Hippogryphs
by Kay
Singluar - Hippogryph
Plural - Hippogryphs Group - Clan of Hippogryphs Communication - Mindspeech; tendency to speak in 3rd person Size Ranges – 4ft-5ft on average Colorations – By Rank Naming Convention -- Names should reflect their Clan in some manner |
Description
Proud creatures, hippogryphs are the mixing of equine and gryphon, with the head, neck, forelimbs and wings of a mighty bird, and the body, hindquarters, legs, and tail of a horse. Their manes are rows of feathers, and their tails feathery locks of lush hair. Hippogryphs in the wild live in close "family" groups determined by rank, which they refer to as their clan. No matter who they are born to, when they reach the age that they can take care of themselves if they do not bond to a person they travel to the territory controlled by their rank clan and live their lives there. Rarely, an adult hippogryph will leave their clan to bond, or a person will be allowed to enter the outermost boarders of a clan's territory and will bond to a member, usually in response to a birth. While Hippogryphs are capable of mindspeech from a few weeks of age, they have a strong tendency to always speak in the third person whether referring to their Bonded (typically by name or some given title), fellow Bondmates, or even themselves by name, a title, or 'he' and 'she.' When anyone tries to correct them about this, they will simply nod in understanding but still reply 'He understands.' It's usually best to just accept this as a quirk of these fascinating creatures. Mating When a hippogryph feels that it is time to take a mate, he or she - for either gender may start the chase - will typically travel to the clan-neutral plains, and there will set up a loud call that is a blend of a screeching cry of a bird of prey and the neigh of a horse. Once enough suitors have gathered, the caller of the chase will begin the first of two phases: a swift ground race. They will take a per-determined course full of leaps, twists, and sharp turns designed to test the agility and stamina of potential mates. When they are satisfied and any less-worthy have been weeded out, they will leap expectantly into the skies. At this point, the suitors are not supposed to follow until they have a suitable gift for the one they chase, typically an offering of food or a pretty item, taken on the fly to prove their ability to provide at a whim. The leader of the chase will circle the offerings as they are displayed, and take the one that is found acceptable. Those two will depart together. Bonding Hippogryph young are born live, and are ready to bond after two months at which point they can fly relatively well and walk about easily. Candidates for the bonding are drawn to a site of the parents' choosing, typically on the edge of the clan's territory if the parents are wild or the home of a bonded. Gifts are often offered to the young as a whole, things that in one way or another represent the wind as it's the one thing all the clans share and respect equally, and whomever presents the one they find the most appealing is the one to whom they will bond. When they choose a bond, they will only accept a name that in a way reflects their Clan and home, as detailed in their specific ranks. Ranks Dawn 5* The Queens of the hippogryph species, Dawns are graceful, beautiful creatures. The horse portions of their bodies are always delicately-formed and come in shades of gold, and the bird halves show hues and patterns of rosy pink and pale lavender. Their eyes are always pale blue like the early morning sky. They are perhaps the most mystical of all the hyppogryph ranks, their clan homelands an ethereal realm of glowing light separate from the material world that can only be breached by their leave and guidance. After bearing their young, female Dawns give birth to 4-5 offspring, and none of them are ever Night Clan even if the father was a Night Clan member. When they are given names, they prefer ones that refer to dawn or light in some way in any language. North 4* The North clan are the lords of the species, proud and fierce as the icy winds of their clan home. They are bi-color creatures, with one half of their dual-animal appearance colored in shades of blue, from icy to deep, and the other in shades of grey from pale and powdery to iron. Any markings they have are by contrast pure white, varying from spots to bands to splotches and anything else a horse or bird may have. Oftentimes, unless they are enduring extensively high temperatures, they have thicker layers of feathers and fur coats than other hippogryphs. The members of the North Clan are warriors, strong combatants with hooves as hard as the frozen ground and beaks as sharp as shards of ice. Their chosen territory are northern rocky mountains and glacial bluffs, places too chilly and harsh for many others to live. Female North Hippogryphs birth about 4 foals at a time. Their preferred names reflect the mountains and the cold, or relate to weaponry. West 3* Members of the West clan are technically lesser lords, though they may be of either gender. Their base coloration across both equine and avian halves are always shades of green, though they may have markings in everything from browns and golden, to bright vibrant reds, yellows, blues, and oranges. Some appear to be naturally camouflaged, while others brazenly bright so it's a wonder they can vanish into the trees like they do. For all that their territory is one of the easiest for people to access, it is also one of the hardest to find: their chosen domain is the deep forests, and they are masters of camouflage, both of themselves and of their home. Many people have walked straight through it without ever realizing, for when they want to remain unseen, it takes a very keen eye to even catch hint of them. The female Wests give birth to 3-4 young of any clan. When they accept their names, they prefer ones to harken to their woodland homes or refer to the wind. East 2* Slightly smaller in stature than others of the species, East Clan hippogryphs are soft-spoken individuals of either gender, stepping lightly along the ferns of their territories. Skilled in matters of healing they often are encountered by those who fall ill or injured by sources of water, appearing with whatever aid is needed then vanishing again almost as if they faded into the water itself. (they actually have no such powers, but their flight is swift and silent and their coloration makes them practically vanish in waters). Their territories are the lands where rivers are born and lakes abound far in the east, a place spoken of as the home of all waters, and where you must be able to survive underwater or navigate the occasional islets that dot the land. Like their territory, East Clan members are primarily shades of blue all over, with variations of turquoise and green making up any markings they have - mostly bands, ripples, and speckles, though occasionally larger patches will show up. Unlike any other rank they are capable swimmers, able to hold their breath for hours at a time, and their feathers and fur are actually waterproof. But they are still land creatures, and must live on solid ground. The females will generally birth 3 young, though sometimes only 2, and can be of any clan. They prefer names that run along themes of water, or refer to healing. South 2* The South Clan runs and flies in the heated lands of the deserts, making their lairs in rocky crags and chasms that appear. Able to go without water for long periods and with a keen sense on where that precious liquid is, neither the intense heat nor shifting sand beneath their hooves bothers them. Souths have the most eye-catching appearance of the species, coats and patterns in colors like flames, fiery red and yellow and orange, no two alike. When they run or fly, their manes, tails, and feathers resemble pure flame. South females birth two young of any Clan. Not surprisingly, when accepting a name they prefer things relating to the desert, heat, and fire. Night 1* Where Dawn hippogryphs are bright and pure, the ominously-formed Night Clan are their polar opposite. The mystique of this either-gender clan comes from lurking in the shadows, in the deep, hidden places no one else dares tread. They are at home here, knowing things no one was meant to know, seeing what was never meant to come to light. Sometimes, they keep such things in the darkness, a kind of guardian. Other times, they seek to release it upon the world, sharing the things they know for good or for ill. At a look, one might think Night Clan members were mostly starved, for their limbs are far too slender and their skin held far too tight to the bone to ever look healthy. But this is all appearance; no matter how much they eat, a Night will always appear this way. Some legends tell that long ago they were a branch of Dawn Clan that fell from grace, others say that they took upon themselves to guard some great evil, which cursed them to appear as they do. Regardless, if their near-skeletal appearance wasn't enough to identify them then their consistent black pelts and feathers are. If they have any other colors to them, they are shades of grey in swirling marks like shrouds across their bodies. Very rarely, one will be born with crimson red marks on their manes, feathers, and hooves; these are by contrast to their clan fearsome warriors, and are pushed to bond for Night knows they are meant for some powerful destiny. Night females will somewhat surprisingly for their low ranking birth 3 or 4 young, but none of these will be Dawn Clan regardless of paternity. As the Dawn Clan, Night Clan's territory is a place that cannot be reached without help or great powers; many would call that a good thing, for certain a realm wrapped in eternal darkness, haunted mists. and chill vaporous winds can't be a good place to visit for anyone! When accepting a name, Night members look to names recalling the dark, death, and starless nights. |