Dakon

Dakons were an uncommon species of ape, with a level of intelligence comparable to most humanoids.

Description
These creatures largely resembled gorillas, but had light brown fur and black hands with sharp claws. Their eyes were of a green hue.

Males were known to wear anklets, arm bands, bracers, and head pieces. Females preferred to wear earrings, necklaces, and noserings.

Abilities
Like many primates, the dakon were skilled climbers. Capable of climbing trees and rough surfaces in even the most tense, combative situations. They uniquely possessed an innate ability similar to the spell animal friendship, which any nonhuman primate was subject to.

Combat
Dakons generally never attack unless it was in self-defense. And they only used their sharp claws when unarmed. Typical weapons used by them when either hunting or engaging in warfare included blowguns, daggers, javelins, spears, and a type of club known as a knobkerrie. Their weapons were made of either bone, ivory, stone, or wood. Their knobkerrie were sometimes elaborately carved and shaped. And while warriors could be seen carrying all types of weapons, their priests only wielded blowguns and knobkerries.

They refrained from using armor besides helmets, considering it cowardly. They commonly wielded wooden shields covered with colorfully painted leather and helmets made from the skulls of their enemies. They sometimes rode elephants into battle, with a trained rider wielding a club and a warrior wielding one or more ranged weaponry.

Society
Dakons were highly social creatures that lived in hunter gatherer societies, with men acting as hunters and the armed escorts of female and child foragers. While their foragers combed the jungles in search of food and natural medicines, the escorts would check and maintain traps. All food gathered was owned by the community at large.

They lived in villages of under a hundred individuals, towns ranging from a hundred to five hundred residents, and on rare occasions cities that were home to more than a thousand. The houses of such communities were built in the largest of trees or thatched houses atop stilts. Their communities were surrounded by wooden palisades for defense.

Their smiths were generally not very skilled.

Homelands
Dakons were typically found in the jungles of tropical regions. In the Realms, they could particularly be found in the Marching Mountains of Calimshan.

Languages
Dakons had their own language and had a reasonable grasp of Common, but very few were fluent in speaking it. Their own language was largely based upon body posture, finger and hand gestures, hoots, and grunts. They also were capable of imitating animal noises, howling to communicate at long distances. Most could communicate with apes to a limited degree.

Relationships
Dakons were on best terms with other intelligent apes, such as grommams. They tolerated the presence of primate-like or monkey-like beings, such as hadozee and banderlogs, the latter of whom they often fought alongside against their common foes. In addition, through their innate animal friendship ability they kept a variety of primates as pets and guard animals, such as gorillas, monkeys, and even carnivorous apes. The latter of whom would often be used to track down, flush out, and retrieve wild game. Dakons also domesticated elephants as mounts, which would be used while hunting or in trade caravans.

They had neutral relationships with most demihumans, humans, and needlemen. While most humanoids and giants were treated with antipathy. The creatures that they vehemently hated and would attack on sight were the qullan, tasloi, and yuan-ti.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #34, "On Wings of Darkness"