Demigryph

Current Month: Julwar 2nd: 209, The Fifth Age
Designed millennia ago by the Tremalking Empire as one of their "Weapon Races", Demigryphs are powerful creatures with a noble bearing. A wingless variant of the more well-known Griffon, they roam the forests and grasslands of the world, usually far from human habitation, hunting as individuals. Captive demigryphs are deployed by some braver knightly orders as war mounts. This is due to their frightening strength, massively powerful beaks, and viciously sharp claws which allows them to rip through armored opponents with ease. Unlike larger monstrous mounts, which are generally taken when young or bred in captivity, the capture of a full grown demigryph is a rite of passage among some orders.
  Physiology
  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, it is much larger than a lion. 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. They are able to distinguish friend from foe, with their excellent vision comes excellent memory identifying sigils.
  Behavior
  The temperament of a Demigryph is better than that of a Gryphon, seeing as it 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 on sight but will act cautiously if approached. Once it is imprinted on or tamed in such a way it can be mounted it will only have one rider, disallowing anyone else from riding it and defending its master ferociously.
  Demigryphs often live with packs of other Demigryphs that make their dens in Mountainous Caves, though they hunt as individuals. The creatures migrate between the mountains and flatlands for hunting and mating purposes.
  Weaknesses
  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. Even then, it will do so cautiously, and is more likely to throw its rider than not.

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