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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 4:55 pm
((This RP runs concurrently with Stormy Rescue; if your character is involved in that RP, they cannot participate in this one, and vice versa.))
Change is in the air as Andhaka steps into the role of Umholi. Most members aren't sure how they feel about this development, but any Umholi is better than no Umholi. With a week having passed since the events under the dead acacia tree, the pride is getting ready to continue their migration and head east, following the herds. Before the pride even began, a small rainy season has descended upon the Ithambo'hlabathi, making mud out of the ground thanks to the herds eating the grass down. It also makes water much more plentiful, meaning more competitors for food.
On the third day of this migration eastward, a small group of four - including the Ahluke Ifunci and the Umzingeli Ukulambile - has gone out on a hunt, leaving just before the revelation that a cub is missing. As they near the location of a wildebeest herd, a storm is gathering.
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:08 pm
IC Information The pride is currently migrating east, towards the center of the pride. A small rainy season is upon the pride. Read more about changes here: link.
Andhaka has been made the new Umholi and not everyone is happy with this decision.
Ukwazi has been made an Umama with the backing of several lionesses.
Gakere and Surtak's battle scene was discovered about one and a half months ago. Surtak has been missing for close to eight months. Both are presumed dead.
Ukuthula gave birth about a month and a half ago to four cubs, two boys, two girls. Her cubs are growing strong, just as she said they would.
Litters have been scarce. Ukuthula just birthed one of the first litters in quite a while. Four cubs were born, two males, two females. Gakere is the obvious father. Ukuthula is also a daughter of Surtak, making these cubs rather special.
There have been a few lionesses joining recently. One in-particular is Imbali, who joined in the events that took place a month and a half ago. She's now a Cinga for the pride. Some lionesses aren't happy about this, but some appreciate the extra scout. A former Huria from the Firekin, Siantaidh, has also joined, which may make some uneasy as well. OOC Information There is no specific posting order, and you are free to post as many times as you would like. Interact with your fellow players!
There will be some combat in this ORP, for the initial group, but any injuries sustained will be entirely at player discretion. I won't inflict any specific injuries, rather I will be vague enough that you can determine what you want to happen. Regardless, it is a good idea to visit the Injury/Death Permissions Thread for future reference!
This RP will be small to start: the first TWO characters to be posted will be part of the initial group, and must be adult Abazingeli, Busisa, or Ehluke. After a certain point, the RP will be opened to other characters.
You may only have one character in the hunting party, but after the RP has been opened to everyone, may use as many characters as you like. Non-members will be permitted in this RP, but be warned that characters of the primary 'regular' SoA speciesare unlikely to receive a warm welcome.
One post = one ticket.
The option for more prizes will be able to be earned throughout the ORP. Prizes
Images to come! An Andhaka x Nolaka cub will definitely be available, additional prizes are possible.
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:21 pm
Despite the dark clouds that gathered above, promising a storm, Ukulambile was as cheerful as ever. Migrations were an exciting time, and she would never forget her first, when there had been baboons and a crocodile-slaying Inselelo, and jsut as importantly, her first taste of crocodile meat. It was the one and only time she had dined on such a creature, and would almost certainly also be the last, since crocodile-hunting was not recommended. Delicious, but stupid. But for all the cheer, and the drama and excitement surrounding their new Umholi, it was also bittersweet, for memories of the migration were also memories of her mother. Though she was not one to dwell on sadness, the migration deepened the ache of missing Nahmba. Even so, she behaved as her usual, upbeat self, keeping pace with their little group and chattering away. "Looks like more rain," she noted the obvious cheerfully. "Hopefully we catch dinner before it starts, yeah?" ((This RP is now open for two more members of Umzingeli, Busisa, or Ahluke rank to join. One character per player for the time being, please! n.n))
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:38 pm
Ifunci practically bounced beside Ukulambile, buzzing with excitement and energy. He'd been asked to go out on a hunting part, him of all people, and nothing could have put him in a better mood. The young male so no larger than any of the pride females, lacking the strength most male lions had and making up for it in breakneck speed. Ifunci loved the chance to help out his mothers and sisters, loved feeling useful. And the migrations! Ifunci was finally old enough to truly appreciate the spectacle, and my, were things so exciting! The rain though, the rain Ifunci could do without. It soaked through his growing-in mane and it took forever to dry. "Oh, yes! I would love to not get wet again." He said with a pout. Wet lion was not his favourite smell. And the mud! The mud was everywhere! On his paws, in his white mane, ugh! Well, at least a fully belly would make him feel better.
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:02 pm
Isasa gave Ifunci a scowl. "Stop pouting, we all have to get wet at SOME point." She paused a moment. "That said, I don't like it any more than you do. But there's no sense in complaining until it's been raining for a few DAYS or WEEKS." Then anybody's have a right to complain, while those that didn't were usually hippos, crocodiles, frogs, and water birds. Sometimes snakes... She hated snakes. She could do without them.
It seemed that, in the past week, Isasa had become much more grumpy. She'd once been a sly little cub, seeking gossip and trying to spread gossip, but as she'd grown... She'd changed. Now she saw signs in her sister that had previously been seen on her sister's friend, and... Could this be jealousy? She'd decided before setting out she'd use any anger and frustration to bring down prey.
OOC: I would like to request that all my tickets be assigned to Zempre heart I've had a lot of luck these last two days and I wanna spread that ~ heart
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:39 pm
"Aww, 'Sasa, don't be mean!" Ukulambile implored. "Being wet all the time's no fun for anybody. Well, except crocodiles and hippos and stuff, I guess. Anyway, even if it does rain, it'll be good practice for Ifunci, so that's not so bad. Maybe he'll even be ready for his Ukuzalwa soon, since he's staying and all."
While it might be considered more important for females than for males, since the adolescent was Ahluke, she figured it should be important for him, too.
((Still room for one more!))
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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:06 pm
The male stuck his tongue out at Isasa. "Yeah! Plus it takes me a lot longer to dry off than you guys." Ifunci noted. Stupid fluffy, water-holding mane. And wet manes were itchy manes. Gross. Ifunci's gut almost twisted at the mention of Ukuzalwa. Oh, he had forgotten all about that! "Why'd you have to bring that up." He grumbled. Now he was nervous. He didn't really think he'd fail, but the possibility sent his stomach twisting into knots. And oh gosh, who was he going to pick as a partner? Did anyone even want to be his partner? What if they didn't show up and Ifunci was left waiting there looking stupid because no one thought he was ready? Okay, yeah. He needed to get his mind off of this. "Let's find some prey to run down so we can get to shelter!" The clouds in the sky looked so very dark. Ifunci didn't think he'd seen the sky so black before. It surely wasn't a good sign.
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:15 am
"Oh, it's not so bad! You'll probably do fine! Just don't, y'know, get kicked in the head or anything," Ukulambile was happy to advise, though she sooned turned up her gaze and scowled at the sky as big, fat splot of rain landed on her nose. "Guess dinner'll be wet."
"There they are," she indicated when they came into view of the herd. "Anything that looks good to you?"
[OOC Information] Roll one 4-sided die!
1. Ooh, that calf look tasty. Small, but tasty! 2. The herd is milling restlessly, making it difficult to pick anything out. 3. One of the adult wildebeest has a pronounced limp. Should be easy pickings! 4. While you watch the herd, you begin to feel watched yourself. Creepy.
(A fourth party member is still welcome to join in!)
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Kaliforneum rolled 1 4-sided dice:
3
Total: 3 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:18 am
Ifunci let out a heavy, completely exaggerated sigh. Great. Rain. Now everything was going to be muddy. Ifunci hadn't ever really hunted in the rain before. He hoped they'd be able to catch something before he fell and slipped on his tail, or did something else completely embarrassing thanks to slippery footing. The young male scented the air and scanned the herd, his blue eyes watching for anything that might be an easy target. After a few seconds, he spotted a wildebeest with an uneven gait. He focused in on it, eyes narrowing in concentration. Yes! It was limping. "Weeeee got a limper! Right next to that big ol' bush to the right." He said quietly. They were in hunting mode now. As much as he enjoyed being loud and excited, it was time to be more stealthy. He would feel awful if his big mouth ended up scaring the herd away. Plus he'd be hungry.
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Andranis rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:26 am
She gave a snorting laugh. "There's also a worse fate than a kick in the head! Getting gored by the horn of a water buffalo and left to die a slow, painful death..." She looked at the herd, noticing the limping animal. "Hm, good eye..." She reached up, ruffling a muddy paw in the male's white mane. "You've got hope yet as a hunter."
Isasa suddenly felt her hackles raise up, ears flicking as she looked over her shoulder. She had the eerie feeling they were being watched... That was... Odd. But hunger was greater than paranoia in her, and she did her best to brush the feeling off.
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SilverLutz rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 11:20 am
Nehanda had followed the little hunting party as they broke off from the main part of the pride. While she wasn't nearly as large or as strong as the other females she still liked to help out where she could, and hunting was one thing she could assist with. The nice think about bringing down prey in a group was that it didn't rely on just one lioness, but rather the group as a whole. Han couldn't run or fight for very long, but she could certainly do so for long enough to give her partners time to go in for the kill. She glanced up at the sky with the others and blinked as a few raindrops fell onto her face. She didn't mind the rain so much as the humidity it generally brought with it. It made breathing even more difficult for her and she hoped the hunt wouldn't be too involved today, otherwise she'd be left gasping for breath. Ifunci spotted an injured adult in the herd before them, but Han joined Isasa in looking around them. The fur along the back of her neck and spine was standing on end, the sensation of being watched an unnerving one. "Perhaps someone should stay on guard," she said quietly to the other females and the young male. "While the others go to see about bringing down the injured one." It wouldn't do for all of them to expend their energy on a kill and then have a hyena or another group of lions come into steal their prey and start a fight.
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 11:56 am
"Euu, that's gross!" Ukulambile complained, expression twisting into an unplesant grimace at Isasa's description of being gored by a water buffalo. "Don't listen to her, Ifunci, nobody actually hunts water buffalo on their Ukuzalwa. It'll probably just be gazelle or wildebeest, yeah?"
"Well, since you saw it first, what do you think we should do next?" It was then that Uku noticed that Isasa's and Nehanda's attention was not just on the herd, but on their surroundings, and Han mentioned someone standing guard. "Huh? Someone could, I guess, but...why? Is something wrong?"
Beyond the rain beginning to fall harder, the blue-eyed lioness didn't see anything to be worried about.
[OOC Information] You could just ignore it, but...if not, roll another 4-sided die!
1. There's a rustling in a nearby bush. Optional: Investigate, and it's...a honey badger! And it is not happy to see you. 2. Rain, rain, and more rain. And some wildebeest. 3. Maybe you're just hearing things, but you could swear you heard a voice. From behind that rocky outcropping, maybe? 4. Eh, nothing. Let's get some food!
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Andranis rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:49 pm
The gold-eyed lioness frowned, ears folding back a moment. "Perhaps it's just the weather... It's playing tricks on us, making the bushes move as if something were in them or behind them." She glanced at the male, waiting to hear what he had to say about movement on the prey. Whatever it was that had made her hackles raise was pushed from her mind by her rumbling belly. There were more concerning matters at paw, namely getting food. Anybody would surely agree with her on that matter.
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Kaliforneum rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 2:50 pm
Ifunci laughed. "What else could be out here? I don't smell anything but prey." He commented. Besides, even if there was something else out here, it probably wasn't anything larger than a jackal or a wild dog. Nothing the lions should be concerned about. "I say we go ahead and bring the wildebeest down. Before the torrential downpour starts!" There was no escaping the rain at this point, but they could at least grab the pride's dinner before they started risking flash floods. "I can run her down, if you guys want to be waiting on the other side to grab her." Ifunci loved being the runner instead of the one leaping out to grab the prey. He was so much better at running. Plus, with how dark the mud was becoming, (and the fact that his half-mane was starting to get covered in it) his darker brown fur would let him sneak into the herd.
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SilverLutz rolled 1 4-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-4)
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 2:52 pm
Han swallowed thickly as the two lionesses and the male looked at her, then decided there was nothing to worry about. She had never been very good about putting her paw down and, now that she had looked around, there really wasn't anything out of the ordinary. That strange sensation was gone as well. Perhaps it was best to just let it go.
"Maybe just a passing jackal or something," she said with a weak smile before nodding. Running down prey was definitely not her strong suit, so she'd be willing to wait and leap upon the beast as it was herded their way.
"Although we should move quickly if we're going to. If this rain comes down any harder it'll make the ground rather unstable for running." As much as that might help them bring the beast down, it might also up their chance of injury. Those hooves weren't anything to ignore, whether they were being kicked with purpose or flailing about as the preybeast slid.
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