South of L'Coth D'hari, across Farthing Inlet, lies a stretch of rainforest dominated by its most dangerous inhabitants: the great apes.
These are not ordinary primates. The apes of the Apelands stand forty feet tall, covered in dark fur, possessed of terrifying strength and violent territorial instincts. They roam the forest in loose bands, battling each other for dominance, and killing anything they perceive as a threat.
No one has successfully studied them. Expeditions that enter the Apelands either return within days or don't return at all. What little is known comes from observation at the boundaries:
- They are omnivorous but prefer meat
- They communicate through deep vocalizations that carry for miles
- They appear to have some form of social hierarchy, though the specifics are unclear
- They occasionally venture south into Seyiy and Bloodwood, causing devastation
Why apes of this size evolved here—whether natural adaptation or magical intervention—remains unknown. Some scholars note that the Anchor Trees are particularly numerous in and around the Apelands.