06-17-2020, 08:09 PM (This post was last modified: 06-30-2020, 06:50 PM by Kieran.)
BASIC
Admins: Kieran & Prismatic Fate
A Lion King AU RPG based on only the 1994 movie.
Any expansion to the lore, characters, and story is our own fan visions.
Rating: 15+ / 3-2-2 (Language-Sex-Violence) Minimum age to join: 15 years
Fluid time flow. No seasonal flow at all.
Characters of almost any species are allowed. And OCs are warmly welcome.
Humans don't exist in this universe.
Timeline: August 1st 1994 forward.
PLOT/SETTING
The Lion Guard in question is not the one from the tv series.
That tv series does not apply to this RPG in any way.
In the beginning of our timeline Mufasa saves both Simba and himself from the wildebeest stampede. Mufasa pushed Simba to climb up a staircase-like path to safety after carefully placing the boy on a ledge, and then pulled himself up to follow him. He detected hyena scent in the air which he found as odd as the fact that the herd was on the move in the first place. After asking Simba what he'd been doing in the canyon all alone, the answer prompted another question; had Scar told him about the Elephant Graveyard?
It became apparent that Scar, his own brother, wanted Simba dead. This was a deep shock for the family-centered Mufasa who loved his brother, and it took him until the next day to truly process it. Mufasa stayed in his family's private cave and kept his wife and son there too all night. He recalled Scar's attitude and words the day of Simba's presentation ceremony, and realized that little brother indeed wasn't challenging him but made a threat on Simba's life. Still, a part of him refused to believe such a terrible thing.
At sunrise Mufasa told his family to stay in whilst he visited the Elephant Graveyard with several members of the Lion Guard. There Mufasa very easily gained the information he was looking for, as most trembled even from the mention of king Mufasa's name not to mention his presence whilst those who otherwise might have dared to try attack chose not to upon seeing that the king hadn't come alone.
With heavy heart, having learned the truth beyond any doubt, Mufasa returned to Pride Rock and on the way ordered a few members of the Lion Guard, some birds, to gather animals from all the species in the kingdom to witness a trial for a crime. That it would take place at noon. He didn't disclose to the birds who or what it was for, so that Scar wouldn't hear about it and escape. He assumed Scar would stay clear of hyenas that day and stick with the family to avoid any suspicion. The only ones who knew before the trial started, apart from the hyenas and the several Guard members who'd been there, were Rafiki, Sarabi, Zazu and Sarafina whom Mufasa asked to stay at Pride Rock and talk about it only in their family's private cave if they had to.
Sarabi and Mufasa had arranged Sarafina to babysit Simba whom they felt was too young to be present in such a trial. At noon, a large number of his subjects had arrived at Pride Rock wondering what had happened. Mufasa brought Scar to a lower ledge of the Pride Rock where all the trials were held.
Scar did not confess. But with Mufasa letting him tell his side of the stroy, several Lion Guard members as witnesses to the hyenas' confessions, and Mufasa repeating Simba's words and what happened the day of the presentation ceremony (to which Zazu had been a witness, plus Zazu told about how Scar had knocked him unconscious when he tried to go get help during the stampede), it was generally considered a fair trial and Mufasa's decision of Scar's guilt was accepted.
Mufasa sentenced Scar to life long exile under bane of death. The king's being and voice were determined and strong, but his eyes showed deep sorrow as he spoke those words and watched his little brother walk out of their childhood home and out of his life. The king moved up to the ceremony ledge so that he could see Scar for longer, and stood/sat there for hours after he was gone. He didn't let even Sarabi or Rafiki to stay by his side, he wanted to be alone.
Just before sunset every single member of the Lion Guard, from birds and voles to lions and whatever, were gathered at Pride Rock. The king ordered everyone of them from then on to prioritise keeping an eye on danger to Simba whenever the boy is outside without him of Sarabi, and report to him immediately if Simba's life seemed to be in danger. They should always give Simba space and relative freedom to live as normally as possible, but always have at least three Guard lions near enough to protect him if something happened. It was now of the utmost importance and the Guard's absolute number one task to ensure no one dangerous gets close to Simba. Because it was now entirely possible that Scar had allies other than hyenas, too.
Keeping an eye out for Scar or hyenas in the kingdom and their doings, as well as to help animals in need, is the Guard's secondary task though somewhat tieing in with the first. Normal everyday peace keeping and law enforcement duties must come as third importance. Every time they'd let Simba go out Mufasa would assign three Guard lions to stick near the boy, as well as a bird or two, until he returned home. This is the way it would be until either Scar was found dead and no further threat to the throne was detected or until Simba was old enough and strong enough to defend himself.
But the very first thing most of the largest members of the Guard and some of the birds were assigned to do was to track down every single hyena and tell them that all of them have been found guilty of the attempted murder of prince Simba and conspiracy to take over the throne, either by literal attempt or by associaion. And thus, by order of king Mufasa, they have all been exiled under bane of death along with Scar. That they'd have to leave these parts now and never to return or else face death by starvation on their land or execution upon stepping inside the kingdom's borders. By sunrise the next day the Lion Guard had managed to drive out most of the hyenas. Within a few days all of them were gone. The king claimed the Elephant Graveyard as part of his kingdom, but it remains off limits for all cubs because it's still a very dangerous location.
06-17-2020, 08:36 PM (This post was last modified: 06-23-2020, 03:09 PM by Kieran.)
GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE
~ Geography & Locations
We live in Kenya, Africa, focused on the kingdom called Pride Lands..
The kingdom is 300 square miles (777 square km) wide, pretty much a square (approx. 17,5 x 17,5 ml or 28 x 28 km.)
Pride Rock is Mufasa's pride's home. It's a gigantic rock formation including several caves. The largest cave is for the whole pride to gather and sleep in, it's the first one from bottom from the main entrance. The royal family members have their own smaller, private cave close to the highest and largest ledge where all the royal ceremonies are held. Other caves on the rock may have been claimed by other families.
It's located just about in the center of the territory. So the kingdom stretches approximately 9 ml (14 km) to every direction. It tales the average adult lion three hours of constant walking to move between Pride Rock and the border.
There used to be interior borders surrounding the Elephant Graveyard which is located about 3 miles (4,8 km) north from Pride Rock. It used to be hyena territory, out of bounds for anyone who lives in Pride Lands. But it's only a mile wide so not much was lost.
In ancient times when Pride Lands was first established, the area was already an Elephant Graveyard. The king did not feel it right to claim a graveyard so the kingdom’s borders were established around it. A couple of hundred years ago a pack of hyenas was welcome to live in Pride Lands until it was noticed that this particular lot had tendency to steal food during the worst months of a dry season and hunt for sport during wet season. The then current king permanently exiled all hyenas, but as the Elephant Graveyard had not been claimed by him or any ruler before him, he could not stop them from settling there in order to stay near potential easy prey. It became known as the hyena’s land.
Rarely anyone lost their way and ended up there, and eventually even elephants stopped going there but chose to die somewhere else in peace than spend their last moments being torn apart by a starving hyena pack. Generation after another, hyenas died from starvation or just barely survived. They were permitted to cross the five miles between their land and Pride Lands northern border, if they wanted to leave this part of Kenya altogether and as long as they did not hunt on the way. But a large number of hyenas never left, some hoped a future king would pardon them and give them a second chance whilst some enjoyed trying to steal food from the kingdom which essentially ruined the wishful thinkers dream.
These days, after the hyenas were driven out, the area is part of Pride Lands but still off limits to all cubs of Mufasa's pride.
The water hole is located 2 ml (3 km) north from Pride Rock. It's a large pond that is commonly used by all animals. Hunting anyone at this pond whilst they're trying to have a drink is illegal. During the worst months of a dry seasons the royal family members have the right to drink first if they happen to arrive at the same time with another animal. But Mufasa and Sarabi would give their share away if the other animal(s) looked like they needed the water more.
~ Climate
Dry season - June through October
June, July, August, September & October – These are the coldest months. Daytime temperatures are usually around 23°C/73°F at higher altitudes, and 28°C/82°F at lower altitudes. The sky is clear and days are sunny. Early morning temperatures at higher altitude are typically 10°C/50°F. There is very little rain in most of the country. In September and October there's extreme water and food shortage.
Wet season - November through May
During the Wet season daytime temperatures are between 24°C/75°F and 27°C/81°F at higher altitudes. At lower altitudes daytime temperatures are more consistent and hover around 30°C/86°F. January to March are the warmest months.
November & December – 'Short rains': A period of unpredictable, short rains between November and December. The rain is sometimes heavy, but mostly falls in the late afternoon or evening.
January & February – During these months, a dry spell in the rainy season occurs with less rainfall. How long the spell lasts and when it takes place exactly is unpredictable.
March, April & May – 'Long rains': These months get the most rain. It’s very cloudy, especially in the highlands.
06-17-2020, 08:59 PM (This post was last modified: 06-24-2020, 11:47 PM by Kieran.)
RELIGION & SOCIETY
Afterlife is a concept at least the lions believe in. They believe that all the great kings and queens of the past are up in the stars watching over the living. In fact it's all the animals regardless of their social status or if they were great or not, but the royal family focuses their faith on the past rulers. The dead can return as a ghost/spirit only if specifically summoned by someone with such power, such as the shaman Rafiki. When summoned, a spirit enters the world of the living as part of the elements; they're in the wind, clouds and water. They can become semi-physical by through clouds or reflection in the water, and audibly talk to the living. They don't have to come when summoned, but if they do they can't stay long, a few tens of minutes at most.
The Great Spirit is an entity generally believed in as the Creator. There's no proof of it, and summoned spirits of the dead literally can't reveal secrets of afterlife to the living nor can they see the future. They can discuss/advise only on the past and present of the living world and how they feel about it.
All herds/flocks/packs native to Pride Lands have lived for countless generations believing in the Circle of Life and generally accepted their place in the food chain, preferring to stay in Pride Lands where no one is allowed to hunt for sport and hunting in general is under control due to a long line of wise kings and queens.
Some species are like in the real world, as in not able to speak or have complex emotions. Such are insects, lizards, spiders and fish.
All other species, also snakes, have human intelligence and emotional range. But different species may have different customs and beliefs. Written language doesn't exist.
An adult lion's average walking speed is 3 miles / 4,5 km per hour. And can run 50 miles / 80 km per hour at top speed, but only for a very short time. They're the second fastest species in Africa, topped only by the cheetah. Cats are built for speed, not distance.
A member of the Royal Family should be addressed with appropriate respect, ("Your Majesty", "Your Highness", "My King/Queen/Prince", "Sir" ect.) by any commoner, even by members of Mufasa's pride. Accompanied with a bow when appropriate. Exception of course being anyone who has become a very close friend with them, like Rafiki with Mufasa, Nala with Simba and Sarafina with Sarabi and Mufasa. Other than such close friends and the family itself, no one should turn their back on the king when in his presence - it's just considered rude. One should wait until he leaves first or exit pacing backwards or to the side depending on what is possible/easier.
And of course, it's not considered appropriate to hug or otherwise get into a royal's personal space without permission unless you're a close friend or the situation otherwise requires it. The royal family gets to eat their fill first at meal times. The presentation ceremony of royal cubs happen when the cubs are one month old.
All subjects are below prince Simba. As in they can't tell him what to do or not to do, but can report any concerns or complaints about him to a pride member. They don't have to do Simba's bidding as long as he's not yet the king, but out of respect they often may. At least if the demand/order isn't stupid or unreasonable. Though, creatures smaller than Simba or just non-confrontational persons may end up doing whatever Simba tells them to.
The pride is lead by the currently crowned king or queen. It has many females and many males, both born in the pride and some joined from the outlands. Normally, other prides and animals visiting Pride Lands are welcomed as long as they don't cause trouble. Visiting predators are allowed to hunt but only as much as they need for sufficient amount of food for themselves, they're made aware of this and the ramifications of breaking this law.
Mufasa's pride is large, most of them adults but there are also several cubs of all ages. The pride hunts twice a week during wet season and for most of the dry season. They hunt in the darkness of the night, and sometimes on a cooler day. The lioness' focus on small prey like zebra, antelope or wildebeest, especially if they need to hunt alone. Some of the males go out hunting too in efforts to catch also large prey. So altogether they can potentially bring home two catches to sustain the large pride's needs for several days. During September and October when there's extreme food and water shortahe they catch whatever they can whenever they can, thus group hunting is rare. The royal family has the right to eat their fill first no matter what season is on, but during those extreme dry months they too hunt their own prey. And if someone else's very young cubs are in desperate need of food they may share their catch after Simba has eaten his fill.
King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi have only one child, Simba. Married males and females are supposed to make cubs only with their spouse, as in marriage works the same way it does in human world. Royal marriages are always arranged when the prince or princess is an infant.
Lion age/maturing in human years:
Up to 8 months old one month is one human year. From that on four months is one human year.
Thus, one year old lion is like a nine years old human, and then each additional year equals three human years. At age 3 a lion is sexually mature and can reproduce. At age 4, (18 years old in human years), a lion is a legal adult.
Joining the pride has normally been relatively simple. A would-be member just contacts a member of the Lion Guard who will then take the visitor to the king and queen. The visitor tells them who he/she is and why they'd like to join, and if it seems to be alright they get to mingle with the pride and see if they get along with others and can contribute something good. If all goes well without major unfixable issues they'll be accepted into the pride, in an official gathering, by the king.
But that was when all seemed to be well. After Scar's betrayal and exile, joining the pride is nearly impossible at least for a time. Any visitor is intensely interrogated by the Guard before they let them anywhere near any member of the royal family. And even if they're deemed safe enough for that, Mufasa is unlikely to let a stranger freely mingle among his pride and near his child. Visitors are still welcomed and the interrogation is conducted in a relatively friendly manner, but anyone allowed to stay for any length of time will be kept a close eye on.
~ Laws & law enforcement
Due to the harsh punishments, crime rate is very low in Pride Lands. Especially of major crimes that also mean being taken before the king and queen to be sentenced.
The king, the queen, and any member of the Lion Guard are the law enforcement team. All crimes punishable by exile or death are trialed and the sentence decided and passed by the current ruler based on evidence shown by witnesses and the Lion Guard members who investigated it before it was brought to trial. Death is the harshest punishment anyone can get for a crime. The death sentence has always been enforced. It is rarely executed by the ruler personally but by someone/some lions of the Guard the ruler has appointed to carry out the sentence.
If the crime committed isn't serious enough to warrant exile or death sentence, there's no full trial but the case is instead handled and the punishment enforced by the Lion Guard alone. The sentencing has to happen by the leader of the Guard in the offender's presence, and then simply get reported to the king in the next monthly group meeting. Exception being a member of the royal family.
That is, if any member of the royal family commits a crime of any kind the sentencing is always up to the ruler. (like if Simba kept stealing food or stuff, the Lion Guard has no authority to punish him. It would have to be brought to Mufasa's attention and shown evidence like of any other crime.) The ruler himself/herself, of course, is above the law and can never be charged with a crime. But no ruler in living memory has abused their position because of it.
Crime and punishment:
Murder (for reasons other than for food/survival or sport) = death sentence.
Attempted murder of any predator = permanent exile under bane of death.
Abducting someone = permanent exile. It increases to exile under bane of death if the abductor also physically abused the person.
Hunting for sport = permanent exile.
Hunting/attacking anyone at the water hole = first time; temporary exile of some duration depending on the case details, second time; permanent exile.
Hunting/intentionally killing a Lion Guard member = permanent exile. Both active and retired members are under this special protection due to their extra value and years of official service towards the kingdom's security and peace.
Stealing food = temporary loss of hunting/meal privileges. Duration depends on who did it, their age, and current health situation. Stealing food during the sentence period will lead to a 2 months long exile. Trying to return during those months will lead to permanent exile.
Stealing other possessions = first offense; warning. Second offense; temporary loss of hunting/meal privileges. Duration depends on who did it, their age, and current health situation. But will increase each time caught stealing non-food possessions until the person finally feels it's not worth it. As in stealing other than food or children/other individuals will never result in exile.
~ Time keeping
Pride Lands doesn't concern itself with the overall year count of the world but only how old they and their children are and at what age their loved ones die. Time is measured by the sun and the moon. There's 12 months in a year, and they are named the same as ours. In the beginning of every year the shaman, mandrill Rafiki, records the previous year by making a cave painting of some major or significant event/thing that happened that year and was more or less unique. A stick is added to a pile every day to keep track of days, there's 28 in every month. The stick piles are a task for a bird member of the Lion Guard.
This calendar is in the only public cave of Pride Rock, located at its backside and fourty feet (12 meters) up from the ground level. It's dedicated to the time keeping, no one is allowed to settle in there.
06-17-2020, 10:32 PM (This post was last modified: 06-23-2020, 04:35 PM by Kieran.)
THE LION GUARD
This is not the one from the tv series.
That tv series doesn't apply to this RPG in any way.
The Lion Guard of Pride Lands is an ancient organization dedicated to safety and peace of the kingdom and especially of the royal family. It is composed of adult animals, almost any species individual can be in it but the leader is always a lion. All members are permanent residents of Pride Lands and chosen by the king.
12 out of the current 40 lions in Mufasa's pride are Guard members, minimum age for a lion member is four years old - (that is 18 years old in human terms.) All of them must be able to hold their own in a serious fight but those less skilled are assigned mainly for duties that don't have a high risk of confrontation. Tasks and missions that require most responsibility and life experience are assigned to mature adults, regardless of the species. Other species may have larger number of individuals as members, especially voles and birds do.
The king has made one of the lions the leader of the Guard, whose responsibility it is to make sure the Guard functions well and report to the king if anything's wrong with it in between monthly group meetings.
~ Monthly meetings
All members who aren't currently on a longer mission or task must meet with the king once a month at New Moon, at noon. It's a group gathering in the common cave on Pride Rock where Guard related things are discussed and possible reorganizing of responsibilities may take place. Only the king, the queen and the Guard members are allowed in the cave at that time. Eight birds are absent from every meeting because one needs to be in active duty at the border in every direction, at all times. The leader of the Guard then fills those birds in about what was discussed in the meeting. Or someone else the king appointed to do so if the leader for some reason wasn't able to be present.
~ The Guard and the Royal Family
The Guard members are below even prince Simba, just like any other subject. They can't tell Simba what to do or not to do. They're allowed to stop him (even physically touch him as long as it doesn't harm the boy) only if they're fairly certain that not doing so will lead to serious injury, illness, or death to the prince. Otherwise they're only allowed to try and talk him out of things and report to the king and/or queen about the situation if needed. After Scar's exile, Mufasa assigns three of the cleverest, strongest and most skilled lion members available at the time as Simba's bodyguards whenever Simba is let outside without his parents. They're required to give the boy and his friends enough space and freedom to feel as normal as possible, but stick close enough and stay on alert in order to quickly help and protect if needed.
Queen Sarabi's the second-in-command, as in if Mufasa isn't available when the king is needed in a Guard matter, that matter must be brought to the queen's attention and she'll take care of it however she sees fit. Except in any matter concerning Simba, both Mufasa and Sarabi are equal so trouble with Simba of a kind that requires reporting must be reported to whichever parent is found first.
Scar was the third-in-command the same way as Sarabi, but he was rarely if ever needed as usually at least one of the ruling couple was available for the Guard leader to meet.
~ Joining the Lion Guard
The initial recruitment of new members is the Guard's leader's responsibility but the actual final approval and official joining is the king's decision. Any member can go suggest possible new members to the leader, who then must meet this person and make the initial evaluation through a thorough interview and some kind of a small practical test. Then, if the leader reckons the potential might make a valuable and trustworthy addition to the Guard, they'll bring it up in the next monthly group meeting. The potential members aren't in that meeting but just told about, so that the whole Guard will know about it and the leader and the king can arrange a further private meeting with that applicant where the king conducts another exhaustive interview before deciding if the person is allowed to join or not.
If he allows the joining, he'll have the leader to find a mentor for the newbie. The mentor is responsible for keeping the new/young member out of trouble and letting them know about and teaching them all the details and functions of the Guard that a regular pridelander doesn't need to be aware of. Sometimes there might also be a trial period before full membership is granted by the king.
The Guard Mark
All Lion Guard members, of all species, carry an identifying mark pressed on their righ shoulder by Rafiki. It is given upon full approval of membership from the king. It's Rafiki's thumb print, with a mixture of rare plants' dyes that create a very difficult colour to replicate. The dye mixture is such that doesn't easily wash out of any kind of coat. When it eventually does fade the Guard member must go get it renewed.
A member can be removed from the Guard for a serious enough offense/abuse of the position, in which case they will receive a different mark to signal that they're no longer a member despite carrying the thumb print until it fades away. The removal mark is normal red colour but of the same long lasting goo and a different fingerprint of Rafiki's. It's applied right next to the member mark. If a member simply retires or has to quit for other reasons, instead of an additional mark the member mark will be covered with brown colour. So it's easy to tell who is an active member and who has been removed and who has retired/quit.
~ Duties and authority
They're like the police and the army in human terms. Granted, any able adult member of the pride would be required to fight if there was a war. And in a state of war other species non-Guard animals would be allowed to apply for the fight or offer their other abilities for use but aren't required to by default. Although the king may request/order some non-combat battle service even without volunteered offering, if he feels it necessary. The king and the queen are of course the highest ranking members in both policing and army matters, working most closely with the current leader of the Guard.
Keeping an eye out for and the initial handling of visitors and addressing them with a warm welcoming attitude and asking basic questions like where they come from, who they are, and how long they wish to stay. After Scar’s betrayal and exile to also ask what’s their business in Pride Lands and require the visitor to verify their claimed intentions. If they can’t prove their friendliness and innocence some larger members of the guard must immediately escort the visitor out of the kingdom. The interrogation must be conducted in a friendly manner but be exhaustive and intense. If the Guard member(s) in question deem it safe, the visitor(s) will be allowed to stay and must be told any important customs and laws of the kingdom, and the Guard must keep a close eye on them as long as they’re inside the borders or near them outside. Visitors must not be let anywhere near any member of the royal family before confirmed safe.
There’s always at least two lion members and two bird members at a time staying at Pride Rock as a second line of defense. If there’s an attack the birds will fly to rally all the lions that aren’t currently at Pride Rock whilst the two or more Guard lions organize the defense force with the king, after making sure the prince and the other cubs are safe. If not there, when the leader of the Lion Guard returns he/she will take over with the king.
Keeping an eye out for Scar and hyenas and anyone else suspicious/possible new ally of Scar. Any such sightings must be reported to the king immediately. Scar was exiled under bane of death so if he’s sighted in Pride Lands he must be arrested and kept there until a Guard bird fetches the king who will then bring along a few pride members as witnesses. The execution method has been discussed and decided beforehand; drowning, if enough water is available. If not, then falling from high enough point to instantly kill. Mufasa would not be there to witness the execution, just to identify Scar, say goodbye, and give the final order. The same methods are to be used if hyenas are sighted.
Keeping an eye out for any threats from outlands at any time. And to eliminate them appropriately depending on what it is. The Guard is not allowed to use unnecessary force.
Upholding the law and order. To that end they’re allowed to reprimand, detain, and use force but not deadly or unnecessary. They’Forre also allowed to conduct home searches if it seems necessary for investigation. For serious crimes they’re allowed to place a person under arrest after which they must bring the arrested immediately to Pride Rock where the king will pass judgment on the matter. There must be enough evidence before an arrest can take place.
Many bird members are always assigned to guard the borders in all directions. At least one bird member must be in active duty in every direction at all times.
Three of the best lion members as Simba's bodyguards on outings without his parents. The trio may be different every time, depending on who's available at the time.
Helping animals in need.
THE LION GUARD MEMBERS
Two lion members always stay at Pride Rock to guard the royals there, and three lion members are assigned as Simba's bodyguards for outing any given day. So most of the time only five lion members are out there on other duties. The king himself may make sixth as he does occasionally make rounds in the kingdom on his own.
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