[OOC] Pride Information [OOC]

[Meepfur]

 

[Meepfur]

Jahy Sarlarin
The War of the Birds
(Inspired in part by this song.)

OVERVIEW:
Two prides call the north-central Namib Desert home, the Qyrhyeshti and the Burkuteshti. Each claim to have lived in the area the longest, and that the others are intruders, thieves seeking to steal the land. The truth, long lost to decades of hate, is that they were once one pride, which split in two when a pair of brothers fought over who should inherit control after the death of their father. Many generations later, the brothers' lines still hold the power, and all refuse to reconcile their differences (which, in truth, are very few). They are named for the brothers, Qyrhy (falcon) and Burkut (eagle).

The feud varies in severity, depending on circumstances and, to some extent, the whim of the Beys. Both prides are constantly gaining and losing territory, but the most contested location of all is Baj-jer (rich land, aka Cape Cross), where a huge colony of fur seals makes its home. Such an abundant food source is precious in this barren land, and whoever holds it gains the upper hand, resources to strengthen the pride and its numbers - if they can hold it long enough. It is sometimes held by neither, with each spending their strength simply to keep the other out, able only to steal morsels from under each others' noses.

Oases and the rivers, too, are highly-prized, and also a source of heated conflicts.


TERRITORY:
A section of the Namib Desert (but with liberties taken XD), the borders to the north and south defined by two rivers, which the prides call Hareket (life) and Helak (death). These are known to humans as the Ugab and Omaruru, respectively. The flows of Hareket and Halek are sporadic - sometimes there's water, sometimes not. Each pride usually holds one of the rivers, as it's very difficult to hold onto both effectively. It is all but impossible to hold both rivers and the prized Baj-jer, because the spread of forces becomes too thin.

Scattered throughout are seven oases (which I made up, la), which change hands much more frequently than the rivers or Baj-jer. The region occuppied by the prides is transitional, between the 'true' desert of the Southern Namib (sand, dunes, etc.) and the gravel plains of the Central Namib. We'll say the bottom 2/5s is dunes, the top 1/5 is gravel plain, and the 2/5s in between is transitional.

Territory/Current Holdings

PRIDE DYNAMICS:
Both prides operate under the same simple hierarchy, led by a Bey whose role is primarily that of a warleader. His power is absolute, his word law, and his pride's loyalty devout. All that they do, they do for him, for honor and for glory in his eyes. As such, there is a highly competitive atmosphere, and a fine balance between working together and one-upping each other. It is not uncommon for an ambitious warrior to make or break a battle by behaving rashly, but the consequences are severe if it is the latter. If someone is clearly responsible for a loss because of their actions, they are cast out on their own for a month, honorless and ignored, and it is against pride law to aid them. If they survive, they will rejoin the pride, but they won't ever live down their defeat (unless, of course, they make up for it with an equally impressive victory).

Everyone is both a warrior and a hunter, unless they've been injured or have grown too old. The most respected of these become the pride's teachers and healers, while the rest leave so as not to needlessly consume resources. Where they go or what they do after is up to them, whether they travel to kinder lands or decide to go out in a blaze of glory.

The Bey is mated to his Hatun, which he takes for life. Everyone in the pride mates for life, mingling very carefully to avoid inbreeding (to some extent - standard SoA rules apply, and second cousins out=okay!), and making certain no one lion/ess is...overproductive. Because of this, matches are never arranged, but made between two consenting individuals, hopefully reducing the chances that someone will be unfaithful. Anyone participating in an affair will be ejected from the pride, because they cannot be trusted - and you can't afford not to trust someone fighting alongside you.

Trespassers are not looked upon kindly, and will be chased away from the lands. The exception, however, is if said 'trespasser' is not in good health and/or needs their help. Both prides consider themselves obligated to help someone in need (unless it's someone from the other pride), and so it happens sometimes that they take in 'strays' and nurse them back to health...but there are strings attached. These half-members, called Borclu, owe a life-debt to the pride, and must remain until it is repaid - usually in battle or through some other notable act of bravery. Once they have done this, they are free to either leave or become a full member. Borclu may not breed.

If a Bey has multiple sons, succession is determined by the Hatun, their mother. She is thought better able to judge all their strengths and weaknesses, whereas her mate might focus only on the physical.

There is absolutely no fraternizing between the rival prides. We'll hold off on any Romeo and Juliet scenarios. Also, when RPing, please keep in mind that in each pride, all the members know each other. They're not especially large, so everyone should know everyone by name. They might not necessarily know each other really really well, depending on the individuals, but they all know each other. They fight together!


OTHER SPECIES:
Non-lions can never be full members of the pride, only Borclu - unlike lion Borclu, they do not have the option of joining permanently once their debt is paid. This is a war of lions, and there is no reason for others to be involved.

Other groups are not tolerated in the territory, while lone SoAs don't usually ruffle feathers, although they will be warned that it is not a safe place to be.


BREEDING:
Members of both prides mate for life. Adolescent breeding is allowed, if the pair is mated. Breeding outside of marriage will result in being cast out of the pride.

A rogue breeding by a female is an acceptable, even respected, act; it brings new blood into the pride in a very controlled way. A lioness who chooses to do this, however, may not have a mate, nor may she take one later. She is, for all intents and purposes, considered to be mated. All cubs from a rogue breeding must stay in the pride until adolescence, old enough to leave of their own accord, with full understanding that they will never be allowed back after 'deserting.'

If a lion's mate dies (or is cast out, etc.), they may remarry, and most often choose to pair with another widowed lion.

Hybrid breeding is not permitted. Homosexuality is not strictly forbidden, but it is something of a gray area. Because of the emphasis on lifemating and keeping up numbers, choosing to pair with someone you can't reproduce with will raise a few eyebrows and result in some disapproval. Surrogates/donors are not acceptable, as it would be viewed as a form of infidelity. Adoption would be the only option.


GROWING UP:
Cubs are taught to work together and fight from the beginning (and of course to hunt). Physical prowess is praised, obviously, but intelligence equally so - strong or not, stupid will get you, and possibly your friends, dead. If a cub is born with a disability, they're left in the desert to die. They can't afford to spend time and resources on someone who won't be able to pull their own weight. If a mother dies in battle, another lioness will nurse her cubs.

The pride has no established 'nanny' rank - the Buyuks, Tabips, and anyone temporarily out of commission will watch the youths if everyone goes off to battle. Adolescents may or may not join fights, depending on the individual and whether or not they're deemed ready, or if they're desperate for numbers.


BATTLE:
It's actually relatively rare for the entirety of both prides to meet in battle over anything other than Baj-jer. Skirmishes are far more common, even smaller fights between patrols and lone lions. 'Sneak' attacks and nighttime fights happen occasionally, as well. It has occurred in the past that a group's elders and youths have been attacked, but this is usually an act of desperation, because it provokes the most violent response and therefore carries a lot of risk.

Fighting is currently limited to small skirmishes while both prides recover from the latest battle for Baj-jer. Soon, however, the game will begin again, and the Qyrhyeshti will start to target the oases.


APPEARANCE:
Sizes run toward the smaller end of average, but not exceptionally so. Dark colors are very rare, being a disadvantage in the desert heat; white is also uncommon, being more sensitive to the intensity of the sun. Beyond that, natural colors are dominant by far, although more exotic ones do pop up now and then, due to occasional rogue blood. In general, physical beauty means nothing to these lions - skill and achievement in battle are everything. Pretty/handsome is fine if that happens, but chances are no one will really care. Almost everyone has scars.


NAMES:
Names follow a set structure, starting with the individual's given name, a connector (sim for males, bint for females) then the name of their father (in the case of boys) or their mother (in the case of girls). As such, given names are usually short. Names should be Turkish/Persian/Arabic/etc. in origin.