The Lion King
Name: Gryphon [alt. spelling: Griffon]
Designation: Non-sentient
Homeworld: Midvinter
Language: None
Average Lifespan: 50 years
Estimated Population: Rare
Average height of adults: 2.5 metres [shoulders]; 3 metres [head]
Average length of adults: 5 metres [head to tail]; 8 metres [wingspan]
Skin color: Pink
Hair color: Fur and feathers ranges from black to brown to white in various patterns and combinations.
Distinctions: Large, majestic half-feline, half-avian creature capable of flight. Head, front legs and chest are akin to that of an eagle, with the rest of the body and hind legs being distinctively feline in shape and form. They also possess both a beak and a tail.
Breathes: Air
Strengths:
- Ultimate Predator: Being capable of both running like a lion and soaring like an eagle, the gryphon is a master predator able to stalk even the largest prey.
- Majestic: Its great size and astonishing features makes this creature truly unique on Midvinter, thought extinct by the other inhabitants of the wintery world.
- Strength & Speed: Due to its perfect marriage of avian grace and feline ferocity, the gryphon possesses both razor-sharp talons of the former and the sheer power of the latter.
- Aerial Acrobat: Capable of breathtaking aerial maneuvers in spite of its great size, as well as great speed.
- A Rare Find: This thought-to-be mythical being is believed to be extinct for a reason, as they're considerably fewer in number than they were aeons past.
- Vulnerable to Fire: Being a creature covered in feathers and fur, they are highly susceptible. Fortunately the animal is capable of recognising its danger and takes every precaution when in its proximity.
- Headstrong: Like all flora and fauna found on Midvinter, this beast can be immensely stubborn and difficult to handle, yet once its loyalty is earned this mighty being will never falter in its friendship.
- Glass Cannon: In spite of the plates of armour they would don when mustered for war in ages past, the gryphon's hide and feathers does little to protect it from a sharp blade, making prolonged melee engagements problematic.
Diet: Carnivore; red/dark meat, poultry, and fish.
Communication: Screeches and purs.
Culture: None
Technology level: None
General behavior:
Gryphons are extremely territorial animals, as their kind has been used and exploited by the denizens of their snowy homeworld for hundreds of years in the distant past. Because there are so few of them, finding a mate is their top priority once old enough to leave their eyrie for good, capable of travelling hundreds of miles in their search. Once a mate is found, they are mated for life and thus create their own eyrie - either atop mountains or inside caves - with both partners sharing the responsibilities of raising their young, from egg to adult. The female, being generally quicker and more nimble than the male while lacking the same sheer mass, is usually charged with hunting while the male fends off any intruders, but these roles have been known to be reversed.
When in battle, gryphons are truly ferocious beasts, able to carve into their prey with large, sharp talons backed by the strength of a great feline. Their powerful beaks have been known to be able to crush rock and sometimes even steel. Their wings are able to create gusts of wind capable of blinding their foes with dust, or even blow them off their feet if caught off-guard.
Gryphons also able to create an array of different sounds. When feeling happy or comfortable, they make a purring sound one might mistake for a common house cat. When feeling threatened or exhilarated they let out a vast, ear-piercing screech akin to that of a predatory bird. Other sounds include low-frequency clucking and chirping sounds, which they commonly use to converse with.
History:
In a long-forgotten era, now thought upon as being mere myth, the greatest Valkyri warriors would seek out a gryphon eyrie located atop the Midvinter mountains and obtain an unhatched egg. This egg would then be cared for by the warrior until it hatches, at which point the gryphon cub imprints on its Valkyri master. The gryphon is given the best possible care and respect as it grows into adulthood, and is trained alongside other gryphons to become a most potent military unit, carrying their masters into battle with unflinching loyalty and wearing plates of armour.
With the Valkyri growing in numbers as the primary sentient being, however, the demand for more gryphons also grew, and so all the known nests were picked clean until there were none left and all known gryphons were now used as steeds. Given the warring nature of Valkryi society, it didn't take long until all gryphon units were wiped out and the species was declared extinct by the populace.
Yet hope still remains for these mythical beings, for rumour has it that huge, predatory bird-like creatures have been sighted to the east, amongst the highest Midvinter peaks previously untouched by anyone...
Notable Player-Characters: None
Intent: To add further lore and unique beings to the planet Midvinter.
