Lore Keeper Mpenzi

Mpenzi is the daughter of Angani and King Alhaji.

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This lioness approaches you. She appears friendly!

"Hello! My name is Mpenzi, I'm the pride's Lore Keeper. Are you interested in the history of my home? I would be more than happy to share! Our stories have been passed down through the generations - please, allow me to show you around!"

Look below this lioness's bio to listen to the history of the Pride!

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A lover of stories and tales of grandeur, Mpenzi is an affectionate lioness who seems to get along with anyone, even the grumpiest furballs of the pride. She became the pride's Lore Keeper at an unusually young age, mainly because of her fervent passion for storytelling, and her bond with the previous Keeper, Mwezi.

Name meaning: love

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Mpenzi leads you to a quiet spot beneath a nearby acacia tree and begins.

"Our first leader was King Zagaa, who claimed this part of our territory along with his mate - our first Queen - Jalidi. He was known to be very kind and jolly, and we continue to use his lessons of compassion and chivalry when educating young cubs. His generation of the pride lived peacefully for many years.

Following Zagaa's death, he was succeeded by his son Dakarai and his young Queen, Mbali. The peaceful years continued under the reign of the new King, who ruled with logic and compassion. It was King Dakarai who crafted the Feather Crown out of hoopoe feathers, which was to be our signifier of Kings for generations to come."

She flicks her tail to where the current King lounges atop a rock. You notice the colorful feathers protruding from his mane. You compliment the beautiful savannah surroundings, and she smiles.

"A massive expansion of our home was initiated by the next King, Faraji, who was...enthusiastic, to say the least. His mate, Queen Bahati (who was our first documented instance of a fur-related mutation!), was more level-headed, and it is said she often had to cull his impulsive tendencies, preventing many conflicts with neighboring Prides.

Faraji's only son, Mosi, was blatantly disinterested in becoming the next King. After many arguments, he managed to weasel his way out of the responsibility, leaving his father to select the son of the Lady Sanaa as heir to the throne."

She frowns and seems to consider her next story carefully.

"This cub grew to become King Mavuto, and he relished in his newfound power. He was fierce, fiery, very smooth-talking. Charming. Though a talented strategizer, he was also known to be vicious and cruel, ordering attacks on many peaceful passers-by and toying with injured prey. After the death of his young Queen, Aisha, he became significantly more violent, lashing out at those around him until his final breath.

As Mavuto had no sons of his own, the throne was passed to his nephew, who was crowned King Ejiro. Vain and flirtatious, he was famously kept in line by the formidable Queen Nuru. Despite his massive ego, his love for his wives and daughters is legendarily heartwarming. He was the first King to implement our traditions of royal betrothal as well as the decorative adornment of heirs from an early age to signify their importance."

She suddenly laughs, the pleasant sound ringing in the fresh air.

"The most curious aspect of King Ejiro's reign was his brother - a hyena! Can you imagine? His mother, Masizi, found an abandoned hyena pup not long after her cubs were born, and thinking it to be a sign, adopted the pup, naming him Kicheko. He grew up alongside the King, and acted as his advisor for years until their deaths.

Ejiro's son Kito succeeded him. King Kito, nearly as vain as his father, took great pride in his appearance and beauty. Despite his little experience, his desire to make sure that everyone loved and admired him inadvertently made him quite an effective leader. His mate, Queen Maua, is said to have been extraordinarily beautiful and enjoyed the romance of being royalty.

A famous tale of this King involves the mauling of a foolish young rogue who wandered through our borders - for all his focus on beauty and perfection, King Kito sported a dead, scarred eye on his left side. Anyone who mentioned it was in for a scar themselves and this particular young rogue learned that lesson in an especially brutal fashion. I do believe we still have his pelt hanging around somewhere..."

You blink, unsure if she's serious or not. Apparently, she is.

"King Kito notably transformed the previous Royal Guard position into that of Warrior, extending the active physical protection beyond the royal family and opening the position to be taken by females as well as sub-males."

Here, she nods down the hill, where you see a few adolescent ladies and sub-males sparring in the grass.

"Though the knowledge of his relation to Kito is lost - he is most likely a nephew or grandson - the next to take the throne was King Kagiso. A patient and kind soul, he was also intensely spiritual, telling many stories of starry lion god-kings and winged seraphs to cubs, and taking it upon himself to secure herbal and shamanistic knowledge to pass down. His Queen, Farai, was truly powerful, handling all physical conflicts over territory, while her mate handled negotiations."

When the lioness finishes this part of the story, she suddenly looks very, very sad.

"...King Kagiso's reign ended in tragedy. Shortly after Kagiso was born, his mother Kefilwe gave birth to another son. Not wanting any conflicts over the throne, she sent the younger cub to live in a rival pride's territory as part of a peace treaty. This younger brother, Dumisani, grew strong and bitter and violent - a vicious fighter, a bold warrior, and positively power-hungry, Dumisani returned to his home and violently seized the crown from his older brother, killing both the King and Queen in the process.

The new King Dumisani found a friend in an equally ill-tempered lioness, Kali, and chose to make her his Queen. The two were a perfect match in their shared bloodlust and warmongering. These were the darkest years."

You respectfully wait in silence while her dark expression clears some.

"Thankfully, King Dumisani's reign ended - to nobody's surprise - in a bloody battle over territory. Following his death, his heir Amadi was suddenly thrust into the role. Slightly reluctant, King Amadi would have preferred to be off adventuring by himself in the wilds, but nevertheless, our King he became.

He tended to let Queen Mwitu take care of diplomatic or territorial matters - she was far more interested in ruling. But King Amadi was perfectly kind and competent, and could really be a mother-hen when it came to cubs!

When Queen Mwitu passed away, King Amadi stepped down and let his heir, Kamau take the throne."

She winks at you. "King Kamau was basically a big tough guy on the outside, but all fluff inside. The cubs loved him! He was our first King to be born with a primal mutation - hopefully, he won't be the last. His Queen passed away before him, but he lived for a few years more, spending most of his final days playing with his many great-grandchildren.

His nephew, King Alhaji, took the crown next." Here, you blink as the lioness blushes. "Such a chivalrous, charming lion...everyone loves him very much, and we expect great things from him."

She sighs contentedly and stretches beneath the shade of the tree.

"And, well, here we are! Any questions?"