Ushindi's Den

[19th of Remembrance] Kidini has left us to join our ancestors in the spirit realm. I hope the weakened veil between worlds made her journey an easy one. The title of elder has been passed on to Choma, despite the fact that she and I are technically the same age. I didn't want it anyway, but I cannot deny that being snubbed like that stings.
[18th of Remembrance] Apparently Ushindi spoke in private with Marula during the ritual yesterday. I must not have noticed in my grief. He's been acting strange all day, avoiding me and refusing to meet my eyes. Perhaps he is finally starting to feel guilt.
[17th of Remembrance] Kufuta's ritual was a success, though to me it does not feel like one. She was able to channel the spirit of Marula, her grandmother and the pride's first shaman. It was from Marula herself that I heard it - Alfajiri and her cub are no longer with us. It feels like my heart has been clawed out of my chest. My only consolation is that they are happy now, playing and thriving in the realm of our ancestors. Perhaps their happiness should be enough for me... but it isn't. It can't be. Not until I learn who is responsible for their deaths.
[16th of Remembrance] During this month the veil between the spirit world and ours grows thin. Kufuta has decided to take advantage of this by performing an ancient and powerful ritual, to summon an ancestor here for guidance. Her preparations should be finished by tomorrow. I wonder if the ancestor will be able to help with my search...
[15th of Remembrance] I still spend every spare moment searching for my sister, but those moments are few and far between thanks to these infernal Recordkeeper duties. As if that monster Ushindi's sins are worth recording! I can't help but wonder if he gave me this job to keep me busy, so that I can't dedicate myself to chasing Alfajiri's trail.
[10th of Remembrance] It's been little more than a week since Alfajiri vanished, and the search parties have officially been called off. I can't stand the pitying looks the rest of the pride keeps giving me - as if any of them ever truly cared about her! If they did, they would still be out there searching, not moping about as though she's dead.
[2nd of Remembrance] Alfajiri, our Recordkeeper and my sister, has vanished along with her cub. We've only searched for a day, but Ushindi seems ready to give up. It's like he thinks they're both dead. If you ask me, there's something suspicious about all of this... but such speculation is treasonous, so I'll hold my tongue. Until Alfy returns - and she will return, I know it - I, Bilauri, will take her place.
[29th of Setting Sun] Jioni has died. The official cause was old age, but many in the pride believe that Nuru's death was simply too much for her. Kidini has taken over her role as pride elder.
[28th of Setting Sun] Joka has regained some movement in her hind legs and is able to hobble from place to place, albeit slowly. I've noticed Ushindi watching her movements closely. Perhaps that isn't so strange; after all, she's his daughter as well as mine.
[27th of Setting Sun] Nuru, the pride's savior and their secondary shaman, passed away peacefully last night. The whole pride mourns him, but none more so than Ushindi and Jioni. The elder had been his closest companion since the two of them were cubs, and for Ushindi he was like a father. It's clear that both the elder and the king will be in mourning for a long time.
[23rd of Setting Sun] Today Jioni officially passed on the title of shaman to her daughter, Kufuta. The young lioness, though inexperienced, has a great deal of natural talent. The pride is confident that she'll prove worthy of her position.
[22nd of Setting Sun] After a long and fulfilling life as the pride's chief hunter, Ubatili has passed on to the afterlife. Her daughter Kivuli will become the new chief hunter, while Jioni has graciously accepted her new position as the pride's elder.
[17th of Setting Sun] A cub named Tikiti was trampled to death by water buffalo while trying to study them. Why wasn't she being watched by the broodmothers? Lions are starting to wonder if Ardhi is truly cut out for her job.
[12th of Setting Sun] Ushindi keeps sneaking out to "explore." We all know that's just an excuse to visit Nirah. I don't know why he thinks he needs to hide it from us; it's honestly kind of cute.
[7th of Setting Sun] The king is back, and thankfully unharmed. Apparently he weathered the storm with another lion named Nirah. The two must have gotten along well, if the dark tufts of fur caught in his mane are any indication.
[5th of Setting Sun] Ushindi has disappeared again. Usually we wouldn't be concerned, but a massive storm swept past yesterday, and he was surely caught in it. If he doesn't return soon, Nuru is going to send patrols to search for him.
[37th of Greatswarm] The omens and the locust plague are finally starting to recede. Malaika seems to think Ushindi is responsible for chasing them off. Ridiculous if you ask me, but I suppose the truth doesn't really matter. Most of us are just grateful to have survived.
[33rd of Greatswarm] This morning we finally found Joka. She made it all the way to one of the humans' trails, where she was struck by one of their machines. And yet, despite being lost and injured, she survived. Praise the ancestors! She is badly injured, and Jioni says she will never be able to walk again, which breaks my heart. But she is alive, and for now, that is enough.
[32nd of Greatswarm] One my own cubs, Joka, has gone missing. The king organized the entire pride into search parties, but none of us have found anything. Forgive me if my updates grow scarce for a while; I must continue my search.
[28th of Greatswarm] Ushindi is taking longer and longer on his explorations and he won't tell us why. Malaika says that he's doing something important, something that will end the plague. Few of us are foolish enough to believe her.
[21st of Greatswarm] King Ushindi has been acting strange ever since he came back from his exploration this morning. I wonder if he saw another omen, or if the locust plague is simply taking its toll.
[12th of Greatswarm] One of Waovu's cubs was born with long, protruding fangs. The rest of the litter is normal. Is this another omen?
[5th of Greatswarm] A king of neighboring lands, Colmillo V, spotted the pale horse of Pestilence roaming our pride's borders. Everyone is still healthy as far as we can tell, but Jioni pumped us all full of herbal remedies just in case. Thank the stars we have a shaman looking over us; I don't know what we would do without her.
[23rd of Great Famine] Ubatili has chosen Ardhi to become the new chief broodmother. Perhaps not the most popular choice, but not necessarily a bad one. Time will tell whether she is worthy of the position.
[20th of Great Famine] Ita, having reached the venerable age of 16, finally passed away. No one has the courage to say it out loud, but many of us feel this was for the best - perhaps a new, younger broodmother will take better care of our cubs. Ubatili has become the new Elder and is searching for a chief broodmother to take Ita's place.
[17th of Great Famine] A cub named Hasira, daughter of Majivu, wandered off at the watering hole and was killed by a hippo. It seems the pride has regained enough energy to gossip; there have been many hushed conversations about Ita's competence. Would this have happened if our chief broodmother was someone younger?
[5th of Great Famine] Marula died, and Jioni has been granted the title of Chief Shaman. Marula was beloved by all and will be missed dearly, but there is an undercurrent of celebration despite her loss - Jioni is one of the most popular lions in the pride, and we are all happy to see her take on her mother's mantle.
[5th of Great Famine] Ibilis and Kuzimu both passed on last night - fitting, given how close they were in life. Ita has now taken over as the pride's Elder, and has declared that she'll continue her broodmother duties despite her new title. I suppose that would have been a scandal in better circumstances, but all of us are still reeling from the many deaths we have witnessed these past couple of months.
[28th of Remembrance] Malkia had been losing a lot of strength over the past weeks, and this evening she passed away while resting in her den.
[4th of Remembrance] Moto passed away peacefully today. Ibilis was proclaimed Elder shortly afterward.
[20th of Sun's Dawn] It started yesterday, with little warning. Hadithi and his dissidents stormed the Bone King's cave at the break of dawn. The rest of the pride was awoken by the sounds of their fight, but by the time we got to the den it was already over. Masizi was dead. Safura and her followers took one look at his corpse and threw themselves at Hadithi, and everything after that is a blur. Hadithi's faction won, obviously, but at a great cost. Thamani, Fanya, Kigaga, Korofi, and Mwanga perished. Upon crowning himself King, Hadithi changed his name to Ushindi and declared Malaika his Queen. The rest of the pride seems smitten with him, but I fear we may have just traded one tyrant for another...
[19th of Sun's Dawn] It is with a heavy heart that I, Alfajiri, take up the mantle of Recordkeeper. Kigaga, like many others, met a bitter and bloody end this morning. I will do my best to recall what happened, though I admit I was too caught up in the battle to notice everything. But first I must rest, and reflect on what has happened.
[17th of Sun's Dawn] Hadithi led a huge portion of the pride somewhere this morning. They returned shortly before sunhigh. All of the lionesses he brought with him are dissidents, and they seem very smug about something. I have a terrible feeling about this.
[16th of Sun's Dawn] Masizi threatened to kill Hadithi today, and Hadithi struck him across the face. The Bone King roared all kinds of threats and insults at him, but he didn't strike back. Hadithi is already bigger than he ever was, and it quickly became clear to those watching that Masizi would not be able to win a fight against him.
[15th of Sun's Dawn] The pride has grown immensely polarized. Masizi and his supporters are still in control, but the dissidents are growing bolder.
[13th of Sun's Dawn] Hadithi and Malaika have begun sowing dissent among an already fractured pride. I fear this will end in bloodshed.
[12th of Sun's Dawn] Mabaya had two cubs this morning. Masizi killed them both. If he had a reason for it, he did not share it. Later in the day he struck Moto across the face, leaving a nasty scar.
[10th of Sun's Dawn] Today the hunting team came back telling stories of demons and lights in the sky. It sounds a lot like what Malaika has been saying. Some lions are starting to put more faith in her words, especially those who have "seen" what she's talking about.
[9th of Sun's Dawn] Masizi's violence has only grown worse. Even Safura avoids him when she can. Giza, Nyama, and Mwanga had their cubs today, but the King was not informed due to his erratic behavior. Safura presided over the births in his stead and granted two of the cubs, Kuoza and Sanamu, a place in the pride.
[8th of Sun's Dawn] The King is acting more violently than usual. He snapped at Korofi the other day and nearly attacked Ibilis when she talked back to him. Only Malaika claims to have any idea what's going on, but the only one foolish enough to believe her ravings is Hadithi.
[5th of Sun's Dawn] He came back today. He won't say where he's been. Something has changed; there's no more weakness in him. What little softness he had has disappeared. Even Safura can't look him in the eyes anymore.
[3rd of Sun's Dawn] The group came back a day later than expected, and Masizi is not with them. Each lioness has a different story and each is less believable than the last. Something about a portal and a manticore? Malaika keeps saying that he's where he belongs, whatever that means.
[1st of Sun's Dawn] Something is wrong. The sky is red and there's a strange scent in the air. The strange-looking one, Malaika, is talking nonsense to anyone who will listen; something about heaven and hell and some kind of war. The King is taking a small band of warriors to investigate tomorrow.
[21st of Greatswarm] Safura and the King are going about their business today as if yesterday's fight didn't happen. It looks as if there will be no consequences for the Queen.
[20th of Greatswarm] Safura has finally broken the pride's uneasy peace. The Bone King's new wives seem to have pushed her over the edge; we were awoken this morning by the sound of her grappling with all three of them. To her credit, she was almost winning. When we pulled them apart, the three newcomers' wounds were far worse than her own. She and the King have been sequestered in their den since the fight ended.
[13th of Greatswarm] The King has been disappearing a lot lately, and today it became apparent why. Three of the lionesses from the Pantry - a foul-tempered one named Fanya, a beautiful one named Siagi, and a quiet one named Thamani - were formally named and welcomed into the pride today. All three are staunch supporters of the Bone King despite their past traumas.
[1st of Greatswarm] Things in the pride have settled a bit. Most of the Bone King's opposition has been quiet since the death of Urithi. Hadithi has grown close to Malaika, whose strange appearance has only grown creepier as she's aged.
[25th of Drygrass] Kidini has a daughter. She is not allowed to stay in the pride.
[10th of Drygrass] Urithi, after reaching the venerable age of 16, passes on peacefully to the next life. Moto is formally declared the pride's new elder.
[2nd of Drygrass] Thamani and Marula each have one cub, but only Thamani's daughter Nafasi is allowed to stay.
[25th of Brightstar] The strange-looking cub, Malaika, takes a swipe at the King when he wanders near her. He gives her a firm smack with his paw and she flies into a rage, clawing at every part of him she can reach. He likely would have killed her had Urithi not stepped in. The old lioness says she'll discipline the cub herself, and Masizi dares not argue, for the elder holds more sway over the pride than himself.
[24th of Brightstar] Kuanguka passes away peacefully at the ripe old age of 15 years and 7 months. The pride's rage towards their King is dampened by mourning. Urithi is officially declared the pride's new elder.
[23rd of Brightstar] Hadithi's temper has improved by leaps and bounds since his patrols began. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the pride's attitude towards Masizi. There is much hostility towards him, and he's having a hard time dispelling it.
[22nd of Brightstar] Nuru is trying a new tactic with Hadithi. He sends the young lion out on patrols and encourages him to funnel his anger into exploring rather than battering his pridemates. It seems to be working quite well.
[21st of Brightstar] Nuru has been spending a lot of time with Hadithi. The young lion's violent tendencies have only gotten worse, but the shaman hasn't given up hope.
[20th of Brightstar] Mabaya gives birth to a very strange cub. Feathered wings jut from her back and fire pours from her eyes. Even the shamans don't know what she is. Perhaps it has something to do with the strange stars in the sky?
[17th of Brightstar] Several hunters are injured in a skirmish with a neighboring pride. Apparently our King killed one of their cubs while exploring. The pride's dislike towards Masizi is quickly turning into all-out hatred.
[16th of Brightstar] This morning the pantry is found emptied. There is blood everywhere. It seems the Queen is growing tired of Masizi's dalliances.
[15th of Brightstar] Bilauri gives birth to a male cub and the King orders her to kill it. She obeys him as she always does, but it clearly takes a toll on her. Pride opinion of the King falls to an all-time low.
[14th of Brightstar] Safura goes to the Pantry and sees the poorly-hidden corpse of the cub that resembled Masizi. Later in the day the King finds the body of the cub's mother, mutilated almost beyond recognition, lying outside his den.
[13th of Brightstar] A strange, mottled female arrives at sunhigh. She says she's heard tales of the Bone King and wishes to join his pride. Masizi is easily wooed by her flattery and welcomes her in, giving her the name Vibaya.
[12th of Brightstar] Urithi gives birth to a healthy female cub. This will likely be the last time the lioness is able to kit, so the cub is allowed to stay and is given the name Endelea. Additionally, one of the lionesses in the Pantry gives birth to two cubs. The male is killed and the female's fate is still being decided. It is unclear who the cubs' father is, but the male looked suspiciously like our King.
[11th of Brightstar] Tufani was sent to the medicine den this morning; she was bleeding heavily from a gash on her shoulder. It seems Hadithi attacked her for sunning in his spot. Nuru and his council are deeply worried. Why would a savior do such a thing?
[10th of Brightstar] Patrols have been scouring nearby territories for a cub like the one Nuru saw in his vision. It seems today they've finally succeeded; one of the groups returned with a cub that looks just like the one that was prophesied. He is formally welcomed into the pride, and is given the name Hadithi.
[8th of Brightstar] Some are worried about the line of succession, but Nuru had a vision last night that has calmed their fears. He says he saw a large, multicolored cub gazing coldly at the stars, while a soft voice whispered in his ear: "Beware the King who wears a rainbow crown, for only he can end the Age of Snow." Nuru mentions the cub to the King, but he tells the full prophecy only to a trusted few. Could it be that this cub will slay the Bone King?
[7th of Brightstar] In light of Moto's failing health and the banishment of her son, Kupambwa is welcomed into the pride. She will proudly bear her mother's legacy.
[2nd of Brightstar] After consulting with his Queen, Masizi decides that Kovu will have his tail gnawed off as punishment for going behind his back. However, when the King arrives at the Pantry, Kovu isn't there. It seems he escaped overnight.
[1st of Brightstar] Somehow Masizi finds out about Zuri. He flies into a rage and is about to attack Nuru when Kovu steps between them. The young heir takes the blame to protect the Shaman, and the King has him thrown into the Pantry until he can decide on a proper punishment.
[27th of Serpent's Bane] Marula gives birth to two healthy cubs, Kawaida and Sanamu. Masizi lets them live, but does not offer them a place in the pride.
[15th of Serpent's Bane] Masizi's plan is revealed this morning when he finds a rogue female wandering his territory. He has her thrown into the new den, which he then dubs the Pantry. It seems he and his Queen will be feasting tonight.
[9th of Serpent's Bane] A small but defensible cave is discovered a short while away from the pride's primary den. Masizi orders his lions to clear it out as quickly as possible. It's clear he has something planned for it.
[21st of King's Claw] The leopardess reveals that her name is Zuri. She takes a strange interest in Jioni, and the shaman's quiet acceptance of her is even stranger.
[19th of King's Claw] Nuru returns from his patrol with a sultry-looking leopardess glued to his side. She says she has nowhere else to go, so the white lion smuggles her into the Shaman's den. Only a few other lions are told of her existence.
[8th of King's Claw] The rogue lioness who injured Urithi is brought before Masizi. He quickly takes a liking to her and offers her a place in the pride, despite Urithi and Marula's complaints. She is given the name Mabaya.
[7th of King's Claw] Urithi is injured by a rogue lioness while hunting. The wound is shallow and it looks like she will recover. While resting in the shaman's den, she notices a strange white rock half-buried in the dirt. Something about it sets her on edge.
[10th of Hunting Man] Ilanga, a deposed queen and a much-loved member of the pride, disappears overnight. A search patrol finds her body curled up near the grave of her first mate, King Zedlayo. It seems she passed away peacefully in her sleep.
[26th of Heartswell] Ibilis has two healthy daughters. Both are allowed to live, but neither will be offered a place in the pride.
[17th of Heartswell] Moto gives birth to two healthy female cubs, Wazi and Kupambwa. Both are allowed to live.
[23rd of Drygrass] Giza, Nyama, and Mwanga come of age and are formally welcomed into the pride. All three are apprenticed to huntresses: Malkia, Kuzimu, and Moto, respectively. During her coming of age ceremony, Mwanga notices a patch of grey fur caught in the brambles outside of Safura's den; however, she's too caught up in the festivities to pay it much mind.
[20th of Drygrass] Ardhi gives birth to Inanti, whom Masizi takes an unusual interest in. Kuzimu also gives birth to Njama, and Safura to Kushindwa and Roho. Kushindwa, a male, is killed by his mother shortly afterward. Theluji remains missing.
[8th of Drygrass] Theluji disappears overnight. The pride spends hours searching for her, but she's nowhere to be found. Ardhi is heartbroken.
[28th of Falling Snuh] Four strange adolescents are found wandering the pride's border. Three of them are killed while the fourth manages to escape.
[20th of Falling Snuh] Kigaga gives birth to Jiwe and Kustahili. Both are entrusted to Ardhi.
[19th of Falling Snuh] A small grey cub is found wandering near the edge of the pride's territory. She appears to be mute. Masizi graciously allows her to stay until her former pride can be found. In the meantime, she becomes Ardhi's first ward. She is given the name Theluji.
[18th of Falling Snuh] Bilauri is officially welcomed into the pride. Siri claims her as an apprentice.
[16th of Falling Snuh] Ita gives birth to Neema, Jioni to Cheche, and Malkia to Jahanamu. Each is allowed to live, but none is offered a place in the pride.
[10th of Falling Snuh] It's the third year of King Masizi's reign, and Kigaga (yours truly) has become the pride's first loremaster. Much of the pride's history before this time is unknown.
[9th of Falling Snuh] Ardhi comes of age and is officially proclaimed Ilanga's successor. She begins training under Ita immediately.
[8th of Falling Snuh] Kovu officially claims his place in the pride by killing his sister. He enters the line of succession - should anything happen to Masizi, he will become king.
[???] Masizi defeats the pride's founder in a fight to the death, claiming his place as king and commencing the Age of Bone. The exact date is unknown.