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 Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 3:31 pm
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 4:19 pm
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Customs and General Info
Tianxia means 'all under heaven.' It symbolizes the unification of one mighty pride under two rulers, always a male and female pair: in this generation, Ahali and Afu. The pride itself will eventually become quite secretive and hostile to outsiders, but for now is cautiously welcoming to individuals wanting to join.
Like the pride name, personal names are also important to individuals. Members entering the pride, and those born into the pride, have two names: general names given to outsiders, and special Chinese-style names that are only known to the pride itself. For example, Afu's outside name is Afu, but her special name is Tzu Hsi.
The pride is organized into four Houses and one central pride that makes up the Emperor, Empress, and their retainers. The four Houses are North, South, East, and West, each of which are led by lords and ladies, they have full authority over the rankings in their house, the only ones who may contest these are the Emperor, Empress, and their heir(ess). Their children are known as dukes and duchesses.
The central pride revolves around the empress, the emperor and their family, their children are called princes and princesses, while the heir is crown prince or princess. There is often a handful of royal guards, nannies, a Bard and a Speaker.
Once a month, the pride gathers at a house, or even rarely the central pride, for a celebration and a feast, to exchange news or become familiar with members of other houses. Usually as many as possible attend, however, guards are expected to work out amongst them who will guard the borders while everyone else is at the celebration. Nannies may also remain home if their charges or too young, or the actual mothers may prefer to stay with their offspring. A guard is usually stationed nearby to help protect young cubs, since the rest of the territory gets rather deserted.
To children born within the pride, arranged marriages are the norm, although these may be changed as the years progress to a more suitable partner. It's a decision by the parents, however, not the children. In general, parents strive to choose a partner for their offspring that best exemplifies the traits of their house (strength, speed, intelligence, or creativity). Class is also important: a low-ranked member may not marry a high-ranked one. If they chose to break this rule, they are usually shunned, and the higher ranked of the pair must revoke their rank to join the lower ranking mate. In other words, they both become low ranked.
When they come of age, and if the two lions are in opposing houses, one must leave to join the others' house. Generally, they go to whichever house they will have the highest rank in. If a cub from the south is arranged to marry the heir of the north, then the cub in the south will go join his/her mate, for example.
Males are allowed to have more than one mate, but they may not neglect the others and only their first mate will carry their heirs. Arranged marriages can occur between other prides, but the partner must join this pride. If a child should leave the pride, it's considered a disgrace and will not be welcomed back. The exception is if they join the other pride to become king or queen or other high rank (lord, duke, etc.), which would generally form an alliance.
Mates are encouraged to have children in the pride early in life, although they do not need to have many.
Recent History
Tianxia was started not long ago by the current rulers, Ahali'bagawa and Afu, along with the help of the current lords and ladies of all houses, settling in the Ethiopian Highlands mainly because of the hard accessibility, making it easy to defend, but also in part because of the sheer impressiveness of the lands.
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 4:21 pm
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Ranks
These are the Central House ranks only. For other Houses' ranks, please see those individual threads!
Please note that these are ranked in order of importance (generally). The Emperor and Empress are both highest-ranking, and Guardians rank as high as a Prince/Princess. The Royal Messenger ranks as high as the Royal Guard.
Emperor - The high lord over all the lands, he has absolute power; the only one who may gainsay him is the Empress, as they both function on an equal level. His is largely a management position in times of peace: forging alliances with other prides, determining celebrations for the Houses, etc. Inside his House, he functions as a Lord. (1/1)
Empress - The high lady over all the lands, she has absolute power; the only one who may gainsay her is the Emperor, as they both function on an equal level. Hers is largely a management position in times of peace: forging alliances with other prides, determining celebrations for the Houses, etc. Inside her House, she functions as a Lady.(1/1)
Crown Prince/Princess - The firstborn son or daughter of the Emperor and Empress. He or she will eventually take over from his or her parents; because of this, his/her future mate is very carefully picked, and may change engagements if the future mate does not prove to the Emperor or Empress's liking. If the crown prince or princess is unfit for ruling, they will be exiled and their next oldest sibling raised to power. (1/1)
Prince/Princess - The other sons and daughters of the Emperor and Empress, they are expected to learn as much as the Crown Prince/Princess. Often, they will be raised in courts away from their home so they can not only make ties to other prides, but also learn from someone other than their parents; it is imperative that they not be spoiled. Their mates will be chosen at birth from either the sons or daughters of the Lords or Ladies of other Houses, or the royal members of other prides. if they are offered the position of King or Queenship there, they will be allowed to leave Tianxia with a blessing, a rare occurance. If they will not obtain a ruling position, their mate must come to Tianxia once they reach adolescence. Rarely, they will take another position in the pride as well, such as that of Royal Messenger or a member of the Royal Guard, or even a position in one of the other Houses that befits their high rank. (4/4)
Guardian - The protective gods of the Tianxia, their appearance is considered a blessing; as well as being lucky. These gods do not need to live in the lands, but they do need to be loyal to the pride over other prides, should a conflict arise; if they are not trustworthy or do not swear alliegance to the Emperor or Empress, they may not be guardians or will lose their status. Very rarely, an individual (often members of the royal family, but not always) will have their own personal guardian god. (0/?)
Captain of the Royal Guard - The commander of the Royal Guard, protector of the royals: must be strong, loyal, and intelligent. He/she acts not only in this role, but also in the role of advisor to the Emperor and Empress, as well, and is often a close personal friend of the royals. They will train the princes/princesses in combat and tactics. Can be male or female. (0/1)
Royal Guard - Directly under the command of the Captain of the Royal Guard, these members would protect the royal family with their lives. Must be excellent fighters, but intelligent as well, trained by the Captain of the Royal Guard, and trusted by not only the Captain but the Emperor and Empress. (0/4)
Royal Messenger - This position is only available through RP, and only bestowed upon those that the Emperor or Empress trusts deeply. They may act as a regular messenger at most times, but in times of dire need, they are trusted with the most secretive of messages ... (0/?)
Messenger - These messengers can be two types: those that function within the relative safety of the lands, going from House to House, or those that function in the more dangerous outside, acting as a go-between for prides. Messengers are often swift, but must also be good fighters and hunters, for they spend much of their time on their own or paired with another messenger. They must, whatever the case, be good diplomats, and if they fail at their duty or irritate another noble, they will be asked to step down into a different position. These messengers are extremely important and, like guardians, are given hospitality in whichever House they are in at the time. It is considered a dangerous job, and juveniles or adolescents are often picked to be messengers and trained at a young age. (0/?)
Because of the unique and busy position of the Central House, other ranks do not often crop up in this area; orphan children found are generally given over to one of the other Houses to tend and raise. Occasionally, though, a new rank will arise out of necessity or due to unusual circumstances.*
*Please AIM Mila Farrell at bluekillerdonkey if you're interested in adding to the ranks!
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