Gibbjerdon

The gibbjerdon (jibb jer DON) are a sort of “generic” monster. Also called “the gibbering ones”, they live in nearly every environment.

They seem to be a cross between a rodent (like a squirrel) and a chimpanzee. They are not as intelligent as chimps, but they do have an innate cunning like many rodents where they are often able to foil traps and defenses by dogged curiosity. Fortunately, even when one learns something, that one rarely shares this knowledge with others, not even children or other close relatives.

They prefer to form into large colonies (the name for “herds” of gibbjerdons). They are omnivorous, including eating some forms of dirt and clay for minerals, especially if they are not getting enough minerals through the eating of prey animals and their bones. For this reason, they are often referred to as being so dumb they eat rocks. They will eat rocks (because they are not smart) but they are truly trying to eat the rich clay deposits.

They continue to grow larger as they age. Their color will depend on what they are eating, so as long as they are getting fresh meat and minerals, their hair will stay a rich brown mixed with black. Thus, there are no “silver backs” to rely on for their age - only their size.

But if exposed to magic, they can grow extraordinarily large as well. There have been several situations where unscrupulous alchemists have dumped unwanted experiments or spoiled ingredients, and a colony of gibbjerdons have devoured the magical ingredients allowing them to grow both in size and often manifesting specialized magical powers.

In a similar fashion, these common nuisance animals must have some innate ability to sense magic, because they have been known to find ley lines and congregate there, again gaining size, power and abilities.