Welcome to Gaia! ::

[OOC: This is pretty straight forward! I want to generate a bit more interest in the pride... And given the IC situations, I think what may help is opening ranks up more and maybe creating some new ones heart So you can use this as a combo of voicing SoA's opinions for new ranks and opening of ranks, as well as JRPs and breeding RPs(While following shop rules there) xd When this closes will be determined, and if there's a prize or not and what it might be is a total secret ninja While new ranks can and likely will come of this, the defaults will still be Racer/Guard Hyena/Guard Wild Dog/Hunter/Huntress/Mule for the respective species if cub/pup owners pick no rank by the time they're adolescents.

*edit* Here is our prize!



She is a rehome from the disbanded Illud Per Altus Sententia hyena pack. I'd gotten permission to rehome her literally just before the pack disbanded, and because she was a custom for pride/pack distribution, I got further permission to rehome her through another of my pack/prides that allows hyena - IE, Makono-epesi! She DOES come with some back story, but I'll have to go find it when I'm... Not melting sweatdrop BUT, from the point the pack disbanded on, you CAN make changes.]



The time had come. The pride was beginning to get on the mend, with a few lions joining as well as cheetahs. But there was something troubling Makoto - There weren't any hybrids, wild dogs, or hyenas joining. It was about time to change that.

The monochromatic lion sent out a call, having everybody in the pride, all species, gather at the dirt track. He stood on top of the long-dead baobab stump, surveying everybody gathered. "You are all probably wondering why I called you here. As king, it is my duty to ensure that the pride prospers, and at the moment we are doing so... On only two fronts." He paused, letting this sink in for a moment.

"It is true that we have lions and cheetahs joining, and we heartily welcome the new blood, but we have a bit of a problem beyond that. There are no hybrids, hyenas, or wild dogs joining, and their numbers were hurt the worst during the last plague. The drought does nothing to help. We need to encourage them to join, and draw in many others, so this is why I turn to you." He took a breath, closing his eyes. "I will not lie, nor can I, to you. The ranks within the pride were laid out generations ago by my forefathers, and have been set in place, but times are changing... So it is my belief that to help us grow, the Makono-epesi needs to change, too. It won't be drastic, and we won't end our races. That is the heart of the pride."

He opened his eyes, scanning the crowd. "I have come to a blank as to any new ranks, and so I turn to you to propose new ones to add to what we have now. There is another matter I need to ask your opinion about - Should we let hybrids, hyenas, wild dogs, and even cheetahs hold other ranks outside what they are now? It would encourage others to join us, and our numbers to grow." He flicked an ear, looking around again, waiting for anybody speaking up.

Mavi and Rahisi stood side by side in the gathered group. They had become hard to seperate when there was free time to be had and this gathering was no different. Both lions listened well to what the king had to say and though Rahisi was new Mavi knew well the plague the king spoke of. She'd been young and still learning the healer ways. She'd seen plenty of the deaths and was even haunted sometimes at night by them in her dreams. When Hanja spoke up Mavi quirked a brow at the male. She had met the male before and knew how much of a jerk he could be. He seemed to have a vindeta towards lions and while she didn't know why she did know that a lot of hyena's, wild dogs and even some cheetah's and leopards had vindeta's with lions. They all had reasons why so she wasn't too concerned as long as they learned to respect the one who had their health in mind.

"That sounds like a good idea Hanja." Mavi spoke up to say to him and all assembled. "Why not open some of the ranks to do with the lions to the wild dogs and hyena's? Like Breeder, Analyzer, Healer and Hunter? They could be just as good as the lions at those ranks."

Rahisi may have been new to the pride but he was still interested in helping the pride prosper and get past the plague that had racked them before. When Hanja spoke Rahisi could tell he really wanted to prove he could be of more use than just guarding the racing cheetahs. Rahisi could understand and when Mavi suggested them having a chance at the other ranks already part of the pride he nodded his agreement. While his mate was thinking of the already in effect ranks an idea for something new came to Rahisi.

"What about a rank specificly for gathering herbs?" He called out. "My mate is a healer and she has told me several times that her free days are filled with trips just to get herbs and she rarely ever has time to do other things. It might be a good rank to have just so they could gather the herbs and make them into the medicines the healers use and when they're not gathering they could be assistants to the healers." Rahisi gazed at the ones around him hoping his idea might be good enough to be approved by the others.

Lucky Break sat down near the edge of the track, wrapping her tail around her feet. Her ears swiveled as different pride members spoke up, but she remained silent. This pride had given her a home and a purpose, and she was content with her place. She didn't feel she'd been here long enough to offer suggestions just yet, but she nodded as some of the other members spoke.

There were already cropping up some good ideas, at least the king seemed to think they were good ideas. And, well. If he thought so, they probably were. She tried to think of something to add, but decided to keep listening some more while she thought about it.

The monochromatic lion's eyes danced at the wild dog's suggestion. "Now that is a very good idea! We have rather rampant and uncontrolled betting going on, so we don't want that to get TOO out of paw. Having bookies would keep things in check, and we'd be able to track bets and debts."

His gaze soon fell on one of the cheetahs, Lucky Break. Quiet one there, wasn't she...? Makoto prided himself on knowing the name of every cheetah in the pride, every hyena, dog, and lion. He felt it was part of his job as the king to know them all. "Lucky Break, thank you for joining us! I don't suppose you have any thoughts? Even those who are newer can have good ideas. They bring in fresh perspective from outside, one of the reasons we readily accept anyone and everyone!" Indeed, as far as species interactions went, Makoto preferred that his pride remain a utopia. Life wasn't perfect, he knew that, but he wanted it to be accepting of anyone and everyone.

Makoto couldn't help but chuckle. "I see... There's nothing wrong with liking where you are now. For some of us, there's a special pride in being where we like to be, enjoying our jobs because they are fun, and in turn we have fun. A job we're not having fun in isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it?" He scanned the crowed, still smiling. "Any others?"



Pushing past Hanja, one of the few hyenas in the pride stepped up. Marked in black and yellow and looking like a dangerous and deadly frog, Sumu was, she felt, a force to be reckoned with. The hyena sneered, though it wasn't directed at anyone in particular, especially not the lion. "We should have an ambassador rank! There's hyena packs, dog packs, and other groups out there... We ensure the safety of that other pack, pride, or coalition if something happens and they need a home, and they will in turn help us! Ambassadors would make sure it STAYS that way!" Her tail swished. "There's a coalition made of leopards and cheetahs..." She nodded toward Hanja. "He made me think of them. The Kuroi'nera. I don't think they're too terribly far from here, but I could be wrong, it's been a while since I talked to someone out that way. Their ambassadors could double as bookies for us, and their group can benefit in turn, while promising each other protection!"

His eyebrows went up. "Well now, there's a suggestion..." He looked to all gathered. "How does everybody feel about Sumu's proposal?"

Mavi looked over toward Hanja rather surprised. He had a good idea for sure. She had seen lions betting on the races and even been asked to participate in the bets. She didn't really like betting though so she just cheered on her favorite girl. As the conversation continued Mavi's ears perked at the prospect of being allied with a pride as a hyena suggested. It was a very good idea having the ambassadors of that pride act as our bookies and in turn give each other more protection against other prides. "I think it's a good idea. Having a few allies will be good for the pride."

Rahisi was in agreement with the hyena as well. These bookies, the trackers of money would be very useful to the betting community which had not been recognized yet apparently. After all with everyone having their favorite cheetah they root for and no way to spice up the action beyond betting on them it was only a given it would happen whether it was being regulated or not. "I agree! It's a grand idea!"

The hyena gave a snort. "We don't let them in until AFTER we build our guard numbers back up!" She sat back, eyeballing Hanja. "Besides, I don't see YOU coming up with any other alliance ideas!" She looked to Makoto, a frown on her face. "What say you, though, about them keeping lions as slaves?"

Makoto let out a sigh, ears folding back a bit. "Unfortunately, sometimes that is the way of the world and other prides. It is not our place to dictate how another pride functions, only how they act on OUR lands. Would they not think us odd, too, for having cheetahs who race? Surely they must think we keep them slaves." Pets would be more the word... Some cheetahs were downright spoiled! "Besides, there are prides out there that keep their OWN kind as slaves... Being mad that cheetahs keep lions as slaves would be... Hypocritical of me, knowing there are lions who keep lions as slaves..." He gave a tilt of his head. "Besides, there are far worse allies we could have..."

The hyena gave a laugh. "Yeah, like those filthy pirates! THEY actually steal from you! Never turn your back on a pirate, you never know when they're lying!" She scratched an itch. "Same with gypsies..." Thieves, all of them. At least the Kuroi NEGOTIATED. "Besides, what ideas DO you have for alliances, Hanja?"

Her ears stood up in curiosity. "Another pride of game players?" Now that sounded... Interesting, actually. She tilted her head at Hanja. "Now there's a good alliance! They won't look at us funny at all, they do virtually the same thing!" If they did things right, maybe they could even trade athletes now and then.

"Do you know the name of this pride, Hanja?" Makoto, too, liked the idea of another pride that did games and athletics. It was possibly a different variety, but it was still the same sort of spirit. They did it for the fun of it, and in some personal cases the prestige.

His attention turned back to the rest gathered. "But we DO still have the matter of other ranks. We're still under some ranks of my father's day, and I'd like to hear more ideas on how to enhance the pride, to make it better, more rounded. Thoughts, ideas? Anybody?"