Su-Monster Ecology

by Fortuan

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Su-Monster Ecology

W e as a whole, do not consider any animal to be evil. Even the mighty purple worms have no malice in their destructive potential. However, animals who possess a modicum of sentience are another story. These vile creatures, who do not deserve mercy, plague the natural world and civilized alike. Even non-natural entities hold a place in the circle, but I'd like to see their part of it removed. - Talleron Arch Druid of the Sunwell Druidic Circle

Introduction

Many concerns by the druids in our lands are addressed by our organization. Unfortunately, not many others will take the wise men of the circles seriously. How many disasters affect both nature and civilization alike? Too many to count. The next growing concern is that in the uptake in Su-Monster populations. Especially in colder regions. This may seem innocuous to even those aware of what the Su-Monsters are, but it is indeed troublesome. I have set out on an expedition to discover the truth of this mystery and learn the whole story of the Su-monster.

Su-Monster Biology

Origins of the Su-Monster

Where Su-monsters come from isn't very far from where humans and other humanoids came, primates. More in the branches of apes like baboons and mandrils Su-monsters have the most similarities shared among them. It's clear, Su-monsters are a more recent branch than that of primates like ourselves. Records don't show their existence at any time before that of early humans. Thus either they are as old as our civilizations or newer. This is more credible as Elven society, who first recorded their surroundings, don't show Su-Monsters until several centuries after stable relations with both humans and Dwarves.

Physiological Observations

Imagine a cross between a monkey and an ape. Oh, you didn't realize there was a difference? Most don't. However, despite the not very obvious differences, Su-Monsters are incredibly unique in physiology for such a primate. With the strength of a chimp and 5 prehensile limbs, which includes a thick tail, the face of a Mandrill with deep sunken in eyes, Su-monsters are a frightening creature. The eyes, particularly, can be disturbing as they don't appear to have pupils and are a milky white. Their heads are mostly bald but with their fur starting on the sides of their head.

Each of their fully independent limbs, arms and legs end in wickedly sharp claws used in both fighting and every day utilitarian purposes. Their teeth are sharp, especially the enormous canines, just as mandrills possess them.

Expert Climbers

With their powerful arms and legs, the help of their strong prehensile tail, and sharp claws, Su-monsters are preposterously expert climbers. They spend most of their time in the trees where they will stay until prey comes along. Even though trees are easy enough to climb, they can also climb sheer rock faces, even upside down for a short time. This incredible skill of climbing makes these primates hard to catch for predators. It also makes for great ambush opportunities for prey. Their claws are great at finding small crags, and I don't doubt they'd be able to scale a castle wall with ease.

Poor Sight Excellent Hearing

It's easy to see with their small sunken in pale eyes that they may not see very well. Being somewhat nocturnal, they don't rely on sight as much as other senses to guide them. However, upon further study, they can see better under certain conditions. Between their extraordinary psychic abilities and exceptional hearing, even if they were completely blind, it would be hard to avoid their detection.

A Su-monster's hearing, while exceptional, can be a hindrance. They are exceptionally quiet animals since they don't make any loud verbal noises. Loud noises don't frighten Su-monsters but can put them in serious pain. Thus, often just yelling at a Su-monster will drive them off. However, they do have methods of avoiding such tactics if they are prepared.

Dangerous Psychic Abilities

It is rare to find any creatures with significant psychic abilities. It is even more rare to find relatively primitive cultures with psychic abilities. Su-monsters speak to each other telepathically, use their sheer will to crush a creature's mind and cause hallucinatory sounds. With these abilities, they are extremely dangerous to those unaware or weak-willed. Without proper care, they can be some of the most dangerous creatures to find in the wild.

Su-monsters are also extremely sensitive magic. They abhor the use of it and seek to destroy any nearby source. Their most uncommonly seen ability is when they find the source of the magic, they can emit what is only described as a silent scream. If the source is an unfortunate magic-user, the silent scream can cause incredible pain, and in some cases, even death. It is ill-advised to attempt to use magic anywhere near them.

Cat Nappers

Sleeping schedules, for these primates, are not precisely scheduled. While they are mostly active at night, they only nap in short exchanges during the day. Further explained in social behavior, the daytime is more used for social activities in the group and the night for hunting. During the day, they can be found hanging upside down from branches of trees. They can only sleep upside down. A common way, to safely pass, is to emit a loud noise both harming and startling them, then they plummet to the ground stunned.

Voracious Carnivores

Su-Monsters are violent predators. They use their pack hunting, to overwhelm and swarm even much larger animals. Troupes of Su-monsters have been recorded taking down creatures as large as Owlbears. Once they slaughter their prey, they Su-monsters tear apart the kill and feast as a group quickly and rather violently.

When attacking prey, they first employ their psychic abilities to both distract and mentally crush a target. This ensures almost no struggle and low-risk for harm to any troupe member. Once their prey is sufficiently incapacitated, they swarm and bite with their enormous canines. Usually, the feeding frenzy starts right away.

Habitats and Lairs

The first accounts of Su-monsters place them in warm jungles and forests. However, over time, they have adapted and spread into cooler climates. It has only been recently that they've been spotted in sub-arctic conditions. Su-monsters are exclusively in environments of dense trees, such as forests or jungles. They rely on trees for sleeping, shelter, and safety.

The troupe of Su-monsters typically live in a hollowed-out hole, in particularly large trees. The male usually bores out a hole in a tree to make a home. These homes are usually slightly larger than the male as to stand upright at full height. Inside the home, the floor is usually bedded with sticks, leaves, and even pelts of other animals.

Life Cycle

These primates are born into caring families. The parents will only have produce, one child, at a time. However, the children will stay with their parents, learning how to live until they are fully mature. Up to ten children of various ages can be living with their families. It takes 14 years, so comparable to humans, to fully mature.

Once finally in the age of adult-hood, the Su-monster will leave their parents to find a new mate. This journey is sometimes long and can take several years. During this time, the Su-monster avoids confrontations being as they are more vulnerable on their own. This process can easily explain how they can spread to new areas.

Using their unique psychic abilities, they call out, silently, looking for a mate. This message can be received many miles away. Once a potential mate responds, they seek each other out. There are not many criteria other than health in choosing a mate. Mates last for life. Especially since if a mate dies, the other commits suicide, near immediately. Which I find is a very peculiar behavior.

The total lifespan of a Su-monster, dying naturally, of old age is in their 60's. During this time a couple will produce 20 children, on average. Once all of their children have been raised, the mated pair becomes far less aggressive. At this time, they become much more passive. While the cause is unknown, my best guess is purely the vulnerability of age.

Intelligence and Social Behavior

Sentience and Intelligence

The biggest debate among druid circles, over the years concerning these terror apes, has been if Su-monsters possess sentience. The current and assuming final decision is that they are indeed possessed of self-awareness levels of intelligence. This makes is so that druids will not protect but can irradicate Su-monsters if they deem them a detriment to the balance of nature.

Their intelligence is evident in both the social intelligence they show and the devious ways in which they can actively react to situations. It has been previously hard to discern with how avoided they are. Little information has been gathered on Su-monsters, aside from how to kill and avoid them. They also can create, use, and understand the tools that they steal. Most often, these tools are used for entertainment rather than their intended functional purposes.

Communication

Su-monsters have their own, primitive to say, language. Yet, despite how primitive it sounds, there is more to it than meets the ear. The language in spoken form is very limited. Between soft chatter, calls, and grunts, it seems to be only able to communicate a few key ideas quickly. However, when taking the time to study their communications further, I have discovered they primarily communicate via a robust sign language. Everything from facial expression, posture, sitting or standing, to the speed of the signs indicates something significant.

Troupe Organization

A troupe of Su-monsters consists of two parents and however many children they have. A troupe can be just the parents to up to ten children with them. From an early age, as young as a month, a child Su-monster can utilize many of their psychic abilities, making them almost as dangerous.

Depending on the personalities of the members, they can be an organized or chaotic bunch. Although, when a youngling ends up being too disruptive, after many corrections, the parents may kill it. Once a child, of the troupe, is killed, they are fed to their siblings as some sign of dominance.

No Remorse

Most primates, or even animals, show signs of remorse and attachment. However, Su-monsters do not show remorse. While they are very attached to their mate, they do not seem to mourn the loss of a family member, be it a sibling or their child. This odd pure emotional focus on one figure is baffling as it goes against known biological safties for children. Both parents take active roles in raising children but show no emotional bonding with those children. Understanding how all emotions are invested in their mate, losing that mate is devastating.

See Evil, Hear Evil, Do Evil

Su-monsters are adept predators and have large amounts of free time. With all of this free-time, antics will ensue. Su-monsters are vicious, cruel, and evil creatures. While it's a grey line between good and evil for many creatures in the multi-verse, it's hard to ignore their disturbing behavior. They regularly capture and torture animals for sheer amusement. Although, they are careful, to bind their victim's mouths, to keep them quiet. Su-monsters will also use animals as bait to capture other creatures.

Locals have reported everything from being watched by Su-monsters, attacked for seemingly no reason, and even being forced to watch the troupe harm a loved one. The motives of Su-monsters doing this seems only to be for pleasure. I can imagine why their spreading is causing so much concern.

Relations With Other Troupes

Su-monsters, despite their despicable habits, don't often fight with other troupes, due to how far they must travel to establish a troupe. However, when a troupe does spot another, nothing short of war can ensue. These brutal and violent fights ordinarily end with at least one Su-monster perishing. If any member of their troupe perishes, they will retreat. Almost nothing is willing to fight to the death unless forced.

Su-Monster Interactions with other Creatures

Prey

Prey are the only creatures in which Su-monsters treat with any amount of respect. A quick kill is their way. They never eat torture victims, and eating the children for discipline is a rare occurrence. Prey are also usually larger animals. Humanoids are avoided as a food source, most likely as to how numerous and dangerous of a target they can be.

Creatures of Magic

Why Su-monsters hate magic isn't precisely known. My best guess is that they learned hatred of magic for survival. Being fully sentient creatures, we must expect information to be learned and passed down. This hatred also goes for magical creatures. Once such a creature is detected, including magic-users such as wizards, they are bombarded with the silent screams.

Lizardfolk

Su-monsters are, no doubt, dangerous. However, they are terrified of reptiles. So much so, that most Lizardfolk communities think of them as a myth. Either it is something with the Su-Monster's fear of lizards, or they may be unable to harm reptiles in such a manner. Either way, most Lizardfolk walk freely into known Su-monster territories with no signs of them.

Humanoids

Other than reptilian humanoids, Su-monsters can be a real menace. For the most part, Su-monsters avoid humanoids in communities. Drawing the ire of an entire community can spell death for the troupe. This doesn't always stop them, though. Playing cruel tricks, murdering, and all-around mayhem will occur if they become too confident. This is especially a problem with larger troupes.

Battle Tactics

Fights with Su-monsters are not easy, to those susceptible to their psychic abilities. When in combat, a Su-monster leads with their mind-crushing attacks to incapacitate a foe, then go in for the kill with their fangs. However, if one can mentally best the Su-monster, they are at an advantage. While the monkey-ape is physically formidable between their strength, claws, and fangs, they are much more used to attacking helpless prey. They are clumsy fighters at best, and even those only slightly trained in combat can best a Su-monster.

Variants

Tropical Su-monsters

Tropical Su-monsters are the oldest and most well-known varieties of these beings. They are usually dull grey or brown in coloration with milky white eyes. Hunched, or sitting they hide their full three to four-foot height. Their numbers have been steadily climbing and starting to infringe upon other jungle-tree dwelling life.

Ground Su-monsters

Orange with mottled brown in coloring, these Su-Monsters prefer to stay on the leaf-littered grounds of more temperate areas. Smaller usually only reaching a max height of two and a half feet, they are still no less dangerous in their psychic abilities. Ground Su-Monsters are also, however, far less aggressive and prefer to hide from threats.

Coniferous Marmoset-monsters

The smallest and yet furthest north Su-Monsters, the Confiferous Marmoset-monsters, are the newest and most interesting of their kind. Tiny in size and only eight inches in most cases, they swarm together in multi-family tribes. These tribes usually live in a single copse of a few evergreen trees. Their numbers can be staggering of up to 200 members in a tribe. They only possess the psychic scream in their mental powers but can swarm and kill the elk that they prefer to feed on in a matter of minutes.

Su-Folk

Deep in the furthest jungles, another new find is the much larger and more docile Su-folk. A much more organized people with huts made of cut rainforest trees. They live in small communities of five to six families. Their abilities psychically are still intact, however, less used for hunting and more for self-defense now. Su-Folk from what I can gather are direct descendants of the more well-known Su-Monsters and a great example of how sentience comes to the, admittedly poorly named, beast men of the wilds.

DM’s Notes

Fun fact for everyone, the Su-monster is the first monster that I EVER had my players fight. I've come a long way as a DM since I was 13, in my friend's basement making gladiator-style campaigns.

This monster is a weird one that I would sparingly use. Traditionally, they have been a very low challenge monster, but I have made them more dangerous in my writing to try and spruce things up. So enjoy the psychic evil monkeys!

Thanks for Reading

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