What’s going on? The pride is growing much faster than Thunzi or Siyo'Jini had anticipated, and cubs are being welcomed into the world. This is a blessing, but it also has the leaders on edge. The Mercs do dangerous work, and enemies are not unheard of. The Tani'Ajiri is newly established and is still settling into its territory, and they feel as though they need more members to truly protect the new lives that are being brought into the pride. Some of which, are Thunzi's cubs!
The Tani'Ajiri is always open to visitors looking to make contracts with the mercenaries, and Thunzi has sent word across the savannah that they will be holding open recruitment to join their ranks. Thunzi and Siyo'Jini are both present for this event, and the guards have been posted around the more private sections of the territory, around the forest where the pride makes their dens, to ensure no one wanders off where they're not supposed to be. Both leaders can be found in the middle of the sparring grounds, atop a massive rock cluster known as 'the meeting rock', where contracts are usually made. Those wishing to join simply need to make their case to either leader, though they may be asked to showcase their skill in a quick exchange of blows. ((This will be a dice event against Siyo'Jini or another mercenary, though it does not matter if your SoA wins or loses, its simply to show the leaders they know how to fight.))
Lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hybrids are all welcome in the Tani'Ajiri, and are not restricted by what rank they can choose. Likewise, males and females are viewed as equals.
Elite Ranks Normally in the Tani'Ajiri one would prove themselves worthy of achieving an elite rank by taking on tasks (skill checks) set by the leaders and showing their loyalty to the pride. However, on this special occasion, Thunzi and Siyo'Jini are seeking out two individuals to help fill elite ranks. One Champion, and one Mastermind rank will be up for grabs. The Champion will lead the Fighter's guild and will be responsible for keeping up with its members and training them, as well as accompanying groups of mercenaries on particularly long or difficult contracts. The Mastermind is in charge of the Thieves' guild and training its members, as well as helping Thunzi dull out contract work and keeping tabs on situations that might pop up.
These ranks can be awarded to an existing member of the Tani'Ajiri, or to a joining rogue; but both will need to prove themselves. Those interested in gaining the elite rank will need to first speak with Thunzi or Siyo'Jini, and then all those who are interested will be pitted against each other in a battle royale. ((This will be a dice event towards the end of the ORP.))
Who can participate? Any Rogue wishing to join or an established member of Tani’Ajiri may participate in this ORP. Cubs can be present, but they will be expected to stay out of the way of the adults, or Thunzi may send them back to their den with an escort.
Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2022 7:20 am
[Joining Form]
For joining rogues, please fill out this form and post it in your first reply to this ORP, along with your RP response.
[spoiler][color=blue][size=14][Count me in!][/size][/color] [size=11][b]SoA's Name:[/b] [b]Desired Rank:[/b] [b]Interested in an elite rank?[/b] (No/Yes the Champion/Mastermind rank!)[/spoiler]
For each post you make in this ORP you will automatically receive 1 raffle ticket for these little ladies. Any successful dice challenge you win will grant you 1 raffle ticket. Their father Sitha is a bard in the pride. The cubs were dumped on him after a one night stand, and he is floundering to care for them by himself. They can grow into any unlimited rank when they become adults.
Thunzi, the Face of the Tani'Ajiri, sat atop his usual spot on the meeting rock, but the air had changed. His usual busy but aloof demeanor had switched over to a more focused and serious one. After all, his mate had just welcomed cubs into the world, and he had spent many nights awake and restless with the nagging dread that they wouldn't be able to protect them. These were fears that Thunzi had kept to himself for the most part, but a quick conversation with Siyo'Jini about the topic had let him know his fellow leader was also concerned. Together they had decided that in order to protect the new lives being brought into the pride, both his mate's and Mahiri's large brood, they would need to recruit more combat capable members.
The mercenary band had been together for many years, but never had been this large, and never they've never had to defend a territory of their own before. Likewise, civilian members were new, and the thought of being able to protect them all seemed overwhelming at times. Luckily, Thunzi wasn't in this alone. Siyo'Jini, his longtime friend and fellow leader of the Tani'Ajiri, understood these concerns and was willing to act on them.
Next to Thunzi was the large form of the great black lion, Siyo'Jini. He wore a fierce expression with emerald eyes that peered down to the sparring grounds with an intensity and keenness of one ready to leap into battle at any given moment. He had been away on contract work for longer than he probably should have, only coming and going to collect more contracts or bring a mercenary or two with him. And in that time, he had left the upkeep of the Tani'Ajiri and their new territory in the paws of Thunzi. He hadn't realized the toll he had been putting on his fellow leader, to coordinate and plan an entire pride's day to day operations, while he was out galivanting around. That had been selfish, and Siyo'Jini realized this now. So, to make up for it, he was here now to help recruit new members for the pride, and to hopefully take away some of the stress and worry Thunzi had been feeling.
With all the new lives and civilians that were joining their ranks, Siyo'Jini was also concerned about the lack of fighter's guild members. As mercenaries, selling their skills in combat, theft, and murder, one didn't make many friends and their enemies had long memories for past wrongs. Any potential members that wished to join would need to be aware of the danger that could come crashing down upon them. Siyo'Jini would not sugar coat it. Joining up with the Tani'Ajiri could potentially lead them into great danger.
The sun was starting to rise over the horizon now, and Siyo'Jini narrowed his eyes against the growing light of their surroundings. "Today is going to be a long day," he muttered to Thunzi, breaking the silence between them.
Thunzi smirked a toothy grin, an expression of both wild anticipation and savage amusement. "If we're lucky, it may be a long night as well." He heard Siyo'Jini groan next to him and he couldn't help but laugh.
For Skadi, finding the Tani'Ajiri had been a godsend. She had left her birth pride as a cub, following her mother to the place where her father had supposedly come from only to find that no pride called that land home any longer. The life of a rogue was one she had abhorred, living a life without a permanent place to call home, without a place to be proud of and defend. The stories of the Stormborn had interested her but when she'd finally set off on her own to re-join the pride, she'd run into a surprisingly large group of former Stormborn females who had left. Apparently during her time away from the pride the leadership had changed and older values had been reinstated, meaning that females had to work twice as hard for half the credit. Disgusted with the news, Skadi had set off to find a place where she'd be valued for her talents and tenacity rather than her gender.
Thankfully someone had pointed her in the direction of the Tani'Ajiri and upon joining she felt as if she was home. Here she could spar with equally talented creatures - not just lions! - and grow in her own skills. She found like-minded pride members and began to hone her weaknesses, namely her 'attack first, as questions later' style of fighting. She'd joined the pride as a reckless lioness who didn't care about consequences of her actions and now she found herself on more stable ground, using her mind along with her might to win in mock battles with her pridemates.
That was why she was striding with purpose and confidence towards the meeting rock where Thunzi and Siyo'Jini could be found. Word had gone around that they were looking to give the titles of Champion and Mastermind to the feline who could prove themselves worthy. Skadi considered her growth on the tactical front to be impressive and she knew her fighting skills spoke for themselves. She wanted to be included in the consideration.
"Siyo'Jini," she said as she approached, spotting the large lion before the smaller leopard. She offered him a grin before turning her attention to Thunzi. "And Thunzi. Congratulations on the ankle biters." She shifted her attention between the two after the greeting. "I heard you two are looking for a new Champion."
Jovi of Shadows
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2022 6:24 am
Movement caught Siyo'Jini's attention as he turned his large head to watch Skadi, one of their mercenaries, approach the meeting rock. She had been with them for some time now, and her growth had not gone unnoticed by the mercenary leader. Siyo'Jini often sparred with his pride, both to keep himself in fine fighting form, and to ensure his mercenaries were keeping up with their combat training. His ears tipped forward with her greeting, and his lips pulled back into a pleased grin that exposed the tips of his fangs. "That we are," he remarked rather bluntly, despite his appreciation for her approach and her interest. Words weren't really his thing, after all.
Thunzi was also pleased to hear Skadi's interest, and luckily, words were his thing. "Skadi, thank you," he greeted in return, and warmly so at the mention of his new cubs. "I take it you're interested in becoming Champion?" Thunzi asked with a quirk of a brow, his silver eyes gleaming in the growing light of the sunrise. Thunzi didn't often engage in sparring, and when he did it was normally against Siyo'Jini, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been keeping an eye on this lioness. Word around the pride was that she had been improving on many aspects of combat, and that's something that Thunzi had a vested interest in keeping tabs on. It let him know which mercenaries could handle which contracts, of course. "The title comes with a lot of responsibility, and you'll need to work closely with everyone in the fighter's guild," Thunzi explained easily. It had been a while since the position had been filled, as some of their ranks had been shuffled around or members had come and gone before the pride had settled into its new territory as the Tani'Ajiri.
"She can handle it," Siyo'Jini spoke up, his emerald eyes level and even as he spoke with certainty. He was much more in touch with the combat capabilities of his pride, and her growth was something to be admired.
Thunzi had been about to go further into his explanation, but Siyo'Jini's certainty on the matter made him shrug it away. "Well, in any case, all who are interested will have a chance to prove themselves later in the day," the leopard told her as he pushed himself up to a sitting position and flexed his claws. "Feel free to stick around, Skadi. We may need to put some of these new recruits through their paces," the leopard grinned. He knew Siyo'Jini enjoyed a good spar, but perhaps Skadi would like to get in on the action as well?
((I've added the cub's sister into the prize pool as well. heart))
Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2022 6:31 pm
[Count me in!] SoA's Name: Firenze Desired Rank: Guard Interested in an elite rank? Naw, she's not very ambitious
Life out in the roguelands was boring. Boring and lonely. There was no purpose to being out here. Nothing but making sure you had food in your belly, which was a simple task for Firenze, even if she was doing all the hunting by herself. Of course, that also meant she didn't have to hunt anything very big and could sustain herself on a few rabbits daily, provided she spent the rest of the day lounging around. That was no easy task for someone used to having more of a job. Even when she wasn't moving before, she'd always found something to do or someone to watch. There was always someone who was doing something they shouldn't be, back when she'd had a pride. Those days were gone, everyone separated. After a while in the roguelands, she found she even missed that arrogant pain in her tail, Rajiv. Always testing her limits. At least it was something to fill her day, not that she'd admit it. So when she heard of a pride actively looking for new members, she'd followed the directions straight to it. Hopefully it wasn't one of those intense groups she'd heard about in her travels.
Striding into the group with a confident step, Firenze looked at each in turn, no trace of emotion on her face. "I heard you were looking for fresh blood?"
The morning had dragged on, and Siyo'Jini was beginning to feel very restless. He didn't like sitting idle for very long, even if it was for a good cause. Finally, his gaze landed on an approaching figure, one he did not recognize. The large black lion raised his head as it had been resting on his paws as he studied the lioness's approach. She was confident, that much was apparent. "We are," he replied simply as he flexed his claws against the stone. "Can you fight?" The question was simple and blunt, as the Boss saw no reason to beat around the bush with this one.
Next to Siyo'Jini sat Thunzi, a scowl on his features as he wrinkled his nose at Siyo's bluntness. Maybe it would have been a better idea to do this himself, but he was here and there was no getting out of it now. "The Tani'Ajiri welcomes any able body willing to showcase their skills," Thunzi added, as he turned his attention to the dark pelted lioness. His features had gracefully smoothed out into a friendly, calm expression, almost as if the scowl hadn't been there in the first place. "We are mercenaries, fighters for hire, what can you offer to do for the pride?" His silver eyes were keen as he looked her over, waiting for a response. There were other aspects of the pride as well, but he wanted to see what she would offer up as a potential skill set.
Hoshi Lockhart
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:31 pm
Fighters for hire? That was a far cry from the pride she had been in before. Not unexpected. There was a large variety of prides and packs out there, she knew. She had come from one that was focused on competition. On playing different games with each other, often with opposing teams of two. Her job had been to watch these games, make sure no one cheated and followed the rules. She hadn't been a fighter since observation was her key role, but so many years in the roguelands, hunting on her own had to amount to something, right? At least she felt confident that the experience hadn't softened her anymore than she might have been before.
Not that physical strength was the only skill one could offer and she hoped they did value other talents. Confident she may be, but she doubted she had more strength than the average lioness.
"No better or worse than anyone else can," Firenze answered truthfully. "I won't back down from one if need be. But my strengths lie more in my keen eyesight and attention span. If you need something or someone watched or to make sure no one tries to sneak around and cause problems, that's what I did in my old pride."
Siyo'Jini tilted his ears forward as he listened to her explanation, an appreciative nod of his head was the only response he offered when she was done. So, she wasn't much of a fighter, that was okay. That could be trained if she so desired. And he appreciated the honesty. What he was most interested in was her attention to detail and what that could mean for keeping the pride and everybody in it safe. That was the whole point for this recruitment, after all.
Thunzi had also picked up on how beneficial her skillset could be, and his friendly expression turned into a grateful smile. "It sounds like you would make a wonderful guard," he suggested. "Our pride has recently opened up to non-combat members, and we've gotten some new cubs in our midst. It would ease our minds greatly to know another set of eyes was watching out for everyone's wellbeing and safety. Does that interest you?" If she wanted, he could go into the larger explanation of what he expected from their guards, but he didn't want to dump too much information on her too quickly.
Hoshi Lockhart
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:14 am
"That I am," Skadi said with an easy, confident grin. You missed every gazelle you didn't chance, as her mother had often said. Clearly Skadi had no qualms about putting herself out there, confident as she was. What was the worst they could do, say no? That would only let her know she had more to work on despite the changes she'd already made. There was always room for improvement, after all, and Skadi was ready to continue to grow with or without a new role in the pride.
When Siyo'Jini spoke up on her behalf she gave him a grateful smile and a little bob of her head. It was encouraging at least to know that the Boss thought of her as reliable enough to be considered for the spot. Turning her attention back to Thunzi, she gave another little nod of understanding.
"I'm more than ready to take it on," she confirmed. "It would be an honor." She turned as someone else walked up to the meeting rock, someone she'd never seen before, and she turned to face the other lioness with interest. Her fiery markings were striking to look at and it was no hardship for Skadi to stay quiet, listening as she introduced herself and gave her skill set. She tilted her head a bit with curiosity, wondering what sort of pride she might have come from.
Itching to duel, the blue lioness kept quiet for the time being. It seemed like the newcomer might not need a battle to prove her worth, but she was more than ready to do so to put her through her paces and to show off a little to Siyo and Thunzi.
Jovi of Shadows
Hoshi Lockhart
SilverLutz Crew
Offensive Hero
Offline
Hoshi Lockhart
Eloquent Muse
Online
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2022 6:25 pm
The excited smile on Firenze's face would be clearly noticeable to everyone around her. "Yes. That does very much." She kept the enthusiasm to her facial expressions, her body standing still and respectful before the leaders and other member in attendance. More than anyone, she knew how to follow the rules, since that was her job to make sure others did as well. And she did her duty to the best of her ability, quickly gaining a reputation for being merciless on anyone who tried to cheat or get away with breaking those rules. They were in place for everyone's safety and thus should never be challenged. Unless they were something truly immoral. Firenze wasn't sure where her boundaries lay, but she wasn't afraid to test her limits and see. She was quite comfortable in a lower position, doing what others told her to do, so she thought it'd take a lot to make her question her pride's laws. If this one was one of those more extreme prides and she ended up not liking it, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.
The dark lioness noticed the other female looking at her and turned her orange eyes to her, offering a small polite smile and a nod of her head in greeting. Since she wasn't being asked these questions or offering her own answers, Firenze assumed she was already a member. It was always best to be on good terms with everyone. Unless they were troublemakers like Rajiv. She wasn't afraid to butt heads with another, no matter how small or large they were.
Turning back to the two leaders, the dark lioness continued. "I will proof myself a loyal asset to your pride. And if I must fight, I will fight."
Jovi of Shadows
SilverLutz
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2022 9:48 pm
That was excellent to hear. The pride was still a fairly new one, and the rank of guard had only come into being when they had settled into their new territory. So, it was refreshing to know that was an interest in the position. "I would recommend brushing up on your combat skills when you get settled into the pride," Thunzi suggested. "The Tani'Ajiri has many experienced members that can help you with that. As a guard, you will be a member of the fighter's guild, and will report directly to any Champion ranked member, who will oversee your training," he explained, keeping his tone casual and calm.
Siyo nodded along with Thunzi as he went deeper into the explanation. He tilted his head towards Skadi before adding, "Skadi would be a good member to learn under." Not only was Siyo considering Skadi's interest as a Champion in the matter, but he believed the lioness had shown considerable growth from her time in the Tani'Ajiri. And overseeing a new member's training would be another way for her to grow and explore in leadership aspects.
Siyo's insight and involvement in the matter was a rather nice surprise to Thunzi, who had expected to be doing most of the talking this day. "Yes, I'm sure she wouldn't mind putting you through your paces once you've settled in," he added with a smirk. He knew how their mercenaries could be, always ready to duel at the drop of a leaf. He was honestly quite surprised Siyo'Jini had managed to stay in one place for so long this morning without demanding some sort of spar for himself.
Hoshi Lockhart
SilverLutz
((Sorry for the double quote, but I will be closing this down tomorrow. Just in case either of you wanted to get another post in before then!))
Skadi glanced over at Siyo with a grin as he suggested that she be the one to show the new lioness the ropes. When Thunzi agreed, she couldn't help but puff her chest up just a bit with pride.
"I'd be happy to," she confirmed, more than pleased with the task. Turning her attention back to Firenze, she surveyed the other female before giving a little nod. She'd be easy enough to find, those markings were pretty distinctive.
"We can figure out your strengths and weaknesses once you've had a few days to settle in and rest. You'll be a part of the pride in no time." It seemed Firenze was eager to join and although skill played an important part of a rank, enthusiasm to learn and a willingness to be taught were things that were just as valuable. Skills could be taught, attitude you just had to have.
"I'll keep an eye on you to make sure you're adjusting and once you're ready we can get down to business." It might mean she had to put her desire to spar on hold but at least she knew it was promised down the road.
For Skadi, finding the Tani'Ajiri had been a godsend. She had left her birth pride as a cub, following her mother to the place where her father had supposedly come from only to find that no pride called that land home any longer. The life of a rogue was one she had abhorred, living a life without a permanent place to call home, without a place to be proud of and defend. The stories of the Stormborn had interested her but when she'd finally set off on her own to re-join the pride, she'd run into a surprisingly large group of former Stormborn females who had left. Apparently during her time away from the pride the leadership had changed and older values had been reinstated, meaning that females had to work twice as hard for half the credit. Disgusted with the news, Skadi had set off to find a place where she'd be valued for her talents and tenacity rather than her gender.
