The First King



The Tenebris Pride did not start without the first king, Crimsonstar. Most of his story has been lost to the sands of time, but some of it managed to be scavenged from the story written on the walls of Anubis's temple, where the deceased king's bones lie. Only the priestesses are able decode the story of Crimsonstar from the hieroglyphics, and the story they told was one of sadness.

Crimsonstar was originally named Crimson, and from a distant land. His mate Sunstreak was disgraced as a rogue's daughter, but she was loved by the prince. Under the cover of night, they ran away from their homelands and wandered the vast savannah until they found their safe haven. Several baobab trees clustered together formed a good spot for dens. To their delight, Sunstreak was pregnant, and they knew it meant the beginning of a new generation, with Princess Latona, firstborn to the king.

They began to hollow out the ground and the earth underneath the baobab trees, satisfied in knowing it was hollow underneath each of them. They began to set up dens, and over time, more lionesses joined them. However, Crimsonstar wasn't satisfied. He knew a danger lurked just over his borders, and his guard was constantly up. When challengers arrived to claim the land for themselves, it seemed to take much out of the king. His health began to fail after many challenges, and he knew his time would end soon. He needed an heir.

The story from then on is unreadable, as the stone has begun to crack and the hieroglyphics have begun to fade away. But the priestesses have been able to read the name of the heir, and tell the story of Crimsonstar's final days.

The name of the heir was Eaglepaw. He grew up in Crimsonstar's lands, and when the king retired, the young lion had to step up and choose his queen. Hera was her name, being a beautiful dark-furred lioness from unknown lands. Crimsonstar died with those that loved him most around him, including Eaglepaw.

His story ends there, with the rest of it lost. But only time will tell. Will the rest of the story be uncovered as time goes on, or will his story be lost forever?

You have liked this post!

The First Warrior



Aria, a name meaning melody. She was beautiful, feared, and most of all, respected. A lioness taken in during the reign of Crimsonstar, the first king of the Tenebris Pride, her notable features were her fangs. Beautiful long canines that were considered a curse by many other prides, but considered a gift in the Tenebris Pride. She was scorned by outsiders, but respected by those who personally knew her.

Aria was a mere cub when she arrived at the pride. Her mentor was Sunstreak, the first queen and her adoptive mother. She was raised to be a strong, wise lioness. As a cub, she often got into trouble. She nearly lost a fang to a stray crocodile, but was rescued by Sunstreak just in time. She eventually grew Damara Ram Horns, seemingly a gift to help her defend herself against the dangers of the world.

As time passed, she became more fearsome. Once she reached adulthood, she had golden claw extensions on both her front and hind paws, and her fangs had grown to their final length. She was very protective of her pride, but she knew something was coming. When the ground split and the serpent of chaos rose, she sided with Anubis, just like the rest of the pride did, but she was favored by Seth, the god of war. He often called to her, and she was drawn to his temple. He gifted her with coiled snake headpieces and wings of war. The body paint she wore was drawn by a rogue lioness after Sunstreak's passing, and it was her pride. She fought alongside the pride in the battle against the serpent's minions, earning many victories and thus weakening him.

When the time came, Seth took over her body so he could defeat the serpent alongside Anubis and Bast, and when Apophis fell, he was forced to return to his temple. However, the chasm did not close, and Aria was able to visit Seth all she wanted. With his guidance, she learned to battle efficiently and protect the pride. As time passed, they developed a bond, and Aria sometimes never returned to the baobab trees for days, having preferred to stay with Seth.

They fought together when Heaven and Hell collided, and when rabies broke out among the land. However, despite her great achievements, Aria's health was failing. She spent more time with Seth and was weaker when fighting. The new king, Apate, had her retire from her duties and stay in Seth's temple for as long as she wanted. She was brought food and water by the other lionesses, as she was now too weak to hunt, much less move. She spent her final weeks under Seth's protection, and even he grieved when she passed on to the afterlife.

Her body was placed in a chamber of Seth's temple, and her spirit resided there for years. Seth was able to converse with her, but only the priestesses were able to speak with her spirit and see her. This remained until the high priestess of the Temple of Anubis, Evelyn, heard of the great warrior. She was an immortal herself, but not brought back from the dead. She had just become an adult when her immortality ceremony began. She sacrificed a jellyfish encased in a canopic jar to Anubis, and he revived her, pleasing the entire pride, and most of all, Seth.

Aria was now immortal, and was destined to protect the pride for all eternity and roam the land like she used to. Aria's story is still being written on the walls of her chamber.

You have liked this post!