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 Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:39 pm
 This pride will be co-owned between Felyn and Dr Umeda.
A few ideas of this pride were taken from the book series Wheel of Time and Fe-fe does not claim credit for them.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:40 pm
The Purahka pride was one of ancient origins, flourishing in a land lost over time on the tongues of storytellers, though a variety of names now exist for it. They were renowned for their strength and tact, breeding some of the most skillful hunters and warriors existing at the time. Outwardly, they had the strength and force only dreamt of in stories. Inwardly, they were crumbling at the core.
As is customary among many of the royal bloodlines of ancient, long forgotten prides, the royal family had led itself to inbreeding for many hundreds of years. Near the end of their reign, the royal family had begun to produce weak offspring that were more often than not troubled of the mind. Only years before the end of the Purahka, the pride saw its last true king and queen – two young cousins who, despite their misfortunes, were deeply in love. Sadly, because of her sickliness, the queen died giving birth to her one and only cub – a son that would one day become the last heir to the throne of the great kings. The king named this son Idbar’Shamat, a cub that was considered unlucky from the day of his birth, and a cub that would one day grow up to spread his bad luck like a wildfire.
When Idbar was little more than an adolescent, his father died from the grief and madness that had swept over him at the death of his beloved queen, and Idbar was named the new king of Purahka. It could be blamed on the fact that his father never paid him very much attention, or on the fact that his genetics had made him slightly mentally unstable, but young Idbar was a lion with a taste for blood and gore. He often stirred fights among his own pride just to see a pair of lions rip one another to shreds or he would give someone an impossible task with the threat that failure meant execution. Unsurprisingly, females were more often the victim of these games than the male warriors simply because of the preference in Idbar’s demented thoughts. Idbar himself went unchallenged for a very long time despite the whispers stirring among the members of the pride. He would continue his merciless rule until the fateful day that he pushed those tactful lionesses just a little too far.
Idbar had seen quite a few of those two-legged creatures in the forest of their lands early one morning and his twisted mind immediately decided he should pit a group of lionesses against them in order to test their strength. Most animals, by instinct, steered clear of these two-leggers, but Idbar had a rather corrupt thought process and a little less instinct than one usually came by with lions. With a wicked grin, he gathered up a particularly crafty group of lionesses and told them they must bring back a two-legger or they would all be exiled to the far reaches of the pride lands where there were larger and more violent creatures than these two-leggers themselves. Now this may have seemed little more than his usual game, until one takes into account that one of these females was none other than a lioness, Vipatti, who had professed her love to Idbar – the lioness that many believed he would take as a queen since no females remained of royal blood. Perhaps he had just been testing her, trying to make sure she was worthy of ruling with him, but whatever the reasoning behind his thoughts, it all ended in disaster.
Not long into their hunt for these two-leggers, the lionesses began to feel uneasy. The animals of the forest were stirring more than usual, frantic and unnerved, and the instinct of the lionesses themselves screamed for them to leave. Many turned back, becoming to unnerved and unsettled by their own instincts, but Vipatti kept going – and so did those loyal to her. As they went deeper into the forest, deeper into the heart of this evil feeling, the surrounding area began to grow warmer. Ahead of them they could see light flickering, great light – but they could also hear the screams of two-leggers. The last lions with Vipatti turned away, begging her to come with them, but Vipatti would not be turned away from her one chance to prove herself worthy of Idbar.
These lionesses began to head back out of the forest, but as they went, a roaring noise began to build up behind them. When they finally turned around to look, the forest had caught fire – probably from something those two-leggers had done. They began to run, knowing it was already too late for Vipatti, trying to save their own lives. Once they had passed the edge of the forest and found the rest of their group, they had all suffered scorches and burns from falling limbs and twigs. They did the inevitable and went back to face Idbar. When he was confronted, for long moments he sat in silence, almost as if he might grieve for Vipatti. Then, with a sudden burst of rather maniacal laughter, Idbar condemned them all to exile while exclaiming that Vipatti just wasn’t cut out for a Purahka way of life.
Outraged, the lionesses of the pride all came together and developed a plan to dispose of their young, corrupt king. By now, even the males had begun to disapprove of Idbar’s actions but they still did nothing. It was no matter, for as the night fell over the lands of Purahka, the tactful hunters the pride was so renowned for formed together for their greatest hunt – their king. They surrounded him on all sides with the shadows as their curtain, knowing that more than one of them could fall from fatal wounds. As he noticed that first pair of yellow eyes staring at him from the darkness, he began to laugh and he continued his laughter even as they fell in upon him with claws and teeth.
Many say that they carved him up, left him intact, but mangled his body with a wound for every sin he had ever committed against a lioness. Others say that they ripped him to pieces and threw him to the scavengers, letting the lowest creatures of the food chain have a meal fit for a king. Whatever the case, he was slaughtered, and since then no male has taken the throne. From among the lionesses, two queens were chosen to rule in his stead and the males of the pride were condemned for being almost as guilty as Idbar himself. Throughout Idbar’s reign of terror, not a single one of them had stood up for a lioness, be she family or friend. They had allowed him to torture and slaughter at his whim and they would pay for it in this life and the next and for as many lives as it took for them to repent their sins. The males that chose to remain with the reformed pride that these lionesses now called the Kunanda’Nakhun believed the lionesses were right and accepted their place in hope of one day being saved from their sins.
The lionesses fled their homelands, seeking a place far away from the tainted land of Idbar, and for many years they were a nomadic group. The original lionesses that overthrew the king died and left their children to lead on until many generations later found them nestled in the heart of the jungle with their new way of life already the norm.
Many have come to believe that perhaps that this historical legend had its events exaggerated as the story passed down from generation to generation and that some of the minor details such as names and locations have been lost to time entirely. Regardless, this is the history they know and follow, despite any exaggeration.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:42 pm
Males take on the jobs that females would in any other pride and are often treated as unimportant. While they are never harmed or put down, their thoughts and ideas outside their scope of occupations matter very little to the lionesses of the pride.
Overall, the lions in this pride are slightly larger than your average rogue but with a few differences. Females are larger and are generally colored very brightly where the males are slightly smaller than the females and typically have more neutral coloring with a few brighter colors to mark their ancestry. Of course, there are always cases where males are very brightly colored and females can be more neutral or where a male may be larger and female may be smaller. The discrepancies in color and size are what decide a female’s rank among society. Males all have the same rank.
There is a third party with these queens, a male that is called a Pahal and is more or less the figurehead of the male society. He is still considered to be the same ranking as all other males, he just got lucky enough to be the Pahal at the queens’ whims. He is used to help make decisions when the queens can’t agree, but as one might expect, he is often used as a punching bag between the pair of them. His successor is typically his son, especially if he is brightly colored, although the queens may choose otherwise, especially if the former Pahal was particularly difficult. It is not uncommon for the Pahal to be the mate or consort of one of the queens, especially if they both seem to like him personality wise. They don’t worry about him choosing sides with his mate if this is the case for he would inevitably owe the other queen toh in such an instance.
The Ijman-a make up a council of lions used mainly to determine what rank a lioness has been born into, especially when it is too hard to decide what constitutes too much neutral coloring. The Ijman-a are all female, no males, and all of them must be born from the Rawal rank. There is one Ijman-a for every clan that is of the Rawal ranking or higher and has more than one lioness of that rank, for the matron of a clan can not be an Ijman-a. To become an Ijman-a, a lioness must be elected by her clan after the death of the Ijman-a that they had previously raised to the council, or if the clan is newly upgraded to Rawal ranking.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:46 pm
The Kunanda’Nahkun believe heavily in a ranking system most closely identified with a caste system. Due to their sins against Vipatti and the lionesses that were harmed by Idbar, males are classified as the lowest of the low. There are four basic ranks of females above this based primarily upon color and size. They believe that a lion is born into these ranks based upon their previous life and how that previous life was judged. Basically, at the end of each life, they believe that the soul resides for a while in a place most easily described as limbo. Here, their soul is judged and if they have done well in this life, they are reborn into the next highest rank, but if they have done badly in this life they are either reborn into the same rank or demoted to a lower one depending on just how bad they were.
Once a lion’s soul reaches the highest rank (reserved for the queens and heirs) and dies, if it is judged to have led a good and honest life, she is then passed on to the afterlife where it is rewarded for its long, hard journey. 
The Adhi-Raj and Juva-Raj are the ranks reserved for the queens and their heirs. To be in this rank a lion must not only be born to standards that meet the Rawal rank, but they must also be born to one of the queens. In rare cases, if a queen does not produce any children of the Rawal rank, she may accept a cub from within her family clan.
Rawal
Rawal are lionesses that are the normal size for a Kunanda Nahkun lionesses and typically have no neutral coloring on their bodies at all. However, there may be a rare exception for lionesses that have only a tiny patch of neutral coloring. Rawals are usually the most esteemed warriors of the pride and may be chosen for special duties by the queen. Also, the council members are chosen only from this rank - see the government post for more info on the council.
Gasht
This is the most common rank for lionesses of the pride. This rank is either for lionesses that are normal size for Kunanda Nahkun but have a little too much neutral coloring for the Rawal rank, or for highly colorful lionesses that are a little too small to be in the Rawal rank. These lionesses are basic warriors, however, it is not uncommon for them to be used as scouts or guards.
Shikar-i
This is the lowest rank for a lioness in the pride. Lionesses in this rank are either extremely undersized for a Kunanda Nahkun lioness or they have more neutral coloring on their body than bright coloring (usuallly, they have a neutral colored base coat). These lionesses are typically the hunters, although they are still trained as warriors and are called upon for this if the need arises.
Parastar
This rank is simply for the males. Males are always of this rank and may never be in a different one.
There are many ways to earn honor, but it is most commonly earned in battle and clan fights. Killing an opponent earns you the least ji, or honor, because anyone can kill. Touching an opponent without harming them is considered to earn one the most ji for it takes a certain amount of skill and constraint to perform this.
Shame is considered in many instances to be worse than pain, injury, or even death for it will ultimately cause a bad judgment of the soul if it is not repaired before passing on. Lying to someone, harming someone that is not equipped to fight back, or any number of other things can cause shame and must be repaired. This is called meeting one’s toh. Meeting one’s toh involves setting one’s own punishment and fulfilling it. However, setting a punishment too light for wrong doing can ultimately cause more shame to be created.
There is one particular case where a lion’s toh is already set. In battle, if a lion is touched by an opponent and not harmed, they have been shamed. They then submit themselves for a year and a day to the opponent that touched them as a slave, or Bandor. Bandor’s have no rank, no clan, and no right to refuse any task given to them by their master for this year and a day. If they do not fulfill this toh, they will bring great shame not only upon their souls, but the souls of their clan. For this reason alone, it is not taken lightly and no clan will aid or even speak to a Bandor while she is serving. Males are not allowed to fight in clan wars and thus, they are never taken as Bandor. 
The pride prays to the goddess of souls because it is the soul that is making its journey through time, not any single lion, and that makes the soul the most important part of the being.
??? – Goddess of Reincarnation (non-existant/being quested for)
This is a little obvious. The pride believes heavily in reincarnation so ultimately they would believe in the goddess that has the power to reincarnate souls.
Wingu'anuru - God of Colors (Archnasa)
Being that the pride bases ranks upon color, Wingu is often prayed to before the birth of a litter. He is not as important as either of the goddesses, but like the god of protection, he still has some importance.
??? – God of Protection (none-existant/being quested for)
Although he is not as important anymore, he was one of the original gods that the old pride worshipped and was particularly important when the pride was in its nomadic stage. He is most often now prayed to during times where one would need protection, usually before a clan fight.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:49 pm
Each clan has a matron and while the clan can have a lioness from any ranking, the clan’s overall rank is determined by the rank of their matron. Although many matrons typically choose one of their own daughters as their successor, it is not uncommon for her to choose another female from her family if she has a higher ranking than the matron herself. Choosing a successor that has the higher ranking than the current matron means that the clan will move up in overall rank once that successor assumes the position. If there are no females born of an equal or greater rank to the matron during her lifetime, then a successor must be chosen of a lower ranking and the overall rank of the clan will go down once that successor assumes the position. It is not uncommon for a matron to change her mind many times during her life over the choice of her successor due to the fact that many cubs are born into her clan while she is alive.
If a lioness comes to the pride that is not originally born there, she may either be adopted into a clan or begin her own. Her rank will still determine the rank of her clan, it doesn’t matter how small it is.
If a clan becomes too big, a younger lioness of the clan can branch off and create her own.
Clans often fight among themselves, although it is quite different than the messy brawls that one would imagine. It is usually to settle a dispute, most often over clan holds but it can be over anything. If one clan has recently been growing in size and their den no longer has enough room for all of their members, they may challenge a clan with a bigger hold. The winner ultimately gets the hold, no questions asked, and the clans let their dispute fade. To continue bickering can bring shame upon the clan and that is not something any of them want.
Just as it is common for ranks to fight one another, it is common for lionesses to call one another out. Like in clan fights, this can be over a variety of things and it is settled in the same manner. However, it is typically only lionesses of the same rank that fight one another. Since a lioness in the Gasht rank is considered lower (although not typically mistreated in any way), she may not challenge a lioness of the Rawal rank. If it is a very large wrong-doing, she may beseech one of her higher-ranked clan members to fight the other lioness, but that is only in rare cases.
The queen, the Adhi-raj, and her clan may not be challenged in a clan fight, but they may any be called out in a personal fight. Defeating the Adhi-raj in a personal fight does not mean that that lioness becomes queen, it's just to settle any wrongs a lioness may feel the queen has done her. After the fight is over, both lionesses are expected to treat the situation as if it is done and over with. No hard feelings are to be held. AS with other personal fights, only a lioness of the rawal rank may challenge the queen or her heir. Anything else is considered bad judgment on the queen's part.
The council, Ijman-a, may never be challenged in a clan fight or personal fight. It is just not done. They are the representatives of the clans and the pride, responsible for not only dealing with their own clans, but dealing with other clans as a collective group. 
The Nihang Clan is one of the most ancient clans among the Kunanda’Nakhun and is one of the two royal clans that claim a right to the throne. They trace their ancestry as far back as the nomadic days of the pride at least but claim that they are descended directly from one of the original females that overthrew Idbar.
Tarka Clan
The clan that had ruled beside the Nihang clan for as long as anyone could remember was beginning to dwindle. In desperation, the queen at that time offered to combine her clan with that of another ancient, smaller clan. The queen mated to the eldest son of the other matron and produced a suitable heir. With the birth of their daughter came the new clan, the Tarka clan.
Atash-bar
This is a clan stemming from around the nomadic time of the pride’s history. It is named after a meteor shower that was witnessed by its first matron.
Parvati
This is a very old pride that also stems from the nomadic period of the pride. It is named after mountains.
Chatri
Compared to the rest of the clans, this one is fairly new, founded after the pride settled in the jungle. It’s named after the canopy of the tree tops.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:51 pm
In cases such as this, the lioness chooses a male that she wishes to have a litter with. If two lionesses want the same male, it comes down to whose rank is higher. If they have the same rank, it is one of those instances where they will fight over him. Once she secures her male, he comes to stay with her in her clan. Once the cubs are born, they share the duty of them until the cubs are old enough to be weaned, although the male will take a lot of the responsibility. After the cubs are weaned, the male will take most of the responsibility in raising them, although the mother will be there much like a father would in other prides.
The cubs are raised together until adolescence. At adolescence, however, the females will be judged, placed in their final ranks, and then begin training for whatever it is their rank calls for. The males of the litter are then sent back to live with the males. At this point, if the mother decides not to life mate to the male, he goes back with his sons. If she does decide to life mate, the father will stay with her, and if she chooses to have more cubs at this point, she will.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:05 pm
Tejasvi'Nila/Adhi-raj
One of two queens in the pride, matron of the Nihang clan.
(Owned by Felyn)
Usha/Adhi-raj
One of two queens in the pride, matron of the Tarka clan.
(Owned by Dr Umeda)
Aziza'Binti/Rawal (Ijman-a)
Original blood member of the pride, council member from the Chatri clan.
(Owned by Lady Kitania)
Leswalo/Rawal-raj
Original blood member of the pride, matron of the Chatri clan.
(Owned by Starrystarberry)
Kawarimono/Rawal
Original blood member of the pride, she's part of the Tarka clan and a cousin to Queen Usha.
(Owned by Hime)
Koi/Rawal
Original blood member of the pride, she's part of the Tarka clan and a cousin to Queen Usha.
(Owned by Split Personality)
Horowai/Gasht
Younger sister to queen Tejasvi'Nila, litter-mate to Soyala, and part of the Nihang Clan. Although she is not a 'natural' color, her coat was deemed too dark at birth and she was placed in the Gasht rank instead of the Rawal by the Ijman-a.
(Owned by Kimaria)
Ataullah/Gasht
Rogue that joined the pride, no clan as of yet.
(Owned by Meepfur)
Soyala/Gasht
Younger sister to Queen Tejasvi'Nila, she's part of the Nihang clan.
(Owned by Kolina)
Changamka/Gasht
Original blood member, she's part of the Chatri clan.
(owned by La Fantome de le Opera)
Gurami/Gasht
Original blood member of the pride, she's part of the Tarka clan and a cousin to Queen Usha.
(owned by Syrius Lionwing)
Ilisaea/Gasht
Original blood member of the pride.
(owned by Ary Keeyara)
Udaka'Phuz/Parastar
Rogue that joined the pride.
(Owned by Katersaur)
Ikkuma/Parastar
Male born in the pride, original blood.
(Owned by Meepfur)
Angavu/Parastar
Original blood member of the pride, his lineage is of the Chatri clan.
(Owned by LadyNozomi)
Kiongozi/Parastar
Original blood member of the pride, born from a dead clan.
(Owned by Freodwyn)
Jampo/Parastar
Original blood member of the pride.
(owned by Lisirra)
Astrophel/Parastar
Original blood member of the pride.
(owned by Tablue)DispersedUuo'ghairi/Gasht
Original blood member of the pride, she was part of the Parvati clan.
(owned by Tahja Estes)
Of course, we allow interested lions not of the original blood to join too, but keep in mind of the ranks because they apply to everyone and there's no such thing as a 'special' case that will get them placed somewhere differently. So if your lioness has a lot of neutral coloring, be prepared for her to be in a very low rank. Neutral colors are brown, white, black, gray, and the more natural looking yellows. If you're not sure if a color is neutral or not, feel free to ask Felyn or Ume.
So, leave your comments and your feedback, and if you have a lioness or lion you want to put in here, post their image, whether they qualify for original blood or not, and maybe a little bit about them too.
*If you are questing to custom a lioness into a particular clan, look and see if it already has existing members. Because clans are family-based, it means your lioness will have to be the mother/sister/daughter/aunt/niece/cousin to that clan's pre-existing members. So talk to the members who already own a lioness in that clan and find out just what relation they'd be ok with your custom being. Likewise, your lioness should look at least a little bit like the rest of the members that already exist and especially their closest relatives in the clan (sisters and/or mom).
Official Quests
[Green_Eyes] Polemoja (None) M Info here
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:09 pm
I think that's it, so you can post now. XD
If you have any questions, just ask here in the thread. heart
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:16 pm
YAY <3
it looks like a lot of information though xD;
I hope that's not daunting
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:18 pm
Dr Umeda YAY <3 it looks like a lot of information though xD; I hope that's not daunting
Well, that's what happens when I'm allowed to plot D; I get way too many ideas.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:20 pm
Ooo! *interested*
I'll read through it more tomorrow when I'm honestly awake and see if I can throw anyone in it. 8D *about 3/4 asleep, atm* XD
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:25 pm
[lightwolf] Ooo! *interested* I'll read through it more tomorrow when I'm honestly awake and see if I can throw anyone in it. 8D *about 3/4 asleep, atm* XD
Lol, I know the feeling. D; -sleepy-
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:38 pm
*interested, whee!*
This is...exactly the sort of pride that would appeal to Ata. XD She has the bright colors, obviously, but she is a little on the small side.
Her backstory, if it helps~Meepfur Ataullah hails from a desert far to the north, where the lions are broken up into nomadic and often warring tribes, who believe in a single god and keep slaves (though they're not treated so harshly as the Firekin treat their slaves). She's royalty, a princess and the first child of her father; her mother, first of his lionesses, was small and young for cubs, and died from blood loss shortly after giving birth. This made Ataullah her father's jewel, though he would have other children with others of his lionesses, several sons among them. She was indulged, and taught things not proper for a princess to do - hunting, even fighting. And as a princess, her body was left unmarked by the tattoos that other lionesses would bear. But as she grew, and grew into adolescence with her father refusing suitors, the princes - the heirs - began to distrust their father and her. They started to suspect the unthinkable, that he would allow a lioness to succeed him; or at the very least he sought a male who would take her and gain inheritance through her. Ataullah became dangerous to them, and so two of them plotted to kill her - sibling murder not an uncommon practice amongst the tribes with inheritances at stake. But she caught wind of the plot through a chain of slaves, and set out to do something about it... she would kill them before they got their chance. And this she did, but not without grave injury; the wound on her neck that is now a scar was very nearly the end of her. The murders, also, came at a steep price - caught and shamed, she should have been killed herself. Her father, however, couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he allowed her to be treated and healed, and then exiled her, marking her as anathema to the desert tribes with the cross-shaped scar under her eye.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:50 pm
Wow, first applicant already. XD
Alright, looked it over with Ume and we think she'd fit just fine into the Gasht rank - the most common rank. Since she's not extremely undersized, there's no reason for her to be in the low class. Her history would actually fit really nicely into a pride like this as well.
If that's alright with you, I'll plop her right under mine and Ume's quest lionesses.
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Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:27 pm
Sounds good to me! heart
Yeah, I read through and was like...well hmm! XD Something to do with Ata at last!
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Reply
