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 Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:58 am
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Story:
The Zizihadithi family is a line of Kings, and they have ruled over the Tokakinji for generations. When the current King, Uther, was a young lion his father, Talfrid, began his campaign to expand the pride's territory into the mountain that overlooked the pridal valley.
Living in this mountain was a small group of lions named by the Tokakinji as Druids. They developed an enigmatic reputation to those living in the pride, and were always looked on with suspicion and a sense of unease. When Talfrid announced his campaign, it was met with general approval from his people.
The attack on the mountain was successful. Talfrid, with young Uther as witness, supplanted the Druid leader, Mtungi, and took control of the mountain, driving the druids down into the valley to live in the Tokakinji. There was unrest, to say the least. Many believed the mountain and the Druids, who lived far simpler lives and were much more holistic and spiritual in their habits, were cursed.
Talfrid was murdered in his den a short time later, and the murderer was discovered to be a former advisor to the Druid leader. Young Uther, barely out of his juvenile years, took the throne and his Council advised him to hunt down all remaining symbols of power from the former Druid leaders and have them killed to avoid any such uprising from happening again. This Uther did, for the good of the people he had come to love as his own.
The Druids knew then that they would never be an integrated part of the pride: they were no longer home in their own lands.
Since then, Uther has lived by his convictions and has become a strong and often violent King, seeking growth for his pride and prosperity, as well as peace through any means necessary. He developed the Ravine Prison, and personally trains the Keepers of the Peace to his ideals. His will, however, is filtered through the Council and the power fuels them as well. Their methods and execution of his laws do not always fall in line with what King Uther would have, but the King is too busy and often too detached to even notice.
For a short while, the King and his Queen went missing from the pride, leaving the Council in command and securing their lust for power as an ever present part of their existence. Once the rulers returned, the Council lost ground, and have not yet gotten used to the shift. While away, the Queen had an encounter with a former Druid that produced cubs, though his name was never given to her and she does not know who or what he was. Uther is aware that the blood in these cubs is Druidic.
Currently, the King's laws favor those of true Tokakinji blood. Second to that are those that start new lines in the pride, who join and prove themselves. The remaining Druid blood are treated as the lowest class, though they technically should have the same citizenship as the others. Uther bears a deep hatred of them and their ways, which has manifested itself in some of his people and the Council.
There are those who would have true peace, however, and they struggle to support those that need them, and defeat the forces of hatred and rebellion that stir constantly within the vast pride lands.
At current:
The pride is in a state of unrest, but not upheaval. There are forces moving under the King's line of sight, in the shadows, but he cannot see or stop them. He has enemies on all sides, and his throne is not as sturdy as the mountain in which he has built it. The Druids are working to breech the Ravine Prison, and the Provinces are divided by beliefs as well as their locations within the massive pride.
Bloods:
Toka
Most of the pride are considered of Toka blood, or true Tokakinji. They are lions who lived under Talfrid and his line, or new lions who joined the pride recently. As long as they do not make any obvious, outward reason to be considered Druid, they are welcomed in the pride. Seers tread the line between the two bloods.
Druid
Druid blood either exists in those who are descended from the mountain dwellers that Uther exterminated, or they are those that have broken pride laws and have served time in the Ravine Prison. There are some Toka who have their own arbitrary reasons for deciding if others are Druid, and it's that hatred and paranoia, instilled by the King into his people, that fuels the civil unrest.
The definition of 'blood' is not handed down through genetics for joining rogues! If a family joins the pride, they can be Toka or Druid based on their beliefs, not what their parents are. If they are established members of the pride their blood can also change, though it is much harder to go from Druid to Toka than it is to be seen as a Druid from Toka based on actions and words. This is something that can and should be played and experimented with!
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:59 am
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Rulers:
The pride is expansive, and occupies land enough for many smaller prides. Despite its size, it is presided over by one King, and his royal family. The council beneath him act as advisors, and beneath them are the governors of each province within the pride. There is general peace between all parts of the Kingdom, at least in the light of day.
Royal Family
The King is the High Ruler of the lands, and decrees the laws by which every citizens abides. He oversees as much of the care of the pride as he can, which leaves him strained and busy most of the time. His Queen also holds power, though she confides in the King. Their children hold the power of their rank as royals. Regularly, the King opens his court to the commoners and they can come to voice their praise and suggestions, or more commonly their concerns and complaints.
Council of Watchers
The Council advise the King, but act almost independently from him. They hold a lot of power, and though they imply that they can do nothing without the King’s authority they can get away with a lot while the monarch is busy dealing with his vast lands and the many enemies he makes. They act as judge and jury for the high profile trials of the pride, often ruling without the King hearing of the cases. They also do this independently of each other. Though they hold great power, most take their jobs seriously and serve as the King wishes, acting as his emissaries and representatives while striving to do him honor. Most. There are two Council members to each Province.
Governing Board
There are five Provinces that make up the pridal kingdom. Each one has a Governor presiding over it. This is a much more hands on job than the King or his Council can manage from their homes in the Castle Mountain. They deal with their people directly, and have to handle the complaints, as well as all the petty crime and the provincial celebrations. They also issue marriage rights, and collect population data as far as new members seek homes or cubs are born. It is not required for them to greet new members, though they often do just to take stock. Governors are elected officials, not appointed by the King or his Council.
Keepers of the Peace
Knights in the service of the King, the Keepers answer only to his Majesty, the ruling family, and the governors of the towns. The Council, however, have no authority over the Keepers, and this was a decision made specifically by the monarch to create a balance within the ruling and law enforcing structure of the kingdom. The King also finds the Council are often too willful and swallowed by ego from their status. Keepers have little in the way of rank, and are chosen through trial and rights from the most loyal servants of King and Kingdom. They are essentially the police of the provinces, and they travel between the lands on rounds, regularly, so there is always two or three Keepers in any Province at any time. Sometimes more, but never less.
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:00 am
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Classes:
Youth
The default rank of the pride for cubs and juveniles. Once they are adols and adults they may step into other ranks. Those that do no choose to do so will fill the other default ranks.
Commoner
The default rank of the pride for adols and adults. If anyone joins the pride and does not move directly into a job, they are given this rank. They can live within any of the Provinces, and can be Toka or Druid in blood.
Soldier
Only Toka blood are accepted into this rank. These lions protect the pride borders and are garrisoned in a large den at the base of the mountain. They are permitted to live standard lives as citizens, take wives and have cubs, but if they are needed to defend the Kingdom they must answer the summons immediately or face penalty of death or imprisonment. Desertion is not tolerated, and looked on as a disgrace and betrayal.
Hunter
Each Province has their own hunters, and thus either Toka or Druid blood are accepted into this rank, though begrudgingly sometimes. They provide food for their Province and for the royal mountain, as well as to the ravine prison. Delivering the food to the forsworn there is a miserable task, but each hunter must take their regular turn. Sometimes, of course, the prison can be looked over.
Servant
Any service task is considered under this title. From virtual slaves to housekeepers and cub minders, servants are those occupied in the care of others. Most servants live in the mountain, under the employ of the King himself. These are mainly Toka in blood, but many Druids can find a menial existence as servants to Toka families.
Scholar
This rank includes teachers, researchers, and those with medical knowledge. Those that must learn a task that is not particularly physical in nature are Scholars, and they work in every province as well as in the mountain. They are usually of Toka blood, as Druids are not respected enough to be widely accepted as scholars save within their own province.
Merchant
Those that barter for other items are merchants. There is a system of trade that denotes wealth in the Kingdom. Though there is no true monetary system, wealth is placed on items by usefulness, appearance or just assumed value. Bartering allows free trade of these items, foods, flowers, and anything a citizen manufactures for themselves to be moved from Province to Province, and even to the King if he finds interest in something that looks particularly valuable or unique in its beauty, like lion-made art.
Forsworn
Those that have been released from the Ravine Prison. They are mostly Druid in blood, and are those that have spent terms in the Prison, for any length of time, and have now been released to live among the pride once more. They are meant to be seen as rehabilitated, but are treated as the lowest of the low. They have very little social standing, and are not welcomed back into the pride with open arms. Even those of Toka blood suddenly find themselves being called Druid, which is how the line persists and the civil unrest continues unendingly.
Borrower
A Druid rank that exists within the ravine prison and the province around it. They steal and barter for those imprisoned, and sneak what they can to the rebellion brewing within the place meant to punish and 'cure' them. It only fosters more hatred, and those that are banished their for their lives are forced to make due. Borrowers work under other guises, and their skills are invaluable to the Druids and other Forsworn.
Sentry
Look outs within the Prison, and a Druid rank. While soldiers guard the lands surrounding it and watch the prisoners inside, Sentries are doing the same thing of the Toka blood around them. They also work to free the prisoners from the ravine, and are trying to create and secure a small escape route that will allow prisoners to move freely at night, when they are not required to fill their quotas. These are the special few who can move in and out of the 'impenetrable' ravine: and they keep just how secret, even from the rest of the Druid. It is safer that way.
Scryer
Seers of any blood are looked on with suspicion and believed to be Druid either by birth or by curse. They are far more accepted if they are born to well standing Toka families, but all Seers are given the rank of Scryer to set them apart from the others and make their magic known. Not everyone believes they are cursed, and some even know better, which also helps the Toka seers remain productive citizens within the kingdom.
Prisoner
Those that are jailed in the ravine prison, for extended periods or for life. Any span of time will have someone considered a Prisoner, of course. This also shifts the view of that lion's blood from Toka to Druid if they were not already from a family with criminals in its history, or who are from the original Druid lines. They mine gemstones from the ravine prison, and are set a quota each day. If they fail to do this they are put in review by either a Council member or the King himself, and are punished more severely.
Slayers
Not Keepers, not officially serving the King or any of his ruling aids, this is a group of fighters for peace. They protect innocent lives and will take on any battle, physical or not, in order to keep the ideal of peace that the Kingdom once stood for. Before they invaded the Druids and the hatred began, there was happiness and prosperity. Though they are bigger now, they suffer more. Slayers don't just battle against Druids, though they are often the leading cause of trouble in the pride, they also watch for invaders and settle acts of hatred by Toka blood against others.
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:01 am
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Topography:
The lands are low and lightly wooded, sloping up the graceful hill of a large mountain and curling around its base.
Royal Castle
Built into the northern face of mountain itself are the dens of the Royals, and tunnels carved between the dens create a sort of natural castle from which the ruling class can literally look down over most of the lands. Of course, just what they see from there is limited to a grander scheme than was really necessary for as tight fisted a rule as the King demanded.
Kingdom
There are rivers that run through the pride lands, and on the soft, lush lands near these most of the main dens are constructed. They are above ground, and classically dome shaped, made out of mud and carefully crafted and tended. Den makers are highly skilled artisans, and they practice their trade with honor and pride. There are many variations on the form, and dens can look different, even being constructed in different shapes or through different methods and materials, but the basics endure. Dens are arranged near each other with small yards of sorts, personal areas around the hut, and there are paths around them so frequently trodden the grass has been beaten down and killed to make natural paths.
Market
Grass is green and soft, and the trees are similar. Stocky, round, with thick leaves and wide branches. Their trunks can be hallowed as well, but these are not used for homes. Usually, trees are used for storage, and merchants can use the hovels to keep their wares safe when they are not selling. Bones, crafted items, collected gemstones: any number of things can be found in these trees. Any theft is strictly prohibited. It is inconvenient to try and barter from the tree line, however, and wares need to be moved from storage to the grassy fields nearer to the main bustle of the kingdom to be profitable.
Square
In the lowest part of the wide valley there is a stony expanse that might have once been a lake bed, but is long since dried up and has never held water as long as the pride has memory and records of itself. This stone stage is used for council gatherings, when the governors of the precincts are summoned and for Pridal holidays, ceremonies and rituals. It is also the place where public trials, punishments, and executions are carried out, which makes the citizens treat the place with a strange kind of anxious deference, as it is a location of great happiness, sorrow, and progress.
Ravine Prison
There is a ravine that runs along side the eastern face of the mountain, where the terrain is much more rocky and dangerous. Here there is a jail, of sorts, deep within the ravine. It is fast, and stretches underground through dangerous, jagged tunnels. There are no through tunnels, however, and there is no way for lions trapped within to climb out. Guards posted constantly also ensure this. Criminals who are deemed unsafe for the pride yet not worthy of a swift execution or perhaps redeemable with time served are thrown into this ravine. They are charged with collecting precious stones with their paws and claws.
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:04 pm
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Provinces:
Descriptions of Provinces will be added as they are created. There will be five in total. Three will be created through contests for the Governors.
Province One: Mkoani
The largest of all the Provinces at present, Mkoani is the Province at the base of the Castle Mountain. It is the hub of trade and market activity, dense with huts and a groove of hollowed out storage trees. It is largely populated by Toka blood, and is the most impacted by the King's direct rule, rather than the Council, because of their proximity to him. Druids have a harder time of life here, under the weight of suspicion and servitude, and no small amounts of prejudice.
Governor: Zelopytia
Province Two: Uliacha
The Province nearest the Ravine Prison, Uliacha is populated heavily by Druid that have been released from the prison, or are families to those incarcerated. Some seek refuge here simply because life in other places of the pride is too difficult for them. There are some Toka as well, though most are Soldiers and Keepers. There is a small market here of goods not commonly seen in the Mkoani market, like herbs and alchemic items.
Governor: Malenga
Province Three: Caddoc
Caddoc provides soldiers to The Kingdom; they train their youth from a young age in the ways of combat. Even some of the King's own Keepers of the Peace have come from Caddoc. Their day to day life contains sparing, and taking care of their bodies - after all their claws and teeth are their weapons. Obviously not all are soldiers, but they do work hard in their individual crafts to help those that are.
Mainly Toka take up their ranks, seeing as soldiers can only come from this rank. It is an honor for them to move to the base of the mountains to protect their homelands. They are a proud province, and completely loyal to their pride.
Speaking of Loyalty: Caddoc commoners are currently uneasy about the King's return, many had sworn their allegiance to the Council, thinking that Uther and his bride would never return. They do not openly speak of their political beliefs - no one wants to be accused of being a druid or of a petty crime. But, it can be heard among trusted circles/families.
Caddoc are known for approaching The King to go on outlandish quests - searching for precious items, or information. It could be quite the joke from other provinces about Caddocian's desire to quest.
They do like rogues, they bring new blood, and often at times foreign techniques in combat, and stories of mythical items from afar. Thus of Druid blood are often mistreated or driven out of the province all together.
Governor: Caliburn
Province Four: Lochlann
LAND: Lochlann borders the Uliachia province, in some ways acting as a buffer from the rest of the pride. A large portion of the pride is speckled with small ponds and marshes. Hunters do more fishing than actual hunting, but are able to supply a (mostly) constant source of food to the Ravine Prison.
LOYALTY: Lochlann is closey allied to the Uliachia. Trade is good between the two provinces, and lions are welcome to come and go from either one. The province has no strict allegiance with the King or the Council, but if put on the spot, Eumann would encourage support for the King.
PEOPLE: The pride is mostly scholars and merchants. With the large Druid population within and around the pride and extensive trade with Uliachia, some of the best healers and remedies come from Lochlann. The forsworn, both Druid and Toka, may find a chance at life here. All are welcome to be trained for any job they wish. Though Druids are limited to certain ranks they can officially hold, Eumann encourages them to pursue whatever job they want to. Slayers often take up refuge here.
BELIEFS: Prejudice is not tolerated in Lochlann at all. There is a strong prescence of Slayers, loyal to Eumann's ideas, that prevent the bullying of Druids and the Forsworn. Eumann, of course, denies their existence altogether. Rogues are very much welcome, as they are fresh minds that can be taught to ignore the prejudice within the pride.
Governor: Eumann
Province Five
To be created.
Governor:
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:05 pm
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Daily Life:
Resources
The lands are rich in resources under the mountain and through the valley. There are rivers and small lakes, ample enough water sources, and paths through which herds migrate. Hunting is more difficult in the winter months, as well as during the high summer, and hunting moves away from the pride to compensate. The Ravine is filled with gems and pretty stones.
Laws
The King passes his laws and expects them to be followed. There are many, and they can be hard to keep track of with the Council throwing their own versions, or brand new ones under the guise of serving the King, or thinking they are helping the people. Either way, laws can be complicated when all one wants to do is avoid being thrown in Prison. At least the basic rules apply: murder, assault, ungainly disturbances and theft are not permitted. The King tries to maintain peace amongst his people, but brawls are frequent and the tension between the two bloods makes the Provincial life quite different than what the name implies. As far as punishment goes, there are generally two options. Prison or execution. Sometimes lions can be banished or simply warned, but these are rarer options.
Ceremonies
To be decided.
Holidays
To be decided.
Memorials
The observance of Talfrid's passing is honored every winter, with a feast and gathering of all the Provinces. Even Druids are meant to observe it, though bitterness of his murder is refreshed and tension is often at its worst. The King forbids any fighting on this day, and has no allowances for it, but inevitably the memorial is ruined by violence.
Quests
Leaving the pride to explore the lands around is allowed. The King asks that anyone who leaves gathers information for him while they are gone, and anything they discover is to be reported to him. This includes information on nearby or far away prides, on possible alliances or enemies, good hunting areas, other resources, druid activity outside the pride. Basically anything. Often, these reports are pointless, but the King hears them regardless.
Beliefs
To be decided.
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:11 pm
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Pride Information:
Joining
This pride is meant for Lions. Other cats and dog species are not permitted, save on rare occasions for plot purposes. Familiars are allowed, and are kept as pets more than anything else. They have no standing or rank within the pride, though if the King hears of one doing something particularly interesting his views might change. Any joining requests must be approved by an OoC leader/owner.
Leaving
If a lion wishes to leave the pride he must inform the King. This cannot go through any of the Council or the Governors. Mostly because OoC leaders/owner need to know about it, to keep the member list up to date. If they leave on good terms, they are always welcomed back. Obviously, banished lions are not welcomed back unless through plot. Their families may be, though.
Breeding
Basically, breeding and mates are up to the people. The King makes no laws regarding it, beyond the basics, and his Council and Governors enforce their own interpretations. No incest, no rape. Punishment is severe. But the rest is up to the citizens, whether they're flinging or mating for life, or whatever strikes their fancy. OoC, breeding pairs need to be posted in the proper thread and approved by OoC Leaders/Owner for record keeping. Rogue breeding is allowed.
Visitors
Visitors are allowed into the pride and are monitored by Keepers, Governors and the Council. The King often does not hear of them, unless they do something of note. They do not need permission to visit for short periods, but extended stays will be noticed and addressed. Rogues are welcomed to join at any time, and should be posted in a OoC thread if they decide to join up. They do not need to post anywhere or ask anyone just to visit, though, unless there is some drama plot attached, or if they would do something that would be noticed by the soldiers and Keepers that keep the pride safe.
Other Prides
The Tokakinji is looking for alliances and rivalries with other prides! Let me know if you are interesting in forging a plot or connection between prides. Can be new or hand waved as old.
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:12 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:20 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:21 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:24 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:28 pm
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