[OOC] Jini-msemi Pride Information [OOC]

[Meepfur]

The Great Mountain

The new home of the Jini-misemi is an immense mountain - hence "The Great Mountain" - that lies just outside Ela'wadiyi territory. At its base, the mountain is grassy and lush with vegetation, an ideal territory to inhabit. As one travels further up the mountain, the landscape gradually changes, transitioning from thriving greenery to a much sparser environment where only very hardy grasses and trees grow, and where there is snow some of the year. At the peak of the mountain, there is always snow regardless of the time of year, but it is difficult, impractical, and dangerous to climb to such a high altitude.*

The mountain is dotted here and there with caves of varying sizes, although they are not used as dens for lions to live in. Other things live in there! And even if they didn't, there wouldn't be enough for everyone. The only cave any portion of the pride occupies is a large one near the base of the mountain, for use by the ruler and their family. The other, smaller caves are used only as birthing dens. The only other cave of note is one much higher up the mountain, even larger than the royal den and designated as the burial place for the Jini-misemi's dead. Obviously, this is not a pleasant place to be if anyone has passed away recently (ew, decay), and for both practical and respectful reasons is generally considered off-limits.

Pride territory also includes some of the mountain's foothills, and does spill over onto neighboring mountains somewhat. The pride will live primarily in the lower areas, as the land is richer there, but will ascend a bit higher in the warmer months to escape the heat. Their main water source is the river that begins in the mountains and flows down into Ela'wadiyi territory, although there are springs and streams here and there.

*No, your lion may not climb to the top. Seriously.

The Jini-msemi ('Spirit-talker') Pride
[Note: Collectively known as the Jini-misemi, plural; Jini-msemi is singular.]

[x] History:
The Jini-misemi were an old pride that kept mostly to themselves, and others kept mostly away -- their ritual mystic traditions often viewed as superstitious by outsiders and the selfmade (and perpetuated and believed) rumors that they could talk to spirits had most others skirting around the pride's Swampland home. But provided the rare wanderer through the heart of the territory (the actual swamp, of course) minded their own business, they'd (probably) be left alone, unless some mischief-minded Spirit-talker felt the need to reinforce the illusion that the swamp is haunted.

The original pride itself descended from the Goddess of Swamps (Mama Bwawa), daughter of the Water God (Tamu'dhihaka) and Earth Goddess (Ardhi-hai). As would follow, this mother goddess of theirs is also their patron, and was often a meddling one. She was quite happy to bolster their beliefs that they can at least sometimes talk to or see spirits, or even have visions -- of course, she was behind them all.

But some years ago, something angered the goddess greatly (something, perhaps, to do with the Consort at the time, Hidaya'malaika), and possibly with the help of her father the water god, the swamp goddess caused a great and sudden flood to sweep through the swamp, killing most of the pride, who had little time to escape.

At this point, the only known survivors were two of Imara'moyo's daughters, as well as two of his granddaughters, and his sister, Kimulimuli.

One of those granddaughters, Asali'jua, eventually returned to her home with a small troupe of rogues with the intention of rebuilding the pride, relying on her second sight to revive the traditions of the pride by peering into the past and watching them play out. Since then, she has borne three litters with her Consort, Jabali, and helped to raise his nieces and nephews, the children of his brother Matope and the lioness Sehani. Another pair of lions soon came to the swamp as well - Kikawaida, born of the swamp, and her mate, Umo.

Eventually, Matope disappeared and Sehani dispersed. Umo and Kikawaida birthed and raised one cub, Kinamasi, before Umo witnessed the birth of their second litter and the couple fled with their cubs to spare them the wrath of the spirits - and of Asali'jua - for breaking pride law. For while the Queen was a good ruler, with a good heart, she held unwaveringly to the beliefs and traditions of her ancestors. She would not have hesitated to do what was best for her pride, even if it meant killing cubs - either because, as Kikawaida and Umo's, sacred traditions have been broken, or because they were hybrids. The seer-Queen would even have dispatched one of her own children, if she'd seen for them a future of evil. Still, though zealous, she was a loving mother and caring queen.

After the re-founding of the pride, Mama Bwawa started hanging around more openly, although she did not reveal that she was the 'spirits,' and the connection will not be made. Asali'jua reigned as beloved Queen for years before finally passing away and leaving her son Narindima'moyo as the hesitant new King. Soon after, the spirits fell silent and Mama Bwawa disappeared.

Nari took a supposed daughter of the goddess, Piliroho kwa Kwini, as his Consort, and the pride continued to thrive...for a time. After group of rogues and descendants of other surviving Jini-misemi was adopted into the pride, lions began to turn up dead. There was a murderer in their midst! The traitor was eventually discovered by another former rogue, Domevlo, to be Mysmyr; it was than that a resurrected Asali'jua returned to the swamps and executed Mysmyr by turning him into a toad and eating him. Mama Bwawa had given up her power to save the Queen, and she was Piliroho kwa Kwini.

The Spirit-talkers drew in on themselves, allowing no newcomers save for mates brought home by members returning from their pilgrimages. Peace, prosperity, and the spirits returned - as did one of Nari and Pili's children, Jhonki-sahna, with a mate from the roguelands. The King stepped down in favor of his son, and retreated from the attention of the pride. All seemed well, and it wasn't long before the Jini-misemi celebrated the arrival of a royal litter. But then came one of Jhonki-sahna's sisters, calling herself La'u Khara'i - Bringer of Truth - to expose the truth about his mate, Be-khatra: that she was of hybrid blood. The King and his family were exiled, and La'u Khara'i replaced him as Queen. Confident that her abilities as a seer would help to keep the pride safe, she reopened joining to those who found themselves called to the swamps, had a litter of children, and eventually took a Consort.

All was well...until drought came, and lightning struck the dried-out swamp and caused a wildfire that drove the swampies from their home. Deeming the lands unlivable, Khara led her pride to the land of her paternal great-grandfather, the mountain once called home by two divided factions of what had been the Ardhi-bedui, which had been split into opposing followers of the Sun and Moon gods (who were also half-brothers of Mama Bwawa) before dying out. On their way to their new home, they encountered their longtime neighbors, the Ela'wadiyi, and struck a truce with them, spending the better part of a month as refugees in their lands.

Now they've reached the Great Mountain, and will have to adapt to a very different environment than what they're used to.

[x] Religion:
The Jini-misemi believe that there are spirits, called 'vijini' ('jini' is singular), all around them. They are everywhere, in everything; they do many things. They encourage the wind, stir the currents; they are the dance in the flames and the life in the growing things. According to their beliefs, when the gods perform their works, it is the vijini they command to accomplish it. If a god commands vijini to do something, if it is in that particular god's domain to give that command and have it be heeded, the vijini must do it; it is not a choice. It is simply the natural order of things. Most vijini are capricious, unorganized beings, who lack the conviction and power to do truly powerful things. When a god directs them, it gives them purpose, and given that purpose by a greater being, they have no choice but to follow.

...so they believe, anyway. Just as they believe that they can and do communicate with spirits, and they hold them in great respect, believing in their power. They make requests of them, offering sacrifices of blood in return, either their own or that of other animals; it is possible for a lion to be used as a sacrifice, but this has not been done within anyone's memory.

While they respect all the gods, they hold their mother-goddess, the Swamp Goddess, in the highest esteem, and also hold Water and Earth in high regard. Their goddess takes great care in shaping her children's lives in the swamp. Her children call her, affectionately, Mama Asali (a combination of Mama Bwawa, the original goddess, and Asali'jua, the lioness who was raised to her station).
 

[Meepfur]

Rituals, Traditions, and Beliefs of the Jini-misemi

[x] Birth:
The sacred miracle of birth is an intensely private, exclusivley female domain. For this reason, the lioness chooses a den and secludes herself utterly; but she must also be careful to find a den with a relatively simple path back to the pride's main den.

A female may choose to tell her fellow lionesses where this den is, but she will keep it a carefully-guarded secret from any males - and this is something the males will respect. Males are strictly prohibited from witnessing the birth, and thereby profaning the sacred purity of the event. Other lionesses, however, may be present to assist, if necessary; but they must keep their mouths carefully shut once any cubs have entered the world. Children are to hear no words in the delicate, crucial time before they are given names, although humming and wordless songs do no harm, and are permitted.

Cubs remain in the den with their mother until the dawn after their eyes open, at which time they are shepherded outside and to the main den, where the pride waits for them. Here they will be presented and named.

See: [RP] Dawn Breaks for the Swamp`s Children

If the laws are broken, and a male witnesses the birth or sees the cubs before they are named, it is a dire misfortune. Cubs that would have been pure are now tainted, opened to the evils of the world before they have the protection of a name; they are bad omens incarnate, who carry ill luck with them wherever they go. For this reason, the pride must be rid of them - either by their deaths or by their exile. The mother, too, is considered tainted; while she is not the walking misfortune her cubs are, she carries the profanity inside her, and will give it to any further cubs she bears. For this reason, she too faces death or exile. As for the male, he has broken sacred law, and his punishment is to die or be forced to flee.

Due to the radically different, much less controllable circumstances surrounding a birth that might happen outside the pride (like a breeding/birth while a lioness is on their name quest), it is obviously impossible and unreasonable to expect that all traditions will be followed. In such cases, deviation from the norm is forgivable.

Important Note: Hybrids are viewed as abominations, and will be killed as soon as they're born, and the mother evicted.

[x] The Quest for a Name:
The name given a cub at birth is not intended to be a permanent one, which is why they are short with a simple meaning - a child's name, a baby name. This becomes the impetus for a fledgling Spirit-talker's coming-of-age rite, where they leave the swamps and go in search of their true name, the one they will carry for the rest of their lives.

This quest usually begins just as a child reaches adolescence - still young, but hopefully able to survive the journey ahead of them. A Noble of the pride will approach them while they are alone, and speak the words that will send them on their way (currently, this role is the Queen La'u Khara'i's).

While all Jini-msemi children know that one day they will be sent away on their naming-quest, the day itself comes with no prior warning.

See: [RP] Piece by piece, my heart...

See: [RP] He of the Roaring Heart

[x] Acceptance of an Outsider as Pride:
While the old pride used to border on xenophobic, the current one has no such luxury - they need a more diverse pride. Much of the pride is made up of relatives. While still suspicious, this simply means the pride is very selective. Provided potential new members satisfy her initially, they enter a trial period of no defined length.

When the Provisionary is ready and has accepted the traditions and religion of the pride, they will be given a new name and become a true Spirit-talker.

[x] The making of Suitors, Courtesans, and Consorts:
This is one of the few important pieces of Jini-msemi life that isn't ritualized or emphasized; it's the highly personal choice of the King or Queen. They may have only one Consort at a time, but as many Suitors or Courtesans as they care to have, and who are usually welcome, even encouraged, to jockey for the position of Consort. This involves no battle or test as one might expect, only the whim of the ruler.

[x] Succession:
Unlike most prides, the Jini-misemi do not hold to the tradition of primogeniture - that the firstborn of the ruler will be the one to succeed. Any child of the ruler could be the one to take the throne. Male or female, child of consort or courtesan/suitor or even outsider - it doesn't matter. If they are the child of the ruler, they are potential candidates for the throne - Scions. The Heir is chosen by the King or Queen only when they are ready to step down, or are dying, and announced to the pride.

If, somehow, the ruler passes on before naming an heir, appeals will be made to the spirits for guidance.

[x] Nobility:
The title of Noble belongs to all the littermates of the current King or Queen, and can also be bestowed upon the very old and wise, or those who have done the pride a great service. If the King or Queen chooses to step down rather than wait until their death to pass on leadership of the pride, they will become a Noble.

[x] Seers:
Swampies love seers! They hold no formal rank to set them apart, in part because there are quite a few in the pride, and being a seer isn't thought to be a full-time 'job.' They're otherwise ordinary lions with ordinary duties, who just happen to have visions from time to time. Seers are respected no matter what form their visions take; there is no bias against seers who see bad things. After all, it's good to have a warning when something's going to happen, isn't it?

[x] Death:
The Jini-misemi believe in reincarnation, and think that when a creature dies, their soul returns to the earth to rest and commune with it before returning to live again. They will not necessarily return as another Spirit-talker, or even as a lion - they do not believe it is possible to know one's past life, or recognize a reincarnated soul, as all memory is wiped clean by the earth before they are given a new life. However, without a proper funeral ceremony, their soul will be trapped, bound to walk the lands without living until someone shows it the way.

The ruler presides over funerals, which take place high on the mountain. A sacrifice is made over the body of the deceased, and the corpse taken into a large cavern that has been decided will be a sort of graveyard for the pride. Prior to their relocation, the Jini-misemi disposed of bodies in a river, but this tradition is now changing (after all, the Ela would probably rather not find the washed-up bodies of their neighbors). Funerals are also held for pilgrims who do not return, a year to the day after they were sent on their quest (there is no body, obviously, but a sacrifice is still performed and cast into the river). This is done largely as a precaution, in case they have died - the outside world is a dangerous place, after all! - as they don't want the lion to become a wandering ghost.

If it turns out they're alive after all, and return, there is no special ceremony...although everyone is probably really glad to see them!

See: [RP] To Conquer Death

[x] Punishment:
Those who breaks the laws of the Jini-misemi will be subject to one of two punishments: exile or execution. Execution is the punishment for murder or other violent crime. Exile is the most common punishment, and causes for exile include:

• A male witnessing the birth of cubs, or seeing them before they're presented. The male, mother, and cubs will all be exiled.
  
• Hybrid breeding. The mother will be exiled, but the cubs will not be spared.
  
• Renouncing/offending the spirits, pridal tradition, etc.

There are no specific rituals associated with either exile or execution.
 

[Meepfur]

The Rules, In Brief

[x] On Ceremonies:
Alright, here's the deal: Spirit-talker ceremonies are very important, and all pride members in the territory at the time they take place are there. Be it presentation of cubs, the return of a lion with their true name, a funeral, whatever, EVERYONE is present. They're incredibly important.

Of course, however, that kind of group RP can get very unwieldy and incredibly slow, as we all know. So rather than bog it down, chances are I will cut the RP itself down to the characters actively involved (the lioness and her cubs and the Queen, the Queen and the returning lion, etc.). Nonetheless, it is to be assumed that the rest of the pride is indeed present.

Similarly, whether there's much current active RP, I prefer it to be assumed that the pride is operating and interacting as normal, cubs are being taught the ways, etc.

[x] On Breeding:
Breed away, man! 8D Mated and rogue breedings are equally acceptable. Just get permission first.

Adolescent breeding is virtually non-existant, unless a lion joins as an adolescent - any lion born into the pride, or who enters it as a cub or juvenile, is sent on a name quest as soon as they hit adolescence. As such, the only lions allowed to breed onto the lineart are those who have returned - as in, they are officially no longer 'Pilgrims' and have their full names (Provisionaries without their new names may breed, however, but only once before they have their new names). While you're free to breed your lion while they're out questing, the cubs will be on rogue lineart.

Obviously, joining just to breed and then leave is Not Cool. Do this and you will be blocked from joining ever again.

[x] On Hybrids:
By no means whatsoever is hybrid breeding permitted. If hybrid cubs are born, the ruler will kill them and run the mother out. If the mother was an unwilling victim, they will still have to leave, but it is not because the pride in angry with them, or because they are blamed. The taint that comes with things like hybrid breedings and other tradition breaks is best understood as something like a spiritual plague, if you will - whether you willfully did something knowing you would get it or it was an accident, you still have it.

As such, those who become tainted through some sort of accident/uncontrolled circumstance will usually just leave on their own, to keep the rest of the pride safe from them and the misfortune that is thought to follow them.

[x] On Names:
Cub names must be SHORT, ONE WORD NAMES. No exceptions. Adult names can be short or long, but they must have a meaning: no names that just sound cool/pretty/fit a cosplay and don't actually mean something.

[x] On Name Quests:
Unfortunately, I don't always have time to do all the sending-off and welcoming-back RPs, but this doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. Once your lion is an adol, they are sent away. Once they have a name, they come back and everyone is happy! Yaaaay happy. Just post in this thread for your lion to be back officially.

[x] On Cubnapping:
Absolutely not. End of story.

[x] On IC Rules:
Break the rules and your lion/ess will be punished, which sometimes includes being ejected from the pride. Also, don't stick your lion in here if it doesn't fit. 'lol, this spirit stuff is ridiculous!' etc. will get them punted. Seriously, this pride is paranoid about making the spirits or gods/goddesses angry. Disrespect will get you shown the door.  

[Meepfur]

The Tainted Ones: Exiles

Those who have broken Spirit-talker laws and been exiled can never return, nor are their descendants welcome. Lions who have been exiled are:

• Acha'macheleo, Meepfur
  
• Ardhi, Izzy Makani
  
• Be-khatra, Meepfur
  
• Buuk, Split Personality
  
• Chepe Chepe, tani duh!
  
• Gizamaji, Master Wild Mage
  
• Jhonki-sahna, Meepfur
  
• Jicho, Lithia_Brandon
  
• Kikawaida, Syrius Lionwing
  
• Lilo, Andranis
  
• Ramani, Ameh
  
• Sachin, samus x
  
• Sahauliwa, Meepfur
  
• Sarabi, Yin-Bug
  
• Shinda, Meepfur
  
• Tope, Split Personality
  
• Umo, Split Personality
  
• Vipapae, Ecavi
  
• Zaina'Nafisa, chi honda
  

Generally, when a lion/ess is ejected, it is because the individual has committed an offense which renders them, essentially, cursed. If a descendant of an exiled lion wishes to join, they must be a few generations removed from the bad luck, so it would work like this:

1.) Cursed Lion (tainted)
2.) Cursed Lion's Children (tainted)
3.) Cursed Lion's Grandchildren (tainted)
4.) Cursed Lion's Great-Grandchildren (acceptable)

All lions listed above are considered 'Generation 1.' Any lion who is exiled is considered Generation 1 of taint - this includes the cubs that 'cause' the exile.