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 Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:51 am
As the days continue on, the water crisis seems far from letting up.
But there's an old saying about bad things following one another...
Quote: Hours passed, and no one from the outside had come.
Not only was this highly unusual- but no one sent out after Hraga had returned either. No word of where the regents were, and no word of where the patrols had gone. After the incident with the Hongshan, more than a few lions were starting to put the pieces together and assume the two incidents were related. But what was happening? How had there been such a break down of communication between the two sides?
After the new group of Hongshan were brought to the red quarter and properly segregated, the lions who remained on as guard detail were none too short on their own theories. Tarsa in particular had been rather vocal about the gloom and doom of the situation. The more level headed lions did their best to police the volatile crowd, but it was clear after so many hours that something would need to be done.
But not everyone was in a panic.
Although she was not technically a guard, one of the lionesses who had seemingly appeared out of the blue to observe the situation was Elcca. She wasn't a lioness many in the pride would know much about- she hadn't even yet been in the desert a month. In the eyes of the pride, she was barely firekin yet. Which suit her just fine, she wasn't here to play soldier.
Her eyes were on Miah. And if anyone could match the monstrous looking lion's chilly, almost smug facade, it was Elcca. Things wouldn't end well for this one, you didn't need to be a seer to figure that out. But there was a familiarity. Where had she seen this one before? Curiosities delighted her like a puzzle. A northern lion, eh? "Seems you've been caught in your own net," the lioness mused in the northern language she found mostly tasteless.
The monstrous looking lion simply reclined beneath the shadows of the rock. "We shall see," he breathed.
"Sooner than you'd think," the red lioness spoke. Almost on cue, a roar sounded from outside the rock walls that lined the pride. The first group from the outside was returning. 
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:03 am
 SUPSUP, and welcome to another firekin event!
Wait! We've been here before, haven't we?! Because the last thread was so active, we decided to split it into two parts! If you are curious as to what happened previously, please check out: Crisis Management.
However, if you were not apart of the past RP please do not feel like you are not welcomed. <33 You are free to join this RP at any time you wish.
But if you are very lazy:
PREVIOUSLY:
The regents were busy with an incident down at the Southern guardpost, leaving the intrepid individuals back at the pride to try and solve a sticky situation. A group of Hongshan arrived at the pride, new escapees from Nergui captivity. At first the pride was relieved to see more survivors... that is, until one of the Hongshan accused the leader of the group of being a Nergui spy.
A fact which seems harder and harder to disprove the more cryptic the strange lion becomes. To make matters worse, some firekin are starting to feel that the Hongshan may not be worth all this drama amidst the water crisis.
Now, hours have passed and no one has been heard from that was apart of the Southern guard post incident...
A recap of the Hongshan who have just arrived
- Isifo: Isifo is your typical Hongshan. He's a strong, brute fighter who uses his muscle mass to win fights. He's confident, and though friendly around fellow Hongshan, his poor understanding of common tongue may make him appear quiet. His one weakness is the ladies. While he isn't nervous around them, he has a hard time assuming a female lioness is in the wrong. He'll be the first to defend them regardless of the evidence.
- Ukuba: Ukuba is very intelligent, and although he values physical strength like the rest of the Hongshan, he in particular values intelligence just as highly. As a result, he's often seen as calculating. He's particularly protective of his brother, Isifo.
- Tswana: When the Nergui invaded, Tswana stayed behind to try and rescue her sister's two cubs. Unfortunately, she was captured and the children murdered. She made several escape attempts during her time with the Nergui, but was always kept alive.
- Thabiti'lengo: Once a strong lion who tried to escape with Nawvlee, but unfortunately caught by the Nergui. Beaten and broken, Thabiti's strength faded slowly but his focus to keep his kinsman safe was always strong. After the escape, he continues to not entirely trust Miah's motives.
- Sjari : Sjari lost his twin brother during the initial fight. Ever since the experience, he's spoken very little. The Nergui were particularly harsh on him, but no one could figure out why.
- Zheva [NPC]: An older lioness who served as one of the pride's medics. When the Nergui took over the pride, she was forced to treat the enemy's wounds.
- Miah: A mysterious lion who assisted in the Hongshan's escape. Although he was not apart of the pride, the group has looked to him as a leader. Through his cunning, they've been able to escape the Nergui lands. Quote: Rules:
@@@@ 1. Only accepted firekin members and Hongshan may post in this RP. However, newbies may make non-SOA NPC animals, such as lizards, mice, or other desert creatures to witness.
@@@@2. If you own a leadership character already, you are welcome to try and intervene and control the situation. The only characters officially not around are No and Kidondo.
@@@@3. That said, while this RP is about a situation unfolding, try not to godmode. This doesn't mean you can't start scuffles, but preferably PM the person you intend to this to beforehand to get their ok.
@@@@4. There may be some random dice rolling events. In the case of these, they'll come with their own dice game.
But what about prizes!
During the event we'll be given out two prizes. The first is a lovely firekin girl, rehomed to us by F a y t h - x! At the end of the event, there will be a raffle of all posts to determine who the winner is.
The second prize is a plot relevant lioness named Zheva! As one of the Hongshan group, she'll be given out or raffled in some fashion during the RP based on the activity and what fits the situation. If you win her, you'll receive a PM with some information on her character.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:06 am
 Quote: Where the wavering horizon had been empty, there were now dark shapes silhouetted against the cloudless sky. Lions approached. And one of those was Regent Kidondo.
He moved slowly but surely, each step solid and steadfast. The expression on his face was kept carefully neutral even as he struggled to support the weight of his wounded grandson, Nur'yu, against him. The regent had had a great deal of practise at keeping calm in the face of danger, but this latest incident had been a challenge even for him. Kidondo was, for the most part, a wise, diplomatic sort of leader but he was also one of the Blood and the fire had been bred into him no matter how slow it was to take hold. He was not one to lose control of his anger or launch into a tirade at a moment's notice, but a glance into his eyes would have confirmed his fury. The anger was there as clear as if he had been snarling and bristling and perhaps it was all the more dangerous for being kept locked inside.
The lion paused in step to throw a swift glance over his shoulder at the others. Some were ahead, others lagged behind, but they were close enough that they could be at one another's side in a moment's notice. "We are almost there." His voice was gruff despite his attempt at raising spirits and Nur'yu's weight seemed to suddenly bear down more heavily against him. "Don't give up on me now." Kidondo warned his young relation, giving him a forceful shove to snap him out of his daze.
"I-I--uh..." The young, dark lion faltered and then fell silent, too tired and weak to make any further attempt at communication.
Thankfully, not all were so wounded as the young Watcher. Some of them were completely unharmed - mostly those who had arrived to chase off the intruders. Others had not escaped so unscathed and the injuries varied from minor scratches to deeper more life-threatening gashes.
Nur'yu had been one of the unlucky ones.
"Look lively! We're almost back and I don't want anyone falling behind." He toned the words as an order in an attempt to encourage them on and then moved on again.
Already, some members of the pride were moving towards them.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:32 am
Another lion limped not more than a few paces behind the regent and his grandson. To be honest, Yayuka could be worse off. He had shallow scratches all over his body, a significant chunk of his left ear was… absent, someone had given his paw a very nice, strong chomp, that left him wondering whether or not it would ever be the same. There was also a fairly deep gash on his right side, and it still bled, but he figured he would live. As long as they didn’t get attacked again. In which case, yes, he might die.
But that was unlikely, the other group had arrived and saved them, and now any other ambush seemed extremely unlikely. Not to mention, they were all limping closer and closer to the central pride lands. The gray lion hadn’t been with the firekin for very long, really, and hadn’t expected to get this much excitement so soon. He hadn’t even known about the drought when he first came to them, or the Hongshan, and at first had felt slightly overwhelmed.
Strangely enough, the fight had actually chased such feelings away. He had fought alongside his new brothers and sisters, could have died with them, and that somehow made him feel more at home. This wasn’t to say he was at all happy, but at least he could be furious along with the firekin. He continued along behind Kidondo and his grandson, and quietly feared for the younger lion’s life. Though Yayuka, too, was injured, he was prepared to help the Regent with Nur’yu, should the black lion stumble.
We’re almost back, Kidondo said, and Yayuka almost sighed in relief. Good. He tried to speed up a little, though the mangled paw made this look somewhat stupid, to get a better look at what was ahead.
-
Though the group of Hongshan hadn’t proved quite as exciting as Kalama hoped, she had stuck around, watching them from a distance. They were still quite boring, but she had hope something would happen.
And then something did happen, but it initially didn’t appear related to the Hongshan. Initially. Someone roared, and Kalama was quick to procure a vantage point to see the returning lions. Once she saw them, she was also quick to notice something was wrong. They weren’t… walking right. The returning lions were still a certain distance away, but she could see that some appeared to be limping. Some seemed to stumble. “There has been a fight!” She shouted to the other firekin behind her, still with the Hongshan, then promptly charged ahead to meet the incoming group.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:40 am
Trailing behind Kidondo, Shula walked with a very pronounced limp. Ears back, she refused Kosuke's help, determined to get back on her own paws. Her own anger was evident, but not so much at the attackers, but at herself. She was one of the most nimble Firekin in the desert, how could she have been bested by some sneaky desert rats? Quietly, she cursed herself.Kosuke himself bore a few scrapes, but none too bad. A tracker though he was, he was still a fierce warrior. He held his head up, own ears back as he glared at nothing in particular. His mind was too busy going over everything that had happened, why it had happened... And how he'd managed to not see this coming. He let out a quiet huff, before looking back at the others, making certain they were still following.Bringing up the back of the whole group was Singh. Most of his injuries had been relegated to his back and chunks of ripped-out mane, but there were even a few to his face from fighting back. He'd been in the initial group at the outpost, wanting to learn more about the pride while there, when the mysterious group had attacked. Now, his mind was on all the injuries, and his desire to start patching lions up was beginning to take over any desire to get his on back patched up. He'd have to find a lot of skins and the like... Maybe there were some rabbits hanging around he could catch, tricky little things that they were.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:36 am
Ute hadn't left her guard post since the strangers had arrived. She did n't trust half the folk that showed up to gawk at the crowd not long ago; and had strange feelings about some of these Hogoshan. She sat observing them; knowing that eventually the regents would come and things would be alright again. Right? One could only be hopeful.
Her blue eyes gazed at the strangers; as she lay with paws crossed in front of her; she was pretty relaxed. She figured that no one would start anything... not with so many firekin ready to chew on their tails. She coughed, rubbing her nose with her paw. Damn sand; it was so dry out here. She licked her lips and sat up; though not to get water-just to distract herself. She gazed over towards where the red lioness and the strange black one spoke to one another. Her eyes narrowed at Miah.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:16 am
While she was no guard, Nuria found herself unable to leave the vicinity of these strangers. There was something off about all of them, especially the cryptic skull-marked male...and between that and the continued absence of their Regents, it had the red lioness edgy. She paced back and forth, tail flicking up the occasional bit of sand in its irritable twitching as she kept a wary eye on both stranger and restless Firekin, until--
--Until Kalama yelled, and Nuria surged forward as if she'd been loosed from a cannon. She was panting by the time she drew near, and paused a moment to catch the breath to speak. "Regent! How many are injured? Do any--" she paused, looked at Nur'yu, and amended her question, "How many are critical?" The worst ones would need to go to the medics first, any fool could tell that. Those that hadn't gone with the Regents--Nuria included--just needed to find out who the most badly injured were.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 9:54 am
Pacing in front of the Hongshan that had wandered in anew, Soleil listened to the lioness Elcca talked with this Miah fellow, trying to decipher their language. Nothing came of the effort. She was getting frustrated and testy. Initially, she didn't hear the roar. There were a lot of lions around, and any roar could easily be someone fighting or having a shouting match. But then she heard Kalama, and turned her gaze... She let out a gasp, then hurried over to Ute. "Ute, the Regents are returning!" She didn't wait much longer, tearing off across the sand toward the members of the pride how hadn't come to gawk. "THE REGENTS ARE BACK!"Keahilani rose to his paws, having taken on a more relaxing method of guarding. A frown spread across his maw, before he started to walk a few steps. Something was wrong. Unlike his sister, he hadn't missed the words about a fight. His paws began to move before he realized it, and soon he was heading across the sand, joining the others to meet the group. He said nothing, trusting others to voice the same concerns he was sure they all shared right now.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:12 am
Tswana frowned at the commotion. First a roar, then the firekin were rushing off! She made out the words of a red lioness, something about a fight. This could hardly be good. "Trara ek sruibra " There is trouble. She said, thought it seemed an obvious and unhelpful statement. "Wa kruird vravora kur o raocseum." We should prepare for a reaction. She was no fool. The past few hours had proved that the firekin were a judgmental, hot-tempered group, and some would probably be quick to blame her group. She wanted to inch away, and get a better look, but highly doubted those that guarded them would appreciate it.
The lioness sighed, they just couldn't get a break.
Moto'spaki had remained with the others to guard the group of Hongshan, and that lion, Miah. He didn't quite like the whole situation, but felt relatively calm. The white male hardly wanted to lose his temper with any of this.
Of course, news that some of the firekin had been attacked definitely dampened his mood. He scowled, watching a few that were with him run off. His first reflex was to do the same, and he made a small run for a vantage point. Now he could see the Regent drawing nearer, followed by others, and he too could tell there had been some damage. Still, he remained where he was. "Some of us should stay here." He turned to the rest, though his face, and the way his paw hovered over the floor made it clear he didn't want to. "And keep an eye on this lot." Moto'spaki motioned to the Hongshan. He said this only to be sure that not every firekin would rush off to meet Kidondo, because they still couldn't exactly trust this supposed group of Hongshan.
He remained up on his spot, from where he was still close enough to the Hongshan in case anything happened, but high enough to see the others returning.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:18 am
No was in a foul mood, however warranted it might have been. The group from the outside had about as many questions as they did injuries. And little did the black cat know- even more questions were waiting for them as they returned to the pride. Now was not a good time to be a lion on uncertain ground in the firekin!
With Kidondo tending to their grandson, No switched into the bitter rule of taskmaster. She was not a lioness afraid of becoming her mate's 'bad cop'. "Someone get Ea and the other medics down here," she snapped, her tail practically whipping behind her. She strode rather deliberately past the few lions who had rushed up to meet them, opting for the higher ground of a few scattered rocks.
Once she had ascended the rocks, she became even less agreeable. Perhaps the sight of everyone rushing around her like strange insects had really set in just how chaotic this situation had become. "There is no need for alarm," she warned dangerously. "Assit those coming in. There have been strangers at the borders, but we have driven them off. If you are able, the army will be reconfiguring to send more people out to the guardpost."
She had further worries, of course, but those were better off said once they had a more clearer view of the situation. What she didn't like was the already alarmed look on some of the faces that approached. She hadn't asked, but she could feel it like a heavy stone.
Something else had happened.
---
With the other firekin running off, Elcca held her ground. She looked down at Spaki from the spot she had been resting at. "I will remain. The others are fine enough without me," she mused, her bright eyes looking over the huddled Hongshan. They seemed to have no illusions about the situation either, which always won some sympathy for the occasionally frigid lioness. "I expect more should stay than not. These firekin will not be so pleased to hear that at the same time they were attacked, another group maneuvered itself into the pride."
Her eyes fell back on Miah, who was being held on another group of rocks in the Red Quarter. "Perhaps best he be moved until this situation breeds calmer minds."
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:00 am
A commotion had brought the attention of the majority of the pride. Amongst angry roars, raised voices, and the sounds of combat beyond the safety of the denning area of the lands, rumors and grumblings had reached even the heart of the pride. With Sinbad recovering from his cursed state, and requiring a good deal of supervision, Ali Baba had been reduced to the post of nanny. His father was hitting his prime and it was unfortunate that the lion had spent the last year completely outside of himself. Blubbering like a cub and apologizing to every member of the pride that he felt he'd once wronged. Ali was nearly outside of his own right mind in just observing his patron's extreme shift in behavior.
The rumors soon became too much for him to observe from the sidelines. Pulling aside Khurshid, he posted the younger lion as Sinbad's watcher while the younger Safi made his way to the boarders.
More outsiders... He sneered and made his way over to the more familiar form of his brother, Kosuke. By the looks of things, the confrontation had carved out a few fresh scars in the pelts of his companions. Rather than announce himself verbally, he brushed a shoulder against that of his brother and cleared his throat.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:48 am
Teketeza had been quite vocal in his dislike of the 'weaklings' known as the Hongshan. The way he saw it, if they were too weak to look after themselves, they certainly weren't worth taking into the Pride. Especially not when they were in the middle of a drought.
When the call went out that the Regents had returned, Teketeza frowned slightly. He planned on telling him exactly what he thought about the Pride's recent charity, but now that the time had come, he found himself somewhat reluctant. He had always had great respect for his Pride, its rulers and it's traditions. Especially the older ones, and even some of the disacarded ones that he only heard about in passing. Because of this, he wasn't exactly thrilled over the idea of sharing an opinion with the Regents that might not be shared. It had to be done though.
As he headed in the direction from which the announcement had come from, the sound of anger and discontent grew louder. When his eyes finally found Kidondo, they simply blinked in disbelief. They had been attacked? By who? Teketeza snarled as he quickly came to a conclusion; this had something to do with the Hongshan.Hratchouhi had been out with a hunting party when they came across the group of injured Firekin that were making their way back to the centre of the Pride. With a concerned look on her face, she peered over the various injuries that covered the bodies of many of her fellow Firekin. Although she wasn't the type to get upset easily, it did break her heart to see so many of her Pride mates in such a state.
"Does anyone need any help?" She called out, looking to see if anyone was struggling to make those last few steps towards where the rest of the Pride was gathering to meet them. "Anyone?" Hratchouhi sighed gently. They were all probably too proud to accept help, but that didn't stop her from offering.~~~ As much as the Firekin had been watching him and the other Hongshan, Ukuba had been watching them. Some had been quite welcoming, others had certainly not. Some were quite paranoid and cautious of them, others were quite sure in their abilities to deal with whatever concequences may arise from their presence. It was interesting to say the least.
As well as the Firekin, he had been watching Miah. If he really was of the Nergui, it would most likely haunt Ukuba for the rest of his life. It was very rare that he was ever wrong or incorrect, so for him to have failed so miserable in working out Miah's true identity, it would be almost unbearable. Still, he had to keep an open mind, and all he cared about at this point were those who he knew to be Hongshan. Whether they be from his own group or the group they had been reunited with in the Red Quarter.
When word of a problem got back to the Firekin that were guarding them, Ukuba got up from where he was lay. He moved over to the red Firekin who had been addressing Miah. "What is wrong?" He knew that something was, but he was unsure if the Firekin was going to tell him. Whatever it was, from all the commotion, it can't have been good.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:59 am
Morag limped along behind the regent and his grandson, keeping herself carefully separate from Kosuke and the female he supported. He might have been her father, but she wasn't certain what to make of him any more, and cared little for getting involved with him now when she felt so vulnerable.
With her head lowered and tilted, she struggled to draw attention away from the bloody mess that was the left side of her face. The fire that burned down that side of her body made it hard to really know how bad the damage was... though she suspected it was pretty bad since half her vision was black.
She hated feeling useless, wounded... she'd made a good account of herself, even if she hadn't trained as a soldier. She'd heard the yells, out hunting on her own, and had rushed to defend the guard post. All had gone well, right up until one of the enemy had latched onto her cheek and, as far as she could tell, tried hard to rip her face off as claws cut into her shoulder and side.
Shaking off the pain as best she could, she slid to the side of the regent without asking permission and shoved his grandson farther up his shoulder with her good one before she slid away again, finding another failing body to push back to its paws.
"Not far now..." She said, feeling the weariness herself.
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:19 pm
Well. That definitely wasn't a good sign--as if the wounded lions accompanying the Regents could be anything but a bad sign. Nuria's mouth thinned into a grim line, but she nodded silently and turned back the way she had come. Striding along at a ground-eating trot, she paced back into the pride, seeking to find and retrieve Ea and the other medics. First stop, the medical wards--sands help her, but she hoped the medics were there. She didn't need to waste time scouring the dens for them!
"Medics!" she bellowed as she neared the wards. "Time to move it--we have wounded!"
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:37 pm
Ute watched Nuria pacing back and forth and wondered if she (herself) was being to calm about this... She didn't know what to say to her comrade to help calm her nerves; didn't seem anything was going to help until her grandparents arrived back. She settled herself again, sighing to the sandy wind.
Suddenly Nuria seemed to be struck by lightening and Ute's eyes shot open and she watched the lioness run to... Oh thank the gods... her grandparents. She smiled, glad that they were home; though it seemed as though things did not go well on their part. She felt a bit of panic surge through her and she looked to the Hogoshan near her. "The regents return." She said to whom ever it was; she hadn't really connected names with faces yet. She hoped that this had nothing to do with these hogoshans; the new ones. She stood up, watching the commotion but not leaving her post.
Her blue eyes watched Teketeza's grey form moving towards them and she got a stern look on her face and stood with chest proud
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