(This pride is based on the Raksura book series by Martha Wells. I take no credit for being original here!)
Pride Name Ideas: Kiburi Chambawa - "pride of wings" in Swahili Alama - "marked" in Swahili Kwaphawula - "marked" in Zulu Abantu Wawubona - "marked people" in Zulu Watu Alama - "marked people" in Swahili
Pack/Pride Name: Kiburi Chambawa Current IC Owner(s): Current OOC Owner(s): Default ranks: Cub > Hunter > Hunter Current Pride/Pack Members, and Rankings of Each: Links to at least five current RPs:
Brief Description of your Pride/Pack: (Do not exceed 175 words, it has to fit in our layout!) Familiar Rules: No familiars Cert Background Large Image: Pride Symbol for Cert:rough draft Any Extra Information: Second Name slot Pride/Pack History:
Prime Consort - reigning queen's consort Consort - wing-marked male
Senior Warrior - most experienced/eldest warrior, preferably with flamboyant back markings Warrior - non-wing back markings, male or female - pridal scouts and sentries
Prosaics - non-back markings or none at all Senior Teacher - most experienced/eldest teacher (male or female) Teacher - little to no markings - nannies, artisans, crafters
Senior Hunter - most experienced/eldest hunter (male or female) Hunter - little to no markings - provide food and pelts for the pride, gatherers
Senior Soldier - most experienced/eldest soldier, preferably with striking markings (male or female) Soldier - strong markings - pridal muscle, dealing with arguments and protecting the pride
Senior Mentor - most experienced/eldest mentor, must be a seer (male or female) Mentor - any non-wing-marked seers, as well as scholars, historians, and healers
Groundling - non-lion feline species (does not include familiars)
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 9:47 am
Species: Lion dominant. Other feline species may be allowed to join, but only under special circumstances, on a case-by-case basis. Hyenas are allowed to pass through the territory, but are watched carefully. Wild dogs are hated, considered their enemies (Kiburi call them Fell), and will be attacked on sight.
They consider themselves rather superior to other species and have no interest in associating with prey animals. Most familiars are not welcomed to be part of the pride, though predator-types are allowed to pass through without hindrance. While not actually hunted for food, birds should be wary of this pride, as they are likely to wish to use their wings as decoration. Klippys, waterbucks, hares, and snakes are considered prey.
Beliefs: They worship the deity of wings, believing her to be a goddess of great power and might. To lesser degrees, they worship the goddess of the Hunt, as well as Learning, Loyalty, and Survival. Additional gods may be worshiped individually or by specific ranks. Should any deity with wings appear to them, though, they will be treated with great honor and respect.
It is believed that those marked with wings are descended from the gods, and therefor more worthy and capable of leading the pride than those who are not gods-touched. Those with non-wing markings on their back are believed to have at least had brushes with the gods, so that their markings got muddled, not quite wings but still special.
Despite this strong belief, it is also believed that the mentors are also gods-touched, just in a different manner. They are accorded a great deal of respect, and their opinions have a great deal of impact. The Prosaic ranks follow the lead of the mentors, which means those of the Royals must also.
Behavior: Kiburi can be rather confrontational, with each other, with other prides, and with strangers. This does not mean that they fight all the time, but they are prone to swift tempers, especially among the Royal ranks. The Prosiacs tend to be more tolerant and even-tempered, but can be equally able to express dominance when necessary.
One particular behavior they have, however, is that as a pride, they will not shy from attempting to steal/kidnap any lions with wing markings. This includes cubs all the way to adults. Some members may choose to capture other feline species with wing-markings, believing them lucky. These captured individuals are given proper rank and kept a careful eye on. (OOCly, this will never happen without the owner's consent, and escape is always possible.)
Should the population of Queens and Consorts become too great in relation to the Prosaic population, the custom of kidnapping may become focused on those deemed suitable for filling the thinning ranks.
Breeding: The pride is very open to random matches, both within and with rogues. Flings are welcome. That being said, breeding to accomplish winged babies is encouraged. Mated pairs are also acceptable, as are dedicated pairs that fling outside the pairing. Same gender pairs are not socially acceptable, but may occur in secret.
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 1:07 pm
(Images in this post are for reference only, these are not members of the pride.)
Society: The pride is broken up into three factions, so to speak. Groundlings are one of those three, but have the least importance and no influence at all in how the pride is run.
Royals are notable for their distinctive back markings. Females with wing markings are automatically sister queens. Sister queens may spend their time doing what they like. Males with wing markings are automatically consorts. Consorts may spend their time however they like as well. Any sort of marking that can be interpreted as a type of wing counts. This includes feathery, bird-like wings, dragon-type wings, insect wings, and any tribal or stylized impression of a wing.
The Reigning Queen is not necessarily the eldest queen. The position may be fought for, but generally is passed on willingly rather than forced. The position, as such, is not hereditary. The Reigning Queen is the leader of the pride, looked to for leadership and final say in pridal decisions. She also represents the Royals as a whole. Sister queens help keep order and discipline via dominance and assertion.
The Prime Consort is the primary wing-marked mate of the Reigning Queen. This position is not necessarily life-long. Males can fall out of favor and be replaced. This position is determined by the Reigning Queen only. The Prime Consort keeps the other consorts in line and represents them.
Warriors are those with notable back markings that lack any resemblance to wings. However, they consider themselves special, second only to the queens and consorts. They tend to have haughty attitudes as a result. They are expected to be a sort of honor guard for the queens and consorts, as well as do any scouting, roaming, or sentry missions. They are strong, swift, and proud.
The Prosaics are the common working class of the pride. They lack the visible markings of the gods on their backs, but are the backbone of the pride. Without them, life would not function at all. Not all Royals accord them the respect they are due, but the Prosaics are less high-and-mighty about it. They also have more freedom to choose what their role in the pride will be.
Most important of the Prosaics are the mentors. Even the Royals know to give the mentors respect and deference. While all seers in the pride are mentors, not all mentors are seers. Any healers or scholars are mentors as well. They handle the pridal histories and knowledge, patch up those who need it, and help the pride through their visions. They are the heart of the pride. The Senior Mentor is usually the oldest, and thus the most experienced, of the seer mentors. The Senior mentor oversees the activities of the mentors, teaches the younger mentors, and represents not only the mentors but also the wishes and opinions of all the Prosaics. Markings play no role in this rank, aside from excluding those with back markings.
The Soldier rank stands out in the Prosaics, as they often have the flashiest of markings. They don't completely exclude those without markings, but an unmarked soldier would tend to be looked down upon as not fitting in properly. The soldiers are the muscle and brute force of the pride. They are the guards, the militia, and the police. Even the warriors would think twice before taking on soldiers, as the soldiers spend more time training and strengthening themselves than the warriors. The Senior Warrior oversees the training and routine of the soldiers, as well as speaking for them. Having bold markings does not require any individual to be a soldier, however.
Teachers tend the young and teach them the ways of the world and the pride. They handle the cubs of all ranks, and so much be equable and fair in their teaching. Not all teachers deal with young, however. Some are also the pride's crafters and artisans. They are known for their delicate, inventive work, meticulous and patient in their creation. These are not your average wooden beads strung on a leather thong! Teachers often work closely with the mentors, for knowledge and inspiration while doing their jobs. The Senior Teacher is the eldest, most knowledgeable of the teachers, knowing something about all the aspects of being a teacher. Some say the Senior Teacher might as well be a mentor, and perhaps there is some truth to that. The Senior Teacher speaks for the teachers and ensures the quality of work that is delivered. Markings have no impact on this rank.
The hunters probably have the most work to do out of all the ranks. It is their job to do the hunting for the pride. This includes bringing meat back, skinning and treating the hides so they can be used, as well as gathering anything else that is needed by mentors or teachers, such as herbs or gems. Sometimes this means they deal with traders from outside the pride in order to accomplish what needs to be done. They also are likely to handle the sale of the goods made by the teachers. Should they need to roam far from the pride, a warrior will accompany them as a sentry. It can be a dangerous profession to have, but an exciting one as well. The Head Hunter is usually the eldest, but must be the hunter that has roamed the furthest, spoken with the most varied number of individuals, and had the most transactions with traders. Markings have no impact on this rank.
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 3:24 pm
Names
Naming works differently with the Kiburi than is typical. They have two names, whether they came from the roguelands or were born into the pride.
The first name may be of any language origin. This is often the name rogues came to the pride with. This name is considered the name between the individual and the gods. It is used for formal use only, due to their belief. It is a personal thing, and not used lightly. Newcomers must learn to not use their first name with members of the pride.
The second name is very very simple. It is a single (English) word. There are certain parameters for what is acceptable. There must be no repeats within the pride, either. The word names should be simple, singular, non-complex words. This means no prefixes, suffixes, hyphens, etc. There may be mild exceptions to these rules. Generally, second names should be non-negative, especially when given to cubs. After significantly bad events, individuals have been known to take a new second name that reflects the negativity of their situations, however.
Examples of acceptable names would be: Moon Race Pebble Shine Jade
These names should NOT reflect the colors or markings they bear. Nor are they meant to reflect the personality of the individual at all (with the exception of dire circumstances causing them to rename themselves). These are call-names, merely what others will address them as.
Litters should be given related names. Here are a few examples of litters: Drop Ripple Splash
Chime Knell Toll Tinkle
Sapphire Azure Cobalt Sky Slate Midnight
(OOCly, this should be easy enough, as there are untold opportunities for names out there. Should this become an issue, the second name restrictions will be loosened, but I don't think it is likely to come up.)
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2015 1:36 pm
Territory: Dry savannah area, wide open spaces, scattered trees, prone to the cycles of extremely dry, hot weather broken by sudden monsoons that drench everything, turning the land green for a short time. A small river runs not far away, but dries up with frequent drought.
Home: The Kiburi live in an ancient ruin. They believe the gods themselves built it, but in reality is was once the home to the scarce two-leggers. The ruin is built of rectangular bricks that are well-seated, but have had the mortar long ago turned to dust. The entire complex is made of rounded shapes. The outer wall curves almost completely around the living space, aside from two or three places where it has tumbled down. Inside, a series of curving walls encompass parts of the complex. These create sheltered nooks, with the innermost being the safest zone. There are smaller rounded piles of bricks, good for climbing. Trees grow out of random locations, especially towards the back of the complex. Plenty of nooks and hollows exist for den making, with the area beneath the trees being reserved for the Royals. There is a small spring that wells up deep within the ruins, though it occasionally dries up as well. Strangers are not allowed inside the walls, but are welcomed outside of them. (Ambassadors and emissaries from other prides are the exception to this rule, as they are welcomed in a more formal manner and considered guests.)
