[META-ORP] Growing Concerns (closed)

[Quaji]

INTRODUCTION

It was not so long ago that the pride has forgotten the trials and tribulations of the unusual torrent of out-of-season rain. The pride was shaken but found its footing, recovered, and moved on. Orphaned cubs found succor with other lionesses. Umholi Umkhombo recovered from his grave injuries and the battered lionesses find themselves regained of their previous conformation. The Ithambo'hlabathi, if nothing else, is resilient.

The world changed and moved on in parallel. The ground, once overwhelmed by the rainfall of unseasonally heavy rain followed swiftly by the pride's traditional long-wet season left the ground inundated with water. The landslides, lightning strikes, and flooding that occurred during this time leave nothing but remnants in the landscape and minds of the pride. Fallen trees, displaced rocks, and steeper banks are some of the largest longest-lasting changes, but even those are minor. Change is normal for the lions of the Bonelands.

And change is on the horizon.

It has been moons since those harrowing days, approximately a year, and the pride is now entering a new long dry season. Even in these warming days, the Aenda have begun reporting the herds moving further and faster than before with no others migrating into the Bonelands. The Cinga have corroborated these tales, bringing stories of their own: wary wildebeest; sprightly springbok. Readying themselves for another night of challenging hunts, the lions of the Bonelands meet as the sun is setting to discuss the ongoing events.  

[Quaji]

IC Information

• As described above, the pride is experiencing a thinning of herds, and what gatherings of prey that remain appear to be on edge. All lions may have varying tales similar to what has been described already. If you have a Cinga or Enda, they may have more detailed or personal accounts of these changes, but the stories remain relatively the same.
  
  
• No cubs have been born recently which has been the subject of concern for some. However, a few more traditional members have been discouraging the younger lionesses from pursuing the Abaholi and Inselele during this time of uncertainty.
  
  
• Inselelo Giruvegan (Safaia) was recently defeated by the new Inselelo Einion (AstoriaFallen).
  
  
• The pride is entering a long dry season. This is approximately mid-June for them.

OOC Information

• There is no specific posting order, however, to keep it from being too unwieldy/overwhelming, this ORP is limited to two characters per owner (excluding Abaholi/Inselele). You can assume that your other characters are present, just in the background.
  
  
• This is open for all members of the pride. No passersby.
  
  
• There is no danger in this ORP.
  
  
• One post = one ticket, but you cannot win more than one prize.

Prizes

Both are colored by Quaji.
She is a Cinga and is bonded with the vulture. She is a former Umzingeli.

 

[SilverLutz]

Life in the Bonelands was not a life of luxury, though Faust had to admit it was quite a few steps up from his previous pride. Still, he had heard tales of some places that always seemed to have plenty of food to go around, the watering holes never dried up, and the gods seemed to smile upon all that lived there. While there could be times of plenty here, there could also be times of famine, of floods, and of fires. He'd seen it all in his time as Umholi in varying degrees, some seasons making the lions that lived here leaner than others, and with the oncoming dry season he knew times would get a bit harder.

It was concerning, therefore, that reports were coming in of less prey than usual. The herds were on the move and they were leaving quickly according to the Aenda, and the usual rotation of beasts to replace those that left seemed to have come to a halt. Faust wasn't sure if there'd been disaster elsewhere that may be holding up the usual herds that make their rounds through their lands, but he wasn't about to leave it up to chance and wait.

That being said, he was only one of three Abholi and there were others in the pride with weight to their opinions. There needed to be a conference of sorts to figure out what would be the best course of action. Perhaps sending some of the Cinga on a mission to follow the quickly fleeing herds would be best, but maybe others would feel more strongly about setting into the usual motions of migrating. Faust was sure there'd be more opinions and he wanted to hear from the elder lionesses if anything like this had happened in the past, before he and the other Abholi had taken up residence.

He sat beneath a broad branched tree as he pondered all this, taking advantage of the shade it offered in the hazy, hot afternoon. He'd never been a very talkative lion, leaving that to the other Abholi, but this matter was plaguing him quite a bit and he wanted to n** it in the bud before it could grow into a truly dire situation.  

[Quaji]

In the fading light of a thankfully uneventful day, the pride's resting grounds began to swell with bodies. Lionesses scattered to the wind in search of prey—or even just the sign of herds passing through—are now returned with tales of their journeys. Even the Cinga and Aenda were not alone in this mission as hunting parties returned empty-pawed or were away days longer than expected. Even those who returned with flesh for the pride to eat from came with little to show for their efforts. For each zebra felled, their herds grew more cunning and dense with strong bodies. While the Bonelands and its pride were no simple babes and could certainly rise to the challenge of preying on such herds, their movements were not something that could be predicted or combated with skill and cunning of their own.

Bodies descended and gathered around the tilted tree—offset by the double-rainy season—with the intention of discussing such changes and how the Bonelands will rise to the occasion. Whispers and chatter began to fill the air, excitement and worry buzzing like the flies that swarmed Ukwazi's face as she joined the congregation with her sisters and supporters in tow. A glance was spared to the broad branches above, littered with the looming bodies of familiar vultures: those bonded to the Cinga and Aenda of the pride. Not all were present, but enough and their arrival seemed to herald the return of their partners in the coming days. Even now, she could see a few among those already present.

"Umholi Faust," Ukwazi greeted upon her approach, brushing her cheek along his neck in a simple motion of respect that she repeated to the others.  

[Andranis]

Not for the first time, Izinyathi was glad for her majority-white coat. The heat reflected off it, allowing it to cool better, though she was also incredibly aware still of how easy it would be to burn. Her tail and ears, at least, were spared, she supposed. As she approached the group, she spied one of the Umama already there, taking a moment to greet the other lioness before taking a spot in the shade. Better reflection of the sun, yes, but it was still getting hot again.

Already present was one of the Cinga, Phikelela. On a branch directly above her sat her vulture companion, Ukumelena, who was occupied preening her feathers. The sand-brown lioness looked up for a moment, then to Faust, and then to Ukwazi. Her tail flicked as she waited to see what all would be said. She had an inkling what it might be about, having noticed, like the other Cinga and the Aenda, that the herds weren't moving like they should have. She'd not been here that long compared to others, but even Phikelela had learned enough of the land to know what paths to take and from others what movements were normal for the herds. She was pulled from her thoughts when Ukumelena drifted down to settle with her, nestling right between the lioness' dark paws.  

[Jovi of Shadows]

The heat was certainly something on Chazama's mind. Her mother, Dina, had recently had a bad spell of heat exhaustion to the point of not being able to stand and had given Chazama the scare of her life. The older lioness seemed to be doing better after days of recovery, but that didn't stop Chazama from keeping her pale pink eyes on her mother. Especially with how important she knew Dina's work as a cinga was to the pride, and how often Dina went off on her own with her vulture companion, Bora.

Chazama slowed her pace as the pair of them made their way to the gathering of the pride, just so that she could dip her muzzle to Dina's ear and whisper quietly to her. "Just take it easy mother. Don't over do it," she said softly, but hints of worry struck her voice nonetheless. What worried the pale lioness further, was the fact that herds seemed to be leaving at an alarming rate, which made her mother's work even harder.

Dina's pace was slow next to Chazama, and though she felt much better after several days of staying out of the sun, she could still feel how sluggish her paws were moving. It made her self-conscious as they approached the gathering of the pride, and Chazama's fretting wasn't helping her wounded ego. "I'll be alright, Chazama," she insisted with a shake of her head. Honestly though, the sooner she got under the shade, the happier she would be. Having the sun glare down at her was not something the cinga was particularly fond of at the moment.

Bora, Dina's white vulture companion had managed to beat the two lionesses to the gathering and was now sharing tree space with her fellow avians. While Dina had been recovering, the vulture had taken it upon herself to travel the skies alone and gather intel, though she could not bring herself to go too far from the pride. She worried over Dina, and she worried over the lack of herds for the lions to hunt. Her feathers ruffled as her sharp blue eyes caught sight of the familiar golden orange of her lioness, and she patiently, impatiently, waited for the two of them to reach the tree and the gathering.  

[SilverLutz]

It didn't take long for the lionesses of the pride to being to gather. Word spread quickly here - sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst - and something as important as the status of the herds would undoubtably bring those concerned together. Faust was glad for this, even if he wasn't the most loquacious of the Abholi, since a unified pride was much stronger than a divided one.

A wave of relief washed over him as Ukwazi came into view. The Umama was one of those highly respected in the pride and he knew she would offer insight to their current problem. He rose to his front paws as she drew closer, bowing his head to accept and return the greeting.

"Ukwazi," he returned, his voice quiet and deep. "I'm pleased that you're here." The gratitude in his voice was evident as he turned his gaze to the other lions gathered, hopeful that they might be able to figure out what to do going forward with everyone's opinions taken into consideration. The sight of the new Inselelo approaching made Faust pause in his surveying of the crowd, eyes trained on the male for a bit. They'd met after he'd successfully challenged Giruvegan and he seemed capable, but this was certainly a tumultuous time to solidify his position within the pride. Then again, it could also be to his benefit to prove to the females that he was worthy of their attention once the situation was smoothed over and things were back to normal.

The arrival of a few more vultures let him know more of the Cinga and Aenda were gathering, so he turned his focus back to Ukwazi.

"Any new word that you've heard?" he asked the Umama, knowing that the other lionesses were more likely to approach her with news than him. She was the mouthpiece of like-minded lionesses and he had full confidence she would have the best grasp of the current information.  

[Anderleit]

A lone lioness' paws drifted toward the tilted tree. Mokosh looked out over the feathered branches and the steadily growing ranks of her pride-sisters without really seeing them; her gaze studied the past, instead, drawn sharply to mind by familiar circumstances. Thinning herds and the onset of dry weather... Wasn't it was all too similar to the conditions that had first brought her to the Ithambo?

She'd been a different beast then, though. Fresh and vulnerable, still wounded and suffering from the loss of her sister. The offer of another one - and of a home, besides - had been too much to resist. She wagered it would be too much to anyone to resist, going through all that she had...

Pale blue eyes tightened at the corners, suddenly squeezing shut against tears that threatened to fall. In spite of the emotion, she almost smiled at her own ridiculousness. Water would be a problem for everyone soon enough, right? Better that she didn't waste what little she had on dusty memories.

No, much better to greet the problem in the present. Pausing at the gathering's edge, Mokosh took it all in for the first time. An Umama whose name she couldn't recall speaking with the Abaholi - she nodded in their general direction, somewhat eager to hear their thoughts about goings-on.

There was a new male; perhaps the Inselele had changed at last? He was certainly easy on the eyes, and dark-maned despite his pale pelt. Mo could think of several ladies who would be glad of that.

Last, but certainly not least, were the bodies of lionesses beyond counting. It always stunned Mokosh just how many of them called this pride home. Even with all that had befallen them, all that rose against them, they were still here. Surely, facing what was to come head-on was exactly what everyone was here to discuss - and how best to endure it, as it seemed they were so adept at doing.  

[Anderleit]

AstoriaFallen

One lioness in particular met the gaze Mo swept across her sisters. Though she knew Liyana only in passing - it was hard to miss any of the cinga's vultures coming and going - she was no less warm in her greeting, brushing her tail briefly across the other's flank as soon as she was close enough.

"His mother, you say? It's a good male that will take care of his family." A stretch, before she settled down to share Liyana's shade and take a closer look at the prospective new busisa. Mokosh had never seen such a pattern as the one that decorated her fur. It seemed to the plainer lioness that her age was well hidden by those complex spots, not to mention those intense lines on her muzzle! "She's certainly striking.

Though I wonder what will happen..." her tone dropped into a murmur, low enough to remain between Liyana and the cinga nearby, "You know, later on." She didn't think she needed to elaborate. No Inselelo stayed forever, after all - at least, not in that role. Would his mother choose to stay? Would he give up so much to stay with her? What kind of fellow was their new male, really?  

[Quaji]

Ukwazi looked to Faust. He seemed so wanting, hopeful that she would be some guiding star to lead them back to normality. If only she did.

"I wish I bore better news, but I have heard very little that may differ from any word that reached your own ears." Ukwazi replied, taking her place within the growing swarm of lionesses that rested near the Abaholi. "The lionesses that look to me grow ever weaker as hunger gnaws at their heels. The herds are migrating early and none seem to know why. Even the Aenda report the recent departure of one wildebeest herd, having seen it leave the pridelands some weeks back. While the heat is not yet unbearable, it is only a matter of a few moons before the sun beats down on us relentlessly, the rivers dry and crack, the grass becomes brittle and the rains finally cease falling. Any remaining herds will naturally begin to leave in search of better feeding."

She did not need to say more than that. The fear of all reliable sources of food leaving the Bonelands was a terrifying thought and one she had no doubt had settled in the minds of so many beneath the stretched-out branches. Even the gentle ache in her own stomach fed the worry in her heart, of how the future was so uncertain and how the world felt so strange, unknown to her to feel so lost. At least the pride was there to center her.

"I have few ideas, and I will offer my guidance where able. I propose a limit to the birth of cubs. We cannot afford the mouths to feed and the meat mothers require to feed their young. To bring any into this world would be irresponsible with the state of the pridelands."

The Umama's golden eyes passed over those in their company, recalling names and mothers, past deeds and she smiled sadly. How many of them would not be here by the next rainfall? "One of my lionesses...did propose the idea of sending the Cinga and Aenda out further, pushing our resources thinly in an effort to find what is responsible for this exodus. Even those left here would need to journey—although nowhere near the vast distance—to fully gain benefit from such movement. I see the merit in such a suggestion, but am wary. I worry for their safety, but can we really afford to sit idle?"

— OOC Information —

[Umama Ukwazi has suggested, as a proxy for an anonymous lioness that backs her, to send Cinga and Enda further out, covering vast swathes of land in an effort to find and identify what is causing the herds to leave. As part of this suggestion, members of the pride would also have to pull their weight, performing similar tasks, but much closer to home.

• She has also suggested a ban on the birth of cubs. This is already in effect OOCly (breedings are closed for the Bonelands), but this is a formal "suggestion" for it.

This is an opportunity for your lion/ess to put forth their own ideas as to how the pride will go forward! You are free to have them suggest anything, within reasoning for their character and the culture of the pride. Participation in this portion may lead to them having some influence on the future, but there is no guarantee~]

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SilverLutz

AstoriaFallen

Andranis

Jovi of Shadows

Anderleit

(spoiler for tags)  

[SilverLutz]

Faust wasn't one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but the lack of good news from Ukwazi did cause a flicker of worry to pass over his face, brows furrowing for a moment before smoothing out once more. Nothing that he hadn't heard already, it seemed, though he supposed that was for the better. Even if some surprise good news was what he'd been hoping for surprises were, at least in his opinion, never for the better.

As the lionesses continued to gather he decided it was time to turn it to them. Ukwazi was already bringing up good ways to deal with the loss of the herds though each came with their own downside. Pausing any breeding would keep the amount of mouths to feed to their current number, but there were those that wouldn't survive the coming hardships and their size would dwindle. Some would argue, perhaps, that they were the weaker and older of the pride and wouldn't produce viable cubs anyway, but Faust was not one to dictate who should and who shouldn't have children.

Sending the Cinga and Aenda further than their current routes would certainly give them a better idea of where the herds were going and how feasible it would be to track them, but those lions typically worked with their vultures or completely alone. Sending them out of the range of their pride would leave them open for attack, and asking those that didn't usually travel could certainly leave their lands open for invasion.

But, he reasoned with himself, if they simply stayed here they'd all suffer and possibly die. Then the lands would be open for the taking anyway. Risks must be made, but calculated ones.

He did finally nod to indicate he had heard and understood the suggestions, then turned to address those gathered.

"Please, feel free to offer your own suggestions. I agree with Umama Ukwazi that births should be kept to a minimum, ideally none at this point, and remain so until we are more secure as a whole. Sending our Cinga and Aenda out further is a risk we must be willing to take, though I will not force any to go any further than they don't wish to go." He paused, eyes scanning those gathered to see who agreed, who did not, and who might have other things to add to the conversation.

Quaji

Anderleit

Jovi of Shadows

Andranis

AstoriaFallen