Lions



Lion Transformers, known to most native Africans as the 'Children of the Savanna', are a unique subspecies of Homo sapiens most widely known for their ability to 'shift' into the form of the African lion (in some cases, Asian-African hybrid transformers have existed). With highly malleable muscle and bone, cells blended with Panthera leo, and innate feline instincts, these creatures are some of the most powerful to walk the Earth, next to, of course, their cousins, the Bear Transformers and the Wolf Transformers. They live mostly in large groups known as 'prides' throughout their African homeland, but many also exist in the Americas, parts of Europe, and coastal Australia.

=Physical Attributes=

All lion transformers exist in their human forms with either black or dark blue eyes. This is because of the recessive trait built into every transformer, and if a child does not have these eyes (if one of their parents was not full-blooded), they are not a transformer. This is the only single characteristic that ties the human forms together; their feline appearance is greatly varied from that of a wild lion. Transformers are capable of having blue, brown, and green eyes when transformed, along with stripes on the legs and belly that may last well into adulthood. Male lions born into the pride but not strong enough to become alpha usually grown short, patchy manes, while the alpha wears a massive, luxurious neck-wrap to protect him from predators. Black-maned lions are rare, and highly revered for their strength.

While in lion form, the day is rarely spent sleeping. Human-lion transformers utilize their time hunting, developing thin, wiry bodies and rough fur. The pads of their feet can be inches thick, and when a pride lives in perpetual cold weather, their fur becomes incredibly thick and soft. Because of the developmental difference between human children and lion cubs, children are able to transform for the first time when they reach two years of age, at which point they are a slightly mobile cub aged three or four weeks. They grow very slowly in lion form, reaching maturity at about twelve years of age. At this point the growing is significantly boosted for first females (they will typically reach full size within a year of maturity), and second for males (it takes them approximately three years to fully mature, at which point they are double the size of females). As they age past this point, through adulthood, and into their older years, their muzzles will become gray, their bodies thinner. Male lions will have greasier, grayer manes, and the eyes are dull. It's generally easier for old men to exist exclusively in their lion form.

In special cases, aging is 'suspended.' Royal bloodlines and some of the larger prides carry the gene of long life, meaning that if a lion is not killed by battle, nature, or disease, they outlast their entire pride. Most kings and queens are over a hundred years old upon receiving their position, ensuring the utmost knowledge and wisdom as they lead their species. The most common disease to affect lions after the age of one hundred is called Mallic - it is a degenerative disease affecting the bones, slowly thinning the marrow and making it difficult to walk without them snapping. At a certain point, most of the afflicted choose to take their own lives.

As for their physical needs, lions are very active and crave open spaces. They will often have anxious dreams if kept confined or contained. This is due to the adrenaline glands located throughout their body - if the adrenaline is not spent on physical activity, the muscles become sore, the head aches, and sometimes eyesight begins to blur. Exercise is the favorite activity of all lions. Their sturdy bodies allow them to play roughly and not be injured, and the abundance of white blood cells in their system allows them to heal much faster than human beings.

=Prides=

Lion Prides are instinct-driven groupings of closely-related or associated lions, such as a patriarch, his mate, their children, their children's mates, and their children's children. When lions from outside of the pride wish to join, it is the decision of the alpha male, but he will typically only deny a lion if they have previously proven unworthy (by committing a crime or injustice). Jurisdiction is marked out by the alpha male, and while wild lions stay clear, some other groups will encroach on a pride's territory. This is not usually a problem, as it would be in the wild. Relations between prides are mostly civil and occasionally, such as for the Lights Festival in the middle of the year, prides will gather in one central location and spend three days getting to know each other, sometimes leaving their pride to join another if they find someone they may want to become mates with. This is typically behavior, and it is actually expected of young lions to take the initiative, but they are not required to have mates, and some never do.

Authority within individual prides is divided into four main sets: Alphas (consisting of the alpha male and his mate), Sub-Alphas (consisting of three pairs of lions), Average members (consisting of all non-alpha, mature lions and lionesses), and Younglings (consisting of all lions under the age of twelve).

Alpha
The alpha position is often seen as one of power and desire, but very few actually want this responsibility. The position is most often passed from father to son, or from grandfather to grandson, or uncle to nephew. Very rarely does it stray from the family line of males. In this position, lions are expected to lead the entire pride, make decisions regarding pride members, solve conflicts, organize associations with other prides, avoid dangers, train younglings, and look out for the well-being of the entire pride. This job is most suitable for powerful males with well-developed fighting skills and plenty of experience. These males are also expected to take a mate and have cubs to continue their family line, and though they generally have the right to choose whichever lioness they want as a mate (due to Ancient Law), most modern leaders choose to love their partners and remain with them for life.

Rarely, this position is taken by lionesses. Modern times have sprouted new thinking, and feminist prides have taken root all over Africa. One of the most powerful female leaders, the currently living Makana, built a pride of over forty previously-abused female lions, and runs a modern business in one of Kenya's booming cities for lions to live together in the 21st century, rather than on the plains, like most prides choose to do.If you are dumd thetggvfgvghbhn

Sub-Alpha
Sub-alphas are most often the siblings, parents, or former mates of alphas, along with their nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, or other kin. They are the advisers of the alpha, specializing in individual areas to best help the pride. They are divided into three pairs: Hunters, Care-Takers, and Enforcers. The hunters are the providers for the entire pride, consisting of both male and females, and the sub-alpha pair in charge will lead hunts, teach young hunters, and decide how the food is divided. Care-takers supervise the raising of children, assisting when the parents are away and teaching them how to read and write. This pair is generally a set of parents with young children, or an older couple who is very experienced in the area, and desires to remain free of battle and hunting. The final pair are the lead Enforcers. They train young lions to fight, lead the defense and border patrol, and daunt potential enemies when battle isn't completely necessary. From fighting off predators to engaging in war, this pair is in need of physical fitness, and they tend to be the toughest lion and lioness in the pride.

Sub-Alpha pairs do not necessarily have to be mates, but after spending so much time together, most decide to combine their shared attributes and have cubs. They will have a lot in common, so they will relate to each other well.

Average Members
These are the other adults in the pride, most of them distinguished as enforcers or hunters since the age of twelve. They are not the elite, but each of them has a unique place in the pride, and a unique bond with other lions. These members, if without a mate in the pride, are known to move between prides often, searching for someone to Bond to; some members remain with the same pride their entire lives, though, and these are known as Concrete Members. They are the most heavily connected, such as the grandparents or parents of the current alpha, and will stay to help care for their children's children and provide wisdom for generations to come. After the early twenties, most lions become Concrete Members of the pride.

Elders
Defined as reaching the point of non-activity, these are the lions that have aged out of the youth so vibrant in others. They tell stories to the young, but are also cared for by them, and they are sought for advice by the leader. They've seen a lot of history, and they know how the world works. Elders are revered by all and respected; it is disgraceful and shameful to kill an elder.

Younglings
'Younglings' is a term used by adults to describe children under the age of twelve who have not reached maturity. These are cubs, the softest and weakest of the pride. From the age of two, they are taught valuable skills like reading and writing, and they engage in play-fights, races, and physically demanding games from sunup to sundown. A more in-depth explanation of the development and age-expectations of lions are explained below, beginning, of course, with the younglings.

=Life Cycle=

All lion life begins with infants. Young lions are mostly born in the very beginning of spring, with most pregnancies initiated in the fall of the previous year. This is so the child will be nearing a year old when their first winter comes around, and therefore more likely to survive it. Males are typically highly protective of females during their pregnancy due to the raised levels of testosterone in their bodies at this time; it is often more anxiety-ridden for the fathers than the mothers. The pair will not have the child in camp, but rather go far away from the pride before the mother gives birth. Birth is always natural, and in human form, but since lions have higher white blood cell counts than humans, they heal more easily, which makes the child-bearing process less risky. After the child is born, the mother will not put it down for months. Mothers are extremely attached to their offspring, extremely protective, and extremely anxious to let them be held by anyone, even someone as close to them as their mate. After the initial fear passes, the pair go back to the pride to raise their child amongst the other pride cubs.

The stage from birth to four years is known as the Attachment Stage, not because of the mother's fierce protection, but because of the scent given off by the young cub. It provokes maternal and paternal instincts in all creatures, including humans, and, most of the time, prevents others from taking its life. This is a defense mechanism to stop transformers from killing infants (it exists in all three species). After four years, the scent begins to lesson as the cub grows stronger, and by the time they're matured, it's completely gone.

When a child reaches two years of age, it finds two important milestones in its life. First, it will transform for the first time at this age, and second, it will begin its reading and writing lessons from the sub-alpha care-takers, joining the other children in the makeshift classes. First transformation is guided by the parents, initiated by the alpha, but sometimes it occurs by instinct, on accident. The child experiences extreme pain either way, and will often need coaxing throughout early life to even consider doing it again. The children are taught English letters and how to read, and the older children learn about geography, history, and the other transformers. When they reach the age of four or five years, they are readily transforming, as the process becomes mostly painless, and by six years they are engaging in rough play fights, long races, tree-climbing lessons, foraging lessons, extended walks, rougher, more challenging games, and 'play' hunting that prepares them for what they'll need later in life. At this stage, to the point of eleven years, the children are watched closely by the sub-alphas, who will choose their individual places in the pride. When they reach eleven, tough children are trained by the sub-alpha enforcers, lean, quick, clever children are trained by the sub-alpha hunters, and, occasionally, nurturing, softhearted children are taken under the wing of the care-takers.

They complete training at age twelve, at which point they are named Average Members of the pride. Children will stay close to the pride until about the age of fifteen, at which point they'll want to go to gatherings and decide if they'll migrate to other prides. Seventeen is the typical age of finding a mate, and eighteen is usually when their first children are born, depending upon their choices in life. Most enforcers will remain with their birth-pride, as they are honor-bound, but hunters are more likely to 'switch places' with others, each hoping they'll find the Bond in another pride. (The Bond will be explained later in this article).

After they pass the early adulthood stage, they tend to settle in one pride or another. Some lions never have children, and if not, they focus on their place in the pride. Child-rearing ends after six years, so parents are often left with nothing else to do, and they have more children or continue to live peacefully in the pride. Some will leave the prides all-together and pursue higher education in foreign lands, or raise a family with a human, or a different type of transformer. By their mid-thirties to early forties, they will have cemented themselves wherever they want to be.

As a lion nears the fifties, sixties, and seventies, their muzzle grays and they tend to do less physically. They nap all day, rarely engage in fights, and keep to themselves. They're the storytellers, the preservers of Oral Tradition, the wisdom that young lions seek when they're misguided. They are also revered for their long years in the pride, and taken care of accordingly. Out of respect, no sensible transformers will attack an Elder.

=Culture=

Religion
Early lion transformers were taught of the lion god Asiyo, which means 'King of the Sun.' His teachings include basic morality similar to that of Christianity with one key difference; non-lions are forbidden from worshiping or meeting Asiyo under penalty of death. Other transformers, and lions, do not typically enforce this requirement, but then again, it has never been needed. Each species will keep to its own god, which is featured in its own history.

Asiyo also encourages all lions to achieve on their own and expect no help from them. Lions believe that he waits for them in Heaven, not on Earth, and if they ever expect to be in his presence, they should always be kind, helpful, and productive to lion-kind. While not everyone follows all of these rules, most acknowledge general morality.

Death
Interestingly enough, death is a very important part of lion life. Elders slowly prepare for it as they advance in age, but young cubs are also aware of it, and what it means. The loss of a young cub is a tragedy felt by the entire surrounding area. The death of an alpha may stretch the entire continent. The death of average members results in a long funeral and burial. The deaths of elders are marked by a remembrance of their lifetime, and a re-telling of their history by their closest family.

Lions will place leaves, flowers, and herbs within the grave, and then they bury the dead with clay, rather than the dirt removed originally. This is to keep predators out by clogging their sense of smell. Rocks are piled on the top, and since this location is usually within pride territory, very few bother the grave sight. Most lions are taught of the lion god, Asiyo, who watches over them and escorts them to Heaven, which is said to exist in the moving clouds. In order to send their loved ones to this place, the closest to the deceased (usually a mate or parent) will initiate an hour-long vigil in which the entire pride, excluding the children under six, sit cross-legged around the grave, eyes shut, mouths shut, and relive their best memories of the dead. When the ritual is over, the family member announces it, and the pride is dispersed.

Often the elders that die leave behind old mates who will very soon join them. Some die of broken hearts, or spend the rest of their days sitting by their partner's grave, waiting to see them again. When Bonded, it is literally heart-wrenching to know that your partner has passed, and nearly impossible to move on with life. This is why young death is such a tragedy, for the partner must wait sixty or seventy more years to join their loved one once more.

=The Bond=

What is it?
The Bond, or being Bonded, is the single most significant part of a lion's life. The term defines its key components: A lion finds his or her true soul-mate and becomes attached to them for life. This 'Bond' is a chemical mechanism in the brains of all transformers, suspected by scientists to be a way of preserving the species as a whole. Once the mind and bodies of both transformers realize each other, they go through several stages, the first of which being Detachment, and the last of which being Reattachment. Young lions transfer prides in search of this bond, but very few find it, as it takes years to full realize who you will be Bonded to.

The Stages
The first stage is Detachment. This is characterized by a veil of confusion in the minds of the transformers, perhaps the sudden onslaught of sickness or an extreme headache. They will desire to be alone, and often leave friends and family, unaware of what's happening. They suffer for hours on their own, breaking apart inside, cutting their ties with reality. After this comes Decision. Their mind settles on their significant other, and they realize what is happening and what to do to stop it from hurting. They inevitably find each other and, as they embrace, they experience Reattachment, which seals the Bond. In the beginning the two will be hyper-protective of each other, similar to when a mother gives birth. They will want to be near each other all the time, constantly checking the other, making sure they're the same. After years of slow separation, they become very deeply bonded, but no longer have the need to constantly check each other. These couples, however, would never spend a day apart. It's almost physically painful to be away from your Bonded mate.

The Downside
If someone's Bonded mate is killed, they often find themselves in such a stage of grief and rage that they cannot control their own actions. They become dangerous and vengeful. It is generally accepted within all three species that killing should never be an option, but if it becomes one, they must be prepared in case they accidentally kill someone's Bonded mate. If this happens, the other will sometimes willingly sacrifice himself in order to balance what he's done. It is considered one of the worst crimes in transformer culture, nearly equal to the murder of a child.