Once, long ago, there were two prides of lions. They were separated by a great, roaring river so that neither of them could overtake the other.

One Pride, the Alhaya Pride, which lay to the north of the river, was said to have the power to create, through means of divine favor. Each lion of Alhaya was needed in order for the pride to survive. Each lion was said to hold untamable elemental power that allowed them to work in unison with their pridemates in order to better the world in which they lived. Their coats were said to shine like silver, letting all around them know just who they were.

The second Pride, the Dea Pride, which lay to the south of the river, was said to have the power to destroy. Their strength was unsurmountable, untamable in much the same way as the Alhaya pride. Each lion was said to hold the strength of all of their ancestors in their paws, and together they created a deadly force. Their coats were said to be black as night, putting dread into all those who saw them.

These two prides coexisted in harmony for centuries, each doing their part in maintaining the balance of the world. In the wet season, the Dea Pride would cause the floods to come, taking the lives of thousands of animals every year. And in the dry season, the Alhaya pride would bring new life. Neither pride was truly good, nor were any of them evil. They were simply two sides of the same coin, two parts of one whole world. Neither could ever conquer the other, and neither could ever be more important than the other. Though, to say that there was not one favored than the other would be a lie.

Though the Dea pride was needed for life, the animals of the Savanna would avoid them, would curse them with all their breath, claiming, "It is him, the Dea that took my calf from me!", "It is the Dea that causes the floods, it is they who take our family from us!"

In time, this would cause the Alhaya pride to become very cocky. Their sense of self began growing to a deadly point. They became bold, creating bridges across the mighty river between them to sneak over to the Dea pride to torment and tease them.

The Dea became saddened. They knew their importance, they knew their purpose, but they didn't understand why no one else seemed to be able to see it. As time ticked on, sadness turned to bitterness, bitterness turned to anger, and anger bloomed into fury.

Wars began breaking out between the prides. Lions on both sides were struck down in cold blood, but as it had been for centuries, neither could strike down the other, and for centuries to come, neither pride could overcome the other.

They existed this way until a lioness from the Dea pride spared the life of a Alhaya lion. Her mercy made him fall deeply in love with her, and in time, she fell in love with him. Their relationship lasted years, and in time, cubs were born to them.

It was clear in an instant that these cubs were neither Dea or Alhaya. They were many colors, red, and brown and yellow. The Dea lioness knew she could never return to her pride. If she were to return, her family would kill the half-blood cubs. So, she waited for the sun to set on the pridelands. When the moon was high in the sky, she raced across one of the crumbling bridges that crossed over the river and into Alhaya territory. She searched everywhere for her beloved lion, but he was nowhere to be seen.

As the sun began rising, he appeared. He saw her and urged her to go back to her pride, she would surely be killed if anyone else saw her there. In a rushed panic, the lioness explained what had happened with their cubs. She urged him to leave with her so that they all could be safe together. There was a world out there in which they could hide. Together, with their young cubs, they fled, leaving their war-torn families behind them.

This is how the lions of today came to be. The two prides of this world believe they are each descendants of the Dea and Alhaya prides.

Roles
-King: The lead male of the pride. He will lead patrols, hold ceremonies (to announce the birth of the next king, to appoint a Lead Huntress, as well as new apprentices (new hunters and apothecaries)) and make sure the pride is in working order. (Open)

-Queen: This lion does exactly what the king does. Everything he does, she does with him. She is not necessarily his mate, simply the lioness he deems best fit to manage the pride beside him.

-Lead Huntress: This is the lioness with the greatest hunting skill. Typically, these lionesses are not very young, as it takes many years for them to gain the knowledge it requires to become such a respected huntress.

-Huntress: These are the lionesses who go out and hunt for the pride. They are the ones who notify the king when herds move on, and when they return.

-Apothecary: This is the lion or lioness that takes care of the pridemates who are sick, injured, pregnant, or nursing. They are the ones who make sure that all is well within the pride. Upon reaching a certain age, an apprentice will be given to the apothecary.

-Sub males (Up to 4): These are the lions that the king sees most fit to take on the pride after he has died. They are the strongest and the wisest of the cubs born in recent years.

-Regents (Up to 2): These are the king's advisors. They help him decide what is best for the pride, be it move to a new place to avoid floods, or start rationing food. They help keep the pride in working order.

Rules
1. No powerplay or godmodding. Be realistic with your fights.
2. Remember to ask before killing off another person's character.
3. The king has the right to breed with any lioness who has given him permission.
4. Don't write out the mating scenes. Fade that out.
5. No décor aside from backgrounds. No jewelry or anything like that.
6. Most mutations are going to be restricted. Two lions at the beginning of the RP (not including the lioness I rp as) will be allowed to have mutations, and from there on out, you need to 'breed them'. You need to PM me and ask if your lions can have mutated cubs. Unaccepted Mutations: Primals. If you read the rules, put "aragonne" in the "other" tab! ).
7. Every 6 pages is a year. 3 pages are the wet season, 3 are the dry. Lionesses are pregnant for 3 pages before they can give birth.
8. This is a Semi-lit RP. A minimum of 3-4 sentences per post, no exceptions.
9. Up to 3 characters per person. When you RP, make sure to differentiate between them.

WE WILL BEGIN ROLEPLAY ONCE WE HAVE A KING, QUEEN, LEAD HUNTRESS, 2 HUNTRESSES, AND AN APOTHECARY (Check RP thread for availability!)

Form (please be detailed! I want to really know about your lion!)
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Appearance: (link to a lion/ image)
Personality:
Pride:
Rank:
Mate (if any):
Cubs (if any):
Other: