Rhilgor
From Mizahar Lore
| “Pelts can fetch a pretty bikka in the markets, but good petching luck catching one of 'em.” - Myrian Trader on Rhilgor |
| Falyndar Fauna | |
 | |
| Frequency | Rare in Wild; Common Domesticated |
|---|---|
| Threat level | None |
| Major features | Bright Azure Fur, Opposable Thumbs, Prehensile Tail |
| Most common in | Jungle Wilds |
Contents |
Overview
Rhilgor are an aboreal primate native to the Jungle Wilds of Falyndar. Quick, agile, and intelligent they move in troops ranging from 10-20 monkeys, foraging and frolicking in the canopies of the jungle. Their name is slang for 'Blue Lion' in Myrian, a title earned because of the stand out ruff the males of the species gain during maturity.
Quieter than howler monkeys and smarter than capuchins, the Rhilgor stay far away from populated areas, and favor the upper cloud forest, and are a fascinating find, as well as a sought after treasure because of their uniquely colored pelts.
Characteristics
Rhilgor are small monkeys roughly 2 feet in length (3.5 including the tail) and usually weigh less than twenty pounds, males just broaching this mark. Their fur ranges from a nearly white sky blue color to a deep cobalt in color, but these are outliers for the general hue lies in the range of azure. No one to date has been able to identify what precisely determines coat color, although there is a legend related to Makutsi.
Rhilgor possess thick, water resistant fur as well as prehensile tails and opposable thumbs, though they only have four fingers. This allows them finer manipulation of opening fruits and nuts as well as weaving intricate bedding in the trees out of large leaves. These structures are sometimes used for weeks at a time, and have been found left at sites in which a Rhilgor troop had previously foraged.
Teeth arranged much like a humans allow for the processing of both plants and meats, and their omnivorous nature is one of the facts that contributes to the Rhilgor's superior intelligence in reference to several of its primate cousins.
Wide yellow eyes allow the Rhilgor to have vision in dim lighting conditions, aiding them in the foggy conditions of the cloud forests they call home, but the Rhilgor are primarily diurnal in nature.
Behavior
Rhilgor are an intelligent breed of primates that has taken their survival in stride. Occupying areas as far from their main predators (Dhani and Myrians), Rhilgor enjoy lives of solitude and peace with little threat to their safety that cannot be avoided by staying high in the trees. Migratory patterns indicate that the creatures follow certain flowering plants and fruit bearing trees, this seems to differ from troop to troop.
They have very complex mannerisms when it comes to troop dynamics, much like other primates, a constant social struggle occurring between Rhilgor for standing. While in most primate troops a large male acts as the head of the collection, it seems that leadership is interchangeable between male and females among the Rhilgor. A particularly resourceful female that brings more food goods or proves to be a superior weaver can be displaced over a particularly aggressive or powerful male, making for a more complex system of determination within a Rhilgor troop.
Social Structure
Breeding rights among Rhilgor consist of the oldest or most respected females choosing the males. This takes place in a courting ritual consisting of much grooming of fur, and socializing in a very tight knit way over the course of several weeks, where in pairs of Rhilgor will retire to woven nests. This period happens in the early winter. Pregnancy generally lasts 6 months, with one infant being born, very rarely twins, to a single Rhilgor. During the birthing period the troop will make a more permanent settlement in the canopy for several months.
Infants are raised communally, and will often suckle off of females not their own mother. Baby Rhilgor will often swap mother's and families frequently, but always return to their biological parent when the troop makes to leave at the end of Spring in the next phase of migration, clinging to their mother's back.
The lifespan of a Rhilgor in captivity is generally 15 years, and in the wild has yet to be measured.
Miscellaneous
Rhilgor were discovered shortly after the founding of Taloba. It is said the primates were blessed by Makutsi, which explains their blue coats, though many call this folly. Regardless of what events led to their creation, the hunting of Rhilgor is something taken very seriously. While the rarity of the primate has led to hunts in the creatures honor, Myrians and Dhani alike are very wary of killing too many of the Blue Lion lest they incur Caiyha's wrath.
That being said, it is not unheard of for a Myrian to have obtained a Rhilgor as a pet, and they are bought and sold. They are seen with respect due to their intelligence and intense survival capabilities.