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The Sikukuu are divided into four seasonal clans. Each clan oversees the preperations and execution of all the celebrations that occur within their designated time period. Sometimes such preperations take months and months, so there is always something to do, even on the off-season!

All members are included in every festival celebration, and visitors from the roguelands or other prides are freely welcomed to join in the fun! Those of the current season take turns serving or running the games, while everyone else is free to join in or take their ease as they will. These celebrations often include food, games, contests, and much merriness!

The pride is ruled by two ruling pairs. While all four rule as a whole, each presides over their own season, taking center stage for that quarter of the year. (Whether these are mated pairs or not is as yet undetermined.) It must always be two lion males and two lion females. A Summer King, an Autumn Queen, a Winter King, and a Spring Queen.

The pride currently lives at the foot of a mountain. They are high enough to attain snows in the winter aplenty, but low enough and with thick enough forest that the summer months are indeed quite hot and stifling, if summer is not your type of season! Their main living area is nestled between two arms of the foot of the mountain, providing shelter from the worst of any storm. Up each towering slope are niches and hollows that serve as dens, at at the height of the territory is a meadow that is above the treeline, bare to the winds and storms, but open to the arching sky. Most of the territory however is heavily forested, reaching down even unto the more open ground that leads towards the savannahs. They tend to have a large territory and range widely for prey, so as not to overhunt the land close to the dens for their many feasts.

Many generations ago, the Sikukuu lived in a river valley. Theirs was the life of plenty. The water drew the prey animals, and kept their lands lush and cool. The Sikukuu felt grateful, content, and serene as a pride. But all was not to remain in such optimal conditions.

One by one, trials and tragedies struck. A blight wilted a large portion of the growing things, driving the larger prey away. The pride suffered the loss of some members leaving, and as a whole grew weaker on the lesser meat. Soon drought began to dry up the two large rivers that flowed into the valley. They were reduced to streams, and eventually one dried up completely. The rest of the vegitation died, and what few prey animals had remained either fled or starved. If this was not enough, a fierce pride that had lived downstream came upriver, attacking viciously in an attempt to overtake the land that at least had some water left in it.

The current King and Queen were killed in the attack, leaving the straggling remnants of the pride leaderless. The younger ones that were left alive banded together, helping the weak and wounded along. It was decided that it was time to let the old lands go, to find themselves a new place and new hope. With lighter hearts filled with an innocent desire for happiness, the small group traveled for many months, skirting known territories and being driven out of new ones they had not been aware of. But still they did not lose hope.

One autumn evening, a scout came back with joyous news. Far ahead there was a place, nestled between the feet of a mountain, where there were no lions, but much water, prey, and shelter. The small, roving pride continued on with rising spirits. The chill of coming winter was in the air as they came beneath the spreading, brilliant boughs of the forest. The soil was rich under their paws, the forest trees tall and broad. The air was filled with falling leaves of crimson, yellow, and orange.

They walked as ones entranced, moving through the forest and up, ever up. They came finally to where the two arms of the mountain met, a small but high plain free of trees. The strongest, merriest of the males bounded forward to face his fellow pilgrims. "Brothers and sisters!" he called, joy pouring from his throat in rich tones. "I say we have come home! And from this day, we shall not let our past harry us or pull us into sorrow. Here, now, today we make our own future! We choose our own ways! Let this be known as the time for giving thanks, for I say to you that we have much to be grateful for!"

There was a hearty roar of approval from the gathered band of lions, and so the new pride of Sikukuu was born. Over the years, they set aside the ways of the old pride and made new ones for themselves. With each new season, they found new things to celebrate and be joyful over. The pilgrim generation taught the next why it was that they chose celebration over sorrow, feasting over fretting. Each new generation was taught, along with the changing, developing traditions that came with these celebrations. It wasn't long before it was determined to have two ruling couples, so that they would be unlikely to lose them all should trevail come upon them again.

Year by year, more and more festivals were added, and the pride found itself naturally falling into groups associated with the seasons. Each ruling monarch took charge of a group, and so came the ranks and mannerisms of the clans that exist today.

Life was now good, and the Sikukuu seek to share this joy in life with all.

Kaskazi King - presides over Summer months and festivals

Vuli Queen - presides over Autumn months and festivals

Mrao King - presides over Winter months and festivals

Demani Queen - presides over Spring months and festivals


Celebrant - an average member
Bouncers - keepers of the peace
Criers - traveling messengers/advertisers
Organizers (need a better name) - Oversee the preperation and execution of festival events
Children (also needs better name) - member that is too young to have chosen a clan for themselves