☼ Pride Culture, Rituals and Insanity ☼

[KizingoZaa II]

Kizingo'zaa is generally considered a haven, out of lack for a better word. Any creature may join and/or seek refuge within the territory (So long the 'leaders' are notified - The Song/Story keeper), no matter the species, age or alignment of said creature.

This means that a huge variety of fauna can be found within the land, of all shapes, sizes and personalities. Some may be good, some may be evil and some may be neutral or happy to switch 'sides' from time to time. Regardless of this, ALL creatures are expected to follow one single, simple rule whilst within the land:

"One must not harm another creature physically within the Haven."

The only exception to the rule is that one is allowed to defend himself if threatened. Members of the pride hunt outside the 'territory' to be able to follow the simple rule, and outsiders within the territory are expected to do the same.

The pride is formed mostly by 'Gypsies', favoring dance, song, story telling and fortune telling, though one can find many different lions within the territory, ranging from thieves, to pirates, to... just about anyone. The Kizaa are known for not turning down anyone wishing to stay or merely passing by to rest - so long they can abide their one simple rule.

 

[KizingoZaa II]

There has been some common misconception about how the Insanity blessing in this pride works, so we have decided it's best to try to explain it in it's own section!

It is important to note that ALL members of the pride are actually insane, to some degree. Any visitor that stays within the lands for x amount of time will also be affected by this 'insanity'. This is due to the fact Muhali, the Goddess of Insanity lives within the lands, and is in fact, the patron goddess of the pride (Though she rarely shows herself to the members, she's there most of the time).Both her presence and a permanent blessing set upon the lands is what makes the members 'insane'.

It affects different members in different ways and on different levels, but no one goes entirely unaffected by it.

The 'insanity' tends dissipates if a member leaves the territory for a long time (Aka, hunting trips RARELY cause the insanity to dissipate), but it will return gradually if he/she spends time within the territory. Unless, of course, the lions has spent the majority of their life under this cruse/blessing, in which case it is up to you, the player, to decide if the effect is permanent.

The effect of the blessing can be somewhat simplified in a way to how 'seer' powers affect a lion - the powers do not have to incapacitate the animal AT ALL, and can be as light as simple gutt feelings, or as large as absolute insanity. Same goes for Muhali's blessing - most members go entirely unaffected except for the fact they can talk to a specific inanimate item/plant/object and hear it 'respond' in the form of mild auditory hallucinations. These are the muses.

 

[KizingoZaa II]

Rules of Conduct

As mentioned before, there are very few rules within the Kizaa lands. While the Song Keeper and Story Keeper are looked to as 'leaders' for their wisdom, they don't hold actual 'power' over the members of the pride and are thus, not allowed to 'rule' them, per say.

Members are expected to live their lives following the Golden Rule of not harming others physically - that aside, the possibilities of what they can do are pretty much endless. Some members are tricksters by nature and can be often time found pranking or tricking others (even those of neighboring prides - though if the situation gets foul, these members are expected to hold their own and face the consequences!). Other members like being left alone, being anti-social or simply of a darker nature, while others are horribly social and enjoy the pridal festivals, with singing and dancing.

Needless to say, the grip Insanity has on the land... allows members 'moral compasses' to be slightly 'off'. They don't hold 'Honor' in as high regards as others (which is one of the reasons they allow anyone within their land so long they can follow the one rule they have), nor are they particularly brave. Their members range from pirates, to thieves, to gypsies, to con-artists, to more normal-like lions, after all.


Violence

The Kizaa members are mostly passive in nature (even if they can be tricky, or somewhat strange, or even morally 'off'). At least within the pridal territory, anyhow.

Even outside of it, many members will often-time run away from a fight shamelessly, or use under-handed methods to get away from a threat than face it heads on ((ie: you're likely to find one of these lions kicking dirt into an opponent's eyes and running away))


Muses

Muses make up the beginning, middle and part of the end of the Kizingo'zaa's lifestyle and belief system. What is a muse, you ask? A muse is anything - literally, anything of NATURAL origin. A rock, the sand, the sun, a cloud, that hyena chasing your brother, any of these can be muses! In fact, all of them and everything are muses, except for lions - its because of this that non lions can not hold 'ranks' within the pride, aside that of 'Muse'.

This means that abstract concepts say like "Happiness" or "Myths" can not be muses. They must be natural things, like the "Wind" or the "Trees" or the "Crickets".

This also means that things manufactured by lions can NOT be muses - A "Pearl necklace" may not be a muse, but a "Pearl" may.

During cubhood, the new pride member is expected to take a look about the world around them and listen to the voices of the muses that live in all things. Eventually, one muse will claim the cub as its own. The cub will announce this claim to its pride members, along with the muse that it belongs to. From that point on, the cub will spend its life learning as much as it can from its muse.

The Kizingo'zaa believe that all muses are perfect, for what they are. Lions are muses that are imperfect -muses that have, for whatever reason, become corrupted and must take a new form in order to shed their corruption. However, their fellow muses do want them back, and will try to help them to find their way by providing teachers from whatever Muse the lion's soul was originally from. ((Example: A cub is chosen by the Ocean, therefore her soul must be a part of the Ocean)) Upon death, a lion's soul joins with it's muse and it is believed the teach and help the new generations as they come.

Sometimes, lions have a harder time being claimed by a muse, and it is not unheard of, or uncommon for adults to still search for where they belong, spiritually. Some adults take a while to find their muse, and once they do, they are celebrated!

Stories

Beyond the Muses, the stories the Pride tells are also held in highest esteem. This is slightly hard to follow, even for Pride members, as everyone is allowed to tell their own versions of the stories, and even make up stories. Any and all versions are considered valid, though most members will tell the version the King decides upon. With the changing of a king, the version is likey to change a small degree.

Certain exceptions are made about this 'rule'. The only two that no one is allowed to change are the story of how Kizingo'zaa came to be, and a story that dates even further back, to how the Kizingo'zaa way of life was first formed.


Color

Kizingo'zaa lions are not color-biased at all, and welcome anyone within their lands. However, they do seem to think that blue eyed lions are 'blessed' by the Mother (Muhali - whom they do not know by name or Domain, merely by the name 'Mother'), for she too, has blue eyes.


Non-lions and Hybrids

Kizingo'zaa lions are also not species-biased, and while only lions can ever be 'full members' of the pride with social ranks, all other species are welcomed into their land, and can hold the rank of 'Muse'.

The breeding between a lion and 'Muse' is not looked down upon (at the same time it's not encouraged) and will always produce what the Kizaa think of as 'Halfling'. Halflings are considered to be 'full members' of the pride and can have normal titles, as they are half lion, and thus, can never be a Muse.

Mating and Breeding

The Kizaa are extremely liberal with their love and how they view others. No type of pairing is frowned upon within the territory so long all participants are within an appropiate age to concent to it. Some lions take on life mates, and their union is binding to them, while others are far more open with their love and who they share it with - the Golden Rule seems to hold within Kizaa affairs, in that lions try not to actively hurt one another. They live and let live.

This means cubs are often bred out of wedlock, or to single parents, with Rogues as partners from one night stands - these cubs are in no way shunned, nor are the parents, be them mothers or fathers, looked down upon. Often time, if the parent needs help, the Nannies will step in. Many of the cubs born are often raised as a bit of a comunal effort.

In OOC terms, this all means that Kizaa members are allowed to Mix and Match, or breed with Rogues, so long as their Memberlist post is up to date and their certs are up to date!

 

[KizingoZaa II]

Kiza rituals are separated into two categories - ceremonies and celebrations. Ceremonies are typically smaller than celebrations and revolve around a major event in the life of a pride member. Festivals are much larger and are typically celebrations that the entire pride partakes in.


Ceremonies

Initiation Ceremony - Initiation ceremonies are official initiations into Kiza society, celebrated by members of various ages depending upon when their muse officially 'names' them. These are most often done when a member is a juvenile or adolescent (they can, however, be done earlier or later) and it's not uncommon for cubs from a litter to hold their Initiations at the same time. They involve the individual officially pronouncing their muse and officially changing their name, so they can not have a ceremony until they have acquired both. These don't always include all members of the pride, unless the individual is of a high social standing, but either the Story or Song Keeper are usually in attendance to make it official (in some cases, it may simply be an heir to either position if the chosen heirs are old enough). If an individual never has an Initiation, they are never considered an adult within society and consequently may not breed. (OOCly, you do not have to officially RP this ceremony, but if you don't change their name they aren't going to be breeding inside the pride.)

For the celebration of the Initiation itself, the individual is dressed up in crowns and necklaces of shells and various flora. At the beginning of the ceremony, marked by the sunset, they will make an official statement of their new name and the muse that has claimed them. Then, the festivities will begin with a small feast, dancing, story telling, and singing that usually lasts through the night until the dawn of the next day which is seen as the official beginning of the individual's new life.

Death Ceremony - Opposite of the Initiation Ceremony is the Death Ceremony, which marks the end of a member's life. When a member is dying, they retreat to a great cave that is secluded from the rest of the pride. There are members called Ushers whose sole purpose is to watch over these dying members in their last days and are the only members aside from the dying that are permitted to enter the Death Cave. Ushers are also responsible for moving the bodies of those that died before they could reach the cave to it so that they can be in their proper resting place. Once a pride member has passed, an Usher will take a piece of their muse (or in the case of a muse that can not be touched, something that represents it) and press it to the heart of the deceased member so that their soul may join their muse. Then, once they are confident the soul of the member has moved on, the Ushers will leave the cave and begin a procession down to the shoreline. Along the way, any member they pass is expected to fall in line behind the Ushers that lead the way, but all must go in silence so that they do not distract the soul of the spirit from their muse. Once the Usher reaches the shoreline, he or she will toss the piece of that muse into the ocean so that it may return to the world beyond with the soul of the deceased pride member.

Following this, family of the deceased will often hold a small feast and celebration of the member's life, for dying is not meant to be a sad time. Rather, the deceased have returned to their muse and it is a time of celebration.


Festivals

Festival of Souls (March) - The Festival of Souls occurs on or near the Autumn Solstice. As it's name suggests, it is a celebration of souls, and more importantly a day to remember those that have died. It is somewhat minor in comparison to the summer or winter festivals, but is still an important part of their lives.

During the day, members of the pride scavenge to find the best representations of their own muses. At the beginning of sunset, they all gather at a specified point on shore with their sacrifices in hand (figuratively). At a cue from the Song Keeper, they begin to walk down the shore line, singing a song led by the Song Keeper. Many of them may dance, though some may simply walk. This continues until the sun sets beyond the horizon and the night has fully descended, at which point they cease their songs and dancing. The Story Keeper will step forward and toss his/her muse's sacrifice into the ocean, at which point the rest of the pride will follow suit. At the end of this long procession, they will feast. There have been many stories where pride members claim to have seen family members that have passed on, singing and dancing with the rest of the pride, ghostly spirits returned for one night to be with those they left behind.

The Longest Night (June) - The Longest Night is also known as the Winter Solstice. It is a celebration of the dry Winter passing and the plentiful months that will soon be coming. The most important part of it is the Shining Queen, who represents the sun.

In the days before the Longest night, the Story Keeper and the Song Keeper will choose a 'Shadowed Hag'. This will often be a young female among the pride that is an exceptional story teller. She is chosen in secret, and expected to keep her silence until the night of the celebration. On the day before the celebration, she will be taken away to a secret cave by the Ushers, who will cover her in drapes of seaweed and leaves in an attempt to make her look as scraggly and wretched as possible. When the sun sets, the Shining King will announce the beginning of activities, and the pride will commence dancing and singing well into the night. When it reaches midnight, the Ushers will let the Shadowed Hag out of the cave and send her to the rest of the pride. Along the way, she will do her best to appear old and haggard. When she reaches the pride, the Shining King will approach her and remove all of her 'rags', renewing her and relinquishing his 'rule' to her. For the rest of the night, she will rule the festivities, and is a good omen until the next Shining King is chosen.

Festival of Growth (September) - The Festival of Growth occurs during the spring equinox and is a celebration of the beginning of the rains. The rains during this time are just beginning, the growth back on the savanna is very light, and the herds are only just beginning to return - but it marks the end of the dry winter. On the shore, the Kiza pride is affected less than many others during the Winter months, but they are always pleased when their resources are once again plentiful.

This, like the Festival of Souls, is considered minor in comparison to the Midsummer and Long Night Festivals, but it is one that is greatly enjoyed by the younger members of the pride. Marked by feasts (of what little has returned to the lands), singing, dancing and typical Kiza festivities, it may appear at first to be nothing more than a typical celebration in the pride. However, this is a celebration that is catered more towards the younger generation of the pride. Cubs take part in pride-wide games set up by their elders and adolescents spend much of the festival flirting with potential mates (with parents keeping an eye out for good matches to encourage).

Midsummer Festival (December) - Also known as the summer solstice, the midsummer festival is the celebration of summer, occurring in December. Many of the pride's meals come from hunting parties that venture past the jungle and onto the savanna, and even the further reaches of their jungle depends on the wet season that the summer provides. Thus, Midsummer is a celebration of thankfulness and a recognition that the days of plenty are coming to an end.

The Midsummer Festival is extravagant, spanning over a three day's time. Each day there are feasts, dancing, singing, and story telling like many of the pride's other celebrations but there are, as well, things that make the Midsummer festival uniquely it's own. When the sun sets on the first day of the festival, all interested young adolescent males gather and proclaim they are competing to be the 'Shining King'. The rest of the night and the second day, they will compete with one another by attempting to sing, dance, or tell stories better than their competition. On the dawn of the third day, the Story Keeper and the Song Keeper will announce the Shining King, who will then be the center of the festivities for the rest of the Midsummer Festival. He will be adorned with crowns and necklaces of flowers and bones, representing the abundance of resources in the pride, and will become a temporary king to the pride. However, his 'rule' is seen as something almost comical. He can not change any laws within the pride, but he can make up new, amusing ones that his followers must abide - such as walking backwards the entire day, or hopping wherever they go. When the sun sets on the third day, the festival is over, as is the Shining King's reign over the pride. However, he has an important role to play on the Longest Night Festival, and is often seen as a good omen among pride members until the Shining Queen is chosen.

 

[KizingoZaa II]

 

[KizingoZaa II]

 

[KizingoZaa II]