Personality
Keanu is prone to patience and diplomacy rather than rash violence. He has a way with words that can calm the most aggressive lion, and if he cannot bring a conflict to a peaceful conclusion he is still completely capable of putting someone in their place the old fashioned way. For all that he is known as the Diplomat, Keanu rarely shares information about himself. He can talk for hours and learn everyone else' history, but those on the other side of their conversation will walk away knowing no more than they did before. He is mysterious, though not necessarily secretive--he will never volunteer information, but if someone finds out about some aspect of his past they didn't know about before, he is up-front and honest.
Keanu is more than happy to take in a wide variety of creatures, both lion and not, so long as everyone pulls their own weight. Slackers aren't tolerated, and someone taking advantage of his kindness is the fastest way to provoke Keanu's rare but violent outbursts of temper.
History
As a cub, Keanu was quiet and watchful. He observed the world around him, snuck after the older pride members and asked constant questions. He was entirely unlike his father Iokua, who was far more likely to make demands or fight than attempt to understand. It was difficult for the sensitive Keanu to grow up under the old King's watchful eye, and eventually there were simply too many differences between the young heir and his father for Keanu to take over.
Keanu left his home pride and set out on his own after a childhood spent under the watchful eyes of his father, never permitted to do anything that might hurt the older lion's reputation. Iokua was known as a conqueror for miles around; in his youth, he'd attacked all the neighboring tribes and assimilated them into his own with no care for his own safety. His reckless abandon earned him a fearsome reputation, and Keanu was expected to live up to it in every respect. However, he was a kinder sort--Keanu preferred diplomacy wherever possible, and spent most of his time attempting to make everyone around him happy.
Eventually, he and his father butted heads for the last time; the mighty Iokua was not above killing his heir to keep the lion from challenging him, though he was reluctant to do so. Instead, Keanu went away, only taking a few huntresses with him. He traveled far away, from Iokua's savannah territory to the deep jungle, where he has remained ever since.
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