Nyota

Gender: Female
Age: 3.5 years
Species: African lion
Pride: Lowlands
Rank: Queen

Appearance: With fur a rich coffee color, Nyota stands out from the typical lioness because her pelt is a few shades darker. Her undersides, muzzle, and paws are a lighter hue, while the circles around her eyes, inner ears, and tail tuft are a few shades darker. She has heterochromia iridum, meaning two different colored eyes: one is green, while the other is blue. She inherited this trait from her father, who used to tell Nyota that it was a sign of nobility. Beneath both eyes are a trio of light colored dots. Her head is held high, she is proud without being vain, and she carries herself with an air of dignity befitting a queen.

Personality: Fiercely proud and independent, Nyota is determined to succeed as sole ruler of the jungle kingdom. She was raised to be honest and confident, but realizes that most lions don't share her ideals. Her worst fear is to see her pride and her ancestor's territory lost to someone unworthy of the throne. Because of this, she is highly mistrustful of males, and views them as arrogant, pushy, and obsessed with breeding. While she realized the need for an heir, Nyota seems uninterested in procreation, due in part to her poor attitude towards lions. She prefers the company of other lionesses, who she sees as more caring, accepting, and less unpredictable and violent. She has a difficult time becoming attached to others, and an unspoken fear of abandonment makes love very difficult. Nyota has come to expect she will live her life alone, and is accepting of the fact, focusing her energy on her territory rather than finding a mate.

She became queen before reaching adulthood, and so she has a rather serious, thoughtful demeanor. Wise beyond her years, she would be a great conversationalist if she wasn't prone to getting lost within her own thoughts. She is constantly under stress, but is a genuinely caring lioness who would give her life for her pride mates. The loss of her entire family stills weighs her down, and a day doesn't pass that she doesn't think of her parents and brothers. She believes strongly in an afterlife amongst the stars, as was taught to her by her father, and often finds solace in nightly walks through the jungle. Her pride is not large by any means, but they are strong-willed and adept at protecting their kingdom from the occasional invader.

Family: Father: Akili (deceased). Mother: Penda (deceased). Brothers: Ajabu (deceased), Nusuru (deceased)
History: Nyota is the only daughter of the former rulers of the Lowlands; born third in line for the throne, she never expected to be the queen. She had two older brothers who were strong, both two years older than little Nyota who would someday have made great kings. But the Lowlands had enemies, and at the time, they were constantly at war. There was a band of marauding bullies, led by a lion called Usiku, who challenged Akili for the throne. Nyota was still a cub when her brother Ajabu was killed by an assassin. Blinded by rage, her father Akili vowed revenge, and would not rest until Usiku and his entire pride were destroyed.

Young Nyota's upbringing was strict, even though her parents never presumed she'd be anything more than a princess, she was taught to respect the land of her ancestors, and from childhood, understood the importance of being fair and truthful. Both mother and father cherished their daughter, their little "star" (which is what her name means in Swahili). But the eternal threat of war and death did not make for a charmed life for the Lowlanders. During a battle, both of her parents were killed. Nyota was still an adolescent at this time, nearing adulthood, but the pain of losing her father and mother was overwhelming. Her brother Nusuru became the king, and he set out to avenge the deaths of his family. Nearly the entire royal clan had been murdered. In the ensuing fight, Nusuru was able to kill their enemy and thus protect the kingdom from further war, but he was injured badly and died from massive blood loss days later.

There was no one left to claim the throne but Nyota, and though she was young, she was level headed and quickly proved to most of her fellow jungle cats that she was worthy of ruling. She has tried to ignore the trauma of her past, but realized that without a king, the jungle territories would be considered prime real estate for any headstrong rogues who might discover the situation. The threat of losing the Lowlands is very real, and leaves for little time for relaxation. After so many years of war, Nyota barely knows how to relax, anyway. While it is a difficult role, she has embraced it whole heartedly and seeks to honor the memory of her family by being a good and just queen.


OOC Alias: Bee
Best Way to Contact: PM
Rp Sample: See Scar

Approved!