Felioreej

As you follow the Imperial Highway south from Verus, the lush fields of wheat, thriving riverlands and shadowy woodlands will eventually give way to the sun-baked savannahs and vibrant rainforests that are the pridelands of the Felioreej. Tall, strong and relentlessly proud, when the Empire first encountered members of the species, there were more than a few voices in the upper echelons of the Hierarchy who questioned whether the Empire, which was a fraction of the size it is now, would be capable of conquering such a naturally fearsome race.
It was the then Hierarch of Expedience who suggested another solution. Two years leading up to Empire's arrival, a contingent of missionaries had ventured south as a sort of religious vanguard, spreading the tenets of the Church of the Four Gates and the word of the Elder One to all who would heed it. Most of them disappeared within a few months, killed by hostile tribes or eaten by monsters, but a few managed to make their way safely to the Felioreej Pridelands. Warriors from the Sheehanhara Pride found them starving on the savannah, surrounded by slavering were-hyenas. They dispatched the savaged creatures with practiced ease and, in-keeping with their customs, brought them back to their village. The Great Mane of the Sheehanhara Pride was amused and a little intrigued by the dust-covered, sun-burned, grey-and-white robed priests and their talk of a strange, shapeless God. Having recently fallen afoul of a shaman's curse, receiving succour from a potentially more powerful deity was an appealing prospect. He quickly offered them food and the chance to wash and rest from their journey. In the morning, he insisted they remain his guests for twelve full lunar cycles, during which time they would have the opportunity to instruct him in the way of the Church. Overjoyed at the prospect of gaining such a powerful convert, the priests eagerly agreed.
By the end of the year, both the Great Mane and thousands of his Pride had converted to the faith of the Four Gates. The priests were lavished with gifts of hand-woven rugs, uncut gemstones, salt and gypsum; offerings the Great Mane wished to make to the Elder One. Escorted by a full thousand of the Pride's warriors, the priests returned to Verus flush with success.
Word of their exploits reached the ears of the Hierarch, who suggested that instead of a costly military campaign, they might instead throw their support behind the Sheehanhara Pride and their newly converted Great Mane. The plan met with the approval of the other Hierarchs, and so barely days after their return to the capital, the priests were making ready for a second expedition to the Pridelands, though not before being appointed as Clerics in recognition of their achievement. The second journey was far easier than the last, travelling with all the trappings of Imperial and Church authority, including an escort of Imperial soldiers. The Great Mane was delighted by the return of his priest-friends, and impressed by the gifts they carried, which included many wonders he had never beheld before; dwarven weapons, dragonblood elixirs, halfling wine and salted fish from the Sea of Tiavyrm. All the gifts were well received, but the salted fish were valued above all. After tasting his first anchovy, an expression of transcendent ecstasy spread across the Great Mane's face, and he promptly ate half a barrel full of the salty fish. Having mollified him with gifts and praise, the Clerics presented the Emperor's treaty to the Great Mane. The Empire would support the growth of the Sheehanhara Pride, giving them the resources they needed to vanquish the other Prides and conquer the Pridelands. The Great Mane would become the Supreme Mane, Lord of all Prides, answerable to no one but the Emperor and the Elder One. His people would be able to trade their wares all across the Empire, and should anyone threaten the Pridelands, the Emperor's armies would march to their aid. In return, he must assist the Church in their efforts to convert the Felioreej, and ensure that any and all practitioners of magic were rounded up and handed over to the Ministry of Enlightenment. In addition to this, he must be ready to assemble his warriors to fight for the Empire, should the need arise, and assist the agents of the Hierarchy when required. The Great Mane found the conditions of the treaty very easy to escape. As well as holding a position of power in their society, the shamans of the Felioreej were also their primary magic-users, meaning the Great Mane would be able to comply with Imperial law while simultaneously disposing himself of his most troublesome opponents. As to the other parts of the treaty, well...the Felioreej were a martial race, obsessed with proving themselves as superior to all other warriors. What better way to demonstrate their quality to the races of Erru than on the frontline's of the Emperor's armies? And if that meant occasionally putting a spy or two up in their villages, then so be it.