Vanara

Inquisitive and mischievous monkey-like humanoids with short, soft fur, expressive eyes, and long prehensile tails.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Vanaras are humanoids with simian features, including a long, prehensile tail and handlike feet. They're rarely much taller than 5 feet, but they usually look smaller because of their slight, nimble builds. Vanaras are covered with a thin layer of soft fur over their entire bodies. This fur can be tan, brown, or golden and rarely has spots or stripes. The hair on a vanara's head grows thicker and more luxurious; it's easy to arrange into elaborate hairstyles, and many vanaras like to do so. This hair is nearly always of the same color as the vanara's body fur, with the exception of rare “whitecape” vanaras with manes of fine, pale hair, who might be born into any vanara family. Vanaras have large, expressive eyes and mouths with blunt teeth and pointed incisors. Vanaras are adults at 13 years old and usually live about 60 years.

Behaviour

Vanaras are tricksters who love pranks, but they temper this tendency toward mischief with good intentions and a love of their community—however they personally define that community. They're rarely agitators or troublemakers simply for the sake of causing chaos; they do so to encourage humility among the inflexible or humorless. Most vanaras are mindful of the virtues necessary to elevate their immortal souls and try to act accordingly. Vanaras are thus most likely to be neutral good.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Vanaras are a varied folk who seek balance and comfort in their lives. Many are devout without being fanatics, tricksters without being malicious, daring without being foolish, and curious without being obsessive. 
Vanaras look to the legends of heroic vanaras of the past for lessons on how to live their lives.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Newborn vanaras aren't given names other than descriptors of their infant personalities or habits, like “Grip-Hand” or “Wailer.” When they learn to speak, vanaras are given another name based on important historical or mythological figures, or they're given the name of a specific ancestor they resemble in appearance or attitude (or whom their community hopes they'll grow to resemble). The chosen name usually contains consonants or vowels the young vanara frequently uses, as vanaras don't see a lot of use in giving someone a name they can't easily pronounce.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Common Vanara

Lifespan

60 Years