After binging the entirety of The Lion Guard show, I got inspired to get back to work on my TLG AU. I liked the idea of these different factions and their abilities being tied to their environment. That's the Lion King x Warriors x Wings of Fire crossover I never knew I needed. I'll get more into the laws and such at a later time, but for now I hope you enjoy this field guide.

Also, making a map of the Pride Lands was a giant pain in the tail. I swear that place changes after each establishing shot. And yes, I did just line over the Lion Guard logo, because I am committed to this aesthetic. The paw bullet points are just the clicker from the TLK Activity Center game made into a Photoshop brush. The texture and drawings were drawn by me in the style of the cave paintings from the movies and show.

Note: You are allowed to use this headcanon for your own stories as long as you credit me.

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Pride Hierarchy
All five prides in the Pride Lands are ruled over by a single king or queen. Each group outside of the Royal Pride has its own ruling lord or lady, but in the end those lions also defer to the king or queen. When the heir apparent is born to the royal family, they are traditionally betrothed to the cub of a lord or lady, in order to maintain ties between the prides. The chosen cub will then go to live with the Royal Pride, usually with a close relative to accompany them. All male lions participate in guarding and patrolling, but the Lion Guard holds special status. They are the most elite members of their prides, often called upon for emergencies , and serve as an honor guard during important festivities . The Lion Guard is traditionally led by the second-born cub of the royal family, and all other members must try out to prove themselves the most capable members of their pride. Afterwards, they will also leave home and go to live with the Royal Pride. The forming of the Lion Guard is another tradition meant to keep bonds strong between the prides.

The Prides

Royal Pride

Home to the royal family and the Lion Guard, the lions of this pride are often the most honorable, most concerned with morality, and most determined to defend the Circle of Life. Due to the tradition of betrothal and the forming of the Lion Guard, new blood is constantly flowing in and out of the pride, making them the most varied lions in appearance.

Habitat: Rocky savanna
Usual Prey: Antelope and zebras
Common coat colors, eye colors, and features: Highly varied, due to regular swapping between prides. Usually changes up every generation.
Characters from Pride: Mufasa, Simba, and Kiara
Personality: Authoritative, noble, determined, passionate, and honorable
Seen In: Main films
Current Ruler: King Simba

Grasslands Pride

The fastest of all lions live here, running after the swiftest, most agile prey. These lions are more content with walking away from a problem than trying to fight. They are typically clever and confident, and you'd find it challenging to defeat one in a battle of wits.

Habitat: Hills and savannas
Usual Prey: Wildebeest and gazelles
Common coat colors: Cream to light orange
Common eye colors: Blue, gray, and pale green
Distinct features: Small and sleek
Characters from Pride: Kamau, Sarafina, and Nala.
Seen in: Distant shots in first film and the fire scene in second film . My idea is that Kiara didn't really leave the Pride Lands, but rather the Royal Pride's territory.
Personality: Quick, clever, nonviolent, straight-forward, and shrewd.
Current Ruler: Lord Zesiro

Wetlands Pride

These large, muscular lions live amongst the twisting maze of rivers and swamps in the Pride Lands. Spending so much time powering through water and taking down ferocious cape buffalo has made them a determined, quietly hardworking group, without the need to brag about their abilities. For all their strength, they are usually good-natured and not likely to pick a fight.

Habitat: Rivers and swamps
Usual prey: Cape buffalo
Common coat colors: Yellow and orange
Common eye colors: Orange and brown
Distinct features: Large and muscular
Characters from Pride: Zuberi and Uheri
Seen in: Some shots from the first film here and here
Personality: Easygoing, tough, good-natured, quiet, and hardworking.
Current Ruler: Lady Uheri

Notes

This pride is based on a real group of lions living in the Okavango Delta.

Mountain Pride

This pride lives in and around a large mountain range, and their claim to fame is their chosen prey. They are some of the only lions willing and able to take down rhinos, and even elephants on occasion. These hunts are usually well-organized and carefully executed, but still require an incredible amount of courage to complete. Taking down an animal so capable of dealing you a death blow is not a task for the faint of heart.

Habitat: Stretch of grasslands and thin forest in the shadow of a large mountain range
Usual Prey: Rhinos and elephants
Common coat colors: Tan
Common eye colors: Orange or red
Distinct features: Long, scruffy fur
Characters from Pride: Jabari, Sarabi, and Mega
Seen in: An Unusual Choir (comic) and distant shots in first film
Personality: Brave, chivalrous, strong sense of justice, honest, and resilient.
Current Ruler: Lady Naanda

Deep Forest Pride

Perhaps the most unusual of all the prides, Deep Forest lions make their home where most others wouldn't dare to tread. Lions are creatures of open space, and only those within this pride seem to understand their desire to live shrouded by greenery and shadows. These lions have adapted to hunt smaller, quicker prey, and are experts at tracking, stalking, and taking down animals in close quarters. Not being able to rely on the traditional strengths of their species has forced them to be more astute, cunning, and resourceful than any other group, and they don't mind using their pride's enigmatic reputation to their benefit.

Habitat: Thick forest outside the mountains
Usual prey: Smaller prey like monkeys, ground birds, and dik-diks
Common coat colors: Darker shades of brown, red, and burnt orange. Commonly have dark brown or black manes
Common eye colors: Bright green
Common features: Outlander nose
Characters from Pride: Ahadi, Maitho, and Hasani
Seen in: Inspired partly by The Brightest Star even though that's obviously supposed to be Timon and Pumbaa's jungle. There's also a few shots from The Lion Guard that match the way I imagine it to look.
Personality: Observant, secretive, astute, cunning, and resourceful

Notes

This pride is based loosely on some lions observed in the Ethiopian rainforest.

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No critique desired. Please respect that.

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