Personality: As her name might suggest, Tufani is a rough, strong lioness. She isn't mean in any way, though. Her fortitude has a kindly outlook. She is fair and compassionate, and will listen to others. Tufani is clever and watchful as well; she is adept at using her mind. It's her greatest weapon in her opinion, though her supple, well-muscled limbs offer strength as well. She is rarely fazed by anything and doesn't seem to be frightened of anything. Of course that isn't the case, she's just practiced at hiding her fear. She is relatively easy to talk to, but she does not enjoy conversations as much as others might. She likes to observe rather than talk, however, a good discussion with close friends is quite alright and sometimes enjoyable. And on the status of romance, her mother's failure with her father has warned off any hopes of love. Especially with all the brutal lions of the Delta Island Pride, she's quite set against most males.
Background: Tufani's mother was a lovely, exotic lioness who originated in the mountains. She had joined the Delta Island Pride as an adolescent, mostly unaware of the situation with the royal family. She became a huntress, fit and young and strong--a perfect recruit. Over time she came to despise the pride as the leadership changed, when the new King Nakama's takeover with Huni altered the way of life. However, she was distracted from the troubles when she met a young rogue named Mwiba on the outskirts of the delta. He was as charming and friendly as Hidaya had ever seen, and it wasn't long before she was head over heels for the male. Having never encountered a rogue before, she never thought that he might be faking it, or just using her for his own purposes. When she discovered she was to bear his cubs, the thought overjoyed her. It seemed to please him as well.
The child of their union was a beautiful she-cub. Hidaya was so proud and so happy that she forgot even about the rough times that her own pride was putting on its members. She rushed to show Mwiba, but his reaction wasn't what she expected. With a smirk upon his muzzle he departed from her, telling her that she was a foolish female and that it had never been real for him. She might have broken because of that, but she managed to keep strong for her newborn cub. Hidaya raised Tufani was as much adoration and care that a good mother should, though she began to wonder whether this pride was right for her daughter. After multiple months, the King was discovered dead, and the prince Ghariki rose to the throne and everything changed yet again.
Hidaya decided it was time to leave. The new King was starting off terribly in her opinion and she was frightened for her daughter, who was now an adolescent. So in the dark of one night she and Tufani fled. However, as she did, one of the pride guards caught her. She furiously fought, and even Tufani assisted, drawn by the anger of her mother and the notion that this pride was very bad and that this was very serious. To the surprise of the youngster, the guard lay dead. When she looked to her mother, she found Hidaya half-conscious, bleeding and collapsed. Rushing to her side, Tufani urged her mother to get up, that everything was okay...
She woke next morning, realizing she had fallen asleep against her mother's side. Hidaya was cold, and as Tufani looked at her, she knew that her mother was dead too. The cub was too aware of the danger to howl her grief, but as she fled the rest of the way, tears painted her cheeks.
Tufani managed to survive, having learned sufficient hunting skills from her mother, and even a bit of defensive training. Her intial travels took her south of the Delta Island Pride's land. Finding a temporary home in the shelter of a thick brushland, she lived as quietly as she could, doing her best to not attract attention to herself. As she aged, though, reaching full strength, that was less of a worry. She was thickly built and more muscular than most females, but rather short-legged. She was able to take care of herself. Mainly preying on warthog (her small, strong build allowed her to overcome the tough creatures) and antelope.
She looked up on the Delta Island Pride with a silent hatred. However, she didn't let it show for the sake of safety. As she walked the land, she encountered others, victims of the Delta Island's cruel reign. Tufani began to band together a group, one that looked to her as a sort of leader. She graciously rose to the position, vowing to herself that she would do her best to keep this pride safe from the harm of King Ghariki's rule.
