A quick run-down of the stars of my crazy crossover...
Havelock Vetinari, the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, has been transformed into one of the central characters of the crossover project. Now a thin, grey lion with a black mane, he rules the Pridelands of Ankh and Morpork from atop Pride Rock, aided by a group of 'co-ordinaters', if you will, the head of these being Wonse, with Drumknott coming a close second. He's an urbane and gentlemanly character, yet something lurks behind those blue eyes that make many-a-creature quake in his presence. Rumour has it that he was trained as a particularly fine assassin as a youth, though no one's ever seen anything (or lived long enough) to testify to that. His partner is Hanna, a lioness he once 'hired' as a Preener (the leonine version of a seamstress), who has since become mother of his daughter, Autumn. He takes Mufasa's place in the crossover, though is clearly only his Discworld namesake in disposition.
Hanna Louria Stein is an original character created by Mercator in her Seamstress series of Discworld fanfics, and used with her gracious permission. Though Hanna is not overly attractive, she does have a seductive air about her, and more than a certain way with men, as a seamstress must. In Mercator's stories, she became contracted exclusively to the Patrician and, since their relationship has evolved, now looks set to marry the man. In the crossover, she's been transferred to a similarly bold and daring lioness and partner of the Patrician. She speaks her mind when need be and has a massive distrust of Wonse, the slimy servant of Havelock. Though not overtly motherly, she loves her daughter, Autumn, nevertheless. She takes Sarabi's place in the tale, though is more akin to an adult Nala in character.
Lupine Wonse of the Discworld novel "Guards! Guards!" has become the basis for my villain in the crossover. He's very much like his canon counterpart in appearance - i.e., overly neat and tidy, with a mane that looks like it was painted on - and is a scheming devil who, from within the Patrician's own court, plots to overthrow Havelock and reinstate the monarchy, with himself as king. He finds the perfect means through which to topple the Patrician, as well, through the lion's own daughter, Autumn, a true weakness if ever Havelock had one. Plain black and white in appearance with red eyes, Wonse occupies Scar's place in the crossover plot.
Autumn is the only completely original character in the entire story, and is also the star. Daughter of the Patrician, Havelock, and his mate, Hanna, Autumn comes into the world pretty much in the wrong place and at the wrong time, for she soon becomes Wonse's tool in his plot to overthrow the democracy and rule Ankh-Morpork himself. Autumn, as can be expected, is an explosive little package - a combo of Hanna and Havelock's natures could only be so. She looks very much like her mother, bar the ice-blue eyes and the black tuft of hair which mark her as her father's, and, in 'person', is often playful and daring, though soon angers when she feels she has been wrong-footed or when people won't see things her way. Her best friend is Sam Jr., son of Samuel Snr. and Sybil, and, though he is older and bigger than she is, Autumn is the dominant party in the friendship. She fills young Simba's space in the traditional LK tale, though is as much like Kiara and Nala as she is like Simba in disposition.
Samuel Vimes, son of Sir Samuel Vimes and Lady Sybil Ramkin, is a character so far only in name in the Discworld saga, but in my story has been fleshed-out into one of the tale's major personalities. He looks quite roguish, like his father, though has a coat of red-orange fur more like his mother. He has a lively, happy-go-lucky disposition, and though he does go out of the way to make mischief, he always knows when to stop - only Autumn manipulates him enough to make him 'cross the line'. Caring and loyal, he wants to grow up to be just like his father, Sam Snr.; this is something Autumn secretly envies him upon, for she feels his father is a much more impressive piece of work than her own. Though very much like Kovu from the second Lion King film, Sam Jr. takes the place of Nala in the project.
Father of Samuel Jr., a cub who shares his name (sometimes to the utter confusion of both parties), and mate of Sybil, Samuel is clearly the leonine reflection of Sir Samuel Vimes from the Discworld books. Rather thin and roguish in appearance, Sam is responsible for keeping the peace (as far as possible) in the wild Morporkian savannah, and is his son's idol because of it. Though often quick to anger, and constantly wary of being wound-up by the Patrician, Sam is a good-hearted lion who takes his job seriously (often taking it home with him, as well). He has no solid counterpart in the Lion King saga, unless you count Nala's absent father, but has undoubted shades of Mufasa in him.
Noble and proud, and large in more than just character, Lady Sybil Ramkin, keeper of dragons, in the Discworld books is the basis of Sybil in the crossover story. A character of aristocratic upbringing and motherly attributes, Sybil has a way with people that makes them do as she says, though is inherently likable all the same. As she is now married to Sam in the books, so too is she Sam's partner in the leonine world, and mother of his son, also called Sam. As a member of the upper-most crust of Ankh-Morporkian society, she takes responsibility for the organisation of the lionesses (we must not forget that lionesses are the back-bone of the prides - males rarely get off their arses), leading many of the hunts herself, and takes a great interest in the running of her community. She lives with her small family in a well-situated cave, one which backs onto a pond in which she can keep her precious crocociles. Her son has learnt how to tease these beasts to best effect, and it's only a matter of time before his mother catches him. A good friend of Hanna, and the keeper of optimism during the Patrician's absence, her Lion King opposite is Nala's mother, Sarafina, but Sybil has pretty much evolved as a character in herself.
Leonard of Quirm, the inventor who might just be a threat to mankind if mankind gets its hands on his blueprints, also found himself a place in my Lion King/Discworld altraverse. Though still locked in the attic, so to speak, Leonard is the artist whom Havelock tries to keep busy in order to protect him - and everyone else, for that matter. Leonard's current project is the decorating of the uppermost caverns of Pride Rock with images of all the kings of the past, and soon all the Patricians as well. Autumn likes visiting him - sometimes she has no choice, when she is getting under her parents' feet - and it is because of that that the intelligent, if not wise, monkey has made Autumn the subject of many of his paintings. He's clearly based on Rafiki, the comical shaman of the original LK.
The most loyal and hardworking of Vetinari's clerks, Rufus Drumknott has managed to squeeze his way into my crossover in the persona of a hornbill. Though I at first conceived him as a leonine character, I soon found that I had Zazu's place in the LK story to fill, and a lion just wouldn't cut it. So he became a bird. Though occasionally nervous and worrisome, Drumknott is nevertheless a determined little figure and does all he can to fulfil his master's every wish. He doesn't particularly like his colleague, the sly, white lion, Wonse, but he is far too polite to say anything about that. Sometimes he has to 'babysit' Autumn and Sam, which is no easy task for any creature, never mind a small bird, but as always, he gives his every job his all.
As with all conspiring lunatics, Lupine Wonse has his band of ne'er-do-wells to help him with his task of 'world domination' - or the next best thing. The Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night were a comical group of dim-witted secret-society members in "Guards! Guards!" who got in too deep with Wonse and his plots. Many lost their insignificant lives because of it. In the crossover, they've simply been transferred to the bodies of the army of hyenas that Scar used to help him overthrow the king and rule the Pridelands. Hyenas are the only group of animals in the original LK movie outlawed from the Pridelands, so I felt that, with this in mind, they could also be given the same status as the Morporkian Mime in the crossover - i.e., the Patrician won't tolerate them. As an outlawed caste, they strive to become part of the city again, and are willing to help Wonse through thick-and-thin if they reckon they'll come out on top. A few of the Brethren will have larger roles than the rest in the crossover - Fingers, Watchtower and Dunnykin are amongst those, for instance, who shall replicate the likes of Banzai, Shenzi and Ed from the film.
Cuddy and Detritus - a dwarf and a troll - were an unlikely duo, thrown together in Vimes' night-watch in the novel "Men at Arms". Unfortunately, poor Cuddy never made it to the finish line, but they've both got themselves a new lease of life in my crossover. In the Discworld, dwarves and trolls have a legendary dislike of one-another, and though the same does not apply to meerkats and warthogs, they still make an unusal pair. Cuddy and Detritus are both outcasts from their respective communities and live, in relative isolation, out in the wilderness, far beyond the Morporkian border, adhering to no rules except that of 'Hakuna Matata' (no worries). Along the way, they've also picked up the likes of Angua and Carrot, two more odd-bodies who haven't yet found any society in which they also 'fit in'. One day, Cuddy and Detritus come across young Autumn, who, worn out from running, has collapsed with exhaustion in the desert. Opting to take her in as the fifth member of their gang, Autumn then tries to forget her past and live a carefree life with her new-found friends in a seeming paradise. Cuddy and Detritus are based on Timon and Pumbaa.
In the Discworld, Carrot is a literal-minded super-cop, raised as a dwarf, and avid to respect and withhold the law, whilst Angua is a werewolf, a hardworking female Watchwomen with attitude (and a set of sharp teeth every full moon). They even seem to have struck up something of a relationship together, despite Angua's lunar problems. In the crossover, they have translated to fairly minor parts as outcasts looking for their place in 'the circle of life'. They will ultimately team-up with Autumn as she takes the ultimate plunge of going home and overthrowing the usurper. They have no TLK counterparts.
Well, that about wraps it up for the cast list. I hope that makes it a little clearer. Obviously, the only person who's really gonna get the most out of this crossover fic is someone who has read a good portion of the Discworld book, has seen both Lion King films (and knows them well), and who has also preferably read Mercator's fanfic saga. Alas, I doubt there are many people like that - except me, of course - but that's me being selfish for you. It's all just for fun, anyway. :)
If you want to see more drawings I've done, check out my TLK/DW artwork page. If you have any further questions, just nip over to the contact me page and... well, contact me!