EDITED 9/21/18
More information on other Felifae races added!
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Soooooo I've been wanting to share some of the worldbuilding I've done for my "The Lion Fairy" project, but didn't quite know how to go about doing so. So! For now I think I'll make a journal dedicated to it until I have more art and stuff!
So for those of you who don't know, I'm currently working on an original story/fairytale retelling called The Lion Fairy. I'm not entirely sure what I want to make of it (short animation? Illustrated book? hmm...) but part of the reason why I'm doing it is for portfolio work. Ya'll have seen some of the stuff I've done for it, which is mainly the character design of the two main characters: Maji the Lioness and Nadia the farm girl. It's these two characters:
I have their personalities down I think, but I'm also trying to flesh out the worlds they live in before I fully get into the story itself. SO! This is the worldbuidling I have for it thus far, particularly the world of which Maji comes from.
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General Worldbuilding: The FeliFae
-Maji is a FeliFae (term coined from combining "felidae" with "fae". Basically means "feline fairy"). The FeliFae are a race of magic beings with the ability to shapeshift into big cats and perform elemental magic. A theory superstitious humans have about these beings is that they used to be human and only became Fae when they were granted boons from gods long since forgotten by everyone of the mortal realm.
-Fairies used to live among humans before a great war occurred (can never go wrong with a war my mans uwu). The Clans, once separated, decided to unite themselves to fight the humans together instead of alone under the leadership of the lions (what they call the Convergence), and that proved to be successful enough. The war ended with no clear victor (though clear enough to show humans generally came out on top in it) but the fairies decided, for their own safety, that they would separate themselves from the humans and live their own lives in isolation. This resulted in the fairies retreating to either an underground ecosystem or an uncharted island (I haven’t decided which one yet honestly), of which they protect with magic. They remain there to this very day.
- Speaking of the Clans: there are 5 separate Clans of FeliFae: Lions, Tigers, Panthers, Cheetahs, and Pumas. “Panther” is just an umbrella term for snow-leopard, jaguar, and leopard. They don’t really differentiate like they would IRL so they all essentially refer to themselves as “panthers”. ANYWAY, all of the clans have connection with magic, but some faes are more inclined to it than others. Before the Convergence, each tribe of fae prayed and worshiped different spirits to grant them boons and magic:
Lion: Fire Spirits (they have 2 gods, a pair of twins)
Tiger: Earth Spirit
Panther: Water Spirit
Cheetah: Air Spirit
Puma: Energy/Chi Spirit
Post-Convergence has seen the growing cases in which fae of different races (especially of mixed race) are granted with magics outside the typical of their tribe (example: lion with water-based magics, cheetah with earth-based magics, so on). Pumas are unique in that they maintain the ability to shapeshift and are inherently magical, but are usually unable to outwardly extend their inner-magic like that of the other Fae aside from a few rare cases. To compensate for this, they are innovative and are adept in the practice of Alchemy, otherwise known as creating “physical” magic in the form of spells and tools that act as their conduit to express their magic outwardly. The Puma are responsible for a lot of the technological advancements of the Citadel, but they are considered the lowest class among the clans and are treated as such.
- During the war, the war chief of the Lion Clan saw benefit to unite all of the clans together to fight humans as one unit to better ensure their survival. Under his direction, they were able to fend the humans off and find a home where they would all be safe, and there they kept the war chief as their king. This loose alliance eventually evolved into a true monarchy where lions reign and have a council made of representatives from each clan. Pumas once had representation in the council but one particular unsavory dynasty of lion monarchs removed their seat, and it’s remained that way since.
- Their stretch of land is divided amongst themselves, where each Clan has lands where they may practice and maintain their own cultures. In the middle of these regions sits what they call Citadel City, the largest city and capitol of their lands. This is where the monarch sits and where all clans have converged together in a melting pot, cultures intermixing between one another. While social status isn’t necessarily concrete, the society within Citadel City often adheres to this caste system:
- Some stuff on Lion Culture: Pre-Convergence and pre-civilization, prides of lion fae would fight to the death to gain the loser’s lands, pride, and resources. Now such practices are seen as tradition: before the ruling monarch steps down, they and their chosen offspring must fight in honorable combat to “Expose” the upcoming monarch’s strength and potential: the show to prove they are worthy of the title of King or Queen. These battles last until yield or, in uncommon cases, death. Challengers from the other tribes are welcome to have a shot at the throne as well but very rarely does anyone but lions challenge the throne.The tradition of fighting extends to many things among FeliFae society today (but especially prevalent in lion culture), including: challenging an opponent to defend one’s honor, challenging a rival suitor to prove themselves suitable mates to the person of interest, ritualistic dance-battles that serves as tribute to the great Fire Spirit as thanks for granting them their many boons.
- Gender Roles aren’t nearly as strictly kept and is relatively loose in all of FeliFae society. It isn’t uncommon to see women in protective and leadership roles and it isn’t uncommon to see men in nurturing or household roles. However, it is generally expectant for the mothers to do most of the child rearing and meal preparation (which strongly includes retrieving and growing the food, such as hunting, fishing, farming ) while it is expectant of males to serve in warrior-based roles, such as peacekeepers or soldiers. This is especially prevalent in Lion and Tiger cultures.
-In lion culture, it is expected for males to grow their hair out long and their beards thick, whereas females are expected to keep their hair very short or entirely shaved off. In males, long hair and full beards signify their strength and prowess as a warrior, as leaders, while females lacking hair (or having short hair) signify their prowess as hunters and their wit, their ability to adapt. The cutting of a man’s hair is seen as one of the biggest insults, and men who don’t grow long hair or facial hair are often seen as weak in will and in strength and unfit to be in leading roles. It is more acceptable for a woman to grow longer hair, particularly if she is a warrior herself, but only up until the shoulders. If their hair passes this length it is met with criticism and seen as very unusual, likening it to the woman being unable to provide for her family and lacking smarts (specifically because the hair only grows on their head, not encompasses their entire face like mens’ do). This belief stems from the appearances of their Twin Gods and what they represent (which I haven’t fully figured out all of their lore yet).
- With the exceptions of Cheetahs who see it as a crime, infanticide is practiced in all FeliFae clans. Often seen as a “necessary evil”, a newborn will often be killed should they show signs of deformity, health issues, or are weak upon birth (this includes premature births). Each culture handles infanticide differently: for example, Lions give their babies up to reputable shamans, who prepare the baby for a ritual in which they are poisoned, wrapped up in traditional robes, then cremated in the belief that their spirit will be freed and brought to the Female Twin, who will raise them as her own.
-An interesting plot point I think I’ll have in the story: Maji (the lioness princess) was born premature and was meant to be offered to the lion goddess as per tradition, but her father (it’s the men who take their children to be inspected by the shaman) refused to allow her to die and made the shaman swear to secrecy of his rejection of this sacred tradition. The events that occur after this (Maji’s element becoming Earth instead of fire, her reluctance to practice specific traditions and her distaste for some of the laws of their kind, then ultimately her fleeing their realm and rejecting her place as future queen) will be seen by her father as the gods punishing him for betraying their trust.
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Lion Culture and Characteristics Notes
-The highest ranking clan of the social class, lions are big, burly, and strong. Lions, in their human form, are the second tallest group, average height being 7'6ft tall. Men typically have long hair and thick beards while women have short hair or are shaven entirely bald. Like all FeliFae, Lions have claws and long fangs even in human form: in human form they have the ability to “sheath” their claws by shortening them using magic.
-The social significance of hair length in Lion Culture stems from the worship of their twin fire gods (Name suggestions appreciated!). The brother has a long and thick head of hair that reaches far down his back, his beard so full it covers most of his chest and even some of his shoulders. His sister, however, only has very short and curly hair pressed close to her head and thick eyebrows, the rest of her entirely hairless and adorned with tattoos. The lions believe that styling their hair the same way as the Twins allows them deeper connection with the gods and their inner strength, thus it is seen as taboo for a man to have no body hair and short hair and for a woman to have long hair. Children do not necessarily have to follow this social expectation up until puberty.
-The age of 21 is a big deal in Lion culture, in which an elaborate “coming of age/rite of passage” ceremony takes place. Women have their hair cut short while men have their hair styled in ceremonial braids and their beards as well (if it’s long enough at this point) with different colored beads and ribbons. Both are adorned with ceremonial paints to mimic the look of their Gods. This Rite of Passage ceremony lasts for days and the participants must take on and complete a number of challenges, from solo hunting, group hunting, proving themselves in a ceremonial fight, before finally completing the ceremony by walking across a long stretch of land embedded with burning coals.
Toward the end of the ceremony, a large feast prepared from the kills provided by the hunt takes place, before finally the participants are brought forth to the shaman to receive their Marks. One mark is permanent, branding the symbol of the individual’s clan onto their shoulder, while the other mark isn’t physically permanent but tied to them forever in the form of unique facial markings. The facial markings represent the strengths of the individual based on design and color, and while this durable paint can be washed off it isn’t socially acceptable for a Marked lion to be without their paint in public. Removing their paint in the company of someone else is a large show of trust.
-While universal in FeliFae, it’s most prevalent in and originated in Lion culture: a sign of greeting and affection is the Nu’it, or a gentle headbutt. This has the two greeting parties place one hand on each others’ shoulders, then pressing their foreheads together gently. Both parties then inhale through their nose in an act of Sōl: “sharing breath”, symbolizing giving each other strength by sharing some of their own. In more intimate relationships, platonic and romantic, the pair participating in Nu’it may place both hands upon each other’s shoulders or caress the back of the head or neck in a gentle hold. (this was inspired by how cats show affection in real life and the urban myth that cats “steal breath”)
-In Lion culture, family is a very important part of life. Even in a civilized setting Lions tend to form “prides” between one another, of which can be as small as two people or as large as 30. A pride can be in a romantic sense, a family sense, or a platonic sense. It’s because of this that Lions have more than one mother or father: they essentially “share” their families.
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Tiger Culture and Characteristics Notes
Second highest ranking in FeliFae social class, Tigers are by far the biggest and strongest of them all. Average height for a fully grown Tiger fae tends to be around 8ft; they're not that much taller than Lions typically, but they are the biggest in terms of muscle mass, weight, and body structure. They are broad shouldered with long arms and large hands tipped with powerful claws. As all FeliFae they have fangs and claws even when in human form. A unique trait of Tigers is that all of them, including women, grow beards. Women typically don’t get mustaches or beards that grow on the chin, but their facial hair tend to grow long along the sides and underside of the jaw, almost like that of sideburns.
-Tigers are particularly militant by nature. They value strength just as much as they value smarts, and while they acknowledge and appreciate the power in cooperation there is great emphasis placed on being strong and independent as an individual. They value being able to think for one’s self and not simply follow commands like a mindless drone.
-Their god, Mitja, is one that has no defined gender: they can be depicted as female, male, a combination of both, or with no defined distinction. Constants in all depiction of this god is the presence of stripes and sideburns in their human image. This god represents unshakable stability, both in body and mind.
-Tattoos are especially prevalent in Tiger culture. While their characteristic stripes aren’t shown in their human form, it’s common for a tiger to have stylized stripes tattooed into their skin. This is their way of mimicking the look of their tiger god in their human depiction. These symbolizing stripes, however, must be earned: no tiger can tattoo their stripes until after they have proven themselves in a rather brutal rite of passage. Once they prove themselves worthy, they will be granted permission by a warrior priest.
-The Rite of Passage in Tiger culture occurs when someone reaches the age of 16. The individual is trained a year before the rite begins in preparation, and once the time comes they are brought to the warrior priest for appraising. Once they have been appraised, the individual will have one last celebratory meal with their friends and family before they are carted away with several others their age and taken to a large remote island. Their trial is to survive the harsh wilderness of this island alone for 6 months, left with nothing more than the sparse clothing on their backs. They could survive working together, or go it alone, but they must do what they could to hold out until their 6 months were up. It isn’t unheard of for some of the participants to perish in this rite, falling to starvation, dehydration, illness, the dangerous wildlife, and many other reasons. Those who manage to return victorious is thrown a huge feast before they are granted their stripes.
-This Rite of Passage isn’t necessarily practiced by tigers who live in Citadel City and other pockets of their world. In these places a far more safer version of this rite takes place, where participants are taken to wildlife where they camp out for about a month under the guidance and watchful eye of an accompanying warrior.
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Cheetah Culture and Characteristics Notes
-Third ranking in the Caste system, Cheetahs most noticeable characteristic is their lean, tall forms. They average out at around 7ft in height, but their slight and athletic builds make them look smaller in comparison to the rest of the Felifae. With their lithe form comes a grace no other fae can seem to match, and though they might be the “smallest” in terms of body build they are by far the fastest.
-Cheetah Felifae are faster than even a “real world” cheetah due to their magic. When bipedal they can run about 65 MPH while on all four they can clock in at about 80 MPH. This is just in their human form: while in their cat shape they reach a whopping 180 MPH.
-Unlike Panthers, who’s human form are adorned with their spots from birth, a cheetah’s spots don’t translate into human form. What does, though, is the tear-like markings that trail from tear-duct to mouth. These markings are typically a somewhat darker color of their skin color, but once a cheetah gets older they can tattoo over these marks to make them much darker should they want to.
-Cheetahs place high importance on education: this importance transcends even that of becoming a warrior. They value smarts and wit over brawn, partly because they simply don’t have the brute strength a Lion or Tiger does, and partly because they believe achieving higher feats requires a strong mind. Like the Panthers, they are highly spiritual beings and thus share a deeper connection to their patron Spirit.
-Despite their spots not translating into their human form, they hold great significance in Cheetah culture. Spots are used as a sign of physical, mental, and spiritual growth and, during important ceremonies or ritualistic events, they are lovingly painted on with durable body paints to signify this growth. Spots will be given to a Cheetah on the day they’re born (alongside their parents, who have grown into parenthood), their 10th and 15th birthday, and their 20th birthday (then from there on it’s on birthdays that are multiples of ten: 30, 40, 50, so on). They’re given their spots upon completing their education, completing their training in their chosen profession, their first successful hunt, becoming warriors, getting married, becoming priests/shamans, and many more.
The only sort of ceremony in which spots are not painted on is during phases of deep loss, typically funerals: those who attend the funeral will remain “spotless”, whereas the one who has passed will have their spots painted onto them one last time before burial (their spots are left on when they are buried to allow them further growth in the afterlife). The only time a cheetah ever tattoos their spots onto their skin is if they reach the ripe old age of 200.
-Their patron Spirit, Okoth, is a god of the sky. The Cheetahs’ element is Air, but Okoth is often related to storms, rain in particular. This is because Cheetahs generally live in the most dry and arid lands on the Felifae country, and as such they place great importance on the necessity of rain and the life-water it brings. Legends tell the tale of Okoth watching over the people he patrons and seeing them suffer from the unforgiving heat: crops dying before even sprouting, people dying from heat stroke or dehydration, painful skin burns and dirt as hot as burning coals.
Feeling despair for their suffering, Okoth cried for his people: his tears became rain, his ragged breath became the harsh winds, and his cries became thunder. This brought to the lands their first rain storm, and Okoth’s empathy brought to his people the resource they needed to survive: water. So now whenever the Cheetahs experience rain, they say their loving god is crying for them to provide them with the water they need. The tear-like markings on their god holds great importance because of this (they claim his tear tracks became permanent due to how often he cries to give them water and their lands life, a physical representation for his love for them), and this feature is seen in just about anything: artwork, depictions of Okoth, architecture.
-Cheetahs and Pumas are the only Felifae who do not practice infanticide. The others believe it to be a necessary evil and will “humanely” kill infants that are born immature, deformed, ill, or with disabilities. Cheetahs see this as cruel and unnecessary destruction of precious life whereas Pumas believe it entirely barbaric and outdated in practice, especially when they do have the technology to help these babies survive past infancy and live a happy, healthy life.
-Cheetahs are similar to Lions in that they “share” families. While they don’t form “prides” like Lions do, it isn’t uncommon for a Cheetah to claim they have more than one mother and father, and thus their families are expansive. The rearing of children isn’t a duty to just the given parents, it’s the duty of the entire community to ensure a safe, happy, healthy, and successful upbringing. There is a deep level of kinship between the Lions and Cheetahs because of this: no other FeliFae fully understand this practice like they do.
-Okoth has a beloved animal companion that goes by the name of Aralez. Aralez is a slender creature that looks mostly canine with a crest of wide feathers from forehead to the base of the neck, large and powerful wings, and the talons of an eagle for their hind feet. These creatures grow to a moderate size and are fast, able to keep up with a running Cheetah with relative ease. As such they are used as hunting companions. These creatures were created by breeding wolves with griffons with canine relation, an attempt to “bring to life” a version of Okoth’s beloved companion. They renamed them after said companion: Aralez, and they are so revered that they have rights of their own. Should anyone abuse this holy animal, they are severely punished. The feathers of these creatures are often used in ritualistic dress and ceremonial garb.
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Puma Culture and Characteristics Notes
-The lowest of the caste system, the Pumas are also the smallest of the Felifae. They generally average 6ft tall in height and are the most “human” in stature. Unlike the other Felifae who have a unique “mark” to them, Pumas lack this. Lions have their manes, Tigers their huge stature and beards, Panthers their spots, Cheetahs their towering forms and tearstreak marks; the Pumas have nothing of the sort that translates into their human form. It’s because of this, as well as having no tangible Element they control, that they are called “Unmarked”, believed to be lacking in connection with their patron Spirit.
-Despite their being called “Unmarked” and its accompanying belief, Pumas do have a deep connection to their patron Spirit, and by technicality they do have an Element. Their patron Spirit is Ra’han, god of Energy (or Chi), and this god represents balance. Ra’han is just as important as the other patron Spirits, for they provide the rest the balance they need to exist in harmony. Ironically, the social standings of Felifae mirrors this to an extent: without the Pumas, they wouldn’t have the technological advancements they currently have. Pumas make up the majority of the working class, filling roles others may not want to do but is necessary for society to thrive the way it does. Pumas give the balance the others need in order to successfully exist; without them, society (Citadel City especially) is almost sure to collapse.
Energy is an element, just an element they can’t manifest like the rest can. However, the Pumas have an ability other Felifae don’t: being able to create and utilize physical magic, Alchemy. The power to utilize Alchemy allows Pumas to create spells and enchantments, which in turn makes them the most versatile in their magic use: they can use spells based in any of the given Elements within their individual ability. The only catch is that they must use a Conduit in order to cast spells freely.
-Conduits can come in many forms: jewelry, wands, staffs, however their most common form is in the form of rings and bracelets. Conduits are specifically made for each individual Puma, which means no Puma can pick up another’s Conduit and use it freely. This is done through the use of enchantment: in order to make a conduit, a Puma first chooses the item they wish to express their magic through. Once chosen, runes are very carefully etched into the object of choice, and once finished the Puma must allow drops of their blood to be collected. The blood is then mixed into a poultice that will be rubbed into the etchings of the Conduit. The enchantment is activated with a precise pulse of raw magical energy, and once activated the Conduit is completed and ready for the owner to use.
-Instead of body paints and tattoos, Pumas use jewelry as their choice of marking. Jewelry can be used to symbolize many things: occupation, status symbol, a mark of growth, simply a fashion statement. For example: Shamans tend to wear several pieces of jewelry at once, such as long beaded necklaces and hooped earrings and bracelets, whereas a warrior or hunter may wear necklaces decorated with trophies, such as bones or teeth or claws. While there are some form of criteria and cultural expectation, there is no right or wrong way to express oneself with their jewelry. The only consistent sort of jewelry all Pumas have are the Balance of Being wear: one ball-like earrings at the base of each ear, and a simple silver necklace with a small bell hanging off of it.
-Pumas are the most liberal of the Felifae clans: they believe and understand the importance of their cultural identity, but they are far more flexible with change and are willing to adapt their cultural identity into the new instead of clinging so hard to the old. However, there is one ritual that has remained mostly the same throughout the many generations and continues to be a staple of their culture: The Balance of Being ritual. This ritual is a 3-part ceremony that takes place at different intervals of an individual’s life: one is at the age of 16 (Balance of Body), the other at 25 (Balance of Mind), and the last can take place at any given time after the age of 30 (Balance of Spirit).
Balance of Body is the most similar to other Felifae rituals: it’s a ceremony in which the individual must prove themselves capable of basic survival. Hunting, foraging, fighting. The child will be grouped with others their age to participate in this ceremony, where they must work together to bring down game and forage for fruits and herbs for the ceremonial feast. They must bring enough to feed the entirety of their community, and they have 2 days time to complete the challenge. Once completed, they will prove themselves capable of self-defense in a display: while in Citadel City it’s more of an elaborate battle-dance, tribes outside the city limits actually learn combat and will spar with each other during this point of the ceremony. Once over, the teens will be gathered and brought before the high shaman of their tribe, who will bestow upon them their first earring (pierced into their left ear).
Balance of Mind is more varying, due to it being representative to mental fortitude, the completion of education. This typically means ending their training in the profession they’ve chosen to pursue, and only their mentor declares their education complete. This typically happens around the age of 25, but it’s known to happen later and earlier than that. But in a very general sense, the mentor will present their pupil to a shaman and declare their education completed, upon which the pupil must prove themselves worthy of the craft they’ve trained in. How they prove themselves depends on their chosen profession: if a painter, the painter must produce their best works to present to the shaman. If a blacksmith, they must produce the finest work they can muster: a sword, a set of armor, tools for a farmer. If educator, they must tutor their own set of students for a full week and test them on what they’ve retained, while the students grade their tutor based on how well they taught the material and how much the educator worked with them on the individual level. The requirements go on, but once the pupil proves themselves worthy of their craft, they will be given their second earring (pierced into the right ear).
Balance of Spirit is the most elusive of the rituals, given it’s literal spiritual nature. This is often obtained only when the individual has become fully accepting of oneself, to recognize and embrace their flaws, to change themselves should they need to change, and to fully come to love themselves as they are. Only an Enlightened can bestow the final piece of Balance to an individual. The ritual can occur at any given time after the age of 30: an individual can seek out council with the Enlightened and ask for an examination of their spirit if they believe themselves having Balance in Spirit. The shaman will examine them through a strange meditative state, “Spirit Walking” they call it, feeling the other’s Chi and how it connects with the rest of their being.
Should they prove to be truly and fully Balanced, they are given their final piece of jewelry: the simple but highly regarded silver chain with a small, melodic bell hanging from it. These individuals are regarded rather highly; a Puma who has finally obtained full balance. It isn’t very common to happen: most are given the news that they have yet to fully realize themselves as an individual and must continue their journey for full balance, which can and might take a full lifetime to achieve. Some don’t even manage to do so by the end of their life. Some may manage to obtain it but lose their balance of self upon a traumatic incident.
-An Enlightened in Puma culture is an individual who has realized Balance of Being from birth. This is signified by a child who has a birthmark in the center of their forehead in the form of three dots: one large dot in the center, and two smaller dots above and below it, the very mark that mimics the “third eye” of their god. This very rarely happens, once every three centuries, and it’s documented that no more than three of these individuals exist at a time. These children are revered as holy figures, disciples in direct relation to Ra’han themselves, and are very protected, shadowed at all times by a personal bodyguard who remains with them throughout their lifetime. The child’s family is protected as well, for producing an Enlightened. They are given just about anything they want whenever they want, but they are not without discipline: though they are allowed to pursue any profession they desire, they are given extensive training as Shamans. Their word may surpass even that of village chieftans, sometimes even the reigning Monarch of Felifae. This could probably be why their seat among the Council was removed all those years ago. I’d imagine the Enlightened might be revered even by Felifae who aren’t Puma, given the obvious mark of being directly connected with their patron Spirit.
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Soooooo thar ya go! Some of this is subject to change as it evolves but I’m pretty proud of how it’s goin’ so far! Ya'll are always welcome to ask questions if you'd like (they certainly help with worldbuilding!) and if you have any suggestions for the Spirits' names, I'm all ears! The Spirits in question are the lion gods (fire, twins; one male one female), the tiger god (earth, no definite gender), the panther god (water, female), and the cheetah god (air, male).
More will possibly be added to this journal later down the road, but in the meantime thank ya'll for takin' a look. uwu
