At the same time as preparations were being made for a Firekin tournament to help ease tensions towards Safi and Simo, a band of rogues arrived seeking membership. Seeing that the group were a promising bunch, Kidondo and No permitted them temporary accommodation until the tournament’s completion in which they could then seek out duels to earn their right to stay. However, with the dawn came not only the beginning of the tournament but a terrible revelation. One of the rogues, Epesi, was found dead. His wounds suggested a short but violent surprise attack. Kimacho, with the agreement of Kidondo and No, set about questioning those with possible motives, including his own group of rogues. It was with some frustration that all of these possible rogues and Firekin came with their own set of motives for carrying out the murder.
During the interrogations, Vlam - a member of the Firekin - became the next target; was attacked from behind and left for dead on the sands. Thankfully, the white lion survived the ordeal, though his health prevented him from giving Kimacho any revelations on who the attacker might be.
Fortunately, over the following days, Kimacho's investigations managed to pry through the lies and the secrets and, called a meeting with the Regents and those incriminated with the killing of Epesi and the attempted killing of Vlam. In detail. Kimacho described each suspect and their motives, striking off first Mtenga, Serafina and Kenina and then young Azar'bijan and Nasiha. Then, of course, there was Vlam - who had been a suspect before he had become a victim himself. The attacks were so similar that Kimacho was convinced they had been committed by the same person. Siri'wasii, then, was also cleared of any wrongdoing. Which left, of course, Tepe; the weakest of the newly joined rogues but perhaps the most intelligent. And with Kimacho's evidence against him, claimed he to be the guilty lion.
Angered and desperate, Tepe launched himself at Siri'wasii - the female he had obsessively loved - and took her hostage, threatening her life unless they set him free. And in that moment, as he backed away from the crowds, an unseen firekin leapt out from her hiding place. The ex-queen of the Safi struck true, landing a crippling blow that snapped the young lion's neck. A move that both rid the lands of the murderer and brought a new wave of trust between the ex-leader and the current Regents.
Then, at last, with Tepe dead and the crime solved, the Regents agreed that the remaining rogues could either take their leave of the lands or remain to seek membership within the desert. Kimacho was one of those who chose to remain, taking up the new role of Spy Master amongst the kin.
During the interrogations, Vlam - a member of the Firekin - became the next target; was attacked from behind and left for dead on the sands. Thankfully, the white lion survived the ordeal, though his health prevented him from giving Kimacho any revelations on who the attacker might be.
Fortunately, over the following days, Kimacho's investigations managed to pry through the lies and the secrets and, called a meeting with the Regents and those incriminated with the killing of Epesi and the attempted killing of Vlam. In detail. Kimacho described each suspect and their motives, striking off first Mtenga, Serafina and Kenina and then young Azar'bijan and Nasiha. Then, of course, there was Vlam - who had been a suspect before he had become a victim himself. The attacks were so similar that Kimacho was convinced they had been committed by the same person. Siri'wasii, then, was also cleared of any wrongdoing. Which left, of course, Tepe; the weakest of the newly joined rogues but perhaps the most intelligent. And with Kimacho's evidence against him, claimed he to be the guilty lion.
Angered and desperate, Tepe launched himself at Siri'wasii - the female he had obsessively loved - and took her hostage, threatening her life unless they set him free. And in that moment, as he backed away from the crowds, an unseen firekin leapt out from her hiding place. The ex-queen of the Safi struck true, landing a crippling blow that snapped the young lion's neck. A move that both rid the lands of the murderer and brought a new wave of trust between the ex-leader and the current Regents.
Then, at last, with Tepe dead and the crime solved, the Regents agreed that the remaining rogues could either take their leave of the lands or remain to seek membership within the desert. Kimacho was one of those who chose to remain, taking up the new role of Spy Master amongst the kin.
Tepe here was the murderer. He was greatly in love with one of the joining lionesses, but she already had a lover, and Tepe had always been rather smaller, physically. He killed his love's lover, and then died after taking said would-be-love hostage.
The thing that now one really knew was that Tepe had had a son. Before they reached the pride's lands, he'd found a rogue who probably reminded him somewhat of the lioness he was pining after, and they had a very brief encounter before he went on his way. He never thought about the rogue lioness again. She, on the other hand, was the type to become singularly obsessed. She eventually found out she was pregnant.
When the lone cub (who looked so like his father, and was named for him too) was born, she filled his ears with tales and imaginings about him. She painted the picture of a great noble lion warrior, who loved them both dearly but could not be with them. He'd had to go away, to protect other lions and take them to a place where lions of the right temper and coloring could become even stronger. Tepe's son was raised to all but worship the idea he'd formed of his father.
Just before he reached full adulthood, the rogue lioness died from an illness that had been creeping up on her. With no more ties to the land he'd been born in, Tepezade decided right off to go and find his father, and to try to do anything he could to live up to his namesake and earn his approval (and probably to try to cast off some deeply internalized sense of worthlessness—wasn't he good enough for his father to want to stay with him and his mother?) in any way he was able.
Of course, Tepezade has no idea how very far from the truth his idea of Tepe really is.
So what I'm looking for...
Tepezade looks a LOT like his father, and I can't see that not getting him into trouble in the Firekin. He's been accepted to join, but I don't want to do a self-duel. Rogues are kept near the outskirts of the pride before their duels, and there's no way that he'd not run into someone who hadn't been around during the murders, or heard about them from a parent. I want pre-joining drama. People questioning his intentions, interrogating him even. Maybe some of the guards who mind the joining hopefuls would give him some grief, or try to drive him away, especially if they'd been around for the murders. Maybe a Watcher would be assigned to keep tabs on him or something, even.
Tepezade also needs a duel. Or two or three, depending on luck. I'd also not mind intentionally doing several—again, I'd not be shocked at all if he was a bit harassed, or picked on/picked often to duel. Could be either a moment of luck for him (gets to duel someone who has no idea who his father was) or pretty rough (has to duel someone who DEFINITELY KNOWS who his father was). Tepezade isn't at all a big lion, but he's been living solo in the rogue lands for a long time. He's tougher than he looks, and tougher than his father was (though certainly not as clever or tactical.)
Once he joins the pride properly, I'd love to play out confrontations, and especially some drama where he starts to learn just who his father really was. He's not going to take it well, but depending on how things go, it might make him try all the harder to prove himself. Or it might make him bitter and aggressive. Who knows!
As a side offer, if anyone really desperately wants a pre-Firekin fling with him, that could also be done (like father like son, right?) He has a good number of RPs already, so I wouldn't mind one, if the setup seems right.
Basically, this is a chance for some pretty fun drama, and I want to do it right, not just self-duel and then be like 'SURPRISE THIS GUY IS YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR!'
