Welcome to Gaia! ::

Name suggestions:

-Lavi - Hebrew for "lion"
-Arsalaan - African for "lion"

Name suggestions:

- Leoth’undil : Inspired by “Leo” and Moto’undil species names.

- Uleo : Ulaya/Leo

- Uleo’Izula : Ulaya/Leo and Izula being Zulu meaning nomad (a possible reference to lore rather than lifestyle? Granted if I write something xD)

- Uleo’Mpucuko : Ulaya/Leo and Mpucuko being zulu meaning civilization

- Uleo'Jangwa : Ulaya/Leo and Jangwa being swahili for desert.

- Ulayeo : Alternate combination of Ulaya and Leo

- Ulayon : Ulaya/Lion

- Ulaion : Alternate to Ulaya/Lion

(you can see where I'm getting most of my inspiration basically xD)

Lore:

Pondering~

Name~ Aslanbek: Turkish origin meaning "Lion Chieftain/Master"
Variations of formed for shop:
Asl'bek
As'Unbekko
Arshbekki

History:
They were always there. Their packs were close and friendly with one another. The occasional bad seed sprang up which was fine. Their lore said they were born to match others in strength, they were there to show others how packs were to act. Their system was simple. The strongest leader would be the ruling pack for half a decade at least, then challenges would be open and another may take their place. The packs lived in peace...till one day...the desert shifted.

See the desert edges were blocked. No one knew why or for what purpose. Stories of ones who wandered out and never returned kept them away from the edges. Every member was needed in the pack, they couldn't be foolish and risk that. Now the edges were open...and the packs were voting on what to do...

Lore:

Long ago, there lived a group of Ulaya that prided themselves on being the heartiest in the land.
They were strong creatures with strong hearts.
The land they lived in was vibrant and lush with greenery and all was grand.
But a harsh summer proved terribly devastating upon their green paradise.
Trees withered, creatures died from heat and hunger.
The hearty Ulaya began to fear that they soon too would wither away.
A male stepped forward, one who was wise and brave and trusted.
He said that they must leave their home.
Many balked at this idea - this had been their home for generations and it was unheard of to leave it.
But many still - the younger, newer generation - took the words of the male to heart.
What he suggested was right.
They would die if they stayed in the wasted land.
The wise male suggested that they follow the sun to the land where the sun touched the ground and golden sand covered the ground in all directions.
What he spoke of was a land that one could see from the high trees in their home, a land far to the west that was bathed in mystery.
Those brave young ones gathered their wits, and with the wise male in the lead, left the land they knew behind.
They wandered from sunrise to sunset, their only guide the wise male and the burning sun above.
Days became weeks until finally the group reached the sands.
It stretched as far as their eyes could see.
The sun scorched the sands, setting them afire with heatwaves and shimmering gold.
The wise male assured everyone that it was a safe place, despite the heat.
And so they listened, wandering into unknown territory.
Despite the searing sun, water was plentiful, appearing in great pools surrounded by dense greenery.
And where there was greenery and water, there was food.
Prey was not used to these strange creatures that wandered their land, and were easy meals for their hungry bellies.
The wise male told them to be wary of their use of the land and to only partake in what was needed instead of what was wanted - or they would face the same peril they had faced not long ago.
They became a group that took their land seriously, cared for it and protected it from outsiders who only sought to take what they wanted.

As time passed, their features began to change, if only subtly.
Generations that followed would display these features in their entirety, as they morphed into creatures better suited to their environment.

In coming to the sands, this group had left behind their former lives and identities. They had become... (Enter Species Name)

Name suggestions: Kiniun (the Yoruba word for lion)
Zaki (the Hausa word for lion)


Lore:

In a time before records, a time when we only had stories around the fire pit at night to remember our pasts, there were two brothers. Although their true names have long since been lost to time, depending on who tells the story, they've been given new ones. For my tale, they will be Keahi and Zaki.

Like any brothers, Keahi and Zaki loved each other despite their disputes of which there were many. As they grew, however, it seemed that no matter the dispute, nothing could part these two brothers. They were, however, incredibly different Ulaya who felt very passionately about very different things.

Keahi loved their home on the shore. He loved to fish and to swim and to play the jungles nearby. He wanted to lead their village one day as their father did. Keahi was happy and content with the life he'd been born into.

Zaki, however, spent more of his time travelling further and further into the jungles. He wanted to know of other Ulaya - because surely, there must be more than his small tribe - and so he explored. Day after day, he mapped out the jungles that surrounded their home. Even being the firstborn, Zaki had no interest in following in his father's footsteps to lead their village.

There was one thing, however, the brothers had in common, as brothers often do: a woman. Her name was Kiniun and she was the most beautiful of all the Ulaya in their village. Her eyes shone like the ocean and her hair glowed like spun gold. Although both brothers had grown up along side Kiniun, as they came to maturity, neither could help but fall in love with her.

Although Keahi and Zaki had overcome so many other differences, their feud for Kiniun's love was one that neither could move past. Eventually, Kiniun chose Zaki, her own desire to see more than their small tribe winning out and not long after, the pair found themselves leaving their village for the last time.

They traveled far and long, past the jungles and the mountains and finally made it to a hot, hot desert. The desert was harsh and unwelcoming and yet, it reminded them of the warmth of the beaches they'd grown up on. Against all odds, they settled in that desert and thrived. They had many kits and over time, others joined them as well.

Sometimes, Zaki would wonder about Keahi and his little village but he never went back and at the end of his days, his body was laid to rest beside Kiniun's at the base of the largest baobab tree. That tree has since been a symbol of their tribe. Even now, hundreds of year later, dozens of prides will gather at the base of that same baobab tree once a year to celebrate their kind and their history with food and songs and dance and stories around the fire until late into the night.

Ah!
Thank you, Kiya!
So happy it was liked!