"Djekhen, it seemed, was a hive for the noble Leonin. I traveled into the Grand Bazaar and found myself among the dozens of stalls and carts the Leonin held there. I walked up to the first I saw, and met with a short lioness calling herself Giria. I found her and the others rather amusing; they were pushy salesmen and had a wide selection of trinkets and baubles they had found among the scrapyards of the industrialized city. They wore these interesting goggles and had about a dozen pockets filled with scrap metal, clockwork gears, and other bits of machinery each. I had heard stories of the Leonin when I was a boy, but they were all about the nomadic tribes living in the north and about honor, courage, and valor. So much has changed since The Silence." - An excerpt from "The Travels of Hafrick Moriarty"
Leonin were created by Kebis around fifty years after the first elf. They were the first among the bestial races, taking the form of a mighty lion. Kebis taught them the value of nature and the enlightenment one can receive by spending their lives among the grassy savannah of Tekoril. They spent centuries living as he taught, but the Silence shook Leonin society to its core, and caused a mass exodus from the wilds and integration into the rapidly advancing Tekoran society.
The Noble Lion
Leonin are a large race, usually standing a few inches over six feet tall with some reaching over seven feet. They weigh around 280 pounds on average. Males are generally taller, heavier, and maned, while females are shorter, more lithe, and have no manes. They stand comfortably on two legs and find being on all fours incredibly unpleasant and degrading, although they are nearly anatomically identical to lions otherwise. They have deep, rumbling voices and a commanding presence.
Wild and Free
In their early years, Leonin lived in great prides in the northern grasslands of Tekoril. They avoided civilization and preferred the great outdoors to any cramped and restricting city. They lived in patriarchal societies, with the strongest male generally being the leader. They were visited often by Kebis and did everything they could to follow his example. Times were simple and good.
A New Purpose
The Silence was a traumatic and horrifying experience for many Leonin. Their spiritual guide and leader had vanished without a trace. Many Leonin thought Kebis was angry with them at first, but over time the general feeling among the lionfolk was that their god had abandoned them. They fled the wilds, scorning their previous way of life. While some remain out there, a majority have integrated with the cities and embraced the technological culture of cities like Djekhen and Amsidet. Most became scrappers and junkers, while others work in industrial factories. The brightest among them found proficiency in clockwork. Now, very little remains of the old Leonin lifestyle.
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