The Deicus are a tribe that hold three laws sacred. The first is the law of tradition. The strength of the tribe flows from its roots. Their customs, lore, and rituals recall to them the grandeur of their ancient ancestors. To break with any tradition is to bring dishonor upon oneself and shame upon the entire tribe. The second is that of honor. None will break their word lightly, and none will break an oath sword to Deicus, under any circumstances. The third is that of the hunt. The prey is to be respected, and the hunters honored. Any Deicus that violates any of these three laws will be exiled from the tribe in shame, to wander forever homeless and nameless.

Culture

The essential unit of Deicus culture is the pride, in more than one sense. A Deicus' first loyalty is to the gods, but her second is to the pride. The tribe comes in a poor third, with personal relationships following. The Deicus are a loose confederation of prides, rather than a unified whole. The only thing that has kept them from drifting completely apart is their common reliance upon tradition and ritual. Each pride functions as a self-sufficient unit, hunting and finding shelter for itelf.

The culture of the Deicus is divided very strongly by gender. Each has its own role in every aspect of the tribe's society. Generally, the females tend to take the roles of hunters and leaders, while the males tend to take the roles of ambassadors and warriors. These capacities do overlap in many areas, however. Both genders will hunt, but the pride will rely mainly upon the females to provide food. Both also will fight, the males just tend to do it more often, although they are not necessarily better at it. Unlike their feral counterparts, male Deicus do not attempt to kill their own children, so the task of bringing up cubs is divided between the two parents as they see fit.

Magic

The use of magic, as with so much else in the Deicus culture, is influenced strongly by gender. On a personal level, male Deicus will use Sha'Crin for such purposes as improving their own appearance, dramatic effect, or practical jokes. They consider use of magic in battle cowardly. Females will use it for combat or concealment. They consider the use of magic for appearance to be wasteful. Both will use it for healing, communication, or everyday tasks such as building or cleaning.

Both female and male Deicus use Sha'Crin in the great rituals of the tribe. These magical rites are not undertaken lightly or at the whim of mortals, but according to a strict calendar kept by the changes of Luna. During such a ceremony, many Deicus will combine their mystical energies to create a unified effect, usually of great power.

Religion

The religion of the Deicus is based upon ritual, as is so much else in their culture. Every member of the tribe has their place in the great ceremonies of praise to the gods. The ritemaster and ritemistress of the tribe lead large groups of Deicus in celebrations of dancing and song which can last hours or even days at a time. Such rites occur on the turnings of the seasons, at the beginnings and endings of certain years, and on the completions of specific tasks. The elders of the Deicus keep a record of the times for each ceremony, but few others know of all of them.

The deity of the tribe is known as Deicus. It is said that Deicus was the first Verdimm created by Luna, and that that leonine entity aided her in the creation of the rest of the tribe. It is also said that Deicus died in a battle with the patron of the Serpens, nobly taking the enemy into the realm of death as well. Deicus' spirit now watches over the tribe, protecting and guiding them. To honor their fallen leader, the tribe took Deicus' name as their own. According to legend, Deicus will occasionally appear to the tribe in a time of great crisis to offer advice and information. This has not occured in the memory of any in the tribe.

Forms

The appearance of each of the Deicus' forms tends to differ with gender. Male deicus in Khiulnter form have a mane, while the female do not. Females in Dimoh form tend to have light brown hair and skin tones, and be shorter than average. An air of deadly competence is also common, as is a tendency to blend into the background. Males in Dimoh form tend to have dark brown hair, lighter skin tones, and above average height. They are usually loud and stick out like sore thumbs would if they were painted bright red and held up against a green background. The Dimo-Khu form is a large, vaguely humanoid lion shape, which retains the sharp teeth and retractable claws, although the latter grow to lengths of up to seven inches. The pads of a cat also partially seperate to create usable, if not particularly dextrous, fingers. Every Deicus has a distinctive marking that will appear on them no matter what form they are currently in, although it may not be visible if clothes are worn in Dimoh form.

As with most tribes, the Deicus have particular uses for each of their forms. The Khiulnter is used for hunting and for interaction within the tribe. The Dimoh is used in dealings with other tribes, and with humans or other lesser beings. The Dimo- Khu form is used in ritual combat, in life-or-death situations, or during the high rites.