The Dakons of Thanegia

Thanegia is the large island at the southern end of the Serpent Peninsula, across the shallow sea known as the Dhiki Namazzi. It is partially civilized by the Divinarchy of Yavdlom with towns and cities around the coastline but the human population is sparse, and there are large tracts of jungle and swamp that are still untamed.

Art by Filip Burburan, source

Dwelling in these stretches of jungle in relative peace and quiet are the dakons, ape people who are as intelligent as humans but have chosen to stay in a tribal way of life. Dakons are vegetarians, and only fight in defence, though given some of the predators that enter their territory, this happens fairly often. Male dakons are generally larger and more powerful than females, so there are gender roles in dakon society: males are the defenders and warriors, females are the healers and nurturers. A number of female dakons are shamans with magical powers akin to clerics and druids. Dakons can speak their own language as well as the common language of the humans of Yavdlom. 

Name	Dakon Juvenile	Dakon Adult	Dakon Silverback	Dakon Tribal Chieftain
Armour Class	7	7	7	6
Hit Dice	1+1	2+2	4+4	6+6
Avg. Hit Points	5	11	22	33
Movement	120ft/climb 60ft	120ft/climb 60ft	120ft/climb 60ft	120ft/climb 60ft
THAC0	19	18	16	14
Attacks	2 claws	2 claws	2 claws	2 claws
Damage	1d3/1d3	1d6/1d6	1d6+1/1d6+1	1d6+2/1d6+2
No. Appearing	1d10	2d10	1d4	1
Morale	5	7	8	9
Save As	F1	F2	F4	F6
Alignment	Lawful	Lawful	Lawful	Lawful
Intelligence	Average (8-10)	Average (8-10)	Average (8-10)	Very (11-12)
Size & Type	Small Animal	Medium Animal	Medium Animal	Large Animal
XP Value	15	25	125	350

Dakons are very adept at climbing and spend a lot of their time in the trees, which is safer from predators than down on the jungle floor. They often move around from branch to branch through the canopy and can leap up to 20ft if need be. When forced to defend themselves they do not use weapons but prefer to use their clawed hands which can be quite lethal. 

Dakons between the ages of 1 year and 10 years are treated as Dakon Juveniles. After that they become adults. 

Dakon shamans have the same stats as dakon adults but have the ability to cast the following spells once per day:

• Cure Light Wounds (1st level Cleric spell)
• Animal Friendship (borrowed from AD&D 1st level Druid spell)
• Entangle (borrowed from AD&D 1st level Druid spell)
• Locate (1st level Druid spell)
• Speak with Animals (2nd level Cleric spell)
• Pass Without Trace (borrowed from AD&D 1st level Druid spell)

Great Shamans are the most respected of the females and are sometimes the mate of a tribal chieftain. They have the same stats as a Dakon Silverback but can cast spells as above, as well as the following once per day:

• Cure Disease (3rd level Cleric spell)
• Hold Animal (3rd level Druid spell)
• Plant Growth (borrowed from AD&D 3rd level Druid spell)

Dakon silverbacks are fully mature males who often act as the guardians and warriors of the dakon tribe. They are also junior leaders, looking after their own family and answering to the tribal chieftain.

The tribal chieftains are the largest dakons, and are a fearsome sight when roused to anger. 

Dakons' relations with humans are wary but not aggressive. They will leave humans alone and are not interested in trade. The Yavi people of Yavdlom generally treat the dakons with respect and also leave them alone - on occasions that there is a clash between the two races, a delegation of silverbacks, sometimes with a tribal chieftain, will meet with the humans and in their simple common tongue will try to establish what happened, who the culprits are and what should be done.

The Curse of the Carnivorous Apes

Despite the beliefs of the ignorant, the monstrous simians known as carnivorous apes are not actually a separate species - they are a cursed and degenerate form of dakon, ones that have fallen to the fell powers of Chaos. Although most dakons are peaceful, cooperative and quite kind to their kindred, occasionally a dakon will behave terribly, in a way that humans would describe as evil. Murdering another dakon, man-eating or worst of all cannibalism of other dakons will trigger a transformation into a carnivorous ape. The cursed dakon is immediately shunned and chased out of their tribe into the depths of the jungle. They grow in height and weight, becoming more muscular, and their teeth and claws grow larger to suit their new diet.  However, their intelligence, at least with regards to language and peaceful interactions deteriorates - they are often solitary, or at most hunt in packs of 2-5 apes. They still retain their cunning and this is put to brutal use in tracking, hunting and ambushing new prey. As their names and origins suggest, carnivorous apes will eat a wide variety of flesh but seem to prefer human prey over four-legged animals. A very few will get into the habit of hunting dakons, but then the dakon leaders will form a hunting party  of war chiefs and silverbacks with the task of destroying this once-dakon monster. Such cannibalistic apes do not survive long. 

Can carnivorous apes breed with each other? Fortunately not, at least not in Mystara. The transformation is of an individual, not their blood line. 

Most Yavi humans understand the difference between a normal dakon and a carnivorous ape, and if a carnivorous ape attacks, the dakons in general are spared retaliation. Only the ignorant or the mad will confuse the two apes. 

Art by Dave Trampier from 1st Ed AD&D
Monster Manual

In combat carnivorous apes attack with their claws, similar to dakons, but also have a terrible bite. Furthermore if both claws hit a single target, the carnivorous ape will rend the target, pulling it apart for an extra 1d8+1 damage. 

Name	Carnivorous Ape
Armour Class	6
Hit Dice	5+5
Avg. Hit Points	28
Movement	120ft/climb 60ft
THAC0	15
Attacks	2 claws/1 bite
Damage	1d6+1/1d6+1/1d6+1
No. Appearing	1 or 1d4+1
Morale	10
Save As	F5
Alignment	Chaotic
Intelligence	Average (8-10)
Size & Type	Large Monstrosity
XP Value	225