▨Plot Outline and Overview▧

[Narifia]

Last Updated: 3/16/13
***Revamp in Progress***

▨Paths Unwinding▧
▨Plot Outline and Overview▧


Welcome to the Plot Outline and Overview! This section is for any members who have been away for a long time and have missed a lot, or for new members who are just joining in, to very quickly take a look and have a general idea of everything that has happened in the story so far.

Here's how this works: Each post is equivalent to one "chapter" in the storyline. There will be links to major threads in the chapter and quick summaries of important events that have happened in them. These threads are strung together chronologically to build up a solid and coherent timeline.

The Plot Outline/Overview will be periodically updated as more events in the story unfold. All you have to do to catch up is read it; it's that simple! Whether you're a newbie or a returning member, I hope you'll find this section to be helpful!

Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Send me or Kai a PM and we'll answer your question right away!

[Narifia]

░▒▓ So far in the story...

▨Generation 1▧
▨Chapter 1▧

✧ In Kube ✧

◈ Wandering Ghost

One fateful late afternoon in Kube Narifia, the young queen of the recently restored Outlander pride, is taking a leisurely stroll through the neutral territory to clear her head and take a momentary break from her responsibilities as queen. At the river she stops to take a drink and there encounters Kivuli, a strange, ghostly-looking lion who has wandered here from lands far away. Despite his specter-like appearance, Narifia is immediately friendly and invites him to come back with her to the Outlands. Morobi then shows up and is none too thrilled that Narifia has wandered off alone and is engaging a stranger without caution, yet even so he sees no harm in giving Kivuli a chance. After much internal struggle on Kivuli's part, he finally decides to accept their invitation and go with them to the Outlands.

✧ In the Outlands ✧

◈ Has the Outcast Found a Home?

Narifia, Morobi, and Kivuli arrive in the Outlands and are greeted by Anasi, Ardilana, and Kurunzi. While Anasi and a mischievous Kurunzi both seem accepting of Kivuli, Ardilana does not and disapproves not only of the new stranger, but of Narifia's very decision in bringing him home. Decimus--chief adviser to Narifia and former leader of The Four--has been out scouting the borders (and stalking Zurina), and returns home to find a stranger in their midst. While there doesn't seem to be any threat, Decimus is immediately guarded and distrustful of Kivuli.

Decimus takes his leave, signaling to Kurunzi, Anasi, and Ardilana to follow. In private the four of them discuss if Kivuli is a threat, and whether or not to put their faith in Narifia's decision and give him a chance. Anasi is fully prepared to trust Narifia, and while Decimus and Kurunzi have their reservations about the young, naive lioness, they too choose to place their faith in their young queen. Ardilana, however, refuses to recognize Narifia as Zira's true heir and sees her as nothing more than a Pridelander. Decimus, cementing his resolve to invest all of his faith in Narifia, puts Ardilana in her place with a swipe of his massive paw. Ardilana, hurt more from the meaning behind the strike than the strike itself, sees this action as a betrayal of their friendship and runs off to Kube to sort out her anger--but not before uttering a quick retort about Decimus' obsession with Zurina which hits him harder than he would have liked to admit. Anasi follows after Ardilana to try to reason with her, while Decimus and Kurunzi head off to the Waterhole to cool their heads.

✧ Back In Kube ✧

◈ Ardilana's Plight

Ardilana, after running away from the oppressive feeling of having to deal with so much change in her life as a result of Narifia becoming her new queen, finally stops running once she reaches Kube. As she bends down to take a drink, she hears a rustle in the grass behind her and knows that Anasi has been following her the entire time. Irritated and anticipating a lecture, she's seconds away from starting a verbal fight with Anasi when she is met instead with understanding and empathy--something she had not expected from Anasi given the circumstances. Her shattered ego repaired, she is soothed by Anasi's kind words and agrees to go back home with her.

✧ Meanwhile, At the Waterhole ✧

◈ Cooling Off

Decimus and Kurunzi discuss Ardilana's outburst. Kurunzi can't understand why Ardilana would denounce Narifia as she did, and Decimus reflects that it is because Ardilana is afraid of change. They both comment on how they are indeed taking a chance on Narifia, but that it is inevitably a risk worth taking.

Deciding to change the subject, Decimus admits that he has to do something about his obsession with Zurina, whose influence on him is a major weakness. Kurunzi comments that he should forget about her--she is a Pridelander, after all--and although Decimus is loathe to admit it, he agrees. They then talk about the bright new future that will be in store for them when Narifia finally bears cubs--heirs that will solidify the future of the Outlander pride. Finally, Decimus decides that they should be heading back home for the night's hunt--and for a chance to assess and "gently question" their new guest.

End Chapter 1

[Narifia]

░▒▓ So far in the story...

▨Generation 1▧
▨Chapter 2▧

✧ In Teikan ✧

◈ Discussion and Discovery

Shetani, a lioness adopted into the Teikan Hyena Clan by the clan's leader Akida-khan and her mate Boko, comes to her parents with the question that they've always known would come: who are her lion parents? Akida tells Shetani that the answer to that question lies in "the land ruled by King Scar," and that to get there she must cross the dreaded territory of the Graveyard Hyena Clan. The next morning Shetani says her goodbyes to her parents and adoptive siblings and embarks on her quest.

✧ In the Elephant Graveyard ✧

◈ Through the Ol' Boneyard

Shetani passes through at first unharmed, but soon she is attacked by a group of hyenas lead by their very own Khan.

Shetani spares the life of Kugongo, one of her attackers, and in return he helps her fight off the rest of the attackers.

Shetani kills the Graveyard Clan Khan. She tells Kugongo that she is going to the Outlands before another group of hyenas show up to fight.

Kugongo and two of his friends fight off the last group, and are banished from the Graveyard Clan as traitors. They decide to carry a now unconscious Shetani to the Outlands.

✧ In the Outlands ✧

◈ A Life for a Life

Kugongo and company leave Shetani out in the open and watch from a distance until she is picked up by Narifia. They then depart to take care of their own needs.

Shetani is discovered by Narifia and taken to the Outlanders' Den. As Shetani tells Narifia her story, Narifia sends Morobi to fetch Rafiki so that Shetani's wounds can be tended to.

Narifia learns that Shetani is the adopted daughter of the Teikan Hyena Clan's "Khan," or Queen. Shetani is on a quest to find her true parents, and was told that she could find her answers in the Outlands. When Rafiki arrives, she asks him for information yet her inquiry turns up no answers. At Rafiki's instruction, she decides to rest.

✧ In Teikan ✧

◈ Delivering a Message

Mikalli is asked to deliver a message to Shetani's parents in Teikan that she has arrived safely in the Outlands and all is well. Mikalli is treated to kindness and gifts from the kind hyena family as a reward.

✧ Meanwhile, Back in the Outlands ✧

◈ Disappointment After Disappointment

Decimus returns, angry and fuming, from his recent encounter with Zurina. He comes home to the heavy scent of hyena, and worried that his queen is in danger he rushes home to find out what's going on, only to discover that Narifia is safe and a new stranger--heavy with hyena scent--is lying asleep in their midst.

✧Meanwhile, In the Waterhole ✧

◈ Taking Rafiki Home

Morobi escorts Rafiki home. Along the way, he runs into Kugongo and crew, and speaks to them about Shetani. Morobi delivers an invite from Shetani that they would be welcome in Teikan. Kugongo, relieved to hear that Shetani is all right, isn't sure where they will go next, but assures Morobi that Teikan will always be a possibility.

End Chapter 2

[Narifia]

░▒▓ So far in the story...

▨Generation 1▧
▨Chapter 3▧

✧ In Busare ✧

◈ Like the Wind; Like the Sea

Three young lions train secretly on the coastal outskirts of the Busare territory: the militant young assassin Mahiri trains her two brothers Nyota and Hamali to avenge their fallen mother and kill their legendary spectral father--The Ghost Lion--and also to prove their worth and gain honor in the pride.

While Mahiri has been trained since birth to kill the Ghost Lion, her brothers have both been forbidden to train--Nyota, because he is the heir and is to be protected, and Hamali because he too closely resembles his spectral father and is thus the shame and outcast of the pride. Therefore Mahiri has been trained alongside Tunza and Byron the two sons of Zengea, who is also their teacher.

Nyota, being the spoiled young prince, does not get along with his brother Hamali, the outcast of the pride. Mahiri fears that time is running out for them as her, Tunza, and Byron's training is nearing completion, and if her brothers cannot learn to work together then she will have no choice but to go with Tunza and Byron on the mission instead. On this special night Mahiri has planned an ordeal that will both test her brothers' resolves and teach them the importance of working as one--and more importantly, caring for one another. Hamali has a terrible fear of the ocean after nearly drowning in it as a cub, and is horrified when Mahiri flings him and Nyota into the ocean for their most dangerous test to date. Nyota, for the first time in his life thinking of someone other than himself, manages to save Hamali from certain death. While Nyota's eyes have been opened to the lesson Mahiri sought to teach them with her test, Hamali is in shock and bolts from the scene, frightened and feeling betrayed that the person he trusted the most would put him back into the ocean.

◈ Blood is Thicker Than Water

A couple of days after their deadly trial by water, Nyota finds Hamali being taunted by some of the pride's youth. He runs them off and is met with hostility from the emotionally wrecked Hamali, but manages to make Hamali see what he had learned from Mahiri's test and even grudgingly admits that he cares about Hamali and wouldn't want to see him get killed. After some reflection Hamali realizes that, although his sister's test was brutal, she had a point in putting them through it, and what's more his spoiled brother had even seemed to learn something from it. Reconciling with Nyota, he decides to go with him back to their meeting grounds to face Mahiri and the night's training session.

Once there, Mahiri asks Hamali what he has learned, and much to her joy his reply is "blood is thicker than water." She is proud of both of her brothers for overcoming their toughest trial to date, but knows that there is more still to come before they are ready to face the Ghost Lion. She wastes no time in letting them know that now is the turning point in their training, and introduces them to their next set of lessons, first discussing the Ghost Lion's most well-known supernatural abilities and how they can defend against them. Nyota makes a comment that the Ghost Lion's abilities would have been useful to inherit and is met with scorn and hostility from both Hamali and Mahiri for his blasphemous words. After briefly running through some strategies they will learn, Mahiri sets them on their first training exercise: they must work together to take her down.

The brothers manage to start off strong, but when Mahiri makes a move that neither of them expected they are unable to adapt quickly enough and start to fall out of sync with one another. As Mahiri turns the tables on them their strategy falls apart, and Hamali's frustration gets the better of him. Knowing that Hamali now has tunnel vision Mahiri knows that continuing the fight would be pointless, so she quickly finds a way to end it. After giving them a stern lecture about how they're still not in tune with one another, she does manage to give them a few compliments but warns them that future training sessions will only get more brutal.

Hamali begins to notice that one of his injuries from their ordeal a few nights ago is still not healed and may even be getting infected, but he hides this discovery from his siblings. Mahiri dismisses them for the night.

◈ Your Job is Not to Question Why...

Tunza cares only to play with the cubs, and Byron has to drag him away from the cubs one morning because they are late for training. While Tunza questions their need to avenge two siblings they never knew, Byron tells his younger brother that it is not their place to question such things and that he should spend more time trying to become a real warrior than playing with the cubs. Byron, who has a noticably sexist attitude, also is ashamed that Tunza has started to fall behind Mahiri in their training--a female who, in Byron's opinion, shouldn't even be a warrior to begin with. As the two brothers arrive at the training grounds, Mahiri completes a solo training exercise and receives rare praise from Zengea.

Once Tunza and Byron finally arrive, Zengea employs a popular cubhood game called King's Cache for the day's lesson; Byron is named the king and given a Zebra leg to hide and protect, and Mahiri and Tunza are named the hyenas who are meant to try to steal it from him, and all three must make use of the tactics they have learned from Zengea thus far. Mahiri and Tunza quickly devise a plan that puts the haughty Byron in his place and wins the game for them, but the game turns sour when the angry and embarrassed Byron takes things too far and begins an all-out brawl with Mahiri that leaves the both of them needing to seek medical help. After a stiff lecture directed at Byron, Zengea dismisses them to go see the pride's healer, Masikitiko.

End Chaper 3

[Narifia]

░▒▓ So far in the story...

✧ In the Pridelands ✧

◈ Leah overhears a conversation between Sarabi and Sarafina in which Sarabi expresses doubts and fears about Narifia and the new Outlander pride. Sarai noses in and antagonizes things further.