The inhabitants of the Island and headquarters of the Eastern Axis live in a lodge on the Savanna of the Island

High Resolution Lodge Map (south is up)

About the Lodge and Reality

For our one year anniversary/belated honeymoon, we (Mike and Leslie) stayed at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. In short, the place was inspiring. Much of our descriptions and photos of the Ahadi Lodge are based exactly on the lodge at Disney. Outside your room are animals and the whole place just feels alive. We'll make it to Africa some day, but for now, this is as close as we've been.

Although we've taken some liberties to fit the place to the setting (Grand Hall, Library, Medical facilities, the Amphitheatre, etc), much of what we describe exists there for real. If you want to get a better idea of the place, just Google it or look on Flickr for it. If you've been lucky enough to have been there, you are even in better mental shape. And maybe, if things go well, this could a future trip for some of us to meet at. And if you do go, try the chowder at Boma.

The Lodge was a grand undertaking on the island. Meant to serve as a headquarters, training ground, social center, and a testament to cooperation, it provides a home for East Africa's shifters. If need be, it can serve as a command and control for all of Africa's Fera..

Here are some areas of note:

Entrance Lobby & Community Areas

The Lodge entrance opens up into a general lobby and community area. Several floors of rooms open up on either side of the lobby with horns of great beasts and shields held in the arching ceiling. The first thing that grabs your attention is the great glass window to the back, looking out on the savannah. True to keeping the feeling of life in the lodge, arching vines climb through the latice work of the window. At night, the storytelling Arusha Rock Fire Pit illuminates the sky. During Rites, the whole sky glows with the bonfire of the rite.

On either side of the lodge, are the walkways to the Ostrich and Flamingo wings. Central to the lobby, on the left, is a desk, usually staffed by various kinfolk, for accomodating guests, boat launches, messages, and other special needs. To the right are the stairs and elevators down to the restaurants and pool exit, or up to the rooms and Victoria Falls Lounge.

The central area of the lobby is one of both activity and peace. Here, various shifters hustle and bustle with their duties, or to and fro their rooms or interests. At the same time, others take the opportunity to sit down quietly to read or simply to socialize. During periods of celebration, the Community Area is often decorated. For the Island's residents, this is the central hub to their lodge-based activities.

General Store

The General Store is located in the front Eastern corner of the Lobby. Here you can find any and all articles needed for personal use including clothing, toiletries, various magazines and newspapers, etc. This shop is run by several of the local kinfolk and is open 24-hours to supply occupants of the lodge with their needs at any time of the day or night.

The decor is rather uniform in terms of the lodge itself. The shelves are lined olive wood planks, along with the bright colors that adorn the lobby upon entry. While this store is only one floor, it stretches back quite a ways with the register located at the far southern wall. Behind the register is more expensive items as in any general store of gift shop. Occupants must ask for these items before purchasing.

The manager of the General Store is known as Kenja Ntaru, kinfolk to the Makunguru. A slender Luo woman in her mid-thirties, often adorned in plain clothes such as khakis and button up blouses. She is particularly fond of keeping customers up to date on the latest issues of the newspapers and magazines. She is known for serving all of her customers with a kind and fair demeanor, and seeing to their needs without a second thought.

 

Mashidano Hall

Is a large room to facilitate the Council Circle (headed by Mchaji) for the monthly Mkutano (Meeting of the Fera) following the Rite of Communion. This is usually held during the beginning of each month in order to ensure everything is in working order and that our borders are secure. If there are any incidents, discoveries, new comers, renown discussions, challenges, opinions, litigations—all should be brought up during this time. The highest ranking of the breeds attend with personal guests in tow. Lower ranking characters will be permitted if a request is granted from an elder of their breed.

Rules:

• No Shifting
• No Weapons
• No Violence
• No Kin (Unless requested)

Description

Mashidano Hall is located on the outer Western Wing of the Lodge. Two guards stand at its great solid doors, both fully equipped and ready for action, though their faces always seem to be lined with the same stone expression. Upon these doors is a carved statement,

“All who enter here are bound by the Ahadi Code,
Dreams carry our purpose,
Cooperation is our bond,
All who enter here, be at peace with your past,
You are among friends.”

Behind closed doors is a room filled with fine woods, brasses and solid stone tables which has been fashioned into a meeting room. Several white boards are set up in this room with planograms, maps and lists from previous engagements. There are chairs seated around the stone council table made of cherry wood. The delicate craftsmanship of the island’s kinfolk depicts glyphs from each of those breeds bound under the Ahadi code. There are also plain chairs lining the walls of this great forum, sitting beneath the carefully constructed windows which seem to reach the skyline with ease. An incredible landscape can be seen from these windows, showing the savannas and grasslands that may remind those gathered of their homeland that they have left behind. Smaller tables are placed near these chairs in the case of a guest wanting to take notes. The room is completely spotless, save for the markings on the white board, and the fine wooden floors are polished to a shine. Brass statues depict felines, hyenas, wolves, various species of birds and even the great dragons of our time. They have been placed to honor those who passed during the Great War against Black Tooth and The Endless Storm.

In this room, suitable elders and their peers take seats at the head of the largest table to discuss any issues that may arise. Mchaji is typically seen at the far end of this table, as she is the coordinator of these events and takes her job quite seriously.

Library

Located on the second floor of the Eastern Wing of the Lodge is a three-tiered library which is seen over and fiercely protected by Samuel Johnson, the Bagheera. This is where knowledge is harbored. Limited internet access is available on the island but any other means of gathering news is through books and newspapers that are brought in, in weekly shipments, from the kinfolk. Everything from mundane Archaeology to Zoology can be found in these walls. In the grand scheme of things, it is a rather bare environment with tables and chairs, few windows and poor lighting. Marbled floors depict small, African designs which seems to brighten up the dark environment. Rather uncomfortable, worn in couches line the walls along with chairs and desks that contain writing supplies. All books must be left in the library, nothing checks out of this room.

There have often been whispers about the libraries more 'unearthly' occupants, such as Transmission Echo, an Information Spirit who makes his home within the constant information stream of the library's internet access, and The Gatekeeper, the spectacle-wearing, vulture-like creature who guards the library's contents and spiritual occupants. One thing is made clear by Samuel Johnson's bidding, however; all occupants of the library, spiritually or otherwise will neither be abused for their information or overworked.

Medical Suite

Occupying several floors of the Raven Wing, this suite is meant for emergency surgery patients, first aid and care-related medical treatments. It is staffed with only a few kinfolk, Dr. Mikeila Johannsen, and a few others that are strictly on call. There are very few emergencies on this island that can not be taken care of with a healing method. It is a typical sterile environment like most would find in any of the East African cities.

• The first floor of the wing is actually the kennel. The second through fifth floors make up the entirety of the Medical Suite which also provides veterinary care and other laboratory needs.
• Second Floor: Clinic Exam Rooms, Offices
• Third Floor: Emergency Room and Laboratory
  A portion of the Laboratory is absolutely invisible to anyone who may be trying to find it. This is an area for mental, physical and supernatural studies. Often tests are held here of the agriculture and the island's occupants.
• Fourth Floor: Operating Theatre and Recovery
• Fifth Floor: Patient Care Rooms, ICU

Armories

East

This Armory is run and guarded by Akello, who is very observant of those who come to him for materials and gear. The armory is little more than an office with a locked door behind it. The door can only be opened by someone with the code, or access key. All gear and materials are checked out under the receiver's name.

West

This Armory is run and guarded by Safiya Umtuela, who has a knack for giving advice on the best weaponry and gear for any given situation. Many are wary of this Swara, however, as her competitive nature often bleeds through when giving advice.

The armory is little more than an office with a locked door behind it. The door can only be opened by someone with the code, or access key. All gear and materials are checked out under the receiver's name.

Boma Buffet

Boma Buffet is a restaurant located on the first floor of the Lodge. While the name 'buffet' lends toward something cheap or cafeteria style, Boma is anything but. Upon entering Boma occupants can first see that the floors are lined with black-and-yellow marble in traditional African textiles. The tables are adorned with beautiful ever-changing table cloths and settings unique to the season and mood of the Lodge and it's occupants. Easily seating 200 people at a time, the buffet is behind an iron and wood railing that provides the restaurant's namesake, Boma, which means 'an enclosure' in Swahili.

Tasteful lighting and the spiced aromas give the restaurant an ambiance that is not to be outdone. Dozens of occupants of the Lodge line up nightly to get a taste of East African cuisine. The actual placement of the food is decorated much like a Bazaar, shingled and grass-hatched rooftops are placed suggestively over the food to give it that extra African feel that may make more feral African cultures feel at home.

Along with a menu that accommodates all three major meals of the day, Boma's menu changes nightly so that none of the occupants will tire of the new and exciting cuisines the Kinfolk chefs have to offer. Main courses, side dishes and deserts for every meal along with a selection of the finest and famous South African Wines and beers typical of any four-star African restaurant are present. Subtle drum beats can be heard in the background to match the native table settings and decor. Dining at Boma is often a way for occupants to get away from the worries of their every-day lives and take a few moments to indulge.

Mara Cafe

Mara Cafe is what it is. A cafe that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for anyone looking to get in-and-out in a hurry. It's a cafeteria style restaurant that can rarely fit more than 50 occupants into its chairs. The decor is more plain than that of Boma or Victoria Falls Lounge with plain cafeteria style chairs and tables, plastic trays and six pots of African and Arabica beans brewing at all times.

Though not an exciting a menu as that of Boma Buffet, it caters to the needs of those who need something on the run.

Victoria Falls Lounge

Victoria Falls Lounge is known for its selection of fine wines and imported beers as well as all the traditional liquids in association with East Africa. Though wine is geared more toward the famous South African variety, several locally made wines and beers are available as well.

With a location that screams ambiance, with a backdrop of a man-made waterfall, Victoria falls has a very dedicated and knowledgeable Kinfolk staff. Managed by Rasheed Hamandarr, kinfolk to the Silent Striders, Rasheed prides himself on educating all of his clients to the finest beers and wines the continent-wide. Severs are often adorned in formal, black and white attire to match the marble bar and scarcely decorated seating. While the small lounge consists of only a few bar chairs and tables, the quiet tunes floating through the airways provide a relaxing place to go over thoughts of the days or weeks past.

Occupants can choose to sit at tables overlooking the lobby through a glass pane, or around a small fire pit at the center of the lounge. People often come at all hours of the night to enjoy the quiet and get some reading in. Casual reading and magazines are rotated weekly in the wire baskets beside the black, leather couches that surround the fire pit.

Fruit and cheese platters are available upon request, as well as the famed appetizers from Boma Buffet which is seated just around the corner from the upstairs hide away.

Workshop

Fetish and metal work is often conducted in the Workshop along with repairs that need to be made. Quite a few of the Island's occupants turn over their weaponry after battle to this Kinfolk-run shop in order to sharpen and clean their weapons. The work shop is a very large operation, though the measurements of the shop itself are not impressive. With a 'garage' feel to it, the concrete, metal and grease smells are about as inviting as the weapons that the shop holds.

One half of the shop is dedicated completely to metal working while there are materials on the other half including glass, leather, marble, gourds, wood and other necessities involved in making trinkets, fetishes and talens. While the shop is open to all of the occupants of the lodge, it has its limits and capacity. One of the Island's most skilled metal-working occupants is Akello who is known for fetish weaponry and talens.

Silver and Gold weaponry is strictly on an order basis and neither of these metals are allowed in the work shop unless under strict supervision of a skilled artisan. Because of the vulnerability of many of the Island's shifters, this is a safety issue. Orders can be taken at the Armories in the Eastern Wing of the Lodge.

Floor Breakdown

First Floor

First floor rooms are dedicated to the 'never-seen' and often times overlooked occupants of Ushirikiano Kisiwa. That is, of course, the Kinfolk who work so hard to make the Member Breeds' lives just a little bit easier. Many of these rooms are shared rooms but they are scarcely revealed to Member Breeds themselves.

Second Floor

Second floor rooms are for new and budding occupants of Ushirikiano Kisiwa. The rooms are fitted with the most basic necessities such as twin beds, night stands, a table with two chairs and a dresser. While not elaborate in appearance, each room is decorated in tasteful fashion that is the Hallmark of the lodge itself. The wood and textiles often represent glyphs reminiscent of the Ahadi and its tales of the past.

The hallways of the second floor are simple, lined with paint and Spackle represented in warm tones that would remind one of the savanna's golden waves of grasslands. Pictures of historical events and black and white photography portraying the building of the lodge and those who contributed to it.

Third Floor

Third floor rooms are slightly more elaborate than the second-floor rooms. Four or more occupants could stay in these rooms, each still maintaining a sense of personal space. More detailed furnishings are placed in the rooms, sometimes providing a more attractive view of the Island. These rooms are generally reserved for those Novice occupants who had formed into prides, timus or packs and wish to stay together for a certain duration of time, or permanently. These occupants are said to have graduated from their probationary period on the Island and in the Ahadi.

The hallways of the third floor are represented with the same savanna-rich tones as the first and are decorated in masks, weapons and shields that are representative of many of East Africa's tribes. With a more 'wild' feel to this floor, there is more of a sense of order and operation from those who work together in loose-knit groups.

Fourth Floor

Fourth floor rooms are deluxe accommodations for those who have proven themselves as worthy members of the Ahadi. These rooms are often reserved for second rank individuals or higher who have done deeds which reflect their dedication to the Ahadi. Elaborately decorated and servicing four or five people with four separate queen beds. Elaborate furnishings depicting past scenes from the forming of the Ahadi and Ushirikiano Kisiwa, anyone could make themselves a comfortable home in one of these two-bedroom apartments. Complete with a kitchenette, two separate bathrooms and connected rooms, it's plain to see that this is a working area for many of the occupants who have gained a certain amount of status. Room service can be called upon at any hour of the day or night and often times timus who live within these confines can request internet access.

The hallways of the fourth floor depict scenes of the great heroes of the past who fought battles in the forming of the Covenant. Metal and wooden sculptures line the walls in efforts to remind occupants of this floor that while they have gained much from their stay in the Ahadi, there is still a battle continuing to rage on. Glyphs depicting various totems, jamaks, celestines and spirits remind these occupants of what they are protecting and what they continue to fight for.

Fifth Floor

Established timus of the Ahadi with some status of permanence are entitled to make their home on the fifth floor of the Lodge. Many of the Island's occupants are moved to this floor once they are represented by a timu totem and have held their status with that totem for a period consisting of no less than a year. Much like the fourth floor, these rooms are two rooms connected. The difference, however, is that both of these rooms are apartments within themselves. Six people could live in a double-apartment on the fifth floor, both apartments equipped with a kitchenette, a full sized bathroom, three queen sized beds, internet access as well as a superior view of the Island. Six live comfortably within the confines of these two, adjacent apartments which is why those living together must be bound to a timu- they must be able to cooperate and get along.

The halls of the fifth floor are decorated in elaborate East African patterns and textiles that have been painted on the walls. Several glyphs are placed down the walls in a variety of respective languages, they depict the tales of the past, cooperation and spirit-dealings within the Ahadi. Many pictures of spirited heroes and timus line the walls, many of which are accompanied by stories. There are plush chairs and benches all up and down these halls for socializing between timus and sharing stories of adventures of nights passed.

Sixth Floor

Sixth floor rooms are reserved for the ranking members of the Ahadi. For the most part it consists of those who have been a part of the Ahadi from the beginning and many of its founders save for Mchaji who has a suite overlooking Arusha Rock Fire Pit and Kisasi and Kiva who share a royal suite opposite of Mchaji's.

Not many budding occupants of Ushirikiano Kisiwa have seen these rooms but it is rumored that these ranking members are catered to by the staff, and that they are allowed separate rooms of their choosing. It's an honor to receive status in the Ahadi and as such, when you've reached one of these rooms.. you have officially arrived.

Wing Breakdown

• Ostrich Wing
• Flamingo Wing
• Raven Wing
• Pelican Wing

Outside

Uzima Wallow and Pool

Jokingly called 'Uzima Wallow' by some of the non-Mokole occupants of Ushirikiano Kisiwa, the pool is a rather large social area where several of the occupants come to shed their skins and dive in. The most common occupants, of course, are the Mokole. Several of them can be found sun-bathing in their suchid forms on the heated rocks that surround the pool. Rattan chairs line the pool which doesn't dip below 7 feet, for all it's room. While it is open to all occupants, most of the pool-goers are respectful enough not to wear their furred skins in the pool for fear of the filters clogging.

A small thatch-roof bar is located at poolside, along with a small snack bar that can be accessed until sunset. Towels and chairs are provided for sun-bathers such as the Bastet and Makunguru, though it is known to most that Uzima is primarily a Mokole stomping ground.

Ceremonial Stage

Located South of Arusha Rock Fire Pit's stone pathway and settled between the Pelican and Raven Wings of the Lodge. (Note, the map shows south to the top)

The Ceremonial Stage is where all major events of Ushirikiano Kisiwa take place. All occupants of Ushirikiano Kisiwa participate in the monthly 'moot' known as the Rite of Communion during the full moon of each month and gather within its stadium seating in order to listen or be heard on matters of the Ahadi. There is no selected seating chart, but members do tend to either stick with their timus or their own Member Breeds during this moot. Activities include all of the traditional scripts of Moots, Taghairms, Parliments, and Gatherings outside of the actual Rite of Communion itself. But the Ceremonial Stage, itself, is not only lent to major events such as the Rite of Communion. Many of the Member Breeds find this is the perfect place to conduct the Rites or Rituals specific to their breeds in addition to challenges, festivities or celebrations.

The utmost respect is expected to be upheld during all activities and interfering with such practices could result in harsh punishment not only from the Breed affiliated with those who have been aggravated, but also with the ranking members of a character's own Breed. The stage has more than enough room to conduct several events at once, though this practice is not the norm. Often times during the Rite of Communion, the Member Breeds split off into separate parts of the stage in order to conduct specific rites that are in association with their Breed, patron Spirits and Celestines.

In appearance, the stage itself is an intimidating place to be. Surrounded by hundreds of individuals in association with the Ahadi is a grueling effect of public speaking. If you're opening your mouth during a Rite of Communion, it's best to be wise and conduct oneself with a sense of confidence and intelligence or best lend the task to someone of more prestige and persuasion with a crowd. The Stage is lined with hundreds of glyphs of all the Member Breeds and Tribes associated with the Ahadi and the Ahadi Code is written on the backdrop of the stage in clear and precise writing for all to see. In the center of the stage there is an inlet that often serves as a fire pit during the Rite of Communion. Several torches surround the stadium's walls in order to provide optimum lighting.

The Arusha Rock Fire Pit

Nightly, creatures of all breeds, shapes and sizes gather to share their stories over the fire. All ranks and breeds are welcome to this area, though there are not always seats enough around the fire pit—all formal seating must be given to those of higher station out of respect. Otherwise you may find yourself in the fire pit. The pit is surrounded by typical red boulders, East African flora and occasionally the local wildlife. The pit, itself, is fashioned out of stone, brick and carefully crafted metals that depict famous stories of African Mythology.

It is not uncommon to see the fire pit burning at all hours of the night and day. Many of the locals take to drinking their morning coffee or chai here instead of the Café. There are four grande chairs surrounding the pit made from black wood and carved as intricately, with depictions of African Mythology, as the fire pit itself. There are ten other chairs set up around the area and often a few others that the folk have dragged from inside to hear the stories of their peers and elders