Cubnapping

Sun pride, dwindled, wanting to satisfy their great sun god, sacrifice children of the moon to bring themselves favor/restore their pride to glory.

Do it at the point of an eclipse, when the sun and moon fight, tip the balance in the suns favor, leaving him a permanent fixture in the sky.

Phases

1. Pre plot phase
- Selene leaves for the Tianxa
- Things as normal
- Joining/breeding open

2. Cubs go missing
- Small number of cubs go missing
- Selene still away, panic
- Perhaps the current rulers pass awayThe current queen gets sick, which means she can't really do her queenly duties, Selene comes into Queendom, at least temporarily whilst her mother is sick.
- What happens? Current ruler away, who will take her place while she is gone.
- Small band of lions sent to get word to her
- Panic/worry
- Joining/Breeding closed

3. Selene Returns
- New queen and king return
- Ceremonies for coronation/burial of old rulers
- Discussion of what to do
- Another set of cubs goes missing

4. Trying to find out what is happening/why
- Small groups of lions sent out in different directions to try to find clues
- Perhaps some accusations within the pride?
- Some look into the Pridal history, discover the Kichomo-shungi (Sun worship based pride).
- Speculation on who it might be, someone in the pride? This random pride no one knows much about?

5. Clues!
- Scouting, someone finds something to suggest the sun pride, perhaps some symbols marked on some stones, a sacrificial type set up?
- What do they do? A crazy Sun obsessed pride is out there taking their cubs!
- One night a strange lion attempts more cubnappings, but he's caught!

6. The Prisoner!
- They have a prisoner now, someone who can lead them to the lost cubs
- Is she crazy? Reluctant? Sorry for what he's done?
- How do they get him to talk?
- Reveals a the history of the pride, what is happening, why they are doing it.
- Tells how the shaman/king/other members of the small group have gone insane, planning on sacrificing the cubs of her pride if she does not take the cubs of the moon pride.
- Do they believe her?

7. The Eclipse
- Notice the sun and moon are starting to cover/join? (Is there anything in the pride beliefs about this?)
- Prisoner getting desperate, this is when he's planning on killing the cubs! She's sorry and wants to help.
- What if she's lying, lead them to a trap, what if it's the truth and they don't act the cubs will die.
- Decide to let her lead them

8. Pride discovery
- Who is going to with her? The whole pride? A small group?
- Prisoner eventually leads them to the small clan, it's up a mountain some distance from the pride, thought too steep to climb/access, but the lioness reveals a secret way up.
- Climb the mountain, find themselves a small dormant volcano. There top is open to the sky, at the centre is a hole with steam coming from it, the volcano's centre. There is ritualistic markings painted all over it's centre.
- There is a large, fierce lion in the centre, reciting something, there are a couple helping him.
- In the corner someone notices a group of cubs being held, it's the Mwezi cubs! Then they notice another group cubs, the prisoner reveals they are the last cubs of the pride, among them is her own.
- The pride is revealed to be quite small, the King and his helpers are a handful of strong lions. The females are nowhere to be seen. Reveal he is keeping them locked away too.

9. Resolution
- King decides to being ritual, the moon and sun now cover each other completely. It is time.
- Asks for both groups of cubs, reveals he is going to sacrifice the moon and sun cubs!
- One of the moon cubs spies one of the Mwezi rescuers.
- Chaos, fighting to regain the cubs etc.
- Eventually the Mwezi gain the upper hand, the king is killed, pushed down the hole in the centre of the volcano by someone.
- His remaining followers are chased off.
- Pride members locked up are released, though treated with caution, do they trust them.
- Prisoner reunited with her own cub, asks them to take them back to the Mwezi with them.

10. Finale
- Mwezi returned with captive cubs, as well as these new lions which many of the pride is unsure about.
- Do they take them in? After all, they were all being controlled and manipulated as well.
- Decide to let them join.
- Eclipse ends
- Celebration!

So I forgot to keep adding it, but basically breeding/joining closed until the plot ends, which it will the reopen. XD;;