[ ⋖ “ the discussion ”

[unnamed]

discussion thread for chatting, planning, and forms c:
main thread

[unnamed]

General Clouded Leopard Info

In this roleplay the animals will be clouded leopards including both the maindland and Sunda subspecies. They are the smallest of the big cats and like some others do not produce roars or purrs; instead they make various sounds such as chuffing, meowing, growling, hissing, and snorting noises. In proportion to the size of their skull they have the largest canines and are considered to be the best climbers. Like many big cats they are solitary and secretive.

Life in the Tribe

So obviously things won't be one hundred percent realistic. Here's a little break down of ranks for you before I move on to some day to day life business.

High Priest: The delicate art of their practices has been passed down for many generations all remaining in a single blood line as the past priests have chosen their offspring to carry on the tradition. The High Priest/ess carries out the rituals for the tribe and is believed to speak with the 'Other Side'. While they do take on a mate it is rarely out of love, instead they take them to carry on their blood lines and produce an heir. This is not necessary as they can choose whoever they see fit to take on their role after their death. In some cases they act as a healer

Baron: The 'leader' of the tribe. Due to how the tribe lives the baron does not oversee day to day life typically. Instead they mostly deal with handling disputes within the tribe, dealing with outsiders, or banding the tribe together in case it is needed. They are typically the most battle capable in the tribe and typically earn this rank by fighting for it though a challenge is rare. Though they don't act as leaders typically do they are still well respected and able to command the tribe.

Regent: Second in line for the Baron position. Should anything happen they will take over. Typically they are considered to be in training in order to take over, the position is chosen by the Baron but much like the Baron position it is possible to be challenged for this role.

Vicar: Second in line for the High Priest position. Should anything happen they will take over. Typically they are considered to be in training in order to assume the duties of the priest should they have to.

Tributes: Members of the tribe who may work together to keep the area safe or help feed the tribe if it is called for.

Social Structure & How They Live

Unlike lion prides or wolf packs the social structure of the tribe is fairly loose and they may not interact with each other every day. They occupy a single territory together and each cat may create it's own, smaller territory within the tribe's in order to carry out their life. Typically they exist in small family bands primarily which consists of a mated pair and their offspring. If not in a family band they may live solitary and interact every few days with other members of the tribe. Less commonly seen are simply bands, a group of unrelated tribe members who live together in order to better feed and protect themselves. This is most common with the High Priest/ess, Baron, Regent, and Vicar who exist closely together. It isn't uncommon to see another band of Tributes living in close proximity to the former group.

Hunting for food is primarily left up to the individuals, each tribute or band hunts for itself in most cases. However, since it is still a tribe they may sometimes hunt for each other or you may see bands team up together to take on the larger prey. Spare food may be left in the communal area for others to eat.

Unless there are imminent threats or a major dispute in the pride that must be solved the only time they all come together at once is typically during rituals or ceremonies during which all the tribe must be present in order to be blessed by the ancients. Rituals are typically used for a change in luck or in order to heal another tribe member. During these rituals it is believed that the tribe's combined spirit is what promises a good outcome. Ceremonies are typically used to celebrate new life, the joining of two as mates in which the tribe officially recognizes them, or to mourn the passing of another member.

In the case of new members seeking to join the tribe, a very rare occurrence, they are first instructed by the Baron to learn the ways of the tribe and integrate themselves into the tribe's community. Only after they have done this, the Baron and Priest both agree, and a majority vote of the tribe sees them fit, are they allowed to join the tribe. Those who are deemed unfit are executed to protect the tribe's secrecy.

The tribe takes their secrecy very seriously. They prefer their seclusion to be maintained and thus do not react kindly to those trying to leave. Like any outsiders who are not accepted leopards who attempt to leave are killed without hesitation.

[unnamed]

Core Beliefs

The Tribe believes strongly in the individual spirit and the Other Side, the two core beliefs they hold. They believe one's spirit is either good or bad, light or dark, and can change based on surroundings, actions, and feelings. In fact, they are believed to change frequently as anything that upsets an individual may make their spirit darker. During rituals and ceremonies individuals must have a light spirit otherwise it is believed that demons may latch onto the darkness and bring themselves into the Mortal Plain. What one's spirit is upon death typically has nothing to do the afterlife as everyone crosses to the Other Side. Some Priests believe those with the darkest spirits are said to become demons.
The Other Side is the considered the eternal plain, the afterlife. Priests communicate with the Other Side frequently for various reasons including guidance on healing or calling on them for blessings during ceremonies and rituals. The Other Side is inhabited by the tribe's ancestors who remain to guide them in life. Also existing in this plain are demons, those who had incredibly dark spirits and seek to cause harm upon others in the mortal plain.

Rituals

The tribe uses rituals for various reasons. With priests who have good intentions they are typically healing rituals, fertility rituals, or rituals designed to ease the mind and relax the body. Those who have darker intentions or during times of war they may turn to darker rituals designed to enhance an individual's abilities or to curse another being. The darkest of rituals said to send a priest straight into the eternal plain as a demon are capable of killing. During rituals various herbs and in the darker rituals blood may be involved as well. Most ceremonies only require the presence of the priest and the individual seeking the ritual's purpose.

Ceremonies

Ceremonies are a big deal within the tribe and during them the presence of the entire tribe is required, those who do not attend are punished severely as these ceremonies are considered very sacred to the light energy of the pack. There are three main ceremonies performed by the tribe which include: the birth of new life, the joining of two individuals as mates, and the mourning after a death. During these ceremonies the Baron typically speaks first to introduce the situation and address any individuals involved before handing the ceremony over to the Priest who calls upon the ancestors in the Other Side to either bless those involved or to guide the deceased into a peaceful afterlife. The other ceremonies are those in which a Regent or Vicar is selected or a new member is introduced into the tribe, these are conducted in the same manner.

[unnamed]

Purpose

The Outsiders come from a smaller community many miles away. Unfortunately it was recently burned down and they are the only remaining survivors of their community. They managed to find each other after the chaos and banded together for safety due to various wounds and emotional trauma. Though they don't know who or what caused the fire one of them has convinced the others that they must seek revenge on whoever did this to them. So they set off in search of the tribe and upon finding the tribe will declare what they seek.

Tribe's Reaction

The Tribe, who is used to such happenings, knows that they cannot immediately grant such a desire and so tasks the Outsiders with a different route. The Baron and Priest agree that the Outsiders must learn the ways of the Tribe first to understand the gentle balance of what they do. There are various opinions on the matter between the tribe.

[unnamed]

◤-----------------------------◥
this is dakarai, a seven year
old male within the tribe, h
e currently holds the title o
f baron as he has for the pas
t several years. currently he
exists without a crush or ma
te with no living kin left.

dakarai is an average sized g
olden male with dark ebony
clouds. he has a warm pair o
f hazel eyes. despite his size
the way he carries himself w
ith pure dominance and suret
y can make him intimidating.
◣-----------------------------◢

▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌
▌

the first impression many get from dakarai is
that he is a male of conviction, he is not eas
ily swayed from his beliefs or opinions. he is
firm on decisions but always maintains a fair
and just mind as he desires a peaceful outco
me. however daka is not naive and understa
nds that sometimes the best outcome does n
ot favor all parties. intelligent and cunning h
e is a fierce opponent and a capable leader w
ith a good sense of morality. always with the
tribe's best in mind he is more than willing to
sacrifice for what needs to be done whether s
leep or life. despite his love for the tribe whe
n he needs to he can carry a hard hand and h
and down life altering decisions without remo
rse. though he longs for a family it is often no
ted that throws himself too far into the tribe.

[unnamed]

𝐃𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐈
──────── [ SYMBOL GUIDE ] ────────
★ positive | ☆ negative | ✪ respected | ✦ neutral | ❊ friend | ✢ enemy | ♡ love interest | ❤ mate

artemis ( ✦✪ ) once upon a time daka and artemis had been the best of friends. having grown up
together and being in their respective positions they spent a lot of time together and eventually a
relationship bloomed. unfortunately it was rather short lived, both were too dedicated to their w
ork and neither was willing to budge. the romance faded away. nowadays they still are able to wo
rk closely together though he feels their friendship as also faded. he desires nothing but their bon
d to return and artemis' happiness.

vanna ( ★ ) though artemis has broken the standing tradition and appointed a vicar not of her blo
odline daka thinks it was a good choice. he sees the vicar as a loyaly spiritual individual who has th
e tribe's best in mind. he can sense that vanna is fighting internally though. the strict routine of the
vicar position is tying the young female down. daka only hopes that it subsides and vanna stays with
the tribe. if she doesn't, it'll be his teeth handing down the punishment.

minerva ( ❊ ✪ ) ah yes, the regent, daka's own pride and joy. ever since minerva took on the role
she's filled the shoes given. he can see the exceptional leader that his protege is growing into and is
doing everything in his ability to ensure a steadfast leader with conviction is being shaped. besides h
er being a wonderful apprentice he sees her also as a friend. she's intelligent beyond her years and i
s a reliable friend with loyalty unmatched. he only wishes she'd set aside her pride sometimes.

kijivu ( ★ ) kijivu and daka rarely interact seeing as the former is a more solitary being who enjoy
s keeping to himself. even then the baron knows that kijivu respects the tribe's ways and values him
for the rare moments of wise advice he'll share.

akari ( ★ ) akari came to the tribe under unfortunate circumstances but to all involved it is easy t
o see she's risen above her defections. she set out to earn her place and daka believes fully that she
's done more then earn a place in the tribe, she's solidified herself as family.

rhaella ( ✦ ) he has not encountered the outsider.

msalti ( ☆ ) daka recalls the male vaguely. what he does remember is that msalti's death sentence
was evaded by the cunning male. make no mistake, daka will follow tribe tradition even if that mea
ns tearing a family, and his oldest friend, apart. you don't betray the tribe.

aether ( ✦ ) he has not encountered the outsider.

[broken*]

• ❨ if they stand behind you, protect them. if they stand beside you, respect them. if they stand against you, defeat them. ❩ •

x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

• ❨ name ❩ artemis •
• ❨ meaning(s) ❩ greek goddess of hunting & the moon •
• ❨ age ❩ 6 years •
• ❨ gender ❩ female •
• ❨ species ❩ clouded leopard •

• ❨ rank ❩ the tribe, high priestess •
• ❨ crush ❩ open •
• ❨ r. status ❩ single •
• ❨ sexuality ❩ heterosexual •

• ❨ size ❩ large •
• ❨ fur ❩ soft, gold with black 'clouds' •
• ❨ eyes ❩ deep amber •
• ❨ body ❩ muscular, lean •

• ❨ backstory ❩ •
upon first glance, artemis appears to be a very serious leopard,
and that is true, for she considers her job of the utmost
importance. it is a position that has been in her family line
for generations, ever since the beginning of the tribe. very
few in the past have mated for love, only to continue their
bloodline, but there is a part of her that hopes to find love,
unlike her many ancestors. artemis has a great love in her
heart for her tribe, willing to do anything to keep them
safe & healthy. she would give up her own happiness, she
would take on all of their pain with a ritual if need be.
she has been the youngest high priestess the tribe has ever
had however; taking on the role at the age of 2, when an
outsider who had supposedly been trying to join the tribe
turned on her mother & killed the mighty hera. artemis
does have a weakness for cubs, wanting to have an actual
family instead of just a bloodline, & so she spends as much
time around the pregnant or nursing as possible, offering
herself as a cubsitter and healer. she also has a strong dislike
for outsiders because of her past, & is the most common vote
"no" against those seeking to join; meaning she does have
quite a few lives/blood on her paws, indirectly & directly.

[na'vi.]

Could i res regent and an outsider 💜

[unnamed]

@na'vi,

of course <3

[paper planets]

██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█
██░█

xxxxi tried to run but i was much too slow,

xxxxi'm only young but that was long ago...

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
xxxxxxxxxthe air was cooler now it burns my lungs...
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
vanna is very loyal and giving, she knows that she’ll do everything for t
hose who she cares for. she’s obedient and has always been known to f
ollow the rules. she isn’t crazy and she doesn’t go around disobeying o
rders. she’s mature and she understands that it’s her responsibility to
do to duties to support the tribe. though, vanna can’t help but feel ch
ained down by all of the strict rules she has to follow as the next high p
riestess. she feels a little restless at times, like her paws are itching to
do something reckless and rebellious and, to be honest, these thoughts
scare her to death. she’s always been the friendly, reliable young leop
ard who goes around helping others with kindness swimming in her brig
ht eyes. she doesn’t want to change from this modest and humble cat
who holds great potential. plus, she is vey spiritual and holds the great
est respect for the tribe’s beliefs. in her mind, her individual spirit is
light and pure, she doesn’t want her rebellious thoughts to change her
spirit into something dark and unforgiving. though, her curious nature
and this secret yearning she has for adventure keeps pulling on her h
eart, begging her to listen to her heart instead of her head. she just is
n’t brave enough to follow her heart. the tribe must remain as the mo
st important to her. but, even though she knows she’s loyal to her tribe-
mates, she doesn’t always agree with all of their secrecy and defensive
actions towards outsiders. she feels as if they could all learn from each
other and she wishes to stand up and say these thoughts, but knows th
at it’ll only make everyone suspicious and she can’t stand that happening.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
xxxxxxxxxstains my eyes and stills my tongue !!
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

one. vanna — meaning gold two. female, heterosexual three. three y
ears old four. vicar five. no living family six. no current romantic inte
rest seven. brown/golden pelt with charcoal black markings, short
& stocky build, pink nose & forest green eyes eight. obedient, matu
re, restless, curious nine. theme: yoste — chihiro ten. coding credit