Prides

## About Prides and Their Structure

A pride refers to a group of lions and that pretty much covers the standard definition of the prides in I Hope So. Led by a ruling royal family, each pride in the world of the comic has its own naming theme to differentiate itself from other prides and Travellers, who go by names related to meteorological events and natural phenomenon.

Prides are generally named by geographical location. Prides can be led by a King and Queen, two Kings or two Queens. Any cubs born to or adopted by the ruling body are Heirs and a successor may be selected from them. While it may be expected in a lot of cases, the eldest Heir may be passed over for a more favourable candidate. An example of this happens in the Golden Grove pride where Hopeful - despite being the oldest child of the King and Queen - is overlooked for her younger sister, Adamant.

In the event that an Heir is not present or is unable to succeed their parents, the Knight will step in and become King or Queen. If the former ruling body failed to produce offspring, any offspring of the promoted Knight will be next in line for the throne. King Obsidian was originally the Knight of the Thundering Mountains, but became King after the unexpected deaths of Flint and Pyrite. His mate, Opal, was automatically promoted from Jester to King upon his ascension.

Prides tend to differ when it comes to ranks beneath the ruling body. Some prides may have consorts who have polyamorous relations with their King and/or Queen, such as the Golden Grove and Red Stone prides. The Thundering Mountains pride has many unranked "common members" who are in relationships and have familial ties with other members (i.e. Zoisite and her son, Zircon) but also has sentries and tunnel guards, due to the pride's size and geography.

## Naming Customs

As mentioned in the previous section, each pride has its own naming custom. This is both to separate themselves from other prides and to be something of an identifier. New members to a pride may change their names to suit the naming theme.

For example, the Traveller, Snowdrift, changed his name to Merry upon joining the Golden Grove. However, such a decision is not always mandatory as Jasper - originally from the Thundering Mountains - chose to not adopt his Golden Grove name, Malevolent. In some prides, refusing to align with the naming custom can be frowned upon.

**Table of Prides and Their Naming Customs**
 **The Kingblessed Coast** | Fish and marine life

## Law and Order

All prides follow the laws of The Great King. The laws outline how the ruling body and the pride must be in sync and respect each other. A King and/or Queen must treat their subjects fairly and not abuse their power and that common members must contribute to the pride and respect their fellow subjects.

If any of these laws are broken, the pride has the right to drive the offending member out and into exile. Whether they be a member of the royal family or a common member. The law forbids summary execution but prides are permitted to carry one out if a pride member has caused the death of someone or has persistently refused to remain in exile, for this threatens the safety of the entire pride. Killing cubs is also forbidden.

Following such rules often brings prides into conflict with Travellers. Travellers believe that all land belongs to all lions and that the laws of the Great King - while complimenting the laws of the Travellers - are often more liable for exploitation. Thus, they believe no lion should ever have power over another.