Name (Full) 
Drummer
(also known as 'Tiger' for how he looks)

Gender
Male

Age 
Same age as Kovu and Kiara's grandcubs (about one or two years younger)

Type (of lion): 
Mix

Current Rank Status (in Pride):
Cadet member of the Pride's 'Auni' (Guardians)

 

Appearance
Robust, muscly but sleek, Drummer has striking markings and colours inherited from both sides of his family; he has a kind of 'beard' which becomes part of his mane as he matures; his general appearance is very similar to a tiger's, leading to his nickname.

Colours
Ginger-chestnut shades, white, black and some dark grey; green eyes; dark brown nose

Distinctive Characteristics
His mane hair is choppy/matted and looks like what could be described as 'dreadlocks'.
 

Personality 
Drummer is rough-and-tumble and generally tough. Being thick-skinned, he won't take much personally, although he may pretend to, just to have a fun scrap over it. Drummer wants to be involved in most activities, especially if they are practical and useful, or its means there'll be loads of action - he has loads of boyish energy to burn and being busy helps him alot! He is very expressive but not loud - being quite sensitive and careful not to annoy anyone -  and can, on odd occassions, come up with some pretty radical ideas. He wants to do the best for his pride, especially for his family.
 
Likes
Playfighting and scrapping; competing;  getting mucky; doing practical things; working; training

Dislikes 
Tidying himself up (although he will willingly oblige for his parents); sitting around doing nothing.

Musical/Instrumental Theme
Er . . . Big bass drum (?) or African war drum.

 

 
Friends and Relations 
Jot (father), Rin (mother), Jafiya, Jet (paternal grandparents), Lynnie (litter sister), Kira, Roscoe (younger siblings of later litter), Almasi (mate), Kyra, Sula, Tamura (paternal aunts), Ave, Imani (maternal uncle and aunt), Bamoma Gabon, Rileigh (maternal uncle and aunt), Fresco (close friend), Subiri (friend and apprentice)

Foes 
Lagiza the Weaver, rogues
 

Relationships with Other Lions 
Strangers would see him as an energetic character, but not in any way extrovert, content with keeping himself out of anyone's way. Friends and family know him to be respectful and dutiful, fond of a game and a laugh with those he knows well.

He likes calling others fun or unusual names - the older lions 'sir' or 'ma'am', younger boys 'champ', younger girls in the family (like his cousins) 'lass' or 'ma'am' and reserve special names reserved for his siblings - his sisters he will call 'Princess' while his brother Roscoe is the only one he will call 'Sport'.

 

History

Before Drummer and his sister Lynnie were born, there was war between the pride led by their grandparents (King Jafiya and Queen Jet) and the tribe of a great enemy, Emperor Obbler. The war ended with the two prides uniting as the Isu Keeney (Pride of Peace). Drummer and Lynnie's parents were Jot, a Prince of the Isu Keeney, and Rin, a lioness who had given up her days of being a wanderer adventuring alongside her brother Ave. Jot and Rin had their cubs unusually late - they had twins, the eldest of whom was Drummer.

Drummer was named for the way he swept his tail about when excited, drumming it against the ground. Drummer was fit, healthy and spent his first few years growing up in a time of calmness between the two united prides, when all bad feeling from the previous wars had evaporated. There were troubles, however, in the shape of an old enemy of both prides, going by the name of Lagiza the Weaver . . . 
 

Lagiza and his Tribe of barbaric warriors had began causing trouble for the Isu Keeney since years before (it was these savages that had captured Jot and Rin and tried to brainwash them into joining their tribe, which was the reason the couple started family life so late once they managed to escape Lagiza's clutches). A lion of the Isu Keeney, Comoros, began leading patrols to eradicate the threat of Lagiza; however his efforts proved fruitless. The trouble was, Lagiza's lions had become elusive - they  seemed able to vanish into thin air, usually escaping being persued by patrols after disappearing over riverbanks and sheer cliffs . . . It was a long time before it was discovered Lagiza's lions had taken to hiding underground, living in tunnels dug by other large animals or themselves, and they were using secret entrances to escape pursuit.

. . . A year or so after this discovery, Comoros decided the Isu Keeney needed a special military force to focus on protecting the pride against Lagiza, namely. He declared his group of guardians would be called 'The Auni' and he began choosing a small assembly of young lions he could trust for the job. He abandoned his plans when something surprising happened. Lagiza had been defeated by a rogue group, just like that. The Auni was not needed.

. . . Or so Comoros thought. A year or so later, Lagiza appeared - alone, without a tribe, battered, but very much a live and back to harass the Isu Keeney once again. The plan to create the Auni was ressurected, and Comoros chose some young lions for the job - Kyle, Keira, Kelele and Zeke.
 

When Drummer and his twin sister Lynnie (by this time in their adolesence) came to hear of the 'Auni', they were keen to become part of it, even though they had had little training in the ways of serious fighting. Drummer took it upon himself to ask his parents' permission for Lynnie and himself to join the Auni, begging but in his sensitive way, i.e. whenever he thought it was a good time. 

Jot and Rin were reluctant to yield to Drummer's request, however; after long captivity under Lagiza, they were concerned for their cubs' safety fighting against that cunning lion, who they knew first-hand to be a malicious and dangerous foe. But they eventually relented, deciding that if Comoros thought Drummer and his sister were capable enough, then the pair would become part of the Auni.

Drummer and Lynnie were presented to Comoros. The Auni leader, although dubious at first, soon saw the two young lions had potential - they certainly had determination. He put them under the temporary guidance of Kyle, his apprentice, to take them on a test mission that would prove their worth. The test consisted of journeying to the Elephant Graveyard to check if Lagiza had set up a new headquarters there. The mission was planned to be quite a passive one, chosen simply to evaluate Drummer and his sister's endurance on the journey and see how they took care of themselves away from home . . . in reality, there was little chance Lagiza would set up a base in the forsaken Graveyard land.

However, the mission turned out to be tougher than anticipated, when Kyle and his charges found themselves in the midst of a completely unimagined situation. A small group of lions - some rogues, others Lagiza's old followers - had actually indeed taken residence in the Graveyard, although they now had nothing to do with Lagiza. These lions were surviving quite well in the desolate land, by digging holes and feeding on the elephants that fell into them through being the lions' trickery or pestering . . . elephants that came to pay respects to their dead and dying. 

Kyle guessed the enemy were living in the Elephant Graveyard because it bordered the Pridelands and that they planned to spy on the rulers of that territory, King Kovu and Queen Kiara. Kyle decided this was a good opportunity to really test Drummer and Lynnie. He came up with a kind of extension of their initial mission . . . 
 

The three Isu Keeney lions set up camp in the Graveyard. For weeks, they lived an almost secret existance, keeping out of sight of the rogues, but watching their enemy's every move and listening in on their plans regarding spying on the neighbouring Pridelands. Indeed, the spies had become the spied upon. It was Drummer and Lynnie's job to pass all gathered information to King Kovu and Queen Kiara; at intervals, they had to find their way out of the Graveyard, through the Pridelands to Pride Rock, the Royal residence - all while covering their scent and tracks - and pass on whatever news Kyle had told them to pass on. This was all very exciting, serious and nerve-racking for Drummer and Lynnie. They had been catapulted into the exciting life of the Auni before even joining the group. During the whole mission, the two young cadets followed Kyle's every experience-backed order to the letter, knowing how important it was that they did so, for the slightest mistake could cost them their lives or the lives of the Pridelanders.
 

The Graveyard lions were eventually vanquished by King Kovu's forces with all the help of Kyle, Drummer and Lynnie; the three were proclaimed Honourable Friends of the Pridelanders - ever welcome in that kingdom - for their service, strengthening the alliance that already existed between the Royal family and the Isu Keeney all the more. Then, Kyle led the way home, deftly reported to Comoros that the mission was 150% successful, and immediately recommended Drummer and Lynnie as Auni members. Comoros was impressed, and allowed the pair into the Auni as cadets.

And so started Drummer and Lynnie's career in the Auni; there was much more for the young lions to do yet to completely defeat their pride's arch enemy . . .

 

It was Drummer's idea to incorporate the skills of Fresco Gordie the Third, a golden mole. Drummer suggested to the Auni that Fresco, with his talent of digging, help find Lagiza. The idea was welcomed - but was put on hold due to a terrible incident:  Zeke, one of the Auni members, had turned traitor and killed Roscoe, having taken the young cub for a walk as the young prince's escort.

The whole pride was shocked. Drummer found it hard to believe that Zeke, a close associate - a friend even - would do such a thing; but he was forced to accept it. Roscoe was nowhere to be found and all clear evidence pointed to Zeke. It was suspected that Lagiza the Weaver had a paw in the deed, possibly having brainwashed Zeke into the murder. This was very likely.

Zeke was thrust out from the Isu Keeney, whether Lagiza had been involved or not.
Drummer harboured a deep resentment for the banished lion. To give vent to his feelings, he with his sister Lynnie upped their efforts to find Lagiza, with Drummer blaming the villain heavily for what had happened. Drummer asked Fresco to help and the kind mole willingly obliged, digging holes hither and thither for his lion friends, in a bid to find the underground-residing Weaver.
 

It took months for them to get any result . . .

One day, Fresco hit upon a tunnel system on a patch of semi-wasteland outside of Isu Keeney territory. He immediately found none other than - Roscoe! The cub was being trained by Lagiza to become his minion, suffering horrors and hurt. Drummer and Lynnie were alerted and straight away the three rescuers set to work digging Roscoe (and his friend and fellow prisoner, Theo) out. After narrowly escaping death by drowning (another of Lagiza's plots), they made it home to the Isu Keeney lands where all rejoiced at Roscoe's return.

Life seemed to return to a calmer state for Drummer. True, Lagiza was still undefeated but having Roscoe back seemed to dull Drummer's urge to find the enemy lion, for the time being at least. He was now more absorbed with looking out for his younger brother (whenever he himself wasn't with the Auni and later, training his and Lynnie's shared apprentice, Subiri). Roscoe had become somewhat a recluse, disconnected from family and most friends, traumatized by what he had been through under Lagiza's imprisonment; it was as if something was still missing in Roscoe, even though he was back home, in the flesh. For Drummer, Roscoe's mental state took priority over most other things and he made sure he found time to spend with his brother.

It wasn't until Roscoe was a mature adult and had become mates with Sera, that Drummer and his family really, finally, reconnected with Roscoe - it had taken a long time but they finally got their Roscoe back, in all aspects.
 

Relation to the Lion King Universe
He and his sister did great service to the Pridelanders by working against mutual foes - rogues and the elusive Lagiza the Weaver.

Special thanks to Pawface for help with his mane-style!