Prideland Tales Intro

Hello human! (Or whatever you are)
I'm stormwolf, but I will probably just go by storm. This collection of loosely connected stories is based in the Lion King setting, though I have made some changes to the setting to better suit my writing style and personal preference. While many of you are probably just reading for sexy times, I strongly encourage you to at least skim this file, as it will list many of the changes I have made to the setting, as well as information I feel a reader should know about my version of the pridelands before diving into these stories. Anything I miss here will likely be explained during a story as it becomes relevant.

The History

The events which lead up to Simba's rule mostly remain the same, with only a few changes here and there. Scar couldn't stand up to Mufasa in a fight, so he used intrigue to become king. He had three children. Nuka, Vitani, and Kovu. Zira was his primary mate, and was always fanatically devoted to him. Scar favored Kovu and declared the cub his heir shortly before Simba's sudden return. Shenzi, queen of the hyenas, killed Scar in the fight that would later became known as the Battle for Pride Rock.

Zira was heartbroken over the loss of her mate, and withdrew from society. While still a pridelander, she was always shunned for her past loyalty to Scar. She silently plots to bring down the usurper Simba and raise Scar's heir to the throne. Even after the death of her beloved, she remains fanatically devoted to his teachings and agenda. Even with Scar dead, everything she does has always been for him. She is quietly gathering pridelanders who she can convince that Simba is a usurper, and is biding her time as she continues subtly amassing a following.

Kion

I have changed Kion's personality a bit to suit my preference. He is a bit more shy, and not as sure of himself. The way he handles situations will likely be different, and he does not possess the roar. I never liked how they tried introducing this superpower like ability to the Lion King setting, and I don't plan on it showing up in these stories. 
I should also note that I changed it so Kion and Kiara were born together as a litter. They're the same age, and are expected to be king and queen one day, much like Simba and Nala were as cubs.

The Lion Guard

Firstly I should mention the only members of the Lion Guard I have kept for my stories are Kion (of course) and Fuli. The reason is mostly personal preference. I tend to stick to certain species I know I can nail writing with. There are at least two new members joining the guard to replace the three I have done away with, and they will make appearances eventually.

The Lion Guard isn't going to be doing things that are jobs for adults until they are old enough. Right now since there are no adult members of the Lion Guard the members are mostly in training, although on occasion there will be a task suitable for them to take, such as low risk scouting runs.

The mark of the Lion Guard is still present on the members, but it isn't magically there. It is dyed into the fur of the guard members by Rafiki or his apprentice, and is cleaned off and redone every morning when the guard first assembles.

Pride structure

I have seen the hierarchy of lion prides depicted a few different ways, so I want to specifically explain how they will work in my writings.

The pridelanders are a large pride who cover a great deal of land, both Savannah and jungle. Most prides aren't as large, and it should be known that the pridelands are renowned as a place of prosperity, culture, and growth. 

Different prides have different customs, and while not always the case, usually a pride is ruled by a king and queen. There are some cases where two males rule as equals, sharing the position as leader, but this generally doesn't happen. If there are multiple males in a pride, they are usually subordinate to the king and have some restrictions on who they can mate with or give orders to. Other prides may have a matriarchal leadership, with only a female in charge. As I said, different prides have different customs.

Different lions generally devote themselves to different duties such as hunting, lore keeping, medical treatment, training cubs, and other roles, though in smaller prides there usually isn't as much specialization, and everyone shares all duties equally.

A male who has earned the title of king chooses a queen as his mate, and she is of equal rank to the king. The queen bears the king's primary heirs, and helps keep the pride organized. While the king will mate with any lioness in his pride, certain ones who earn his favor will earn a position of command and work alongside the queen.

Many tribes set themselves apart from others. The Pridelands for example are renowned as a prosperous kingdom, with a very spiritual way of life. (Circle of life!) 

While the Pridelands are mostly spiritual, other prides have different specializations. Some have skill in constructing shelters from wood. Others are able to treat the pelts of animals they hunt and use them. 

In conclusion

These stories are definitely going to branch away from canon Lion King, and I may even alter a large section of storyline entirely since this is taking place before the events of the Lion King 2. I have made changes to suit my preference, and while I am writing these stories for my own satisfaction I do hope others enjoy them as well. I welcome constructive criticism in the comments, and also would like hearing about anything I write that you particularly enjoyed. The same goes for things you feel I could have done better, just keep it constructive.
Happy reading!
-Storm