Pride Information - Retired Feb 04

[Myrsky Syntynyt]

 

[Myrsky Syntynyt]

"Viking is a verb, you know. One goes a-viking." - Michael C. Frassetto

Welcome to the Myrsky Syntynyt, the Stormborn.

Situated on the upper elevations of a finger of a fjord, the pride is able to look down on its surroundings. The sheer cliffs which characterize the area are not necessarily the highest points, but they are the most obvious ones and they offer protection to the Stronghold. The highest points are actually above the cliffs, and they have something of an ice melt situation going on. The more gradual slope on the other side of the stronghold is deceptive, giving the impression of easy access, but the waters in the stream move every bit as quickly as those surrounded by cliffs, and at their edge is a marsh. There is also a wooded area which is said to be haunted and into which most Stormborn do not care to venture, except, perhaps, on a dare.

The Stormborn themselves tend to live in the center of the upper elevations, in a cliff-protected portion called the Stronghold, where there is significantly less vegetation but for the hardy mint which they love so much, and which causes a state of inebriation in those who make use of it. What fertile, open ground does exist in the pride is used to house the herds of prey beasts the pride keeps for easy slaughter.

The weather is often harsh and unforgiving in this rocky land, and it is a rare day when the sun is not partially shaded by clouds or fog or both. Rain is frequent here, with its violence ranging from a light mist to torrential downpours. There is also hail, seasonally, and an entire season in which storms rage most of the time. Prior to the storm season is a windy season which the pride holds in special esteem, for it heralds change.

Clearly some liberties have been taken with the African coastline to make it suit the Stormborn setting, as you can see from the very rough map. Just go with it.

 

[Myrsky Syntynyt]

History

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Legend has it that the Stormborn are children of storm gods, with a liberal infusion of warrior gods. Whether this is true or not, it's the claim that the Stormborn make, and others would be wise not to dispute it.

At some point after the gods themselves no longer intervened in the affairs of their Stormborn, they became a pride of marauders, venturing out from their stronghold by the sea to capture whatever they wanted or found needful. It was necessary because the gods were no longer there to provide for their children, and the harsh climate surrounding the stronghold was extremely defensible, but not conducive to many life-sustaining activities like hunting, though there is always bounty to be had from the sea, for those who know how to catch it.

As the Stormborn exhausted their resources and began to look afield, they realized they were very good at taking whatever they wanted, regardless of the protests of the original owners. Women, herds of preybeasts, and anything else that caught these powerful lions' attention were not safe. Any who stood against them were overpowered, often brutally, and the survivors were made into indentured servants, little better than slaves which came to be known as Thralls.

Naturally, not all lions are born fighters, no matter how good their bloodline, and yet they may still be Stormborn. It took some time for the pride to recognize this fact, since they believed that they were all meant to be conquering fighters. Once the Freeborn class emerged, however, things began to run much more smoothly in the stronghold, since they were now a recognized part of society, and not merely very bad or reluctant warriors. And the Freeborn found ways to make themselves useful.

Inbreeding has never been a problem for the Stormborn, given their tendency to take Thralls and then get children with them, whether legitimate or not. Bloodlines are important, of course, and those who can trace their bloodlines back to the gods are afforded a certain amount of respect, if not actual authority. Nevertheless, because the blood of the pride has become so mixed, it is difficult to tell whose blood is pure, if anyone's is, and so they very slowly began to allow exceptional outsiders to occupy places in the pride, though these places had to be fought for and earned.

The Warlord who instituted the official system of challenges and several Warlords after him spent the entirety of their rules losing the title and winning it back from challenge-happy Reavers. It didn't take long for changes to be made once again to how Warlords were chosen, and the election system was instated, though it took some time for the Captains, Lawspeakers, and Priests to learn to vote in the pride's best interest. Bribery was and remains a popular means of ensuring support for would-be Warlords.

All of this happened so long ago that most names have been lost, even to the Lawspeakers and Priests whose task it has been to preserve history. Of course, some of that may have been willfully concealed by various lions. There are always parts of history that are better off not known. Much has gone since then, and while the tales are wondrous, the telling of them would take entirely too long, and so they'll pass untold for the time being.

And so we find ourselves looking at the current Warlord.

Not Stormborn by birth, Aesir came to his position in the Stormborn by winning a Challenge and working his way quickly and violently through the ranks. It took him less than a year to achieve Captaincy, as the Captain of his first band died on a raid and he was elected to the position in her stead, and two years to decide that he would make a better Warlord. Unfortunately, the current Warlord, Gunne, was in perfect health, and not likely to die any time soon, Aesir took matters into his own paws and challenged him for the position

He lost that first challenge, but not his life, and Gunne sentenced him to three years as a Thrall. From this position he seduced the Warlord's pretty young bride and convinced her to kill the Warlord and name him her consort. To this end, he enlisted the aid of a priestess named Morrigan who supplied the necessary herbs to kill Gunne. When he became Warlord, Aesir gifted the former consort to one of the Captains to ensure his loyalty and support and rewarded Morrigan for her role by asking her to be his wife.

His behind-the-scenes machinations were not generally known and for a while Aesir led the pride through a time of relative peace and liberal beliefs, allowing females to become reavers and captains and encouraging viking bands to work on extending the pride's borders. Much of this changed when a traditionally-minded captain named Njal returned from a prolonged tour at one of the pride's outposts and decided to bring some of these rumours to light before challenging Aesir for leadership of the pride during the next breytast vindar. Njal was victorious in his challenge, blinding Aesir and then taking the shocking step of exiling the crippled former Warlord along with his entire family, with the threat that any family member of Aesir's remaining in Stormborn lands would be made a Thrall.

Warlord Njal returned the pride to its more traditional routes, discouraging and practically forbidding females from holding martial roles and instead encouraging them to stay close to home. He also restored the restrictions on Thrall offspring, stating that any thrallborn would be a Thrall. The pride was fairly evenly split between Stormborn who supported Njal's conservative rule and those who chafed under it. During his rule, a sizeable portion of Aesir's family hid out in the forest below the Stronghold, contributing to the rumours that the place was haunted.

Njal's reign was also fairly peaceful, but he did not retain his position for all that long. A young captain named Ruzanski who had been almost-exiled by Aesir returned from the nigh-impossible quest the former Warlord had set him and eventually challenged Njal for his position during the next breytast vindar. Upon winning, he shortened his name to Ruzski and set about reversing most of Njal's rulings regarding female reavers and captains and recalled Aesir's exiled family to the pride. Generally speaking, Warlord Ruzski is a well-liked leader.

Reign of Svana

The reign of the first female Warlord for many generations was quiet for the most part. She brought forth a number of new Captains and managed to see a new High Priestess in her seat at last. Svana's reign, however short, will remain memorable to all those that lived beneath it. A female in that position was nearly unheard of and would likely go down in history.

Reign of Zjarri'fol

Another female Warlord, something the likes of the Myrsky Syntynyt wasn't prepared for. The challenge with Svana was underwhelming at best, but satisfied the requirements to ensure a victory for Zjarri'fol.

Unfortunately her reign has not brought along triumphs, mostly deep regret. Her name has been sullied by misfortune after misfortune. The final of those misfortunes being the God that cursed their home to the doom of hunger, a hunger so fierce that often times the night would turn to day and moans could still be heard. Even though she has fixed the problem... it's possible the pride sees having a female leader - aside from the priestesses - as being bad luck.

No triumphs during Svana's reign and a lack luster performance by Zjarri? Neither could possibly blame the pride members for beginning to question...

Reign of Ushindi

Violence was clearly something this Warlord is very familiar with. He swept aside Zjarri'fol with ease, leaving behind a battered and very near lifeless body of a lioness that at one point breathed life into the very soul of the pride. Though her time as Warlord was lack luster she wasn't despised - by all.

To some his actions were predicted, and welcome. A female Warlord? The pride had made many changes over time and this was likely one that brought them plenty of the bad fortune they had seen. Generations bore witness to situations that could easily be seen as avoidable had the pride chose to stay with their history. Historically speaking bloodlines were power, males left to secure wealth while females stayed home to keep the den and raise the next generation of sons and daughters of the Storm.

With the rise of Ushindi he has made it clear that he wants to revisit the old, while updating to include some new. He isn't foolish enough to believe that the females that once experienced freedom won't fight, but he will only give in so much. Thus the birth of Shield-Maidens and Valkyries. The trusted females, not that they imagine they will run off, no - they can handle themselves. War isn't unfamiliar to them and so they will survive.

Ushindi isn't finished here though...  

[Myrsky Syntynyt]

Beliefs

Gods
These are the gods that the Stormborn believe they are descended from. Whether they are or not is up for debate, but questioning one of them on the matter is a very good way to get beaten to a bloody pulp.

God of War (owned by Baneful) - permission obtained
God of Warriors (owned by Krysin) - permission obtained
Goddess of Conquest (owned by Remove) - permission obtained
God of Thunder (owned by wooga paes) - permission obtained
Goddess of Lightning (owned by DragonsRage24) - permission obtained

Religion
The Stormborn are not hugely religious. They offer sacrifices to ensure that things go well and they give thanks when they do. They will swear by various gods, collectively known as the Stormlords, and in battle they may cry their names, but it is really only the priests who know or care overmuch about lore and the gods' relationship to the people. Even the priests quite often explain things by saying that it's simply the way the gods will it to be. That said, the Stormborn do acknowledge that there are other gods, but they are clearly weak, inferior divinities and the Stormlords could obviously take them in a fight. As a side note, the Stormborn do like their little good luck talismans, and most believe in curses and ghosts.

Death
Death is not a thing to be feared or avoided. It is the goal of every Stormborn, even the Freeborn, to die memorably in glorious battle. Anything less would be demeaning and unmemorable, and thus would not earn a lion a place among the ranks of the glorious dead. A lion who is ready to die will pick a fight to lose, an ill and dying lion will do likewise, or if not that, fling themselves into the sea. There is nothing worse than to die in bed, except maybe a coward's death. A lion who dies well may hope to go to an eternal paradise in the halls of the Stormlords among their ancestors and the glorious dead.

Marriage
Marriage is a lovely institution practiced for a variety of reasons, one of which is even love. A husband and wife share a social status, and so if one dies, the other is legally allowed to take their place. Other reasons to marry may be more political, and can relate to ending blood feuds between families or cementing alliances, or simply showing respect to the family of the new in-laws.

It is very important to note that nobody can be forced to marry against their will, and either half of a marriage may demand a divorce for any reason, although the most common reason tends to be a desire to leave an abusive or unfaithful spouse. A couple that has been joined in marriage by a priestess and lawspeaker (both are present at any pride marriage) must seek a divorce from a priestess and lawspeaker as well. These outside parties may offer advice or seek to mediate problems between the couple, but ultimately they cannot refuse to perform a divorce.

It is permissible for a lion to have more than one female, but only the first wife is actually called a wife. The others are called Saltwives or älskarinna (pl. älskarinnor), and they are granted none of the male's legal standing, though their cubs are considered legitimate. Generally a married couple is expected to remain faithful to one another, but when one or the other is away viking, it does not surprise anyone when infidelity occurs. No child is a b*****d if the mother is a wife.

Breeding
Breeding is always open, provided your lion is on the Master Member List. There are, however, some limitations. Read on:

Rogue breeding is definitely allowed, as long as those rogues aren't brought home to the pride to breed. Raids provide ample opportunity for randy lions to sate themselves on the conquered. As rape is frowned upon in this shop, I will not explicitly say that's what happens, but plundering takes many forms, shall we say. Any cub born to a freeborn female of the pride in will be considered Freeborn. If a male sires cubs on a female from outside the pride, unless he claims the female and takes her with him, his cubs probably will not be part of the pride (remember there is such a thing as a gestation period). Those cubs who are brought back by their fathers are also accepted as Freeborn and referred to as vikingborn.

Reavers and captains of either sex can take part in the Mix 'n Match or rogue breed. They do, after all, leave the pride.

Freeborn (including lawspeakers and priestesses) cannot participate in the Mix 'n Match because they do not leave the pride. They can rogue breed, however, and it will be assumed that the father is an NPC Stormborn. The cubs will be freeborn.

Thralls cannot participate in the Mix 'n Match because they cannot leave the pride, but females can rogue breed. In a rogue breeding will be assumed that the father was a member of the Stormborn who did not step forward to claim the cubs, and the cubs will be thralls.

Homosexuality
This is a pride of fierce fighting lions. Everyone wants to be on top, as it were. The prevailing attitude is that of derision toward lions and lionesses who are same-sex oriented, but this can turn to violent derision if the lion in question is not well-liked. If a lion is homosexual, it is safest to pretend otherwise, or else be very, very discreet. If a lion is discovered to be homosexual, he or she will not actually be driven from the pride, but their quality of life will almost certainly decrease. So if you want to put a homosexual lion in for plot purposes, go ahead, but know there may be IC difficulties ranging from mockery to beatings. That said, a male lion buggering another male just to show dominance is considered the height of manliness. The lion in the submissive position in that situation may as well castrate himself, because no one will ever take him seriously again.

Gender Roles
Officially, anything a male can do, a female is welcome to try. If she can do it as well as a male, then she's allowed to do it. So a woman can be a Reaver or a Lawspeaker or a Priestess, or even Warlord, if she can pull it off and hold the position successfully. There is no shame to a female not being a fighter, however, as they have a very important role in bearing cubs and keeping house and managing Thralls. On the other hand, a male who isn't a Reaver, or a Lawspeaker may become the butt of jokes and an object of scorn. Even Lawspeakers are regarded as weaker, as they are not warriors, although they are afforded respect as well for their knowledge. There is a conservative element to the pride, and according to those people females should restrict themselves to being proper Freeborn, or Priestesses if they must strive for more.

At the moment the warlord is a progressive lion.

Names
There is not real standard for naming, whether born into the pride or taken in. Scandinavian (Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Finnish, or Swedish) names are preferred, but are by no means required. No one will ever be asked to change their name to join the pride. Some may choose to take on a descriptive name (which would not go on their certs) such as "Aethelred the Flatulant," but these are matters of personal choice. It is more common to see lions born into the pride introducing themselves with a patronym (which rarely goes on certs) such as "Ruzul Ruzskison" or "Kazul Aesirsdottir."

A good naming resource for Nordic names can be found here.

Non-lions
Non-lions are lesser beings, incapable of the sort of courage inherent in those of the leonine persuasion. They are fit only to be Thralls, even if they are born into the pride, because to be Freeborn is also to be Stormborn, and they cannot be that. However, those with useful skills may still come to be appreciated for that skill set. As far as familiars go, the official stance is that they're fine, as long as they don't make nuisances of themselves. Individuals will likely have their own opinions about familiars.
 

[Myrsky Syntynyt]

Occasions

Althing - A meeting where all the leaders in the pride, which is to say the Captains and the Lawspeakers and the Priests, gather to discuss points of law, theology, or anything else which is required. Complaints are brought to be judged and reparations are made for damages incurred in blood feuds. On the death of a Warlord (where there isn't already a new, self-appointed one) this meeting is called to elect a new Warlord.

Askorun - The specific challenge that takes place when an outside lion wishes to fight for a place in the pride. One of the defending Reavers will fight them, and if the challenger is victorious or the fight ends in a draw they will be admitted into the pride and then taken to a lawspeaker and a priestess to be added to the pride officially. A challenger who is defeated may try as many times as they wish.

Breytast Vindar - The season of the changing winds. A time when anyone may anybody can attempt to better their station in the pride by proving their worth. This is how the pride ensures that those most fit to lead, the smartest and strongest of the pride, are not being led by inferiors. During this time, and this time only, a reaver may challenge a captain for leadership of their band. A freeborn may challenge a priestess or lawspeaker for their position. A thrall may challenge a freeborn. A captain may challenge a warlord. In some cases the challenged lion will lose their position to their challenger and in others only the challenger's position can change.

First Raid - Just what it sounds like, it's the first raid a Freeborn goes on, after which he or she is counted as a Reaver.

Homecoming - The much more raucous celebration thrown for a raiding band after its successful return, wherein the Reavers share their stories and show off their loot. Sacrifices are usually offered in thanks.

Holmgang - A challenge where anyone offended may challenge the other party to holmgang regardless of their differences in social status. Sometimes a capable warrior will volunteer to fight in the place of a clearly outclassed friend. This could be a matter of honor, ownership or property, demand of restitution or debt, legal disagreement or intention to help a wife or relative or avenge a friend. Holmgangs are fought within a week of the challenge and according to predetermined rules. Rules can determine the allowed weapons, who is eligible to strike first, what constitutes a defeat or forfeiture and what the winner receives. The winner can claim everything the loser owned, or service, or some public penalty or act of contrition. If the person challenged does not turn up for the holmgang, the other is considered just in his challenge. If the offended party does not turn up for the holmgang, or are for some reason unwilling or able to defend their claim, they are considered without honor.

Sending-Off - A celebration thrown for a raiding band before its departure, where they are wished well. There is usually lots of singing and historical tale-telling and other blood-stirring activities. Sacrifices are usually offered for good luck.

Viking - When a Captain takes his or her band out to collect more Thralls or loot of other sorts, such as herds of preybeasts. The booty from this raid is first offered to the Warlord, and then the Captain gets to choose, and then it is divided among the raiding band.
 

[Myrsky Syntynyt]

Challenge Example

Challenges are a dice-based system similar to the Firekin dueling system, wherein the challenger and the Reaver who accepts the challenge roll five four-sided dice and the person whose dice add up to the greater number wins. The challenge should still be RPed out, even though the outcome is known from the beginning. It is optional, but not required, for each number in the roll to represent the ferocity and efficacy of its corresponding attack. Any challenge can count as a joining RP for certing purposes, but in order to be added to the member list it must be a challenge which your SoA won or in which there was a draw.

Begin

Challenger

Challenger rolls 5 4-sided dice: (4,2,1,3,1) 11.
Challenger approached the barriers of the Stormborn stronghold and roared out a challenge, demanding that he be acknowledged.

Reaver

Reaver rolls 5 4-sided dice: (1,4,4,2,1) 12.
Reaver was on barrier duty that morning, and when he heard a challenger's roar he slipped through the barrier and went to greet him.
"Stay if you will fight, or else depart."
Without waiting for a reply, Reaver leaped. If the challenger didn't really want to fight, he would surely flee.

Now, as we can see, the Reaver's destined to win already, but let's play along. A limited amount of god-modding and assumption is allowed here so that five billion posts aren't spent on just issuing challenges. The Reaver needn't initiate combat, by the way.

Proceed

Challenger

Challenger side-stepped to avoid Reaver's charge, but he did not in any way indicate that he was going to flee. As Reaver came within range, he leapt with his claws and teeth straining for Reaver's soft underbelly.

Reaver

Reaver's attack went awry, and before he could recover from his missed leap he was struck from the side. Pain shot through him as claws and teeth found soft parts of his body and dug in. For the time being, all he could do was struggle to free himself, perhaps getting in a lucky claw swipe.

Conclusion
The fight will continue until both players' characters have gone through all of their rolled actions, by which time an IC winner will have emerged. If it's the Challenger (as it was not in this case) he or she is welcomed into the pride and both fighters are given catnip and their wounds are tended. If the Reaver wins, the Challenger is chased off or left there to bleed (depending on the severity of their injury). They are welcome to return and try their luck again, as often as they wish. A tie will allow the Challenger into the pride, as it proves they are at least as good as the Reaver they fought.  

[Myrsky Syntynyt]

Expressions

"Animals die, friends die, and I shall die, but one thing never dies, and that is the reputation we leave behind at our death."
An attitude toward death and fame.

"Do not die in bed."
An exhortation to live a warrior's life and die a warrior's death. It's also a means of saying farewell at the end of a conversation.

"Flowers in the blood"
An insult to a person's bravery. It's like calling them a coward. A common variation on this is "flower-blooded."

"Ghostborn"
A cub that was found within the pride's borders but can claim no parents at all. Legend says that these cubs are left for the pride by the ghosts in the forest in exchange for the weak or sickly cubs left to die from exposure.

"He did not flee battle."
An epitaph of praise.

"I have no enemies."
A lament indicating that a lion is at loose ends and seriously bored.

"Iron in the blood"
A compliment or means of expressing approval for bravery.

"It is a good day to die."
The equivalent of saying what a nice day it is, only it applies to any sort of weather.

"Outlander"
Anyone who wasn't born to Stormborn parents. Not necessarily an unflattering term.

"Someday I will kill you."
"Not today."
A standard greeting and response. There is not usually an immediate threat implied here.

"Stormlords!"
An exclamation of surprise, frustration, excitement, whatever. It's a good catchall phrase kind of akin to "Geez!" You might see some elaborations like "Stormlords' balls!" which is almost certainly not a joyous exclamation.

"Vikingborn"
A lion who was conceived while one of the parents was out viking. It's kind of a euphemism for b*****d, and may be applied to any Stormborn who can't name both of their parents. (If you're being insulting, though, you can just call someone bastardborn).

"We do not sow."
Sort of a motto. The Stormborn take pride in the fact that what they have, they have largely taken from others. Stormborn don't like to be reminded that while they may not sow, they do herd (or, rather, their thralls do).
 

[Myrsky Syntynyt]

Relations with Other Prides

The Stormborn is always happy to form relationships (good, bad, or otherwise) with other prides. If you would like to set something up, PM the mule or Princess_Feylin.

Maestros Del Mar (a.k.a. "Those Filthy Pirates")
The Stormborn dislike the pirates and hate to be mistaken for them. They view them as unruly, selfish, thieving miscreants. Just because they also happen to live near water and go out raiding does not mean they are remotely similar. The Stormborn tend to kill pirates when they encounter them, or at least give it their best shot. This is a deeply ingrained prejudice, though a fairly recent one, only dating back to Aesir's tenure as Warlord. The pride's disbandment will probably not disappoint many people.

Einaliai Thalassai (a.k.a. "Those Vicious Monsters")
The Stormborn do not trust the lionesses of this pride, viewing them rightly as dangerous temptresses who will steal all they can from a lion and leave him drowned or witless after doing so. The creatures who inhabit their lands are considered monsters, even if they are beautiful, and it is a brave and foolish Reaver who goes seeking one for a Thrall, though to bring one back in a raid is an impressive feat. Generally these monsters are thought to be bad luck, and bringing them back is risky not only for oneself, since they are tricky, deceitful creatures, but also to one's neighbors.
 

[Myrsky Syntynyt]

Questions and Answers

Will there be a position for seers? Or like mystics/oracles?
They would hold no special rank. Theyre just special people with special talents. Though they'd make great priestesses if they're female, since their sacrifices (and foretellings) would probably be more effective than a non-seer's would be. Priestesses do perform a certain number of predictive rituals, as well as providing talismans and charms for protection.

How much ceremony there is to Stormborn marriages?
The groom gives a plait of his mane to the bride so that if he dies while viking she may give some part of his body to the gods in a proper ceremony. The bride also give the groom a plait of her fur so that she, too, may be properly given to the gods should she die in battle or in birthing. Following the formal exchange of gifts, the couple exchanges personal gifts. Then the couple drinks water mixed with honey together to signify that they are bound to each other, as with honey, and a priest speaks words over them to that effect while a Lawspeaker records their marriage. Finally there is a sacrifice for good luck and then feasting. Wedding celebrations often last all week.

Does coat color/pattern matter at all?
It makes no difference. It's just fur, as far as the Stormborn are concerned. What's important is the warrior spirit beneath the fur.

Would a lion hybrid be able to join as a Reaver?
Nope. The Stormborn are lions. Anything else is fit only to be a Thrall, no matter how talented they are, or if they're born into the pride. Any hybrid who tried to challenge in would be laughed away at the gate.

Can a cub automatically rise to Captain?
Not without doing the requisite RPs. No viking band would elect an inexperienced adolescent as a Captain, even if there was a death. However, you can let it be known that you intend to aim for making your cub a Captain one day. In other words, there are virtually no adolescent Captains.

I know a hybrid or non-lion is considered a thrall, but do the Stormborn frown on creating a hybrid via breeding to a non-lion? Since the offspring can only ever be thralls.
They don't frown on it as long as the dad's a lion. For a female Stormborn to lower herself by being impregnated by a non-lion would be kind of horrifying for them. For a guy, though, it's really whatever. The pride understands that a man has needs and that sometimes there're no lionesses around to satisfy them.

Would a Freeborn be allowed to keep a personal Thrall let alone capture one?
Freeborn are absolutely allowed to keep personal thralls, though as has been stated elsewhere they are not encouraged to leave the pride to capture them. Most of the time if they have specific requests, they have to be made to whatever reavers are going viking.

If a lioness was pregnant when she became a thrall, would the cubs still be freeborn? (With the father being a different male altogether than the one who had captured her).
If the reaver knew for a fact that he was not the father, and that the father was not one of the Stormborn, it would be up to him whether the cubs would be considered freeborn. If he decided the cubs were not sired by a Stormborn, they would be thralls, but if he gave the mother the benefit of the doubt they would be freeborn. In that case, the mother probably would not be allowed to raise them, and they would be given to a freeborn lioness to raise properly.

Do Thralls HAVE to be captured on a Viking, or can they be caught in other circumstances (Like a lion accidentally crossing into the territory and meeting the wrong Reaver)?
This can and often does happen.

Can a Captain who is currently home for it be the one to do a joining duel, or does it have to be a Reaver?
Absolutely.

To go on a viking/become a reaver, do you need to arrange OOCly with an actual captain about a viking? Have them "officially" join a band? Or can you just say that your character (freeborn) went on a viking with random-McRandomface captain (who doesn't exist or isn't specified/NPC) and have some out-of-pride RPs? (With a completely NPC band?)
Latter is true, yes. You can make up NPC bands and captains for your viking RPs if you need to.

Can a lioness who wouldn't ordinarily be allowed to leave the pride still have cubs with a god?
Yes. Gods do what they want and are above mortal rules. Though it's up to that lioness to explain IC how they got knocked up, and accept that people will probably be skeptical if she claims a god did it.

Are thralls able to be taken on vikings? As assistants or, essentially, pack mules?
Thralls can certainly be taken along on vikings as assistants and pack mules and suchlike. Reavers don't carry their own stuff if they don't have to, after all. Or do their own hunting, for that matter.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them here.