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 Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:06 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:07 pm
Ranks
Classes
The pride is made up of five classes, each determined by when the member was born and each entitled to different ranks.
The phases of the moon and their associated classes are as follows:
Full Moon - High Class
Waxing and Waning Gibbous - Upper-middle Class
First and Last Quarter - Middle Class
Waxing and Waning Crescent - Lower-middle Class
New Moon - Low Class
Ranks
King & Queen - High Class only - The social leaders of the pride, one is born into the position and the other is their chosen consort, having slightly less sway than their mate but still bearing a ruling title. They are both expected to be knowledgeable about all aspects of the pride, being responsible for keeping the peace and being able to competently step in should the Shaman or a Priest be absent. Their knowledge is limited by a lack of experience but they are trusted authorities on all aspects of pride life.
Heir - High Class only - The eldest high class child of the King & Queen, they are trained to be able to take the throne when the ruling monarch passes away or steps down. It is considered most fortunate when a female heir is born since her place cannot easily be taken from her. A male heir, because he must remain in the high class, is often subject to an arranged marriage.
Princes, Princesses - High Class only - Other children of the King & Queen, similar to the Lord and Lady ranks. While it may be given to every child of the ruling pair, if the cubs are not in the high class, they lose the rank at adolescence. Under special circumstances, Upper-middle Class children may be allowed to keep this title.
Shaman - High Class, Female only - The religious leader of the pride, the shaman is considered the most direct link they have to the Great Lion. She is the primary authority on all religious knowledge and tradition in the pride and she is a knowledgeable herbalist. Because of this, she directs the majority of religious ceremonies even if her apparent place is on the sidelines. She is the only lion within the pride with the power to initiate new pride members, often having a final say in the judgement of a rogue's intentions and sincerity.
Priests - High and Upper-middle Classes only - There are four types of priests and each is responsible for a specific tradition or task. The types of priests are as follows:
Midwife - Exclusively female, this priest is responsible for attending to the birth of new pride members. Her job is to draw the attention of the Great Lion to the new cubs and to act as a reliable observer of the class they are born into. Whenever possible, there are two so that chances of finding one when needed are better.
Nurse - This priest is responsible for the safety and well-being of new members as they are being initiated. She works closely with the shaman, often training with her, and is knowledgeable on the possible complications that may arise during initiation. She is also the first priest to officially welcome new members into the pride when they awake.
Host - This priest is responsible for many traditional ceremonies, ranging from the New Moon ceremony once every four weeks to the Coming of Age ceremony welcoming adolescents into their proper classes and adulthood. They are often guided by the shaman, though they are the active leader of the majority of ceremonies.
Historian - This priest is responsible for knowing the name and rank of every member of the pride as part of a system designed to help make sure everybody stays in line with tradition. They tend to have excellent memories and know a great deal about the pride as a whole and what it has gone through. There are always two Historians and they are the most likely to take on apprentices.
Apprentices - The shaman always has an active apprentice, no exceptions. It is common for priests to take on apprentices if their work load is heavy or they are approaching a time where they may step down or retire.
Lords, Ladies - High Class only - Any member of the high class that does not wish to take on any responsibility for the pride as a whole. Their strong connection to the Great Lion allows them this luxury. It is also an honorary title given to retired priests, regardless of class.
Head Guard - Middle Class or higher - The leader of the Guards, he is responsible for organizing patrols, gathering together the guards when necessary and making sure they are all doing their jobs.
Guard - Middle Class or higher - Responsible for keeping the pride safe, there are always guards on patrol around the borders. They are the first to respond when the pride is threatened and are often responsible for keeping an eye on slaves or unruly pride members.
Rogue Guard - A special rank of guard that is responsible for accompanying the Nurse Priest when a newly initiated member is likely to wake as a slave under a new moon. They may also be employed to keep an eye on new members as they wait for the full moon to arrive so they may be initiated.
Royal Nanny - A special rank of guard that is responsible for making sure that the cubs of the King and Queen are kept safe and in line when their parents are not around. Their primary focus is often the heir and when times are safe, there is often no call for a guard to take on this responsibility.
Head Hunter - Middle Class or higher - The leader of the Hunters, she is responsible for organizing the hunting parties, making sure everybody is doing their job and making sure food is distributed appropriately.
Hunter, Huntress - Lower-middle Class or higher - Responsible for keeping the pride fed, they hunt and distribute the food appropriately.
Youth - Any Class - The default rank for cubs and juveniles, they are responsible for nothing except learning the ways of the pride. They are typically treated equally, regardless of class, until they reach adolescence, when they are welcomed into their proper class and take a rank.
Slaves - Low Class only - The lowest rank in the pride, these are lions born with no spiritual protection from the Great Lion. They are expected to participate in hunts as common hunters but may also be employed for specific tasks by individual lions within the pride. By serving higher ranking lions, they earn the physical protection of the pride and share in the favor of their superiors. They are generally not mistreated if they behave appropriately and needless abuse of slaves is not tolerated.
Royal Guards - Event Only - A special rank for members of the low class started by King Shangyue early in his reign. These lions serve the Monarch directly, protecting him and, when necessary, performing morally questionable tasks that might threaten the ruler's spiritual status should he do them himself. By using their low spiritual status to benefit the Monarch, their social status is considered to be the highest of non-ruling lions. Males may take this rank but to keep it they must remain in the Low Class.
Hierarchy
Monarch (Social Leader, by birth), Shaman (Religious Leader, chosen)
Monarch's Consort (bears ruling title, has slightly less authority)
Royal Guards
Nobles (entire High Class), Priests (Religious nobility regardless of social class)
Hunters, Guards (all classes, including Heads)
Youth (all classes, take true class and place in hierarchy at adol)
Slaves
Religious standing always comes before social standing except in the case of Royal Guards.
Because Priests serve the Great Lion directly, all are as good as High Class, even those in the Upper-middle. On the other hand, the Head Hunter and Head Guard have authority in their respective fields but still must exercise caution and respect in dealing with higher classes because their work is entirely social.
Monarchs, while technically filling a mainly social role, are the only exception. They are traditionally a favorite of the Great Lion and play a big part in enforcing religious rules, rites and traditions.
NEW Royal Guards work under direct order from the Monarch and are specifically used as a force that is not hindered by the watchful eye of the Great Lion. They are frequently involved in shady doings and getting in their way is extremely risky, because of this they are seen and treated as the highest ranking non-ruling lions in the pride.
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