Post by Saadarshan on Oct 13, 2010 14:38:23 GMT -7
With the departure of Mitra to handle RL matters, I’ve decided to field the Lon Gi in her absense. As a general disclaimer, I do not claim the idea of the Lon Gi and I’ll do my best to keep to her spirit of the group. Please reference hiddennirvana.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=plot&action=display&thread=20 for Mitra’s original post. I welcome anyone who’d like to join us as we hope to become an official group on the Muck, and we have several NPC’s for those who need some inspiration or want a more established Lon Gi.
Culture:
The Lon Gi are clouded leopards, those who’s culture is based around secrecy and the internal bonds of kin and kind. They keep to themselves and are rarely seen by outsiders, preferring to keep to themselves for the most part, though the younger generation of cats are more willing to meet and socialize with those outside the tribe – much to the grief of their elders. Being a primarily arboreal species, they pride themselves on their ability to stay hidden, using that to their advantage in gaining information about the world around them without drawing attention. They take it upon themselves to see the jungles are kept in balance, their highest calling the belief that all of nature is a sacred thing. Each living thing is tied in with the others in a close-knit cycle, and proper respect must be shown from the tallest tree and right down to the leopard’s prey.
Though for the most part the leopards keep to their own territories centered around a large banyan tree they do come together for the many rituals and celebrations of the tribe. In one’s life, the average Lon Gi can expect to participate in several ceremonies. The first is the Presentation, where infant leopards are brought before the tribe elders and priests to be shown, accepted as whole and healthy, and given their names. It is during this ceremony that a cub’s lineage is recited and acknowledged, and often the parents of new litters gather to discuss the Bonding – the selective choosing of mates to preserve bloodlines and traits. Young clouded leopards are raised together, when they are most able to form friendships and develop relationships. The next comes mid-late adolescence when those young leopards who were paired in their youth to be formally Bonded. This event is taken seriously, because once accepted the Bond is considered unshakable, the leopards paired for life.
The rest of a clouded leopard’s life is primarily centered around the begetting and rearing of cubs. Clouded leopards are growing rare with smaller litters and fewer healthy cubs, and each cub is considered a great blessing. Husbands are the primary tenders of the family territory, with the wives tending to the cubs. Both will hunt equally, though it is the males of the Lon Gi who are seen as the heads of the family and a wife will generally take to a subservient role unless her husband is away. Should one of a bonded pair die, the other will only ever rarely seek another mate. Clouded leopards grow fiercely attached to their chosen mates, having been raised together since childhood, and often fail to make any other attachment to another cat. A mate is considered one’s other half, part of their heart and soul, cherished and precious and irreplaceable. To choose another mate is considered a great insult to the deceased cat and their family, an implication they were never of any important. It is also seem as a grave act for a mated pair to fail to properly bond, with arguments seen as a sign of unenlightenment and poor rearing.
Only rarely do the Lon Gi resort to violence. It’s seen as behavior better suited to brutes and primitive uneducated ones. Still, some crimes give tem little choice. Leopards who share the secrets of the Lon Gi, those who turn from the paths of teaching and grow violent or risk the tribe’s safety, and cats who commit murder of their own kind (disagreements are solved with words, not battle) will find themselves stricken from the blood-records and cast from the Lon Gi. They are named Forgotten, and often the Lon Gi will seek these undesirables out to be slain, or may even enlist the aid of an outsider to do so.
Leadership of the Lon Gi is done by no more than six elders. Traditionally, they are the three most senior and well-respected males of the tribe who lead with the support of their wives. This Council is the ruling body of the tribe, and presides over all ceremonies – good or bad. They are the judge and jury of the Lon Gi and serve as the final word on all events concerning the tribe. Supporting them is the Head Priest or Priestess. The Priesthood is apart of the Lon Gi but separate from their normal custom. As a whole, the Priesthood is made of either leopards who have taken a vow of celibacy for personal or physical (barren) reasons, cats who’s mates have died and choose to join, and even those cats who are unsuited for life as a normal Lon Gi – be it their inability to form a Bond, break a Bond, or are otherwise crippled, unhealthy, or otherwise unable to life a normal life. They are the keepers of the Bloodlines and the teachers of the traditions and customs of the Lon Gi and they will also raise any orphaned cubs that might be among the tribe. The Priesthood performs the rites of a cub’s naming as well as performing matchmaking rites. In rare times of war, those able will serve as warriors, and it is often the Priesthood who handles the ritual hunting and execution of the Forgotten so that they may ensure the spirit of a slain cat may be properly reborn so they might cleanse their souls. If they are unable to slay a Forgotten, they are the ones who seek out an outsider to assist them.
Rarely will outsiders be taken into the tribe. Unrelated clouded leopards may be considered as Novices, trained by the Priesthood and sent through trials so that they might prove themselves worthy and honorable. Upon being welcomes among the tribe, a mate might be chosen for a young leopard, or an older but unpaired leopard may be initiated into the Priesthood. Even more uncommon is for a non-clouded leopard to be welcomed into the tribe. This is only done should they perform some great and selfless act for the tribe. With the tribe indebted to them, they will be named as a Friend to the tribe and added to the bloodlines of the tribe. Should they accept it, however, they are considered bound by all the rules and laws of the tribe and are sworn to secrecy. Should they break the confidence and trust of the tribe, they will be named Forgotten.
Current Members:
We're an official group now!! Type '@groups Lon Gi' when on the Muck to view the most up to date listing.
Recent Events:
Disappearances in the forests have the tribe on edge. Just coming off the welcoming of Uncia to the tribe after saving Kavin from drowning in the river, the Tribe is retreating back into itself to try and preserve their secrecy and safety. But with the recent disappearances of one of the tribe's most promising young pairs, Mitra and her mate and Pranjal's son, Anvi, have set off alarm bells. Fear is beginning to invade the tribe, and many wonder what evils are out there lurking in the shadows.
Culture:
The Lon Gi are clouded leopards, those who’s culture is based around secrecy and the internal bonds of kin and kind. They keep to themselves and are rarely seen by outsiders, preferring to keep to themselves for the most part, though the younger generation of cats are more willing to meet and socialize with those outside the tribe – much to the grief of their elders. Being a primarily arboreal species, they pride themselves on their ability to stay hidden, using that to their advantage in gaining information about the world around them without drawing attention. They take it upon themselves to see the jungles are kept in balance, their highest calling the belief that all of nature is a sacred thing. Each living thing is tied in with the others in a close-knit cycle, and proper respect must be shown from the tallest tree and right down to the leopard’s prey.
Though for the most part the leopards keep to their own territories centered around a large banyan tree they do come together for the many rituals and celebrations of the tribe. In one’s life, the average Lon Gi can expect to participate in several ceremonies. The first is the Presentation, where infant leopards are brought before the tribe elders and priests to be shown, accepted as whole and healthy, and given their names. It is during this ceremony that a cub’s lineage is recited and acknowledged, and often the parents of new litters gather to discuss the Bonding – the selective choosing of mates to preserve bloodlines and traits. Young clouded leopards are raised together, when they are most able to form friendships and develop relationships. The next comes mid-late adolescence when those young leopards who were paired in their youth to be formally Bonded. This event is taken seriously, because once accepted the Bond is considered unshakable, the leopards paired for life.
The rest of a clouded leopard’s life is primarily centered around the begetting and rearing of cubs. Clouded leopards are growing rare with smaller litters and fewer healthy cubs, and each cub is considered a great blessing. Husbands are the primary tenders of the family territory, with the wives tending to the cubs. Both will hunt equally, though it is the males of the Lon Gi who are seen as the heads of the family and a wife will generally take to a subservient role unless her husband is away. Should one of a bonded pair die, the other will only ever rarely seek another mate. Clouded leopards grow fiercely attached to their chosen mates, having been raised together since childhood, and often fail to make any other attachment to another cat. A mate is considered one’s other half, part of their heart and soul, cherished and precious and irreplaceable. To choose another mate is considered a great insult to the deceased cat and their family, an implication they were never of any important. It is also seem as a grave act for a mated pair to fail to properly bond, with arguments seen as a sign of unenlightenment and poor rearing.
Only rarely do the Lon Gi resort to violence. It’s seen as behavior better suited to brutes and primitive uneducated ones. Still, some crimes give tem little choice. Leopards who share the secrets of the Lon Gi, those who turn from the paths of teaching and grow violent or risk the tribe’s safety, and cats who commit murder of their own kind (disagreements are solved with words, not battle) will find themselves stricken from the blood-records and cast from the Lon Gi. They are named Forgotten, and often the Lon Gi will seek these undesirables out to be slain, or may even enlist the aid of an outsider to do so.
Leadership of the Lon Gi is done by no more than six elders. Traditionally, they are the three most senior and well-respected males of the tribe who lead with the support of their wives. This Council is the ruling body of the tribe, and presides over all ceremonies – good or bad. They are the judge and jury of the Lon Gi and serve as the final word on all events concerning the tribe. Supporting them is the Head Priest or Priestess. The Priesthood is apart of the Lon Gi but separate from their normal custom. As a whole, the Priesthood is made of either leopards who have taken a vow of celibacy for personal or physical (barren) reasons, cats who’s mates have died and choose to join, and even those cats who are unsuited for life as a normal Lon Gi – be it their inability to form a Bond, break a Bond, or are otherwise crippled, unhealthy, or otherwise unable to life a normal life. They are the keepers of the Bloodlines and the teachers of the traditions and customs of the Lon Gi and they will also raise any orphaned cubs that might be among the tribe. The Priesthood performs the rites of a cub’s naming as well as performing matchmaking rites. In rare times of war, those able will serve as warriors, and it is often the Priesthood who handles the ritual hunting and execution of the Forgotten so that they may ensure the spirit of a slain cat may be properly reborn so they might cleanse their souls. If they are unable to slay a Forgotten, they are the ones who seek out an outsider to assist them.
Rarely will outsiders be taken into the tribe. Unrelated clouded leopards may be considered as Novices, trained by the Priesthood and sent through trials so that they might prove themselves worthy and honorable. Upon being welcomes among the tribe, a mate might be chosen for a young leopard, or an older but unpaired leopard may be initiated into the Priesthood. Even more uncommon is for a non-clouded leopard to be welcomed into the tribe. This is only done should they perform some great and selfless act for the tribe. With the tribe indebted to them, they will be named as a Friend to the tribe and added to the bloodlines of the tribe. Should they accept it, however, they are considered bound by all the rules and laws of the tribe and are sworn to secrecy. Should they break the confidence and trust of the tribe, they will be named Forgotten.
Current Members:
We're an official group now!! Type '@groups Lon Gi' when on the Muck to view the most up to date listing.
Recent Events:
Disappearances in the forests have the tribe on edge. Just coming off the welcoming of Uncia to the tribe after saving Kavin from drowning in the river, the Tribe is retreating back into itself to try and preserve their secrecy and safety. But with the recent disappearances of one of the tribe's most promising young pairs, Mitra and her mate and Pranjal's son, Anvi, have set off alarm bells. Fear is beginning to invade the tribe, and many wonder what evils are out there lurking in the shadows.