History: This story isn't a tale that was a long time ago, this story starts with a lion and a lioness, and a blessing of the Goddess of Winter. After a great deed done for the Goddess of Winter, she grant Urza and Natintrapa a nice area of land covered in snow. They saw it as a gift, and blessing. Not soon after, a small gathering became, and soon established a small group of lions. Urza, realizing quickly, decided it was time to put some order to the group before anything could get out of hand. Him and Natintrapa, having children already, thought it was good to start this sooner than later.

A group of counsel that included a King, Queen, and a small group of council had control of what went on in the land given to them by the Goddess. To keep Law and order, and everyone safe and fed, the council work together to determine the outcome. A meeting cannot happen without all council present, as it's important to have all views seen before completely being able to come up with a decision.

Soon, the group grew into a pride. Everything was going lovely, snow was falling, and the Goddess of Winter seemed pleased. A night, much like any other night, Urza found himself in need of a little walk. However, while on his walk, he found himself in a bit of a bad situation. A small, but dangerous, amount of snow came tumbling down causing a avalanche that ended up completely covering Urza with snow. Unable to move, he thought he was to be buried alive and never to see his family or friend's again. When all, but hope, was left in his mind it seemed that it was getting lighter. Bits of sounds were starting to come, and then he knew. He knew he was saved. How, or by what, he wasn't sure.

Soon, a hare appeared to him. She was small, and easily able to fit in where he was. She had found him, or perhaps even saw what had happened to him. Whatever the case, he was forever in her debt. From that moment on, the Schnee la Neige'milima were the pride who co-existed with hare as friends and not food. He realized that they were more than just a play thing, and something of a lifesaver. Since then, they had done more things than any lion could ever hope to imagine. They helped hunt, as long as it wasn't them they were happy to join in. They also helped find lost lions in the snow.

Soon after, rules were put in that anyone venturing away from the pride MUST be accompanied by a hare. They also became good Nannies, and helped with watching over the pride cubs. At a young age, if a cub is found responsible, they are given a hare at an early age, but until they are able to care properly for their tiny friend, they won't have one, therefore cannot leave the pride.

Pride Story:

Festivals:

First Snow Fall: Even though the pride has snow all year round, it doesn't snow all year round. The first sign of winter is a joyous thing, and is celebrated the day after the first sight of snow begins to fall. Snow is seen as a good sign. To them, it's the blessing of the Snow Goddess. They celebrate all day with snow games, and huge feasts. It's always the day after the first sighting of snow, so they can prepare for the event. As snow doesn't always fall on the same day, you can't really pre-prepare for it.

Gift Day: About the middle of winter, the pride holds a huge feast and gets caught up on the little things that most don't have time for during normal days in the pride. After a feast, they sit around and exchange gifts between each other. Each lion has another lion to get a gift for, that way no member of the pride is left out. This gifts are small yet meaningful, and well thought out. As well as, the lion that each have to give a gift too is random, and only the one that's doing the gifting will know who they're giving a gift to.

Winter's End: This is the event for the end of winter. Or rather, the end of snow fall. When a certain amount of days go by without snow, it's considered the end of the winter time. It may not be a extremely happy time, but it's still time to celebrate, get together with loved ones, and take a day off from pride duties. No pride members take part in duties on this day. It's the pride holiday.

Color restrictions and Ideal Members: The pride has some color restrictions to keep themselves hidden from enemies. Not that it's totally forbidden to have colors not of the preferred pride, but it's very rare. The colors that are sought after are browns, whites, grays, light blues, to some dark blues. Think ice, snow, mountain type colors.

The Ideal member, or most common colors in the pride, are whites, and grays. Light dull blue and icy bright blue are next common, then browns, then other shades of blue.

It's very uncommon to have any other colors, but like stated above it's not impossible, nor is it frowned upon. It's just easier to hide from enemies if you blend into the snow and ice. It's not impossible for couples to end up with non-ideal colors though lineage, and shouldn't be punished for such things, as well as that any lion shouldn't be punished for their color, but it'd be really nice if you'd limit the bright colors/non-pride colors to a bare minimum.

Lions should be of the fluffier kind. It is very cold, and is not common for lions who have thinner coats to be in this area. Of course, it's not unheard of. Some lions go as far as wearing pelts given to them from the pelt goddess for warmth. They're blessed with thicker fur to keep themselves warm as well.

Companions:
Each pride member must have a hare companion if they are to venture on their own. It's common for avalanches in the area, and if a lion gets buried, the hare is there to go get help. They are small, and tend to be able to ding themselves out of snow. These are the only type of familiars allowed in the pride. Hares and the snow lions have a co-existence.

Hares tend to be assigned to lions at a young age, but can be gotten when the lion is an adult. Normally cubs will get a baby hare, but it's not uncommon for an adult hare to adopt a cub. They tend to make good Nannies.

There will be no mistreatment of hares inside the pride, nor will pride members hunt them outside of the pride.

Religion: These lions believe in gods, more or less the Goddess of Snow, the Goddess of Winter, the God of Ice. All gods that relate to some type of cold winter wonderland. They also respect and worship the goddess of Pelts for introducing them to the idea of hare companions and their uses. They worship them in their own private time, however. It's unheard of for anyone to ever say anything bad about them, if they do, they get exiled from the pride in fear of the Gods getting angry and taking back the snow.

Mating: Mating is a joyous thing, but it's a private thing. It's between the lions involved, weather they're gay, straight, or they are the type that want several mates. There is no penalty for these sexuality. What's not allowed is being with a non-lion, however. Taking a mate is a private thing, unless the lions involved want it to be among friends.

Breeding: Rogue breeding is allowed, and not frowned upon. Breeding with non-lion felines is frowned upon, however. Hybrids aren't something that are common, and they're a bit of a mystery. As well as, they can't breed (most of the time) so they're seen as a curse. If a lion in the pride ends up with hybrid cubs, they will be allowed to stay until they're adolescents and then kicked out. If it happens more than once, the guilty parties will be kicked out with their children.

Birthing: Birthing is a splendid time, and is celebrated with a small feast to introduce the new cubs into the pride. The actual birthing takes place privately, and when the cubs are old enough, then they are shown to the pride. The feast is to get blessing from the Yeti King on the new snowballs.

Death: Death is a sad time, and they take it seriously. When a member dies, they give a day of silence. The whole pride takes participation in this day of silence to show their respect to the passing of life. They hold a small ceremony before their day of silence for any members that are close to the deceased, to give a few last words that'll ease the passing into the other side.

Exile: A few things will get your Lion exiled from the pride. If you mistreat your hare companion, you'll be instantly taken out of the pride. Cubs will be less likely for this to happen, as they are kids, and don't know any better, but once they hit Juve and still mistreat the hare, they'll be kicked out when they are adolescent.

Another is repeated offense of breeding with non-lion felines. First offense is okay, second offense is iffy, third offense is exile. No cubs or guilty parties will be killed, This is a peaceful pride.

Disrespecting the Goddess of Snow, and the Goddess of Winter, God of Ice, and the Goddess of Pelts. They take these gods seriously, and are superstitious to angering them.

Ranks:

Yeti King - King of the pride
Lady Yeti - The King's Mate
Yetling - Heir
Ice Princess/prince - Children of the king

Ice Council - The King's Advisers

Ice Guard - Guards
Snowmen - Huntress/hunter
Snow Flake - Seers
Snow Angel - Nanny
Icicle - Adole
Iceball - Juve
Snowball - Youth