Demigryph

Demigryph

Demigryph’s are a hybrid creature combining the features similar to wild Gryphons albeit without the wings of said creature. In all these creatures resemble a Lion with the head and neck of an Eagle giving it a powerful beak, excellent vision and sense of direction. However despite the resemblance to the creatures it takes from it is much larger than a Lion, much larger than the biggest breeds of horse and with a strength that puts the largest of the Bears in Vailor to shame. Its powerful legs allow it to travel at fast speeds allowing it to chase down prey or other enemies with ease, being able to rip through even the toughest armours with its claws with accounts of fully armoured knights being severed in two.

However despite these accounts its temperament is better than that of a Gryphon, the Demigryph is able to be used as a mount. For someone to be able to tame the Demigryph they must imprint on the creature at its Birth or earn its respect and mutual trust in the Wild. Although heavily aggressive in combat they will not attack descendent races on sight but will act cautiously if approached. Once it is imprinted on or tamed in such a way it can be mounted by a descendent it will only have one rider, disallowing anyone else from riding it and defending its master with ferociously.

As mounts they are excellent warbeasts, being as fast as horses however without the fear a charge from a cavalry division of Demigryphs could potentially break any infantry line if the use of Lances is employed. This doesn't mean mean they are unkillable though, no matter what they are unable to swim and treat water very cautiously if they are to cross a ford they will do so much more slowly than infantry or other horse based cavalry and not without doing it reluctantly more often than not trying to throw the rider off.

Despite this weakness and their apparent aggression and ferocity in battle they are able to distinguish friend from foe, with their excellent vision comes excellent memory identifying sigils and colours from armies so that they are taught who is friendly and who is not. With this their masters can also teach them friend from foe outside of the battlefield with gestures of aggression towards sigils and colours to show the Demigryph who their master's enemies at the time is.

Generally in the wild the Demigryph lives in mountainous and flat terrains migrating between the two environments for hunting and mating purposes, often living with packs of other Demigryphs that make their dens in Mountainous Caves. Peasants and Knights alike might brave a Demigryph Den when the pack is out hunting to steal eggs to either keep for themselves or sell to up and coming Knights so that they might have powerful Mounts. Despite this Demigryph Mounts are generally considered to be rare due to the effort it takes to imprint and tame the Mount as a Master and it takes a Knight that has a lot of dedication to do so.

OOC Note: This is sort of a unique mount for the Humans for Knights and Lancers to use, as it is often noted by others how Orcs have their own special Racial Mounts such as Lur Wolves, Jabbernacks etc. These creatures are more for the RP and can be represented ingame by generic Horse Mobs much like how the Orcs use Horses to represent their mounts ingame.

Author: TauFirewarrior, Lynxy