The queen smiles, fluffing her chest out and thoughtfully positioning her fur. "Charming," unholy Worship purrs, flicking her fluffy tail. "Of course I have a favourite. StarSeer was an amazing lioness, and her daughter StarGazer is just as special in my eyes." A warm expression crosses her face. Her eyes flutter shut. "Some days, I call upon StarSeer just to sit in her presence." She opens her eyes, shifting her clouded gaze to the colourful lion beside her. "StarGazer, my love, she worries too much. She will warm up to me one day though. Despite her hesitance, she is still the most worthy lioness in my pride. Well, second to me, of course." she winks, chuckling softly to herself

Unholy Worship glances over Dove-Star's shoulder, unclear gaze on the leader behind him. "Do you praise a deity? Of any sorts? How do you believe they affect the world and your pride?" Her fluffy tail flicks curiously.

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The unheavenly, rainbow-hued empress abomination had simply fallen silent for a while; perhaps communicating with the beings that existed just beyond the door to interdimensional travel. However, when the discussion turned to favorites within one's own pridelands, her attention was brought back to the material plane again. Shaking her head, her jaws parted in something that was marginally smirk-adjacent, an eyebrow arching at the new queen that caught her gaze and momentary attention.

"No." Drug-Induced Rainbow Terror's quipped reply held a measure of bored finality, though she heaved a sigh and figured it might be best to elaborate: "Just as there is no such thing as good and evil -both are nothing more than a matter of perspective- neither I, nor my followers, put any stock in fanciful tales of deities or demi-gods. There are worlds beyond these- and beings that you could only hope to see in nightmares and dreamscapes- but I've never seen nor heard anything that would convince me there's some being of unfathomable power out there, be they destroyer or creator." The monotone that painted her hollow voice was thoroughly disinterested; the empress might as well have been simply discussing the weather with polite company.

Stretching, she tilted her chin toward the next monarch; exhaling a plume of shimmering, iridescent smoke at them before voicing her query: "It's your turn to entertain me: hypothetically-speaking, how would you deal with it if one of your most trusted lionesses ended up being a double-agent, one who had her own agenda for collaborating with your most detested adversary -or if you don't consider another lion to be your adversary... let's say the hyenas, or perhaps even those nasty little poachers? Spare none of the grisly details."

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Igenous swatted away the smoke with his paws, his teeth bared in a snarl as he glared at the ruler. He flexed his claws at even the thought of one of his lionesses having their own agenda.

"My lionesses are the loyalist in the lands! They'd never betray me!" He snapped his ears flattened. "Besides! Even if one WERE to betray me, Rouge and his apprentice would strike them down in moments! If they didn't, I would." He paced slightly refraining from snarling insults at Drug-Induced Rainbow Terror.

Forcing himself to sit back down, he scoffed pertending he was only amused about the question, although his anger was still quite clear.

"You!" He snarled at the next ruler, his teeth bared slightly more snappy and rude than usual. "What are your thoughts on colorbombs?" He dug his claws in and out of the dirt as he spoke, trying to calm himself from his earlier fit of rage.

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Nikolau sat, listening to the monarchs chattering amongst themselves. Tsch. What a waste of time. Could Sol have given him a more fruitless task? If this is what it took to make allies, maybe he didn't care to have any. He had things to do, errands to run, rituals to conduct. The king perks up when someone speaks at him, for a change. Nevermind their attitude, although the small adult male undoubtedly felt irritated by Igenous' tone. He had to answer the question now, did he? There's a groan, though it comes off more as a growl than anything else.

"Colorbombs are highly sought after in the Sunscorched lands that I rule." He states briefly, to the point. The runt of a king hums thoughtfully as he considers his answer further, "Many of them capture the very essence of the sky's beauty on their pelts, the reflection of the Great Beyond. As a Neophyte of the Rising Sun, it is my duty to preserve the heritage of the sky in all of its forms." Nevermind that most colorbombs he'd seen leaned towards a much cooler color palette than anything sun-related ever would have.

Blindly following a faith can obscure one's vision, both literally and not. Though it seems that Nikolau suffered of not only one but both (given his eye coverings). Despite his faux blindness, his head turns in the direction of the next monarch with a flick of his ear, whom he'd just so happened to hear shift in their place. One could almost feel his eyes burn at them through the fabric of his veiled crown.

"You." He snarls, almost accusatorily. "What is the goal of your Pride? What are you working toward accomplishing? There must be something. A Pride without purpose is nothing more than a herd of prey, ripe for the taking." If he was going to be stuck here, he might as well ask a question that nets him some kind of knowledge about his rivals.

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Venus scoffed, holding the brute's gaze as she pulled her lips back into a threatening snarl. Her body language didn't flinch, a subtle sign to back off; and she wasn't intimidated.

"The goal of my pride is to call forth the deities into Vessels, the bodies of our pride. We've seen many; even immortals. Even the god of the sky has taken form to us." She spoke confidently, without pause. She held his gaze throughout, including the pause after, as if asking 'and what have you accomplished?' without bothering to put forth the energy to speak it aloud. The brute was not worth the energy- at least, that's how she'd present it.

Venus Verticordia flicked her tail and turned to the rest of the group, clarifying for the dim-witted, "We use cotton root bark, the meat of lions, and the cows of farmers to bring forth new mutations for the gods to enter our pride through."

Her gaze shifted to a random lion across from her. "Now you, what ranks are amongst your pride? Do all lions have separate roles? Do you treat each rank differently?" She inquired.

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Jask turns, having been addressed by the previous queen. They shuffle awkwardly, folding their wings so they can properly see the other lions. Once settled, they begin their answer.

“For the most part, my pride is one of shared responsibilities. Most of the lionesses perform the same tasks, so as to not uphold some sort of archaic ranking system. However, there are a few specialized roles, ones that were either brought on by necessity, or by desire of a lioness looking for a new job to do.” They flick their tail, and the beaded and flowery ornaments adorning them jingle as they move. They look beside them, meeting the gaze of a couple of their lionesses, and continue.

“We obviously have huntresses and broodmothers, which aren’t really specialized roles, as all lionesses will hunt or take care of the pride’s cubs at one point. But I also have a handful of advisors, who help me make decisions for the welfare of the pride. This was a position born from necessity after my predecessor died, as I was only a cub, so the pride needed someone to rule in the interim. These advisors tend to be older lionesses in the pride, ones who’ve seen other rulers than myself. The role was initially comprised of the daughters of the previous ruler, though they now reside amongst the stars with their parent.”

They then look to a red and white lioness beside them, who wears a rather peculiar hat. “The other specialized role we have is our sorceress, Wanda. This role was specifically created because she wished to learn magic from studying the traveling shamans. She’s been exceedingly helpful during my reign, and I hope she passes her knowledge to another cub eventually.”

They look around, green gaze landing on the next ruler. “How do you deal with males in your pride? Do you keep just one as an heir, or do you have a few sub-males who you can delegate patrols to? How do you decide whether to keep a male cub or not, if you don’t intend to use him as an heir?”

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Ember mane, licking his paws clean right after having a snack.
He looks up and starts talking: " I have two sub-males that I use to patrol. When they are not patrolling, they are guarding my dens."
He looks down at the bone that was left from the snack. :" I am currently training another cub to be a guard for my nursery where I keep all cubs."
" I will choose an heir when it gets closer to my retirement." He sighs " Any male cubs I either sell or put up for adoption".

He looks around the group of rulers. : " Do you still have one of your original claimed lionesses, and if you do how does it feel when you know they are getting older?"

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Stepping from the shadows to the light, eyes blazing.

"I have many whom have come and gone. My mother being among them. She remains. But it pains to know one day I will need to say goodbye. But she will return among the stars and watch over me and father."

Scanning the room, her gaze lands on you, head listing up and confident in her stance.

"Do you aid those who struggle during the terrifying reign of men, or do you leave them in death and suffering?"

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The king perks up at the question, wearing a sly smirk as he lay on his back while listening to the chatter. Sol yawns, utterly uninterested, but opts to answer anyway. "Why, of course. It's quite simple, really. Those who wish not to perish under the iron paws of mankind ought to join my pride. The Sun provides its children with warmth and care; all who refuse to join us will burn." The answer prompts him to let out a small, purr-like noise, before he rolls onto his belly and looks to the next king.

He rests his chin over the back of his lifted paw, looking at the next monarch with fluttery eyes. "What about you, oh rival mine? What is your stance on... trophy lethal mutations?"

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Bright white eyes look up, pausing in the act of helping a young snake through its first shed. Her tail flicked, ears shifting as though listening to many voices at once, though the room was now silent. A voice as soft as a summer breeze through the cherry blossoms answers.

"I understand the value...for achievement or the pride of owning one."

Vesper rises to sit, her tail over her paws and granting home to the spiders and scorpions around them. Her head lists to the side as her gaze grows soft and...pained.

"But what of the ones who are turned into trophies? What life is there for a cub who cannot move for his skin is hard as stone? Never eating, never living, never dying. Or for a cub who wishes to play but is unable to move for her legs are fused? If it gave them a chance to live...perhaps. But I hear the hidden whispers of their pain. And it is no fate that should befall an innocent life."

She shudders, pulling her tail tighter before turning to her neighbor, dipping her head in respect of her elder.

"What of you? Where do the stars guide you on cubs whose family line is laden with the same kin again and again?"

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Jack-O-Lantern smiled up at the previous queen from where he was lounging on a large stone, considering her question for a moment. The jewelry that decorates his body clanked together softly as he moved to sit up. “Ah…yes. Well it’s not really their fault, is it? I don’t really condone the deliberate creation of such… unfortunate lineages, and would never do so myself.” He huffs, scratching distractedly at the stone beneath his paws.

“I don’t mind having them in my pride, either way. All that I look for in a lion is beauty! A pretty lion is a pretty lion, amiright?” He turns to the next ruler beside him, “What about you? What do you search for in a lion, strength? Looks? Something else? I’m terribly curious now.”

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Viperidae looks up from her snack at the question and looks Jack-O-Lantern in the eyes calmly and says "well, I personally try to have lionesses that are pleasing to look at. so that I can actually bare being around them." she looks down and is about to take a bite then says "well then again having a strong lioness is also important, since its either kill or be killed around here"

she finishes eating and then rests her head on her paws "now i have to ask, what about you. do you kill your cubs that did not turn out how you wanted them to as well? or do you just give them away to people with lower standards than you"

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"No reason to get rid of something that could still be sold for a pretty penny" a young lion spoke, their eyes hidden by a dark purple veil that looped around their rugged mane and brilliant golden frame.

"There's a market for everything, why miss the benefits from a failure if the cubs mother is subject to stay in my pride already, that is." Although part of their face remained hidden, it was easy to tell the cockiness and confidence of the smile that formed on their jaw. "We find plenty of food even where others would starve, so keeping the little bugger around untill I can rid myself of them is no issue"

The Kimanjaro lion lazily flicked their bushy black tail at the direction of the next person in line.

"The lands you reign, what does it look like? Is ot a vibrant paradise, or perhaps you are more like us, who thrive in lands others would consider hostile?"

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Orchidstar perks her ears at the question, her tired eyes sparkling. The queen nudges a surprised-looking ferus male forwards, who looks back. His queen whispers something in his ear, and he begrudgingly agrees to answer. It will be his pride after all, soon enough.

“Our pridelands are rocky and unpredictable. They are unforgiving to the unwary. For us, however, they give us the great advantage of surprise and familiarity. It is harder for prey and enemies alike to escape our mountains when we know the way better than them,” the primal pauses and looks back at his queen, “they are also our ancestral home. We would not move, as generations of lions have worn the cave floors smooth, and the rocky paths less treacherous. It is our home, and our only home.”

Satisfied with his answer, the ferus sits down next to his queen, who praises him. They share a smile and turn to the next ruler, “what is your favourite month? Do you prefer hunting poachers or gifting other players? Another event perhaps?”

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Embers fall around the proud king with each step, kicked up from the flames at his paws. Head lowered, he walks forward at a slight strafe, sizing up the one who asks him his opinion. What month? What event? Did he care for such things? Perhaps. Which would he consider his favorite?

A slightly bellowed yawn came as he lowered himself to lie down. More embers fell from the fire flickering idly at the tip of his tail.

"While hunting poachers is a worthwhile pastime, and I do so thoroughly enjoy the slay in the protection of my lands, I happen to like the larger war between Heaven and Hell." A small smirk came accompanied by a deeper chuckle. "The manticore amuses me greatly."

Not at all wary of the approaching monarch, he turns to look over his shoulder to greet them.

"Welcome to the philosophical inquiries of the bored." Another chuckle. "What, pray tell, is your opinion on those new Decennial markings?"

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