ECOLOGY

Environment warm forests, hills, or mountains
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none

The apex predators known as megaprimatuses rule virtually unchallenged among prehistoric beasts in lost, forgotten realms. Highly territorial, a megaprimatus attempts to intimidate any other large, threatening creatures out of its chosen domain, and fights them if they don't retreat. Once a megaprimatus resorts to violence, it shows no mercy, and its enemy must either escape or die.

A megaprimatus's diet consists of plants—especially large bunches of fruits or melons—and meat. Larger dinosaurs and megafauna are favored prey for the beast, and the megaprimatus enjoys the fight just as much as the meal.

Creatures that clearly don't pose any danger to a megaprimatus, such as smaller dinosaurs or even humanoids, can usually coexist in its domain. A population of herd dinosaurs or a humanoid settlement can thrive in its territory as the megaprimatus chases off giant predators. People living in this sort of situation might collect large quantities of fruit and deliver it to the ape to prevent it from getting so hungry it goes on a rampage and inadvertently crashes through their homes.

Its tendency to overlook smaller creatures can lead to a megaprimatus's downfall, because it is woefully underprepared to deal with the ingenuity of humanoids, whose implements of war are powerful enough to bring down a creature even as mighty as a megaprimatus.