[Jangwani-Moto] ☼ .:cheetahs of the desert:.

[Quaji]

IC Owners ; ??? (Quaji), ??? (Mia Sharra)
OOC Owners ; Quaji & ? (looking for co-owner)

allowed species ; Cheetahs, leotahs, and cheetons make up the majority of the coalition. Lions, leopards and leopons are allowed, but are restricted on ranks. All familiars are allowed.
cert symbol ; X
cert background ; Basic Idea

They are the children of the gods. The sun, the wind, the sand, they are all their parents or so their legends have always told them.

It all started long before life was on the earth, back when it was the gods and their time to rule over just the ground until life managed to find a way to flourish despite the constant chaos. The sun and the moon were already established with their own gods to raise and lower them. The sand, the brother of the wind, grew jealous of the time that his brother and the sun were spending together during the day. They frolicked together over plains, mountains, it didn't matter where. The sand was left...alone. Alone to let his bitterness grow within himself. It did not take too long until the sand confronted his brother, challenging him to race. A race to the sun and the first one to reach her was truly worthy of her. Of course the wind tried to get his brother to see reason but to no avail.

They raced.

The wind won.

The desert was created out of both pity and respect for the sand by the sun. She created an area of land where she could smile down upon him because of his willingness to risk everything for her favor. It was also, secretly to the two of them, a place that the two could co-exist together.

This race is now represented by the Great Race that the coalition run each year to pick the next Nagy Bingwa. This legend is also the only thing that has truly managed to stay relatively same over the generations as the Jangwani-Moto have no historians and it is up to the females to tell the tales of their past.

- - - - -

Leil - Mia Sharra - Sah
Sahra - Quaji - Malika
Yatimah - Quaji (fertile) - Kraliyet
Ronso - The Aurrie - Kraliyet

Rosso - Quaji - Kefil
Upepo - Quaji - Mbio
Krioni - Avid_RPer18 - Mbio
Theluli - ShinosBee - Mbio
Tendaji - Ririka - Mbio
Jolana - Sherlolly - Sanacti

Shadi - Avid_RPer18 - Tuccar
Picolit - Mia Sharra - Tuccar

Zarifa - Nyao-chan - ???
 

[Quaji]

Sah (king): The male ruler for the coalition. His word is law. Everyone within the coalition does what they do in his name and for the glory of having him recognize you as an individual.
Malika (queen): The female ruler of the coalition. Though her word means little to the men, it means almost everything to the females. She is a prime example of what they strive to be.
Onur Ana (honored mother): This the rank the Malika takes should her mate, the Sah, die before her and her son take the throne. She also takes this rank if a different blooded Sah takes the throne.
Yardim (advisor): This member is hand-picked by the Sah himself. They are the most trusted of the entire coalition and hold the responsibility is making sure the Sah's day runs smoothly and to bring anything that needs his attention to him.
En Kraliyet (eldest royal): This is the rank for the heir to the Sah's throne. They are the eldest son born from the Sah and Malika. There has been no female Sah and never will be. If there is no male heir, the Yardim will choose the next Sah and the Malika of the last Sah, if she is still alive, will receive the title of Onur Ana.
Kraliyet (royal): This is the rank given to any children born between the Sah and Malika or adopted by them. If their parents retire, they are take a normal rank within the coalition.

Unisex ranks, cheetahs, cheetons and leotahs only.
Kefil (sponsor): This is a rare rank, usually there are only a few within the coalition. They are the ones that provide the Mbio and the Bingwa what they need to practice and get better. Usually in return for favors if they make it into the Sah's family as a Nagy Bingwa. Each Kefil usually has at least one Bingwa that they spend the most time training with.
Nagy Bingwa (grand champion): The year's champion who won the right to take the leader's eldest daughter in their harem or join their the youngest son's depending on the Nagy Bingwa's gender. They are treated with great respect as they are considered royalty. Once there is a new Nagy Bingwa, they take on a different rank.
Bingwa (champion): This is a racer who has won 10 races. These members are highly revered within the coalition for their speed. They usually have some of the nicest females within the coalition, some of the better meat and cleaner water.
Mbio (racer): These are cheetahs that specifically race for various reasons which can include food, access to water, breeding rights and even their own survival.
Ujonc (rookie): This is a wanna-be racer, an initiate and a in-training. To be eligible to join any of the official races sponsored by the Sah, they must be a Mbio. To obtain that rank, they must successfully beat a current Mbio in a race, one-on-one.

Ranks for Females, both in an out of harems.
Izleyici (nanny): A female only rank, these ladies specifically help others with watching their cubs. They likely are not in a female cluster for any one male, so they go where they are needed.
Tedavi (healer): This rank tends to be very rare. While everyone can help tend the ill and injured, those that possess this rank have gone above and beyond the normal folk in their knowledge of the healing arts. They are usually elders, but do not have to be.
Sanacti (entertainer): A female only rank, these ladies spend their days fabricating stories to tell to the men after dark. They also gather fruits from oasis' or in the nearby grasslands for others to drink from. Sanacti usually also act as the crafters for the coalition as they make their own accessories for their stories and dances.

Rank for Females, out of harem & Males in general.
Tuccar (merchant): A male only rank, these members of the coalition act as merchants for them, bringing back crafted goods to trade with the females of the coalition or the men as gifts for them. Cloth, soft den furs, metals and gems are usually what they look for. This is a male only rank as most think women would keep the treasures for themselves rather then attempt trade them. While it may not be true, this is the reason.
Hepsini (guard): A typically male only rank, they act as the guards for the coalition. It is their duty to keep strangers away from them and be very cautious when bringing a rouge who wishes to join into the heart of the coalition. They also over-see the races and assist with bringing and cheater to justice. It is uncommon for females to take this rank, but it is not forbidden. Lions and leopons within the coalition may take either this rank or Avci.
Avci (hunter): This rank is not gender specific. They are the hunters for the coalition and make up the majority of their numbers. Their job is simple; venture into the grassier areas and hunt for the rest of the members. Once they have their kills, one member usually goes back and gathers the Hepsini to aid in bringing them back to the heart of the coalition. Lions and leopons may choose between this rank or Hepsini. Leopards may only take this rank.

Gelecek (youth): This is the rank for cubs and juveniles that are not part of the royal family.

Future Ranks.
Hirsiz (thief)
Torati (enforcer)

Gods; The coalition is, while not religious as a whole, still worship the deities that aid them with their runs. Though their gods do not fit with the genders of the SoA-gods, these are from their own legends that have changed dramatically over their generations.
The god of wind; brother to sand in their legends. They believe they and all cheetahs are the result of the wind and the sun's union.
The god of the sun;
The god of the sand; brother to the wind in their legends.
The god of water;

-Birthing ;

-Coming of Age ;

-Wedding ;
The only wedding that is truly worth noting is that between the Sah and Malika as it is the only true wedding within the coalition. The others are more like breeding agreements, either taking a female into a cluster of others or it being with her only. The vows between two regular members is of little importance to the coalition. The Sah and Malika's wedding is of the extravagance they choose. Some in the past have chosen simple while some go all out and feast for weeks. The last royal wedding was a very plain, simple ceremony that only have one night of feasting after the vows were said and in which the entire coalition attended. Last of attendance was likely noted and reflected badly upon those who did not attend if there was no valid reason.

-Death ;

Gender Roles ;

Males

The men of the coalition are usually supposed to be strong, fast and dependable so they are able to support the multiple females that live with them at any given time. They are able to take up to four females for themselves, not including daughters. Any more then that and they will seem greedy. The only exception to this is the royal family which are able to have five females while the ruler may have six. Male are not required to take a female if they do not want one, but they might get some strange looks if they don't.

Females

The females of the coalition usually take on a more feminine role within the group. They tend to the cubs, heal the weak and entertain the men after the sun is gone with extravagant tales of valor and dance while the men gorge themselves on sweet fruits and fresh meat that they gathered that day. It is uncommon, but not forbidden that females race thought if one becomes a nagy bingwa they are invited to join the Sah's family as an adopted daughter or possibly marry their youngest son.

Regardless if females take residence with a male within his harem, she is still expected to a take rank. Though which rank is obviously up to her. Most tend to choose nanny as cubs are usually something they are familiar with handling.

-Harems ; Within the coalition, the males, this includes non-cheetah males, are allowed to take harems of females. This is a choice on both sides. Men are the usual providers of protection, some food and water, love and attention. The females trade their time tending to the cubs to ensure the continuation of the male's genes in exchange.

A female leaving without a valid reason (such as rape, domestic violence, the male bred outside of his harem, thievery, or incapability to get along) is shamed as she has likely brought some kind of shame to the male as well. She will likely find it hard to find another male to take her and possibly her children in.

Let me be clear on this subject.
• Females do not have to stay, they are free to leave.
• Daughters are not part of this, but stay within their father's residence until they are at least adolescence.
• Women within the coalition are treated very well and being within a group of females is not seen as weak. It is, in fact, viewed as a strength as they form bonds between their sisters as they all have one thing in common at least: the male.
• They are not currency in any way and will never be treated as such.

-Mating ; Mating is nothing serious, but the commitment between a male and his females is. Men who go out of their small harem to mate are looked down upon and it is likely their females will wish to leave him since he is unfaithful to them.

-Familiars ;

-Pelt colors ; There are no current rules against any color of pelt or eyes within the coalition. Anyone of any color may join. Old blood used to be of the browns, blacks, tan, cream, grey, dark red and white variety. The thinning of blood caused them to open themselves up to newer, stranger blood which brought in many other colors.

-Racing ; While racing is a huge part of their culture and their legends, not all the members race. A majority do, but not all. In fact, the coalition depends on those that don't. In the times that the number of hunters dwindle, everyone, including the Sah's family and all of the racers of all ranks, help. Please don't be discouraged from joining just because your SoA does not race. If you have a suggestion for a rank, please PM me (Quaji).

-Names ; Most names are Turkish, Swahili and Arabic though there are no naming rules for the coalition.
References:
• Traditional Arabian horse names

-Rogue Breeding ; In and out of coalition, this is alright for male members who lack a female harem or female members who are not part of one. In fact, breeding outside of the coalition is looked highly upon for bringing in new blood but at the same time keeping it within the coalition.

-Adolescent Breeding ;

-Sexuality ;

Once a year, all of the racers within the coalition join together in a large-scale race that lasts several days. During these days the racers make their way to a oasis to gather a very specific fruit that grows from a tree there. Two days prior, an avian will fly to the oasis to make sure the fruit are ripened. Their objective is to bring this fruit back to the coalition. This fruit has enough water within it to save a cheetah that is dehydrated, so there is little risk of death in this if they consume their fruit. Those that manage to retrieve their fruit move on.

During the first phase, all the racers roll 2, 5-sided die.
1-4: You don't manage to get a fruit, are injured early on or never made it to the oasis at all.
5-10: You move on to the next round.

In the next round, the others must run farther then before and meet the Yardim who gives them something to bring back. The Sah knows what this item is, but no one else knows of them. Only the first two to make it and bring the item back make it into the finals.

During the second phase, all current racers must randomize a number between 1 and 5, one per post, until they have reached 15.
The first two racers to reach this number move on to the finals.

In the finals, the two are brought to the Sah's den to eat with them and rest for the coming race the next day. At the break of dawn, the two are brought to the edge of their den area. There the coalition amasses to watch the final race. With a falcon overhead, they set off on the final, most important race of the year. Their destination is an outpost the coalition has in the heart of the desert. They are to run a straight line to this objective.

During the finals, both racers must randomize a number between 1 and 5, one per post, until one reaches 20.
The falcon will act as a referee for the race, making sure there is no foul play between the two competitors. It is up to the Malika who ventured there with two guards two nights prior to determine who is the winner based on who reaches her first.

Races are fairly straightforward.

• Each racer randomizes three numbers between 1 and 5, one at a time.

• You may roll first and then fill in your RP.

• You may only have one race active at a time. If you choose not to finish your race, there is a ten day wait, starting at the date from the last post in the thread, to race again.

• Races are complete when it qualifies as a JRP or breeding RP. This means each racer much post at least five times and it must total over 1,000 words.

Example race:

Mannan: 9
1st roll: 3
2nd roll: 4
3rd roll: 2

Sahra: 8
1st roll: 5
2nd roll: 2
3rd roll: 1

In the example above, Mannan would win this race with his 9 beating Sahra's 8.
In the event of a tie, it counts as a win for the both of them.  

[Quaji]

Location: Kalahari Desert

Ruling System: Matriarchal
Special Trait: Unique language; dying out, snake-trainers, surnames
Species: Any feline, lion dominated
Familiars: Snakes and non-prey animals

Naming
Traditional Lucani names are usually Persian, Swahili or Arabic in origin.
xxxThere is no true standard for naming in the pride. The above languages are just suggestions.
xxxJoining rogues will need to choose a surname when they join.
xxxChildren will gain the mother's surname. If the mother does not have one which would only occur if she is a rogue, they will will be given one. See below for the process of obtaining a surname. The father's surname will never pass down.
xxxThe surnames can be decided by the owners of the parents and approved by the OOC owners or left for the OOC owners of the pride to pick one.

Pelt Colors:
xxx• black, white, browns; including tan are the typical coloring for old blood Lucani.
xxx• red, grey, yellow and "hot" variants of red such as orange are fairly common as well, but less so then the colors above.
xxx• "unnatural" colors can be on markings, but they must take up no more then 35% of the lion to not be considered odd by old blood.
xxx• "unnatural" colors such as blue, green, pink and purple are allowed, but are often times seen as extremely strange to the more traditional members.


Ranks:
Mungu

The divine. These are the gods that reside within the pride or are recognized by the pride as being of another realm. They are respected by all and some are revered higher than others. Their ranking in this ladder all depends on their domain and importance to the pride as a whole.
(0/?)

Kichwa

This is the leader, the matriarch of the Lucani. She is the final word in every situation and is above all else. During large hunts she oversees as the lead of the hunt.
(1/1)

Nyoka

The pride as a whole depends heavily on their symbiotic relationship with the serpents that dwell in the desert with them. The Nyoka tend to the snakes that live within the pride. Their duties have them hunt mice and bird specifically for their reptilian guests. Before applying, each Nyoka must have a snake to prove themselves capable of the rank.
(1/5)

Leta Mtoa

The lead hunters. Each one is responsible for a small group of hunters in order to keep the ranks organized and free from too much chaos. There is one Leta Mtoa per ten Mtoa. All Leta Mtoa answer to their Kichwa.
(1/1)

Mtoa

This is the default rank for every member of the pride. This is the provider rank. They are the hunters and guards. Every member is expected to act in both roles.
(0/∞)

Watu

With the harshness of the desert and where accidents are frequent the need for healer in undeniably high. That is where the Watu come in. They are the pride's healers who tend to the wounded. There is one Watu for every six regular members in the pride.
(2/3)

Ndae

These are the elders of the pride who have retired, stepping down from their previous rank in favor of teaching the new generation their roles while they are still young. They are the holders of all the traditions, history and folklore that the pride has to offer.
(0/5)

Mdogo

This is the rank given to the youth of the pride. They are under strict training regiments through much of their juvenile stage leaving cub as the only time to truly enjoy life in a carefree manner. At adolescent they are expected to take a rank.
(0/∞)

Erkek

This is the rank given to any male within the pride. They help where they are needed in any field should a female of the pride require assistance. They are not slaves and are free to leave the pride if they so choose to. As such, they are not ill-treated within the pride and harming an erkek is just as shameful as harming a pride-sister.
(0/∞)

 

[Quaji]

History

The Lucani is a collective of many lions who have wandered south in search of the spirits know what. Why exactly they came to the desert in the first place has been lost to time. The common reason is that the sun came in the form of fury after watching for countless cycles the cruelty the males of Africa displayed against the other sex. Angered, she took the form of a warrior goddess and descended to the earth to exact vengeance for her mortal sisters. Those she freed from the tyranny of male rule became followers of the powerful goddess and became the first of the Lucani. The very first of those saved by the fiery spirit became the first of the Kichwa, Mfuasi Nabbarun.

At first, Mfuasi was a kind and just ruler, ushering in a time of prosperity for her newly freed sisters. It was a time of learning, exploring and reverence towards the goddess that saved them was seemed like slavery. In time though, the male population began to grow within the pride and around them despite their seclusion. Males grew restless along their borders as the Lucani was primarily female at the time with the exception of male cubs born into them. It would have been a male lion's dream to overlook the pride of lionesses. That is if Mfuasi would give them any choice. In her own paranoia of returning to slavery under a masculine paw, she sent out her pridesisters to chase away any male that came too close to their borders.

The death of Mfuasi followed soon afterwards. Her paranoia had grown dramatically to the point when she fell ill, she would not allow any of their healers attempt to aid her. It was in the pride's favor that she had born children before their freedom, leaving behind a legacy that would rule the pride until another was ready to take up the mantle. In her Mfuasi's daughter's time, the pride allowed males back into their ranks, giving them the rank of erkek. In this rank, they are protected inside of the pride from those who still hold grudges against the other sex. They became helpers of all and are respected for it within the pride.

They now continue to stay in their arid homeland out of respect for the goddess that freed them, keeping and protecting their home.

Recent History

The attack came at night by one of the male dominated prides that lived along their borders. Sisters fled or died defending their homeland. This battle decimated the numbers of the lucani and those left are few and fearful. Especially now that Otrera, their kuchwa, has gone missing! With no leader in sight, the pride must adopt a new kuchwa to survive the harsh climate of the Kalahari.

New faces are seen everywhere as old beliefs are thrown aside to openly allow cheetah, leopards and hybrids in-between into their ranks in hopes that they will survive with this new blood. Of course the ndae are not pleased about this. The stubborn old lionesses would much rather die clinging to their beliefs then adapt to survive. Though they are not alone in this belief. Others share their disdain towards the non-lions.

Allies

The Outlands

They are an ally...to a point. Their members are accepted within the Lucani borders so long as they identify themselves with the group of outcast lions. That's about as far as their alliance goes at this point. Ruled by a king, they are seen as odd, favoring the word of the queen within the Outlands over the word of the male ruler. This can lead to some tense meetings between the two.

Cultural Topics

Sun Marked

Those descended from the line of Mfuasi Nabbarun are said to possess a tribal sun marking somewhere on their body. This trait has managed to survive through the generations though the blood is thin now and only a few lions now possess it and can trace their family back to Mfuasi Nabbarun. Any member of the pride in this marking is automatically looked on with more prestige by more traditional members.

Melons

In this barren land there is a salvation and it comes in the form of a fruit. The tsamma melon is native to the Kalahari and grows frequently after a good rain. Smaller cousins to the watermelon we are all familiar with, they look nearly identical. Most varieties of this melon are bitter and hard to eat but some sweeter ones exist. Regardless of they taste, they are edible and can be eaten raw for a boost of liquid! To read more information about the tsamma melons click here.

Another kind of melon exists that is referred to as a the gemsbok melon which grows similarly to the tsamma in that they grow on a long, sprawling vine but is considerably much smaller. In fact, they're just a small oval shape with small, dull spines growing all of it. This means that it would likely fit in your hand meaning they are much easier for the lions of the Kalahari to deal with. Inside the fruit is a jelly-like, translucent green which can be eaten raw though it is, just like the tsamma melon, not exactly great tasting.

Males of Any Species

Due to the history of the pride, males, regardless of species, are generally seen as less; as if making up for mistakes for their sex's wrongs to the Lucani in the past, than their female counterparts. Despite this they are not treated unkindly. They may be bossed around but they are not abused, treated as slaves or forced into doing anything. A male member of the pride may leave if they so choose to with no consequence to themselves. Though a male who refuses to aid a female is subject to possibly being thrown out (assuming there is not a valid reason why he did not help, such as being sick, tending to a birthing mother, etc.) of the pride simply because in the harsh terrain, there is no room for selfishness.

Snakes

The snakes of the Kalahari are seen as allies to the Lucani and aid them in their day-to-day routines. They are personal guards, assistants and friends to their bonded feline. In older times any males within the pride could not possess their own snakes as they were seen as the living blood of their warrior goddess. The males of the pride were thought that they could not control or appreciate the deadly grace of the serpents.

The specific snakes bred by the Lucani are known for their paralytic venom used by the hunters during patrols for stray rogues seeking to do them harm or in ambushes during hunts. These snakes were often used to trade for drinking rights when water was scarce. This practice is still in place today.

Breeding

Mates: allowed, possible to have multiple mates.
Same Sex Mates: allowed, the pride has nothing against them.
Flings: allowed, common occurrence.
Rogue Breeding: allowed.
Mix-n-Match: okay, no permission needed. Hybrids allowed.

 

[Quaji]

Posting is fine, just post an image, a name if you want one and the rank you want~ Racer is open for joining during the I/T phase. c: Royal is off-limits for now.  

[Avid_RPer18]

Oh man, I want in on this. So, I shall offer up a fellow for the pride. <3


His name is Krioni and I'd love it if he were a racer. (Also, his cert links to his uncert. ^^ )  

[Quaji]

Updated. <3 Now to get to work on some of it.  

[ShinosBee]

I'll toss in Theluli to be a Mbio, if that's okay. I can have her change her name to fit in too, she'd ICly do it to not cause trouble. She's very quiet and gentle.  

[Ririka]

Hm...this pleases me.

I would like to throw in my Tendaji as a Mbio, please. :3


[uncert linked]

 

[Quaji]

; U ; Updated~<3  

[Quaji]

Basic idea for the cert. P:  

[Ritikine]

Looks awesome. :3

I'll probably work on a ref for the Sah so I can try and get him.
Maybe enter him in Caj's custom thing. ^^  

[ShinosBee]

I think that BG would look nice with perhaps pale cream, like alabaster color borders.  

[Quaji]

Hm...I think you're right Shino. ' 0 ' Though...I hate my own work, might look for someone to commission to do it. Just gonna use it as a general idea for now. <3  

[Ritikine]

Yeah, that would look really nice. :3

Pffftt, Quaji. Your bg is awesome. ^^

For anyone that might care~ :U
The Sah.
Or will be, when I can get him. ^^