The Vita'Alizaliwa The War Born "Victory or Death!"
This is a pride heavily inspired and partly based from the Orc culture of World of Warcraft (Game, not the movie).
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2016 11:02 am
The History of the Vita'Alizaliwa
Generations ago, the first settlements of the pride were made from considerably large family groups, all with different ideals and mostly squabbling over what would be the best for the pride. However inevitably, the bigger of the families took charge of this; their name roughly translated meant 'Warsong' - they were the strongest and more battleborn of the families; They - with their immensely headstrong and bloodthirsty leader - soon took a tight hold of the families.
One of the families, the Warsong had noticed thrived under the rule of a surprisingly weak and weedy lion with green markings and a dull grey pelt that'd once been black. He spoke well though and spoke words of power and glory in taking down bigger foes and seizing bigger areas for the entire pride, ofcourse their leader and Warchief was more than tantalized and soon lead the entire pride in a near ceaseless battle against prides whose name had faded to history. The only ones to oppose, were that of the smaller more spiritual families that made up the bulk of mystics and healers that took care of the warriors - one particular was the leader of one group who defied the green one's words of glory, saying that eventually it would only lead to suffering for the pride. Their words however were dismissed and in the night, the green marked one had two of his loyalists take the old shaman from his den and leave him dead further out in the wastes.
Unfortunately the old shaman's words should've been heeded in the end, the headstrong Warchief lead by the green one's speeches lead him and his warriors to attempt to bring down a human village. Though they fought their best, the 'magic' (or rather the rifles) that the humans wielded was too strong and Warchief and several of his strongest fell. Leaving only the green one and the strong warriors he had swayed under his rule with his words to lead the pride.
Two generations passed, with only the green one's ilk living better off in the pride, most of the other families that dared to leave were threatened by the new Warchief's followers or threats of power. Meaning most lived only as slaves to his whims and his emotionally manipulative tactics.
Again it was only the shamans to oppose the green marked one, the son of the fallen elder shaman and the remaining son of the fallen Warchief, had both silently been raised amidst the tightly niched mystics till he was of age. It helped that the elder shaman's boy had also been born with the gift of a seer. When both came of age, they rallied the majority of the pride and even some of the green one's followers who had become disillusioned with the new Warchief's rule and quickly sought an end to him after a brief two day battle. After licking their wounds and ousting a portion of the green one's followers, the pride left their territory under the leadership of the new, young Warchief and his shaman friend.
Eventually they came to settle in a redstone canyon with many caves for them to inhabit, the young Warchief carrying on the traditions of his father, but with a much more even head and with his shaman friend by his side to offer council.
CURRENTLY
Several generations have passed, the great grandson of the pride's young hero has become Warchief himself and the great granddaughter of the shaman that'd aided the pride's revolution has become the Farseer. Both a mated pair and ruling the pride together. Said current Warchief - along with several Grunts, Scouts and Blood Guard have gone on a trek to see the world outside of their home, leaving his Farseer mate and his half-sister the High Warlord in charge of the pride till his return. Still a brutal, battle hungry but honor bound pride, they have all settled comfortably in their canyon home.
Overview
The Lions; The Vita'Alizaliwa are of course a very bloodhungry and battleborne pride of lions, usually very large and muscular. There is no inequality between genders, a female can become Warchief as well as a male can, as long as they're strong enough to hold their own they're merited for their worth. They usually bare dark or natural pelts, or dark colour variants of pelts and prize red tribal markings in their fur. Born or scratched into them.
Ofcourse their time under the 'green one' has humbled them partly, making a few of them more tactical - it doesn't dissuade a few of them to trust their barbarish instincts to sometimes swing before thinking.
The Territory; The Red Rock canyon is a situated cliff that overlooks the red plains of the Vita's home where warthogs, wildebeast and elephants frequent the area and their water source is a long and winding river that is fat during the better seasons and considerably shallow during times of heatwaves.
The home canyon itself is filled with den caves and winding paths that reach the top of the cliff and to the other side of the canyon, it offers decent shade in the middle of the day and protection from the rain. A little slice of heaven in an otherwise arid area. During the rainy seasons, the bottom of the canyon tends to become flooded, but the excess dens and caves make it suitable for the Lions to simply sleep higher up, even if it means sharing with a neighbor.
The canyon splits off into a small valley within the home canyon that has been labeled 'Valley of the Spirits', it is heavily sheltered by the looming crag of the canyon walls with caves that harbor large clusters of blue gems and fresh water springs within. It has become the learning and homing area for the young shamans and where the Farseer holds their ceremonies.
In the middle of the canyon is a large pit with the edges decorated with bones, the middle of the pit is often filled with dust or mud and used at the center stage for Mak'Gora and Mak'Rogahn.
High Dens - These dens are just before you reach the top of the cliff that lead onto the plateau of the next stretch of land. It is the highest point to overlook the Red Stone Canyon and the Red Plains as a whole. Normally a few Blood Guard stay up in the High Dens to get the drop on any intruders, but it is mostly occupied by the Peons.
Middle Dens - These dens are the middle-points of the canyon walls, usually the second biggest caves where expectant mothers and their whelps are placed to keep out of trouble and take care of each other. They are also populated by a few Blood Guard and half the Grunts to protect the mothers and their Whelps.
Ground Dens - The biggest of the caves in the canyon, they are where the majority of the higher ranks sleep as well as the majority of the fighting forces. The Warchief and High Warlord usually sleep within the main area with the Battle Pit - whereas the Farseer comes and goes between their main den in the Valley of Spirits and the Warchief's main den. The ground dens in the Valley of Spirits have small pools of water within them as well as the ceilings containing bright blue stones and gems.
Other Species Although a mostly lion based pride, the Vita are as any group of individuals and have individual thoughts and feeling towards different races. In the past, they had fought alongside coalitions, clans and packs in return for food or access to water during their nomadic travels to find a home. Hyena's are in particular looked upon rather fondly by the Vita for their strength, as well as Leopards and are often some of the more favored combatants for trophies and Om'riggor. In the event of a joint battle, Vita lions are more likely to side with those they deem the strongest - unless it counteracts their morals on fighting creatures that cannot fight back.
Hybrids Hybrids aren't looked down upon, but they're sparse at best. The Vita prefer those that at least have lion blood in them, like cheeton or leopon and thus have a better chance at holding their weight in the pride alongside the Warsong descendants. There are rarely ever hybrids born into the pride due to the law of the Courtship Hunt; unless a hybrids already in the pride was fertile.
Familiars The Vita neither encourage nor dismiss familiarities with smaller animals, but the preference is definitely 'non-prey' most of the time. The ratel is definitely a favourite of some of the Vita for their indomitable nature and avians make swift messengers from battle to home.
Alliances Despite being rough around the edges (and rough in general), the Vita are also fiercely loyal to those they fight alongside and will gladly offer pridal alliances to prides they consider honorable enough, or strong enough, or both. Allied Prides;
Combat System Courtesy of Strawberry Gummi Bunny <3
How to Play
Rules + The one who begins the battle is decided between the players! + Each player will roll 3 10sided Dice per turn. + You will calculate your own damage in your posts. + Point out any miscalculations in HP/Damage to your opponent in PMs BEFORE trying to make a claim about cheating.
The System + Dice #1- This is your Offense Rolling 1-2 = Miss Rolling 3-4 = Weak Hit 1damage Rolling 5,6,7 = Strong Hit 2damage Rolling 8,9,10 = Critical Hit 3damage + Dice #2- This is your Defense Rolling Odd Numbers = Failed Defense - Take full damage Rolling Even Numbers = Successful Defense Take -1damage from damage taken (EX. 3 damage taken, 2 damage received on successful defense) + Dice #3- This is your Agility Rolling 7 = Additional Hit, +1damage to your attack, does not count on a Miss
Special Skill + Add 1 10sided dice on the turn you use a skill + -1MP when you use a skill + Skills may only be used while you have MP remaining + Rolling 2, 6, or 10 = Successful use of skill, any other number and it failed + Skills that boost attack only work if your Offense roll is not a Miss
Skill Listing
Pick One skill to use in test-battle
Tail Smack + A moderate attack + (+1damage to attack roll) Skull Bash + A strong, but damaging attack + (+2damage to attack, -1HP) Furious Cry + Strengthen the resolve to attack + (All strikes add +1damage for 2turns) Inner Will + A powerful mental defense + (Negate all damage taken for the turn used) Perilous Cry + Strengthen the resolve to defend + (All enemy strikes reduced -1damage for 2turns) Berserk + Falls into a battle rage. + (All strikes are Critical Hits for 2turns)
Your Stats
Beginning Stats at Lvl1
HP: 12 MP: 1
NOTIFICATION: Death or killing another person's lion is NOT permitted unless it agree'd between both owners. When your lion reaches 0 HP - it is assumed as just a lost duel, knocked unconcious, or the loser has surrendered.
'Leveling' System
How to Level
The leveling system for the Vita'Alizaliwa works on a basis of how many won duels the individual has garnered for themselves - the more you duel, the more you level. This is a system to encourage more RP for your lions for possible promotions and ofcourse, the all loved breedings. heart
The levels reach a steep curve between levels six to ten.
EXP; 1 won duel = 1 Level up till level 6. 2 won duels = 1 level from level 6 - 10.
The starting level for all newcomers is Level 1.
The max level at the moment is Level 10.
Health Points Your lion's starting HP is 12 at level 1 goes up by 2 for every level, meaning their max HP at max level will be 30.
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Level 1 = 12 HP Level 2 = 14 HP Level 3 = 16 HP Level 4 = 18 HP Level 5 = 20 HP Level 6 = 22 HP Level 7 = 24 HP Level 8 = 26 HP Level 9 = 28 HP Level 10 = 30 HP
Your lion's base MP is 1 and goes up by 1 for every 2 levels, meaning their max MP at max level will be 5.
Warchief: The Warchief is the strongest, the most intimidating, the most cunning and sometimes even the biggest Lion in the pride, they have made their way to the top and overlook as the tactician during war, the one who leads into battle, the keeper of the law and when times of war aren't upon them - the keeper of peace. They can be challenged for their place by rite of Mak'Gora, or if they've lived to a ripe old age, may choose to pass their title onto their children so they may decide amidst themselves who becomes the leader.
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Consort/Concubine: The mate of the Warchief only has that to their name most of the time, they wield no power over the pride, they are merely there to offer support to their Warchief or if their Warchief is particularly brutal, only there to offer them whelps for the future bloodline. However with the pride's traditions and views upon strength, it is often times the Warchief will pick a mate that can be deemed their only equal in strength or smarts. After all, beauty is fleeting, strength is eternal.
EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + 6 WON DUELS + A WON DUEL AGAINST THE CURRENT WARCHIEF + ATLEAST 3 INTERACTIONS WITH THE CURRENT WARCHIEF, FARSEER AND HIGH WARLORD
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Farseer: A title of great respect, the Farseer is the speaker of the elements, the teacher of the ways of the spirits and they that blesses new whelps, new warriors and oversee's the rituals of the pride. They are the council of the Warchief, offering their thoughts, their wisdoms and their ideas on the current state of the pride and the only non-warrior that will hold any sway over how the pride is treated and run. (Could also be an actual seer, sometimes could be the Warchief's mate.) EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + ATLEAST 2 TO 3 INTERACTIONS WITH THE CURRENT FARSEER
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High Warlord: The paw of the Warchief, when the Warchief is out on business or has taken ill, the High Warlord will do their bidding in their stand. They are the Warchief's most loyal soldier, often times they arise from the rank of Champion, they overlook the training of the Generals, Blood Guards and Grunts. (Sometimes is actually the Warchief's mate or best friend.) EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + 4 WON DUELS + A WON DUEL AGAINST THE CURRENT HIGH WARLORD + ATLEAST 3 INTERACTIONS WITH THE WARCHIEF, FARSEER AND CURRENT HIGH WARLORD
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General: The High Warlord's strongest and most loyal soldiers, they are often in charge of a regiment of a few Blood Guards and Grunts to keep an eye on and lead into battle under the High Warlord and Warchief's command. (Earned through RP, always chosen by both the Warchief and the High Warlord + will sometimes often have been a Blood Guard previously.) EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + 2 WON DUELS + ATLEAST 1 OR 2 INTERACTIONS WITH THE WARCHIEF AND HIGH WARLORD
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Scout Master: The High Warlord's greatest spies and in charge of most of a group of Scouts that will work alongside Generals under the High Warlord's command. They are the ones that lead Scouts when it comes to scoping out enemies or possible allies. (Earned through RP, always chosen by both the Warchief and the High Warlord + will sometimes often have been a Scout previously.) EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + 2 WON DUELS + ATLEAST 1 OR 2 INTERACTIONS WITH THE WARCHIEF AND HIGH WARLORD
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Champion: A Champion is a lion/ess that has been found worthy of the pride, they have fought hard and won many battles and earned many trophies, they are verbally honored by the Warchief as their champion and given the blessing of the Farseer. They are one of the most respected in the pride for their accomplishments. ( Cannot be challenged for their title, there can only be THREE Champions at one time, earnt through RP. ) EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + 3 WON DUELS + ATLEAST 2 INTERACTIONS WITH THE WARCHIEF
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Shaman: Shamans are a respected portion of the pride, they are the mystics and healers who care for the warriors, oversee the birth of cubs and speak to the spirits. They all learn this under the tutelage of the Farseer, almost all of the shaman are the Farseer's students. Despite being the healers of the pride, shaman can just as easily hold their own in a fight and often times follow the warriors into battle and keep them up as they scrap. (Sometimes can be seers) EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + ATLEAST ONE INTERACTION WITH THE FARSEER
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Foreman: The Foreman isn't as glorified a title as Champion or General, but one of great importance in the maintenance of the pride. They are the ones that care for the Peons and give them their main daily tasks whether it be cleaning out dens, preparing the dueling pit, they are the firm paw behind the work force. (It isn't uncommon for Peons that've just earned their ranks to become a Foreman.) EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + ATLEAST ONE INTERACTION WITH THE WARCHIEF
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Blood Guard: Guardians of the pride, they keep vigil and throw themselves into battle for their Warchief and honor. There is never the Warchief without a Blood Guard in tow if there is trouble about, they are hand picked by the High Warlord and his/her generals. (Upgraded Grunt, chosen by the High Warlord and Generals, earned through RP.) EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + ATLEAST 2 WON DUELS + ONE OR TWO INTERACTIONS WITH A GENERAL
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Scout: The eyes and ears of the pride, Scouts are usually the ones that scope out the enemies and threats as they are the fastest ones to get out there and get back in one piece. They are the ones picked out by the Scout Master, usually not the strongest in the pride but picked for their tactical minds. (Upgraded Grunt, chosen by the High Warlord and Scout Masters, earned through RP.) EARNED THROUGH ROLEPLAY + ATLEAST 2 WON DUELS + ONE OR TWO INTERACTIONS WITH A GENERAL
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Grunt: The default rank of the pride and what all youth grow into, they have completed their Om'riggor and earned their Battle Name, the Grunts work as the bulk of the soldiers and hunters. Bringing in the meat and battling loyally under their Generals. ( Default Pride Rank ) PEONS CAN EARN THIS RANK THROUGH 1 WON DUEL
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Whelp: The Whelps are the youth of the pride, young nibblers that are just raring to go and be like the adults, they haven't completed their Om'riggor and haven't earned their Battle Names. Yet. ( Youth Rank )
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Peon: A Peon isn't a slave, but is infact the working force of the pride and very well guarded. They're sometimes not the brightest, or even the strongest. They are the crafters, the cookers, the nannies, the nursemaids, the altogether work force. It's not surprising to see the Grunts sometimes bully the Peons for their 'weakness', but anything beyond verbal cusses some slight fur ruffling will see the Grunts in the battle pit with their Generals before they can even blink. That is the value of the Peon. Sometimes the Peon rank is used as a punishment rank for those that've dishonored the pride, nothing disrespects a fighter of the pride more than being made to do the menial work of a Peon. HOWEVER; Peons are not eligible for Battle Names so do not usually have them, those that've been demoted to this rank as a punishment do not lose their Battle Name though.
Beliefs and Culture
Strength and Honor "Strength and Honor" and "Blood and Thunder" are phrases often heard within the Vita as greetings, the pride value strength, fighters and the likewise - seeing it as a positive in possible future mates and possible future allies. But they also value honor in battle, to fight an enemy that cannot fight is seen as a disrespect to the pride and self deprecating for the warrior. As is fighting a child, someone unarmed, someone who physically cannot fight and so forth. Those that fight without honor are most often times disciplined for their actions with fights in the battle pit. Or even by the Warchief or High Warlord themself. "Victory or Death" is another, if more morbid phrase held by the pride members. Valuing death in battle before a dishonorable defeat if they cannot be victorious, nowadays it is more a phrase shouted during battle to shaken the enemy.
Language and Naming As most of the Vita's culture has been derived from the Warsong lions during their lengthy rule, their primitive language and naming has taken a firm root in the culture of the lions. Simple or brutish names sounding like grunts or roars are very common;
Ex - Grom, Khargh, Ograh, Draka, Drek'Thar, Ariok
The naming is linked to the language, during the early stages of the Warsong - far before the Vita'Alizaliwa - the pride developed their own language between each other to dissuade any hopeful spies. And to cause further discomfort in their enemies for the belly growls and near snarls of the language. Though not as often used, common phrases still exist today used amidst the pride by its warriors and shaman. Especially during official business or rituals. The list is as follows;
Aka'Magosh - 'A blessing on you and yours.'
Grommash - 'The Giant's Heart.'
Kagh! - 'Run!'
Lak'tuk - 'Suffering.' (Often this is associated with lions that've unfortunately lost their fight with disease or a bad wound from battle.)
Lok'Regar - 'Ready for orders.'
Lok'tar! - 'Victory!'
Lok'tar ogar! - 'Victory or death!' (The pride's common war cry.)
Dabu - 'I obey.'
Throm-Ka - 'Well met.' (A greeting.)
Battle Name Battle Name's are titles held tradition by the Warsong's in their prime, they are names given to lions of the pride upon completion of their Om'riggor trials, or sometimes their most glorious kill. Things like; 'Hellscream' 'Deadclaw' 'Bloodroar' 'Skullbasher' or 'Ragelash' are common names. Where some lions like to add things they've seen in their past - like the humans - or things to do with the elements, such as; 'Thunderfang' 'Axeheart' or 'Firebinder'. These are considered their secondary names next to their first original name, or even seen as a pseudo surname. It isn't uncommon for lions to be called by their name and battlename as a formal greeting. Ex; "Strength and Honor, _____ Hellscream." Often times, it isn't completely out of place for a whelp to inherit their father or mother's Battle Name if they carried weight to them, if their parent was a Champion, or had lead the pride into battle, or even been Warchief, their parent could choose to have their child carry on their battle name. Meaning there are sometimes multiple 'Hellscreams' or 'Bloodfangs' of different generations.
God/Spirit Worship | Spirituality Recently the pride has become much more immersed in spirituality and worship, it is not uncommon for pride members - especially the shamans - to thank the earth, the water, the breeze or even the storm for the bounty that they've bestowed on the pride. It's also not uncommon for the pride to offer out their thanks to specific gods, like that of War or Pain or Conquest or Honor.
War Paint | Markings The Vita' wouldn't be a warband without their warpaint, all bar the Peons and the Whelps have their warpaints. Both warriors and shaman like their different kinds too; Grunts and other fighters like thick red markings, tribal or sharp jagged edges to invoke the warrior's spirit from within them through the very marks. The paint is often made from clay mixed with bright red berries or herbs. Shamans prefer light blue swirls and markings upon their cheeks and heads, hoping to invoke the spirits and aid them and their warriors in their time of need. Believing it also helps them with their medicines and herbs.
Those born with the markings are seen as a natural born warrior or shaman depending on the markings.
Trophies/Accessories | 'Armor' As any fighters, the Vita commonly take trophies from their kills. Be it from a large hunt, an Om'riggor, a Mak'Gora, or battles in the name of the pride. Throughout the years, lions have accumulated the pelts, the teeth and the claws of other animals, wearing them as cloaks and necklaces that the Shamans and Peons have fashioned them. Rudimentary 'armor' has also been partly fashioned this way, dried elephant skin and the skulls or thicker pelts of other animals have been worn during battle to lighten the blow against more sensitive areas. It's often that the higher the rank in the pride, the more highly decorated with trophies they are and often those trophies will be passed down from father to son/mother to daughter, or in the case of a Mak'Gora - to the victor of the fight.
'Preferred' Colours With the pride on preferential colours, it seems that they mostly prefer to judge those that wish to join their pride based on their strength, sense of honor and general capability as a fighter or protector. But even these rough and tumble lions can have a limit - mostly due to their territory.
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Natural Colors are a plus in their book, it means they'll be better at blending into their surroundings and means that any warpaint put on them will have a better chance at standing out when it comes to battle. So things like browns, tans, golds, grays (both light and dark) with small splashes of colour in the form of markings or even tattoo's are a plus in their book.
Darker and Lighter Colors like albino white, melanism black or dark red are also A-Okay to them. Muted forms of colour like blue-gray or moss-green aren't turned away.
Vibrant Colours are a mixed bag, things like reds or oranges are completely fine, maybe even yellows, but things like pinks or blues or purples are not seen as preferable colours for the pride. Believing such colours are for the flowers and not for fighters. That doesn't mean such lions can't enjoy their life in the pride as Peons however and doing the odd jobs like cleaning out the dens or being a nanny.
Green Because of their past, the colour green - in marking or even full pelt - is seen as a bad omen, as corruption. Those wanting to join the pride with green pelts, are looked upon with distrust. Only when they have earned their marks and shown their strength and loyalty to the pride will they have any hope of being trusted in the ranks. Those born into the pride with green marks, are less distrusted, they have been born from the strength of the pride and although worrying will have an easier time of maintaining their rank in the pride. Infact, because of the 'Green One' being a Warchief of the past and having several green followers, a few of the lions born into the pride have remnant colours of their progenitors. But have since proven themselves and earned their place in the pride.
Mating / Breeding Becoming mates in the Vita' is a lot like marriage in the sense of the Courtship Hunt, they're not considered of breeding age till they're adults because no adolescent is allowed to take part in an Om'riggor till they're of age. When they are old enough and have completed their Courtship Hunt with their chosen, it's blessed by the Farseer and the two are considered 'mated' and eligible to raise cubs of their own. Homosexuality isn't something uncommon nor frowned down upon in the Vita, it's just rare as normally Courtship Hunts are between two lions that've decided 'Yes, I want to be with this lion and start a family with them and bash some heads in with them at my side'. Ofcourse, now and then you will have Courtship Hunts between two males or two females whom take in cubs that have been orphaned from war parties.
Flings/Adolescent Breeding/Rogue Breeding Flings and Rogue Breeding in general is usually looked down upon in the pride since mating/mates is seen as a deep and meaningful bond between two lions that have undergone hardships to prove their strength in rearing cubs. If a female came back saying she bred with a strange lion or a male said he'd bred with a strange lioness, there'd be some odd looks thrown their way - but nothing beyond that unless someone who'd sought to take them as a mate became bitter over it.
HOWEVER; The exceptions to this rule are, 1) If the lion/lioness had a friend or witness to aknowledge the rogue lion was of strong stock and the cubs would be good for the pride. 2) One of a mated pair was sterile/infertile wanted to start a family and it was okay'd by the pair (though it's usual for a close friend within the pride to surrogate/stud for them) 3) The 'rogue' partner is in fact of a neighbouring allied pride.
Adolescents are only exceptions to these rules AFTER they have completed their Om'riggor Trial - no adult activities for lions not determined adults yet by the pride. wink
Strangers / Rogues and Joining the Pride The Vita are of the opinion, that if you have the strength to fight or make yourself useful and keep an eye on your fellow Lion's, you have a place in the pride. Those who can't fight have a place as Peons and those who can fight are kept as Grunts till they can better themselves in the ranks. Rogues or roaming males seeking to assault or 'take the pride for themselves' are often seen with mockery and set upon en-mass by the Blood Guard, Grunts, maybe even the Warchief - if they've especially offended them by their presence. But if lions come willingly, they have two choices; Offer themselves up as a Peon and work their way up to the ranks. Or challenge a duel and take a place as a Grunt.
Rituals, Holidays and Events
Fighting Tournaments Often or not, as is typical in a pride like the Vita, there will be fighting tournaments. Lots and lots of fighting tournaments. It offers up the pride a chance to get out any unwanted stress, a chance for wanting peons to prove themselves and be given the rank of 'Grunt' so that they may take their Om'riggor and receive their Battle Name and a chance for the Warchief and High Warlord to scope out potential Champions, Generals and Blood Guard for the future. But overall it just keeps the pride in good spirits, good health and keeps them always ready for a good battle.
Om'riggor The Om'riggor is a trial that all adolescents of the pride must go through before being considered an adult and old enough to hunt and fight alongside the rest of the pride, they must go out and bring back a trophy. It can be a tooth, a skull, a bone, even a scar, but they must bring proof of a battle that they have walked out of victoriously. They will always have an older lion with them, either their sibling or their parent, to watch their progress. It's also not uncommon for a group Om'riggor to take place. The Farseer will then hear about their trial, from both participant and witness and ask 'What is the name you take into battle?' and hopefully after their trials have been completed, the young lion will know which name they wish to have.
Courtship Hunt When a lion of the pride is old enough and has passed their Om'riggor, labeling them as an official adult of the Vita, they are able to ask a male or female to a Courtship Hunt. Both participants must go out into the red plains and take down a beast together, they must cooperate, synchronize and look out for one another. A courtship hunt may take days, or even a whole week till they find prey good enough to sanctify their hunt. Successful hunts will be blessed by the Farseer, in the eyes of the pride they are now a couple and equally strong hunters and fighters to rear cubs. If one reports the ineptitude of their partner, or both quarrel, the unhappy party may choose to settle their honor in a fight. If one of the hunting party dies, they are mourned with honor and the other party may seek another for a Courtship Hunt or not if that is their choosing.
'Mak'Gora' Mak'Gora is a matter of serious business. When matters of honor are disputed, when a Warchief is threatened for their title, when a mate's honor is disrespected, when battle, or spirit, or ritual has been disrespected. A Mak'Gora is often called.
There is a strict code for a Mak'Gora;
- Both parties of the Mak'Gora must have atleast one witness, that is why at often times Mak'Gora is held within the center of the canyon so that the whole pride may watch.
- There are no weapons or armor, purely only claw and fang and strength, no dust thrown, or stones. No thick pelts or decoration. It is seen as dishonorable and looked down upon.
- No invoking of the spirits. To call out for the spirits aid or even a God's aid in a Mak'Gora is the highest of disrespect. It's calling upon the very powers of the world around them to win their fight for them and will be severely disciplined.
When a Mak'Gora is won, the winner can choose the fate of their opponent. In earlier days, it was unfortunately common that Mak'Gora was to the death. Thankfully due to the influence of the shamans, there have been little to no needless deaths after a Mak'Gora, instead most losing participants are merely stripped to the rank of Grunt or Peon till they can earn their place again. Those caught cheating in a Mak'Gora or found disrespectful of the rites are rarely but sometimes exiled from the pride. This however takes multiple offenses.
'Mak'Rogahn' Where a Mak'Gora is used for the heavier dealings of the pride's honor, a Mak'Rogahn is often times seen as a social bonding. These fights are often started over small issues like food, interest in females/males, sibling rivalries, or bumping into one another. They are always non lethal and often as times often just scrapping and scruffing, any heavy injuries sustained during the fights are often looked upon as childish mistakes. They are also used as stress relief in times of no war, when there is no battle and the pride find themselves frustrated - friendly challenges of Mak'Rogahn are often carried out during the course of the day. Keeping the lions fit, healthy and reestablishing bonds and dominance. It is to them what social grooming is to other lions.
Kosh'harg Festival Referred to as the Kosh'harg Festival or simply Kosh'harg, this biannual festivity takes place during spring and autumn and lasts about one to three weeks. Influenced by the early shamans in the time where the pride had more different variants of families and prides living together under the Warsong's rule, the shaman though it would be wise to celebrate the times of the year where the time of day and night were even and when the spirits of life and nature were at their busiest, by bringing the separate families of lions closer in unity and to discuss ways to benefit each other. Even the Warsong eventually took part in this holiday. Seeing as it was held during very spiritual times of the year, violence and personal vendetta's like upcoming Mak'gora are temporarily suspended - fighting during this time was strictly forbidden and harbored consequences that would be carried out after the festivities.
Nowadays, the festival still remains a tradition kept up by the shamans and the elder members of the pride, giving the pride a rare - if sometimes unwanted - near month of peace. Only this time it isn't only used to share ideas that could offer prosperity for the pride, but also pay respect to the ancestors of the pride. Often in a very jovial manner. It's not uncommon to enjoy a hearty meal during the festival and hear stories of ancient warriors from the Farseer, or even discuss playful gossip about who might become the next Champion.
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2016 11:03 am
Current Members
Some of these may be customed into existence to fill out the ranks;
Name - Battle Name - Owner - Mate(Optional placement)
Warchief: 1/1 Garok - 'Hellscream' - Owner: Lightning Shadow X - Mate: Farseer (CURRENTLY AWAY FROM PRIDE)
Brief Description of your Pride/Pack: A pride comprised of ancient battle hungry lions, the Vita'Alizaliwa appear almost to be brutal savages from an outsider's point of view. However their roots are deeply spiritual and have a code of honor, even amidst their bull headed, near primal culture. Indomitable in battle, but loyal to one another and their Warchief above all - these are not lions you'd want to insult or meet on a bad day. But get on their good side and you might just have an ally for life. (84 words, may rewrite) Familiar Rules: Doesn't allow prey familiars. (Avians, Genets, Ratels, Maned Wolves, Snakes and Jackals only) Cert Background Large Image: Background Pride Symbol for Cert: Any Extra Information: The Lions of the Pride receive Battle Names after an RP event, Peons do not get Battle Names (except for those that had them before and are just being demoted as punishment.) and Adolescents get their Battle Names after they've completed an 'Om'riggor' RP. Pride/Pack History:
Generations ago, the first settlements of the pride were made from considerably large family groups, all with different ideals and mostly squabbling over what would be the best for the pride. However inevitably, the bigger of the families took charge of this; their name roughly translated meant 'Warsong' - they were the strongest and more battleborn of the families; They - with their immensely headstrong and bloodthirsty leader - soon took a tight hold of the families.
One of the families, the Warsong had noticed thrived under the rule of a surprisingly weak and weedy lion with green markings and a dull grey pelt that'd once been black. He spoke well though and spoke words of power and glory in taking down bigger foes and seizing bigger areas for the entire pride, ofcourse their leader and Warchief was more than tantalized and soon lead the entire pride in a near ceaseless battle against prides whose name had faded to history. The only ones to oppose, were that of the smaller more spiritual families that made up the bulk of mystics and healers that took care of the warriors - one particular was the leader of one group who defied the green one's words of glory, saying that eventually it would only lead to suffering for the pride. Their words however were dismissed and in the night, the green marked one had two of his loyalists take the old shaman from his den and leave him dead further out in the wastes.
Unfortunately the old shaman's words should've been heeded in the end, the headstrong Warchief lead by the green one's speeches lead him and his warriors to attempt to bring down a human village. Though they fought their best, the 'magic' (or rather the rifles) that the humans wielded was too strong and Warchief and several of his strongest fell. Leaving only the green one and the strong warriors he had swayed under his rule with his words to lead the pride.
Two generations passed, with only the green one's ilk living better off in the pride, most of the other families that dared to leave were threatened by the new Warchief's followers or threats of power. Meaning most lived only as slaves to his whims and his emotionally manipulative tactics.
Again it was only the shamans to oppose the green marked one, the son of the fallen elder shaman and the remaining son of the fallen Warchief, had both silently been raised amidst the tightly niched mystics till he was of age. It helped that the elder shaman's boy had also been born with the gift of a seer. When both came of age, they rallied the majority of the pride and even some of the green one's followers who had become disillusioned with the new Warchief's rule and quickly sought an end to him after a brief two day battle. After licking their wounds and ousting a portion of the green one's followers, the pride left their territory under the leadership of the new, young Warchief and his shaman friend.
Eventually they came to settle in a redstone canyon with many caves for them to inhabit, the young Warchief carrying on the traditions of his father, but with a much more even head and with his shaman friend by his side to offer council.
CURRENTLY
Several generations have passed, the great grandson of the pride's young hero has become Warchief himself and the great granddaughter of the shaman that'd aided the pride's revolution has become the Farseer. Both a mated pair and ruling the pride together. Said current Warchief - along with several Grunts, Scouts and Blood Guard have gone on a trek to see the world outside of their home, leaving his Farseer mate and his half-sister the High Warlord in charge of the pride till his return. Still a brutal, battle hungry but honor bound pride, they have all settled comfortably in their canyon home.
