Monkin-doo
The Monkin-doo are a subspecies of the Monkin; they are typically shorter and stockier than their cousins, the Monkin-ban and easily recognised by the beards they grow in infancy. The Monkin-doo have delved deep in the bones of Tarusia for many generations and rarely feel entirely comfortable without bedrock above them.
Though almost certainly once widespread over Tarusia, they are now limited in range to the hilly and mountainous areas with small populations often separated by significant distances. In recent centuries their numbers have been increasing in the region of the Moran Mountains, though as their reproduction rates are low their numbers in that area are still well below historic levels, if the number of abandoned settlements is anything to judge by.
Basic Information
Growth Rate & Stages
Typically long lived - physical maturity at about 30 but only seen as adults beyond 60 and mature from 100. They will often live on to around 200 but few will be actively mining beyond 100 for even a Monkin-doo's bones and joints can only take so much labour.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The Monkin-doo live in extended family groups in which gender is generally of little importance - for the immediate requirements of reproduction cover but a small part of the lifespan of a Monkin-doo. These extended family groups form clans exploiting specific geological resources with the social status of the group dependent on the depth of its workings rather than their richness. Mates are usually sought from other family groups of the clan and the clans generally maintain separation of their mine workings. Indeed breaking into another clan's workings is seen as an act of war and elaborate rituals of atonement are encountered when such break ins occur.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Many generations of subterranean living have affected the senses of the Monkin-doo. Their eyesight is good at short distances but seldom good at longer ones - this contributes to their skill as intricate metalworkers and crafters of jewellery but at distances beyond a few hundred paces their perception is as far below a human's as a human's is below an eagle's.
On the positive side however, their eyes have developed an additional colour receptor for the near infra red region of the electromagnetic spectrum which allows them to "see in the dark" as well as giving them an otherwise uncanny ability to distinguish between otherwise visually similar materials.
They also have an excellent sense of direction and ability to recall and retrace routes based on turns taken, distance covered and height gained or lost. A monkin-doo will seldom be lost in an area they are familiar with even if blindfolded. This ability is also enhanced by a susceptibility to magnetic fields and effects which helps them in their search for metals - not just the ferrous but also the non-ferrous (for an Earth based parallel, think metal detector as well as compass needle).
Civilization and Culture
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Their relationship with the Monkin-ban is a complex one, summarised in The Monkin-doo and the Monkin-ban.
With humans, their long exposure to the Taru resulted in extreme wariness, which coupled with their subterranean lifestyle meant very little interaction. Following the arrival of theMorivian humans come thousand years ago this has begun to change, though learnt attitudes remain firmly within Monkin-doo culture. The free cities south of the Moran Mountains are the closest to a multi-special culture currently to be found in Tarusia.
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