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 Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:39 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:40 pm
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First, a little history!
Bear with me, this is VERY heavily paraphrased!
- The pride was founded on some of the ideals of the Romani(Known for a long time as Gypsies - But that's a slur. We're moving away from the term in favor of Romani, the actual name of the peoples)
- For a long time, they were storytellers and performers
- Then came the Insanity due in part to Muhali
- Then Muhali left, and the Insanity went with her
- Riddlemouth and (The current queen's great-grandmother) stepped up and established the pride's current ways
- Not everybody was happy, because they missed their Muses(IC) and the insanity(OOC)
- Riddlemouth stepped down and his son, Puzzle, stepped up, while Fireheart has slowly been easing her daughter, Starfire, into taking over her own roll. It's a new generation of rulers for the pride!
So what's this ORP going to address?
This RP is going to address a few key things in the pride!
A movement back into story and song keeping, as was mentioned in the pride's old ways - The song and story gatherers can work closely paw-in-paw with the Mummers, forming a trifecta of performance where those involved in storytelling find a story for the Mummers to perform, while those in music give the performance song.
The changing of a couple rank names back to what they once were - Namely, Gypsy King and Gypsy Queen will return to being Song and Story Keepers. As I saw nothing on gender specifications, this opens up the ranks to be held by anybody native to the pride and related to the current rank holders, be they male or female, and if it applies, even another species. (As an example, Boneknapper has a leopon sister. If her sister had cubs one day, and one was a leopard who could verifiably prove relation, as said leopon sister has departed, then that leopard COULD take Puzzle's place) Also with the restoration of these ranks is the option for their mates to take the rank of Consort, if they so choose. The rank is only a title, though, it comes with no additional responsibilities outside what they had before.
Removal of the stigma on the Dreamers, and encouragement of them to become creators of new stories and/or songs - Just what constitutes a Dreamer will also be reworked.
Those flowers that are just... Everywhere. Brewmistress has been up to something with them and has an announcement for the pride pertaining to them!
Now that that's out of the way, let's lay down some groundrules!
Keep things, IC and OOC, respectful!
No, this is not full-on insanity like it once was. The pride may never get back to that due to Li's blessing on the lands - So long as Puzzle's father, Riddle Mouth, lives, the blessing will remain in place and Muhali's insanity will not extend past the Muse Cave
ALWAYS keep in mind that after this point, if Puzzle feels things are getting out of paw with the consumption of the brew to attain connection with muses outside the Muse Cave, he WILL force the pride to cut back on it.
The only lions from outside the pride that may participate in this RP are Bahari'mtoto members, as this WILL likely impact relations between the prides!
If you have no lions in either pride, you may RP a familiar or unlined species!
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 4:22 pm
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It had been three days since Boneknapper had brought Brew Mistress to Puzzle, and to his attention the drink the latter had made. While he'd been filled with trepidation about it, he knew it would make many lions happy. He'd heard much reminiscing, growing up, about the days when insanity was the norm. Like his mate, though, Puzzle had been born and raised in the days after it was gone, and Brew Mistress, the lioness who'd made the drink, had joined after as well. Her opinion, so far as he could guess, was positive so far, while his own was more decidedly neutral.
At the point on the beach where he'd called the pride to gather, he paced on a ledge overlooking it. Well, he thought of it AS a ledge, but really it was a strange construct made from wood and rock. Some of the baboons had helped make it, speaking about hairless gorillas - Whatever a gorilla even WAS - that did such things. It was secured with vines, and would probably fall apart by the next rainy season, but for now it served its purpose in elevating him above everybody else long enough to garner attention.
Lounging at the back of the construct was Flower Lord. He had realized that returning to insanity was not something he necessarily supported, but he wouldn't stop. "I still think this is a bad idea, it's going to bite us on our asses." He looked out over the beach, at lions starting to gather. He spied the blind fortuneteller, Misty Starlight, with her two companions close at paw. Also spied was one of the mummers, Funnyface, and of course Aurora. Like Aurora, he'd joined in the days of insanity and muses, and while he'd enjoyed the singing flowers, he discovered he reveled in the absence of their words. The sudden departure of it had served to sober him up from the carefree lion he'd been, once upon a time, and helped shape him into the lion that would become Patron General. He flexed his claws, continuing to watch Puzzle pace. "No good can come of this decision."
"Stop being such a pessimist, Flower Lord." Brew Mistress sat with a bowl filled with the brew she'd made, as well as an assortment of ingredients around her. The trip into insanity had been fascinating, the conversations with flowers numerous in the second time she'd consumed the brew and had time to actually stop and talk. The effects had lasted several hours, to her pleasure, long enough to get some strange if meaningful information from the flowers. She glanced at the gold-coated lion, then the gathering pride. "I trust in the judgement of the lions of our pride."
Letting out a sigh, Puzzle looked at the two, pondering their words. His gaze turned back to the gathering lions, looking for Star Fire. He'd have to get her up there to talk in private before he formally announced some other things about the pride - Namely pertaining to the Dreamers and how their pride functionedd. |
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2016 11:09 pm
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 Ever since Riddlemouth had stepped down from his position and his son had taken his place, Fireheart felt the need to step down herself growing. While she was young compared to her uncle, she had never really been prepared to rule and really never felt that she had been the best fit for the pride. She was a fighter, one that disliked change and who prefered to use her strength to solve problems, not her social skills. She had taken the role with grace, though, and had done her very best to be the queen the Kizi needed, if not wanted.
The unexpected birth of the mystery cubs had really put the seed of passing on the title and the burden in her mind. Fireheart saw something in the cubs that had the unknown father that she hadn't in the previous litters, and perhaps that was because her mate was so like her that their children didn't fit the bill to lead the pride. This litter, though...particular the dark lion that walked beside her...they embodied the Kizi spirit. The Queen glanced at her daughter who kept pace next to her and took in the happy, carefree air about her. There always seemed to be a bit of a smile on Starfire's face and today proved no different despite the fact that Puzzle had summoned the entire pride to the beach without speaking to her first. Go with the flow, Starfire was. And Fireheart was certainly not that type of lion. But that was why Starfire would be a much better ruler than she, and the sooner she felt she could pass the title on, the better.
"Go on then," she said, nudging Starfire's shoulder as they reached the sand of the beach. "This is your show, not mine." Starfire paused to look at her mother in mild surprise, although she had the feeling this duty would be passed on to her today. Fireheart would remain close by, certainly, but she knew that whatever Puzzle had to say today would effect the pride moving forward and that was her soon-to-be duty to see it through. Giving Fireheart a little nuzzle, Starfire grinned and continued on her way. She could see Puzzle pacing atop a strange platform, shaking a bit under his heavy footfalls. The Kizi were fairly large lions, but she and Puzzle were even larger than most. Puzzle's mother was a goddess, of course, and Starfire wondered if her father could have also been one. It would make sense given her size and the strange visions she had been having as of late, but she really couldn't say for sure.
"Hello, hello, sorry for the wait," she said as he padded up to the structure, peering up at Puzzle. "How did you get up there? I'm the one with wings," she added with a little laugh, referencing her markings. She moved around to the back to see if there was a way up there and spotted Flower Lord - the Patron General who oversaw quite a few of her older siblings that had joined the more physical of the Kizi - and Brew Mistress.
"Oh, hello," she said cheerfully. "You look a bit unnerved, Flower Lord. Don't feel comfortable unless you're tucked away in a bush, hm?" She gave the fluffy lion a wink before turning her attention back to her future co-ruler, watching his striped form pace back and forth.
Once Starfire moved away, Straw Dog emerged from behind Fireheart, limping along to stand beside her. It had been quite some time since his mate had fallen heavy with cubs that were not his own, and for some time their relationship was strained. He had raised them with her as his own, of course, despite not being their actual sire, and he loved them all as much as his own children, but now that they were grown up and able to survive on their own he knew it was time to focus on himself and his mate once more.
"It's nice to see her so laid back about taking on such a job as this," he said quietly. He could remember Fireheart when she had been given the title of Queen and how frantic she had been to try to be the best even when it wasn't in her nature. Now, perhaps, as Starfire took over, she could return to the young lioness he had met on the border of the pride all those years ago.
[OOC: Please keep me out of the raffle <3] |
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 1:35 am
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[Images here later]
Something was going on, and it made the newly dubbed 'Rabbit' a bit nervous. Pressing into her mate's side, she let her ears rest nearly flat against her head. Blooming Steps licked one of those ears, whispering reassuring things to her as Darkest Night situated himself on Rabbit's other side, another large and safe presence. And behind her, Mags settled herself before flashing the family she could spot a big smile. She did so love visiting where she'd grown up, been raised. It wasn't their fault the visions spoke to her of where the wings and stars had come from, nor that she just had a heart and soul bigger than 'home' could handle for long.
It was a bit of a surprise to see their mother nudging Starfire onward, rather than going to meet Puzzle herself. Oh. OH! Well good! Her mother had earned a break. Darkest Night looked back at her with a raised brow, and she simply grinned before he shrugged and turned his attention back on the striped lion. Blooming Steps gave her a look, however, that spoke that he'd be speaking to her later.
Gatherings like that sometimes meant upsets. Upsets sometimes caused less than safe situations. And the last thing he wanted was for more trauma to add onto what he, Rabbit, and Darkest Night already carried from their past.
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 12:26 am
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Puzzle stopped in his pacing, looking as Starfire approached. Ah, there she was! A quick scan of the crowd told him Ram, the neighboring pride's king, wasn't there. Not that he knew what Ram looked like - Puzzle had never truly wandered beyond the pride's borders, even into the Bahari'mtoto. But some pride members had seen him before and described him, so the striped male had tried his best to remember.
"There's a way up around the back." He walked over, watching. "Flower Lord's just displeased about what Brew Mistress has." Dropping his voice, he moved closer to the wing-marked lioness. "It's a brew that brings about insanity!"
On his corner of the structure, Flower Lord gave a displeased snort. "It's not going to end well!" He, himself, wouldn't be drinking it. Aurora had enough insanity in her from before joining, he was going to convince her to not drink it, as well. He shifted, one paw crossing over another. "There's going to be lions out there who will take advantage of the state and attack us, either to steal our members away, or to conquer us."
Puzzle turned, giving Flower Lord a glare. "Oh, hush, you!" He turned back to Starfire, sitting next to her for a moment. "I'm sorry that I didn't come to you or your mother sooner in private. I didn't want word to get around before I could announce it." His glance went over to Brew Mistresss. "Neither of us were born in the Age of Insanity, and as I recall from what I've been told, your mother was born just as it ended, but this could harken in a new version of it."
Looking up from where she'd started to make her brew, Brew Mistress offered the queen-in-training a smile, "There's also the matter of proving it to the pride, which means we're going to have to find somebody who was well-versed in the days to try it..." She glanced at Flower Lord. "That isn't against the idea, that is. And somebody who doesn't already suffer problems of insanity born from their own minds." Which, as far as she was aware, was only one lion. Were there more in the crowd? Perhaps. But the question was of who would be the right subject.
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 5:11 am
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Whisperleaf padded her way to the beach, leading along one of her sons. Times had been, well, a little tough on the lioness. Most of her cubs had grown up easily and peacefully, fitting into the pride with brilliant success. At one time, this had been the case for all of them, but… She had to admit, with the disappearance of the muses, one of her sons had struggled greatly. He was already a little poorly off before that time, but the acceptance of those who had muses made life easier for him. Poor Grassblade had retained his muse in full, and in a small way Whisperleaf longed to have done the same. Where her son spoke with the grass, she herself had spoken to all plants in general, but it had been so long since they told her their secrets. Most debilitating to him was his fearfulness, though it was lessened in the pride's lands. Time had taught him that simple things like other members were fairly safe to him.
She thought he had kept up with her as she hit the sands to join the crowd already gathered near the little stand, but suddenly realized she didn't hear his footfalls any longer. Turning, Whisperleaf saw he had remained where the grass ended. "Come along Grassblade, we're already late!"
Grassblade padded in the wake of his mother, listening intently to the grass' whispers. They spoke words of comfort to him, while he muttered to them his concerns. "Yes, that's all well and good, but it's the fact that there will be so many lions that worries me. I do ok with one or two at a time, crowds are less good… Yes, I know they're all members of my own pride, but they can still dislike me, it's just easier to avoid them, mostly…" His mother loved dragging him along to things, and sometimes it went well. Sometimes he actually enjoyed being with people beyond his family who were largely accepting. He didn't appreciate the occasional pity- he pitied those who couldn't hear their muse. He lived for it, he would be lost without the comfort of the grass.
When his eyes fell on the crowd below, he tensed up and figured that this spot on the grass was ok. From here he could see everyone, and hear well enough that if he strained and the grass was quiet, he'd be able to hear their words. His mother, though, was having none of it. "Ohhhhh," Grassblade moaned stressfully as she called him. "Go on, it'll be alright. They're all here for something else, if you're worried just keep to yourself," the grass said.
"Coming!" He hollered and took to his mother's side as they found a spot on the beach. |
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 12:12 pm
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Starfire leaned in a bit as Puzzle lowered his voice, her ears pricking up in interest. "Does it now?" she asked, looking over at the other female with an easy smile. The 'curse' or 'blessing', depending on who you asked, was long before her time, but she was well aware of the muses that had once ruled those within the pride. Puzzle's own mother had been the goddess to bestow the insanity upon the pride, but with her absence it had left. Now that she was a back a special cave had been designated for those that wished to reconnect with their muses, and Starfire had visited it on more than one occasion, first out of curiosity and then to try to get a better understanding of the pride members who visited often enough to have their muses speak to them every day. She had discovered her own muse to be the wind, which was in short supply in the jungle but nearly constant on the beach.
"Now, dear Flower Lord, you can't possibly think everyone within the pride will drink the brew," she chided softly although she was still smiling. "You'll protect us all, won't you? And my mother has said there were those that found strength in their muses that helped them be successful spies and hunters. It won't turn us all into sluggish, vulnerable beasts."
Turning back to Puzzle, Starfire shook her head, her starry tuft of fur swaying back and forth before her golden eyes. "My mother wasn't terribly pleased, but I find it of little consequence. You've told me now," she added with a cheerful tone.
---
Fireheart watched Starfire disappear behind the strange construct that Puzzle was on, and once the striped lion joined her behind it she turned to face her own striped male that had joined her.
"It is," she agreed, leaning against Straw Dog's strong shoulder for a moment. "It will be a relief and a worry once she takes charge fully, but I feel the time is soon that she will be ready."
"You will still be here to guide her if she needs it," the blue male said as he lowered his head to nuzzle Fireheart's, the two sitting in silence for a short time. Straw Dog lifted his head at the sound of a familiar voice, and it was with a smile that he spotted their daughter and son not far from where they stood. A few little bundles of energy were zipping around near Sugar Rush and a surge of delight washed over him - grandcubs.
"It seems as though Vanellope has had her litter," he murmured which got Fireheart's attention in a moment. Lifting her head, she set out in the direction of her children and the newest addition to their family. While they had many children - and step children in some cases - they had yet to have any grandchildren. Now that was no longer a hole that needed filling.
"Vanellope, what a surprise," she said as she got within earshot, a fond smile on her face as she looked at the cubs that had gathered around Asker. "I didn't know you'd be having them so soon. It seems just yesterday you were a cub yourself."
 Another bundle of fur tumbled passed his mother to barrel into his siblings, knocking them off their paws. Lifting his head in a triumphant manner, Lengo grinned down at his fallen siblings. "Got you!' he declared, his dark tufted tail flicking high in the air in delight. "Now you're it! Both of you!"
He darted away, hiding behind his mother's front legs, watching his siblings with intense eyes.
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AstoriaFallen
AstoriaFallen
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 12:24 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 1:47 pm
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Poshum had not been back to the pride of his birth for... well, quite a long time now. He was never that good at keeping track of time, really, but he did know it had been a 'while'. Long enough that he had started to miss everyone and everything he had left behind - certainly, the world outside the pride's home territory was interesting, but it was also very, very... big - and very lonely.
To be honest, he wasn't certain he liked it. So while he was ostensibly here to visit family and see how everyone was doing, the big, somewhat clumsy male wasn't certain he would have the heart to leave again after the visit was over.
For now, though, he had family to greet - if he could get up the nerve to approach them, anyway! Or if he could stop being distracted, because being distracted would make him trip, and tripping was what had led to his original 'outsider name' before he'd wandered off from the pride ----- oh, that was a pretty bug flying by! Golden eyes turned to follow the flashy insect, and white-tipped paws lost their ground, sending the big grey-and-white male stumbling in place.
Looked like 'Fumblepaws' still lived up to his name, even now.
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Reply
Nelly had recently given birth to four healthy males and a single female and she couldn't help but feel pride swell in her chest as her eldest Son followed beside her happily. Nkanyenzi bounded alongside his mother happily. He was a very cheerful cub and she wasn't entirely sure where he got it from but she didn't really question it. She was excited that she was going to finally get the chance to introduce the cubs to her parents and to her siblings. Spotting Asker first she padded over towards her brother with a broad smile upon her face. While it hadn't been a secret she had been with child she hadn't exactly broadcast it to the pride. "Asker, I would like you to meet one of your Nephews." She turned towards her eldest son, "Nkanyenzi, this is your Uncle Cold Fire. Come say hello." She said as the purple and blue cub bounded over and looked up towards Asker with bright eyes. "Hello!" He said looking at him with a broad smile. "The others should be right along, I told them to come along." She said with a small laugh as she looked around for the rest of her children. 
