The beautiful island of Mi'Ayana is a marvelous sight to behold. Filled with everything from volcanos for the fire lions to play in to lush grasslands for the solars, there is plenty of adventure for those seeking a thrill.
How did these lions and other animals come to inhabit the island? Well...that, my dear is a very interesting tale...
And So It Began...
The realm of the Gods was naturally a busy place, with so much to do and watch over. However, though most refused to acknowledge the fact, things had been getting stressful as of late. Little petty skirmishes began breaking out among the deities, arguments over stupid things and such, and the one that didn’t seem affected by it was Chaos.
She, in fact was having a ball. The squabbles left her giggling for hours on end!
Others, however, were not. It did not take long for three of them to realize this and corner her one day in an attempt to bring peace back to the Island. This is how the fateful moment all began...
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“Chaos must be restrained.”
Chaos snarled silently, her teeth bared towards the speaker. Her tail flicked as she took on a more haughty look and hissing out, “And Order needs the stick pulled from her...”
“Enough,” War growled, flicking his paw and sending a brief spit of flame appear in front of Chaos’s nose and cutting off her remark. “Order is right. You have been given too much freedom as of late. You forced me to create a new race simply after nearly burning that fool of a mortal to death.” He paused, considering this for a moment before muttering aloud, “I am rather fond of my handiwork there...such strong brutes they are now...” He scratched at his chin, thoughts wandering away from the conversation at hand.
Chaos frowned, looking hurt. “I did no such thing! I cannot be blamed for some fool of a mortal who gets too close to a volcano’s edge. Tis Nature’s way of getting rid of the idiots in the gene pool. Blame her.”
“It was a situation that was had to be dealt with, and keep the balance of things in check. The fire species has been a wonderful addition, counteract the numbers of the water females that so like to keep themselves hidden,” Order muttered, playing with the set of scales she carried with her always, making sure the world remained in constant balance with forces of good and evil, light and darkness, and other such matters. Her words pleased War to no end, who puffed himself up on his cushions ever proud of his accomplishment. “Fire and water...another balance...everything has it’s opposite, canceling each other out, but a new force has made itself known, and I have no balance for this...”
Wisdom stood up from where he sat in the darkness, ever watchful and careful to take in all before speaking aloud. He was quiet, but powerful and most knew never to pick a battle with him, except for War who could get a bit hot-headed at times. He walked over to Chaos and stood nose to nose to her. “Nature may be fickle at times, kind one moment and tearing trees from the earth in anger the next, but still even that is below her. However, we know it is not below you. You care for nothing. No one. Only yourself. You prove that every day of our existence, so I must side with Order as well. It is well past time a leash was put upon you.”
Chaos snarled and flexed her wings, starting to crouch and make her attack. To be blamed for something she had nothing to do with, at least for the most part, infuriated her till she saw nothing but red. A single thread snaked out of the darkness to curl about her front paws. Just as she was to leap, the thread pulled taunt, and she flipped over to land flat on her back with wings splayed. Panting, she lay there trying to figure out what the hell had just happened when Fate appeared in her vision.
“Ironically, Chaos is not to blame,” Fate purred, sitting down and eyeing them all with an almost casual glance. “At least not our Chaos, that is. Humans have for years been encroaching on our lands. We have let it slide when it was just a few, and have turned a blind eye to their affairs, and now it is tipping the balance and the fate of the land is no longer certain. In fact, if we remain where we are, this land will wither and die, and us along with it.” To prove her point, she produced a rich tapestry that showed the history of the lands. “This is the point the humans entered in. A few errant strands was all I considered them, something that would disappear and be forgotten. Even I gave them no second thought at first, but now, their own Gods have begun influencing the lives of those we consider our children. It is not Chaos that must be restrained, but that race of abhorrent two-leggers and the impostors they call gods.
War gave a whoop of joy at the thought of a possible coming battle, and this would be nothing like the petty little dramas of mortals, but something...bigger. He was practically drooling with happiness as visions of bloodshed filled his head, “Now this I like...”
Order nearly freaked out, thinking of what this would do to her careful balance of things, bringing her scales in closer to her as if to protect them from harm as War pranced about, and glared as he got too close at one point.
Meanwhile, Wisdom had retaken his usual out of the way place to lay down and consider the possibilities. He cocked his head considering the other four lions in the room: Chaos was happy as a clam she wasn’t being blamed, and barely cared about what happened as long as she had mortals to play with. Granted, she hated humans and would be happy to let War exterminate them at the cost of many children’s lives (for they considered all lions their children) as long as it gave her things to play with afterwards. Fate never chose, she merely wove the choices of others into her tapestry of life measuring out the lives of others according to how their decisions influenced the outcome. War...was War. Seemed the only viable one here to make a choice that didn’t involve killing innocents was himself.
“We have no choice. We move them. We move them to Mi’Ayana, the Island of the Gods, there they will be safe from further influence by other deities and humans alike. Safeguards will be placed around the island preventing anyone from leaving or arriving, unless at our whim. To risk the lives of our children to rid the world of a pest will more than likely end up in our own extermination, and is not a choice I will stand by. Do you agree.”
The last was said more as a command than a question, but the others did not argue, though War looked vastly disappointed for a few moments. Time passed, and the others agreed to the idea. The children would not be harmed, they could continue their lives in full happiness. They would be put under a deep sleep to awaken on the island and blessed with an inherit knowledge of the layout and the names of the various places and landmarks. There they would grow unhindered by outside influence and be the lions they were meant to become.
The Land -
Dark grey mountains - Though the area is actually occupied by four volcanoes, the northern most area of the island is most often named for the biggest - Sek'Omra. It's sisters, Ak'Mes, Nahameha, and Ra'Hagi (which lay to the north, east and south in that order) are fairly new in comparison though just as active. The smoke from the four sisters can be seen high in the sky from the far side of the island, making it an easy way to judge directions in a pinch no matter where you are.
Mekani Mountain Range -
light grey mountains - The Mekani Mountains run the full width of the island, creating a natural barrier between the volcanos. With high mountain peaks topped with snow, to low valleys that brim with tall green grass and wild flowers that scent the air, to dark caves that dot the mountainsides, there is much to be discovered.
Forest of Aegria -
western green forested area on the mainland - Densely forested, this area provides perfect shelter for the more reclusive who wish to keep from sight. Enough sunlight does reach the ground to create heavy ground cover which can be havoc on wings if not watched carefully.
Icona Swamps -
southwestern green forested area that is accessed by a narrow neck to the mainland - Due to the high water table surrounding this area, it is mostly composed of swamps. Paths are often hidden, and apt to change in a moments notice. Extreme caution must be taken when traveling in this area. Dens are usually found in areas of higher ground, or where trees have interlocked themselves so thickly as to produce a natural living space.
Ta'Poln Flatlands -
light green grasslands - Thick lush green grasslands run from a point on the western border of the mainland spreading outward into a roughly triangle shape towards the middle of the island. Rocks jut up in places creating dens, and great places for catching a bit of sun.
Roshna Nerota -
lime green savannahs - Here the sun beats down a little more heavily than on the grasslands, temperature is a little more harsh, but for the inhabitants of the island it's definatly not anything they can't handle with ease. Grass growth is stunted at the hottest times of the year making hunting a little harder than normal, and monsoons are definately something to watch out for, perfect for those that like a bit of a challenge to their day.
Erasta My'Lan -
brown desert area - Filled with sand dunes from one end to the other, this is a great place to exercise, and if one is not careful, can be a not so great place to die. Beware the power of mirages! Thankfully oasises are not too hard to find, though located mostly along the main river that runs through the area, other random places are fed by underground streams that pop up close to the surface.
The Seas
Tycebri Finaru -
"Sea of Life and Death" -
Northernmost body of water that partially spans the volcano and mountain regions - This sea is very interesting ecologically as the more north one travels, the less life one will see until the very northern tip is about as dead as a lake can get (do not drink it at this point!), hence it's name. Fed by two underground springs in the southern portion, half the lake retains a varied and active ecology, filtering out the poisonous gasses that filter in from the north.
Cina Finaru -
"Little Sea" -
southern lake in the forest reagion - This little sea, roughly half the size of Tycebri Finaru, is a placid wonderland, especially for water lionesses and others who want to go for a nice swim or just gaze upon the water. The water is crystal clear, and since much of it is fairly shallow (with depth of only about 25-30 feet in places) you can see the bottom of it in most places. Through the middle of it lies a trench that reaches much deeper....what might be there? How deep does it go? No one is sure...
The Rivers
Ki’Abna Ecu -
"River of Birth" -
Short span of river that begins at Tycebri Finaru and runs a short ways before splitting into two slightly smaller rivers - This short section of river gets it's name not only from the sea that spawns it, but from the fact it is mother to the other rivers that run through the island. With temperature ranges from warm and pleasant at it's mouth, to ice cold where it splits, it boast a highly diversified ecologoy along it's length, changing with every mile to something different. It is said that those who bathe in it's waters come away feeling refreshed and all pain, aches, and injuries are healed by the God or Goddess that watches over it. Wether myth or truth, that is yet to be discovered.
Runori Ecu -
"River of Fate" -
Long river that runs from the north to the southeast without interruption - With it's many twists and turns, the Runori is known for it's habit of never letting you see what's around the next corner in most areas. It's speed is slow, and regarded as a wonderful river to just lie on your back and let it take you where it may. Ecology depends upon where the river is at, but temperature stays cool.
Ostori Ecu -
"Wild River" -
First shorter river that runs from the river Ki'Abna to the lake Cina Finaru - This river is very wild and cold, full of rapids and even a few whirlpools. The water is delightful to the taste, but pretty deadly for anyone but the water femmes to venture in when it comes to crossing. Even merely getting a drink can become an adventure, so be careful!
Win’Anya Ecu -
"River of Dreams" -
Short river that runs south from Cinari Finaru to the sea - It is said if you were to gaze upon the waters when the moon shines upon it, it tells your fortune. While nothing is set in stone, as our very choices change the outcome of our fate, one must remember that the fortune is only true for the
current path of the beholder.
