http://shatteredplanes.com/forum/index.php?topic=2117.msg21824#msg21824I'm redoing them. Of course, since Hawk did have them fleshed out a bit, I won't just overwrite his, but work it in.
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Description:An ancient subrace, the Gryphon or better known as Griffin is known best for its appearance of both a lion and an eagle mixed. Though this is true and counts for some, the Gryphon is much more than what legend depicts them as. They are a wise courageous race that has quite a talent in the magical and physical arts.
A Gryphon is probably one of the most easiest subraces to tell a part from other Sages, as they have distinct traits in their appearance fathered by both the Felidae and the Avian Raptor kinds.
The Gryphon takes the form of a Feline with the upper head, front limbs, and back of an Avian. They have large wings, that allow them to fly and sharp talons as well as claws and feline-like feathered ears atop their heads. While legend depicts them with only Lion or Eagle, truth lets them be any type from the smallest hummingbird and domestic cat mix, to the spotted cheetah and falcon. The Gryphon's avian traits can fall from any branch of Avian and its Felidae traits from any type of Feline. This makes no two Grypon's in existence the same unless pureblooded inbred or the case of twins.
Because of this mixed form of traits, Gryphon's can also be any size, from the smallest timid to the largest most fierce types.
Like most mythical animals though, the Gryphon has followed and taken Humanoid Sage form for both convenience and preference. In Sage form, they can appear as winged humanoids with feet or hands as paws or talons or keep just the wings. However there is one trait that a Gryphon will always keep even if they're in Sage form, and this is their tail. It is what sets them apart from other Sages and shows who they are. If a Gryphon should try to hide their tail, the magic for some reason will be disrupted and the tail will continue to show. If cut off, it will grow back almost instantly.
If a Gryphon insists on hiding his or her tail though, they would be forced to hide it in their clothes or some other method as magic will simply not work. Some think this is because of the Gryphon's pride being passed down through the ages and inherited through their magic in such a way the magic knows the tail is special. But nothing is proven as to why this is. In sage form, Gryphon's will also usually display pointed ears, like that almost of a cat. These also never go away.
Because of their Avian qualities. Gryphon's even in sage form have very acute sight and can see at far distances, picking out the smallest details like a spec of dust or mite on your shirt. This makes them extremely sharp-eyed in combat but also gives them a fault as Gryphon's will examine details almost always.
Because of their Felidae qualities, Gryphon's possess great strength and are talented in hand to hand combat as well as martial arts. They almost never run from a challenge, and display a great deal of pride. They are also very loyal, and will defend their comrades to the point of sacrifice. If someone they care about dies, the Gryphon will almost always go after the killer until dues have been paid.
In flight of both Sage and Gryphon form, the Gryphon possesses speed and can turn corners or dives of the sharpest difficulty without stopping or breaking a sweat. They are natural in the air and talented in the wind craft of magic.
Gryphon's age the same rate as any other Sage, and of course through magic can control it or appear what age they wish.
Culture:Preferring to take after their Avian side, Gryphon's live mostly in flocks. There are of course a few loners that prefer the feline side of things and take to prides or by themselves. But for the most, they are a very social race and keep in company of one another with no real designated leader. Their flocks usually agree on things together or not at all. In battle, they defend one another and they all fight, or all run. No one is left behind.
In each flock there are separate families, and these families all normally live together sharing with one another and helping one another. As of course there are loners, there also individual families as well.
Gryphon young are normally taught at a very young age their basic physical defense so as to protect themselves. When they have mastered this, their next focus is magic. This is so the young have the bodies and physical prowess to handle high level spells and the chance of accidents instead of being thrown into something so dangerous so early. When they have mastered their magic, they are of age and can choose to remain with the flock or go out in the world alone.
Reproduction:...If in Gryphon form, since they have um.. feline er... 'parts,' the will have cubs like their feline side. If in Sage form, they have it the old fashion way....
When mating in Gryphon form, they pull a mixture of both the Avian sky ritual followed by how felines.... do it. If it rains or their ritual is disrupted, Gryphon's believe this to be a sign, and the resulting child will be considered 'special,' amongst them.
They do not mate in Sage form.
Magic:Gryphon's due to being both Feline and Avian specialize in the elements of Wind and Earth. Wind from their skill in flight and their mastery of the skies. Creating small breezes to tornadoes with their great wings and fast speeds. And earth from their ability to be at home on the ground and roam it almost hidden. Their strength lets them cause earthquakes to a certain extent of damage, and move boulders with the sounds of their roars or screeches. They can swim and use some water magic, but aren't as skilled and quite clumsy in it compared to other Sages. They can also cast some small fire spells, but can easily lose control.
In common magic, a Gryphon is as at home with it as any other Sage, and can master most of it. To higher degrees of magic, they can specialize or choose to remain a jack of all trades.
Gryphon's have an interesting talent with gold. Able to transfigure any metal they touch into gold, the Griffin uses this to build things out of and adorn themselves as well as their dwellings with. A Gryphon will become very territorial and obsessive if you try to steal their gold.
History:Much of the Gryphon history has been shrouded in mystery and lost in time. Did they come from some type of Feline and Avian mating? Or were they created with the other sages? No one really knows the answer to that as most Gryphon's these days are so far removed from their ancestors and lost so much of their culture, that they don't know what they are or where they hail from.
Just that they're a subrace of Sage, and that they once frequented the Sage Dimension with the others. Anything before this? No one bothered to record. With such a wise race, one would wonder why there were no records kept. But the answer to that is also unknown. Besides the stories, there has been no trace left.
It has been speculated they may have descended from the Roc, an Avian Raptor that's a close cousin to the Phoenix. However how much removed from this ancestral line is a mystery.
Most Gryphon's these days have no way of finding out. When they entered the SP dimension, their flocks had divided and a great majority of the younger ones had gone with one Griffin known as Tremor. He had lead himself as well as his flock to ruin, and because of it endangered the whole race to the point the other flocks had to go into hiding in multiple dimensions and leave the Sage dimension.
Now months or years later, depending on the dimension they were in, the Gryphon have began to come out of hiding and are being seen more frequently.
