Gryphons

Gryphons are a race of sentient hexapod avians potentially distantly related to Dragons and Winged Cobras.

Just like their reptilian counterparts, gryphons inhabit wast amounts of lands and are spread across various landscapes. Although they exist in the Orient too, they are mostly concentrated in the Occident.

Body shape
Gryphons are hexapod (six-limbed) avians roughly the size of a horse - meaning that they have four legs and two limbs, which means a total of six limbs. Gryphons are omnivores, ideally having a diet that consists of a mixture of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, although due to the preferred location of their nests (mountains with poorer vegetation), the majority of gryphons are de facto carnivores. Just like other birds, gryphons do not have teeth, but their beaks tend to be sharp and strong enough to break food that would be too big to swallow in whole, With the exception of the eyes, beak and their zygodactyl feet, the whole body of the gryphon is covered with feathers whose colour scheme is similar to that of a calico cat, consisting of a mixture of white, orange and optionally black. Black feathers tend to be rare amongst gryphons, but not nonexistent - they are viewed as status symbols, and gryphons with black feathers are revered by other gryphons.

Role in societies and warfare


The battlefield potential of gryphons has been observed for a very long time - all three major kingdoms of Artograch (Etrand, Froturn and Dragoc) employ gryphons both as "airborne horses" (transporting archers and javelin-throwers) and as individual combatants in themselves. In exchange for this, their nests become protected by the authorities that hire them, and food is provided for them, making them de facto mercenaries.

When employed as "airborne horses", gryphons tend to be carry an individual archer (or combatant equipped with any other ranged weapon) on their back, who is trained to shoot while on the move. Gryphons are able to "sense" where does their "pilot" want them to fly, but in case of no input - since gryphons are sentient and have agency - they can act as highly advanced autopilots. When employed as individual combatants without anyone riding them, their job is typically to harass enemy infantry, break siege engines or steal/destroy objects of high value that happen to be put on display.