their choices clear from birth - by marking the lucky cub's coat with large amounts of bright colours. In order for a cub to be chosen, these bright markings must cover at least 50% of the body. Certain colours may prevent a cub from being honoured, however. Predominantly green cubs are often doomed to be nothing more than a follower, while predominantly orange cubs are encouraged to become a Warrior-Sacrifice. This smaller group of Sacrifices is composed of lions trained with the Warriors but revered as Sacrifices. They do not take part in battles in this world, but rather train for the opportunity to fight the spirits in the next.

Lion hybrids, while not encouraged, are also raised to be Sacrifices. Non-lions and non-lion hybrids are completely ignored as they do not have a spirit, but they may be used as offerings.


Becoming Pure
There may only be one Pure sacrifice at a time within the pride, as the Pure is considered to be the most strongly spirit-bound and therefore the most worthy of all the lions (with the exception of the Queen). After the current Pure has been offered to the spirits, the Queen and the Vates consider the other members of the pride to find a replacement.

Surprisingly, the Pure does not always come from within the ranks of the Sacrifices. Instead, she (or sometimes he) is chosen from among the active members of the pride. Augurs and Veterans are often chosen for this honour, for they have proven their merit to the spirits and will be a potent Sacrifice.


Sacrifices and Offerings
The spirits, as denizens of the realm of the dead, can only be properly appeased by things that enter their realm. To that end, the rite of sacrifice has become an integral part of the Mizimu culture. The Haruspex are the primary group responsible for performing this task. In most cases the honour of offering up a lion (a Sacrifice) is reserved for the Vates.

Instead, the Haruspex provide offerings - non-lion sacrifices, taken from animals caught by the hunters or from among the Followers. During times of war, captured enemies are also used as an offering. The Sacrifices (as in, those members of the pride who are raised to be a Sacrifice) are reserved for special occasions, and are killed by the highest-ranking Haruspex or the Vates.

Most offerings and sacrifices are made within the ritual grounds, an area of the pride's territory that is considered to be particularly close to the spirit realm. The rite is very simple - the throat is slit, and while the sacrifice bleeds to death it is gutted, and the Haruspex reads the will of the spirits in the patterns made by the entrails as they spill across the ground.

If a Sacrifice is considered to be particularly valuable or close to the spirits then a token will be taken from the body, usually in the form of a claw or tooth. This token acts as an anchor for the newly-freed spirit, allowing the individual who performed the sacrifice to forge a closer bond with the spirit world.


Assimilation
After the sacrifice has been performed and the spirit has fled the mortal realm, the body remains. The body, however, is not without its own value. The spirit anchor token will assist the Haruspex or Vates in his/her connection to the spirits, but the mortal experiences and strength of the Sacrifice's body should not be wasted.

The assimilation of the Sacrifice is shared by as many members of the pride as possible, and serves as a social gathering as well as an opportunity for individuals to better themselves. First choice is determined by rank, naturally, with the remains being left to the Followers and Slaves. Nothing is wasted, and while it is not mandatory to participate in the assimilation it would be seen as slightly odd to 'sit out' a little too frequently.

In short: OM NOM NOM


Challenging the Warleader
In times of peace, there is very little cause for a change in leadership. The current Warleader can rest easy, in theory, knowing that the spirits are content with his performance. If the situation changes, however, it is likely that the spirits will call for a test of his prowess. This challenge is announced by the Queen, speaking for the spirits, and first rights of challenge always go to the Second.

The challenge is straightforward - a duel, to the death. The entire pride will bear witness to the battle, to see what fate the spirits have decided upon for their Warleader. If the Second wins then he takes the throne. If the Warleader wins, he retains his position. Once the challenge has been met and resolved, the Veterans may begin to challenge each other for the right to become the next Second. These challenges are not a battle to the death, and are usually settled privately.


The Ascension
When the time comes for a new Queen to take her place at the head of the pride, it is cause for great celebration. The spirits, pleased with the prospect of a new beginning, are almost completely appeased for the duration of the ceremony. This brings a time of prosperity to the pride. It is a time of birth, and rebirth.

The ascension begins with the rebirth of the old Queen. The final duty of the Vates is to offer up the old Queen to the spirits, freeing her to join their ranks. While the Vates performs that task, the Scion offers up the Royal Sacrifices as part of a secret ritual to create a new Queen from the Heir. This ceremony is not done publicly, however, so that the pride may focus their attentions on the rebirth of the old Queen. The new Queen emerges, carrying the tokens that were offered to her from the Royal Sacrifices, followed by the Scion. In his first duty as the new Vates, he makes an offering of the old Vates and reads the will of the spirits in the entrails.

The ascension is followed by feasting, games, and other entertainments. No other sacrifices may be offered during this time, however, to allow the old Queen, Vates, and Royal Sacrifices to enjoy their welcome to the spirit realm.

Since the time when the first scryer saw the first spirit, the pride has held the belief that colour is a potent indicator of a spirit's mood. A skilled Scryer can use spirit colours to read the feelings within the spirit world as easily as any other lion can tell you that the sky is blue and the leaves are green. This association of colour and temperament has a predictable influence upon the pride's preferences for the colour of one's coat.

Darker colours are seens as being more stable, grounded, and experienced. A bright spirit is flighty and erratic, and cannot be trusted. Saturation indictes both the potency of the spirit, and its temper. Most members of the pride have a coat that is primarily dark (especially dark greys and black) with a few touches of bright colour to show the nature of their reincarnated spirit. If more than half of an individual's coat is brightly coloured then they will likely be raised as a sacrifice (see Chosen Sacrifices for more details).



Warm and fiery colours are seen as being aggressive, with orange considered to be the most 'powerful' spirit. Cool and soothing colours are seen as being spiritual, with blue considered to be the most potent among them. As a result, the most favourable coat colours among the Mizimu are black with orange or blue. Due to these beliefs, members with warm-coloured coats are encouraged to become members of the Claw, while those with cooler spirits are guided towards the Heart. Green spirits, however, are seen as untrustworthy cowards. Green is the most rare colour among the Mizimu, and is seen as a sign that the bearer's spirit died dishonourably in their most recent life.