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Thread for Concerning Griffins
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Sileen
12:42am, August 22, 2009
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[Delete] | Content will be further fleshed out when time (laziness) permits.
CONCERNING GRIFFINS…
Griffins are white, gray, black, gold, red, orange, peacock shades, and every color you might find in the bird world. Griffins have tiger stripes, cheetah spots, the lion tan, and red fox red. Griffins are covered completely in feathers or have a mix of feathers and fur. Griffins can have tall plumes, griffins can have short tufted ears, and they can have smooth heads like an eagle. Griffins can have talons in bird feet, claws in paws, or both. They can have fluffy tails, thin tails with tufts, or long feathered tails.
To sum up, no two griffins are completely alike in coloration and style. While most tend to be closer to your classical griffin look, you do get some wild styles and colors. There are even a rare few with spined tails. The only similarities are in basic size and bulk. They tend to fall into five categories.
Nester- Nesters are your basic griffins, and are the kind that are most rare to take riders, preferring to live out in the cliffs. They size at about six foot at the shoulder, and have the general griffin package of strength, claws/talons, and sharp beak.
Emesen- Emesens are the strikers of the griffin world, and the most aggressive. They tend to look more feral then the others, either due to sharper claws, sharper features, or what have you and stand at about six foot at the shoulder. They are quick, agile flyers, known for their ferocity in battle. Emesens tend to focus on singling out prey for a swift, brutal strike, and have been known to tear an opponent apart when riled.
Vendo- As aggressive as the Emesen is, the Vendo is passive. They are calm, collected griffins that are very patient, and very good at standing guard. When given a guardianship, however, they can become very fierce indeed. It takes a lot to get past them. Stronger then the basic griffin, they stand at around seven foot at the shoulder, and balance some of the Emesen quick attacks in battle with using strength to plow enemies over.
Anekonian- There is one way to describe an Anekonian… the tank. The tallest and strongest of the griffins, they are also the slowest, but when an Anekonian goes it takes a lot to stop this tower of muscle from continuing to do so. They’ve been known to keep charging with multiple spears sticking through their thick hide. The most likely of the griffins to wear armor, they use the tactic in battle of charging in a screaming line through the enemy and running over and laying waste to whatever comes in their path. It is said an Anekonian can rip a horse in half, and standing at 9 foot they look capable.
Darters- The smallest of the griffins, and also the fastest breed. Standing at five foot at the shoulder, these lithe beasts are swift, graceful, and hard to get a hand on. They are also said to be the prettiest of the griffins.
A griffin will bond a rider anytime between infancy to when the griffin is old enough for its first solo flight, though a griffin bonded at infancy gives the strongest bond, right before the first flight makes the weakest. Riders who form their bond with the griffin fresh out of the egg are said to be two parts of a one in the sky. If the griffin finds no rider to suit it before then, it never takes one.
CONCERNING RIDERS…
A griffin rider can come from any walk of life and any kind of humanoid race (though there are no orc, troll, gnome, or drow riders). To become a griffin rider you must possess at least the basic traits: loyalty to companions, sense of pride, a certain level of morality, and of course be physically able to handle the rigors of flight. These base traits do not mean one will become a griffin rider, however. Each griffin looks for that elusive “something more” before bonding a rider. Something that makes that person suited to them, as well as makes them fit for.. Ridership.
Griffin riders will often move in pairs from village to village, noble house to house, gathering those few youths their griffins take interest and point out in their own ways (who are willing) to be put forward to the young griffins for their choosing. Other races are invited, but not actively searched through as they are less willing to put loyalty to the human capitol to have a griffin.
CONCERNING STATUS
Even if they started a grubby little street rat a griffin rider is still welcome in the homes of the noblety. As much as they are deadly, griffins are a status symbol.
Edited 1:45am, August 29, 2009 by Sileen, author. |
| GRIFFIN AGING |
Sileen
4:07pm, September 13, 2009
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[Delete] | This is the best estimate of the aging of griffins and their size and maturity levels.
Week 1 to 2: Griffins are house cat sized bundles of fur and feathers with tiny palm long wings, awkward movements, and more curiosity than sense. They’re like kittens with pouncing things that move, children in their giddy curiosity on everything, with a good amount of energy when awake then prone to sudden sleepiness and dropping to nap. They sleep pretty much three fourths of the time this age, eat, get some excited bouncing in, then sleep again.
Though bonds taken fresh from the shell are the most intense, anytime during this period produces a strong bond. These riders can tell about the distance of their griffins, guess at actions, as well as how they are emotionally feeling.
Week 3 to 4: Starts at two feet near the beginning of week three, and climbs to three at the end. Gangly limbs and awkward running about. Still sticking their noses into things. Wings, extended, are about the length of their body, too small to use much yet. They become a bit more handfuls at this time as the naps become less frequent but their energy does not truly wane. They retain their childlike curiosity about everything, and begin chasing things that can count as prey instead of just anything that moves. Rats beware!
Bonds taken at this stage are a little more mild, just impressions of feelings.
Week 5 to 6: Starts at three feet, and gets to five at the end. The griffin is starting to move more easily. Wings have grown almost comparable in size to their body as they will be when full grown, and griffin begins jumping and flapping a lot to exercise those muscles. Also known to successfully hunt at this age, rats /really/ beware, as well as other mountain critters. Though they still demand pampering with being fed. They have huge appetites at this age.
Bonds taken at this stage are weakest, only vague impressions at best. This is also the most common time for a griffin to choose a rider, when it begins to have mental maturity to realize it might want a companion.
Week 7 to 8: Griffin is about horse sized, six feet at the head, and can carry the rider on ground romps for short periods. Sometime during the seventh week, the griffin takes it's first flight, an awkward thing for them until they get the hang of it. Griffins tire quickly during week seven, then can stay up for long periods of time by the end of week 8. Their appetite begins to slow enough that by the end of week eight when their flying is up to par they are able to hunt and feed themselves. Trainers tend to step in at this point to strongly encourage riders to stop feeding griffins and make them hunt, since the occasional griffin is a big baby about no longer being hand fed.
Bonds formed at this time are just like close friends. You can read body language of each other, but do not really sense much mentally. Once the griffin takes that first flight, though, no bonds can be formed.
Week 9: The griffin is not supposed to handle a rider yet, but training will still start for the pair, beginning on the ground as the griffin can now easily carry the rider as a land mount.
Week 10: The griffin is finally deemed large enough to handle a rider in the air. First flight with rider is often as awkward as their first flight, and flights have to be kept to under a hour a day typically due to the youth and less stamina of fliers. More flight, and basic combat training, happens at this time.
Week 12: Griffin is near full grown, and can last extended periods with their rider. Training for combat is begun in earnest.
A griffin is considered full adult at about six months, and will begin mating flights about then. Depending on how sharp the bond between griffin and rider, mating flights are very, very awkward the first time for the rider. As well around this time personal combat training is ended, and rider and griffin are assigned into a squad for further training.
Edited 2:15am, October 01, 2009 by Sileen, author. |
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