Hyrrow's Den

ϟ Pride's Territory: The Rift ϟ
Known also as the Upper Rift Valley, the space these lions control is decorated with wide rolling bluffs dotted with downy low growth and barbed brambles. The wind swept grasslands have sparse coverage, paving the way for the dramatic erosion and run-off in the area. Violent, jagged fissures race along the earth just west of smallest sister in the Koa Lake Complex (KLC). This extensive area of narrow and deep cuts forms the Upper Rift Valley - or locally The Fracture. The land struggles to sustain permanent life as the lake often floods in the rainy season, quickly spilling water in the fissures, flooding most of the valley cradle. Following the carving path of the water, The Fracture slowly tightens into a labyrinth of slot canyons before opening into a massive floodplain, the Lower Marsh Basin or The Wetlands. This lower area almost never fully dries. Thick shallow marshes divided by small fingering streams of water filling the basin. In the dry season, these waterways and the spaces between them become dangeriously entrenched in thick mud.

ϟ History: ϟ
After a string of merciless winter fires several seasons, young Hyrrow lead his small pride (then the Old Dune Pride) out of from the smoke of their burning homes. For almost a year the group was adrift, moving between land already carved up by other prides. Many members split off to join other more stable groups, and while 1-2 dispersed loners joined Hyrrow, the pride's size dropped dramatically. Eventually they found their way to the KLC and were pushed to the far western border where they found a stretch of land as brutal and harsh as it was unoccupied and waiting. Hyrrow stake his claim in the Upper Rift Valley, earning his pride the new name the Rift Valley Lions (RVL). Locals document that it was with unprecedented ease, these lions adapted to the floods. Proving to have a knack for the area; navigating routes up the valley walls, driving prey into step areas where they were liable to fall, developing techniques to traverse the mud, teaching young to swim safely in rough water, etc. Each generation adapted further. Now the RVL are well established. And while Hyrrow has been content to stay in the Rift, his young son Tor, seemingly born from the dark mud and floods themselves, eyes the Wetlands as well.