[OOC] The Forest: The Ways of the Skadi

[Skiringssal]

Long ago, when lions first came to these lands, they were enchanted by the old wood forest that surrounded the maze. It seemed to them that the maze was something magnificent and from it the forest drew its power, calling gods, spirits and all manners of magical creatures to dwell within its mighty trunks and beneath is leafy boughs. They made their home here and vowed to keep it safe from outsiders and those that would take advantage of its purity. These lions became the original members of the Skadi.

As time passed, members of their group began to become curious about the maze. The elders spoke against exploring it but younger, prouder members of the Skadi forged ahead. One by one, they disappeared into the maze and never returned; the Skadi mourned for them but over time, forgot them. Years went by with no word from those who had disappeared until one night, on the stroke of midnight, the maze filled with creatures of all colors and sizes, wearing pelts and covered in painted runes. They enticed Skadi members to join them for the night and together these creatures laughed and danced and feasted with the Skadi brave enough to join them. At dawn they disappeared back through the maze but continued to visit every night for a month. This caused whispers among the Skadi who consulted with the spirits of the forest and after many weeks, the Chieftan declared these spirits of the maze to be the Fa'e. These Fa'e were assumed to have taken the members that wandered into the maze uninvited but for what purpose they did not know.

As the years have passed, the Skadi have guarded the maze entrance both to keep intruders out AND to keep an eye on the Fa'e inside. Every once in a while a Fa'e may leave the confines of the Maze, sometimes wearing the face of a former Skadi member that ventured within. They treat these creatures with respect and kindness - after all, it is the Maze's magic that keeps their forest safe. However, it would be a lie to say that they fully trust them.  

[Skiringssal]

[The Truth]

In reality, the lands of the Skadi forest were "cursed" by the Goddess of Insanity, Muhali, ages before the original members of the pride arrived. It is this curse that generates the whispers of the forest spirits and what causes hallucinations among the very susceptible members of the Skadi. How much the curse affects your character is ultimately up to you as that is the nature of Muhali's powers. Very few characters should be completely immune.

The Maze itself was constructed by the God of Labynrinths, Utako, but the link between the maze and the curse are unknown to anyone except perhaps those two gods.

Beyond the maze is the main pride of Skiringssal and ultimately this is where all the lost members of the Skadi end up. Nothing happens to them, they are simply sworn to secrecy about what exists beyond the walls of the maze due to the nature of the valley and its finite resources. It is generally believed that only those who are worthy of passing the trials of the maze deserve to know what lies beyond it.


[Ranks & Social Structure]

The Skadi have devoted their lives to protecting the forest and their maze but beyond that they have a very loose social structure. They are all one with the forest, none of them consider themselves to be individuals and thus, the only member of their pride that takes an official rank other than 'Skadi' is their Chieftain.

A Chieftain is elected for life and the pride will vote upon their next Chieftain only after the last one has passed. When a Chieftain is elected, the God of Woods (Yggdrasill) will arrive to meet with them and bless them with his permanent power "In Tune with the Forest". This will make it so the Cheiftain is completely unable to leave the old wood, however, it will also tie them to it in a way that allows them to sense all intruders and danger within its borders. When and how this is done is known only to the Chieftain and Yggdrasill but, essentially, the Chieftain is regarded from this point forward as the living embodiment of the Forest. Loosely, older members of the Skadi are also given honorary respects and may be treated as secondary to the Chieftain though it is not official.

All members of the Skadi are expected to pull their weight and provide for the pride as a whole. It is common for a member that excels at something (scouting, hunting, teaching) to take on that role primarily but in general they are all expected to be capable at any role required. One of the least favorite tasks in the pride are the scouts stationed at the maze entrance; this is partly because it is boring and partly because it is unnerving. Very few members choose to do this over something else and often the Chieftain will have to assign a member for the day.  

[Skiringssal]

[Rules & Relationships]

There are very few rules among the Skadi. The only absolutes are that they obey their Chieftain and that they do not disrespect the spirits that protect them. It is also considered a taboo to enter the maze uninvited by the Fa'e and they try at all times to deter outsiders from even finding the maze, let alone entering it. Beyond that, however, they are a fairly loose pride when it comes to rules and morals.

Over time, they have earned a reputation for being tricky and sly from anyone that encounters them beyond the forest. They steal, play games, and have a great laugh at the expense of those who are not as adept at navigating the dark, winding paths of the forest's interior.

This also extends to their rules on relationships and breeding. They have no qualms with inter-species or inter-gender relationships or, in fact, monogamous relationships at all. Their only requirement is that cubs brought into the world must be cared for and the pride as a whole will see that this is done (especially if they consider the parents lacking).