[Pride Concept] Jahy Sarlarin, War of the Birds (Official!)

[Meepfur]

Jahy Sarlarin
The War of the Birds
(I have been listening to this song too much.)

5/1/12:
I am a horrible concept manager, sorry. orz I will TRY to get this back on track this month, and get some help with keeping it that way. Soo would anyone like some RP? 8D Getting official would be awesome!


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.  

[Meepfur]

The ranks of both prides have been cut considerably, after a battle that left nearly half the participants dead. The Burkuteshti won, but only barely, and currently hold Baj-jer and most of the oases.

NOTABLE MEMBERS, Qyrhyeshti:
Bey, Kotu sim Shan (Strawberry Gumi Bunny): The only son of Shan sim Hucum, inherited leadership after his father was killed in battle.
Hatun, Adala bint Attila (Meepfur): Adala is the daughter of a former Borclu who left the pride shortly after Adala's birth. This once-Borclu, Attila, rescued the then-Bey's son from a hunting party of humans who came to steal lion cubs. Adala is now mated to that very son, after being raised side-by-side with him. She is among the pride's fiercest warriors, as much a force to be reckoned with as her mate.
Muharip, Falak bint Muna (Club Snails): Hatun of the previous Bey, Kotu's mother. Has returned to the warrior rank after the death of her mate.
Muharip, Bahra bint Falak (Talencia): Kotu's sister.

NOTABLE MEMBERS, Burkuteshti:
Bey, Sungus sim Sazhan (Meepfur): Older than his counterpart, Kotu, by about two years. Sungus is grizzled, tough, and varying degrees of unpleasant depending on his mood. He is an aggressive leader, but his strategies thus far have worked, although the price has been high. He will win, whatever he has to do, although he does feel bad that so many Burkuteshti died. Maybe. Sort of. They won, that's what counts.
Hatun, Havyan bint Tas (ShinosBee): Named for her rough behavior, Havyan is 'rough' around the edges. She's bold and lacks many social graces. She's a fighter, not a lover, and thinks it's about time her mate put that Qyrhyeshti scum out of his misery. She also would have done it herself, had she had the chance. She's not the brightest bulb in the pack, but when it comes to battle she's as apt as they come. She struggles to articulate strategy or plans before battle, but in the heat of the moment she is a genius at split-second changes of tactics that have won her a good deal of respect in the past.
Muharip, Gaspard sim Sazhan (oo DeD): Sungus' younger brother.

MAIN LIST, Qyrhyeshti:
Buyuk
Aaqila bint Waahid, Cajanic
Tabip
Jalila bint Vitia, Sabra Knight
Muharip
Aker sim Rustem, Hotaru-Neko
Baysan bint Tasheen, Excited Apathy
Behiye bint Sidik, Depawsit
Faiz sim Hadi, Depawsit
Kan sim Joshi, Ameh
Khulud bint Yamha, Quiet_Wolf
Layla bint In'am, Reeshie Hack
Mehry bint Nazafarin, Krysin
Mumtaza bint Ismat, Avid_RPer18
Nuwayrah bint Tyrngah, Chobi_Chocobo
Olu sim Ruh, Painted Moose
Sahin sim Toprak, Thalion
Sut sim Kil, Buffy_the_Bloody
Terbakar bint Tyrngah, wooga Paes
Toprak sim Kil, [Eskimo]
Borclu
Sabit, Meepfur

MAIN LIST, Burkuteshti:
Buyuk
Dikkatsiz sim Keskin, Redbud-Tree
Tabip:
Aasimah bint Fareess, Quaji
Basil sim Fath, The Aurrie
Muharip
Arezo bint Sareh, KasaiLoki
Bereli bint Seftali, F a y t h - X
Berkant sim Kudret, Mia Sharra
Cennet bint Hediye, -_Wish of the Goddess_-
Chinedu sim Dumisani, [X]Natty-Chan[X]
Fareess bint Najya, Quaji
Imitiyaz sim Fereydoun, MoonRazor
Izzah bint Rukan, Tanakako
Kazan sim Takat, Ririka
Musa sim Seref, Chobi_Chocobo
Omurtak sim Narfi, Annchen
Parto bint Sartaj, Vesale
Rig bint Heb, Das Tor
Tolu bint Saye, Meepfur
Umut bint Canan, Andranis
Youth
Mirrikh sim Juksat, Kimaria
Aqil sim Juksat, Lilbabe808


RANK LIST:
Bey (King), 1 each
Hatun (Queen), 1 each
Tabip (Retired Warrior - Healer), 2 each
Buyuk (Retired Warrior - Teacher), 2 each
Muharip (Default Warrior/Hunter), unlimited
Borclu (Life-Debt), not to exceed a 1:5 ratio
 

[Meepfur]

Battle System:
Example

Both combatants roll, and whoever has the higher roll does the damage for that turn. Damage is determined by the difference between the rolls, as follows:
0: Dodged/Missed, no damage
1-2: Light Hit, -1 HP
3-6: Medium Hit, -2 HP
7-9: Hard Hit, -3 HP
Each combatant begins with 10 HP (adolescent fighters get 8 HP). The first to reach 0 will be forced to retreat (or die, but you probably don't want that xP). In battles with more than one combatant on each side, players will be put into randomized (except by request for IC reasons) pairs to fight, and whichever side has the most winners wins the battle. If the number of winners is the same on both sides, the winners will be paired off with each other (their HP does not reset from the previous fight), and the outcome of those battles will determine the winner.

Smaller, encounter-type fights (between lone lions, patrols, etc.) can be set up at will. Formal battles for oases, rivers, and Baj-jer can only be set up by Meepfur. If you want to attempt something different, like if your lion wants to go all hero and try to take an oasis by himself or what have you, run it by me!  

[oo Ded]

Hmmmm -intruiged by this idea, and very interested-  

[[Eskimo]]

I has an interest.

 

[Meepfur]

I might end up running some kind of contest for most of this lot, depending on interest and all. Once I've finished a few other things.  

[strawberry gumi bunny]

I adore this idea, very much interested~  

[Meepfur]

contest!  

[oo Ded]

Woo! : D  

[Meepfur]

Added/tweaked some things the contest made me think of.  

[Cajanic]

-Read read-  

[Mtorolite]

I think it's an interesting idea, yes indeed.  

[robot kittio]

great concept idea I am very intrigued  

[Meepfur]

Thanks! <3

Added a sad little map.  

[Mtorolite]

Question for meep (cause I am suddenly plagued by plot ideas): Would a Romeo-Juliet scenario wherein lions from each tribe fall in love be possible? If the female HAD cubs, she could claim they were fathered by a rogue, but if they couple was discovered, I assume they would be driven out/put to death.

I don't know if that makes sense as a question, so I'll try this again. Could there be a secret romance between prides, assuming that if it is discovered the lions in question would be driven out?