Sapient primates are difficult to find and study

"Primates are fascinating creatures that I wish more ponies would take the time to learn about..."- Lyra Heartstrings, Primatologist, Cryptozoologist, and founder of the Equestrian Cryptid Research Foundation.

"My dear inquirer, there is one simple rule to tracking primates: you don't. speak all you want of greased pigs and cats not wanting to be caught, but manage to find a primate in its own habitat, and you can call yourself a master tracker. Primates know the minute you're looking for them, and you'll only see them when they want you to see them.- V.V. Argost, Cryptozoologist, World-famous celebrity, creator of Weird World, and recently discovered to be a yeti.

APES

'Sir, I am an ape, and I will remind you not to call me a monkey again unless you're happier with one less limb"

GIBBON

Nomadic traders, Gibbons are the best climbers of all the apes, moving swiftly by brachiating through the branches.

Gibbons often find work as messengers, carrying letters and packages through the trees.

PONGID APES

ORANG UTAN (Balgani "Golden Ape")

A race of arboreal apes native to the islands of southeast Khaan, the utans are the most culturally and technologically advanced of the three ape species that they share both a common ancestry and their forest homes with. The utan race is bulky, with arms longer than they are tall and a thick pelt of orange-brown hair covering their entire bodies. Male utans can grow as tall as five and a half feet, and tend to dominate their society. Females are shorter, and are usually subservient to the males.

Utans are excellent capitalists, and when Equestrian explorers first discovered the utans on their island, the utans first and foremost established trade with the ponies, exchanging rubber, lumber, and rare ores for processed textiles and cultural artifacts. Since their island home is one of the few places where the rubber tree grows, the utans have cornered the market on the global rubber trade and have grown very wealthy as a result.

The orang-utans generally regard themselves as religiously agnostic, and thus do very little in the way of religion.

MANDE BURANG

Massive relatives of the orangutan (10-12 feet tall), the Mande Burang are found within the jungles of the Crystalline Raj, often within ancient ruins, acting as kings over legions of gibbons, Bandar-log, and Hanuman.

YITISH

close relatives of the orangutans, the YiTish are the heads of the trading empire of the Plateau of Leng, living in their great market-cities, under the rule of a single god-empress.

the YiTish were originally foreigners to Leng, invading from Manechuria in the northwest, whereupon they displaced the Hanuman from their cities and took over

LENGII

relatives of the orangutan native to the plateau of Leng, the Lengii were pushed into the southern third of the Plateau when the YiTish originally invaded, but have been slowly creeping northwards over the centuries

DZU-TEH

carnivorous nomads of Leng's grasslands, the dzu-teh are thankfully not known to eat other sapients

TEH-LMA

three-foot-tall apes who dwell in the swamps of Leng, the teh-lma subsist on a diet of water plants, as well as frogs and fish caught in their nets

XING XING (Lulgani "Swimming Ape")

the most aquatic of sapient apes, this Neighponese/Manechurian native is fond of alcohol and is an excellent swimmer.

YETI (Vedgani "Mountain Ape")

Living high in Khaan's mountains, the Yeti are among the most secretive of the sapient primates, living in nomadic tribes led by an elder female. they are also the rarest, and may be dying out. Befitting of such dangerous environment, they come across as hardy and always on edge, ready to fight or flee at the slightest provocation. Their quickness of foot in a land where the very rock gnaws flesh from bone is quite well known, and they have the patience to track a wounded beast for miles and never lose the scent. They even seem to register little pain, if any; those that have fought against them have noted their brutality and unwillingness to give up even for up to an hour after they’ve been fatally wounded. In spite of all of this, the yetis are surprisingly at peace with one another, and very doting to their families.

Somewhat isolationist and aggressive towards strangers, yetis prefer to keep away from other races. They are capable of powerful illusion magic, as evidenced by one V. V. Argost, who crafted a mask that allowed him to disguise himself as an earth pony

ALMASTI (Dangani "Rock Ape")

Native to Stalliongrad, the Almasti are cousins of the yeti. They are omnivores; griffon farmers living on the edge of civilization tell tales of kitchens being raided and livestock being stolen, and the blame is usually laid onto the almasti that live in the surrounding forest. Much rarer than yetis or sasquatches, almasti are very shy apes, yet one tale speaks of an injured almas that was taken in by a family and earned its keep working at the local flour mill, lifting heavy sacks of grain that would take five reindeer to lift.

They are tolerated to a greater degree than most other wild apes, as long as they do not become aggressive towards other sapients. They can learn sign language quite rapidly, but the unique shape of their vocal chords prevents them from pronouncing words in most languages, which tend to come out as a high pitched squeal or whine rather than the intended sentence.

DARK ONE (Gorogani "Moon Ape")

"My khotim mira."

Primates native to Stalliongrad, Muskovy, and Boardor, the direct appearance of a Dark One is quite strange. They have long arms and legs, all quite thin. The arms end in large hands that have long fingers. The skin is a dark ash-grey color.

Despite their physical appearances, the Dark Ones are very closely related to Almasti, in terms of biology. However, the dark ones are much better adapted to the recently ravaged "post-apocalyptic" land of Boardor. They have evolved to be highly resistant to radiation, cold temperatures, and have extra-sensory perception. The Dark Ones are not capable of vocal communication, but they are able to communicate telepathically amongst themselves and with other beings. However, their telepathic powers are too strong for most beings, and if they try to communicate with them without properly controlling these powers, they will inadvertently destroy the being's mind, though children seem immune to this. Using these powers, they are able to create realistic illusions by manipulating the mind of their target, and are similarly able to induce fear telepathically to scare their enemies away. The Dark Ones share a form of collective consciousness and communicate telepathically.

Despite the stories most beings tell about them, Dark Ones are not violent by nature, and prefer peaceful alternatives to confrontation. They often avoid other sapients, using their psychic abilities to become invisible.

Dark Ones possess a collective memory, making the young able to remember events witnessed by their grandparents, while at the same time allowing them to develop their own identity as they grow.

HOMININ APES

CHIMPANZEE (Tarmangani "White Great Ape", referring to the relatively pale face of this species compared to other chimps)

Whenever the word "ape" is mentioned, often the first mental image one brings up is that of the playful chimpanzee.

However, most of those who imagine a chimpanzee as being playful and fun-loving have never actually met a chimpanzee. Chimps have one of the most sophisticated forms of government in the world, something that they call a "parliamentary legislation", wherein representatives are chosen from bodies of population to debate important political issues and often taking months to send a petition or potential law through dozens of votes and subcommittees to hammer out the details. This horribly inefficient system is led by a "Prime Minister", who is selected by the greater body of chimpanzee society. Chimpanzees often take a conservative stance on their political issues, usually preferring that outsiders like zebras keep their striped noses out of their business.

Religion is one of the most important aspects of chimpanzee life, but their religion does not resemble the spiritualistic religions of most other apes. Chimps believe that a divine creator sent down its one true representative, an unknown creature collectively called the "Allgood". The Allgood taught the chimps about civility and reason before ascending back to wherever the Allgood came from.

BONOBO (Gomangani "Black Great Ape", referring to their dark fur and skin, compared to other chimps)

Close relatives of chimpanzees, bonobos have a culture that is far more free-spirited than that of the chimps. Bonobos follow the same religion as the chimps, but have different interpretations of the Allgood's lessons.

Politically, bonobos occupy a position on the moderate to far left of their spectrum, making them dyed in the wool liberals. While chimps prefer isolationism, bonobo politicians often push for stronger ties between the apes and neighboring races. While a chimp representative will be quick to retaliate if their land is threatened, a bonobo representative will often push for a more diplomatic solution. At a personal level, bonobos tend to solve issues with sex, sex, and more sex. These "love apes" are known to engage in any kind of sexual encounter with just about anything, including non-apes. The chimps usually regard this as indecent and quite the sin in the eyes of the Allgood.

the Bonobo's "make love, not war" policy has also led to a very peaceful society. Two males want a female? sex, releasing tension and strengthening friendship. a female hits a baby and the mom chases her? sex. a male's really mad? a female grabs him, and, you guessed it, sex.

AGOGWE (Gimlamangani "Crocodile Great Ape", referring to the Agogwe's habit of domesticating giant reptiles)

the agogwe, known less often the kakundakari or kilomba, is one of four species making up the genus Pan; the others are the Chimpanzees, Bili, and Bonobos

They are distinguished by relatively long arms, yellowish skin, reddish black long body hair and mostly arboreal behavior. More primitive than the other apes of Zebrica in politics and culture, agogwe more than make up for it with their pension for ferocity and their tendency for taming the megafauna that resides in their native swamps, namely creatures like kongomatos and kasai, known to the rest of the world as dinosaurs. That's right, agogwe tame and ride dinosaurs into battle.

BILI (Mangani "Great Ape")

The largest of the four species of Pan, the Bili are a tribal society, more nomadic than any of their relatives.

Their skin is usually as dark as a gorilla's, and their thin fur is black, dark brown, gray and sometimes white. This coat is denser on the arms and legs, which helps them to not be readily identified among the bushes. The Bili are hierarchical and gregarious, which leads them to learn certain social norms and limits by way of discipline. Their form of interaction is the game and learning. Whoever takes the command is a dominant male (King) who directs and gives its name to the tribe. In the hierarchy he is followed by older females, young adults and teenagers eventually. This means that they respect each other for age and experience, but not by force. But in some cases, this has its exception, especially when the life of one of the leading members is at stake.

Rarely, they are organized militarily for security, despite the hierarchy they follow, which indicates that the principle is not the conquest or protection of land, but life in society.

For their food, the Bili have developed a number of positions and tools according to their needs. Those who live in the cliffs and caves are less mobile but require more time to look for food, because they are located in strategic places (visible and high) where they sit, wait and watch. Because of their proximity to waterfalls and valleys, they can select and capture a wide variety of animals. To hunt large animals such as mammals, they form a group and surround them. They then use thick sticks and prepared stones (sliced) to immobilize them, hitting them again and again or sometimes by strangulating them. They drag them down and with the help of their powerful teeth they tear the flesh, taking the portion they wish.

For fishing, they approach the water's edge looking for low spots, where they can fish with ease. Their skill is such that they sometimes capture them by hand, sometimes even reaching into the water from tree branches.

As a tool, they use woody stems, with a pointed end, similar to a sharp spear, and with some skill and aiming they successfully catch fish.

When meat is part of the diet, as in this group, they supplement it with a variety of juicy and tender foliage, because the fruits are not readily available.

Among the dry dead tree trunks, they hunt small invertebrates with aid of long poles, thin or hollow. They use these poles to suck up larvae and worms or to lick off ants and termites that adhere to them. But their main eating tools are their fingers and toes, which they use with great ability.

With regard to the group living in wild places, they base their diet on fruits, stems, insects, mammals and fish. Their tools are not as elaborate but equally functional as there is a wide variety of food on hand. They prefer land birds because they are easy to catch in the bushes. Here they use large sticks to immobilize them. Hunting for them is not necessarily a pre-planned physical or mental effort, rather an action that conforms to what they find on the road. They cover large areas in searching for food, so this task takes between 8-10 hours per day.

They do not have not a religion per se, but follow many doctrines and commands which allow them to live in society and think about their preservation. We could say that it is not a religion based on the mythological aspect but one which explains the phenomena of nature, which is taken for their own benefit, as the light of the moon and hunting rituals, rain as a sign to take advantage of food, sun for nourishment, and many more that are not associated with luck, omens, superstition or offerings. Death is synonymous with old age, defeat in war or disease. They are not afraid of death, they don't cling to life and there’s no lengthy ritual for the eventual death of a member.

GORILLA (Bolgani "Flat [earth-bound] Ape")

While chimps and bonobos divide their beliefs based on species, gorillas are much more tolerant of different ideas, and have a society that has many different sets of ideals. They too worship the divine teachings of the angelic Allgood and her sisters, but they are not nearly as "in your face" about it as chimps or bonobos.

More aggressive than bonobos, but not nearly as temperamental as chimps, gorillas prefer to keep to themselves, and to this day they are the least understood of the civilized apes.

KOOLOOKAMBA (Lubolgani "Killing Earth-bound Ape")

Aggressive results of an ancient forced breeding program, these descendants of chimp-gorilla hybrids live mostly around the lost city of Zinj.

Their mass and height of these beings is notable for being closer to that of a yeti, with a malformed skull (the saggital crest is nearly nonexistent), along with a skin pigmentation that bordered on albinism with light gray fur as well as yellow eyes. This new species is much more aggressive and ruthless than the average gorilla, and demonstrates nocturnal qualities by attacking at night in large groups.

Koolakamba have remained staunchly isolationist, even killing other apes who come too close.

DRYOPITHECINE APES

TSUL'KALU (Aradgani "Spear Ape")

a relative of the sasquatch, tsul'kalu are said by the buffalo to be the greatest hunters in the world, but have a high sense of honor. the actual diet of the tsul'kalu consists of plants and small animals, but they will "hunt" sapients either for fun, as a challenge, or because they have been wronged somehow.

the average tsul'kalu sports a blowdart, tomahawk, and other hand-made weapons. they design complicated traps, but when engaged in an actual fight rather than a hunt, go in on equal terms with their opponent

SASQUATCH (Dengani "Tree Ape")

Large and hairy apes native to the forests of Equus, Sasquatch possess the ability to use magic, usually in the form of elementalism and minor illusions. Sasquatch are immensely powerful creatures in terms of physical prowess, giving them both speed, maneuverability and of course physical strength. They possess the ability to run through a thick forest in a dead sprint with ease up to speeds of thirty miles an hour or more in wide open terrain as well baring the strength to pluck two ton boulders and toss them immense distances (Accurately) on top of using said strength to uproot pine trees and plant them upside down… or use tree branches as a projectile. They can scale rock and cliff faces with immense speed, balance themselves along slopes and run them without losing their balance, climb and jump about trees all with the finesse and speed befitting an ape. And above all things, they prefer peace and quiet in their forest homes.

Even among primates, Sasquatch are natural masters of stealth. If a Sasquatch does not want to be found, you will not find it. In terms of unassisted stealth without supernatural ability, Sasquatch are arguably the best. Sasquatch bare an uncanny ability to ‘disappear’ in short amounts of time, an art involving their immense speed, maneuverability and stealth which allows them to disappear from sight in seconds..

Sasquatch are shamanistic and down-to-earth in their religion. Any time they eat a nut, a leaf, or a berry, it is a gift of life from the forest itself, and all a part of their worship of their great goddess of earth. The only time a Sasquatch ever expresses anger or acts violently is when an outsider attacks his family.

Wood Devil

Relatives of the Sasquatch found throughout the forests of Equus, Wood Devils are covered in shaggy, grayish-tan or copper-brown fur and have a much thinner and leaner build than most Sasquatch relatives, with long, thin arms and legs and long fingers for grasping tree branches. When walking, Wood Devils step on their heels, but when moving quickly they rise onto their toes like a bipedal feline. The fingers and toes are very paw-like, and on each digit a single curved, cat-like talon can extend and retract to grip the bark of trees, aid in traction while running, or in self-defense. The eyes are large and ovular for seeing at night, and the face is framed by a head of long, wiry grayish-black hair that hangs past the shoulders like a cape. The ears are pointed and elf-like, and can rotate to pinpoint sounds. The arms, when not in use, are usually tucked in a mantis-like form.

While they grow to nearly 10 feet in height and are strong enough to easily lift a grown stallion and toss them, Wood Devils are very shy and easily startled, bolting at the sight or sound of anything unfamiliar.

Wood Devils are extremely versatile, able to run along rough ground, climb trees in seconds, and leap huge gaps between trees with minimal effort. They move in a variety of gaits, from upright walking, to gibbon-like tree swinging, feline-like climbing, hobbling along the ground like apes, or simply crouching on all fours. They tend to live in large groups in a single specified territory, usually occupied by one group composed only of males and one group only of females. The groups are tolerant of each other and come together every winter to mate. In April the females give birth to twin pups hardly bigger than rabbits and covered in gray fuzz. After being weaned, male pups are brought over to the male packs and abandoned by their mothers.

As omnivores, Wood Devils will eat whatever they find, including fruit and nuts, small animals, fish, and carrion. The one notable difference between males and females is the slightly thicker build in adult males and darker coloration.

Like many forest animals, Wood Devils can blend in with the trees and leaf litter via their grayish-tan hair and thin build. They are remarkably agile and quick, and almost completely silent in their movement despite their size. They could be clinging to a tree just overhead and you’d never notice.

Chenoo

The largest primate in the New World, and one of the largest primates in the world (rivaling the members of the Kong Family and the Brobdingrag Monkey in size), the Chenoo (Jenu, Cenu, Chenu, Jinu, Cinu, Djenu, Chinu, Cheno, Chenu, or Tsi-noo) are also the most feared of the Sasquatch relatives.

In addition to possessing the stealthy abilities of the smaller Tsul'kalu, Sasquatch, and Wood Devils, they are able to summon up dense mist and fog, and can make the forest around them completely quiet, ensuring their movements and such are done in absolute dead silence. Furthermore, this effect also creates a unexpected side effect: nearby electronics malfunction, leading to film grain, really blurry film footage to even people feeling dizzy and disoriented.

The Chenoo are also mostly carnivorous, and have no qualms against hunting sapients, including their smaller cousins.

Genoskwa

Standing from 9 to 12 feet tall, the Genoskwa are a species of armored Sasquatch. Living underground for long periods of time near limestone deposits, this mineral drips down on them and gradually coats them in layer upon layer of limestone. This makes them heavier, necessarily stronger and remarkably tougher than the average Sasquatch, but also less agile. Their fur is tough but flexible, providing a secure inner fiber that insulates them from both chilling cold and to absorb the shock of blows. This also allows the armor their acquire to stay somewhat flexible.

Considered to be the protectors of the most sacred places to the various members of the Sasquatch family (except the Chenoo), the Genoskwa can be thought of as law keepers of the Sasquatch and are responsible for apprehending those who violate their traditions or gravely endanger the tribes.

However, they are also brutal carnivores, respected but feared among their unarmored kin who view them as ill omens and rarely interfere with one unless absolutely necessary.

Genoskwa are perhaps the most ruthless and aggressive members of the Sasquatch family, and their almost single-minded desire to capture, kill and destroy intruders and law breakers can be as much a detriment as it is a boon. Their own ingrained sadism lends them to capture large groups of captives alive, simply to devour them all at once. Outside of combat and hunting, Genoskwa lag behind all Sasquatch in terms of medicine, crafting, tool use and communication.

The most common method of dispatching prey is twisting the heads of its victims clean off, as simple as one might twist a bottle cap.

???

GOON (Zu-vogani "Strong Ape")

The Goons are a species of tall, hairy primates native to Goon Island, a near-desolate area within the Grey Ocean. They are also bald and big-nosed, with hidden mouths that produce a strange speech that is unintelligible to most beings outside of their kind.

Incredibly strong, they can effortlessly lift and hurl large boulders and withstand incredible blows. A fairly primitive and tribal species, Goons prefer to live in isolation and away from other more civilized races, often crudely spelling warnings on rocks near the coast of their island, usually in pilfered Common they have learned (Goon Iland. No ponees.). Many have theorized that Goons may be distantly related to other bipedal apes like the sasquatch, but this is still a subject of debate.

UCU

MOUNTAIN UCU

Sapient apes native to northern areas (ranging from the Crystal Tundra to Stalliongrad/Muskovy), this species is generally about ten to twelve feet in height, but can get even larger, up to 14 feet. They are capable of great feats of strength such as wrenching the bars of an iron gate apart. They are covered by a shaggy pelt of fur that is thicker below their waists than above. The fur of older Ucu becomes grey and streaked with white.

Unusually for primates, their eyesight is poor and they snuffle constantly, smelling as much as they see.

Mountain Ucu do not use much technology, often wielding huge clubs that are often no more than logs, though some tie boulders to the end to make crude mauls. They have been reported to ride mammoths as steeds.

DESERT UCU

Native to Khaan, desert Ucu average between 6 feet and 7 feet in height at adulthood, but the average for the larger Ucu is 15 feet. At first glance, they may look lazy and fat, but they're actually incredibly strong. Their skin and fur tones range in color from shades of peach to red, to deep blues and ashen black.

Desert Ucu value endurance and insight more than simple strength. As strong as they are, they know that something out there is always stronger, and they will test unfamiliar groups to determine their power and possible intentions. They try to avoid conflict, often by having Ucu warriors make displays of aggression, smashing the ground and shouting at opponents, out of range of whatever weapons the opponents possess. As a last resort, Ucu have some skill in formation fighting and will use a combination of charges and withdrawals to try to surround enemies. Ucu will throw spears at a distance in waves combined with the use of clubs, with possible magical support from spellcasters. When committed to a fight, they are completely dedicated, only breaking from an engagement if their leader commands it.

Despite their size and ferocious appearance, however, desert ucu are curious about the wider world and often seek to spread a more positive understanding of their culture.

FOREST UCU

Native to Stirrope, adult forest ucu stand 9 to 10 feet tall and weigh 600 to 650 pounds. While their fur is always black, their skin color ranges from dull yellow to dull brown.

When hunting or fighting, they favor overwhelming odds, sneak attacks, and ambushes over a fair fight. They are intelligent enough to fire ranged weapons first to soften up their foes before closing, but forest ucu gangs and bands fight as unorganized individuals.

3263763

Chimps have one of the most sophisticated forms of government in the world, something that they call a "parliamentary legislation", wherein representatives are chosen from bodies of population to debate important political issues and often taking months to send a petition or potential law through dozens of votes and subcommittees to hammer out the details. This horribly inefficient system is led by a "Prime Minister", who is selected by the greater body of chimpanzee society.

are you poking fun at the British Houses of parliament?

At a personal level, bonobos tend to solve issues with sex, sex, and more sex

3620284 No. I was thinking more of the Republic from Star Wars

3620354 I wouldn't have complained if you were, they're a bloody farce anyway

Houses of Parliment

too long, didn't watch: ORDA! ORDA!

3620375 yeah. any resemblance in this case is coincidental. the northern giraffes are the "British in Africa" stereotype. Pith helmets, monocles, that sort of thing

3263763 Fact: Did you know that a group of baboons is a troop, but it is also called a 'Flange' (as in the lip of a railway wheel), this is due to a sketch from a show called 'not the 9 o'clock news' (see the video below)

they referred to a group of baboons as a flange to increase the comedic value, but it has since been adopted by scientific and biological circles due to it's wide use

P.S. I imagine since your universe merged with mine there has been at least one incident like in the above video

Also, are the Primates capable of Human/Equestrian speech?

4150193 Yes, they are.

4150198 I think I might include them in my world

4150203 cool

4150206 Have a clip of Rafiki fighting

I've also started work on the apes for my world
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/204382/the-convergence-multiverse/thread/160337/races-apes

4150515 cool

4150676 I now have Centaurs
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/204382/the-convergence-multiverse/thread/168002/races-sagittariforms-centaurs-and-their-relatives