Appearance

Gryphons are a strangely blended species. All gryphons have the feathered head and wings of a bird, but their legs and body can be that of either a feline or canine. A gryphon's build, shape, and markings can differ enormously, and they have as much variation as a dragon might in their appearance. A gryphon's tail will always match the species of their hind end, but many also sport a feathered, fan-like tail like that of a bird to aid in their flight.

Abilities

Gryphons are as adept at elemental magic as wolves and lions are, though their level of mastery depends on their age and experience. Most gryphons are best at a single type of elemental magic, though there are a few that have gone to master more than one kind, or magic outside of the elements.

Many of the canine-based gryphons are better at magics involving water, while earth or plant based magics are easier for the feline-based gryphons to master. Many gryphons do not expand their skills in magic beyond what they need to survive, for to these creatures, it is far more important that they are able to remain undisturbed for their seemingly mixed heritage than to work on magic.

In more recent years, however, a few gryphons have begun to test their limits, strengthening their magic and actively fighting back and pushing against the oppression that has been crushing the species for so long; these gryphons dabble in the dark and light magics both, and are beginning to experiment with the magic derived from aura.

History

Gryphons were created by the gods Zarkos, Karnos, and Cysnial, in a combination of flight, grace and pride. Created thousands of years after the other species, Gryphons were a new concept to the preexisting creatures of Antarsia... and these creatures did not do well seeing such a strange creature.

Branded an abomination, Gryphons were discriminated against ceaselessly, and some went even so far as to hunt them down for their strange appearance. The only gryphons that seemed to be safe were the ones that remained on Prasinos, and a very few that took residence in the mountains of Katakarthia, and thus the gryphons created their strongholds here.

As the gryphons finally began to settle into their place in Antarsia, tensions began to build, even within the gryphons themselves. The gryphons as a whole began to turn against the half-breeds of the world, blaming the ones who were truly mixes of different species for the gryphons' strife...but such accusations led to nothing, and embittered by the hatred of the rest of the world, the gryphons turned against each other. The canine gryphons began to blame their feline counterparts for the hatred of the world, and vice versa. A rift began to form within the species itself, and instead of growing closer at their time of need, the gryphons began to split further apart.

Though both types originated in Prasinos, the divide caused the canine gryphons to migrate across the ocean, to Katakarthia were a few gryphons had already set up their territory. Being social creatures, the gryphons finally were able to truly settle and establish their flights, and begin building their numbers once more.

Today, the gryphons have made a recovery, and their numbers, though still small compared to the other species, are higher than they have ever been before. The feline gryphons occupy a section of land in Prasinos, away from the lions, and the canine gryphons still reside in the mountains of Katakarthia. A few gryphons have been brave enough to venture once more to the lands outside of the flights' territories, but most remain within their respective lands, remaining under the radar of the other species.