Girallon
Once Enslaved, What Did Rebellion Bring?
Basic Information
Anatomy
A girallon looks like an oversized, four-armed ape with sharp fangs and claws.
Genetics and Reproduction
Though female girallons sexually mature around 10 years of age, they do not typically reproduce until around the age of sixteen at the earliest. Girallons are polygamous in nature with a female typically taking 3-5 males into her breeding group and each male typically being a member of a similar number of groups. Curiously, after reaching sexual maturity, the female girallon does not seem to become pregnant within the first two years of adulthood, regardless of sexual activity.
The gestation period is around 10 months, after which a single birth is typical, although, rarely, twins will be born.
Growth Rate & Stages
Infancy lasts until about five months of age, during which period the young girallon is entirely dependent on its mother. Girallons remain in the childhood stage until around three years of age, during which period they are mostly still dependent on their mother for care, but begin learning the skills necessary for independence. At three years, girallons become juveniles and start to separate into male and female groups. Only upon reaching sexual maturity are girallons considered fully adult.
Ecology and Habitats
Girallons are most common in temperate or warm forest environments abundant with life. They share the ape's adeptness at climbing, although these half-ton creatures shy away from scaling trees that can't support their bulk. Instead, they build huts on the forest floor and larger settlements in the ruins of other creatures.
The ruins of humanoid habitations, especially those found in deep forests and jungles, seem to attract girallons. They move effortlessly along stairs and balconies, as well as on the sloped rooftops and buttresses of such formations. To a girallon, a city's buildings are just another sort of forest-and better yet, one whose uppermost "branches" can easily support the creatures. In such a setting, the girallons take full advantage of their skill in climbing. The creatures can easily scale walls and battlements, and they perch on tower tops and other high vantages to keep an eye on the surrounding area. Though not builders themselves, girallons are expert in shoring up and maintaining existing structures to their own use.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Despite their fearsome claws and fangs, girallons are omnivorous, with the bulk of their diet coming from plant sources, berries and nuts. They do, however, eat meat and will hunt larger game to supply their dietary need for it. Food stores are protected, prepared and preserved by the females, while males do the bulk of the hunting and gathering.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Though the females appear dominant, larger and often more intelligent, the division of tasks and labor do not, in fact, reflect dominance within the species so much as a suitability of tasks. While females will almost exclusively be in charge of protection of the habitat and the organization of the troop, males have an equal seat on any council of war and decisions regarding contact, trade and interactions with other species. In fact, spokesmen for the troop are often males as the girallons consider them to be slightly less threatening in appearance to other species.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
For quite some time, the labor of the girallons in the City of Rust and surrounding area was exploted by Qurzal, Protector of the Dusk, a wight who used his time manipulating weapon to control the local troops through fear and coercion. Rebellion against Qurzal actually led to the creation of girallon work camps, notably at the edge of the Gladview Wilds. With the recent destruction of Qurzal and usurpation of his power, the current situation is unclear.
Facial characteristics
Flattened, ape-like facial features with deep set eyes and a protruding mouth are the species norm.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Within Deadmouth Island, girallons seem to have congregated mostly in the northeast portion of the Gladview Wilds in the vicinity of the City of Rust. Small, and less developed, troops of girallons do exist within the Infernal Jungle.
Average Intelligence
Though not the most intelligent of creatures, girallons are intelligent enough, with the average girallon comparable to the lower end of the average human in terms of intellectual abilities.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Girallons have limited darkvision and an extremely keen sense of smell.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Girallon names that are understandable to other races are a relatively new phenomenon. Examples of male names are Chillim, Lise, Osom, Gulatesh, and Ritullon. Female names examples are Leryhan, Ruke, Falle, Yegyella, and Itusu. Naming traditions seem to include adding a syllable to a 2 syllable name for a girallon that advances in stature in girallon society.
Major Organizations
The girallons of the City of Rust are the only major grouping of the creatures that come close to a being a kingdom or political entity, however circumstances have given rise to a rebellious organization within their society calling themselves The Prime Rising.
Gender Ideals
The slightly smaller males are responsible for hunting and gathering and the slightly larger females deal with matters of protection, organization and care for the troop as a whole.
Courtship Ideals
The occasion of sexual maturity is marked with a night of sexual congress with multiple partners - both a ritual and a test of compatibility within the troop to decide which breeding groups are suitable for the newly adult male or which partners are suitable for the newly adult female. Ultimately, the female will decide if a male is a compatible partner to join her handful of mates.
Average Technological Level
Girallons operate at a fairly basic level of technology, fashioning wooden and stone tools primarily and only utilizing metal that has been discovered, foraged or given by their species. An exception to this appears to be that their weaving and tailoring skills are surprisingly advanced.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Girallons in the City of Rust have developed a rough form of common, elsewhere smaller troops may not even speak that.
Common Etiquette Rules
Those who have encountered girallons at any length will follow this set of rules:
- Never stare at a girallon
- Never run from a girallon
- Never block a girallon's path
- Never touch a gorilla
- Never talk down to a girallon
Common Dress Code
In the City of Rust the girallons have taken to wearing uniforms consisting of a well tailored, four-armed jacket that seem to mark status and even rank within their increasingly organized military. Those that have encountered girallons dressed in these jackets have noted that they seem to be more intelligent, cautious and perhaps even civilized than others of their kind. It appears that the jackets are made within the City of Rust by a handful of girallons that have developed skills in both weaving cloth and tailoring, which is a remarkable development, well ahead of their other uses of technology.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The girallons of the City of Rust are very much a burgeoning culture, creating their own cultural heritage and experimenting with what works for them as a group.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Girallons practice animal sacrifice. It seems to be connected with the cycles of the moons.
History
The origins of the girallons on Deadmouth Island is not clear, although it appears that they may have been brough across with Rhuam'Ghunug and were a subject of his experiments, perhaps explaining the increased intelligence of Deadmouth girallons compared to others encountered elsewhere. Without a written history, events are patchy, but over time, sometime in the 100s AFL perhaps, there emerged in the City of Rust a sizeable and increasing population of the race.
In recent history, the girallons have been in a form of forced servitude to Qurzal, Protector of the Dusk from his base in Bode Citadel. His capture and manipulation of girallon children and family members kept the population in check. Though a small scale rebellion rose up against the wight, it was largely quashed and Qurzal set up work camps for captured and punished girallons, including one right on the forest edge near the City of Rust.
Despite the recent destruction of Qurzal, Protector of the Dusk, the work camps remain and the situation of the girallons in the area remains unclear and very much in balance.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The girallons have an uneasy interaction with the Deadmouth Hags, particularly of the Eastern Coven. Their recent history with Qurzal has given a deep hatred of the undead in general. They are wary of the Phalloides to the west and the major humanoid races from Highport. Their relations with the other major races of Deadmouth Island is somewhat unclear.
Lifespan
50-60 years
Average Height
7'-8' tall
Average Weight
700-800 lbs.
Average Physique
Females tend to be a little larger, but even a smaller male boasts an impressive muscular physique. Girallons are immensely strong and surprisingly swift and stealthy.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Girallons camouflage well with their surroundings, with dark skin and black, brown or red fur.
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