Titles, Jobs & Succession

Lions in the pride have certain titles and jobs, denoting their role. These have different qualifications & rules of succession.

Leaders

The pride always has two leaders. One has to be the child of the previous leading couple.

There is a primary ruler, and a secondary ruler, who acts as a second-in-command. There can be a King and a Queen, two Kings, or two Queens.

If the primary ruler is a descendant of the previous leading couple, they can choose whoever they want to be their partner and secondary ruler. If the primary ruler is not a descendant of the previous ruling couple, they must choose one of the previous ruling couple's kids to be the secondary leader.

This is to ensure that all rulers are tied to the pride's founder.

Royal Family

Not all cubs of the leading couple go on to become leaders themselves. What happens to them?

Princess/Prince

This title is granted to cubs and grandcubs of the leading couple. These lions live with in wealth and comfort with the leaders.

Lady/Lord

This title is given to great-grandcubs and great-great-grandcubs of the leading couple. They do not have the same privileges as Princesses and Princes, but still enjoy an easier life than the average pride member.

The Court

Advisors

There are two to three Advisors at any given time. These lions are chosen by the leaders.

Baroness/Baron

This is given to lions for notable achievements. In recent history, it was given to a lioness because her first cub had a special base.

High-Huntress

High-Huntress are the most experienced hunter in the pride. They lead all huntresses, and represent them in the court. There is only ever one. When the High-Huntress retires, the replacement is the most experienced Huntress. Because of the strenuous nature of this job, High-Huntresses retire at age 12.

High-Mother

High-Mother is the most experienced broodmother in the pride. They lead all the broodmothers, and represent them in the court. There is only ever one, and a lioness must have a nurturing personality to be High-Mother. When the High-Mother retires, the position is whichever lioness is nurturing; if there is more than one, it goes to the most experienced. High-Mothers retire at age 13.

High-Scholar

The High-Scholar overlooks all lions pursuing intellectual careers, from tutors to scribes to historians, and represents them in the court. Their successor is the most intelligent lion in any intellectual positions. They retire at age 13.

Oracle

There is only ever one Oracle, and she can see glimpses of the future. This position is based purely on bloodlines, passing from mother to youngest daughter. The Oracle retires at 13.

The Town

Huntress

Huntresses are the four most experienced hunters in the pride, having at least more than 10 levels in experience. They're often older, unless there is an exception. When a Huntress retires or is promoted, her successor is the most experienced Sub-Huntress. Because of the strenuous nature of this job, Huntresses retire at age 12.

Sub-Huntress

Sub-Huntresses are back-up hunters. There are five positions. The most experienced Sub-Huntress fills in if one of the Huntresses can't hunt, and if the Huntresses are done for the day, the Sub-Huntress go out instead. When a Sub-Huntress retires or is promoted, her successor is the most experienced Anti-Huntress. Because of the strenuous nature of this job, Sub-Huntresses retire at age 12.

Anti-Huntress

Anti-Huntresses are the youngest and least experienced huntress. There is no limit to their members, though realistically, there's never more than 3. They've frequently just become adults. If there are no more sub-huntresses, the most experienced anti-huntress steps in, though they realistically don't see much action. Because of the strenuous nature of this job, Anti-Huntresses retire at age 12.

Mother

Mothers are the broodmothers of the pride. They work for the High-Mother, protecting the pride's cubs. Cubs with a nurturing personality are encouraged to become Mothers. They retire at age 13.

Butcher

The Butcher is trusted with the pride's food. They sort, distribute, and protect it. They retire at 13.

Scribe

Scribes are lions that have learnt to write. Few lions can read, and even fewer have figured out how to write. Their claws aren't exactly built for it. These lions work closely with other intellectual lions and under the High-Scholar. They retire at 13.

Tutor

There are two Tutors, one specialises in teaching adolescents, they other specialises in teaching cubs. They work under the High-Scholar, and retire at 13.

Historian

The Historian preserves the pride's history and legacy. They research and gather information from pride members, and work with the Scribes to document the most important information.

Beetle-Holder

The Beetle-Holder has been entrusted by the pride leaders with the clan's finances. They retire at 13.

Hoarder

The Hoarder is responsible for general maintenance of the pride's collective belongings, excepting food and money. They retire at 13.

Others

Butler/Maid

Butlers and Maids are lions that service lions of nobility. Every member of the royal family has a servant, and some nobles do too. These servants are also meant to be lifelong companions, and enjoy the privileges of living among the richer lions of the pride.

Elder

An Elder is in retirement. Most lions retire at 13, unless they have a particularly physically grueling job. If so, they retire at 12.

You have liked this post!

Religion

Lions from Dagadan worship a pantheon of gods, created from a blend of canon Lioden gods (including ones from retired events) and gods unique to the pride. It focuses on ancestor worship.

Primary Pantheon

The Draco Demiurge

The gods are not truly lions, and The Draco Demiurge feels no need to mask that. Its snout is reminiscent of a lion, but apart from that, It takes the form of a grand reptile with scaly wings, striking terror into lionkind. It is a dual god with The Dwarf Demiurge.
Domains: Reptiles, travel, constellations
Worship: Merchants and travelers pray to The Draco Demiurge for safe travels

The Dwarf Demiurge

The Dwarf Demiurge is largely considered a much kinder counterpart to The Draco Demiurge. It appears as a male dwarf to the lions it visits, and is known to step onto Earth.
Domains: Dwarves, healing, constellations
Worship: Lions pray to It for healthy cubs, and to save lethally mutated cubs

Menhit

Menhit is the Princess of the Heavens, current co-ruler of the afterlife. She is guided by the spirits of deceased lions.
Domains: Herbs, youth, royalty
Worship: Healers follow Menhit for guidance on herbs; the royal family prays to her for prosperity

Apollyon

Apollyon is the Lord of Fire and a co-ruler of the afterlife. He brings the cleansing flame of destruction to allow for the birth of a new world.
Domains: Fire, rebellion, rebirth
Worship: Lions pray to Apollyon in winter to bring about spring; lions in positions of power tend to be more frightened of him because of his rebellious connotations

You have liked this post!

The Pridelands

The Dagadan Pride has made their home in a vast jungle.

Their home is hidden behind a waterfall in a clearing, deep in the safety of the jungle. Lions spend their days around a pool of water fed by the waterfalls, or inside the cave system.

To enter the cave system, there is a ledge to walk across that leads behind the waterfall and into a large, communal cave.

Level with the communal cave is a cave dedicated to the Adoption Centre run by the pride. Opposite the Adoption Centre is a tunnel leading to three more caves - one is used for food storage, another for general hoard storage, and the final for currency.

Another ledge leads up to two more caves. Halfway up it widens to a large ledge, off of which there is the cave where most of the pride lives. This cave is know as Onas Town.

The ledge narrows again, leading ever higher to another cave known as the Rhothomir Court. This cave is smaller, set above the main entrance, and home to less lions. These lions include the royal family and members of the court. The ledge off this cave juts into an overhang, giving the leaders and occasionally other important lions a place to make announcements. It looks a little precarious, but it hasn't shown signs of giving way yet, and no lions have ever fallen off either.

You have liked this post!

History

Founding

The jungle Dagadan lives in was long abandoned by lionkind. Klaern wandered far from his birth pride after being forced to leave, and on his journey met two lionesses, Kysha and Giliel. They joined him, and they found the thick and uninhabited jungle.

In their first nights in the jungle, they stayed in an abandoned human monument of stone passageways. During exploring and marking their new territory, they found a cave hidden behind a waterfall and moved to live there.

You have liked this post!

You have some wonderful stories! May I ask how you got the text to change to the brown color you have on this forum? (asking for my own purposes, teehee) Thanks!

You have liked this post!