[OOC] Coalition Information

[Koti Kaikille Coalition]

 

[Koti Kaikille Coalition]

There was once a Leopon, born into an old Pride set in its old ways. He had the ill fate of being born from a sinful tryst – between his mother, whom was a lioness of the Nobility and a ‘lowly’ solitary leopard. Such encounters may have been expected of those of the lower class, but it was unheard of for the Higher Class to disgrace themselves by bringing hybrids into the Pride; such creatures are filthy abominations and serve no true purpose, unlike those of pure blood. The unfortunate cub, who was named ' Tzachi ' by his mother, was immediately sentenced to death. His only saving grace was the lioness that had birthed him. She begged and pleaded with the other Nobles to allow her son to survive and live within the walls of the Pride, at least until he was able to thrive in the Rogue Lands. The Mothers' words were begrudgingly heard, much to the grimace of the gentry's ears. And so, it was decided that the genetic mutant would live, as would his Mother, until the male was an adolescent. No later or sooner, he would be expelled.

The days until then, would not be sweet, nor could they come soon enough. Though her rank was stripped from her, the proud mother retained her dignity in the face of adversity; she and her single offspring were allowed to live within the Pride, but they felt as if they were on the edge of the world.

It was until the faithful day that Tzachi grew into adolescence that, as agreed upon, was quickly thrust out of the Pride, far from the lands of his birth. Not a last look upon those lands, and not even a chance to say ' Good-bye ' to his Mother who had worked so hard to keep him alive. Both Mother and Sons' fates would forever remain unknown to the other.

Wandering alone, abandoned and scarred by his birth Pride, Tzachi found that there was little that could break him from his pain. He was utterly alone, and had been convinced all his life that he was nothing but a horrible abomination; years of resentment towards lions had been building, and it all seemed to boil and spew out when he finally encountered one in the Rogue Lands. What began as a one-time outburst turned into a habit, as Tzachi took his anger out on any lion that he happened upon.

This, of course, lasted until the now young-adult happened upon something a little different. One day, curled up helplessly before him in the grass was a small and completely fragile looking cub. Upon further investigation, he found it was like him – an ‘abomination.’ He was old enough now that he could tell that it was a tiny Leotah that was curled up in the middle of his path, but not old enough to have any idea as to what to do with it. Part of him told him to just leave it there; he was far from a father figure. But then, the other part of him remembered the torture he had had to endure as a cub, and didn’t want for anyone to be able to do that to this tiny and helpless cub. Taking it under his wing, Tzachi began to change his ways, to try and better protect and provide for this small cub. Eventually, after watching it play one day, he felt the need to find a place that he could protect the small cub – where they would both be safe from the harsh ways of lions. In fact, wouldn’t it be best to use their own form of protection against them? Taking the small Leotah along with him, Tzachi set out, wanting to find the perfect place where they could gather others like them.

After a long journey, the pair reached the first location. It was hotter than belief, and there was nothing but sand beneath their paws. Staring at the little one next to him, he could tell that this was no place for young; heck, he could barely stand it. No, this wasn’t it.

Moving on again, they reached another option. This place was already far better than the first; for starters, there were trees as far as the eye could see, and water was fairly plentiful. The only problem they came across was that it was already inhabited – by a lion pride, to make it worse. Trying to keep his composure, Tzachi rushed the small Leotah out of the area, moving on to a new place that they could finally call home.

Feeling the ground beneath his paws slowly become softer, with the slight feel of water seeping between his toes every once in a while, Tzachi could tell that they had reached somewhere fantastic. He took in a deep breath, and could easily see the allure of this place. There was water everywhere, and the grass was tall enough in most areas to create suitable escape routes, should the need arise.

After spending some time in the area, the pair of hybrids had found themselves in the company of an avian, who they had stumbled upon when first finding these wetlands. The avian had heard his cause, and had felt sympathy for the pair. Deciding it was time to try and rally more hybrids like them, he asked the avian to fly in one direction, spreading the word to as many hybrids as he could. Tzachi, in turn, would take the growing Leotah and head in the opposite direction, finding as many hybrids as they could before returning to these new homelands.

Traveling around for many moons, Tzachi and the Leotah, who was now much more grown, returned to their beloved wetlands with a small following, to start their lives as a full-fledged pride. Upon returning, they were met by others who had heard about the group by word-of-mouth. It brought Tzachi great joy knowing that he and his still young adopted Leotah would have a safe home, where hybrids like them could thrive away from the tyranny of lions. For generations, Tzachi ruled over the group, growing to a ripe old age. Under his rule, there was great prosperity, and everyone thought that it would last forever. A season before he was due to name an heir, however, a great flood plagued the group, wiping out a good deal of the pride, including Tzachi himself. As the waters receded, though, the remaining members still tried to stick together. Though plagued by grief for the dead and fear of the future without a leader, they still tried to stay together as one. To an outsider, though, it looked like a pride on the verge of completely dying out. Some time went by with the pride like this, carefully treading into the future as best they could. Hope came, though, in the form of a pale leopon who just happened to stumble upon the shambled group. After taking a liking to it, he decided to settle there with his three small cubs, bringing new life to the once dying pride. Feeling rejuvenated by the appearance of life, the aging original members decided to try and fill the pride with new blood again, wanting life to flow through it once more.

As the rebuilding grew, one of the leopon’s cubs grew up exhibiting traits that the pride hadn’t seen in a long time – wisdom, curiosity, and responsibility. The pride watched her grow, and as they saw a new influx of members, decided to place that cub – who had now grown into a picturesque adult – at the head of the new and reborn Koti.  

[Koti Kaikille Coalition]

The Wetlands

- Map here -

Information here

Dens

The dens in the Koti are laid out in a more clustered system, ranging from just a few to many different family dens being in the same area. They are constructed on the driest areas, made from fallen trees and mud. Some members might choose to make their dens closer to members of similar rank or social standing, or just by someone that they've become close to.

Water Source

Information here  

[Koti Kaikille Coalition]

Beliefs, Values, and Traditions

Religion

Gods

Gods are generally well-liked within the pride and can come and go as they please. It is known within the pride that the gods, in fact, exist even though they may disguise themselves to blend in better within the lands. While the knowledge of gods exist, the pride rarely sticks to a set rule of belief and allows the pride to worship who they feel the need to worship, as the pride is completely tolerant of personal religious practices. There are a few well noted gods that all members hold in high esteem, as follows


• Mengi'changanya, the God of Hybrids, is the patron god of the pride and is proof that the hybrids are blessed by the gods. (Permission granted by Owner)

Ceremonies & Festivals

Coming of Age

To be officially considered an adult, each hybrid must venture into the roguelands for a time and capture a slave. These slaves are considered a personal slave to the individual that captured it. Sometimes a group captures a slave together and the slave will generally stay within the slave quarters of the pride.

Seasonal Festivals

At the changing of a season, there is often a festival held to showcase a successful season of the pride's continued existence. During the Dry season, a festival is often held to appreciate the lack of floods and fear of constant rain. It is currently the most important festival in the pride. It is celebrated with dancing, singing, and other entertainment.

Marriage & Courtship

Marriage is normally a much larger ceremony than a courtship ceremony, but both hold importance in the pride. A pair cannot marry unless they are in a current courtship.


• A courtship ceremony is often just help between the pair and a witness. A Crafter will craft a necklace for each of the members in courtship, often symbolizing the individual wearing the necklace. Once the pair becomes serious, they can move onto the marriage phase.
  
  
• Marriage ceremonies are much larger, often involving much of the pride. The individual's necklaces are brought to a crafter and at the ceremony the new item (an ear cuff) is exchanged by the two members, and they life their lives bearing the other's mark.

Birth

With the birth of the new litter, a feast and celebration is made to honor the new litter. It is normally a small ceremony with just the family involved and a few friends with aid from the hunters and dancers if they see fit.

Funerals

Death is a sad occasion in any case or creed, but within the pride, the life of the individual is celebrated and the members of the pride that were close to the member are often given a break from their duties to properly mourn and celebrate the life of the individual in peace. During the Funeral celebrations, dancers create dances of the life of the individual and storytellers will tell stories of the individuals life.

Rogues

Hybrids

Hybrids are usually allowed passage through the lands, though they will be stopped by guards unless they are escorted in by a regular member. They will be allowed to leave unhindered unless they have broken a law or cause any trouble.

Non-hybrids

Any non-hybrid seen entering the lands risks becoming a slave or being captured. Any non-hybrids attempting to leave the lands without an escort will be hindered from leaving the pride by one or more of the guards. They are allowed to leave with an escort as long as they don't enter the lands again, they do not risk being captured.


• If a non-hybrid is captured, the captor may defend their right to the slave and prevent them with leaving even with an escort. Such disputes may be seen before the council.

Past Views

At the pride's birth, only a few trusted members were allowed within the pride and some hybrids were even denied access due to Tzachi's paranoia and fear of others. He kept the trusted members close and would only allow members into the pride if they could prove themselves loyal to the pride. However, as time went on and leadership changed hands, some of the strict rules diminished, though a mistrust often remains about the pride for anyone entering the lands, even if they are simply passing through. Passing rogues often need an escort for this person, or a member to sponsor them if they're staying longer.

Joining

All joining members are brought before the council, even slaves. The joining process may vary from member to member, depending on the situation and is done on a case to case basis. OoCly, this does not need to be RPed out and only an approval to join is required.


• Hybrids are accepted fairly easily and have little difficulty in joining. They are expected to learn a trade or utilize one they have to help better the pride in any way they can. The council generally helps them get started to begin their life within the pride.
  
  
• Willing Non-hybrids are generally regarded with some suspicion but are more easily integrated into the slave-ranks. These members most often fall within the Family Slave area of the ranks, though pretty much can fall wherever they fit best. They are most often regulated to an area and someone of a similar rank or higher may show them the ropes.
  
  
• Captured Slaves are not trusted upon capture, though may gain more trust. They are generally kept by the captor(s) as a prize and they are charged with finding someone who can teach them or to teach the new slave themselves. They are brought before the council as proof that the new slave is not just a passing rogue and to make sure any disputes over new slaves can be solved.
  
  
• Cubs are generally celebrated the same way born-in members are. Slave cubs are often over-looked and given to a slave (family or beloved) to raise into a slave, though hybrid cubs are given ceremony once they either reach their adopted parents or the parent that resides within the pride. Slave cubs are generally more trusted, having grown within the pride's culture and may have their choice of the range of slave-ranks.

Marriage & Breeding

Marriage & Courting

While normally a rare event, Marriage is a huge event that most of the pride attends. It is seen as a special union of two members that wish to spend the rest of their natural lives together. Marriage is always preceded by a period of courtship to ensure the couple is suited to the life of marriage and typically lasts between a few months to a year. Courting begins in the adolescent stage but marriage never takes place unless both members are adults.


• Courting usually takes place in younger members (such as adols) while relationships are young and marriage is a strong possibility. Those in the process of courting are given a small ceremony and a necklace (typically a moonstone) to symbolize that they are in a relationship at that point.
  
  
• If a pair marries, they take the moonstone necklaces from their courtship and bring them to one of the crafters. The crafter will then transform the necklace into a traditional earcuff that will symbolize their marriage and are exchanged during a ceremony.

Flings

Flings are generally acceptable, especially among the slave population. Fertile hybrids that fling in adolescence may be frowned upon, depending on their peer group, but are aided in any way they can as parents. They have the choice of putting their cubs up for adoption as well, to allow another couple to raise the children. Each fling is viewed in a case to case basis, though there is no stigma surrounding them.

Birth & Raising of Hybrid Cubs

Hybrid cubs are highly celebrated within the pride, seen as a new generation of ideas and possible children born of hybrids. Hybrids born from the slaves of the pride are taken after they are weened and given to hybrid parents to raise and are presented and named once they are given to their new parents. Often hybrid pair stay with the mother of the cubs until the cubs are born and weened to take and raise them.


• Births are highly celebrated, especially if one of the parents is a hybrids. A celebration is held with a small feast for the family. The whole pride celebrates new life in the pride.

Birth & Raising of Non-hybrid Cubs

Slave children are generally celebrated only within the slave community. They're seen as new life and are often more trusted than other slaves that have joined. Many of these members are owned by families, especially if they are the result of a hybrid pairing. They are raised immersed in the culture and often seen in a higher standing than captured slaves.

Special Traits

Fertility

Being a fertile hybrid is a huge deal in a pride where most the members are sterile. Members that are fertile are often sheltered and hidden from threats, given cushier roles and hidden from dangers. There may be some jealousy between members once fertility is confirmed.

Seers

Seers, while they don't have a special rank, are highly important to the pride. They are given high status within the pride. Those who see the past are often in ranks of entertainment, such as storytelling, but those who see the future are often found in the council.

 

[Koti Kaikille Coalition]

Chancellor .:. Kansleri

The leader of the pride. They are, in essence, a seventh council member, but hold many more responsibilities and powers than the Council Members do. The Chancellor is determined by either their seer powers or their innate ability to lead and decide things for the good of the pride.

Consort .:. Puoliso

This is the mate to the Chancellor. Mainly a position of moral and emotional support, the Consort holds little power. They do, however, hold high status within the pride.

Heir .:. Perijä

Chosen because of either their seer powers or their wisdom, the heir is trained to know how the pride works, in case they need to take action at any given moment.

Council Members .:. Neuvoston Jäsenet

The council that helps make many of the decisions in the pride. Usually, the council members are seers, or those who have intense wisdom. There is a limit of six council members in the pride at any time.

Guardians .:. Vartijat

The guards of the pride. Usually made up of larger hybrids, such as leopons, they protect the pride from any threats.

Scouts .:. Tiedustelijat

Scouts are usually the quicker hybrids in the pride, usually part cheetah, but not always. They go out around the pride borders and beyond to see if there are any incoming threats.

Hunters .:. Metsästäjä

The bulk of the pride. They mainly hunt to provide for the pride and the Youth.

Healers .:. Parantajat

Those skilled in the art of healing and curing others. They must also be skilled in the ways of birthing, in the rare occurrence of a litter in the pride.

Nannies .:. Lastenhoitaja

Normally females, those who are good with cubs that raise them. They usually handle hybrid cubs that aren't with their parents, as hybrid litters are rare things. Nannies must also be able to prepare little ones for life in the wetlands and occasional flooding.

Crafters .:. Taiteilijat

Those who are skilled at making things that are useful to the pride. [

Entertainers .:. Viihdyttäjät

Those who entertain in unconventional ways, or just a non-listed way.

Storytellers .:. Tarinankertoja

The members who tell stories to, usually, young ones, but can also tell stories to the general pride.

Dancers .:. Tanssijat

Those who express themselves through dance to entertain the pride.

Apprentices .:. Oppipoika

Usually adolescents, those who are training in a certain field for adulthood.

Youth .:. Nouriso

All cubs and juves in the pride.

Slaves .:. Orja

Purebreds in the pride. Please see the Slaves section for further details.  

[Koti Kaikille Coalition]

Hierarchy........

Beloved Slaves .:. Rakkaat Orja

These slaves, in actuality, don't do very much. As their name states, they are the 'beloved' purebreds. They mainly consist of purebred parents that have chosen to reside within the pride, or purebred mates that wish to stay with their lovers. These 'slaves' hold the most power, as they are very much like regular pride members, but as a pride policy, they are called slaves.

Personal Aide .:. Persoonallinen Assistentti

The personal slaves to the Chancellor and their Consort, as well as the Council members. They are, besides the Beloved Slaves, the highest on the totem pole and usually have some authority over the lower slaves.

Family Slaves .:. Fameli Orja

These slaves are slaves that are personally owned by the general public. Families or single pride members can own one, and they are generally trained in areas that are useful to the regular pride members.

Breeding Slaves .:. Kasvatus Orja

As their title says, these slaves are used for their breeding purposes. When the pride wishes to boost its numbers, they will breed two different-species slaves together. When they wish for more slaves, they breed two same-species slaves together. These slaves are usually treated nicer, but don't develop any personal relationships with anyone, so they aren't quite as trusted as Family slaves.

Grunts .:.

These slaves aren't usually owned by one specific group or person. They do the grunt work for the pride, and usually consist of non-trusted or rebellious slaves. They are treated worse and given harder lives than other slaves.

Rights........

In Life........

Slaves are generally given the same rights as regular pride members, but on a degraded scale. They are fed, homed, and taken care of, though those accommodations are usually not as nice as the regular pride members.

In Politics........

Slaves are given no voice in political matters, or any matters of the pride.

In Justice........

Punishment for committing a crime against a slave is given, but it is not as severe as punishment for regular pride members. Punishment also depends on the placement in the hierarchy of the slave.

So if a pride member attacked a Personal Aide, the punishment would be something more severe, like an equal beating or something of the like. On the other hand, if a Grunt was attacked, the punishment would only be something like a slap on the wrist for the pride member, and they can go back to their daily lives.

Duties........

Most slaves will simply tend to the wishes and needs of those that own them. In families, that usually implies taking care of the cubs and tending to their needs when they're not with a nanny, and keeping things clean in the dens. They could also be used as messengers for their owner. Breeding slaves answer to no one but the Council when they decide it is time for them to breed. It is because these slaves are rarely seen by the general public, so there is no need to have someone constantly control them.

The Grunts have to do whatever anyone in the pride tells them to do, be it a fully fledged adult or a tiny little cub. If duties are not carried out, slaves will be punished.

Obtained........

A semi-new tradition, slaves are now mainly obtained when juveniles become adolescents as a sort of 'coming-of-age' ceremony. They are sent out in groups and must return with at least one slave to prove themselves as grown members of the pride.

Some slaves, however, come of their own free will, whether to get a protected and cared for life, or someone that just needs something to give them purpose in life.


Leaving........

If a slave has reached the end of its uses, or just wants to go out and start a life of their own, there are ways for slaves to be released.

If a slave has a good enough record, they will probably be offered, at some point, to be released. ICly, this can be by their owner or the Chancellor. OCCly, owners would have to discuss the situation in which a slave could be released. For lowly, grunt slaves, their release could stem from such severe bad behavior that the pride just doesn't wish to deal with them anymore.  

[Koti Kaikille Coalition]

Breeding Information

- Breeding is always open, unless otherwise stated.
- There is no pre-approval needed to breed.
- Breeding slaves are free to breed with others of their rank or with Rogues.
- Fertile Adol. hybrids are allowed to breed, but may be looked down upon for their rashness. ( Depending upon the individual's peer group )
- Adult fertile hybrids need not be in the Courting process or Married, to breed, but must still be responsible parents for any resulting offspring.