Monkey society
Male and female Monkeys hold a lot of the same roles within a town or city, staying local in their duties. However, the more aggressive nature of the females means that they take on a leadership role and make the big decisions. Geldmales, being the most common and least-valued gender among the Monkeys, are the labor force for dangerous work like hunting, gathering, and soldiering. The geldmales are the ones that tend to go afar.
The Monkeys have no capital city, but have numerous leaders. Whosoever is the nearest leader to a particular area is considered the authority of that area. Leaders are always female and don’t stray far from their province. These provinces are generally as large as the leader in question can control, and the better provinces are frequently full of dangerous flora and fauna upon which the Monkeys can train. The role of leadership, however, is malleable and potentially fleeting. Should any leader be forced to retreat in a fight, she will lose her position as leader and be unable to regain a leadership role again. Those not strong enough to hold onto and remain in power once they take it are not worthy to lead when the ‘Great War’ comes. Power is not something given, only taken. While not every Monkey is a zealot, those in the highest leadership roles are expected -- even required -- to be.
Monkeys are usually quite small and have prehensile tails. These tails are able to hold onto branches and simple items, but they do not have the dexterity for tasks that require fine motor control. They are of little use in combat even for balance. Monkeys are very faith-driven, and their leaders are extremely devoted to the task assigned to their race. They will unapologetically pick a fight with anyone they feel is stronger than they. A form of practice in preparation for the ‘Great War’. An act that antagonizes the other races, leaving the other races embittered. This same fanaticism causes most Monkeys to hold a dislike for the Rats, out of the paranoid belief that the Rats wish to replace them when the ‘Great War’ takes place. Their dislike is aggravated by the lack of any noticeable Rat fighting force.
Monkeys value the existence of a life more than the path that life takes. This leads them to be less likely to own slaves as it requires them to interfere with another's life who they feel should live or die on their own merits. Despite their frequent battles with the other races, Monkey skirmishes aren’t known for their high body counts. A fight that can be won with minimal or no killing is seen as a far greater victory than one that requires a massacre. Indeed, it’s more likely for an unattended child to be eaten or fall into a river than to die in combat. Monkeys aren’t known for their superb parenting. Bad parenting, unlike the other aspects of their society, doesn’t discriminate on gender; this leads to most Monkeys growing up rather incurious. Curious Monkeys tend to wander off and get killed. Of those that survive to adulthood, 19% are female, 21% male, and 60% are geldmales.
Monkeys don’t keep secrets, at least not between Monkeys. If someone is swindled, claims a mate, or trips over a log, you can be sure that within a matter of Suns, every monkey within a province will know of it. Visitors to Monkey territory with a reputation for their strength will likely find themselves constantly fending off Monkeys who want to test that strength.
Marriage:
When it comes to family affairs, Monkey females choose males, and geldmales are left out of the picture entirely. A female may lay claim to a male, and will keep him if no other female lays claim within a Stay. If others also claim the male, conflict can arise. Whosoever can prove they were first to lay claim is the male’s rightful mate, but proving this can be difficult. There are of course other methods of conflict resolution, but they are rare and often perilous.
