[OOC] About the Vita'Alizaliwa

[The VitaAlizaliwa]

Basic Information

emotion_bigvein Pridal Name Translation - "War Born"

emotion_bigvein Species - Lion and Lion born Hybrids.

emotion_bigvein Familiar Species - Predatory animals and birds.  

[The VitaAlizaliwa]

Generations ago, the first settlements of the pride were made from considerably large family groups, all with different ideals and mostly squabbling over what would be the best for the pride. However inevitably, the bigger of the families took charge of this; their name roughly translated meant 'Warsong' - they were the strongest and more battleborn of the families; They - with their immensely headstrong and bloodthirsty leader - soon took a tight hold of the families.

One of the families, the Warsong had noticed thrived under the rule of a surprisingly weak and weedy lion with green markings and a dull grey pelt that'd once been black. He spoke well though and spoke words of power and glory in taking down bigger foes and seizing bigger areas for the entire pride, ofcourse their leader and Warchief was more than tantalized and soon lead the entire pride in a near ceaseless battle against prides whose name had faded to history.
The only ones to oppose, were that of the smaller more spiritual families that made up the bulk of mystics and healers that took care of the warriors - one particular was the leader of one group who defied the green one's words of glory, saying that eventually it would only lead to suffering for the pride.
Their words however were dismissed and in the night, the green marked one had two of his loyalists take the old shaman from his den and leave him dead further out in the wastes.

Unfortunately the old shaman's words should've been heeded in the end, the headstrong Warchief lead by the green one's speeches lead him and his warriors to attempt to bring down a human village. Though they fought their best, the 'magic' (or rather the rifles) that the humans wielded was too strong and Warchief and several of his strongest fell. Leaving only the green one and the strong warriors he had swayed under his rule with his words to lead the pride.

Two generations passed, with only the green one's ilk living better off in the pride, most of the other families that dared to leave were threatened by the new Warchief's followers or threats of power. Meaning most lived only as slaves to his whims and his emotionally manipulative tactics.

Again it was only the shamans to oppose the green marked one, the son of the fallen elder shaman and the remaining son of the fallen Warchief, had both silently been raised amidst the tightly niched mystics till he was of age. It helped that the elder shaman's boy had also been born with the gift of a seer.
When both came of age, they rallied the majority of the pride and even some of the green one's followers who had become disillusioned with the new Warchief's rule and quickly sought an end to him after a brief two day battle.
After licking their wounds and ousting a portion of the green one's followers, the pride left their territory under the leadership of the new, young Warchief and his shaman friend.

Eventually they came to settle in a redstone canyon with many caves for them to inhabit, the young Warchief carrying on the traditions of his father, but with a much more even head and with his shaman friend by his side to offer council.

Several generations have passed, the great grandson of the pride's young hero has become Warchief himself, a title he had passed down from the previous Warchief - his mother; Taek'ne Hellscream and the great granddaughter of the shaman that'd aided the pride's revolution has become the Farseer. Both a mated pair and ruling the pride together.

Said current Warchief - along with several Grunts, Scouts and Blood Guard have gone on a trek to see the world outside of their home, leaving his Farseer mate and his half-sister the High Warlord in charge of the pride till his return.
Still a brutal, battle hungry but honor bound pride, they have all settled comfortably in their canyon home.  

[The VitaAlizaliwa]

Territory Overview
The Red Rock canyon is a situated cliff that overlooks the red plains of the Vita's home where warthogs, wildebeast and elephants frequent the area and their water source is a long and winding river that is fat during the better seasons and considerably shallow during times of heatwaves.

The home canyon itself is filled with den caves and winding paths that reach the top of the cliff and to the other side of the canyon, it offers decent shade in the middle of the day and protection from the rain. A little slice of heaven in an otherwise arid area. During the rainy seasons, the bottom of the canyon tends to become flooded, but the excess dens and caves make it suitable for the Lions to simply sleep higher up, even if it means sharing with a neighbor.

The canyon splits off into a small valley within the home canyon that has been labeled 'Valley of the Spirits', it is heavily sheltered by the looming crag of the canyon walls with caves that harbor large clusters of blue gems and fresh water springs within. It has become the learning and homing area for the young shamans and where the Farseer holds their ceremonies.

In the middle of the canyon is a large pit with the edges decorated with bones, the middle of the pit is often filled with dust or mud and used at the center stage for Mak'Gora and Mak'Rogahn.

emotion_bigvein High Dens - These dens are just before you reach the top of the cliff that lead onto the plateau of the next stretch of land. It is the highest point to overlook the Red Stone Canyon and the Red Plains as a whole. Normally a few Blood Guard stay up in the High Dens to get the drop on any intruders, but it is mostly occupied by the Peons.

emotion_bigvein Middle Dens - These dens are the middle-points of the canyon walls, usually the second biggest caves where expectant mothers and their whelps are placed to keep out of trouble and take care of each other. They are also populated by a few Blood Guard and half the Grunts to protect the mothers and their Whelps.

emotion_bigvein Ground Dens - The biggest of the caves in the canyon, they are where the majority of the higher ranks sleep as well as the majority of the fighting forces. The Warchief and High Warlord usually sleep within the main area with the Battle Pit - whereas the Farseer comes and goes between their main den in the Valley of Spirits and the Warchief's main den.
The ground dens in the Valley of Spirits have small pools of water within them as well as the ceilings containing bright blue stones and gems.

Allied Territories

Despite being rough around the edges (and rough in general), the Vita are also fiercely loyal to those they fight alongside and will gladly offer pridal alliances to prides they consider honorable enough, or strong enough, or both.

Current Allies;
None


Color Overview

With the pride on preferential colours, it seems that they mostly prefer to judge those that wish to join their pride based on their strength, sense of honor and general capability as a fighter or protector. But even these rough and tumble lions can have a limit - mostly due to their territory.


emotion_bigvein Natural Colors are a plus in their book, it means they'll be better at blending into their surroundings and means that any warpaint put on them will have a better chance at standing out when it comes to battle. So things like browns, tans, golds, grays (both light and dark) with small splashes of colour in the form of markings or even tattoo's are a plus in their book.

emotion_bigvein Darker and Lighter Colors like albino white, melanism black or dark red are also A-Okay to them. Muted forms of colour like blue-gray or moss-green aren't turned away.

emotion_bigvein Vibrant Colors are a mixed bag, things like reds or oranges are completely fine, maybe even yellows, but things like pinks or blues or purples are not seen as preferable colors for the pride. Believing such colors are for the flowers and not for fighters. That doesn't mean such lions can't enjoy their life in the pride as Peons however and doing the odd jobs like cleaning out the dens or being a nanny.

emotion_bigvein Green
Because of their past, the colour green - in marking or even full pelt - is seen as a bad omen, as corruption. Those wanting to join the pride with green pelts, are looked upon with distrust. Only when they have earned their marks and shown their strength and loyalty to the pride will they have any hope of being trusted in the ranks.
Those born into the pride with green marks, are less distrusted, they have been born from the strength of the pride and although worrying will have an easier time of maintaining their rank in the pride. Infact, because of the 'Green One' being a Warchief of the past and having several green followers, a few of the lions born into the pride have remnant colours of their progenitors. But have since proven themselves and earned their place in the pride.  

[The VitaAlizaliwa]

The Vita'Alizaliwa have a rich culture stemmed from the joining of many warbands of lions joining into one huge one, they have merged into a mixture of brutal battle-hungry warriors and shamanistic healers who heed the call of the winds and earth.

Below are the more notable portions of their culture along with the language of their people!


Strength and Honor
"Strength and Honor" and "Blood and Thunder" are phrases often heard within the Vita as greetings, the pride value strength, fighters and the likewise - seeing it as a positive in possible future mates and possible future allies.
But they also value honor in battle, to fight an enemy that cannot fight is seen as a disrespect to the pride and self deprecating for the warrior.
As is fighting a child, someone unarmed, someone who physically cannot fight and so forth.
Those that fight without honor are most often times disciplined for their actions with fights in the battle pit. Or even by the Warchief or High Warlord themself.
"Victory or Death" is another, if more morbid phrase held by the pride members. Valuing death in battle before a dishonorable defeat if they cannot be victorious, nowadays it is more a phrase shouted during battle to shaken the enemy.


God/Spirit Worship | Spirituality
Recently the pride has become much more immersed in spirituality and worship, it is not uncommon for pride members - especially the shamans - to thank the earth, the water, the breeze or even the storm for the bounty that they've bestowed on the pride.
It's also not uncommon for the pride to offer out their thanks to specific gods, like that of War or Pain or Conquest or Honor.


War Paint | Markings
The Vita' wouldn't be a warband without their warpaint, all bar the Peons and the Whelps have their warpaints. Both warriors and shaman like their different kinds too;
Grunts and other fighters like thick red markings, tribal or sharp jagged edges to invoke the warrior's spirit from within them through the very marks. The paint is often made from clay mixed with bright red berries or herbs.
Shamans prefer light blue swirls and markings upon their cheeks and heads, hoping to invoke the spirits and aid them and their warriors in their time of need. Believing it also helps them with their medicines and herbs.

Those born with the markings are seen as a natural born warrior or shaman depending on the markings.


Trophies/Accessories | 'Armor'
As any fighters, the Vita commonly take trophies from their kills. Be it from a large hunt, an Om'riggor, a Mak'Gora, or battles in the name of the pride. Throughout the years, lions have accumulated the pelts, the teeth and the claws of other animals, wearing them as cloaks and necklaces that the Shamans and Peons have fashioned them.
Rudimentary 'armor' has also been partly fashioned this way, dried elephant skin and the skulls or thicker pelts of other animals have been worn during battle to lighten the blow against more sensitive areas.
It's often that the higher the rank in the pride, the more highly decorated with trophies they are and often those trophies will be passed down from father to son/mother to daughter, or in the case of a Mak'Gora - to the victor of the fight.


Fighting Tournaments
Often or not, as is typical in a pride like the Vita, there will be fighting tournaments. Lots and lots of fighting tournaments. It offers up the pride a chance to get out any unwanted stress, a chance for wanting peons to prove themselves and be given the rank of 'Grunt' so that they may take their Om'riggor and receive their Battle Name and a chance for the Warchief and High Warlord to scope out potential Champions, Generals and Blood Guard for the future.
But overall it just keeps the pride in good spirits, good health and keeps them always ready for a good battle.


'Mak'Gora'
Mak'Gora is a matter of serious business. When matters of honor are disputed, when a Warchief is threatened for their title, when a mate's honor is disrespected, when battle, or spirit, or ritual has been disrespected. A Mak'Gora is often called.

There is a strict code for a Mak'Gora;

emotion_bigvein Both parties of the Mak'Gora must have atleast one witness, that is why at often times Mak'Gora is held within the center of the canyon so that the whole pride may watch.

emotion_bigvein There are no weapons or armor, purely only claw and fang and strength, no dust thrown, or stones. No thick pelts or decoration. It is seen as dishonorable and looked down upon.

emotion_bigvein No invoking of the spirits. To call out for the spirits aid or even a God's aid in a Mak'Gora is the highest of disrespect. It's calling upon the very powers of the world around them to win their fight for them and will be severely disciplined.

When a Mak'Gora is won, the winner can choose the fate of their opponent. In earlier days, it was unfortunately common that Mak'Gora was to the death. Thankfully due to the influence of the shamans, there have been little to no needless deaths after a Mak'Gora, instead most losing participants are merely stripped to the rank of Grunt or Peon till they can earn their place again.
Those caught cheating in a Mak'Gora or found disrespectful of the rites are rarely but sometimes exiled from the pride. This however takes multiple offenses.


'Mak'Rogahn'
Where a Mak'Gora is used for the heavier dealings of the pride's honor, a Mak'Rogahn is often times seen as a social bonding.
These fights are often started over small issues like food, interest in females/males, sibling rivalries, or bumping into one another. They are always non lethal and often as times often just scrapping and scruffing, any heavy injuries sustained during the fights are often looked upon as childish mistakes.
They are also used as stress relief in times of no war, when there is no battle and the pride find themselves frustrated - friendly challenges of Mak'Rogahn are often carried out during the course of the day. Keeping the lions fit, healthy and reestablishing bonds and dominance.
It is to them what social grooming is to other lions.


Kosh'harg Festival
Referred to as the Kosh'harg Festival or simply Kosh'harg, this biannual festivity takes place during spring and autumn and lasts about one to three weeks. Influenced by the early shamans in the time where the pride had more different variants of families and prides living together under the Warsong's rule, the shaman though it would be wise to celebrate the times of the year where the time of day and night were even and when the spirits of life and nature were at their busiest, by bringing the separate families of lions closer in unity and to discuss ways to benefit each other.
Even the Warsong eventually took part in this holiday.
Seeing as it was held during very spiritual times of the year, violence and personal vendetta's like upcoming Mak'gora are temporarily suspended - fighting during this time was strictly forbidden and harbored consequences that would be carried out after the festivities.

Nowadays, the festival still remains a tradition kept up by the shamans and the elder members of the pride, giving the pride a rare - if sometimes unwanted - near month of peace. Only this time it isn't only used to share ideas that could offer prosperity for the pride, but also pay respect to the ancestors of the pride. Often in a very jovial manner.
It's not uncommon to enjoy a hearty meal during the festival and hear stories of ancient warriors from the Farseer, or even discuss playful gossip about who might become the next Champion.


Language and Naming
As most of the Vita's culture has been derived from the Warsong lions during their lengthy rule, their primitive language and naming has taken a firm root in the culture of the lions. Simple or brutish names sounding like grunts or roars are very common;

Ex - Grom, Khargh, Ograh, Draka, Drek'Thar, Ariok

The naming is linked to the language, during the early stages of the Warsong - far before the Vita'Alizaliwa - the pride developed their own language between each other to dissuade any hopeful spies. And to cause further discomfort in their enemies for the belly growls and near snarls of the language.
Though not as often used, common phrases still exist today used amidst the pride by its warriors and shaman. Especially during official business or rituals. The list is as follows;

emotion_bigvein Aka'Magosh - 'A blessing on you and yours.'

emotion_bigvein Grommash - 'The Giant's Heart.'

emotion_bigvein Kagh! - 'Run!'

emotion_bigvein Lak'tuk - 'Suffering.' (Often this is associated with lions that've unfortunately lost their fight with disease or a bad wound from battle.)

emotion_bigvein Lok'Regar - 'Ready for orders.'

emotion_bigvein Lok'tar! - 'Victory!'

emotion_bigvein Lok'tar ogar! - 'Victory or death!' (The pride's common war cry.)

emotion_bigvein Dabu - 'I obey.'

emotion_bigvein Throm-Ka - 'Well met.' (A greeting.)  

[The VitaAlizaliwa]

The Om'riggor is a trial that all adolescents of the pride must go through before being considered an adult and old enough to hunt and fight alongside the rest of the pride, they must go out and bring back a trophy. It can be a tooth, a skull, a bone, even a scar, but they must bring proof of a battle that they have walked out of victoriously. They will always have an older lion with them, either their sibling or their parent, to watch their progress. It's also not uncommon for a group Om'riggor to take place.
The Farseer will then hear about their trial, from both participant and witness and ask 'What is the name you take into battle?' and hopefully after their trials have been completed, the young lion will know which name they wish to have.

This can usually be a PRP, or an SRP, it doesn't have to be a huge odyssey for the lion to undertake. (unless it's something plot related)

Battle Name
Battle Name's are titles held tradition by the Warsong's in their prime, they are names given to lions of the pride upon completion of their Om'riggor trials, or sometimes their most glorious kill.
Things like; 'Hellscream' 'Deadclaw' 'Bloodroar' 'Skullbasher' or 'Ragelash' are common names.
Where some lions like to add things they've seen in their past - like the humans - or things to do with the elements, such as; 'Thunderfang' 'Axeheart' or 'Firebinder'.
These are considered their secondary names next to their first original name, or even seen as a pseudo surname. It isn't uncommon for lions to be called by their name and battlename as a formal greeting.
Ex; "Strength and Honor, _____ Hellscream."
Often times, it isn't completely out of place for a whelp to inherit their father or mother's Battle Name if they carried weight to them, if their parent was a Champion, or had lead the pride into battle, or even been Warchief, their parent could choose to have their child carry on their battle name. Meaning there are sometimes multiple 'Hellscreams' or 'Bloodfangs' of different generations.