Leonin

The lion-like **Leonin** originally hailed from another continent that they now refer to as The Prideland, though much of the history of their ancestral home is only as an idealistic view of what their ancestors recorded within a tome referred to as Traditions of the Pride, or simply, The Traditions. According to these texts, the Leonin were once a zealous and fanatical people, their society split between the worshipers of two gods, The Arbiter and He Who Spawned the Furies, the reasons for which are unclear. For centuries, the followers of these two deities fought ferociously between themselves, taking countless Leonin lives in the names of their gods as the mighty deities drove them to ever further acts of violence against their enemies.

Eventually, only a few of their people remained, harrowed on all sides by enemies they had neglected in their holy war. Weary of fighting their own kin, one great chieftain amongst the Leonin decried the gods as lofty and uncaring beings, rejecting the bonds of absolute fanaticism that their people had forged. Denouncing them as unworthy of worship. Tired of slaying each other in the name of their gods, the rest of their people soon followed suit. Since that day, the Leonin people have maintained a detached distance from the gods, treating them with only the most minimal deference needed to secure a place in the afterlife. Instead, securing faith within their own traditions and ancestry. While this kind of behaviour would land members of most races a judgment of Faithless or False before the Arbiter, he affords the Leonin sympathy and they are spared this fate, The Traditions state that The Arbiter felt so much shame in driving the Leonin to such ignoble slaughter that he laid permanent claim to the souls of any Leonin that did not live their lives in direct opposition to his tenets, offering them a place in the Beastlands within his domain.

**Leonin** have a matriarchal society, each family, or pride, is led by an elder female called a speaker. Most female Leonin will stay within the pride they were born into, while the males will wander and marry into other prides. Although they do now live within massive cosmopolitan cities, Leonin prides tend to live together in large enclosed communities. They guard their territory well, and non-Leonin usually get a cold reception unless otherwise invited. However, the Leonin understand that an individual is not the culture they came from. Given time anyone can earn their trust, though humans will significantly have their work cut out for them after The Severance, as many believe Humans were brought back by The Gods during the resplendency. They are a prideful people, and are incredibly proud of their heritage. They tend to place a great deal of importance on tradition, ceremony, and maintaining appearances. Fortitude in the face of adversity is praised and admired, even if it comes at significant personal cost. After many centuries living in mixed societies, many Leonin see Tabaxi as their lesser-cousins, some wish to protect and nurture them, while others view them with distain or disinterest.

Leonin command attention wherever they go, their impressive forms standing out in crowds and their loud roars marking them on the battlefield. Although there is a good deal of variation in Leonin, all are larger and taller than humans. As tall humanoids, with muscular bodies, strong jaws, claws, and males have resplendent golden or brown manes. They are covered in tawny or golden fur, (in some rare cases dark brown, black or even white fur) stand 6'-7' tall, have feline tails, and their heads look much like that of a lion.

NOTE: *A Leonin character that does not select a religion gains a +**1 Dex** or +**1 Cha** bonus.*