Erdember
The erdember, Messenian taxonomic name Erdembrus magnus, is a species of lemur native to the more densely forested parts of the Velyarok grasslands of south-western Terophatic Serania. The largest known primate native to the Seranian continent, it takes its name from the Lacrean erdọ ember (ⰅⰓⰄⰦ ⰅⰏⰁⰅⰓ, roughly “man of the forest”; early settlers in the region presumed, from its size, that the erdember was a local species of great ape (whereas it is now known that no such creatures have ever been indigenous to Serania). The Messenian name is derived from the Lacrean.
Adult male erdembers average around 160 kilogrammes (350 pounds) and stand roughly 1.4 metres (4 ft 7 inches) at the shoulder, while some exceptional specimens have been reported at almost 240 kilogrammes (525 pounds), putting them on a par with the largest ape species of the Old World. Females are smaller, usually around 120 kilogrammes (265 pounds). Despite this size, the erdember is usually a tree-dwelling species, living and nesting in the lower canopies where the tree branches are sturdy enough to support their weight, and descending to ground level only to travel and to gather food. Erdembers, like most of their smaller cousins, are typically leaf-eaters, although they may diversify into eating fruit and nuts where necessary. They are principally active during the daytime, although the remote and hard-to-access territories in which they live make them difficult to find, and studies of their habits have been limited.
Forest clearances in parts of Terophatic Serania (including most of its former Lacrean possessions, where it was first encountered by Joriscians), have cut substantially into the erdember’s customary range, although it remains prevalent across much of the territory’s interior.