Above All Else...
The Isle of Roses values honor. In the pride’s eyes, honor is the most important thing for a lion. To hold true to your word and virtues, and to follow in the rules of the pride, are all aspects of honor. Furthermore, to be honest with your pridemates and family further contribute to honor. If needed, it is expected that you will fight for the honor of your pride, though this will not be demanded unless absolutely necessary. To be given a rose by your pridemate, or by your leader, is actually one of the biggest honors. When a Learner is granted their official place in the pride, they will be given one to represent their achievement. They are also exchanged romantically. To be dishonorable in the eyes of the pride is the worst crime, so if you betray them, you really only have two options: take on the rank of Witness or accept exile. It is very rare for you to escape judgement by the clan if you are caught. While it is possible for you to regain honor among the clan and be allowed to return to your rank, it will be incredibly hard to reachieve the level of trust and honor that you once had. You may also be allowed to rise back up if another pride member sinks to the level of Witness, though you are forbidden to speak about what you may have seen within the Trial Grounds. To speak of that eliminates any honor you would ever hold in the pride.
Pride Rules
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Pride Traditions
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Religion
The lions of the Isle of Roses do not worship any gods. However, they do have a religion of sorts in that they believe in messages from their ancestors.
When a member of the Isle of Roses dies, a passing ceremony is held to honor their memory, and then the Oracle and the lion closest to them will travel to the Oracle's Den and send their body away down the underground river. After this point, the deceased lion takes their place among the ancestors, and will watch over the pride from above. They also may choose to communicate with the pride, though it is very rare for anyone besides the Oracle or the Learner Oracle to receive these messages. It is believed this is due to the Oracle and their Learner being more in tune with the ancestors, though no one is certain of this. Generally, communication is done through signs that the Oracle and their Learner interpret, though sometimes an ancestor may appear to them in their dreams. So far, no one has spoken of an ancestor interacting with them while they are awake, although despite it being unheard of, it is possible someone just hasn't chosen to reveal they have experienced such a thing...
However, if there is a lion in the Isle of Roses who is evil or a traitor, then they will be rejected from entering with the rest of the ancestors. If the pride is aware of their actions, this lion will also not get a proper passing ceremony; instead, the Oracle and a Soldier will take their body to the border of the Trial Grounds and unceremoniously toss them into the misty forest. It is believed that the woods are haunted with those that were not allowed to join the rest of the ancestors, hence traitors and villains being left there. The only people allowed to enter are the Witness, who is so low that the pride believes no ancestor that dwells there would even notice them, or the next King or Queen, who must spend a night there and come back alive to prove they are fit to be leader. If they survive a night there, it means they can withstand corruption by the evil in the woods. The Witness is the one in charge of corroborating the story by ensuring the Heir actually entered the forest and stayed there the entire night. There is one exception to the rule of entering the forest, which is for anyone who wishes to challenge the current King or Queen, whether they are an Heir or not. The Witness must also accompany them, and if they survive a night in the forest, they may fight the King or Queen for the right to rule instead. The fight ends when one side is incapable of fighting back due to injuries sustained or when one side surrenders; the winner may then decide what happens to them, and if they are the challenger, will take up the position of King or Queen.