Radi

FINALLY

Radi means ‘lightning’ or ‘thunder’. He is Marilda’s only cub in her second litter, and is the first male cub born into the Pride to inherit the coveted dorsal fur mutation. Since Radi is a descendant of two previous kings (Regandi and his successor, Oäkmane), he is of royal blood. Marilda feared this would make her son a target of the new king, but Huruma seems absolutely enchanted by the fierce little boy, who reminds him so much of Regandi.

On his first birthday, Radi is formally installed as Heir to the Throne. He is the grandson of Oäkmane, and the great-grandson of Regandi, and carries the dorsal fur mutation mentioned in the prophecy given to Regandi many many years ago. Huruma thinks it’s only right that Radi should take up his ancestral throne, and after watching the boy grow, thinks he is very well suited for it.

Many of the pride expected Huruma to name his son Alipata his heir, or perhaps one of his children with Queen Nyake, but this is Huruma’s way of returning the throne to the family he accidentally robbed of it. He trains Radi himself, and tries to get former Queen Erulan to help him, but she refuses. Instead, her daughter Io, trained to be Queen by Erulan, steps in to complete Radi’s training. He is an earnest student, taking all his lessons to heart, but also confident enough to make decisions himself, based on his own experiences. The thing he is most excited for about being King, is that he can make his mother the Queen Mother, the most revered lioness in the pride. Because to him, she already is.

Radi trains beside Huruma’s son Alipata, and the two are good friends. They do have a bit of a friendly rivalry, since Alipata is unofficially next in line for the throne after Radi, but it’s all in fun. Rumor is, Huruma is going to try to betroth Alipata to a princess, and make him King Consort of another kingdom, but if he doesn’t, than Radi secretly plans to make him Captain of the Royal Guard, his most trusted advisor.

~Radi is telling you about a weird dream they had last night. Apparently you battled a walking feathered lizard thing, and then a flying metal thing shot light at you, and then dead, decaying hyenas chased you, and then you were talking to ghosts...are they sure that wasn't a nightmare?