Molanna
| Molanna | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fauna | |
| Official Name | Molanna |
| Common Nicknames | Dawn Colobus |
| Classification | Mammal |
| Habitat | Silontaar |
| Domesticated | No |
| Current Status | Rare |
The Molanna are gentle giants of Oldtera, inhabitants of a single mountain oasis in the territory of the Silontaar Race which they bear a passing similarity with due to glowing patches of fur. First discovered millennia ago, and then rediscovered when the Silontaar finally began to leave their home city, the Molanna were a delightful find, and the large primates have gotten more and more used to the Silontaar as time has gone on. With long lifespans, and a caring society, the Silontaar delight in sharing tales and information of the Molanna with outsiders, but any who have nefarious intentions should know the Silontaar guard the borders of Molanna territory fiercely.
History
The Silontaar do not often speak of their homeland, beyond the basic facts, but the existence of the Molanna is one thing they often rejoice in discussing. It appears that the Molanna was once not as they are now, and instead was a species of small coastal monkey, which, when the original Asha settlers arrived, was largely driven from the shoreline, and deeper inland. The small animals were soon forgotten as the mining efforts of the Dewamenet Empire began in earnest. After several decades, perhaps even centuries (as the founding date for the mining colony is murky), the animals were rediscovered, but their new habitat, deeper inland near a spur of mountains, was one of two possible expansion sites for the colony’s operations. Arguments began, with most believing that the first displacement had been enough, while others felt the animal’s continued survival was assured given their clearly broad spread in the area. The decision for their plans was said to be due in three days, to be made when the regular supply shipment from the distant empire came. However, it failed to arrive. Unable to expand and make a selection, the deadline was extended, but soon, the colony had far greater worries to focus on as they were cut off from their homeland. The Molanna was forgotten.
Millennia later, now reliant on Magic, and drastically changed from their ancestors, the Silontaar sought to map the confines of their “state” around 300 BC, when they first began to explore the world outside their isolated existence. Trekking out from the city, the initial group of surveyors got lost, their ancient maps not very useful in terrain that had experienced untold years of change. What they did find, however, were the Molanna. The little monkeys of the past, though, were now triple, if not more, than their previous sizes, and their fur now had glowing patches like the sort that adorned the Silontaar. The species had also retreated to a singular mountain valley, around a site soon called the Great Spring, a mountain oasis of great beauty. The Molanna were nervous at first, but gradually came to know the Silontaar who were stunned at their appearance, climbing down from huge trees that sheltered the area to take offered food, and otherwise play around with their guests. Ever since that time, the region has been declared a protected space, and is one of the few areas outside of the Silontaar’s same-named city they most often go, to visit with the accommodating Molanna, and enjoy the Great Spring.
Physical Appearance
While the stories of the ancient Silontaar from the age of the Dewamenet spoke of the Molanna having small forms, the modern Molanna are significantly larger. Most stand between five and seven feet in height, and weigh between 400 and 600 pounds. Their faces are large, with large, dark eyes, and small tufts of hair upon their face with a similar covering across their round heads. These tufts can face outward, forming a sort of beard or fringe, or they can be shorter. Much like the Silontaar, these tufts of facial fur glow, though all Molanna have a red hue to their glowing patches. Their mouths are marked out by exposed dark skin lacking hair, while their ears are short, rounded, and similarly lack hair. However, the tufts on the face or head often mask these ears. The rest of their form is long and lanky, a short neck connecting the head to a long body with a pair of arms and legs of an extended length, each ending in hands or feet with fit digits. Molanna also possess a prehensile tail, its narrow shape covered in fur with a glowing tuft at the end. Other glowing patches exist on the shoulders, at the top of the chest, on the thighs, or on the hands and feet. The Molanna’s body hair overall is a coating of dark red, black and white. White exists on the animal’s underbelly, with a border of dark red around it, going up to and dominating the face, while the black covers the back and the tail, though this is often striped between dark red and black.
Diversity
Molanna have minor diversity of appearance, with slight variations in fur patterns, though with greater personalization in the hair upon their head and face. Their glowing patches also sometimes mark out individuals if they lack or possess patches not seen on other members of their species. The Molanna have no gender dimorphism, and their population is restricted to one location.
Life Span and Development
Molanna have incredibly unique paths in life. They are live-born as singular infants, with twins almost unheard of in their population. When they emerge, they are covered in paler hues of hair than an adult, their white more of a cream, their dull red a brighter shade, and their black a dull gray. Their glowing marks are also much more prominent. Molanna then take a slow path of some twenty years to mature, mirroring many sentient Races development cycles, until they reach the age of twenty. The changes in their fur coat will have been gradual throughout this whole time, while their face and head hair will also settle into position. At the age of twenty, a Molanna leaves the side of their parents to join life with others of a similar age. The large valley around the mountain oasis is divided into four parts, one for the grown adults and their maturing children, one for the young adults from the ages of twenty to fifty, and another section for the elders, aged eighty to over a hundred. The last section is for all three groups to congregate, and it is this area the Silontaar most commonly observe the large monkeys from. As can be seen, Molanna life spans are long, and their development, even.
Mental Overview
The Molanna are immensely intelligent, though they are believed to be stymied by the singular location of their origin. Where other primates show the capability to make tools, hunt, or other complex tasks, the mountain oasis of the Molanna provides them all they need, and they often spend their days in social engagement with one another, and any possible Silontaar visitors. What objects the Silontaar leave behind, or offer as gifts are immensely fascinating to the Molanna though, with a particular love for the unique children’s toys that the Silontaar create for their young due to their magical nature. The Molanna are also gentle animals, their old shyness long ago broken by the repeated visitation of the Silontaar, though it is said no other Race may approach them, lest they flee due to their unfamiliarity with the person and their appearance. Their bond with the Silontaar might also be a result of surface similarities in appearance, the dense magical energies of the Silontaar city nearby evidently having leaked into some local animals, like the Molanna. As a result, Molanna sometimes engage in playful activities with a Silontaar like they would with others of their species, and Silontaar children in particular are a delight to these most gentle of giants.
Territory and Groupings
The Molanna population is surprisingly small, numbering only a few hundred by Silontaar estimates. The species’ long lifespan, pension for life-long bonding with a single partner, and rare births result in a small but well managed populace. However, there are concerns by some Silontaar that their increased presence in the area, feeding and interacting with the Molanna, may be disrupting their population. The Molanna are entirely located around a single mountain oasis called the Great Spring which sits several dozen miles outside the City of Silontaar, in a broad, lushly forested valley several square miles in size. Some Molanna have followed Silontaar down the mountain in more recent years, but they soon retreat back to their home, and none have been seen off the mountain at any point. The entire territory is guarded by the Silontaar, who circle the valley ridge every three weeks atop their magical Mounts to make sure there are no incursions from outsiders.
Trivia
- One of the most common toys for a Silontaar child is a Molanna doll, these miniature versions of themselves giving great delight when a real Molanna is presented with one. It is sometimes a bit hard to get them back though, especially from Molanna young.
- Molanna also appear in the artwork of the Silontaar people, as they are one of the few animals the Silontaar have a close connection to. Statues of the animal, or imagery of them in architecture, is increasingly common too.
- There are some who believe the mountain oasis pool that the Molanna live around is enchanted, affected by some unique form of Magic, which is why they were so heavily altered like the Silontaar. They believe that the Silontaar know this, and feed on the power of the oasis with each visit, hence why it is such a popular site.
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