Jelani
Jelani
JelaniFace.jpg
Name Meaning "Mighty"
Gender Female
Species Lioness
Age Adult
Birth Pride Ars'Karuar
Current Pride Natamba
Aliases Jelly
Rank Former Queen
Current Status Alive & Well

Appearance

Life has its ways of changing how you look and project yourself to others. Though with care and vigilance, time can never change who you are and making like all that more easier to bare. An appearance is clearly not an issue with this lioness as lasting youth never strays to far.

Fair sized and drawn to an exact, Jelani isn't exactly young anymore, though still holds herself to the fullest. An elegant creature; she stands the average height and length of any other of her kind. Slender and quiet agile, the body of this feline is evenly portioned and carries itself well. Once a glorious shade of milk chocolate, the sun may have lightened her pelt to a caramel cream but it still holds its its former radiance. Docile eyes of pale blue, near silver, hold a vivid glow of strength and a welcoming shimmer. Over the right a vertical scar, though faint, is centered by two matching others. Youthful is her face, a beauty held only in its own. Down the left side of her neck, three old scars are clearly noticeable. The act of violence done by a lion. The truff at the end of her tail is a sandy cream color, considerably lighter than the rest of her.

History

As a cub, Jelani was never considered the weak or small one of the litter, in fact she was the more dominate of the females. Her sister, Farai, being the smallest meant the world to her even though she knew little of what the world really was. Spending each waking hour trying to keep her eldest brother Dalcar from tormenting her, she'd often play and explore as well.
In the early years of cub hood, she and her siblings lived with their mom, but once they were weaned she upped and left leaving them with no one to care for them. After a few days, their father showed up and raised them till their were old enough to fend for themselves. It wasn't long after that, that Dalcar started to run things himself, causing trouble with other prides, and his siblings alike.

Not wanting to live life under the rules of her brother, Jelani decided to leave her brothers, though not without offering her sister the choice of coming with her. Not telling anyone, the two slipped off into the night. Now on their own, Jelani and her sister left to a place where they could find peace, however, peace lasted only several moons before Dalcar found them. Jelani being the stronger of the two, Dalcar offered her a deal 'to come with him and be his right hand.' She refused him however, thinking that if he was after her, he must of killed their brother Khalfa and needed someone to replace him. Not taking 'no' for an answer, Dalcar threatened to kill their sister. Again she rejected and it cost her, her sisters life. Watching Farai die in her paws, a dieing plea was formed. 'Lani was to be happy, find a home, someone to love her, and have a family. This was a lot to ask for but she promised she'd uphold it. Mourning for a long time, it took hope to bring Jelani back into the light to put her promise into action.

Alone, Jelani wondered the lands looking for 'first' a place to call home. It took many moons and a better part of her life before arriving in the Pridelands. It was there that she learned of Dalcar's suppose of death… Roaming around the lands she later came across a place called the Uzima where a pride who called themselves the Natamba offered her a place amongst their pride. Graciously accepting, she had completely her first task. Her second was to find someone to love, an endeavor that lead to finding her brother Khalfa; someone she thought to be dead. With a heartwarming reunion came the adoption of a young cub named Jinko. Trouble he was, but Jelani took it as moving her one step closer to achieving her sisters dying plea.

As time went by, she got to know the members of the pride, and was soon asked be mates with Ghedi, co-king of the Natamba Pride. It was an honor and she didn't know what to say but ultimately accepted; completing yet another task. If wasn't long after that a group who called themselves the 'Red Paw' made themselves known accusing her brother of murdering an entire pride. Not wanting to believe such a thing was possible, she asked Khalfa for the truth, learning that is was Dalcar who was the true killer. A trial was held anyway.. Her brother proven innocent, but marked with a reminder of the things he had done.

As things started to cool down and troubles appeared to be a thing of the past, assumptions that Dalcar was still alive reached ear and later became known as fact when he showed up in Uzima one day and tried to recruit Jelani back in to the fold. His attempts where fruitless for 'Lani refused to join him yet again. Mocking her now, by say she has lost her fighting spirit by joining a pride.. he attacked her, resulting in a near death experience. Recovery took a long time, but with one trouble now looming came others. Jinko was becoming overzealous, wanting every girl he could find. He later came upon a lioness named Khess, who was later found to be connected with Dalcar and in such found suspicious. Jinko still liking her fought with Jelani. Not liking the outcome of her presence, Khess left. This of course caused more problems. It took several months to work things out, but nothing good came of it when Khess returned to tell him she was having Dalcar's cubs and so attacked her. Jelani, of course, overjoyed with the idea of being an aunt only found tears; for several months later Jinko, her only son though adopted, was killed by one of the pride.

Not taking it as bad as her sisters death she moved on; starting a new. It wasn't long after his death that she became an aunt, a joyous occasion. Things only got better when she learned she was going to have cubs of her own, and that she wasn't alone; Prisa was joining her though months ahead. After the birth of Prisa's cubs, Jelani came to realize that she has finally accomplished what she has promised her sister. She had found a home, love, and now had a family although she still waits for her cubs to be born. Practicing with Prisa's cubs, Alamarasi and Mwongozi, also her stepchildren, she hopes to be the mother she's always dreamed.

Since then she has given birth to seven cubs, though only two of them lived long enough to see adulthood.

Years have passed since then and Jelani stood witness to the fall of Natamba shortly after Sumi and a few others left the pride. Only a few remained when her mate went missing leaving their son to pick up the pieces. Keeping watch from the background, 'lani has become a valued member of the pride, hoping that one day things will return to a former glory.

Several moons later, Jelani is gifted with a third litter from her returned and now retired, mate.


JelaniTree.jpg

Family Ties

Name Sex Species Relation Rank Status
Danarri Male Lion Father Rogue Unknown
Kifoda Female Lioness Mother Rogue Deceased
Ghedi Male Lion Mate Retired King Alive
Dalcar Male Lion Brother Rogue Deceased
Khalfa Male Lion Brother Guardian Deceased
Farai Female Adol. Lioness Sister Rogue Deceased