P r i d e L a w

I. The King and his Hunt Chieftess is to be respected. They are your leaders and are to never be disrespect or disobeyed. You are to refer to them as "Your Majesty" , "Your Grace" , or "Your Highness"

II. The Children of the King are to be referred to as "Princess" or "Prince" and the number offspring they are. So if they are the firstborn of the King they are the "First Prince". Children of the Hunt Chieftess are to be referred to as "Noble Lady" or "Noble Lord" , this is if she is not bearing offspring of the King.
III. Females belonging to the King himself are to be referred to as Duchess , and to be spoken as to "Your Ladyship." If the Chief Huntess has a male she favors and bears his offspring he is to be referred to as Duke and "Your Lordship"

IV. Females are not allowed to have cubs with males not inside the pride. If they are found to have done so then they are Outcasted and their cubs are not respected like regular cubs unless they have proven themselves or disown their lineage. They are also to as the Hunt Chieftess for permission to have cubs with any male that isn't the King as more cubs means more mouths to feed. Bonded Pairs are also to ask for permission as well.

V. Young male cubs are to be chased off from the pride at 2 years of age. They are potential rivals to the king and may not stay any longer, they may ask for an extension of their stay but they must not overstay it. They are allowed to say goodbye to their family before they leave, and may occasionally return for visits if permitted by the Hunt Chieftess and King. Young females at the age of 1 are allow to perform for their Huntress Exam which will make them official members of the pride and the latest age they can do this is 2 when they are considered fully adults, it is shameful for a female over 2 to not have completed the Exam. ALL females are expected to do this.

VI. Those with infirmities like blindness, a limp leg, or missing leg are not necessarily treated well, but mistreatment of them is forbidden. These lions are used to being harshly spoken to behind their backs or directly in front of others.

VII. Females belong to the males within the pride and to have romantic relations with another male is punishable by exile or death. And lying about the father of your cubs is shameful as well. Relationships between two males and two females is forbidden and according to the old laws, punishable by death. However, this law isn't enforced nearly as much - most accept these types of relationships but some may feel uncomfortable with it, it is all up to the Hunt Chieftess and King themselves.

VIII. Cubs are to be properly taught the laws and legends of the past. W cub must be a respectful little creature, the higher ranked their parent means the highest expectations for them. A female can get in trouble for what their cub has done so she must make sure they are on their way behavior.

IX. No Hunting or Patrolling without permission. It is seen as disrespectful and selfish for a lioness fo hunt without permission or orders from the Hunt Chieftess. This offence is punishable by being struck by a the Hunt Chieftess, reciting parts of Pride Law, or being barred from hunts and forced to be a cub-sitter.

X. Respect your elders. These lions have the stories of the Old Age and the wisdom of the past and are to be respected. You also are to respect your parents especially in old age as well.

This exam consists of 3 parts. Only two lionesses will be tested at a time, as this Exam lasts for almost a whole week depending on how fast the Exam goes for the lioness.

Part Two: The huntress must show her skill as a hunter. She is given the whole day to bring three specific prey items, and she is to be watched under the eyes of other Huntresses and Hunt Chief as witnesses. As long as she does bring at least 2 out of 3 prey items she does pass. She may not bring already dead animals because that is considered cheating.

Part Three: The female is to fight the strongest Huntress in a duel and show her fighting skill. She must strike the Huntress at least six times without using her claws since it is a non-lethal spar, however the Huntress she is dueling is allowed to use her claws. This is in place to test the skill and wits of the lioness. If she gets at least 4 hits in she will still pass but 6 is the usual amount.

Ranking Challenges are to happen only during the Wet Season. When a lioness wants to challenge another lioness for her dominance ranking, the challenger must speak with the Hunt Chieftess and then the one being challenge must be informed of it, and chose whether they accept or decline the challenge. They have 3 chances to decline it, but if it is challenged a fourth time then they must defend their title or it is considered shameful. The battle must occur in the presence of the Hunt Chieftess and 2 Huntresses and an Elder if the pride has one.

Challenging for King is quite different. The challenging lion must spar in the presence of the whole pride and Hunt Chieftess. He must then win the battle honorably himself. Even if he wins, it still does not mean he becomes King. He must then kill all male cubs the age of 2 and under remaining in the pride to rid it of rivals. After that he must state his claim to Kingship, however the lionesses will be observing him in all his moves when doing this. The Hunt Chieftess then makes a democratic decision whether she accepts this male as King and hears the voices of her lionesses whether they think him fit or not. If thought fit he is now the King, but if not, the lionesses have the authority to kill him or chase him off.

Hunt Chieftess is a rank that is not easily challenged. The rank is a familial rank and so it we'll know that only a blood relative can challenge for said rank.

The lions gather around the body of the dead lion or lioness, and they collectively roar until the morning time. And for the rest of the day they tell stories about the deceased lion until the afternoon. And they fast for the day.

They come before the King and Hunt Chieftess and the pride. The female is decorated with flowers and male in a pelt. They then intertwine tails and rub noses and recite vows.

This is the most dominant lion within the pride. He is the protector of the pride, he has authority over all except the Hunt Chieftess who is the only one who can remotely challenge him. He protects the lionesses from danger and keeps the Pride safe. This male is tasked with constantly keeping his borders patrolled and safe. This position within the pride isn't stable as it can easily be challenged for by outside males or even males within the pride. He also has first rights when choosing females as his. This male is to be respected - when in his sight he must be bowed to.

This female is the most dominant female within the Pride. She is the King's right hand lady and most trusted female. She leads all the hunts and gives orders to the lionesses. She is to be respected and keep the lionesses in order, her word is law and to be taken seriously. She also makes decisions on where her pride will stay and hunt. Her rank is more stable than the King, a change in King doesn't mean a change in her position. She also is the respected lioness of other lionesses, after all that is how she gained her position. This rank is passed down from grandmother to daughter and then daughter to her child. There is a reason she is in this position as well: she is the most capable lionesses, the one who hunts exceptionally, can fights and defend herself very well, she is not one to be trifled with. She also does not have to be mates with the King and may chose whoever she breeds with.

The oldest and wisest members of the pride. Possibly former Huntresses, Hunt Chieftesses, or even the former King. These lions are not required to hunt, and they are allowed to spend the rest of their days being taken care of by the other lions within the pride. They are the ones with knowledge of the last and tell the cubs and adults stories. They may be older but they still are fierce and may even watch camp when others are out. They are to be respected and listened to by the other lions within the Pride.

These are the young lionesses one and older who have not completed their Huntress Exam.

The youth and joy of the pride. These are the creatures under two years of age. They are to be protected and properly taught and trained by mothers. To have a cub die on your watch is a high offense and to kill a cub is treason. The parents of the cub also have a factor in how well they're treated - cubs of the higher ranked females are treated extremely well. To be the son or daughter of the Hunt Chieftess or Deputy is a high honor.

Vanilla Latte said:

I'd like to join! Is there a bio format that I need to use?