Argopelter (ahr-goh-pehl-tr)

Argopelter

Argopelters were apes capable of shooting poisonous boney spikes from its forearm when in trouble. The argopelters were the most arboreal of the great apes and spent most of their time in trees. When threatened, they could shoot spikes made of bone at predators. The number of spikes they were able to discharge increased with age. Their hair was typically reddish-brown, instead of the brown or black hair typical of hsaio (flying monkeys) and sasquatches. Males and females differed in size and appearance. Dominant adult males had distinctive cheek pads and produced long calls that attracted females and intimidate rivals. Younger males did not have these characteristics and resembled adult females. Argopelters were the most solitary of the great apes, with social bonds occurring primarily between mothers and their dependent offspring, who stayed together for the first two years. Fruit was the most important component of an argopelter’s diet; however, the apes would also eat vegetation, bark, honey, insects and even bird eggs. They could live over 30 years in both the wild and captivity.

They were born with two lethal spikes in each of their forearms, four total. These could be fired individually or all at once and grew back in about twenty minutes. Adults gained the ability to shoot additional spikes straight from their palms. The poison caused organs to become inflamed, burning unlucky prey from the inside. Fortunately, argopelters only used these spikes for self defense. Wooders (Lumberjacks) were their most frequent victims. Argopelter colonies were clearly mapped and protected from deforestation.