Okay, I've just made a few additions to this one, taking into account Irid's suggestions.  New changes are in red.  I removed the word "beatified" as well, because it has too much of a Catholic connotation!

Any more comments are welcome, thank you!

Thanks for having a look over it and making some suggestions, Irid.  I'll make some adjustments over the weekend.

Oh, I just read your Llaloo entry; a fine monkey!  More power to the Santharian Simians!

lol Irid!     Thanks!

When I think of Eyelian burials, I get an image of something akin to Tibetan sky burials.  Maybe you could work off that?

Another interesting burial practice I've seen was in Ghana, where coffins are made to fit the deceased person's life; a teacher's coffin might look like a book, whilst a chain smoker might get buried in a huge cigarette!

Just because they can, doesn't mean they should!   

Erm, yeah, I'm still here, but mostly on the RPG side of things!  If anybody has further comments on this one, I'd love to hear them!     Thanks!

Hmm, I really should take that 'e' off the end of Yuri.  Seems it turns my XY into an XX!   

Well, I was just watching a programme on TV about orangutans, and remembered this!

Is there anything else that needs to be done with it now?

Hmm, an interesting discussion starts and I've got to go and catch a flight!  Well, seems to me that the word 'church' refers only to the monotheistic Christian religion.  I much prefer the words 'temple' or 'shrine' as they can be applied to polytheistic religions.  A shrine to Baveras or a temple of Nehtor for example.

But I've got to stick up for 'baptism' and 'circumcision'!  Neither of these rites are specific to Christianity or Judaism.  Pre Christian 'mystery' religions and 'pagan' groups used them, too.  (For example, some Australian aboriginees circumcise their young and baptism was used by the cult of Mithras).

So I think it needs to be worked out on a word-by-word basis.  Except for 'church'...which has got to go!  Oh, and obviously any references to the Bible, Ko'ran, Bhagavad Gita, Heart Sutra etc as well!

Yep, drums are a powerful force in warfare.  But remember, not only can they disturb the enemy, they can also motivate and encourage your own soldiers!

I really can't see a sonic weapon working in a medieval world, though.  In Santharia it might work if some kind of magic could be used to amplify and direct the sound, but I don't know much about how magic works...

Okay, thanks for the suggestions, Judith...I added some of them into the entry.  Is it just me, or does "Stuffed Apehood" sound absolutely vile?  I really wouldn't order that off a menu!    Now, "Vibrant Treasure Buns", on the other hand, sound quite nice...until somebody tells you what the "treasure" really is...

I also added another section called "Field Notes" to try and give a description of how the Peridot Apes sing.   

Sounds like you're living the life of Reiley over there in Korea!  Still, I don't have it too bad, either.  I tried to check your website but seems it's being updated or something...

I thought that only Eyelians believed in the Wat'a'kan.  But for sure I think a similar belief system could be developed for the other tribes as well.

With regard to earth spirits, maybe you could develop a snake-like race, as snakes have obvious connections to the earth.   

Hi Judith,

Well, if you happen to have a recipe for ape penis then by all means let me know.  I was thinking that they'd just dry it like a mushroom, until it's shrivelled down, then have it with a glass of wine or something.

Anyway...

...I'm also teaching English to adults.     I used to work at a teachers' college in Gansu, China; but have now moved to Taiwan.  I'm working for a private language school here, and missing the holidays that go along with working for a government run school!

I've never been to Korea.  How is it?

Thanks for the comments everybody...though it really never occured to me that it would shock anyone!  I once visited a place in China where they ate donkey penis...and there were a lot of worried looking donkeys there, too!

Anyway, thanks, Tharoc.  I guess it sounds like a teacher's description because I'm a teacher! lol  But I'll add some more descriptive stuff soon...

*starts fluffing*

Well, here's the fruit of a rainy day!  Comments welcome, thank you   

Overview

The Peridot Ape is a small, brightly coloured mammal that lives in the tree canopy of tropical forests.  Its extraordinary songs and calls have led to its being nicknamed, ‘Singing Man of the Trees’.

Appearance

A small body and head combined with very long limbs make this ape ideally suited to swinging through the forest canopy at great speed.  It is covered in a short coat of green fur.  Infants have lighter coloured fur which is almost white.  As they mature the fur darkens, and this process continues throughout the ape’s life.  Peridot Apes of advanced years will have a very dark-green coat, which is almost black in places.  Because of this, it is easy to age an ape by the shade of its coat.

The face and paws are furless; both are blue in colour.  The intensity of the blue on the face changes according to the ape’s mood.  When calm and relaxed it is relatively pale.  When angry or afraid the colour rapidly changes to a bright, shockingly vivid hue.

Eyes are always yellow and forward facing.  The nose is flat and the ears small.  It has been noted that this ape’s ears are very similar in appearance to a human’s.  The mouth contains small, very sharp teeth that are ideally suited to slicing through fruit.  It has a strong jaw that helps it to crush shells.  The throat has a large sac that the ape uses to fill with air to project its voice over great distances.  This sac is also blue in colour.

The hands and feet each have five long digits.  This ape has opposable thumbs which allow it to use simple tools.  The digits curl inwards slightly and have short nails rather than claws.  This enables the ape to have a more secure grip on tree branches.

Males are slightly larger than females.  The longest a male can grow to is just under one ped.  They are very light, averaging about one heb.

Special Abilities

This ape is exceedingly fast when moving through the forest canopy.  This ability is used to escape from predators and to find new feeding grounds quickly.  It is also capable of walking upright for short periods on its two rear legs.  This is rarely seen as the ape spends most of its life in the tree canopy.

Perhaps the most well known special ability of this ape is its unique range of vocalisations.  Its beautiful songs have led to its nickname, ‘Singing Man of the Trees’.  However, it is also capable of using a variety of calls to give warnings to the rest of the troop.  It would appear that this ape has developed unique calls to warn of specific threats.  The call given when a snake is spotted is distinctively different to that given when a large cat or bird of prey is seen.  Interestingly, the other apes will respond in different ways according to the warning given, and it has therefore been concluded that they have developed a basic form of language.

This ape’s voice is also used for self defence.  It has the ability to mimic other animals.  It will sometimes roar like a large cat or shriek like a hunting bird.  These sounds can be very loud and disturbing, scaring away potential predators and rival simian groups.

The opposable thumbs and lack of claws on the Peridot Ape mean that it is able to manipulate simple tools.  It has been known to use rocks to break open hard nuts and sticks to scrape insects out of holes.

Territory

This ape is found in the tropical forests of Nyblemar and the Scattersand Shoals.  It has never been spotted in temperate regions.  On the continent of Nyblemar, it is almost exclusively found in the south-western section.

Behaviour

These apes live in large troops and share everything.  Males and females both take care of the babies.  This could be a result of their mating behaviour, (see mating).  Apparently the males have no way of knowing which babies are theirs and as such are happy to take over the care of an infant from any mother.  The mother makes a distinctive call when she wants a male to help her in this way.

Unusually there doesn’t appear to be any kind of a social hierarchy in the troop.  All of the apes freely interact with each other and will mate with every other member of the troop.

Diet

This ape loves to eat a variety of different fruit, and this makes up the larger part of its diet.  It seems particularly fond of the strongly scented fruit of the Liu'lian tree.  It also feeds on nuts, vines, tree bark, certain kinds of fungus and insects.  Due to its active lifestyle it needs to keep eating throughout the day.

It also has a fondness for the sap of the Parpalm.  The sap from this tree seems to have an intoxicating effect on the Peridot Ape.  The apes gnaw into the bark of the palm and suck the sap directly.

Mating

Mates are chosen by singing displays.  When ready to mate, females sing elaborate and hauntingly beautiful melodies.  The males respond in kind, using their bass voices to complement the females’ higher notes.

It would appear that this ape loves to mate.  They copulate prolifically throughout the year.  As a result of this, their mating calls are heard on a daily basis in the forests where they are to be found.  An interesting point to note is that despite the daily mating, the females only seem to enter a fertile period several times a year.  As such, the birth rate is controlled.

Usages

The sexual organ of the male ape is considered a great aphrodisiac by many people.  This is a result of the ape’s prolific mating.  It would seem that men believe that they can attain the ape’s sexual stamina by consuming the penis.

Usually the penis is dried and ground into a powder.  This can then be easily transported and taken with a drink or light food.  Apparently it has an earthy taste, much like some species of mushroom.  It is sold under a variety of names, one of the most common being ‘Night Power Powder’.

For those that live close to the natural habitat of the Peridot Apes, the penis does not have to be dried.  It can be cooked from fresh much like any other meat.  Some example dishes that feature this unusual ingredient are listed below:

-   Bulging Mushroom Chowder
-   Peridot Passion Cake
-   Night Bloom Broth
-   Forest Fire Fingers
-   And the ever popular, Vibrant Treasure Buns

Field Notes:

On the third morning of our journey into the forests of Aiden, we encountered a large troop of Peridot apes.

It was their beautiful singing voices that attracted our attention.  To begin with, I thought that this sublime music was being produced by some kind of a bird, but my guide told me that it was the “Singing Man of the Trees”.  He explained that every morning, with the rising sun, these apes would sing in unison as a part of their daily mating ritual.

All around us there was a web of sound.  The high pitched voices of the females rose up, soaring on invisible wings to the hidden heavens above us.  Each seemed to be producing different notes which harmonised with the rest.  Even the melodies were different, yet intertwined perfectly.

Almost undetectable at first, the bass notes of the males quivered and vibrated in the steamy forest air.  Their pieces were much lower in tone than the females’, but they were just as complex.

As I stood there listening, I felt myself being transported to a magical place.  The music was both soothing and exhilarating at the same time.  Undoubtedly it was hypnotic, for I found my mind idly following the different strands of melody with no concern for the passage of time.

When the symphony finally died down, I found myself standing in silent awe at the ethereally beautiful music of the Peridot Apes.