Description:
There are several varieties of griffin with a wide range of appearances and characteristics.
Regal Griffin
Best known is the Regal griffin, with its eagle-like forequarters and feline hind. Intelligent, loyal and graceful they are considered a noble beast and adorn the crest of the Empire. They are intelligent above animals and though they cannot speak human languages they do seem able to learn to understand them, given enough time. In the wild they favour cliffs, mountains and any high places where they can soar to the heavens and survey their lands.
The males are differentiated from the females by the horns that sweep back from the crowns of their heads, used in battle with other males over mates and territory. They occur across over all of Tymeara whereas Ravine and Lesser Griffins are found only in Caevalonia.
Ravine Griffin
Ravine griffins are considered as fell beasts and it is thought they descended from an aberration to their Regal cousins. They are intelligent yet vicious, ill tempered brutes that kill for sport. They are similar in appearance to regal griffins and at first glance can be mistaken for them until you notice their ragged wings and hunched, misshapen bearing. Unlike regal griffins they do not mate for life and remain solitary creatures except for when they raise young.
Lesser, or Feline Griffins - Gryphons
This variety of griffins are generally much smaller than their avian relations and are spelled Gryphons to differentiate. Unlike the others, gryphons have the head of a great cat instead of being birdlike. Their forelegs may be feline with their hind legs avian, or vice versa but the head is always feline and their bodies tend to be no bigger than the great cats they resemble. Their appearance is much more varied than Ravine or Regal griffins and their feline parts can appear like tigers, lions, gorrtas, smilodons or other cats. They are do not seem to understand human languages and are far more animalistic in their behaviour. They tend to take on characteristic behaviours of whatever felines they resemble, with leonine gryphons forming prides and others like tiger and smilodon-related gryphons being more solitary and favouring the territories favoured by their feline halves.
Average Statistics
Diet: Carnivore
Alignment Regal - neutral, Ravine - evil, Gryphon - neutral
Solitary/Group (number): Depends on species.