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Primate Races of Mystara

by Cab Davidson from Threshold Magazine issue 32

Lecture notes from Zoological Anthropology 101, Professor Dane Ossify, Technical University of Dunadale

“Across the surface of Mystara, strange forces have allowed goats, manatees, cats, dogs, jackals, tortoises and occasionally even halflings to become bipedal and intelligent. While it may seem odd that there are so few civilised simians, it would be a mistake to assume that their scarcity in most civilised lands means that there are none of them – in fact Mystara has a diverse array of intelligent apes and monkeys spread across the three continents, although they are for the most part rarely seen in civilised lands. They are capable and interesting people who deserve greater recognition, and I do hope that at least some of you go to the trouble of learning more about them.

“Of those species, only one belongs to the Strepsirrhines, that is the more primitive forms of primate. That would be the familiar phanaton, which is a member of the Lemuroidea, or lemur family. It is unusual both in its intellect and its capacity to glide through the trees of its native forests, and it is quite surprising that a creature so primitive has formed quite complex cultures wherever it has spread to. A second form is from the Cercopithecidae, a true monkey, and that is the fearsome taer, a monstrous and truly ghastly baboon that is thankfully rare outside of the mountains of Skothar. All but one of the others are apes. The nobubele, wang oranye, shaydaan, and gorira being derived from great apes or Hominidae, and one being a lesser ape (the Hylobatidae), the elegant and intelligent gibbon known as the shaydaan.

“The last species I will describe is one that has thus far defied classification, and I hope that some of you choose to specialise in this field and bring specimens back for further analysis. Thus far dissection has been inconclusive and, I’m afraid, the subjects rather resentful. The internal anatomy of the creatures called yazarians doesn’t fit what we expect of any primate or indeed of any Mystaran humanoid, and it is possible that their lineage is completely unknown to natural philosophy. Further work is needed.”

Primates as PCs

While they may not be suitable for every adventuring party, it is possible to play characters of any of the races described above. Whenever introducing new character options a DM should consider how this impacts on their campaign, but the character races presented here may offer both novel and fun options.

[Image: Changyi]
http://pandius.com/FpUS40QWAAAXCU8.jpg
Done by DeepAi at Cab's prompting

Changyi

Borne by mountain tops of Tangor, above the dense jungles of the valleys, are the Four Monasteries of the Changyi. Unlike the other simian races, changyi are of the same blood as the animals swinging in the trees below. Perhaps 1 in 50 adolescent golden-cheeked gibbons, upon hearing the distant songs of the changyi, become awakened to the possibilities of becoming more than they could otherwise be.

The bodies of changyi are small, rarely even reaching 2' long, but their legs and in particular their powerful arms are far longer. Those who hear and understand the calling begin their mountain climbs swinging upwards from branch to branch, until there are no trees any longer, and then they continue their walks to be welcomed by their brethren, to begin their studies and join the spiritual quest.

When born, they have golden hair, fading to dark brown through childhood. They reach maturity around the age of 7 or 8, when the males develop blonde cheeks and a tuft of fair hair on their heads, and the females become golden-haired all over their bodies except for a dark head tuft. Wild golden-cheeked gibbons live for perhaps up to 35 years, whereas changyi may live for over 200.

Much of the work of the changyi is in opposing the terrifying taer and preventing their incursions into the forests below. But they also search for something else, something that may not even exist. Their oldest scriptures tell them of something they must quest for, something important, something in the West. The boldest among them travel that way, through Skothar and towards other nations of Mystara, searching to discover what it is that the changyi must ultimately seek.

Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 15% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: +1, Int: -3, Wis: 0, Dex: +3, Con: -1, Cha: 0.

Special Abilities: Changyi are more adept in the trees than on the ground, and can both brachiate and treewalk with consummate ease. They can hang from one arm or leg, wielding items equally well with hands or feet. They may, for example, with no penalty use a bow with their feet while hanging from a tree with one arm. All changyi can climb walls equally to a thief of their own level with a 25% bonus, and can move up, down or through trees with absolute ease. They may also leap from tree to tree, being able to cross gaps of up to 30'.

Changyi can use their extremely long limbs to great effect if they choose to wrestle, gaining a +3 bonus to their wrestling rating.

Changyi are able to communicate with each other over great distances by means of song. Their howling, whopping chant sounds similar to that of other gibbons, but they may communicate with others of their species up to 1 mile away.

They are superb natural acrobats, and gain the acrobatics general skill (in addition to any other skills they may know) for free.

Character Class: The calling to one of the monasteries of the changyi brings with it a single goal – that of training to become a mystic devoted to one of the four elements – earth, air, fire, or water. Thus, all adventuring changyi are mystics.

Hit Dice: Changyi gain hit dice as human characters do.

Movement and Encumbrance: By far the most accomplished of all arboreal races, they can race through trees at a tremendous pace, at 180' (60'). While they appear ungainly on the ground, they are far more mobile than they appear, having a movement rate of 120' (40').

Changyi are terrible swimmers, being able to stay afloat and only travel at 10' per round.

Of smaller and lighter build than most other primates, with most of their mass being in the limbs, changyi can carry far less than most other characters, having half of the carrying capacity of humans and demihumans.

Languages: Changyi have their own language, made up of howls and whoops. They may also communicate with other gibbons, and most know the language of whichever human culture is closest (usually Tanagoro).

Weapons and Armour: Changyi can use any items allowable to mystics but can only wield small- and medium-sized weapons.

[Image: Gorira]
http://pandius.com/Gorira.png
Caption: Gorira, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home)

Gorira

The mysterious and mountainous island of Zyxl is home to a species of intelligent primate, the gorira. They are a spiritual, devout race devoted to (what they believe to be) balance in all things.

Gorira are dark-furred, greying with age, standing up to 5'9" tall and weighing anything up to 550 lb. While capable of walking on two legs they prefer to also spread their bulk on to their knuckles, being as well muscled on their arms as their legs. They inhabit the seemingly endless forests on the lower slopes of the mountains that dominate Zyxl, and they are the most numerous sentient race living there. They tend the woodlands to maximise the production of edible leaves, roots, fruits and shoots, which makes up almost all of their diet, with some seaweed and shellfish being gathered around the coasts. Trading vessels from Tangor, Minea and far distant Bellissaria call in to the sheltered bays of Zyxl and trade for fine woods, spices, and particularly for the high-quality pottery that the gorira patiently produce. In return, the gorira import metals and other worked goods.

The gorira believe in balance between the four positive spheres and each other, and collectively the four positive spheres and entropy. As such, their morality seems calm but strange. Gorira revere their ancestors, the land, the air, the ocean and the elemental force of fire, but they also revere the process of death, essentially engendering a largely pacifistic philosophy among them.

They are however not defenceless. Their great bulk makes them dangerous, and they acknowledge that part of a balanced world view is to be prepared to strike, with force, to maintain that balance where it is threatened. Thus they maintain an armed force of noble, independent-minded warriors who are afforded certain rights and privileges over other gorira, enacting the moral will of the Immortals as they and the druids see it to be.

Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 25% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: +4, Int: -2, Wis: -2, Dex: 0, Con: +2, Cha: -2.

Special Abilities: Gorira can attack using their natural weapons, inflicting 1d6 with each fist, and 1d8 with their bite. They may also wrestle a foe while making first attacks – if both fists hit they may make an (opposed) wrestling check with their foe, if they choose, allowing them to simultaneously punch and grapple a foe in this round, and they may subsequently decide whether to release their foe and strike again or to instead continue wrestling. If attacking an armed foe, that foe may make a wrestling check to avoid this effect, but they do not gain any initiative or hit bonus to attack the gorira with a weapon that round.

While gorira are usually a model of serene calmness, they can be utterly terrifying if they choose to be. They gain the intimidation general skill, in addition to any others known, for free.

Character Class: They may be of any class available to humans, but there are no known gorira merchants. Clerics tend towards following Ka, Valerias, Nyx, Korotiku, Djaea, and Protius, but through a lens of ancestor and spirit worship many other Immortals are known and followed.

Hit Dice: Characters use two higher hit dice than their class typically does, and gain an extra hit dice at first level. For example, a first-level thief uses d8 for hit points, and begins with 2d8hp at first level, whereas a fighter uses d12 for hit points and begins with 2d12.

Movement and Encumbrance: Gorira are not arboreal, and while they may climb they typically do so slowly and carefully, barely any better than humans do. Their great size and weight also means that they must be very selective in their choice of what to climb. On the ground, they move at a standard speed of 120' (40'). While they typically have little need to, they are also able to carry huge burdens, having double the available encumbrance that humans have for each speed category.

Languages: Their own language has both a spoken form, rather similar to whispers interspersed with sounds of fists beaten on their chest, and a sign language form. They have a written language in the form of pictograms, each of which symbolises a hand sign. They can usually speak the local human language, most often Tanagoro.

Weapons and Armour: While gorira may use any armour or weapon permitted to their class, the possession of armour is only known among the warrior caste in their society, and little is produced domestically. Owing to their size, the cost and encumbrance of armour made to fit them is double that of normal armour.

[Image: Nobulele]
http://pandius.com/Nobubele.png
Caption: Nobulele, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home)

Nobubele

One could easily mistake the nobubele for chimpanzees, being dark-haired, smallish (4' to 5' tall), simian creatures with similar facial features and builds to chimps. Few really notice any differences, and the secretive nobubele are quite happy with that. They are more slender, gracile creatures, slightly less muscled than chimps, and with a rather more reflective demeanour.

The name they give themselves is “the people”. The Karimari (who also call themselves “the people” in their own language) call them nobubele, meaning (in their language) “the kind folk”, a fair description of their temperaments and natures. They live a mostly nomadic, arboreal life, making nests of folded branches each night, eating fruits, leaves, and small game (rodents, birds, eggs, and some smaller monkeys). They have a surprisingly complex culture, with a ‘written’ language in the form of tree fibres twisted into cord and knotted in complex sequences (this being sufficient even to form spellbooks). They value family time, love, conversation and understanding above treasures, but they understand that other races value such and are happy to trade for gold and jewels.

Their social structure is matriarchal, with older, wiser females who know the lands and tribal ways better than younger folk making most of the decisions for groups of anywhere between 10 and 200 individuals, with disagreements being settled by long discussions, mutual grooming and occasionally mating. Typically, a nobubele will live up to 50 years, but individuals living 60 to 70 years are not unknown.

Nobubele are capable of using tools and prize metal and stone tools that they themselves do not fashion. They would be capable of making such items; they have the strength and intelligence to do so, but their lands lack the resources needed for this, and frankly they have better things to do with their time. For trade, they fashion superb strong, resilient but soft fabrics from the fibres of trees, and harvest fruits, game and rare, valuable spices, and in return they buy worked metal, stone, and rare books.

Advancement and physical attributes: Nobubele characters require 15% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: -1, Int: -1, Wis: -2, Dex: +1, Con: +1, Cha: +2.

Special Abilities: As well as being able to travel from tree to tree (see movement, below), nobubele can choose to ‘freeze’ if within a tree, an ability similar to a halfling’s ability to go unobserved. A nobubele thus freezing is undetectable 90% of the time. Note that any character in a tree may also go unnoticed if a foe simply doesn’t think to look up. When hiding anywhere else, a nobubele can, like a halfling, successfully go unnoticed on a 1-2 on 1d6.

An unarmoured or leather-armour-wearing nobubele can climb any tree with no ability check required, and can climb walls as a thief of equal level. A nobubele thief gains a +15% bonus to all climb walls checks.

They can attack with their natural weapons, having two fist attacks and a bite, each for 1d4 damage.

Character Class: All classes available to humans are available to nobubele, but there are no known nobubele merchants or rakes. Clerics are common; they have a complex belief system, revering within their pantheon Ordana, Ka, Chiron, Ixion, and Fugit. But above all the nobubele revere Valerias, viewing the acts of physical love as essential in social bonding and sacred in all forms.

Hit Dice: Nobubele advance with standard class hit dice.

Movement and Encumbrance: Nobubele may move on the ground at normal speed (120') and are also superb in the trees. If unarmoured or wearing leather armour they may choose to either treewalk or brachiate as appropriate, moving through trees at the same speed as they can move on the ground.

Nobubele are poor swimmers and dislike getting wet. To voluntarily enter water a character must succeed a wisdom check. Their swimming speed is half that of other characters (1/10^th of their normal movement rate, rather than 1/5^th as for other characters).

Languages: Nobubele speak their own tongue, and that of the local human population (typically Karimari). They may also communicate with apes (but not monkeys) and delight in hearing their tales.

Weapons and Armour: Nobubele can use arms and armour appropriate to their class, but typically prefer lighter weapons (spears, javelins, slings, short bows). They are especially dangerous with short bows, often choosing to loose a few arrows from one location in the trees before moving to another, often having multiple well prepared, hidden shooting platforms if they have had time to prepare. To be able to move freely in trees a nobubele needs at least one arm free, and many choose not to carry a shield to ensure this remains possible. Armour made for small humans or elves is, with little modification, a good fit for nobubele.

[Image: Phanatons]
http://pandius.com/FpauMhhWIAEO1sU.jpg
Done by DeepAi at Cab's prompting

Phanaton¹

Phanatons are small (halfling-sized) primates, rather similar to ring-tailed lemurs, but having long flaps of downy skin connecting their arms to their legs. These are used to glide between branches of the great trees of their homelands.

Most phanatons are savage creatures, living in the jungles of Davania and the Thanegioth Archipelago, but some populations are also found to the West of the Savage Coast where a more civilised culture has emerged, centred around the nation of Jibarú.

They are nervous creatures, well aware that their small size (no phanaton has ever stood taller than 3') and slender build make them appear to be easy prey to most predators in their forests, but they are not unsociable, enjoying the company of other phanatons and visitors of other species who approach them peacefully. To outsiders, there is little to choose between male and female phanaton, but they are essentially a matriarchal society, with females simply being better at cooperating than males and able to form alliances among themselves to dictate how groups are run. They travel far and wide in small groups of 5-20 individuals, finding fruits, leaves, and small game to eat, but they return to central villages which may house hundreds of phanaton, in tree houses high above the forest floor. They live, on average, around 35-40 years.

Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 10% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: 0, Int: -2, Wis: +2, Dex: +1, Con: 0, Cha: -1.

Character Class: They may choose to be fighters or thieves, but they have so far shown limited spellcasting capability, only being able to take up the medicine man class (which they refer to as mpisorona).

Hit Dice: Phanatons use the next smaller dice to determine hit points. So, for example, a fighter phanaton gains 1d6hp per level rather than 1d8. Note that hit dice cannot be reduced below 1d4.

Movement and Encumbrance: Phanatons may move on the ground at normal speed (120') and may also glide. Phanatons may glide up to a distance of three times the height they begin. They are also as at home in trees as they are on the ground, and can use their tail and feet to hold on to and steady themselves arboreally, allowing them to use their hands to fight, hold items, etc. while in trees. Their arboreal movement rate is 120’ (40').

All phanatons can climb as a thief equal to their own level of experience, and phanaton thieves receive a +20% bonus to climb walls.

From fourth level onwards phanatons gain a limited capacity to fly but can only gain 10' of altitude per 60' of forward motion. From level 7 a phanaton may, once per day, pass plant as per the druid spell. From level 18 a phanaton may transport through plants, also as the druid spell, once per day.

While a phanaton may carry up to 2,400 cn in weight, a medium or heavily encumbered phanaton carrying more than 900 cn loses the capacity to glide.

Languages: Phanatons speak their own tongue, Jibari, and that of the local human population (typically Verdan). They may also communicate with lemurs and monkeys (but not apes) in the unlikely event that those creatures are interested and have something worth hearing.

Weapons and Armour: Phanatons cannot wear armour or use shields, their motion and capacity to glide are completely impaired by such constriction. Their base armour class is 8. They may use any small or medium weapons, but they invariably begin their careers with weapon mastery in primitive weapons such as short bows, spears, clubs and javelins.

[Image: Shaydaan]
http://pandius.com/ShaydaanCultist1.png
Caption: Shaydaan, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home)

Shaydaan

A far cry from the boisterous but generally evasive chimpanzee from which they have descended, the shaydaan (in the language of Arypt, literally, demons) are ruthless, marauding killers stalking the forests and plains of Arypt for prey both to consume or to sacrifice to their patron Immortal, Demogorgon.

They form large groups, typically led by a dominant male with several powerful lieutenants, who claim not only leadership but ownership over others in the tribe. Groups may be as small as 10 or 12 individuals but can reach 200-300 strong, and while they are nomadic they are also territorial, protecting their own territories from other groups. It is common for groups to wage violent conflict against each other; indeed the flesh of other shaydaan can form a large part of their diet, if they’re winning those wars, alongside fruits, roots, leaves, insects, and any smaller animals they can catch.

Few question their allotted role within society – larger males becoming soldiers, smaller males typically being driven out or killed, and females protecting each other and their young from predation by other tribes. But, rarely, an independent-minded shaydaan will want more, and will head out into a wider world. Most will be found by other bands of shaydaan and, as an outsider, killed and consumed. But occasionally one may escape and reach the villages and towns of other races. There, if not immediately mistaken for a normal chimpanzee, they may find a life of adventure and fulfillment outside of the cult of Demogorgon, but even then, if they rise to prominence, they will be hunted down by other adherents of that terrible belief structure.

They are built very like chimpanzees, dark-furred apes 4' to 5' tall, with females weighing up to 110 lb and males up to 150 lb. They are as at home on the ground as in the trees, spending more time on the ground than most other species of ape, which is necessary in many of the semi-wooded areas in which they live.

Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 20% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: +3, Int: -1, Wis: -1, Dex: 0, Con: +2, Cha: -3.

Special Abilities: Shaydaan draw great strength and resilience from their link to Demogorgon. Even those no longer in the cult are able to feel and exploit this connection. In combat, once per round they may attempt to enter a frenzy by making a wisdom check. If they fail, they enter the frenzy. They may continue their frenzy for 1 round per point of constitution +1 round per level of experience. During this time, they receive a +1 bonus to individual initiative, +3 bonus to hit and damage with their unarmed attacks, and a +2 bonus to hit and damage with any melee weapons used. While frenzying they also receive a temporary bonus number of hit points equal to their constitution score plus level of experience, these hit points being lost first, disappearing at the end of the fight (with no damage carried over unless that number was exceeded). At the end of the frenzy, or the fight, a shaydaan must rest for 1 full hour or suffer the effects of exhaustion (Rules Cyclopedia page 88).

Shaydaan can attack using their natural weapons, inflicting 1d6 with each fist, and 1d8 with their bite attack.

Character Class: Most shaydaan are fighters, but a few choose to become medicine men dedicated to Demogorgon. Some become thieves. There are no known shaydaan of other character classes, including magic-users.

Hit Dice: Characters use the next higher hit dice, and gain an extra hit dice at first level. For example, a first-level thief uses d6 for hit points, and begins with 2d6hp at first level.

Movement and Encumbrance: The shaydaan are able to brachiate, as are most other apes, and to tree walk. When travelling thus they are as fast as they are on the ground, moving at 120' (40').

An unarmoured or leather-armour-wearing shaydaan can climb any tree with no ability check required, and can climb walls as a thief of equal level. A shaydaan thief gains a +10% bonus to all climb walls checks.

Languages: Shaydaan speak their own language, one of shrill and angry growls and grunts, and those who have escaped shaydaan clans are able to speak the local human language.

Weapons and Armour: Armour must be made especially for a shaydaan, and it is rare that any armourer is willing to do so. They can fashion spears, clubs and maces from materials available in their tribal lands, but typically they favour using fist and bite attacks. When they can get them, they enjoy using human- and dwarf-made weapons, but they are usually shunned by other races, who refuse to trade with them.

[Image: Taer]
http://pandius.com/Taer1.png
Caption: Taer, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home)

Taer

Savage snow apes are found on mountains across Skothar and Davania, but it is only on the slopes of the mountains of Tangor that they have gained a higher level of sentience.

The taer are essentially baboons, white-furred and savage, but larger, rather more upright, and far more intelligent. They can reach 5' tall, with dense white fur and heavily muscled bodies. Most are little more than brutes, driven only by physical desires and the need to feed, eking out a meagre existence on the snow-capped mountains. But a few hundred around the Monastery of Entropy² have become educated in martial ways and have risen to prominence in their region. They often battle against the changyi for dominance over the valleys and consider those creatures their enemies. In their hunts, in the valleys below, they seek to kill the gibbons who may become changyi, creating a never-ending contention between the two races.

While above the white apes in terms of intellect, they are otherwise very similar – brutish, violent, angry and dangerous. The natural lifespan of a taer is around 40 years – few make it to that age.

Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 15% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: +3, Int: -3, Wis: -3, Dex: +0, Con: +3, Cha: -1.

Special Abilities: Taer can attack with their fists (see below under character class) or can instead choose to grab an opponent and squeeze. If, in a round, they hit with two hand attacks, they may choose to hug a man-sized or smaller opponent, inflicting 2d6 damage per round until they choose to release that foe or lose a standard round of wrestling. They can, in addition to other attacks, bite for 1d4 damage per round.

They are poor tree climbers but excellent rock and cliff climbers. All taer can move up and down natural rock faces at their full normal movement rate.

A great rage can fall upon taer, and they may at any time choose to enter a death frenzy. This imparts a +2 bonus to hit and damage and allows them to continue fighting after being reduced to 0 hp. They will continue to attack until they are reduced to a negative number of hit points equal to their constitution score, at which point they will fall to the ground dead. If the fight ends before this, they may be revived by a cleric casting any healing spell, which will restore them to 1hp, within 5 rounds.

Character Class: The only adventuring taer are members of the Monastery of Entropy, and as such are mystics.

Hit Dice: Taer use the next largest HD, being 1d8 hp for a mystic (or 1d10 if the optional rules for mystics to reach higher levels with 1d8 hp to level 9 are used).

Movement and Encumbrance: Taer have a movement rate of 120' (40'), and normal encumbrance limits.

Languages: Their own language is one of wild and violent-sounding whoops and screams. They can also understand (but not speak) the language of the changyi. Some taer learn the local human language (typically Tanagoro) but must have sufficient intelligence to learn an extra language to do so.

Weapons and Armour: They may use any items permissible to mystics.

[Image: Wong Oranye]
http://pandius.com/FpUaQ2zWcAAnNvQ.jpg
Done by DeepAi at Cab's prompting

Wong Oranye

The thoughtful and reflective wong oranye are the true philosophers and inventors of the primate world. Resembling orangutans, they thrive in the dense jungles of the Cestian coast, occasionally travelling further afield on quests of discovery. They are most at home in the trees than on the ground, but curiosity often brings them down from their trees to see what can be found in the world below. And once they do so, it is the same curiosity that can take them far from home, with both individuals and groups ranging a great distance from their homelands.

Typically they live in small family groups, with a male and several females sharing a territory in which they forage for fruits, leaves and flowers, only rarely eating meat. Young stay in these extended groups for the first 12-13 years of their lives, and then either choose to remain near to home or to travel. Small groups travel towards settlements of other races to seek adventure. Typically, they live around 50-60 years.

They excel in technical endeavours, often choosing to go to sea (as sailors or, more often, pirates), and occasionally taking up employment with engineers, often gnomes, being as they are gifted in working with natural materials. If anything can be made from wood and rope, then a wong oranye can make it.

Purely out of choice, they do not manufacture stone or metal tools of their own, but they do make a bewildering range of tools from wood and forest fibres. It is not unknown for a wong oranye to have dozens of tools dedicated to opening nuts and fruits, processing fibres, personal grooming, grinding materials for further use, twisting ropes, and creating traps – indeed creating new tools for different jobs is one of life’s great joys for wong oranye.

Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 10% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: +1, Int: +1, Wis: -2, Dex: +1, Con: +1, Cha: -2.

Special Abilities: The wong oranye are competent inventors and creators. All have the engineering skill, in addition to any other general skills, from first level, and they gain the fantasy physics skill at 5^th level, and meddling at 9^th level of experience in addition to any other general skills known. Few realise that wong oranye are as accomplished creators as gnomes, their creations tending towards tools and machinery entirely made from natural materials found in the jungle. Fewer still, having underestimated them thus, leave their lands alive.

An unarmoured or leather-armour-wearing wong oranye can climb any tree with no ability check required, and can climb walls as a thief of equal level. A wong oranye thief gains a +10% bonus to all climb walls checks.

Their long limbs make them dangerous opponents if they choose to wrestle. All wong oranye possess the wrestling general skill, in addition to any others known.

Unarmed, they can attack with two fists for 1d4 damage each, and a bite for 1d6 damage.

Character Class: In principle wong oranye may be of any class available to humans, but no merchants, mystics or rakes are known. Many become fighters or thieves, few being keen on the esoteric studies necessary to become wizards. Clerics may belong to any faith, indeed no specific patron Immortals have been identified, with each individual seeming to find their own way of following one of a bewildering array of Immortals for entirely personal reasons. The only exception to this is the recent cult of Benekander, whose practical aspect has appealed to many among them (and who is sufficiently flattered by this to return a similar level of respect).

Hit Dice: Normal hit dice for the class are used, but wong oranye start at level 1 with 2 HD rather than 1. For example, a first-level wong oranye thief begins with 2d4 hp rather than 1d4.

Movement and Encumbrance: They are rather rapid when moving among trees, with a base movement rate of 150' (50') if treewalking or brachiating. They are equally rapid aloft among the masts and spars of a ship. Their hips being rather wide set mean they’re a little slower than most other characters on the ground, slowing their base movement rate to 90' (30').

Languages: Their own language, known as Ookish, sounds very like gentle grunts to other creatures. They also speak the most common local human language.

Weapons and Armour: The long limbs of the wong oranye mean that armour must be made or adapted especially for them, but they may wear any armour permitted to their class. Likewise, their build very much favours the use of slashing, bladed weapons, so they generally use swords, cutlasses, and other slashing weapons, with which they gain a +1 to hit.

[Image: Original Yazarian]
http://pandius.com/Yazarian1.png
Caption: Original Yazarian, original drawing by Jeffrey Kosh
(https://jeffreykosh.wixsite.com/jeffreykoshgraphics/home)

Yazarian

Yazarians are a spacefaring race of roughly man-sized creatures resembling short-furred simians, with tan to brown fur across most of the body and a thicker mane of fur around the shoulders and head. In their spacefaring cousins a flap of skin stretches between their arms and legs, allowing them to glide. Mystaran yazarians have developed larger, feathered wings with which they achieve much the same thing. They stand around 5' to 5'6" tall, rather more upright than most other simians.

A population of yazarians descended from a stranded crew can be found living between the southern cliff faces of Denagoth and the dark pine woods of Wendar. They were shipwrecked there over 600 years ago, so long ago in fact that their elders (few live longer than 60 years) speak only of the ‘before times’ as a time when their ancestors travelled between the stars. They are the most intelligent of the core races of the Galactic Federation, a fact often masked by their tendency to be pushy, aggressive and on occasion simply hostile, and they have shown themselves to be a technologically capable race able to create some of the most potent mechanical items the galaxy has ever seen. Unfortunately most of this knowledge is completely lost to the population living on Mystara. But this fact is sufficient for most immortals to treat them with great caution, remembering the damage inflicted by earlier technologies in the Blackmoorian era. And the quest to escape Mystara, to return to the stars, is not one that has been encouraged until very recently, when a new player has emerged among the Immortals.

An interesting aspect of yazarian culture is the concept of ‘life enemy’, chosen at any time in a yazarian’s life. This may be a competing group, an enemy race, or even a specific technological problem (if the yazarian is an inventor) or company (if the yazarian is a merchant). The more potent the selected enemy, the more honour there is in that choice, and it is seen as fitting and noble to try to defeat that enemy. If that enemy is defeated (an invention made to solve a problem, the company folds, the enemy killed, etc.) that is considered a worthy and honourable achievement in yazarian society, and the yazarian might or might not choose a subsequent foe.

[Image: Mystaran Yazarian]
http://pandius.com/Yazarian3.png
Caption: Mystaran Yazarian, done by Senarch https://www.deviantart.com/senarch/gallery

Advancement and physical attributes: Characters require 15% more experience points per level of experience. They are generated with the following stat modifiers: Str: -2, Int: +1, Wis: +1, Dex: +1, Con: -1, Cha: 0.

Special Abilities: Yazarians may glide at an angle of 30° downwards or less, at a rate of 180' (60').

They train themselves to enter a rage in melee combat, giving them a bonus of +3 to hit and damage for a number of rounds equal to their constitution score (after which they must rest for 6 turns or suffer the effects of exhaustion).

Yazarians have excellent infravision (90'), having evolved in near-dark primal forests, and can suffer in bright light – if they can obtain them they wear darkened glasses if forced to operate in direct sunlight (if deprived of such goggles, in sunlight they gain no bonus to hit or damage in melee combat).

They are competent climbers, and can climb walls as a thief of equal level. Yazarian thieves gain a +10% bonus to their climb walls ability.

Character Class: Yazarians may be of any class available to humans, but there are no known yazarian merchants or mystics. Until recently there had been few Yazarian clerics, but an active cult devoted to Benekander, with a belief structure based around their return to the stars, has become increasingly popular.

Hit Dice: As per humans for their assumed class.

Movement and Encumbrance: Yazarians glide at a rate of 180' (60') and their normal movement rate is 120' (40').

Languages: They speak a form of Interlac, a language shared by most members of the Galactic Federation, and have also adopted Heldann, Wendarian and Elvish to suit their needs (each character may choose two of those three languages, in addition to any other languages they have learned).

Weapons and Armour: They may use any weapon permitted to their character class, often favouring mechanical weapons such as crossbows. If their class permits they may use a shield, but they cannot wear armour, that being incompatible with their capacity to glide.

Brachiation and Tree Walking

Most primate characters are able to move rapidly through trees by either brachiation or tree walking.

Brachiation, the process of swinging through the trees arm over arm, by means of holding on with the arms, is the preferred form of locomotion of many such characters, and some (notably the changyi) can reach a dizzying pace by brachiating through the forest canopy.

Treewalking is a slower process of climbing on to branches, running or walking along, and cautiously moving out across to other trees. This necessitates a much more tightly packed forest canopy to move from tree to tree, but it has the advantage of being barely detectable from below.

Most primates can make progress through the forest canopy or through similar spaces (such as for example the masts and rigging of a ship, the balconies of a great city, etc.) using a combination of these two forms of locomotion. If fighting creatures not native to the treetops, creatures who are proficient at brachiation and tree walking gain +2 to hit, and a +2 bonus to wrestling rating. Any creatures not proficient must also make a saving throw vs. death ray if knocked prone while elevated in the trees to avoid falling to the ground, while creatures that are proficient therein are assumed to have held on with, at least, a hand or a foot.

Skills

Primate characters may learn any general skills allowable to other characters, if available to learn where they reside. There are a number of other skills that are less common among other races, but widely known among the primates.

Animal Empathy (Wisdom): Generally knowing how to keep a wild animal on side – not so much controlling them or communicating with them, a successful check will inform a character as to whether an animal is likely to be aggressive, friendly, dangerous, or in general how it is likely to react. The character may then be able to change their behaviour accordingly and affect how the animal will react. This will not tame an aggressive animal that has already attacked, but it may allow a character to avert an attack or, at least, be ignored by an animal.

Foraging (Intelligence): How to identify and sustainably and safely harvest useful plants, fungi, shellfish, seaweed, fruit and nuts. An essential survival skill, and in some regions a means of producing harvests for sale or trade.

Forest Construction (Intelligence): Building structures from naturally obtained materials in forests or jungles. Constructing simple woven platforms or nests that last for a few nights does not require any kind of skill check, but to build more complex structures that may last for longer requires a high degree of skill. Successful use of this skill can also allow for construction of living, growing shelters made from still live branches and twigs within the trees, structures that will continue to grow and develop over many years.

Howling (Constitution): Being able to howl to communicate general thoughts and feelings over a wide range. A successful check will allow all creatures of the same species, if outdoors and within half a mile, to hear the character howling. Each howl takes around a minute, and can contain any sentence of 8 words or less that the character wishes to convey.

Knapping (Ingelligence): The skill of making stone tools, by breaking flint or other stones to create useful sharp edges. This skill allows a character to make or repair any of a number of specialised stone tools (knives, scrapers, axe heads, etc.) using other stones, antler, horn and other materials to form sharp edges.

Monkey Wrestling (Dexterity): Only characters capable of brachiation and tree walking can learn this skill, which involves climbing over a foe in combat. With a successful skill check, the character may choose to climb an opponent to either make a wrestling or unarmed attack with either a +2 bonus to hit or +2 bonus to wrestling rating. Normal bonuses to strike an unarmed foe attempting to wrestle do not apply in the event of the skill check being made, but the target may still make a normal weapon attack.

This skill can only be used if the enemy is significantly larger than the character using this skill. Once that character has climbed on to the target, if they gain initiative in the following round they may choose to climb over and continue their movement on the other side of their enemy, to continue making melee attacks, to continue wrestling, or to back away into normal melee combat. Note that only a single hand attack can be made while monkey wrestling, the other hand is needed to hold on.

Permaculture (Intelligence): Forest farming, for production of crops at ground level, mid-storey, and forest canopy, through the year, to sustainably maximise production of leaves, berries, nuts and fruits, fibres, wood, and other products, in a semi-natural woodland. An important part of primate food production, also practiced by other species elsewhere.

Warrior Scream (Constitution): Used primarily in primitive and ‘warrior’ cultures, although not confined to them. The art of letting out an ear-piercing scream to threaten opponents and psyche oneself up for combat. After spending a round screaming, a successful check will confer a +1 to hit and damage for 2d4 rounds, and may, depending on circumstances, force opponents to make a morale check. If this skill is used by a yazarian, this bonus is cumulative with their rage ability.

Lycanthropes, Vampires, and Mummies

Simian characters are closer to humans than any other playable species, and as such some afflictions that affect humans also impact upon them. They can become lycanthropes or vampires, and populations of simian were-creatures are far from unknown.

Nobubele were-tigers are commonly found in and around Ulimwengu, and indeed mixed groups of Karimari and nobubele were-tigers are of huge concern to the secretive Karimari, who fear their spread outside of the region may lead to others learning too much about their presence.

A recent concern among the wong oranye has been the presence of lycanthropy on the Cestian coastline that they typically head to when young. Recently spread there from Thyatian trading vessels, the ever curious wong oranye seem particularly prone to antagonising the were-rats, and many have become infected.

In the shaydaan tribelands, it is the devil swine strain of lycanthropy that is most common, with those who survive attacks and become devil swines being both feared and revered within their communities. Indeed many reach high rank within their troops, but ultimately this tends to lead to such losses among them that the whole troop is weakened. At present the number of infected individuals is relatively low, but every few years it rises to almost plague levels and whole troops are lost.

Vampirism is less common among the simians but does occur. One coven of phanaton vampires on the Isle of Dread is known and feared by natives of Tanaroa and surrounding villages, appearing (as phanatons often do) as the sun goes down, apparently seeking to trade fruits for other goods, and charming villagers away. Combined groups of native and Tanaroan and rakasta warriors sent to deal with this coven have been lost, and it is unclear where this group is hiding or what can be done about it. One notable yazarian vampire is known to stalk the cold desert highlands of Denagoth. His name is lost to time, and he shuns the company of his own people, preferring to prey on elves and humans. Some say he is old enough to remember the Before Time of his people, and sought out vampirism as a way of living long enough to lead them back to the stars. If this is the case, he’s not (currently) saying.

In the former Nithian colonies of Arypt, under lost, jungle-covered pyramids disturbed only by the howling of monkeys and the avaricious predations of adventurers, are creatures mummified by members of cults of ages long past. Among them are literally hundreds of mummified shaydaan, whole troops taken from their lands with the blessing of their entropic patron, an army of the rotting dead awaiting the time they will be called on to serve their masters once more.

1The Phanaton class presented here builds on the one presented in Dragon Magazine issue #188 rather than later ones

2The Five Monasteries of the Furry Flying Fists will be discussed in the next issue of THRESHOLD