Wetland Griffin

Wetland griffins are curious and clever scavengers native to the damp and temperate lands along Sanoris's south coast. While they are distant relatives to the domesticated Avrodian Griffin, they avoid people and are far too small to be ridden.

They are a common sight in southern Sanoris, traveling alone or in small flocks of three to five adults. While they are rarely aggressive, they can be vicious if provoked.

Wetland Griffin Stat Sheet by Aster Blackwell

Basic Information

Anatomy

The wetland griffin is quadrupedal with a small and stocky body. It is covered with mottled brown fur, save for its front legs--which only have fur up to the elbows--and the front of its face. The end of its muzzle is tipped with a hard keratin beak and its mouth is lined with sharp teeth.

It has large triangular ears that can rotate almost 180 degrees independently. Its eyes are large and often bright blue. Its tail is almost half as long as its body and is tipped with a plume of longer fur.

Draconic Flight

Wetland griffins have a celestial core and use Glow to generate dragon wings. Their wings are long and rectangular with slotted ends. This allows them to take advantage of updrafts and soar high in the air with little effort. Their wings are also short enough to allow for agile maneuvers at lower altitudes.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Strict carnivores, wetland griffins almost exclusively eat carrion. They use their extraordinary sense of smell to sniff out corpses from over a mile away. They will eat just about anything, even bits that other carnivores might ignore, like skin, organs, and bones. They are resistant to many illnesses, allowing them to eat rotted flesh with little consequences.

They are well known for visiting battlefields to feast on fallen soldiers. During the Hartian assault of the wetlands before the Outskirts Treaty, the local griffins learned to follow Hartian banners, knowing that where they went, blood would soon follow. Even decades after the treaty, the griffins are still heavily associated with the violence of war and the Hartian Empire.

Their close relationship with death earns them a sinister reputation, but they are not typically aggressive. They may occassionally take live prey if the opportunity presents itself, but have not been known to hunt anything larger than a rodent.

Behaviour

"A circling griffin reveals either a skeleton or a secret."

— Common saying in the wetlands

Wetland griffins are curious, but from a distance. They tend to circle above recent changes in their environment or other landmarks that they find interesting. Sometimes they perch near camps or settlements to observe people, but they never venture close.

They will also circle corpses as they evaluate whether it is safe to descend and feed upon them. Sometimes they will follow sick or injured animals. Their sparkling wings cast splashes of color upon the ground as they trace lazy circles around their target, waiting for it to die.

Nox Symbol simplified (color) by Aster Blackwell

Luminosity

Lunar (Nox)

Lifespan

10 - 15 years

Average Height

1 to 1.5 feet at the shoulder

Average Weight

15 - 20 pounds

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Their fur can be many shades of brown or gray, with darker fur on the end of their tail, back legs, and in spots along their back. Their skin is also brown and is typically a lighter color than their fur. They are sometimes completely black, or black with brown skin. Black griffins are a foreboding omen in many cultures.

Geographic Distribution

• Sanori Grasslands
• Southern Wetlands

Familiar Fur

Visitors from Auzera may note the similarities between the wetland griffin and the Auzeran tatzel. Both animals are small, furry dragons, with exposed skin on their forelegs and faces. They can both be found in urban environments, and they both have a feisty reputation. Despite these similarities, the two share no close genetic relatives and have very different temperaments--a wetland griffin would never allow itself to become a household pet!