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- "You chose well, Hodari. You chose very well."
- ―Nguruma, Strength of Heart
Nguruma is a male lion and a member of the Moyo Hodari Pride.
Appearance[]
Nguruma is a powerfully built lion. He is hefty and solid, with thick legs and a long muzzle. His tail is quite narrow and thin by comparison, with a fairly small tuft at the end. His short coat is dun-colored and dull due to his age, with pale ivory fur on his muzzle and underbelly. His blue eyes almost always appear serious, and he has excellent posture. His spiky mane is dull gray-brown, and points straight forward atop his head in a triangular shape. He has a long scar on his hip and another on his shoulder, as well as smaller scars marking his muzzle, flanks, back, and sides. His nose is brownish black, and the tuft at the end of his tail is a slightly paler shade of the gray-brown hue of his mane.
Personality[]
A strict, unsmiling lion, Nguruma takes his duties seriously. He works himself harder than anyone in the pride, and rarely takes breaks. He is determined that the pride survives, and helps Hodari ensure that everyone is pulling their own weight. Nguruma never quite got over the deaths of Hodari's father and the second king, and mourns them every night before sleeping. He uses his work to distract himself, and when there is nothing else to do he will assist the lionesses in hunting by scaring prey towards them. He secretly has a soft spot for Badilifu, but he is too shy to tell her.
History[]
Early Life[]
Coming soon
Strength of Heart[]
After being woken by Magharibi, Nguruma shakes his mane, sits down beside Askari, and tears away a chunk of wildebeest meat from a recently-killed carcass. He then shares it with Askari. The next morning, he approaches Kimeta, his niece, and comments about the rogue that Sikiza told Hodari about. Kimeta replies that she would help fight the rogue off if she got there in time to help the male lions, and he agrees that he knows she would. He then drifts back to the wildebeest and begins picking over the remaining scraps.
When Hodari is partnering lions to search for the rogue, Nguruma is placed with Badilifu. The rogue turns out to be a bold adolescent lion named Kingiza who is accompanied by three cubs; these cubs, along with Kingiza, are brought to the pride. At a pride meeting, during which Hodari announces the newcomers into the pride, Nguruma stands next to the cubs and Kingiza. He does not betray any emotion.
Later on, Nguruma returns from a patrol. As Askari reports to Hodari about a pair of Cape dogs that they convinced no to enter the territory, Nguruma remarks that they were looking for a fight, and that it was a good thing that nothing like that occurred. He adds that there are already enough Cape dogs around. The following day, Nguruma is placed on a patrol of the interior territory along with Ushidi and Elewa.
Not long after, Kingiza dies after being carried over the edge of a cliff by a mudslide. Nguruma, Zoelesha, and Imara approach his body, and Imara lifts the anterior end onto Nguruma's back and the posterior end onto Zoelesha's. As they walk back, they move at a careful, measured pace.
During a pride discussion in regards to Hodari's delay in selecting an heir, Nguruma announces that they could all use some reassurance, except for Hodari's mate Kubali. Nguruma makes a speech about how much he cares for the pride, and why Hodari needs to make his choice. This causes Hodari to swear that he will have is decision made by the next night, and the pride disperses. The morning after, Nguruma is sleeping next to Kimeta. When he is awake, Hodari sends him on a patrol with Elewa and Askari.
Once the patrols are complete, Hodari gathers the pride to announce his decision. He meets Nguruma's gaze shortly before declaring that he has selected Nurisha, one of the cubs Kingiza brought into the pride with him, as he heir. Nguruma joins in the cheering with the rest of his pridemates. After it dies down, he opens his mouth to say something, but Madoa speaks up first. She objects to his decision, but is paid little attention. Soon after, the pride begins to cheer again, but Nguruma speaks over everyone, proclaiming that Hodari chose very well.