Ari

NAME MEANING: Enthusiasm (Swahili)

ROLE: 1st Queen of Ahidi
TIME OF BIRTH: 4 Years, 6 Months before the pride's founding
TIME OF DEATH: 11 Years after the pride's founding
AGE AT DEATH: 15 Years, 6 Months

PARENTS: Unknown
MATE(S): King Ahidi
CUBS: Dhani, Ishi
OTHER RELATIONS: None

Ari was Ahidi's first and perhaps his staunchest follower. Though at first they were nothing more than friends, they grew a respect for one another that would last an eternity, and eventually, Ahidi came to love her not for her beauty, of which she had little, but for her kindness, the person within. She was a stoic lioness, though gentle, and a good ruler. She always offered the best counsel, and was always cordial, even to those she disliked, or those who openly disliked her.

Due to her closeness to the king and her aptitude at ruling, Ari was chosen as Ahidi's queen. She took the job happily, though she did not lord over her subjects and instead viewed herself as being among them, not above them. Though there were some her undermined her authority, and openly challenged her – some believed that they were more entitled to the rank due to nobler blood, or better looks – she remained strong in her position.

Over the years, the one thing Ari failed to do was bear a child for her king. In the span of his reign, Ahidi took nine consorts and sired thirteen daughters from them, and all the while Ari watched, aching to be able to serve her king as his consorts had. At one time, she did give birth to his son, a weak and sick child they named Mflame, but he took a fever a month after his birth and perished. The event killed Ari on the inside, and she leaned on her mate more than ever.

When she was three months past thirteen, she finally gave birth to Ahidi's final children, a strong boy named Dhani, and a fiery girl named Ishi. The two were inseparable, and finally, Ari seemed truly happy. The effort of the labour left her weak, however, and she was permitted to take a break from hunting, something she was loath to do – Ari was recognised as one of the most prestigious huntresses in the pride, and it was her party which always brought back the most kills.

While her cubs were growing up, Ari returned to hunting, and also tutored the younger lioness Asteri in the fundamentals in ruling the pride and the surrounding kingdom – Asteri had been picked as the mate of the future king, Panteleimon, and would eventually take Ari's place as queen. Ari knew that day would be soon to come, though before Asteri's reign would come Paloma's. The Lady Paloma was the First Consort, the mother of Ahidi's first cub, and so should Ari die and Ahidi still remain, Paloma would take her place as Regent, and would remain as such until Ahidi's death.

When her son and daughter were nearly of age, Ahidi and Ari made the difficult decision to send them away to a neighbouring pride to be fostered there as wards. Though Dhani accepted his place, Ishi was reluctant – the only time they both would be allowed to return would be after the death of both of their parents. The territory could not sustain them both, though they would one day return. Ari was devastated when she parted from them, but she received word frequently that her son and daughter were doing just fine.

Ari lived out the rest of her days in peace, despite the threats of the Great Fires. She continued to give advice to her king and their people, up until the final days of her life. Her health deteriorating rapidly, she would take to sleeping by the river, ignoring the troubles of the pride, until one day, she drifted off never to wake again. She was mourned greatly, and forever remembered as the first and greatest queen of the pride.

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Isitha

ROLE: 1st Healer of the Pride
TIME OF BIRTH: 3 Years, 9 Months before the pride's founding
TIME OF DEATH: 11 Years, 9 Months after the pride's founding
AGE AT DEATH: 15 Years, 5 Months

PARENTS: Unknown
MATE(S): Unknown
CUBS: Aylen, Tharros
OTHER RELATIONS: Unknown

Isitha joined the pride shortly after Ari, Yinqaba and Dhaifu. For a time, she and her mother had wandered the wilds as travelling peddlers of healing material and herbs, and when Ahidi encountered her and asked if she would remain to share her knowledge, she gladly accepted. Isitha became a fast friend of Yinqaba and the queen, though Dhaifu was only ever spiteful towards her, and so they never really spoke.

The healer also served as a hunter, back when the pride was few in number and more lionesses were needed for the hunting effort. She was said to be a skilled and focussed huntress, and was respected well for her efforts. When the pride grew, Isitha retired from her duties and served only to heal bumps and bruises, dress cuts and provide poultices, and deliver cubs and ensure they remained health.

Isitha delivered many cubs in her time, two of whom were her own, Aylen and Tharros. Aylen was a clever girl, quick to learn and just as eager, and when she came of age, Isitha took her for her apprentice, grooming her to be the next healer. Tharros, on the other hand, was male, and so was at risk of being run out of the pride when he grew. Thankfully, though, Ahidi permitted him to stay and took him on as his Third.

Isitha's greatest regret was that she could not save little Mfalme, the first son of Ahidi. The cub perished of a fever a month after he was born, and the entire pride grieved. Isitha felt as though she had failed her best friend; Ari was the cub's mother, and she was beside herself with grief. She was given a chance to repay that, though, when Ari gave birth to two cubs many years later. Isitha and Aylen saved them and made sure they would survive to adulthood, and Ari was forever grateful.

As an older lioness, Aylen began to take up more of her mother's duties, preparing for a time when Isitha would no longer be there to help her. They discussed having Bianca, a talented young lioness, as another apprentice, and Isitha affirmed that when she was gone, Aylen could by all means tutor Bianca as she had been tutored by her mother. Safe in the knowledge that the pride would be well-looked-after following her death, Isitha knew she could die happy.

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Yinqaba

ROLE: Huntress (reigned as First Huntress for 7 Years and 9 Months)
TIME OF BIRTH: 4 Years, 3 Months before the pride's founding
TIME OF DEATH: 11 Years, 9 Months after the pride's founding
AGE AT DEATH: 16 years

PARENTS: Unknown
MATE: None
CUBS: None
OTHER RELATIONS: Dhaifu (sister), Bahati, Nitakosa, Kutisha (nieces)

Yinqaba was always a good friend to Queen Ari. Three months her younger, she met the would-be queen before they took up with Ahidi's pride. Yin' ranged the wilds as a rogue, having been cast out by her former pride at a young age, and Ari took pity on her, and joined her. She was a young adult when Ari discovered Ahidi, a roving male looking to start his own pride. Though Yinqaba was sceptical, she followed Ari's lead, and eventually warmed up to him when she learned that he was indeed an honourable and kind male.

Though Yinqaba never wished to take a mate, much less to become one of the king's many consorts, she did show a talent for hunting. After the pride was established, and there were many roles to be taken, as the eldest huntress and most talented, Yinqaba was chosen as the First Huntress - this was a title given to the oldest hunter in the pride that did not have affiliation with the royal family. For nearly eight years she was the advice-giver, the trainer and prey-keeper of the pride, and was widely respected for her knowledge.

As she aged, she slowly lost her desire to go out and hunt, and when she reached twelve years of age, like most lionesses she resigned of her duties and, like all lionesses save for the Queen, took up the mantle 'elder'. Having never birthed cubs, she had few ties to the pride, but she did have two nieces, daughters of her half-sister Dhaifu, who died shortly after birthing them. Though Bahati, the elder of the two, ignored Yinqaba's counsel and shunned her attempts to help, Nitakosa, the younger leaned on her for support, and the two both took responsibility for Kutisha, Bahati's sister-daughter.

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King Ahidi

NAME MEANING: Promises (Swahili)

ROLE: Founder of the Pride/First King
TIME OF BIRTH: 3 Years before the pride's founding
TIME OF DEATH: 12 Years after the pride's founding
AGE AT DEATH: 15 Years

PARENTS: Unknown
MATE(S): Ari; Paloma, Dhaifu, Stadi; Vizuri; Amai; Fira; Bahati; Arashi; Moyasu
CUBS: Dhani, Ishi; Azizi; Bahati, Nitakosa; Adaeze, Adannaya; Inazuma, Kaminari; Shaba, Yingozi; Safi; Kutisha; Aisu; Zola
OTHER RELATIONS: Kutisha (granddaughter)

Ahidi is best described as an honourable, king but firm ruler of the pride. In fact, he was the founder of the pride, having come across a ragtag bunch of lionesses in the wilds. All of whom, unbeknownst to him, would become dear friends to him, though the one he treasured most in this world was Ari.

Let it not be said that even though he took nine consorts in his lifetime, he did not love his queen. Ari was the dearest thing on this earth to the king, and though she was only able to bear him cubs in her old age, she did a greater service to him than she knew. She was the one who kept him going when he thought all hope would be lost. She was the one who put smiles on her face and warmed his heart when things grew cold. And not only that, but she was also the one who utterly destroyed him when she, old and frail, left this world.

Ahidi's son and daughter, Dhani and Ishi, were not able to stay in the pride as long as was hoped. Though they flourished into adolescence under the care of their increasingly-ailing mother, they were forced to become wards to a neighbouring king in order to prevent both war and overcrowding in the pride. Only upon Ahidi's death would they be allowed to return, which, while it was bearable for the king, was heartbreaking for the queen. Ari died at a well old age, and from that point, things only grew into despair.

In the last year of the first king's reign, his heir, Panteleimon, began to take over most of Ahidi's duties, for which the ageing lion was immeasurable grateful. Eventually, he left his favourite sleeping spot - the top of the hill, under the acacia - and let the stars wash over him, ascending into the sky like his queen before him, and departing the world with a loving smile on his worn face.

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Amai

NAME MEANING: Sweet (Japanese)

ROLE: Fifth Consort of King Ahidi
TIME OF BIRTH: 1 Year and 5 Months before the pride's founding
TIME OF DEATH: 13 Years and 10 Months after the pride's founding
AGE AT DEATH: 15 Years and 3 Months

PARENTS: Unknown
MATE(S): King Ahidi; Unknown male
CUBS: Shaba, Yingozi; Kasai
OTHER RELATIONS: Hikari (granddaughter by Kasai)

Bio to be added

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Paloma

NAME MEANING: Dove (Spanish)

ROLE: First Consort of King Ahidi (titled 'Lady'), reigned briefly as queen following Ari's passing
TIME OF BIRTH: 1 Year and 2 Months before the pride's founding
TIME OF DEATH: 14 Years after the pride's founding
AGE AT DEATH: 15 Years and 2 Months

PARENTS: Harley Quinn (mother)
MATE(S): King Ahidi; Unknown male
CUBS: Azizi; Skia, Asteri, Fengari
OTHER RELATIONS: Apollo, Artemis (grandchildren by Asteri)

In her time, Paloma was respected as a calm, collected and talented individual, credited for her contributions to the pride as an excellent huntress. Though not Ahidi's queen, she was the first to bear his cubs, and so named as First Consort. A lot of controversy surrounded the birth of Azizi - Paloma's daughter by Ahidi - as the lioness Dhaifu birthed her two girls - both of them Ahidi's daughters - on the same day. Thankfully for Paloma, Ahidi valued her greater than the vain and spiteful Dhaifu, and she was given the higher power.

After Paloma, eight other Consorts bore children of the king, as well as the queen herself, but this didn't in any way diminish the First Consort's love for Ahidi. Since purchasing her from another pride and giving her a new, liberated life, Paloma adored King Ahidi, and would have done anything for him, but his true heart only ever went to Ari. For this, Paloma owed some spite to the older lioness, but never did she let her disdain and envy show. Eternally, Paloma was a stoic, unmoved and focused lioness.

The birth of Paloma's second litter was a time of joy. It was a difficult ordeal, as there were more cubs than she was used to and she was ageing considerably. Luckily, all three girls were healthy and happy, and King Ahidi decided to betroth one of them, Asteri, to his heir, Panteleimon. Paloma couldn't be happier, for her only dream was to serve her king as much as possible.

After the death of Queen Ari, Paloma was given the mostly-honorary title of Queen Regent, though as time went by, she began to do more and more of her mate's work for him. Ahidi was severely damaged by the loss of his queen, and Paloma, whilst hurting inside for her love, was determined to do right by him and keep the pride strong. Her work was never truly appreciated by the pride; she led and managed hunting parties, as well as organised and directed the patrols, oversaw the management of the Hoard, kept relations with other prides steady, as well as raise and maintain four daughters. Eventually, her stresses were alleviated with the death of the king, and Paloma returned to being a First Consort once more.

Paloma's final year was spent in joy, for following the crowning of King Panteleimon and Queen Asteri came two grandchildren, the Prince Apollo and Princess Artemis. Paloma did her best to care for them as best she could, and finally succumbed to her old age, reuniting with her king in the heavens.

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Nala

NAME MEANING: Unknown Name Meaning

ROLE: Huntress | Broodmother
TIME OF BIRTH: Unknown
TIME OF DEATH: Unknown
AGE AT DEATH: 15 Years | 4 Months (after pride's founding)

PARENTS: Pirath (mother)
MATE(S): Unknown males
CUBS: Dursana, Candra
OTHER RELATIONS: Unknown

Bio to be added

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Stadi

NAME MEANING: Skill (Swahili)

ROLE: Third Consort of Ahidi
TIME OF BIRTH: 1 Year, 1 Month (before pride's founding)
TIME OF DEATH: 14 Years | 6 Months (after pride's founding)
AGE AT DEATH: 15 Years | 7 Months (after pride's founding

PARENTS: Unknown
MATE(S): King Ahidi
CUBS: Adaeze, Adannaya
OTHER RELATIONS: Unknown

Bio to be added

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