Styx

*Backstory of Styx, the primal lioness*

Styx was born to King Lodsmok, a primal lion, a rare mutation that he passed down to her. Lodsmok’s obsidian-black coat, marked with sunrise vitiligo and Haliotis feline spots, made him both striking and fearsome. Styx inherited not only his appearance but his primal nature, a mutation that gave her incredible strength and instincts. However, her father’s self-absorbed, distant leadership left Styx feeling abandoned. She feared that her primal instincts would lead her down the same path, turning her into someone she didn’t want to become.

Unable to face the possibility of becoming like her father, Styx ran away, leaving her pride and her nurturing mother behind. When she learned of her father’s death, she became the rightful heir but refused to return, allowing King Renesmee to take the throne in her place.

Eventually, Styx was discovered by King Akere, an arrogant but compassionate ruler who had made a home for exiles and runaways like her. While his pride viewed him as self-assured, Akere had a unique ability to see potential in those who had been cast aside. He recognized the primal power within Styx, but rather than fear it, he welcomed her into his pride, offering her the guidance she needed.

Under Akere’s leadership, Styx began to embrace her primal nature in a new light, learning to balance the raw power she had inherited from her father with the wisdom and compassion she developed on her own. Though Akere could be arrogant, his compassion for outcasts like Styx helped her find her way, shaping her into a lioness ready to lead on her own terms.