Leonin

The ancient Reynolds kingdom were known as the Lion Kingdom as they had ranks of knights known as the leonin. Leonin was simply a rank given to the knights of the lion kingdom. However, in the realm of Oreskos, the leonin are humanoid lion-like creatures, and it was the interaction between the humans of Avalon and Terra Caelum and the leonin of Oreskos that gave the name to the rank of soldiers and knights.
The leonin guard the shining lands of Oreskos, a golden plain where even the gods rarely trespass. Prides of these nomadic, lion-like humanoids rarely interact with other peoples, having all they need in their shimmering homeland and knowing the treachery of strangers. Still, some leonin wonder what lies beyond Oreskos's border mountains and seek to test themselves in a wider world.

Noble and Fierce

Leonin tend to be tall compared to humans and move with a boldness that suggests their physical might. Tawny fur covers leonin bodies, and some grow thick manes ranging in shades from gold to black. While their hands prove as nimble as those of other humanoids, leonin have retractable feline claws, which they can extend instantly. This, along with their ability to produce bone-shaking roars, gives most leonin an air that readily shifts between regal and fearsome.
Leonin often act with confidence, which can come off as imperiousness. While this can reassure their allies, it can also suggest defiance in the face of what they perceive as imposed authority or unworthy experts.

Quick to Quarrel

Other peoples often perceive leonin as quick to take offense, intolerant of criticism, or belligerent. The truth is that many leonin simply enjoy fighting, whether verbal or physical. They take pleasure in argument, wrestling, sparring, and even battle, enjoying the opportunity to exercise their minds and bodies.
It follows, too, that leonin aren't inclined to carry grudges. A warrior might react with sudden violence to an insult, but when the fight is over (and the leonin's superiority proven), the insult is forgotten—along with the vanquished foe.

Pride and Self-Reliance

Few leonin devote themselves to the service of the gods. Centuries ago, the leonin worshiped the same gods that humans do, but after many of their prides suffered depravities at the hands of the tyrant Agnomakhos, most leonin rejected the gods. It's not that they deny the existence of deities; they merely see the gods as mercurial and ultimately unworthy of adoration. The Leonin and the Gods table suggests the range of attitudes that leonin might adopt toward the gods.
Leonin rely on themselves and their prides. A pride is bound together by the experience of a shared challenge and, in particular, the sacred act of the hunt. See chapter 3 for more details on Oreskos and the leonin who call that land home.

Leonin Iconoclast

While leonin don't deny the existence of the gods, most denounce them, believing the deities are more likely to spread doom than peace and bounty. Some leonin, known as iconoclasts, devote themselves to thwarting the gods by hunting down their followers and all things born of Nyx that impede on Oreskos and the safety of the leonin prides.
Prides of leonin roam the plains of Oreskos, protecting the land and its creatures from interlopers, both mortal and immortal. As many leonin suffered at the hands of archon tyrants in ages past, today their prides largely avoid contact with other peoples and spurn the gods that ignored their plight. Since then, the leonin have flourished, finding strength in their bonds with one another and the land. Only in recent times have some leonin started guardedly looking beyond their homeland and wondering what role they might take in the wider world.
Most leonin hunters are tribal warriors, but those who hunt the servants of the gods rather than game are known as leonin iconoclasts.