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 Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 11:42 am
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The Tierra de la Muerta reside in an otherwise ideal location on the west side of the mountains, south-east of Lake Victoria and on the east side of the south branch of the river coming off Lake Eyasi. The area is somewhat desolate at first glance, as the Serengeti Plains rise up into the mountains before the Massai Steppe, but grasses and trees DO grow here, with abundant enough game to sustain the pride year-round.
Curiously, the whole pride is covered in a blanket of perpetual fog and eerie silence. If this effects the prey beasts is unknown, but the clouds stop dead at the borders... So the guards patrol where they are half exposed to the world beyond the fog, and half shrouded in it.
Known and remembered history
Long ago, Mkodi made the first lions, and from those first lions, all lions... That's too far back, isn't it?
Right...
Many generations ago, longer than anybody in the Muerte can recall, there was a lion. He wasn't an impressive lion by any means for the current ways, simply dusty browns and rather scrawny. His name was Loco'salvaje, and he was the least liked member of the pride. He enjoyed trying to drive the others as mad as he gave off the appearances of being, while everyone else was trying to do this and that around the pride. Because they shunned him for this, he was a rather scrawny lion, barely getting enough food to survive on. He didn't mind, though.
One day, as Loco'salvaje traipsed around the hills in the pride's territory, he met a goddess who had a wing trapped under a rock. As the goddess pleaded for help, Loco decided to do something he normally wouldn't - He went to get help. But after years of playing pranks on the pride members, they didn't believe him, and he went back to free her himself.
To say the least, the goddess wasn't happy with how they'd acted, not knowing what this little scrawny lion was like. So when Loco finally got her free, she followed him home.
Oh, the pride believed Loco NOW, and suddenly realized that his pranks were his way of reaching out. But the damage had been done, and Loco snubbed them all for ignoring him when he needed them and their support most.
The goddess was not impressed by the displays of either the pride nor Loco, and gave them a warning - Heed the words of others, or consequences untold could happen to them. She then spread her wings and left them be.
For a time, life went back to normal, though now the pride looked at Loco's antics different. Now they treated them as a symptom of something worse, and tried to make it better, even giving the scrawny lion more food. Soon he put on body weight and looked less sickly... But remained as he had been before.
Then his pranks turned outright dangerous.
As it happened, one day a lion was spotted at the border. He looked quite the bad sight, sickly thin with open festering wounds. On his face was a skull unlike any the pride had ever seen.. And Loco wanted it.
The pride as a whole was wary of this lion, who despite his looks was very much alive and moving as if nothing was wrong. Loco approached him directly, attempting to barter with him, get that skull... Only to be rebuffed. He went home with a sour mood.
A few mornings later, the lion was found dead just inside the border, and the skull helmet was gone. When Loco wandered in to see what the commotion was about, everybody turned and accused him of the lion's murder and mugging. Loco pleaded his innoccence, though, and offered to prove he didn't do it.
As it turned out, Loco had an aliby for every moment of the previous few days, but that still left the mystery of who had done it. The lion was finally outed, a cousin of Loco, Agriado'cara. Like Loco, the lion was dusty colors, but more dusty green than brown.
And he had in his den the skull helmet, filched from the dead lion. The pride was quick to shove him out to the body, only to find it gone. As they looked around, an eerie fog swept across the pride's lands.
While they gave up the search due to the fog, the lions still wondered... Where had that body gone?
As they all slept, a young lioness, no older than a juvenile, was visited in her dreams by a shadowed god....
When she awoke, she told everybody her vision from the night before - The dead lion was not, in fact, a lion at all, but a god. He'd heard from a goddess friend of his about the pride, and come to investigate it, and been unhappy initially with how Loco had acted... But he'd let the lion slide, since he left the bone-wearer alone after being rebuffed.
It was the combination of the pride's fast accusations against one of their own and Agriado's actions that had sealed their fate - The pride members would be cursed to walk their lands as the living dead, nobody allowed to die, and it would spread if they left their lands.
So the pride quarentined themselves, ashamed of their actions.
Forgotten history
For a long time, this very thing happened - Pride members, when they grew old, simply began to rot and fall apart. Some hobbled around on three limbs, others had only skeletons for limbs and tails, skulls were exposed... Any cubs born were mourned, having to face this life.
Slowly, though, as generations began to tick by, the curse wore off. Eventually, lions stopped falling apart, but the mentality that they were dead persisted. The fog remains, the last reminder of the curse from the gods. While the living-dead curse is long gone, the lions don't know it, or they don't realize it. Regardless... They keep within the borders, not wanting to spread their curse. |
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 11:44 am
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The largest and most important belief any outsider needs to know is that the Muerta believe they are the living dead - They are zombies. Because of this, some markings are considered sacred, a small blessing from the gods. They worship four - Mkodi, the Mother Goddess of All Gods and Goddesses, as well as her children; Samedi, Lord of the Undead; Vida, Lady of Life(OOC note: Yes, I'm aware she does NOT exist - This is what the PRIDE believes. Consider her an NPC, as she is.); And Mortalidad, Lord of Death(See the OOC note on Vida). They understand that other gods exist - Children of Mkodi - but they primarily worship only the four.
They believe that if they are devoute in their worship of Mkodi and her children, they will be restored to life and the curse of their pride will be lifted. Until that day, they fully expect all newcomers to abide by the laws and rules of the pride.
Certain markings are considered sacred - These are bone markings, markings that look like wounds, and markings that look like blood(Definable proof of such a marking - A cub is bathed nose to tail tip from birth, and blood-like markings do NOT go away). The first marking type is considered a blessing from Samedi, while the wound markings are a gift from Mortalidad and blood from Vida. Blessings from Mkodi come in the forms of runes of any kind and the 'tirbal swirl'.
Certain colors, too, are considered sacred, such as white(The perfect color of death), red(Color of blood and life), black, and certain shades of greens, browns, and the former two colors tinged grey. All colors are acceptable, of course, but these are considered the most ideal. (To clarify, because I've gotten a couple questions about this - The lion could, frankly, be neon pink with neon orange hair and neon green markings and still be called acceptable to the pride!)
White or pale eyes(Such as very light pink, blue, green, etc.) are considered an ideal trait in lions, as they tend to be referred to as 'dead eyes.' As dead animals' eyes tend to go white if they're not eaten and before they rot, the Muerte find this a sign of the gods' blessings on them. Dead-eye males are considered ideal for a future as a guard, while females are simply encouraged to take a dead-eye male for a mate so their cubs can continue to have the 'dead eye' trait.
When a lion joins the Muerte, they are expected to abandon their 'living' name and take on a new 'living dead' name, following the naming traditions of the pride. Who they were in their old life does not matter, only who they are in their 'after' life. Any who refuse to change their name are considered in denial about their death, and denied many of the rights beyond eating and drinking... Including breeding. (They can, of course, lie about their 'living' name, or even use a persistent nickname as their living name, but there will be few exceptions to the general rule; There are no language restrictions outside shop restrictions, I just happened to go with Spanish words for a lot of things in the pride's info)
Any time cubs are born, they're mourned - Such innoccent lives have ended far too soon, only to grow up already dead. Death, on the other paw, is celebrated - The lion who has died has been released from the curse, allowed to be one with the earth and return to Mkodi.
Seers are particularly revered, kept within the priesthood to make predictions and interpret the will of the gods.
Only lions are in the Muerte - It was a lion who crossed the gods, and thus only the lions were punished. While they won't turn away a wary traveler of another species, they'll be discouraged from joining.
Everything done must be done with a purpose - Hunting to feed others, for instance, and breeding to keep a population up to appease the gods, as another example(A necissary evil, as the priests call it).
Hybrids are a no-go, considered not only an abomination, but absolutely pittiful, as they are considered only half-alive by the pride, and thus their 'suffering' ended purely out of what they consider mercy. This only applies to lion hybrids - Leotahs are perfectly safe, just seen as sad and skinny little leopards. If a lion has hybrids in its history, or it has hybrid offspring out in the roguelands, these will not reflect against them. The offspring are considered something in the past and not a reflection of the current lion, and hybrid ancestors are not the lion's fault.
The Muerte consider homosexuality a... Very strange thing. It's something they can't begin to comprehend why two lions who can't create offspring together would be together, and thus don't allow it. (Please keep in mind, this is not because I don't like it - I prefer to stay neutral to the matter. This is part of the PRIDE'S beliefs. See their stance on hybrids above, and their reasoning for everything above.)
Once a lion has joined, they may not leave. The Muerte believe that if anybody leaves, they will unleash the anger of the gods on the lands, and the whole of Africa will become the living dead as corpses crawl out of the ground in various states of decay. Yes, they do believe that. Anybody caught trying to leave(And the borders are patrolled VERY heavily) is ushered back into the safety of the pride. The seclusion of the Muerte's genes is for the better of the world.
Random rogue breeding(And any rogue breeding or breeding with anyone outside the pride) is, for this reason, strictly forbidden. If a lion or lioness is caught with someone from outside the pride, the intruder is imprisoned and quarentined until the priests can determine just WHY they'd want to be with someone who's dead. (The only exception to this is gods, because... Gods will do as gods please)
The Muerte believe in having a mate - They believe it appeases the gods, and makes them happy, because a pair of lions is making a commitment to bring more worshippers into the world together, and raising them together. Only adults may breed and be mates, though, and adolescents shouldn't be breeding. If two adolescents are caught getting frisky, and especially if cubs result, the pair gets a 'shotgun wedding'(Though without the actual shotgun, because these are lions and where did they get a shotgun, let alone how did they figure out how to use it?). There's understandably a few pairs that are less than happy to be together...
As mentioned before, the birth of a cub is mourned. So, too, is any cub found at the border and brought in, as their lives had only begun only to 'die'.
Every year in October, the pride celebrates Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead - On this day, contrary to what humans would do, the lions celebrate another year of keeping their curse at bay from the world beyond their borders. The huntresses go out and bring in plenty of food for a great feast, during which any cubs born that year are announced and newcomers welcomed into the fold.
Only two kinds of familiars are kept by the pride - Vultures, who eat the carcass remains of the dead, and ravens, their most revered symbol, seen as an omen of death. While members of the pride can have either of the two they choose, royalty is expected to have a raven and the priesthood a vulture, more as a matter of tradition.
Because of the Lord of the Undead, the Muerte have a fascination with bones. All of their jewlery is made from or using bone... Wood is NEVER used. Skulls are of particular fascination, making for the perfect helmets or hats. Now and then, they'll use a pelt, but for the most part it's bone.
Once in an extreme blue moon, when food is incredibly scarce to the point there are no herds in the territory... Sad to say, the Muerte will resort to cannibalism. But this is seen as otherwise an abominable act, and only acceptable in particularly harsh times - A very literal last resort. During these times, the cubs are given the choice cuts so they can grow bigger and stronger. (This may, of course, have something to do with why they continue to believe themselves the living dead... This hasn't had to happen in the last couple generations, though, so it's been a while since anybody living-dead has experienced the need to eat a pridemate.) |
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Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 11:46 am
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The ranks are divided into sections based on sections of the skeleton(lawl). Also, to clarify, by 'original', for the time being and ONLY for the Right Arm, will mean 'part of the concept thread' smile Since it's not easy to quest for a seer without a god being involved in it xd You will just need a good reason for your technically-joining-rogue to be High Priest or High Priestess.
The Skull is the royalty - The king, his queen, and their children, literally the head of the skeleton.
Mano Izquierda - The king of the pride, the title is inherited father to son, as a matter of tradition.
Mano Derecha - The mate of the pride leader, she's always from 'commoner' blood - They don't like inbreeding.
Manita - The heir to the throne (Requirements: Male, son of the king)
Pequeño pie - Literally meaning 'little foot', these are the non-heir cubs of the current king and queen. They hold this title for their cub and adol stages.
Pie Izquierdo - Literally meaning 'left foot', these are the brothers of the king, both past kings and present kings. Their offspring hold no special titles that aren't earned.
Pie Derecho - Literally meaning 'right foot,' these are the sisters of the king, both past and present kings. Their offspring hold no special titles that aren't earned.
The priesthood of the pride, where all the seers are gathered.
High Priest & Priestess - The leaders of the priesthood. They only answer to the Mano Izquierda and the gods. They know how to perfectly read various bones, including rune-marked bones. (Requirements: Seer, original members/born into the pride; When the position opens up post-establishment, 15 RPs as a Priest/ess)
Priest/ess - The seers of the pride (Requirement: Seer)
Accolyte - Cub-Adolescent seers (Requirement: Seer)
The army of the pride - Guards also act as soldiers, so there's no real 'soldier' rank.
Captain - The head of the guards, he only answers to the king and queen (Requirements: Male, original member; Once pride is established, 10 RPs minimum as a guard)
Guard - They patrol the edges of the fog, keeping an eye out for anybody trying to leave. They're often the fiercest looking lions, and the first impression outsiders get of the pride. Often, they're very heavily decorated in bones to the point they look a walking skeleton. (Requirements: Male, born in the pride)
Guard Apprentice - Any adolescent male wishing to become a guard (Requirements: Male, born in the pride)
The hunters and huntresses make up the Left Leg of the pride.
Head Huntress - The best hunting female in the pride, she leads the truly large hunts and directs who will be hunting each day otherwise. (Requirements: Female, original member/born into the pride; Post pride establishment, 5 hunting RPs to move up if the rank becomes available)
Hunter/Huntress - Default rank of the pride (Requirement: Member of the pride)
Hunting Apprentice - Default rank of adols in the pride (Requirement: Adolescent member of the pride)
Half of what the pride stands on is bone collection, thus the bone collectors are the Right Leg.
Bone collector - Somebody has to do it! These lions go out and collect bones from the pride's lands for use in various things, from jewelery to knuckle bones for the priests and priestesses to use. (Requirement: Member of the pride)
Collector Apprentice - Any adolescent who wishes to go out and gather bones, they're taught which ones are worth the most and which to simply leave for now (Requirement: Adolescent member of the pride)
Cubs are the future of any pride, which is why they are referred to as the Spine of the pride. This extends into 'the tail,' as it's easy to forget that one HAS a tail, but it must still be cherished.
Youth - The non-royal cubs of the pride (Requirement: Cub/juvenile member of the pride) |
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Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 1:53 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 7:32 am
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Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 11:34 pm
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Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 8:11 am
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Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 6:42 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 2:02 am
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Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 4:44 am
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Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 12:30 pm
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