Baboons

A Small Guide
by
Jakob Smartt, Beastmaster, Drakenberg Great Library

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Introduction

In most of the non-chaotic forests of the known world, the dominant beasts are the hunter-gatherer baboons. They are little understood and often derided by the human civilizations which come into contact with them.

To many outsiders, the cult of Blueface is baboon culture, with images of primitive warriors terrorizing chaos or anyone else who invades their forest demesnes. Indeed, though it is the dominant facet of baboon society and the most likely to deal with outsiders, its membership accounts for perhaps only half of the baboon population.

Two other cults are significant within baboon society and will always be present within any tribal grouping. These are Azrael, particularly the Ancestor Worship aspect, and Folia, the baboon mother and nurturer. Baboon shamen are almost invariably priests of Azrael and it is not uncommon for a Blueface priest to also become a priest of Azrael, usually the Ancestor Worship aspect though sometimes the Deathbringer aspect. Though not forbidden from joining Blueface, the vast majority of female baboons join Folia.

Other cults may also have individual members within any tribal grouping, as many baboons spend time away from the tribe amongst other races. The baboon expression for this leave of absence is away with the Faeries, and this is often literally true. Human prejudice regards this practice as a means of preventing conflict between the young studs and the dominant male hierarchy. This is not entirely true. Most baboons do not ever take this leave of absence. My research suggests that at least 90% of baboons never leave the forest of their birth. On his return, the adventurous baboon often provides his tribe with esoteric skills, knowledges and magics. This sort of behaviour is common within hero cults and can be seen amongst the followers of Moonbeak and Skanthus.

Where this article refers to baboons, it may also be taken to include gibbons unless a specific difference is detailed. In the baboon language the former are Bah-Bo-Hons or Great Forest Folk, and the latter are Gi-Bo-Hons or Agile Forest Folk.

Society Structure

As with most societies the basic unit of structure is the family. For baboons, other loyalties will come a distant second. The idea of putting other allegiances, such as cult or nation, above the welfare of tribe or family is alien to a baboon. A baboon's concept of family is more akin to that of barbarian tribesmen than civilized humans. Travelling family groups include cousins and those adopted into the family.

Each family, or troop, is headed by a dominant male, usually a Blueface Runelord, though rarely another type of Runelevel may become the Patriarch of his family. The Patriarch is supported by his chief consort, usually a priestess of Folia, and his small council of alpha males. These latter are Runelevel males that are not yet powerful enough to challenge the Patriarch for his position but whose support he will need in leading the family against whatever obstacles chance may throw in their path. The alpha males nearest human equivalents are the underchiefs of human tribesmen.

The Patriarch's chief consort also heads a council of female baboons. She relays the opinions of the females to the Patriarch. A Patriarch would be considered foolish to completely ignore their advice.

Extended family groups act independently. Sometimes a group will split if a powerful enough rival to the Patriarch emerges and the group is large enough. Likewise, occasionally a family group is orphaned, without proper leadership, and will attach itself to another group.

Once each year, on the Blueface High Holy Day, all the baboons of a forest will gather at Apemoot, a sacred place within each forest. There the leaders and prominent members of each tribe will discuss any issues that affect the forest as a whole, or disputes between tribes or families.

Baboon Children

Baboon children are accorded a high status within their society, particularly if their mother is also high status. Child rearing is a shared responsibility and children will spend as much time in the care of aunts and other relatives as with their mother. Though, as with humans, the mother is the primary care-giver, even the fiercest warrior baboon will dote on infant baboons. Pre-adolescent baboons are called pink-faces because of their pink skin, which darkens as they grow older.

Pink-faced baboons are easily forgiven by all baboons. They are able to ignore the strict baboon social order and rules of behaviour. Seen and not heard is not a principle applied to baboon infants. Once a baboon's face has darkened and his muzzle has taken on his tribes distinctive appearance, this tolerance stops and the adolescent had better follow proper etiquette or expect a rough lesson.

In a strange way, this affects baboons behaviour towards humans of the northern littoral. A baboon will typically allow human breaches of baboon etiquette because of the human's pink-faced appearance, which is childish to baboon eyes. Even in the south littoral, humans' lack of a muzzle makes them look somewhat babyish to a baboon. A baboon inexperienced with humans will expect them to actually be childish, until experience teaches him otherwise. This is one reason why a human would have difficulty in progressing in the cult of Blueface. No matter how strong his desire to combat chaos, his priests would be struggling to take him seriously.

Baboon Roles and Responsibilities

The Patriarch

The Patriarch is the undisputed ruler of his family. He is tasked to guide and protect his followers from all dangers. He will lead the warriors into battle when necessary. He will protect his families interests from other baboon groups. He also has a responsibility to the future and is expected to father strong, healthy children.

The Alpha Males

These are the priests, shamen, and underchiefs. They advise the Patriarch on those matters within their field of expertise. Warrior alpha males lead hunting parties. The alpha males must keep the tribe strong. They too father baboons. When the Patriarch is no longer able to provide the best leadership available, it is the individual responsibility of the best suited alpha male to challenge him for the leadership.

The Blueface Warriors

The primary role of the Blueface warriors is to protect the tribe. They patrol the family range and deal with minor intrusions, reporting anything they cannot handle to the alpha males or the Patriarch. Under the direction of the leadership, they will ambush and destroy any hostile invaders. There is no opportunity for parley granted to chaos.

A secondary activity, and one which provides an opportunity to hone their skills, is the hunt. Blueface warriors are accomplished hunters and butchers, and supplement the family food stores with forest game.

The Azraeli Ghost Dancers

These maintain access to the wisdom of the ancestors. They are responsible for remembering the history and traditions of the tribe. They retell the tales of the past and the Godtime, through song and dance. Unusually for alpha males, the Ghost Dancer Shamen do not consort with the Mothers. Though Blueface is a Death cult, he is concerned with bringing death to chaos and those who threaten the existence of baboons, whereas Azrael is directly concerned with the death of baboons. Thus it is incompatible with the role of life-bringer. For this reason too, a shaman is never able to become the Patriarch.

The Folia Mothers

The Mothers complement the roles of the warriors. They are the nurturers and healers. They collect food found in the forest and provide much of the baboons' nutritional intake, though this is supplemented by the meat from the warriors' hunts. The Mothers are also wise in the healing arts and utilize the forest plants to make salves and potions.

Baboon Rituals

Baboon relations are governed by highly ritualistic behaviour. They have rituals great and small for every aspect of their life. Most rituals are accompanied by song, though it sounds quite unmusical to the human ear. A Gowrie Music Master has assured me that baboon singing is in fact highly skilled, but its use of an unusual tonal scale and mixtures of rhythmic whoops and guttural sounds can sound quite disturbing. Baboons typically sing solo, group songs rely on each participant picking up the song in turn. Gibbon mated pairs duets. The male voice is considerably lower than the shrill females. No sound in the jungle travels as far as the shriek of a female gibbon.

Below are detailed some of these rituals. This list is far from exhaustive.

Day Break

Baboons suffered much during the Great Darkness, and always greet the Risen Sun with songs of triumph. Many baboons, particularly those of the Yellowface tribe, offer power to the Sun at dawn, and it is usually returned.

Baboons usually sleep in the emergent trees below the canopy. As the upper canopy warms early, with the cooler air below, it forms a thermal boundary and the baboon calls are reinforced by reflection. This gives these early morning calls a great range - upto 3km for baboons, and 5km for gibbons.

Initiation

Rune Mastery

Greetings

It is important that a baboon announce himself before entering the range of another tribe. A hunting party, or a war party, will rely on the leading alpha male to smooth the path with the neighbours. A solitary baboon must rely on himself.

Baboons will stop at the edge of a foreign range. From the top of the tree the lead male will sing to attract attention. There follows a sequence of calls and responses. Through this the invading baboon's identity is given and assurances are made as to the purpose of his visit. Rarely is permission to pass through denied, though when it is denied, the baboon has two choices - to go around the barred territory or challenge the baboon refusing him entry. This latter will result in a face-off, which is described below.

Baboons are leery of casual trespass. It is not unknown for a smooth tongued alpha male to sneak into another range and seduce a young judy away from her family and is a common element in baboon folk-tales. [Lesser ranked baboons would never succeed.] So all ranges are clearly marked with grim warnings of the occupants' ferocity. Typically, boundary markers are prominently displayed skulls and bones.

A baboon who has formally announced himself and his purpose will stick to that task. He will not risk the bad reputation he would acquire if he is proved to be untrustworthy.

Hunting

Male baboons are serious about the hunt. It is not a sport but an expression of their god-taught mastery of death. Here they hone the arts of stealth, and the silent group coordination, which are vital to their success in war. It is in the preparation for the hunt that baboons lose their customary exuberance and take on the aspect of Death bringers. Prior to a hunt, each baboon spends some time in quiet prayer. Some of them refer to it as donning the mask of death.

For male baboon's, the hunt is also a Rite of Passage. A Blueface baboon will not be considered an adult until he has provided a meal for his fellow warriors, killing the prey with nothing more than his claws and teeth. Upon returning with his kill, the young baboon is blooded by the hunt leader who daubs the blood of the dead animal on the forehead of the baboon. It is unusual for a male baboon not to have completed this stage of his development by his fourteenth year.

The Face Off

Arguments within baboon society are probably less common than within human society. Baboons will know their place in any stable unit, and so a simple bellow from the dominant baboon is usually enough to resolve any dispute.

Dominance isn't simply based on physical prowess, but also on what aid from within the group a baboon could potentially call upon. Thus females usually out-face non-alpha males.

Arguments that are not resolved immediately are settled by face-off. Strict rules govern what is allowed in a face-off - and typically baboons do little more than screeching, bellowing, and demonstrations of physical strength. To an ignorant outsider they are simple displays of bullying but more subtle forces are also at work when other baboons are present. Each baboon is also trying to elicit signs of support from on-looking baboons, and this can often swing who wins the contest.

If a baboon wishes to wrest control of his family group from the incumbent Patriarch, then it will not be a sudden act. He will need to form alliances and support from within the tribe to add weight to his claim. In essence, the face-off is at least in part a popularity contest. When push comes to shove, each baboon in the family will have to nail their colours to the mast and voice their support from behind one or other of the contenders.

After a contest for control of the family there are several possible aftermaths, depending on the natures of the winner and loser. It is not uncommon for an ex-Patriarch to happily retire into the background of family life, becoming a grandfather figure and spending time playing with his grandchildren and advising young initiates. For others it is Caesar auc nullus, as they say in Karnak. They find themselves unable to resume a subordinate position and so leave. Such baboons can be very dangerous. A baboon that loses to the existing Patriarch may find himself out on a limb. He will always leave until the dust settles. This may take from a few hours to a few years, depending on his relationship with the Patriarch.

Adoption

The adoption rituals are applied to a baboon joining a new family. There are three stages, but the first two only occur if the baboon is also changing tribe. The whole event is a joyful one for all the baboons taking part.

The first stage is overseen by the Folia priestess. It is a rebirth ritual and consists of two parts. I have been unable to observe the initial part as only the prospective member and the Folia priestess are present. However, when they return, the priestess presents her new son or daughter to the other females. The candidate is then dressed in the tribal colours by all the females. Vegetable dyes are daubed onto the baboon - painting his fur, rump and muzzle with colours appropriate to his new tribe. This process can become quite rowdy, though the nearby presence of the Patriarch prevents things from getting out of hand.

The second stage is conducted by the Patriarch. The new tribal member abandons his old tribal weapons, usually by breaking them. He then calls upon the Patriarch to teach him to kill chaos. The Patriarch will solemnly present the baboon with his new tribal weapons. There follows a long and exhausting demonstration of each weapon's use. Each movement is accompanied by an heroic description of its use in overthrowing chaos. The candidate repeats the Patriarch's movements and descriptions as best he can.

The final stage is a great feast, with much food and fermented fruit. During the feast, the Azraeli shaman will call upon the new member to sing the song of his ancestors. The candidate will have been extensively coached by the shaman in the weeks prior to the ceremony, and so should be able to give a competent rendition of at least one song, and probably several, of his new tribe and family. It is my understanding that even the spirits of the tribe's departed will accept the adoptee as family.

Grooming

Grooming serves the practical purpose of keeping fur clear of fleas and dirt. Of more significance to baboons is its social function. Mutual grooming cements bonds of affection and loyalty. It also reinforces positions of status. The dominant baboon is groomed first and then returns the favour. It can be an effective method of toadying.

Grooming is also often used as a means of seeking forgiveness for some slight or indiscretion. If the dominant baboon allows him or herself to be groomed by the supplicant then (s)he will be deemed to have forgiven any past slight.

Baboon Physiology

Baboons are far more heavily muscled than humans, and in particular have huge upper body strength. Their teeth and claws a powerful weapons which they are able to use to devastating effect. Unlike humans they do not appear to favour a particular hand in hand to hand combat of other tasks of manual dexterity, and their usual method of travelling through the forest, brachiating from tree to tree, results in an even distribution of their strength between right and left. However, when using crafted weapons they tend to fight right-handed as humans usually do, and develop a definite preference.

Baboon senses do not seem to be any more sensitive than humans, though through constant practice their use of them is on a par with that of the most skilled of human tribesmen. Baboons are accomplished hunters and trackers through hard effort rather than natural ability.

Baboons walk more slowly than humans, with a waddling gait. However, at a two-legged sprint they are just as fast, their powerful legs making up for their awkward gait. When a baboon drops to all fours to run, he can cover the ground at an alarming speed, easily outstripping the best human athletes.

Typically they move through dense jungle by brachiation, i.e. swinging and leaping from branch to branch of the jungle trees. Though not particularly rapid compared with movement over open ground, this method of travel is considerably quicker than forcing a trail through the jungle undergrowth. The baboons' upper body strength and sharp claws are ideally suited to climbing and swinging. An adult baboon can comfortably cover a distance of 3m with a single swing and 9m with a leap.

Baboon fur is thick and affords them protection against the elements, both insulating them against the cold and keeping their skin dry in all but the most torrential downpour. It also provides some protection against the day-to-day knocks that results from leaping from tree to tree.

Baboons' rumps have leathery pads that allow them to sit, and sleep, upright in comfort.

Gibbons have a vocal sac at their throats. They are able to inflate these to make a sound box and amplify their calls. Gibbons, despite their size, are louder than the larger baboons.

Baboon Diet

Baboons in their natural environment survive mostly on what they can gather - fruit, leaves, nuts, grubs. The meat from a successful hunt is usually eaten raw, if fresh, otherwise it is cooked. There is little in the way of cuisine - baboons eat their food as is.

Baboon Sexuality

Baboon's polygamous nature is often misunderstood by humans, and is usually compared to the harems of some barbaric human cultures. Baboons females are free-willed and not the simple sex-slaves of a tyrannical Runelord. Baboon judies, as their females are known, reserve the same scorn for a judy who has sexual relations with a non-Runemaster as a human goodwife has for a common harlot. They see it as natural for them to choose to mate with the Patriarch and the alpha males to ensure strong and healthy offspring. Many judies develop strong ties to particular alpha males, and will become their exclusive partners, others prefer to keep their options open, almost all will have at some time been bedded by the Patriarch.

One might believe that this sexual behaviour would result in inbreeding and thus weaken the baboons but several mechanisms prevent this. Baboons know their place within the societal structure in far greater detail than most humans. The youngest baboon is able to chant his immediate lineage and knows that of his family group members. This detailed knowledge assists in avoiding undesirable matings. Also family groups are not as fixed as some might imagine. Young judies quite commonly leave the family group of their birth to join another. Wandering males will develop temporary association with troops and these sometimes become permanent when the status of alpha male is achieved. New troops are sometimes created when an alpha male has the power and desire to do so. New troops may be assembled from members of more than one troop.

This is one area where gibbons differ markedly from baboons. Though gibbons live in extended family groups as baboons do, they form exclusive monogamous relationships. Typically they mate for life.

The Baboon Tribes

The cult of Blueface prescribes which weapons each of the tribes uses. This and their tribal markings are obvious differences between the tribes, but their are other less obvious differences in the way each tribe acts and is regarded by other baboon tribes.

Mandrill

The Mandrills are famed for their war-leaders. They are respected for this, though sometimes viewed as being overly arrogant. There are no better teachers of jungle tactics than the Mandrill Patriarchs. At Apemoot, they are usually ultra-conservative in their policies, and aggressive in their defence of tradition and what they regard as the right way.

Hamadryas

Of all the baboons, the Hamadryas are the most in tune with their forest homes. They are best loved by the faerikin and consequently their domains are the most fruitful. They tend their woods to provide themselves with places of defence, and natural traps for their enemies.

Trollcrusher

Trollcrushers are respected for their berserk fury. No other tribe, and few other races, can match them when it comes to a direct, frontal assault. Trollcrushers have a reputation for direct dealing. They will confront problems as directly as possible and seek a simple solution. The lack any diplomatic subtlety, however they say what they mean, and mean what they say.

Silverback

Silverbacks are viewed as having great wisdom. They are often involved in acts of negotiation and arbitration between other tribes. They come into their own at Apemoot, displaying a great deal of diplomatic skill.

Blackdog

The Blackdog outlook is almost the antithesis of the Trollcrushers. The Blackdog's preferred tactic is the sudden ambush. All baboons will use the ambush as a way of dealing with invaders of their territory, but the Blackdogs have raised this to an art form. This attitude extends to their personal dealings. A Blackdog will rarely reveal his feelings on a matter until he is ready to act. The equivalent baboon expression for the calm before the storm is like a blackdog thinking. At Apemoot, Blackdogs usually wait until last before speaking on any matter, having first assessed all the other viewpoints.

Yellowface

Yellowfaces are renowned for their sunny dispositions. They are particularly respectful and friendly towards fire/light worshippers. In the Great Darkness, they tended fires to protect themselves from Trolls and, unusually for baboons, maintain small camp fires at night. No other tribe greets the dawn like the Yellowfaces. Yellowfaces cook a greater proportion of their food compared to the other tribes.

Pharaoh

These are principally found in the forests south of Nubia. In the Second Age, members of this tribe served in the Necropolitan Priest-King's Medjay, or state police. This practice has long since discontinued, but a greater than normal proportion of Pharaonic baboons worship Azrael to this day.

Bananabunch

These baboons are uncommon, though more numerous in the Moon Valley. They are famed for their spiritual skills. Many great Ghost Dancers and Spirit Dreamers come from the Bananabunch tribe. They commonly ingest many herbal concoctions to aid them enter trance states that help them contact spirits. An adept Bananabunch shaman can call on the very jungle to ensnare his enemies.

The Gibbon Tribes

The following tribes are those of the smaller, more agile gibbons. They behave in a similar manner to their larger brethren, though again each tribe has their quirks. As far as I have been able to ascertain, baboons and gibbons cannot interbreed.

Gibbon ranges often overlap baboon's without any problems. Due to their lighter weight, they dwell higher in the canopy and so do not consume the same foodstuffs.

Banderlog

Hoolock

Uniquely amongst the baboon and gibbon tribes, Hoolocks have a knack for swimming. They can learn to do as easily as a human. However, they prefer not to.

Lars

Lars are considered by other baboons and gibbons to have all the best songs. They are admired for their tunefulness, and even to a human ear their singing is tolerable.

Siamang

Siamangs are generous, possibly to a fault. They will usually welcome strangers and allow other groups of gibbons to enter their territory - even to hunt and forage.

Baboon Colouring

It has already been noted that baboons occasionally change tribes, though this is a rare event for males. My studies of baboons, both in their natural habitat, and the occasional criminal baboon I have been able to retrieve from the Main Bridewell, indicate that tribal colourings are derived from the baboons' diet. Baboons are chromophoric and susceptible to certain chromogenic components in their foodstuffs.

Further investigation has shown that each tribe consumes small amounts of particular herbs and/or insects that contain these chromogenic materials. For example, the Bananabunch tribe, and only the bananabunch tribe, eat small amounts of the nocturnally flowering Common Moon Drop plant, which is native to the forests of the Moon Valley. The drooping petals are reminiscent of, but much smaller than, the tropical banana fruit. The baboons call the flowers small bananas. The flower has given rise to two sayings amongst other baboons of the Moon Valley. Any common, low value item is referred to as small bananas. The second follows from the fact that the Moon Drop is a slight stimulant and if too much is consumed the baboon can become quite frantic. The baboon is said to go bananas.

When a baboon is deprived of these dietary components, their tribal markings can fade. Such baboons are often called grey baboons. This visible sign that they have been away with the Faeries for an extended period can result in them being viewed with some initial suspicion. In many baboon tales, a grey baboon is the archetypical bogey-man.

On the rare occasion, when a baboon changes tribe, (s)he takes on new dietary habits and, over a period of about a year, the new colourings and markings replace the old.

Baboon Populations

The principal baboon heartlands are:

• The Baboon Jungles of the Moon Valley
• The Forests of the Northern Nerthern Valley
• The Great Jungle, south of Nubia and Kush

Relative Populations by Location

Tribe	Moon Valley	Nerthan Valley	Great Jungle
Mandrill	01-25 (25)	01-30 (30)	01-20 (20)
Hamadryas	26-40 (15)	31-50 (20)	21-30 (10)
Trollcrusher	41-65 (25)	51-60 (10)	31-40 (10)
Silverback	66-75 (10)	61-70 (10)	41-50 (10)
Blackdog	76-80 (05)	71-85 (15)	51-60 (10)
Yellowface	81-85 (05)	86-90 (05)	61-65 (05)
Pharaoh	-	91-00 (10)	66-00 (35)
Bananabunch	86-00 (15)	-	-

Baboons and Water

To say that baboons hate water is a bit misleading. Baboons have a profound fear of deep water, for they cannot swim and drown far more easily than humans. Baboons need water to survive, just as any man or beast, and can often be found drinking at forest pools or streams. I have observed pink-faced baboons playfully splashing in the water's edge just as human children would.

However, once a baboon is in deep water, panic quickly sets in and they will thrash furiously. Attempting a rescue in such situations is fraught with danger. The drowning baboon is likely to bite and claw his would-be rescuer, and could quite easily drag them both under. The only occasion I have seen a drowning baboon rescued was after he overturned a ferryman's punt trying to leap ashore too early. The grim Charon cultist quietly treaded water until the baboon was half drowned, unconscious, and sinking below the water. The riverman then dragged him ashore before pumping the water from the baboon's lungs.

Some have said that baboons suffer from a curse Poseidon placed on them in Godtime, but this claim is as yet unsubstantiated. There appears to be no more animosity between baboons and sailors than might be expected between any other land-lubbers and sailors, Blueface is associated to Sawtooth, a Water Rune cult, and baboons seem to be no more susceptible to sea-sickness than humans.

My researches have shown me that size for size a baboon is significantly heavier than a human, and this explains at least in part their difficulty in water. Whereas an unconscious human floats in water, a baboon sinks.

Apemoot

Baboons and Property

{Family property}

{Personal property}

{Pets}

Famous Baboons

Manny

The Humakti hero-priest Lord Trollgobbiter, famed for bringing about the fall of Thanatos, when that Wraithe-King returned, had many strange followers. Perhaps the longest serving of these was the Azraeli shaman Manny. Manny was a Hamadryas baboon from the jungles of the Moon Valley. Like many young male baboons, he was overcome with curiosity and wanderlust and set out into the world to discover its secrets.

Maddog

So many tales from different parts of the world mention Maddog that many scholars doubt that there was a single baboon by that name but suggest that similar tales have been tied together. Physical descriptions do tend to concur that he was a member of the Blackdog tribe.

If the tales are to be believed, then Maddog was born around the year 580, Third Age, somewhere in the Nerthern Valley hinterland above Copperhead. The roll call records of the First Battalion, Copperhead Heavy Infantry, list a baboon by that name as enlisted for a short period of time.

The first solid evidence for actions indicate that a baboon named Maddog was awarded battle honours by the Duke of Moonguard, as part of an elite strike force assembled to quell the blood demon incursions that were a grave threat to his eastern territories around 600 T.A.

In 604, possibly the same baboon is mentioned by name in the Necropolitan Royal Records as being in the entourage of the boy Pharaoh when he overthrew the Dark Lord, Mereneptah. This baboon is later described as a warrior-priest in the service of the Necropolitan vassal, King Ziggy I of Anatolia.

Scenario Hooks

The Hackers - a Typical Baboon Family