Leopards: Cats of Majesty

Leopards: Cats of Majesty is an original animated series created by Andrew Jeffery.

Synopsis
Set in the rainforests of West Africa, "Leopards: Cats of Majesty" tells the story of a young Melanistic Leopard named Chibueze, trying to discover who his real mother is and who killed his mother. He is joined by his cousins and love interest Ihunanya in finding the culprits that robbed him of his true family.

Characters
MAIN CHARACTERS

Chibueze (GOD IS THE KING): A black Leopard with light blue eyes. The main protagonist of the series. Having lost his mother at a very young age, Chibueze has been raised by his aunt, thinking that she’s actually his mother. It isn’t until he visits his great uncle Okenye that he learns that his mother was killed by members of the Cult of Mmehie when he was just a week old. From that point on, Chibueze goes on a journey of self-discovery and to wipe Mmehie’s influence from the land.

Udo (PEACE): Chibueze’s adopted sister and cousin. A leopardess with brown eyes. As a cub, she had a very close relationship with her brother and adopted brother, often wrestling and practicing their hunting skills together. When she reaches adulthood, she finds a territory near the northern grasslands and begins to raise four cubs of her own. Later, she attends her mother’s funeral and witnessed the death of her own brother. Although she became angry at Chibueze for Okwukwe’s death, she forgives him and joins him in the final battle against the Cult of Mmehie.

Okwukwe (FAITH): Chibueze’s adopted brother and cousin. A leopard with Brown Eyes. As a young adult, he and Chibueze form a coalition to make it easier to hunt larger prey and to defend their territory. While he isn’t present with his adopted brother when he goes to see Okenye and fight Mpako, he does join Chibueze when he travels to the Valley of Onwu to attend his own mother’s funeral. While there, the Ekwensu appear to confront Chibueze for killing their High Priest, but Okwukwe faces them, showing that he’s willing to defend his adopted brother with his life. Okwukwe is killed and Chibueze vows to avenge his death and everyone else that Mmehie’s cult has killed.

Ihunanya (AFFECTION): Chibueze’s love interest and close friend. A leopardess with teal eyes. She is a member of the Ahihia Tribe of leopards and the daughter of Ichu Nta. Chibueze meets her in the first episode when she’s traveling on the edge of the northern forest and quickly befriends her. Years later, the two cubs grow up and fall in love with each other. When Chibueze had the calling to end Mmehie’s tyranny, she supports him and helps him in his fight against the false Prophet’s cult.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Oru (NIGHT): Chibueze’s adopted mother and Aunt. A leopard with green eyes and a notch in her left ear. She is the sister of Chibueze’s biological mother. Although she can be somewhat strict with her cubs, she loves each one of them dearly and is willing to defend them with her life, especially when Nganga attempts to approach Chibueze. Later on in the series, she is killed by Mpako and the Ekwensu to draw Chibueze to them. She is buried in the Valley of Ọnwụ a few days later.

Ichu Nta (HUNT): Ihunanya’s mother and close friend of Oru. A leopardess with Red eyes. When she hears that her daughter is being attacked by lions, she rushes to her daughter's aid and protects both Ihunanya and Chibueze from the lions. The next day, she and Ihunanya are greeted by Oru and her cubs at the watering hole in the grasslands, where her daughter takes Chibueze to her secret hideout to show her love and respect for him. Although she isn’t seen much in the series, she is very caring for her daughter and supports both her and Chibueze’s union of love.

Okenye (ELDER): Leader of the Leopard council, he is one of the oldest leopards in the Forest. He has one green eye and one blue eye. Once Chibueze reaches adulthood, Okenye serves as a mentor figure to him. Teaching him the history of the rivalry of Mmehie and Amụma, the laws passed from one generation to the next and how to fight against the Cult. In the days after Mpako is killed by his great-nephew, Okenye is himself killed by Mmehie when he finally reveals his return to power in the Western Lands. He would finally appear to Chibueze as a spirit the night before the battle at the Elder Rock to encourage the young black panther and to restore the leopard’s faith in the Eze Ukwu.

Agbamume (STRENGTH): A young bull elephant that befriends Chibueze and his adopted siblings at some point in his life. He has a tusk that is damaged and has Apple green eyes. After Chibueze is defeated by the Ekwensu and near death, Enyi goes to him to help rescue the young black leopard and take him to a healer. Later on, Agbamume would lead the Forest Elephants in the fight against the Cult of Mmehie, alongside Chibueze, Nchekwa, and the united forces of the Leopard Tribes.

Nchekwa (SECURITY): Chibueze’s father. A leopard with blue eyes. He had lived with guilt due to the death of Mmụọ and has also watched his son grow over the years, along with Enyi the Hornbill. Unbeknownst to him, one of the members of his coalition named Sabo was a spy for the Cult of Mmehie that was responsible for the death of his mate. After Okenye is killed by Mehie, Nchekwa would succeed him as the High Priest of the Elder Rock, but would not be officially titled so until after the death of Mmehie.

Mmụọ(SPIRIT): The biological mother of Chibueze. A black leopardess with blue eyes. She was once an acolyte in Mmehie’s cult but left because she began to see how corrupt the teachings of Mmehie truly were. After leaving the cult, they considered her an apostate and vowed to have her killed for her treachery. When a fire set up by the Cult breaks out in her territory, she gets her newborn son Chibueze to the safety of a cliffside cave, where she hides him from the Cult. Soon after, Mmụọ is killed by Sabo, who betrayed both her and her mate for the promise of eternal life in Mmehie’s cult and to be a member of the Ekwensu

Enyi (FRIEND): A red-billed Hornbill that has known Chibueze since the day he was born. Having witnessed the death of Chibueze’s mother, Enyi serves as a guardian angel to the black panther and reports the happening of the cub to Okenye and Nchekwa. Enyi would also find Chibueze near death and with his friend Agbamume, would take him to a mandrill healer that restores Chibueze to full strength. Enyi would later join Chibueze and his father in the final battle against the Cult of Mmehie.

Ohu (SERVANT): A pale yellow leopard that is the leader of the Ugwu Tribe. He has red eyes and a couple of notches in his left ear. After Oru’s funeral, Chibueze goes to him for counsel and to ask for aid in the fight against the Cult of Mmehie. Although hesitant on helping the young leopard out of fear of being killed by the Ekwensu, he later decides to provide his strongest leopards in the fight against the false teachings of Mmehie. After hearing of Okenye’s death, he sides with Chibueze and commands their forces to fight for the Faith of their ancestors, for that is what will return their holy ground unto them.

Amụma (PROPHET): A leopard who reintroduced the Gospel of the Eze Ukwu to the leopards of the forest. He and his brother (Mmehie) came from the Eastern grasslands to live in the Forest. According to the Oral traditions, he prayed to the Eze Ukwu to stop the volcano in the Grasslands of the West from erupting. This miracle was considered the sign of his prophethood to the Leopards of the Forest. Later in his life, he instilled Elders to be put in charge. Each one coming from one of the three different Leopard Tribes.

ANTAGONISTS

Mpako (PRIDE): The High priest and master of ceremonies for a cult of Leopards. He is blind in his left eye and has one red-eye. As the High Priest, Mpako is in charge of initiating new members into the Cult of Mmehie and is the voice of the “Prophet” to the other members of the Cult. Although he is shown to be cruel and manipulative towards other followers, he genuinely cares for his son Nganga, who desperately tries to earn the respect of his father. When Nganga is crushed to death while fighting Chibueze, Mpako becomes infuriated and vows to kill Chibueze and goes on a hunt for the young black panther. When he draws Chibueze out of hiding after killing Oru, he and the young black panther battle at the Mbigbọ Falls not far from where Oru once lived and Mpako falls to his death, thus ending his heretical rule as High Priest.

Nganga (PRIDE): The leader of the Ekwensu and the eldest son of Mpako. Like his father, he has red eyes but is larger and more muscular. He would often be sent to recruit new members into the Cult of Mmehie and aid in performing the blasphemous rites with his father. He is also sent to execute those that are deemed apostates and put them to death. He always strives to please his father and truly earn his respect. While fighting Chibueze, Nganga falls off of a cliff and is immediately crushed to death by falling boulders. The death of Nganga pushes Mpako to a deadly bloodlust for the young black panther, as the High Priest vows to avenge the death of his son, who long sought to earn his father's respect.

Sabo (TRAITOR): A leopard of the Ahihia Tribe with emerald green eyes with two fang-like spots near his mouth. At some point before Chibueze’s birth, Sabo, believing that the teachings of Amụma did not truly offer the path of eternal life, decides to join the Cult of Mmehie. As his initiation into the Ekwensu, he is tasked with killing an apostate who has left their ranks. The apostate is identified as Mmụọ and although Sabo is hesitant at first, he commits this abomination in the name of Mmehie. Thus betraying both his best friend and the mate of his best friend. Sometime later, the full-grown Chibueze and Nchekwa discover his treachery and he reveals his true allegiance to his former friend. After this, Sabo is seen among the Ekwensu, from the first attack on Chibueze’s life up until the death of Mmehie, at which point every member of the Ekwensu dies, due to their spirits being bound to Mmehie.

Mmehie (SIN): The secret Leader of the cult and their “Prophet”. He is the older brother of Amụma, the true Prophet. No one exactly knows what he looks like except for a select few. It is said that he battled his brother and lost, resulting in him and his followers being banished from the Forest. At some point, after he was banished, Mmehie discovered the ability to make himself have an extended life using enchanted pools underneath Lake Mmiri Nsọ. It won’t be until after Mpako’s death, that Mmehie would reveal his return to power and claim the Elder Rock as his own. However, not long after, Mmehie would be defeated by both the spirit of his younger brother and Chibueze, banishing him from the mortal realm for all eternity.

Music
A demo soundtrack was created by AndrewShilohJeffery on Spotify, which comprises of music by artists such as Hans Zimmer, Marc Mancina, James Newton Howard and Ludwig Goranansson.

https://open.spotify.com/user/lionkingfan1996/playlist/1WYXjsmcxDuq1g7mBJ6Kjl?si=HBqev0WBSgqRCvPP5KnOmA

Episodes
Episode 1: Orphan Cub

Episode 2: New friends, new threats

Episode 3: Making of a Leopard

Episode 4: Reunion of Love

Episode 5: The Calling