Allow me to tell of myself. I am the shamaness and Chieftain's wife of the Nelriad Pride deep within the heart of the Rhydin. This pride resides in what is known to Rhydin as the Wemic Forest. Before claiming my home here, I lived in the Lieth pride, even deeper in the great Savannah bordering Rhydin. It is ruled by Chieftain Mr'ouk, and was founded by the great wemic warrior Lieth who is told of in legends by my people. When I was a young cub, the Vizozo Sama (or shaman master) of the pride took me under his wing. Due to many trials, tests, and teachings, my mentor honored my knowledge through the art of tattooing. Looking upon me, you will be quick to note that I am covered from head to toe in mulit-colored whorling tattooes. These are my keepsakes and honor marks. I bear them with pride. To my knowledge the Lieth pride is the only wemic culture that uses this art, though it is spreading quickly as I train my daughter in the art of shamanism. Other physical attributes that mark me from most wemics is the fact that I am female. Hence, I do not have the black mane that the young warriors bear with pride. Instead I am what you two-legged peoples would call bald. Though I am covered all over by the same dusky golden fur as any other wemic. And my nose is the light russet, which my mother claimed to be rare in most wemics.
I was born of a family of five. My mother(Ffie'zaa), father(Gr'ou), older brother(Rl'ou), and youngest brother(Laek). As a young cub my father was kidnapped by human slavers. When I grew it was my desire to find and rescue my father. My brothers teased my dream to be a warrior, for females are not allowed to be such in the Lieth Pride. But when I was older, the pride shaman came from his seclusion deep in the jungle and asked me to be his apprentice. When he died in a tribal war, I became the new pride shaman. For many years, cubs had been kidnapped by human slavers. Many mothers came to me begging for aid. As shaman, it is my charge to look after the people of the pride in mutual agreement with the chieftain. I looked to the spirits for help. They gave me a vision that lay forth my path. To find the lost cubs and aid my people, I had to come here amongst the two-legged world. This was blasphemous to my culture. Thus, I was outcast, and here I stand today. Not to worry. It was all the will of the spirits.
History in Rhydin
Not even a day in Rhydin, and I was welcomed into a mighty two-legged tribe. The guildsman who recruited me was quite impressed to see a wemic out of the pridelands and in Rhydin. He offered me homage in the Order of the Crimson Star. There I rose steadilly to the rank of Major. Which I was very honored to have achieved. I made a swift friendship with the honorable Captain Starwing (a pegataur) when I was still a private. After the disappeance of the Grand Commanders, he left to follow his destiny. In so doing, he asked of my aid. From the memory of and teachings of the Order of the Crimson Star, Solan forged his own guild: The Union of the Mystic Sky. He was in need of honorable people to command the divisions he had prepared. With honor in my heart, I accepted his offer to command the StarLight Division. Over time, something unspeakable occurred to the Union I called my family. My dear friend Solan Starwing vanished without a trace. So grief-stricken were the members of the Union that it nearly fell to ruins in his absence. Even his life-mate Sina (a wonderful lady centaur) was uncertain of his whereabouts. Due to her grief she as well vanished from the Union. Chaos swept the guild that I loved. We commanders who could not bear to see it disappear as easilly as the Lord and his Lady did everything in our power to keep Solan's dream alive. With much struggle, we succeeded in halting the decay of our beloved Union. Before I had the chance to watch it regrow, however, the spirits called me to leave my command and continue the quest that had originally brought me to Rhydin.
Family History
It was not long after my induction into the Order of the Crimson Star in which I began to feel lonely being an only wemic in the civilized two-legged world. So I made a quest to seek out others of my kind. To my fortune and the will of the spirits, I found one. He too was a shaman, by the name of Nelriad. After many meetings and discussions between the two of us, dear Nelriad finally asked me to be his mate. As any decent female would, I gratefully accepted. Having no pride to call our own, Nelriad self-proclaimed himself the Chieftain of the new Rhydin Nelriad Pride. Thanks to the will of the spirits, our pride will grow strong and fast. For I have been given the blessing of bearing two litters of cubs.
My first litter was of three: two males and one female in the order of male, male, feamle. Their names are Mosi, Maska, and Xhasa. To my dismay, dear Mosi was killed by human slavers before he got the chance to grow to manhood. The will of the spirits provided that he not die without a fight, however. Strong Mosi killed one of their own before passing into the world of the spirits. As for Maska, if he were to be found he would more than likely make a fine son. None of us are certain of his whereabouts. It is possible that he left the Pride from depression. Mosi's death made him heir to the Cheifdom. Perhaps he did not want the responsibility. Or perhaps he left in search of me when I left for my long journey. I pray the spirits give us answers on him some day. Happilly, my daughter Xhasa is still with the pride. She is studying under my wing to one day be the pride shamaness when I am long gone to the world of the spirits.
My second litter was of two, both female. Their names are Meow and Rrowla, and both are yet young. It will be some time before they grow to see things as the adults of the pride. I have faith in the spirits however that they will grow to make Nel and I proud.
