[OoC] Pride Information and Plot Announcements

[Lithiasaur]

 

[Lithiasaur]

The Land:
The pride is based on the large island in the center of a massive lake. The lake is situated in a valley between large, ice covered mountains, some built like glaciers, with large sheets of ice and deep gorges. There are paths through the mountains down to the lower areas, and then to the rogue lands below, but the walks are long and sometimes difficult. The water around the island only melts once a year, during the summer months, and the rest of the time it is either half frozen, or fully so.


The History:
The pride has always been cold, snowy, but the lake around the island was not always frozen over for most of the year. The ruling family of lions had a litter of cubs, and among them appeared a lioness cub with fur as blue as a snow storm, and the markings of snow dancing over her fur. She looked nothing like her family, and yet she was chosen as heir to the throne. No one questioned her appearance, literally or figuratively, at least not out loud. When the King and Queen were killed in an avalanche in a mountain pass, on their way to visit another pride, the right to rule was passed to the young, snow touched lioness. Queen Elsa came to power just as winter was turning, and the storms that befell the Kingdom while it mourned the loss of their rulers were the worst they had ever seen. It was enough to freeze the lake, sealing away the fish beneath, and subjecting the pride to famine and freezing conditions. They survived, though they were few as spring appeared. Those that still remain with the pride are struggling to rebuild, to find new blood and to bring warmth back to the frozen lands, while the Queen carries the blame for the snow that still blankest the land.

The Weather:
It snows and rains often in these lands, and flooding or heavy snow storms can happen during the winter periods. Though the snow never fully melts, the sun shines through the summer, and the water of the lake is freed from its usual ice covering. This time of the year is a time for new blood to be brought to the Kingdom, where food is plentiful as small herds pass through the ravines on their yearly migrations.

The Leader:
The pack is led by Queen Elsa, who lives a solitary life and, though she visits with the pride members and can often be found about the pride and in the rogue lands, does not have a mate. She is the daughter of the Goddess of Glaciers, though this is a fact no one is aware of. Some say she is cursed, and it is her coming to the throne that changed the lands, the weather, and plunges the pride into storms and freezing temperatures.

The Life:
Due to its location, the pride does not have hunting grounds of its own, save the lake when the ice melts and they can fish freely, and requires a system of hunting and collecting to keep the pride fed. They have a close relationship with the rogue lands, if such a thing is possible, as they depend on the food and supplies that can be gathered out there to sustain them during the harshest winter months that their pride endures. It is not uncommon for lions of the pride to spend a lot of their time in the rogue lands, in fact, or even visiting other prides, looking for trade. Food is preserved in ice and stored for as long as they can manage it, with minders keeping constant eyes on the stock over the longer months.

Dens are built from the never melting snow, like igloos, carved from rocks and caves, or even dug into the earth. There is a large underground network of dens, under the lake. It is warm down there, and only leaks in a few places when the weather is warmer. Digging in the dens is not allowed, save by those tasked by the Queen, and trusted in their knowledge to do so successfully.

The Members:
Anyone is welcome to join the pride, and there is no struggle of power between any of the species that wish to live here. Lions are the most prevalent, but all other big cats, hyena, and wild dogs are allowed. Of familiars, prey beasts would best be wary of what they are when the pride enters the harshest periods of the winters, and food becomes scarce. There are laws against eating familiars of the pride, but that might not be enough to dissuade everyone if they spot a tasty looking klipspringer. Likewise, males and females are treated with the same levels of respect, and there is no struggle between the genders. At least, not in the actual make up of the pride. How each member feels about things is left to their own personalities.

The Look:
Creatures with any sort of pelt are welcomed in the land, but those with snowy or ice themed coats, like the Queen, are looked upon with suspicion and thoughts of a curse. White, blue, and colors like that are considered dangerous, though the Queen herself is working to try and alleviate this stigma.

The Neighbors:
Relationships with other prides are always being formed, and Queen Elsa aims to be a very diplomatic ruler. Plots and interactions with others, for better or worse, are definitely welcomed!