The Pride of the Deep Glens
"Once there were brook trouts in the streams in the mountains. You could see them standing in the amber current where the white edges of their fins wimpled softly in the flow. They smelled of moss in your hand. Polished and muscular and torsional. On their backs were vermiculate patterns that were maps of the world in its becoming. Maps and mazes. Of a thing which could not be put back. Not be made right again. In the deep glens where they lived all things were older than man and they hummed of mystery."

Wander far enough west and you will find a mountain range trapped in a thick jungle, the air humid and difficult to breathe in. Brave the outer ridges and the center that dips into an ancient glen, closed off from the outside world since the ancients walked the land.
The center is difficult to get to; go far enough up and you will see a great body of water that sinks into the middle as if pressed out of the earth. The jungle that surrounds the lake, however, is suffocating and will tangle you as you try to break past its barriers. The canopy becomes thicker and thicker the closer you get to the center, so much that it blots out the sun and plunges the place into a perpetual night. Biting bugs and hungry creatures lurk here, silent as the shadows that they cast, ready to make wanderers that have survived this long a meal.
Here alive the rejects, the revered and the royal. They come from all walks of life, the first of them brought by the First King, Mercurius, who was guided to the Deep Glens by a dragonfly that whispered in his ear.
- - - Current King - - -

Aristophanes the Sage (Second King)
A young cub who was abandoned to the Deep Glens, Aristophanes was accepted into the pride by Mercurius, the First King. A thoughtful soul who craved the great mysteries of the place he called home, he spent his youth as a scholar. But when Mercurius disappeared into the night, Aristophanes was the only one left to take the crown. However, a strange cub that calls himself Asbeel has recently made his way to the Deep Glens. His paws scorched the earth where he tread and, with eyes of fire and a voice deep beyond his years, the cub announced that he, the Angel of Ruin, will bring an end to Aristophanes' reign.
Worried for the future of his pride, he is the first king from the Deep Glens to seek out an alliance. Currently, he is in negotiations with King Tanga from the Mugumu Pride.
- - - Important History - - -
From the planes of a mysterious western land, Mercurius the Fortunate came upon the place during his lone wanderings, directed here by a dragonfly. He would not give the place a name; it already had one and the vast fjords, old as time itself, whispered it to him on the wind. So here the nomadic lion would create a pride of other vagabonds, among them the Holy Trinity who called the ancient lands home and the Grand Seers who peered into time.
Mercurius ruled humbly; he was a wise leader, a great ruler, an enigmatic beast, but he had never thought of himself as a king. The lion even went as far as to say: "I am no king, no royalty. I am but a weary traveler." He took especial company with Moana, an elderly lioness who proved herself just as wise, though not quite as mysterious.
But his reign, though it brought plenty, would not last long. One morning, the pride awoke to find their King having disappeared. He left in the night, following the wind as he had done his entire life, leaving the small pride without a word. Even Moana heard nothing of his departure. There was then the question of who would lead the pride going forward, and the beautiful Prosperpine tried to rally the other lionesses into having her own son, Armârôs , be crowned. Ultimately, the responsibility fell by default upon the shoulders of Aristophanes the Sage, a young male the pride had found abandoned to the Deep Glens as a cub.
Aristophanes, Second King of the Deep Glens, was a scholarly figure who valued knowledge above all else. He was kind, soft hearted, and was fond of long, meandering walks through the jungle that he called home. Many of the lionesses fawned over the worldly king, and he had become quite accomplished by the time of Moana's death. But the gods would be good to him, and with her death they sent Felicitas. She was a young lioness bearing uncanny resemblance to the First King, claiming to be her only daughter who came down to him under the stars.
But Aristophanes' fortune would soon run out. In his old age, a cub presented himself before him and his council. His paws scorched the soil and grasses upon which he stood, his eyes burning like opal fire and his voice deep, booming like no lion the King had ever heard before. "I am Asbeel, Angel of Ruin. I was dreamt by Mercurius, First King of the Deep Glen. I come to lay waste to your reign."
- - - Prominent Roles - - -
King || The leader of the pride, the title of "King" can be given, won or stolen by either lion or lioness. They are often accompanied by a familiar.
True Heir || Often held in high regard and considered blessed by the gods, the True Heir is a direct descendant by blood of the First King, Mercurius the Fortunate. He or she takes on much of the pride's decision making, is oftentimes confident to the king and is first to be protected in the event of conflict.
Heir || A dangerous position, the Heir is slated to take on the role of King once the previous passes. They are often rigorously trained, but are targeted by any enemies of the pride. Being named Heir does not guarantee they will make it to kinghood. So far, the Pride of the Deep Glens rarely, if ever, name an heir.
Adviser || A very knowledgeable lion or lioness, often an elder, they must be well versed in the pride's history, culture and stories. They often lead ceremonies and are given a place of respect. This role is most commonly taken by the True Heir.
Grand Seer || They are told apart from the rest by their jet coloured eyes. A lion or lioness with the greatest ability to part the veil and peer into the future and past, oftentimes taking advice from ancestors to pass onto current generations. They have varied, powerful magical abilities and are often talented herbalists well versed in medicine.
Lead Huntress || The pride's most talented huntresses, there may be up to two at a time. She will lead her own picked team on excursions to find and kill food for the pride.
- - - Minor Roles - - -
Huntress || A common working role within the pride, their successes will dictate how respected they are among their peers. They are often picked by the Lead Huntresses at a young age and brought on excursions to be trained.
Seer || Told apart from the rest by their jet black eyes, they answer to the Grand Seer. These lions or lionesses often have minor abilities in medicine, herbs, fortune telling and old ceremonies. The most talented will be taken under the Grand Seer's wing to be trained as a replacement.
Broodmother|| A lioness (or more rarely, a lion) tasked with guarding the young of the pride. She is often relegated to the dens to keep an eye on piles of cubs and assist expecting mothers.
- - - Other Roles - - -
Familiar || Often a non-lion animal that serves as a companion or adviser to a lion within the pride. Familiars are most often seen among the leaders, but they can find companionship among any of the members.
Tigers / Tigresses|| The Deep Glens are the ancestral lands of the tigers, who have dwelled here long before the lions set paw on their land. They never think of themselves as part of the 'pride' and almost never meddle or take part in the politics. However, because they so closely share the land, their paths do cross and affairs are sometimes intermingled.
- - - Important Dates + Ceremonies - - -