Ok a little background on this ongoing story. First it is going to take place throughout the lives of the Thundercats, but mostly for Cheetara and Tygra and their relationship from meeting till who knows (Well I do but don’t’ want to give everything away do I <eg>). It starts when Cheetara is in her sixth season, Tygra is eight and Panthro is ten. Lion-O, Kat, and Kit are yet to be born (don’t worry they will be). Ok that is all I am giving away about the plot. Now on to the characters and other info.
 
 
 
 

Terms to know:

Nata: A small bird that lives on the Cheetah’s feather plains. They are considered to bring hope to anyone that sees one.

Malta: A small bush that grows on the Feather plains, its leaves and berries are brewed into a tea. It is also thought to have some healing properties.

Lardern: Females within the Cheetah clans that have the ‘curse’. They are not allowed to breed or even live with in the clan structure. Most are outcasts and are considered a dishonor by their clan families. Clan Duma is currently the one Clan with a known Larden in its clan tree.

Cycle: Equal to one hour.

Season: One Thundarian year.

Moing-fhionn <Mwing-yoon>: Name given to the first ones or the Creators. These are considered to be the Gods of Thundera. There are four first ones: Tiger, Lion, Cheetah, and Panther. They are said to appear in true animal form to their people.

The First Ones:

Cinnya Oir <kin-nya- ore>: The First one of the cheetah clans.

Urnic <ur-nick>: First one of the Tiger clans.

Sadhbh <S-eye-v>: First one of the Lion Clan.

Donnchadh <Dunn-as-kuh>: First one of the Panther clan.

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The Current ThunderCats and others (pre-destruction):

Claudius (Lion): Lord of the world of Thundera, Father of Lion-O, dies on Thundera.

Lady Nydia (nee-dia )(Lion): Lord Claudius’s mate and mother to Lion-O, dies during one of the last Mutant attacks on Thundera

Jaga (Jaguar): Leader if the ThunderCats and Lord Claudius’s chief advisor. He was also Lion-O’s guardian and mentor up till his death. He is also the one in charge of the education of the future Thundercats.

Barlo (Panther): A very talented engineer and master of most hand-hand combat arts. He is the father of Panthro, teacher to Tygra and Cheetara, and Protector to Claudius. He is killed on Thundera while helping in the evacuation.

India (Panther): Advisor to Lady Nydia and mate to Barlo, she died while giving birth to Panthro.

Tyben (Red Tiger): The current second in command of the Thundercats. He is father to Tygra and foster Father to Cheetara and protector to Claudius. He dies from injuries received during an attempt on Lord Claudius’s life.

Seyan (sea-ann )(Red/white tiger): The Chief healer within the lair, she is in charge of the care of all loyals and their families. She is mate to Tyben and mother to Tygra and foster Mother to Cheetara. Sheis a very talented healer, but when she is unable to save her mate, she leaves the lair. She is believed to have died on Thundera when it was destroyed.

Lady Fiona (fy-ona) (Lion): Niece to Lady Nydia, she is mother of Kitalee and Katvaren. She was renounced from her clan when she became pregnant by a tiger from the palace guards. Only her Aunt Nydia remained in contact with the young lioness and invited her to live in the lair as her handmaiden. She dies shortly after the birth of her twin cubs.

Siler (Red Tiger): A guard at the Lair that is the supposed father of Kat and Kit. He renounces any claim to the hybrid cubs and in fact only sees them once in their lives right after they are born. He dies with Thundera.

Lady Cheeyana (che-ya-na) (Cheetah): This lady of Clan Duma and mother to Cheetara, and is a faithful mate and loving mother. She is discouraged by her family to take Kenydar as mate due to the "curse" she decides to follow her heart instead. She was killed during a Mutant raid while attending the Clan gather.

Elder Kenydar (ken-y-dar) (Cheetah): The current Elder of renounced Clan Duma he is father to Cheetara. He attended the last Clan gather to insure that his daughter would have a future with her people. He was killed while protecting his daughter during a mutant raid. It is yet to be seen if the Clan council will keep the promise to him.

Aisling (ash-ling) (Cheetah): The eldest daughter of Clan Lardens current leader. She is one of the more powerful mystics among her people. She and her clan are believed to have died on Thundera when it was destroyed. However after returning to Thundera rumors persists of survivors from Clan Larden, she is one of those mentioned.

Eefa (e-fa) (Cheetah): The current high mystic in the Clan Larden and mother to Aisling. She is also the elder sister of Tenash of Clan Che’Dar. Eefa was the one who sent Aisling to help when Cheetara was in a coma; she is also the one responsible for the mental status of Elder Tenash. Eefa is also rumored to be a direct decedent of Ciara, and thereby can tie her bloodlines directly into Cheetaras.

Ciara (kee-ar-a) (Cheetah): She is the Larden responsible for the Revolt during the clan wars and has a direct blood tie to Cheetara through her mother.

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The Kittens: (ages are at the point that the story starts)

Symon (sy-mon) (12 seasons) (Lion): The Lord’s nephew, he is often a bully to the other cubs and especially to Cheetara. He has been known to play cruel jokes on the young cheetah, some even dangerous. Symon was sent into exile after an attempt on Claudius life. There are rumors of him surviving the destruction of Thundera.

Cain (10 seasons)(Cheetah): Son of a Noble Cheetah and of Clan Che’Dar, he is often involved in the jokes that Symon plays on Cheetara. He takes great delight in the torture of the young cheetah and is constantly reminding her of her lack of status within her own people. Cain was also sent in to exile after an assult on a noble of the Lair. He is also rumored to have survived the destruction.

Panthro (10 seasons)(Panther): Son of Barlo and India, this panther has a mind for putting things together and can often be found in the ship hanger assisting the mechanic’s in there work. He is often one of the first to rush to aid any of the other cubs in the lairs from Symon and Cain’s tricks. He is also one of the few cubs that those two will not tease.

Tygra (8 seasons)(Red Tiger): Son of Tyben and Seyan, this young tiger cub is also foster brother and best friend to Cheetara. He is hoping to train as a healer, but also wishes to follow his father’s example. He is also the first one to jump to young Cheetara’s defense from anything that may harm her. He has even been known to stand up to Symon and Cain despite that age and size difference. He is however the cautions one among the three friends and often the voice of reason when it comes to Cheetara’s curiosity and Panthor’s rash thinking. Tygra was heartbroken when his father died and his mother disappeared from the lair. Already a young tiger that tended not be sure of himself, he felt lost after this fact. He often turns of Cheetara now when he needs someone to talk to.

Cheetara (6 seasons) (Cheetah): Daughter of Clan Duma Elder Kenydar and Lady Cheeyana and a direct decedent of Ciara through her mother. She is the last survivor of the noble family from Clan Duma, however she holds no noble rights within the Cheetah clan system. She was orphaned during a Mutant raid on the Clan gather. She was renounced by her clan family and taken in by LordClaudius to be raised within the lair. She is foster daughter to Nobel Tyben and Healer Seyan. While she is shy, she is also one of the first ones to get into trouble between the three friends (Tygra, Panthro, Cheetara) with her curiosity and knack for finding trouble. She is often the target of the cruel jokes from Symon and Cain, but Tygra is quick to jump to her defense when she is in need. Most times she can hold her own. After the death of her foster father and the disappearance of her foster mother,Cheetara became the one thing that kept Tygra from breaking down. She is always there to offer support and to encourage the unsure tiger in everything. This among other things cemented the relationship between the cheetah and tiger.

Lion-O (Lion): Born to Lord Claudius and Lady Nydia, he is the heir to the thorn of Thundera. A role he assumes early in life along with the other nobles that survive the destruction of Thundera.

Kitalee (kit-a-lee) (Kit) (Lion/Tiger): This Tiger/lion crossbreed is daughter of Lady Fiona and Siler. Her mother died shortly after her birth and she has never seen her father in her life. She was raised as Cheetara was by all the nobles and was one of the ones to escape with the Thundercats.

Katvaren (kat-var-en) (Kat) (Lion/Tiger): This is Kitalee’s twin brother and the more sensible of the twins. Kit is often the one to drag them into trouble, as Kat would rather avoid it. Like his sister he has never met his father and also survived the destruction of Thundera.

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Other Characters (After founding of New Thundera)

Nuala (noo-la) (Lion): Lion-O’s mate and new lady of Thundera, she is a trained diplomat, and met Lion-O during the reforming of the Thundarian government. She has been invaluable in assisting Lion-O in the diplomacy that he lacks.

Larken (Lion): Son of Lion-O and Nuala, heir to the throne of Thundera

Tyleigh (Tiger/Cheetah): First born cub to Tygra and Cheetara, she posses her mother’s speed and sixth sense she can also produce illusions that are stronger then her fathers, and is often able to fool him.

Chad (Tiger/Cheetah): The only son of Tygra and Cheetara he posses his mothers speed, but is not as fast as either his mother or sisters. His illusions however are the most powerful out of all of his siblings.

Chyna (China) (Tiger/ Cheetah) Twin to Chad she is faster then he is, but unable to produce the powerful illusions that her brother and older sister can, her sixth sense is also limited.

Petra (pe-tra) (panther): Mate to Panthro, she is the assent healer to Pumyra and Tygra.

Emmer (e-mer) (Puma/White Tiger): Only cub of Bengali and Pumyra she is a shy and withdrawn child, often only opening up for Tyleigh, who is the same age.
 
 

Some people may find the way I define the government and Clan structures a little confusing, so I decided to add to the introduction page and explain several aspects of the political system that I have set up on Thundera. I will also explain some of the traditions and how they came into being in the 3rd part of this introduction. Ok truth be known I’m doing this to keep myself straight ;).

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Thundera is a monarchy, but within that lies several levels of a well-oiled political system. While Claudius does rule and is the "head lion" he is also bound to the council, and they do hold the power to override any decision he makes, thus preventing the monarchy from becoming to powerful. Around Claudius stand his three protectors, or chief advisors, Thundercats chosen for their skills. Though not all the clans are represented within a Lord’s protectors, all are given a chance to compete for the position. Neither male nor female is preferred as a protector. They are chosen upon there skills only and stand beside there Lord until either his death or their own. This honor is granted upon the lord heir’s tenth-season and it is the protectors responsibility to train and teach the young Lord the Code of Thundera.

The council itself is made up of representatives from all the clans, each voted in by the noble houses of their clans for a three-season term. The council meets three times a week, unless an emergency meeting is called. While the council does have the power to veto their Lord it is only possible with an 80% vote. This is used as a safe guard against the council overturning all decisions made by their Lord. In the history of Thundera the council has only used it’s veto power three times. The council is also held reasonable for the judgment of crimes performed outside the clan structure. A panel of five magistrates will sit and hear the evidence against any accused of a crime. While the Lord does have the power to ask for mercy, it is not a common practice.

Below the council stand the Lord’s protectors. While they do advise the Lord on issues, they do not hold a vote within the council or much political power within the system itself. However if martial law was ever declared, the protectors assume command of the armies of Thundera and the Thundercats. This is also another area of confusion. While Claudius is Lord of Thundera, Jaga is Lord of the Thundercats, a role Jaga assumed in the Mutant wars when martial law was declared on Thundera, and remained so until his death after the destruction of Thundera.

Next comes the Thundercats themselves. The noble protectors of Thundera, while most do come from the noble houses of the clans, commoners are accepted if they can pass the trials and prove themselves worthy. Once accepted into the Thundercats it is a life long service, barring injuries or mental status. Elders are allowed to retire from active duty, but most remain to teach the next generation the skills they will need. All Thundercats are allowed to stand for the honor of protector, but only three from the order are chosen.

Within the Thundercats themselves there are several levels of advancement. From simple infantry to Lord Claudius’s own Shadow Guards. The skills, devotion and attitude of the Thundercat will determine the placement within the order. However the protectors under go all training for every level with in the order.

The Clans themselves have a complex structure of government. There is the head clan, which is then followed by the four lesser clans. Then within each clan itself it breaks down again. Each Thundarian knows to which clan they belong and wear the symbol of their clans on chains around their necks. The clans do have their own law structure and may cast judgment amongst themselves i.e.: removing the title of Noble from a house, declaring someone an outcast. However if a crime is committed outside the clan, it falls to the Council of Thundera to decide the fate of the accused.

The position of a house within the clans is decided by the amount of power that house carries with in the government. A house’s status can also be raised by marriages or the fostering of cubs from one house to another. Their status may also be removed for the same reasons. Once Noble status has been removed it can only be regained by proving that house’s nobility again. Few houses ever suffer the removal of their nobility. In fact only one house has been completely stripped of title, but several do suffer from having individuals stripped of Nobility. Most common cause of the stripping of nobility is breeding outside of the clans. i.e.: A noble taking a Larden as mate or taking a non-cheetah as mate. While crossbreeding is allowed among commoners it is frowned upon among the Nobles, that however all changes after Thundera’s destruction.

Another area that may be of some confusion is all the traditions that I have given the Thundarians. In this section I hope to explain some of the ceremonies I have come up with and some that will appear in later books.

The Clan Council Gather:

Within most Clans there comes a time for all the Nobel houses to come together (For Cheetah its every 10 seasons) to discuss problems, vote in new council members, and handle all internal council matters. Now a gather may be called before the traditional time, but for the most part the Noble house of the clan will handle the problems. There are some things that only a full Gather council can decided upon,such as removal of a Nobles title or exile of a Clan citizen. All nobles have a right to speak at the council, and commoners are even heard at times. This is also a time of commerce amongst the people since much trading can be done while all are in one spot. This tradition began soon after the Clan wars ended, to make sure such a thing would not happen again.

The Protector’s Choosing:

When a Cub of the Lord and Lady of Thundera comes of age, they are assigned protectors to see them through their years of adolescence and to later become the new Lord’s advisors. This is a position of great honor among the Thundercats and there is much competition to ascend to this level. Each clan is allowed to enter a competitor in the trials of Choosing but only three are chosen by the council and the Lord. Those picked are not informed of this honor until the night of the banquet celebration of the Lord Heir’s tenth-season. At this point all who performed in the trials step forward. The Lord Heir is then asked if he would like his protectors called forth. Once he responds the three nobles are called forward to take their place behind their lord.

The Pledge of the Protectors:

"Lord Heir Lion-O behind you stands your protectors. Honor them as they will honor you and the bonds you form will never be broken. Trust them as they will trust you and no lies will come between you. Learn what they have to teach and wisdom will grace your future. Remain loyal to them as they do to you and you will never stand-alone. Honor the Code of Thundera for all time and the eye will protect you."

The Ceremony of Journeys:

This is the burial ceremony for the Nobles of Thundera. This tradition is broken down into two parts: 1: The grieving time 2: The Journey.

The Grieving Time:

This is a ten-day ceremony. For nine days of this time, all are allowed to view the bodies of the deceased within the Lair catacombs. This time is allowed so that those not of the family or of Noble blood may also offer prayer and wishes to the family for theirloss. Most Thundarians will also make use of Grieving candles, one candle is lit upon the first night of the grieving time and will remained lit until the tenth day at which time the light guides the spirit back into the energies of the universe. The tenth day of this time is reserved for the family of the deceased. This is their time to grieve in peace and be allowed to bury their loved ones.

The Journey:

The Journey is the point at which the energies of the body are returned to the universe from whish they came. The bodies are placed in airtight glass coffins that are then covered with a cloth bearing the symbol of either their Clan or of the Thundercats. One person is then chosen to stand and recite the reason for the Journey. Once this is completea member of the family, usually a son or daughter will step forward and offer thanks for the life and lessons that the parent gave them. Once done the clothes are removed and the bodies are incinerated with a high level heat wave. While this ceremony is normally a short one, it is considered to be very important amongst the Thundarians.

The Reason For The Journey:

"We are a small piece of the universe in which we exists, and with in each of us we carry the energy of that universe. At our birth we become separated from this energy…this plane of our existence. Through our lives we grow, learn, love, and in the end die, but we are never truly gone, our energy joins that of the universe and we become one with the infinite stars."

The blessing of Thanks:

"We honor you for the life you gave us. We thank you for the lessons you have taught us. We pledge to you your memory will always remain within the Clan." Both stepped forward and took the corners of the drape within their hands. "May you find your way to the ancients among the stars."

The Blessing of the Journey:

May your Journey be swift

Among the Stars

May you find new worlds

Yet remember ours

May you remain forever

A part of our lives

May the memory of you

Never die.

May your Journey be swift.
 
 
 
 

The Life Promise:

The taking of a life mate is an often-tedious task among Nobles. Most cubs born into a house with Noble blood have a mate chosen for them by their 12^th season thereby aligning houses with each other and perhaps raising their status among the Clans. While this was a wide practice among the clans before the destruction of Thundera after the return it became less practiced and Nobles were given the freedom to choose their own life mates. Once two have agreed to take the promise they must obtain permission from their clan elders to be wed. In most cases this is easily granted. They are then required to wait half a season before taking the promise. Some choose to wait longer. During this time, both are instructed by their clans on what is expected of them once they are joined. The ceremony itself is a simple service with the parents of both parties and two witnesses for each person. Royal Joinings are another matter entirely, they take often 3-4 seasons of planning, but some have been completed in less time.

Once the waiting time is over and the couple has been instructed on their tasks they are allowed to take the promise. Depending on Clan and status will determine how the ceremony will be performed. For example a royal joining will be a grand event, where all the Noble houses are invited and all of Thundera celebrates. A royal joining is only matched in celebration by the joining of two Thundercats. The joining of two Nobles is a grand event for the houses involved and soon down the line.

The Promise:

I offer you all that I am

I offer you all that I will be

I give you my heart in love

I give you my hand in trust

I swear I will stand beside you

For as long as the moon rises

For as long as the sun sets

For as long as there is life in me

I give you this promise

And I swear on my heart

I will love you from now

Until the end of time itself.

The Naming Day:

Upon the second month of a cub’s birth, they are brought before their Clan council and introduced into the Clan bloodline. This is an important step, especially for those of Noble birth, as this will often determine their placement within the Clan when they come of age or even arranged joinings. Once the new cub’s name is added to the bloodlines they accept all things associated with their house i.e. Crimes, honor, everything. Only those born to an outcast or half-breeds do not have the honor of their names becoming part of their Clans bloodlines, although after the destruction and then the return to Thundera, many of the Clans began to accept half-breeds into the lines. Outcasts however are still forbidden.

The Clan Larden:

One of the most unknown Clans upon Thundera is the Larden, or the outcasts of the Cheetah Clans. This was a clan formed at the end of the Great Clan Wars over 400 seasons ago by those cheetahs forced into exile from their birth clans. Most of those were females, though some males did follow their mates into the exile. While this is a clan in the sense that it posses a clan structure, it is not recognized within the cheetah clans themselves and there for not allowed any rights under clan laws. They are forbidden to attend the clan gathers, hold any noble offices, or even take mates outside the Larden Clan. In fact the noble house of Clan Larden is not even considered a true house by Clan law. They are outcasts, scorned and unwanted by their fellow cheetah forced to live an existence that even commoners would balk at.

Who are the Larden:

The Larden, or as they are more commonly known among the other tribes on Thundera, mystics, are those cheetahs possessing the abilities of the mind or psychic powers. While all tribes have a history of psychic ability only the Cheetah and Tiger tribes maintain that ability to this day, and the cheetah clans consider it a curse to posses this ability in any form of fashion. Those born with these abilities (always females, though males can pass the trait on through the generations) are often marked at birth if thereis a known Larden within the clan bloodline. The Larden powers normally begin to manifest themselves upon the cubs 10th season, though they have been known to come later in their lives. Once a cub is marked and is a known Larden, they are removed from theClan bloodline and sent into exile by the council. Parents are offered the chance to join the cub, but most do not since it is taught from an early age that exile is the proper thing to do. Once exiled a cub may never return to their birth clan or take a mate, unless it is a male within Clan Larden itself. There have been cases, however, of males taking Larden as mates in some of the clans. This is frowned upon and can even lead to dishonor and loss of status for the clan that is in question. The only two cases of known nobles taking Larden as mate are from Clan Duma and Clan Che’Dar. Both Clans have a high record of Larden born to them in the last four generations and it is linked back to the practice of both clans in taking Larden mates. Clan Duma however is the only one to loose its noble rights due to this practice. Clan Che’Dar has yet to produce a known female Larden, although there are rumors that there was a Larden born to the Clan, but there is no evidence of this.

The Larden Revolt:

As stated earlier the Clans began to exile their mystics after the end of the clan wars. While there is still a great mystery as to why this became a common practice there are some facts that explain the main reasons for the cheetah clans’ actions. It was recorded that the Larden were widely used by the clans during the war, though they were considered no better then half-breeds, but it was often the Larden that made the difference between winning and loosing. Many of the victories were assured by using a trained Larden’s 6th sense as to note danger or even using their telekinetic abilities to shield troops while in battle.

The Larden soon became tired of fighting in a war they did not see as necessary or in their favor, and on a cold winter night the Larden did something about it. In a small outpost called Yanter, a Larden called Ciara made one of the worst and the greatest mistakes of the Larden Clan. She stopped fighting for the Clans and started fighting for herself. As with most of the Larden in the war Cianahad been forced to serve for her birth clan. She was only 13 seasons when Clan Duma began using her as a weapon. Her telekinetic and empathic abilities were recorded as being so high they were off the scale. In her first season of serving she saw more useless death then anyone had a right to see. In her fifth season of service she was stationed at the outpost of Yanter on the very edge of the Clan Duma lands. On the 135 day of that year, Ciana walked into her Clan lord’s home and with a single thought killed her lord, his three oldest sons, and the five others that happened to be present. With this action, Ciana doomed her people to the existence of their future. Soon after this incident, 15 other reports of Larden killing their Clan lords or their commanders circulated among the Clans. At first it was thought that the Larden had gone insane, but in later years in was found that they did this to end the Wars, which three months later happened.

It was decided at the first clan gather that the Larden were too dangerous, and that no clan should be able to gain control of them. This was a problem since no Clan could control the number of Larden born to them. The Larden were now considered dangerous and uncontrollable. This among several unknown facts lead to them becoming outcasts among their own kind. The one voice that spoke out against this was a young Noble from Clan Duma named Cheetaren, the only surviving son of the Noble killed at Yanter. While he did speak out for peace and an end to the killings he did not agree with the exile of the Larden. This one fact led to his death at the hand of Tehall that very night. It was later found that Cheetaren had fathered a cub with a Larden who in fact turned out to be Ciana.

This is believed to be his reason for voting against the exile. It was also found later that the line of Cheetaren and Ciana still lives on today, and that from that line one of the most powerful Lardens will rise to reunite the Clans.