Welcome to Gaia! ::

OMG, she's so pretty 4laugh Congrats! whee

She's so pretty! Congrats! whee

Pride looks awesome! 8D

'Heve: O.O *Looks flustered and embarrassed and shakes her head a lot*

Awesome lionesses ;o;

exclaim Just a head's up!
My personal computer and my laptop are having connectivity issues. I can only get on through my parent's computer (and my access to it is limited) or by taking myself to a nearby cafe`. I'm collecting rp's and organizing when I can but I don't want to start up the pride till this gets resolved- the last thing we need is to get purged right as we get made official. So sorry for all the delays guys! RL's a bite in the bum. If there's any concerns feel free to PM me!

I'll be working on family trees for all the pride members for an extended info page! I'll put up announcements and such when I got more info written up. :3

:hugs everyone:

King:
Rotem | Played by: Thalion

Queen:
Adara | Played by: Dagi

Princes:
Jaron | Played by: Thalion
Eran | Played by: pao__cx

Warrior Chief:
Eyal | Played by: Randy2Love

Warriors:
Zoran | Played by: The Angel Yuna
Remiel | Played by: Andranis
Mastema | Final_Crucible

Huntresses:
Aveil | NovaCracker
Huan’Ju | Andranis
Ahava | Played by: Kaori_luv
Asenath | Played by: Randy2Love
Magarib | Played by: [Lightwolf]
Tesni | Played by: AC. Wings
Ayeshe | Played by: Vesale
Ka’ohu | Played by: Kimaria

Nannies:
Rajuaa | NovaCracker
Tziporah | Played by: Andranis

Healer:
Yokheved | Reeshie Hack
Kisikusiku | Ac.Wings **Need full size pic**

Sages:
Kingu’Jua | Played by: Andranis

Youths:
Dione | Kami Kalani
Aharon | Played by: Thalion
Azrael | Played by: Andranis
Chibudem‘sylar | Played by: Manchu the Panda
Dione | Played by: Kaimi Kalani
Isaiaa | Played by: Final_Crucible
Kituo | Played by: xo--kairi
Zoheret | Played by: Nova Cracker
Adalia | Played by: Final Crucible

Looking for names/owners for these guys:
Name | Played by:
Name | Played by:
Name | Played by:
Name | Played by:
Name | Played by:

Joining Soon:
Jumoke | Played by: honey/.roasted.ferrets
Zubin | Played by: Thalion
Mut | Played: by Andranis

Not yet born:
I'm missing all the names, images, and owners of Eyal's last litter!


If I forgot anyone feel free to poke me! Just need everything ready!
________________________________

History:

En-Gedi is actually the name of a spring which flows from a height of 656 feet above the Dead Sea. In biblical times, King David sought refuge from Saul at this very location. In those days, it was not uncommon for wild beasts such as lions, leopards, and cheetahs to live their lives either as icons of wealth or as a means of punishing criminals. When the city was abandoned, these beasts were left behind. The lions who once dwelt within the lion’s dens managed to escape, the leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas who had lived as pets also escaped their prisons and bonds. A quarrel soon erupted between the lions from the dens and the beasts who had lived as companions of man, both sought to claim the territory for themselves.

It was Lewe, the god of peace, who calmed their hearts. The many species who shared the territory came to terms with one another and in their union, the pride established themselves and to the present day has managed to fend off any threat of invasion from the outside. For 500 years, En Gedi remained mostly untouched by man’s hands. The city slowly crumbled into a ruin inhabited only by the beasts who had once been confined by those very walls.

By the fourth generation following the appearance of the god, the belief that every lion had a totem creature began to influence their religion. Every creature had a counter part that was a physical representation of their strength of character. The belief was founded when their king at the time stayed his paw from slaying an ibex during a hunt. The lion kept the young grazer at his side for many years, much to the pride’s confusion.

One day the lion found himself trapped in a pit that had been set generations past in order to add to the collection of the lion’s pits, long abandoned but functional. The ibex returned to the pride and alerted them of their king’s plight. With efforts of the pride, the king was freed. Since then, it became tradition for the lions of the pride to tame with a familiar of their own. It became a belief that the nature of the familiar was the true nature of the one that had tamed it as theirs.

The tradition still stands, and often times the type of familiar will determine the tasks given to the tamer. For instance, those bonded with a swift beast such as a cheetah or a gazelle are given the task of hunters or scouts. Those bonded with more powerful creatures such as hyenas or wildebeest are warriors. To the pride, the taming of a familiar is a significant event, a passage into adulthood, and a tribute to peace itself.

In the seventh generation of rulers following the god’s appearance, two heirs were born to the king and queen. The brothers were constantly competing against one another, they even both succeeded in taming a hyena as their familiar. When it came time for the elderly king to pass his throne down, the brothers were forced into a duel. Micha came out as the victor.

Humiliated, Boullous refused to serve under his brother. Rather than live under his brother, he and a handful of those closest to him left to begin their own pride. The pride became known as the Ti-Hin.

The Ti-Hin were quickly forgotten to the En Gedi though they lived with the same traditions and shared the Dead Sea’s coastline. The only other established colony to share the coastline- at least those of note -were a clan of leopards, who called themselves the Aba-Haraki, who’s ancestors were trapped alongside the lions and cheetahs to serve man. The leopard troupe, in recent days, has also become forgotten.


God/Goddess:

Lewe: God of Peace:
Unbeknownst to the pride, Lewe perished in the recent earthquake. He was rebirthed in the form of Li-Wei.

Religion, beliefs, and traditions:
- The pride believes in a ‘great creator’ who is the father of all the gods and goddesses. Much the way the Native Americans believe in a ‘great spirit’ who is a part of but still separate from all other spirits- the great creator is one being, but in everything at the same time.
- Lewe granted the pride the peace that has made them strong, much of their tributes are done in his name.
- As a tribute to their ancient union and to peace itself, every member of the pride must tame a familiar of their own before they are considered an adult. Herd beast, fellow predator, avian, even rodents and primates are taken as trained familiars.
- The Dead Sea is referred to as the sea of the gods. To drink the water of the sea is to bring death, however, the pride will often nurse wounds or bathe themselves in the waters.
- A mated pair is celebrated much the way a married couple is. It's frowned upon to take more than one partner. The pride has been known to seek outsiders to mate with to keep from inbreeding.
- If a member wishes to mate with a creature of the same gender, they're asked to leave. The pride is a believer in peace through balance. Male and female, dark and light, death and life, etc.
- Outsiders are often welcomed into the pride if they claim peaceful intentions.
- Any member is free to leave when they feel they're called to do so.
- When a pride member dies, their body is buried facing the sea of the gods.
- Newly born cubs are often taken to the sea of the gods to be bathed and blessed by the king of the pride.
- Adolescent members of the pride must find and tame a familiar of their own before they are accepted into adulthood.

Location Info:
The Ruins of En Gedi is -very- far from the other prides/territories in SOA, so there would be -very- little chance that they have even heard rumors of the other prides and it’s very unlikely any of the prides even know such a region exists unless they’ve heard tell via travelers.

The En Gedi ruins sit on near the dead sea- which the pride sees as a sacred location.
Maps:
Map 1

Visuals:
| Visual 1 | Visual 2 | Visual 3 | Visual 4 | Visual 5 | Visual 6 | Visual 7 | Visual 8 | Visual 9 |

Climate:
The Dead Sea's climate offers year-round sunny skies and dry air with low pollution. It has less than 100 millimetres (3.94 in) mean annual rainfall and a summer average temperature between 32 and 39 °C (90-102 °F). Winter average temperatures range between 20 and 23 °C (68-74 °F). The region has weakened ultraviolet radiation, particularly the UVB (erythrogenic rays), and an atmosphere characterized by a high oxygen content due to the high barometric pressure. The shore is the lowest dry place in the world.[7] Proximity to the sea affects temperatures nearby because of the moderating effect a large body of water has on climate. During the winter months, sea temperatures tend to be higher than land temperatures, and vice versa during the summer months. This is the outcome of slow penetration of the sun's rays into the sea, which is a huge mass that takes a long time to warm up.

The region's climate and the unique conditions created by its low elevation have made it a popular center for several types of therapies:
* Climatotherapy: Treatment which exploits local climatic features such as temperature, humidity, sunshine, barometric pressure and special atmospheric constituents.
* Heliotherapy: Treatment that exploits the biological effects of the sun's radiation.
* Thalassotherapy: Treatment that exploits bathing in Dead Sea water.
(Taken from the Dead Sea article on Wikipedia)


Culture:

The En Gedi are generally peaceful lions rich in history and culture. Mornings begin the training of the younglings. Towards sunset, the lionesses are sent out to begin their hunt. The nights are welcomed with song and dance, stories, and the laughter of the young as they play. While they believe in peace, they understand that peace is something that must be protected. Warriors are kept sharp and scouts on constant patrol. Outsiders are brought straight to the king, queen, or warrior chief. More often than not, outsiders seeking refuge are brought into the pride as part of the family.


Gender Roles:

- Males are always of a higher status than females. A king will always rule the pride. If a king dies, the widowed queen becomes an advisor to the chosen heir. If an heir has not been selected before the time of the king’s death, the queen must decide on one.
- Females may serve as sages, advisors, huntresses, scouts, nannies, and healers. The two highest ranks that a female can achieve are, of course, queen followed by head huntress.
- Males may serve as sages, advisors, warriors, squires, or scouts. The two highest ranks that a male can achieve are, of course, king followed by warrior chief.

Age roles:
- Cubs are simply that- cubs. Youths raised by their mothers, their fathers, and the nannies of the pride.
- Juveniles begin their training as soon as their guardians allow them to. Males become squires under warriors and the warrior chief, females become squires under huntresses and the head huntress.
- Adolescents continue their training, though more directly under one appointed warrior or huntress. A select few are taken in by the warrior-chief or the head huntress. Often times, the warrior-chief chooses a successor for himself from his pupils and the head huntress will choose hers. At adolescence, both males and females are required to tame a familiar for themselves before they can move to adulthood.
- Adults, now with their tamed familiar, are given their life-long roles within the pride. Some become scouts, others become warriors or huntresses, others still become sages or mummers.

Species Roles:
- Lions are the only creatures permitted to obtain the higher ranks- king/queen, warrior chief/head huntress, heir/betrothed princess.
- Leopards, hyenas, and the few cheetahs that prove themselves may become warriors. Leopards, hyenas, and cheetahs can serve as hunters, scouts, sages, and mummers if they so choose.

Pridal Ranks:
King:
The king serves as the head of the pride. All decisions are final through him. It is the job of the king to lead, to protect, and govern the family that is his pride. While it is more common for the king to have been from the old royal line, there have been occasions where a ruler sees a cub that is not of his own as more worthy of the rank than his own offspring. The oldest offspring doesn’t necessarily win the throne by birthright either, while all royals are considered as such, it’s the most skilled and most powerful of the litter that succeeds his father. The rite of succession begins with trails chosen from the king and his advisers to test the candidate’s power, strength, and endurance. The one who accomplishes them all to the satisfactory of the king and his advisers succeeds.

The king’s role is to protect the pride. He is in charge of the warriors and establishes rank among them, often times having a significant role in the training of the young.

A good king will take council from his queen and from the elders of the pride. And while he may take their council, a wise king will make his own decisions in the end, whether or not the source(s) of his council agree.

Queen:
It’s the duty of the queen to maintain social order under her mate. She overhears any of the concerns that the pride presents and does her best to find a peaceful and equal resolve for both parties. The queen is more of a diplomatic figure, more praised for her wisdom and tact than power. It’s also the duty of the queen to head and organize the hunts of the pride. She will often select a lead huntress under her to serve in her place if she is unable to attend a hunt. She also selects nannies to raise the cubs of the top huntresses.

A queen is selected by the pride and betrothed to the successor. Queens are normally selected by their performance during hunts, their manners within the pride, and sometimes by their bloodline. A queen is often time selected during her adolescent period and must wait until a male successor is selected before she is mated.

Prince:
The princes are any male cubs birthed from the king and the queen. Like all the other cubs, they are raised by a nanny lioness rather than constantly by their mother. The royals are marked from birth to identify them apart from the others. From a young age, the princelings are brought into the warrior’s training. The king will often pay special attention to his offspring’s performance. Even if a prince does not manage succession, he bears the responsibility of defending the pride as a royal warrior.

Princess:
The princesses are any female cubs birthed from the queen and the king. Like the princes, they are marked to identify their rank above the other cubs, and like the princes, they are raised by a nanny rather than by their mother. Similar to the upbringing of a prince, the princesses will join the hunts for observation at cub hood, left with a nanny lioness to observe the hunt and learn the formations. While all females will grow under the same conditions, the queen will often put more attention in the development of her offspring’s skills than a common cub’s.

Warrior Chief:
The warrior chief is in charge of the warriors. Under the king, he’s the most accomplished fighter and answers only to the king’s orders. It’s the chief that determines rank among the warriors, unless otherwise instructed by the king.

Head Huntress:
The head huntress is in charge of the huntresses under the queen, often times a sister to the queen. In the queen’s absence, she organizes the hunts and oversees the development of the young lionesses, often assigning them their positions within the hunting party.

Sage:
Sages are often times the elder lions of the pride, or the lions born with disabilities that prevent them from carrying out their expected duties. Sages are put in charge of learning the stories, history, and songs of the pride and passing them on to the younger generations. Sages often times serve as advisors to the king and queen.

Scholar: Recently added rank
The first scholar to the pride was a strange silvery lion by the name of Maji. Eyal found the male wounded and crippled outside of his former home. Once the male was nursed back to health, it was discovered that Maji had the gifts of reading and writing. A knowledge that Rotem, the present king, saw as something that could become invaluable to the pride. Maji plans to leave the pride in the future, but has promised to take on a few students beforehand.

Elder:
Members of the pride who have grown too old to perform in their assigned tasks any longer. They serve a advisors to the king, story tellers, and nannies within the pride.

Warrior:
Warriors are male lions between the adolescent and adult age. From their juvenile years they’re trained by older warriors how to fight and defend their territories. While the pride is not particularly war-like, they are very aware of the fact that peace sometimes is something that must be earned and protected. The primary goal of a warrior is to protect the pride.

** Warriors are not restricted to only lions. Leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, etc. within the pride can become warriors. It is restricted to males, however, unless permission is granted by the royals.**

Huntress:
The huntresses are female lions between adolescent and adult age. From their juvenile years they’re trained by older huntresses how to hunt. They learn to work in formations and are often assigned positions based on their individual talents.

**Huntresses are not restricted to only lions. Leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, etc. within the pride can become huntresses. It is restricted to females, however.**

Healer:
Healers are in charge of tending to any of the wounded or ill members of the pride. They help keep wounds clean and nurse the ill to health. Healers are not restricted to any species or gender.

Nanny:
Nannies are females charged with raising the cubs of the pride and keeping watch on pregnant females. Nannies may also serve as wet nurses if the need arises. There is no species restriction on Nannies, but only females can be nannies.

Scout:
Scouts are normally non-lions. Hyenas, wild dogs, leopards, and cheetahs mainly. They’re in charge of keeping watch on the pride’s boarders and informing the royals of any significant change in weather, migration patterns of nearby herds, and of any incoming threats.

Squire:
Squires are juveniles and adolescents training under a warrior or huntress.

Mummer:
Performers, singers, and dancers that recount the stories, legends, and history of the pride.

Youth:
The youths of the pride.

Familiar:
Familiars are the creatures that pride members ‘tame’ to themselves. They serve as constant companions and normally serve within the same rank as them. Familiars are often times obtained in the form of a pact between the two. Grazers, for instance, offer their service in exchange from protection from hunts. Predators often receive parts of the kills for their loyalty, as do winged creatures. All Familiars are protected from the hunt. To kill a Familiars will result in severe punishment ranging between exile and death.

________________________
RP's:
En Gedi - Rotem & Mut
The Prince & The Silent Maiden | Jaron & 'Heve
Little Silent One - Ahava & Kitou
Edge of Heaven

Cert Image:
David's Waterfall - by Thalion

Pride Symbol:
A dove with an olive branch in its beak. :3

Awesome! Thanks so much. X3 All updated!