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Many generations ago, so many that nobody remembers how long it was, there was a small family of cheetahs. It was simply a mother and her five cubs - By some miracle, her cubs had all made it to adolescence, which normally meant she'd send them off. But not only did she particularly love her children, they loved her and wanted to give her a good life. After all, they weren't her first litter - In fact, the three boys and two girls were her sixth litter. This meant they were her last, for old age had by then tinged her dusky coat with white points. While two hunted, the rest would stay and race in front of her, one on one, to keep her entertained. They didn't want their mother, who'd taught them everything she knew, to have to hunt again.

It was during one of these days, while the oldest brother and sister were off hunting, that a pride of lions, currently displaced and seeking a new territory, happened upon the mother and her three younger children. From a distance, they saw the two brothers that had stayed behind race each other, reach a tree... And the winner proudly held his head high as they returned to the starting point. The pride laid out, watching these activities in amusement and amazement.

Soon, the oldest two returned with no kill between them. The lionesses rose to their paws and left at that point, while the males and cubs of the pride remained to watch the cheetahs. The cheetahs, in the mean time, didn't notice their admirers, up on a hill.

Finally, the lionesses returned with not one, but two kills, proving their skill once again. One of the oldest lionesses, a female who had a horribly mangled front paw, took part of the kill and acted as an ambassador, taking it to the cheetahs.

Rather naturally, the cheetahs were fearful, the two older brothers and the oldest sister standing in front of their mother and youngest siblings, hackles up. It was the youngest brother, the runt of the litter, who made the first move for peace as he pointed out that the lioness not only couldn't hurt them with her paw mangled as it was, but she came with meat - How many lions came with meat up to cheetahs? His brothers and sister relented, and though skeptical, they accepted the meal from the lioness. It was then they realized they'd had an audience this whole time to their little race games.

The following day, while the oldest sister and middle brother went out to hunt, the youngest brother raced the oldest. For the first time, the youngest brother won, being the one to proudly prance back with his head high. And up on the hill, the lions roared their cheers of encouragement.

This continued for first many days, and then many weeks. Every few days, the lions moved closer, until they had amassed the family of cheetahs amid their number. For the first time, they were very well fed, and found they could spend much of their time racing one another instead of hunting. More food meant more energy, and they began to go faster.

But soon the young cheetahs were adults, and like all adults wanted certain things they were sure the lions couldn't provide. The youngest brother was the first to head out to find himself a mate, and the lions found they missed his sweet manners. He returned soon enough, though, and brought with him a female who was curious about this pride that accepted cheetahs. Soon the other siblings went out to find mates, and the mates joined the races.

In those days, a quiet pact was made between lion and cheetah that soon drew in other cheetahs simply because they wanted in. So long as the cheetahs raced each other, and in some cases bred with who was thought to possibly create the more superior offspring with the fasted and steadiest paws, the lions would shelter the cheetahs from other predators, protecting them from poaching by hyenas, and feed them so they didn't have to hunt. Many generations passed, and the race mentality became incredibly ingrained into the local cheetahs of the pride, while the hyenas and wild dogs were added as extra protection, and leopards to help move things for races.

Another year has come, and with it, new races.

Are you the fastest cheetah?

Gods and the After

The Makono, as a whole, don't worship any specific gods. Many lions DO pay homage to Luck, while cheetahs pray that Speed and Flight will carry them across the finish line first. In the end, though, it's an intensely private matter, and it's best kept to oneself in crowds. This is, of course, only to keep the peace.

Breeding

Breeding must be between two consenting adults! Be it mates or a fling, regardless of if that fling was accidental or on purpose to improve race stock, they must be adults. This goes for ALL species in the pride! Adolescence is a time of learning and training, not baby-making! Adolescents found to be breeding will be kicked out of the pride while their cubs are taken care of by a foster family. If they feel responsible enough to breed as adolescents, then they can be responsible out in the big wide world alone. The only exception to this is perma-adols - If it's become clear that an animal is not growing past adolescence, then a curse is assumed on them and the usual age bans are lifted off that individual.

They have no qualms about hybrids - After all, when between felines, love is love. The only requirement is that if a lion pairs up with a cheetah, they must find another couple like them - One lion, one cheetah, of the opposite genders of the first couple - So that the cheetahs may produce a litter of possible winners.

Also on the matter of breeding, the Makono doesn't mind new blood entering the pride - It's encouraged, actually. Why should they have to worry about inbreeding, when new stock could be added in from outside? It also provides for some wonderful-looking show cheetahs if they have rogue blood in them.

Because the name of the game is speed, now and then two race-winning cheetahs will be asked by their lion owners to breed with each other, in hopes of creating new winners. (You can go about this however you want, as long as everybody agrees OOCly xd ; )

Coats

Coat coloration also isn't something they worry about, except maybe for Show Cheetahs, but then they only work with what's already available. Cheetahs can be literally any color and patterning, all the better to distinguish them on the track. Lions also don't particularly care about coat coloring. So to put it simple... Your SoA can be neon pink with fuchsia leopard spots over ice blue stripes for all we care(Though why would you want something so blinding to begin with...?), if it can run or work, it's okay!

Racing, showing, retirement

Things have evolved a lot since the first family of cheetahs was welcomed into the pride - Numbers fluctuated to the point where cheetahs began to be owned by lions, and because of the need for the cheetahs to be in top shape, they became like prized pets. There is a current limit of 1:3 - One lion to three cheetahs.

When a cheetah becomes too old to race, or is crippled, they are effectively retired. While their racing days are over, they're still expected to be treated well, and if not... They will be reassigned to another lion or family who WILL look after their needs. Don't think the cheetahs are slaves, they're given a pampered life for the simple price of racing one another!

Only adult cheetahs may race - Adolescents are considered too immature yet to run at such fast paces. The only exception to this is perma-adols - If it's become clear that an animal is not growing past adolescence, then a curse is assumed on them and the usual age bans are lifted off that individual.

Names

Names are very important, especially for the cheetahs. That's why the cheetahs get two - Their common name, and their show/race name(For purpose of simplicity, the cert will only say Race Name). The Race Name is the only part of the name that can be English - Their common name can be anything, so long as it fits shop rules. Often, the Race Name may pertain to the PARENTS' names. As an example, if Turuhani and Njozi had a litter, their cubs would have Race Names like... Another Chance, Believe in Myself, I'll Believe... You get the idea!

Lions, on the other hand, tend to have names of Middle East or Asian origin, as if to say "We're high-born and know it, and this is the only way many of us may show it". Hyenas, leopards, wild dogs, and hybrids have no name restrictions beyond shop rules.

Seers

Seers are considered invaluable to the pride. They're the only creatures treated as well as royalty and cheetahs, as they can tell why something in the past failed, see past wrongs or rights others didn't witness, tell of what's happening far away here and now, and/or predict the future. While many don't know how it works, it's strongly believed that a well-treated seer will See the outcomes of races(This, of course, is not always true, and even the best-treated seer may see little to do with races while a seer hiding their abilities may see it all).

Treatment of cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, hybrids

Cheetah abuse is NOT tolerated within the pride! Violating lions will be stripped of every cheetah they own and penalized with ration reductions. If they repeat offend, they'll be evicted from the pride.

Just because their ranks are limited to one each doesn't mean leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, and hybrids are thought less of! Because everybody plays an important part in the pride, all are treated well. Normally, the lions will feed the leopards, hyenas, and wild dogs, but that doesn't stop the three groups from forming their own hunting parties if they wish to - They just need to play nice with one another!

Hybrids in particular are treated well - Either they're half lion, or they're half cheetah, thus they get the good treatment of both worlds. While they're not considered racing or show quality, they're still treated like pampered pets. If they so choose, they may either join the leopards in moving things(Such as sand, rocks, and branches), or they may join the lions in working society.

Mates

At this time, the Makono has no solid opinion on animals being in same-sex couples. In their history, they've managed to not run into it yet. How do I word this... I'm not saying I'm for or against it, but I do ask that you please respect how others feel about it, and at this time, I'd like it to not just... Happen. ICly, these are lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, etc. who have or may not have encountered it before - There are currently few exceptions to that rule - And they may react violently to what they don't know or understand. Please keep that in mind.

Having life mates, that all said, is encouraged, but not absolutely required, outside royalty(It's very unseemly for a prince to have flings willy-nilly, as it were!).