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Hundreds of years ago, when the first generation of lions laid claim to the whole of Africa, a young and beautiful girl, who was called Abha, gave birth to twins. They were fraternal; one boy and one girl, and opposite in both appearance and personality. Their differences were apparent from day one, and the children did not get along. Abha, who would never fully recover from her difficult labor, did everything that she could to raise them properly. She sensed that her time left on earth was limited, and she desperately wanted her children to care for one another; so that they would not be alone when she could no longer look after and protect them. It was important to her that her children learned how to survive together as partners, but a sudden illness stole the last remnants of her soul and whisked them off to the afterlife before she got a chance to see her dreams fulfilled.

At first, it looked like the death of their mother might have finally bound the children together. The female was called Atmaja and colored like fire. She was inclined to wild and impassioned behavior with an unpredictable and seemingly unrivaled temper. The male, who was called Tama, was colored like the sea. He was inclined to be calm and diplomatic; intelligent, with an unshakable sense of right and wrong. The twins were lost without their mother in a world that they new very little of. All they had was each other and, despite their differences, they clung to one another, because it was all that they knew how to do.

However, it was not long before new faces travelled to the lands of their birth. With them, these foreign faces brought new ideas and new feelings. The children were fully grown by now, and dangerously susceptible to the unfamiliar emotions that these strangers roused. They both delighted in the newcomers, but for entirely different reasons. Tama, who worshipped the Goddess of Justice, was overjoyed when he met a couple of lions, close to his age, who shared his intellect and love for all things logical in the wold. Atmaja, who worshipped the God of Chaos, revelled in new opportunity to play games and wreak havoc with lions of alike dispositions. Over time, the twins went their separate ways; as they were drawn, understandably, to those who held interests similar to their own. But, the mutual memory of Abha, their mother, whom they’d both loved with all their hearts, tied them to the lands of their birth. They refused to leave the lush and tropical valley that they’d called home for so long, and there started families of their own.

Years came and went. New generations were born, while older ones turned to dust. Still, the distant grandsons and granddaughters of Tama and Atmaja did not get along. Every lion was distinctly proud of their roots, and members of the opposing colonies openly despised one another. For decades upon decades, there was war. Countless lions died, in honor of their ancient relatives, and there was never any retribution from the slaughter. Never any rest.

One day an old seer in the House of Tama foretold the coming of a savior, sent by a then unnamed god, to rescue the warring colonies from each other. Nobody knew when or how, but the lions in the House of Tama felt certain that their beloved Goddess (Justice) had finally given them a sign. With her help, the defeat of their ancient rivals was inevitable. They would be invincible. The lions of the sea and Justice saw wisdom in keeping this information private, as there was no way of knowing how the House of Atmaja would react. Until the prophecy was realized, there was no reason for anymore bloodshed. The lions of the House of Tama resolved to reinstate harmony.

Decades passed, and there was still no hint nor hair of the mysterious hero of legend. Mothers and fathers of the House of Tama whispered the old myth into the ears of their children, who passed it on to their children. The Children of Tama maintained their faith, but they could no longer avoid war. The lions of Chaos raged like fire at their borders and grew more vicious everyday. Their numbers dwindled precariously and so, the lions of the House of Tama were forced to fight back; competing forever for food and for land and for life.

Predictably, war calls for liaisons between forces. One afternoon (some say the sun was shining, others say that the clouds blotted out the sky) a fiery youth, who was named Balavan, from the House of Atmaja spotted an older lady with an impressive kill. There was no doubt about where she’d come from. The blue tint to her otherwise white fur gave it away. He yearned desperately to satisfy both his hunger and his lust for battle, so he confronted her and demanded that she give up her meal or else.

The lady bristled and stuck her nose in the air. He was larger than her, but she had far too much pride to let him, a lowly Child of Atmaja, order her around.

Their fight was impressive. Balavan was young and strong and passionate, while she was experienced and fast and determined. They were neck and neck the entire way; matched blow for mortal blow. In the end, reeling from pain and the loss of blood, the pair of them succumbed to exhaustion and slept. While they slumbered, the God of Balance finally paid a long overdue visit, and murmured hope into their ears. When they woke, lion of fire and the lioness of the sea no longer regarded each other through narrowed, suspicious eyes. Alone, like they were, the rivalry between their colonies suddenly seemed less prominent.

Balavan blinked and told her his name.

“I am Elina,” the lady blinked too. Then, they smiled, almost shyly, at one another and agreed to meet there again the next day.

It wasn’t something that they’d intended to happen. It went against everything they’d been taught, and everything that they knew. Yet, despite all of that, Elina and Balavan couldn’t help falling in love. They managed to keep their affair secret for many months but, when Elina conceived and gave birth to a son the color of fire, there were many questions asked. She did not deny the accusations of her colony and professed her feelings for Balavan before all. She was proud of everything that he was and determined to love him, no matter what it cost her.

Now, usually, the separate Houses did not share information. However, this situation was unlike anything they’d ever dealt with before. The Children of Tama sent one of their bravest, brightest warriors across the border in the middle of the valley to discuss the matter with the Atmaja.

It had been easier for Balavan to keep his affair with Elina a secret. When the Tama warrior arrived, however, the Atmaja were horrified by what he had to report. As far as they were concerned, Balavan was a traitor. He was sent into exile.

Except for the House of Tama, Balavan had nowhere but the strange world to go to, and Elina beseeched her people to let him stay with them. The Children of Tama were not of a cruel nature, and they sensed that there was good in Balavan. They allowed him to live with them, and Elina was free to raise her son, whom she’d named Mahabala, as she saw fit.

Mahabala grew into the largest, bravest lion both the Tama and the Atmaja had ever seen. He was strong and he was fast. He was capable of dealing out some of the harshest punishments. Yet, he always exercised patience. With time, the Children of Chaos and the Children of Justice forgot the circumstances of Mahabala’s taboo conception. He was a lion that stood for everything both houses revered. He was a lion everyone could like and respect, because he embodied everything that both prides stood for.

Mahabala was balance.

With the help of his mother and his father, Mahabala managed to unite the dual Houses, who had fought and bled for too long. They were all sick of death and welcomed the peace that Mahalaba’s leadership promised them. With him at the head and the heart of both their colonies, the lions of the great valley became known as Ashnai’le, the united, and Mahalaba was gifted the title of ‘Shatkona,’ King of Balance.

At long last, the old seer's prophecy had been fulfilled.

Centuries passed. Kings came and went. Queens were and then were not. All of them were grandchildren of Mahabala and, just like their ancient and precious ancestor, they all more than earned the right to be called Shatkona. That was, until a youth named Sahen took the throne.

Born of Queen Damini, and a rogue, Sahen’s conception and birth were, like Mahabala’s, seen as controversial. The pride had come a long way since the first Shatkona’s birth, all those decades ago, and it was not abnormal for a common girl to come home pregnant by a foreigner- but, for the Shatkona herself to behave so untraditionally was seen as disgraceful. Queen Damini had always been a reckless girl, but she was otherwise very kind and good. The pride loved her. It was nobody’s place to reprimand her for such actions, nor did anybody truly care to, and life for the lions of the Ashnai’le continued as it had for the last couple hundreds years; peacefully, and without much trouble. Life for the Shatkona was not so pleasant. She had always been a sickly girl and the pregnancy was rough on her. When she finally gave birth, on a cold and rainy day, one of her babies was stillborn and the other barely breathing. She, along with her advisors, worked day and night to save the life of the ailing cub. At first, it did not look like the gods would rule in their favor and then, against all odds, Sahen regained his health and began to grow. The Shatkona smiled to herself and whispered a prayer of thanks as she watched her beautiful little boy grow into a strong and quick-witted adult.

When she died, some years later, it was with a light heart and the belief that her son would be a wonderful king to his people.

Under Sahen's rule, the lions of the Ashnai'le Pride Lands have lived too long in terror and bloodshed. Sahen may have had the Ligi slaughter The Dreamer, but her prophecy has found a welcome home in the hearts and aspirations of the lions that remain in the valley. It has, likewise, installed a level of much deserved fear in Sahen's own heart (if, indeed, he has one) and he lives in constant and avid apprehension of the rise of the Chosen One.

As it stands, the future is unknown, but the lions of the great valley cherish the gift of liberation Mahabala promised them. Mothers and fathers, sometimes forced to hide their young, whisper knowledge of The Dreamer's legend into their ears and groom them for the unknown path that lies ahead; all with the hope that their son (or daughter, if the case may be) might rise up, against Sahen and prove to be the legendary child of The Dreamer's prophecy.

Religion

The Ashnai’Le Pride consists of two sub communities; the Children of Atmaja and the Children of Tama. Each of them trusts primarily in their own god. They were, however, brought together hundreds of years ago by Mahabala and the God of Balance.

Their belief system is as follows;


God of Chaos



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life-mating:

In the old days, it was tradition for lions in the Ashnai’le pride to mate for life. Family and bloodlines mean the world to these people, and they are very protective of their own. Sahen’s rule has turned life mating into a bit of a joke. Only the particularly fortunate can afford such a luxury, as there’s no telling how long either lover will survive under his tyrannical reign. The people make do with what they can.

birth:

The birth of new children was once a precious occurrence, and something to be treasured. It was an occasion to celebrate; mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, and grandparents welcomed little ones into the pride’s lands with open arms. This is not the case any longer. Children are helpless and, as such, sometimes seen as unnecessary burdens— particularly for the weaker members of the pride. Lions can barely manage to feed themselves, since Sahen and his Ligi keep it all to themselves, so how could they even fathom taking care of a family? The few children that are born into the pride are, for this reason, generally heavily guarded by the rest of the pride and, if at all possible, kept secret from Sahen until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

However, the Dreamer’s prophecy has instilled enough hope in the pride’s members that they dare bring children into this blood-bathed world. Mothers and fathers pray to Mahabala and the Gods for their deliverance— they pray that they might be the parents of the Chosen One and, thus, responsible for Sahen’s inevitable downfall. The few children that are born into the pride are, for this reason, generally heavily guarded by the rest of the pride and, if at all possible, kept secret from Sahen until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

death:

Death occurs often within the Ashnai’le pride lands. The people are hardened to it.



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The First Blood

The pride consists primarily of three leaders; the Shatkona, the Zahama and the Mwanasheria.

Shatkona :: King of Balance, Balance Advisor

It is the Shatkona’s duty to ensure that the great valley his people call home remains always in peace and that the lions of the individual Houses are kept satisfied. Traditionally, the Shatkona works alongside his (or her) advisors in order to keep everyone content. The Shatkona is the end all be all of their pride lands. It is his job to punish, as well as to reward. He (or she) commands the Zahama and the Mwanasheria. Traditonally, the Shatkona’s first born child is the natural heir.

Zahama :: Chaos Advisor

It is the Zahama’s primary duty to ensure the happiness of Atmaja House and its members. He or she works alongside the Shatkona and Mwanasheria in order to come up with a solution in times of trial and war that’s best for everyone. It is the Zahama’s job to advise. Tradtionally, the Zahama chooses one of his (or her) children to follow in his (or her) footsteps.

It is also the Zahama's job to oversee marriage parties and funerals in the Atmaja lands.

Mwanasheria :: Justice Advisor

It is the Mwanasheria’s primary duty to ensure the happiness of the Tama House and its individual members. He or she works alongside the Shatkona and Zahama in order to come up with a solution in times of trial and war that’s best for everyone. It is the Mwanasheria’s job to advise. Tradtionally, the Mwanaseria chooses one of his (or her) children to follow in his (or her) footsteps.

It is also the Mwanasheria's job to oversee marriage parties and funerals in the Tama lands.

The Ligi

The Ligi are a band of lions, primarily warriors, who've flourished under Sahen’s reign. They are his protectors and unchallenged favorites, high-class members of the pride; gifted with the authority to punish and to kill. They prowl everywhere, instilling fear and dread in the hearts of the valley's pride members.



The lords and ladies of the Ashnai’le pride lands are the relatives and mates of the Shatkona, Zahama and Mwanasheria who are not heirs. They are naturally held in higher esteem than most of the other lions within the pride for being related to royalty. Lords and ladies have no real duties, other than to follow the rules and ways of the pride.



There are one of each in every house. The Head Hunter and the Head Huntress work together and command the other lions in their respective houses. They are required by the government only to observe and ensure that the pride has enough food to survive. Unless it is for a minor offense, the Head Hunters and Head Huntresses are not permitted to punish.

Hunter and Huntresses

It is the duty of the hunters to feed those that can not not feed themselves. That is; very young children, the extreme elderly and the sick. Amongst them are the story-tellers and the child-watchers; usually elderly lions who can not hunt well anymore, but are useful for other things.

Youth

The young.



This is a new position of disgrace, created by Sahen for those lions he seeks to humiliate and to punish. They are forced to serve the Shatkona and other royalty, as well as the Ligi.



The Ashnai’le Pride is located at the heart of a a great and ancient valley, where the trees are centuries old and the soil in which they flourish even older. It is a beautiful place, blessed with all kinds of lush vegetation and numerous species of game. The giant walls of the canyon, carved deeply into the ground by the river that has run through it for thousands of years, provide the pride with an almost impenetrable (and wholly natural) border.

“Abha’s Hiari” Abha’s Wish- what the lions call the canyon.

Lord : Atmaja : Sikudhani : male : Katjive
Princess : Atmaja : Dada`Ntombe : female : ShinosBee
Lord : Atmaja : Livius : male : Ruler of Everything
Lord : Atmaja : Azubuike : Quiftan
Lord : Atmaja : Kafele : Mogami



Head Huntress : Atmaja: Ibis : female : silent artist



Huntress : Atmaja : Fila : female : Katjive*
Huntress : Atmaja: Amira : female : Katjive*
Huntress : Atmaja : Anju : Hotaru-Neko
Huntress : Atmaja : Coaxoch : female : Andranis


Youth : Atmaja : Kaseko : male : Ice Queen

So much to read! I can't wait. XD