Blazetail Gryphon

Material:

Monster

Material Category

Domesticated animal

Location to find it

Only being found in small numbers of ten to twelve family units on Drafika. These gryphons prefer the hotsprings of small hills as there breeding and territorial grounds.

Price (include parts, living and dead price)

Living:

With the males being around huge in size they tend to go for ten to fifteen thousand ruby volcanos on the open market. With females not being sold due to the rarity and difficulty of maintaining the females in capitivity.  Similar to many beasts with pride, the female grpyhon finds itself suffering from depression when taken from her bonded master or the wild. 

Feathers:

Around one to two ruby volcanos per pound is usually expected for the market price of these beautiful feathers. 

Hide:

Around eight thousand ruby volcanos can be expected for a huge or bigger hide in perfect condition. Though prices for smaller beasts of similar can go for as little as five hundred ruby volcanos.

Eggs:

Nearly twenty to thirty thousand is the starting price of most gryphon eggs. With blazetails fetching nearly double that due to rarity and difficulty in finding the creatures nests.

Talons:

To the right craftsman, they can go for about a thousand ruby volcanos a piece, with an average market price though of only one hundred ruby volcanos.

Bones:

An emerald hill for a pound of bones is the usual market price due to there lacking of any real value oter then soup broth.

Meat:

Around five to ten emerald hills per days worth of rations (3 meals). As the meat is not commonly favored by most merchants or adventurers due to its unique toughness. Though some jotun raiders will pay handsomly for it if its spoiled. With there culture preferring the meat spoiled and then to cook it with heavy salt and spices.

Harvesting DC's

Living:

Well you could try and capture one with a chain if you feel brave? Just remember, they travel in packs with multiple breeding females and up to three males. While the males do none of the hunting, they are still larger and stronger then the females. One would be wise to avoid these creatures unless expierenced in aerial combat, or prepared to watch as they pack flies away when they realize they cannot win. 

Feathers:

With most experienced hunters this would be know more then a difficulty of 15. To those unfamiliar with country life and plucking a turkey or chicken, this difficulty increases to a near 19.

Hide:

Skinning the creatures is the easiest part as much of the hide slides off quite easily. The muscles being as thick and large as they are. This allows even the most inexperienced hunters to only have around a difficulty of 15.

Eggs:

How brave do you feel about fighting a mother gryphon and her three brothers, and another seven sisters?

Talons:

They pop out with the right pressure in the wrong spot, thus with experienced hunters this is childs play at an 8. To someone without experience, expect the surprise and lack of understanding of ease with a difficulty of 25.

Bones:

The hard part isn't taking the bones out, its not breaking them once they are dried. With a difficulty for most of a 8, this becomes harder to maintain the bones day to day with a difficulty of +5 each day the hunter is carrying them. 

Meat:

The meat slides off the bones for even the most inexperienced hunters, and is quite tough. With a difficulty of 5, there is enough meat to feed most small villages. 

Shelf life per part

Living:

The average blazetail gryphon if well taken care of is documented to live up to sixty five years of age. However in some rare cases, the beasts can be either stubborn or healthy, lasting up to nearly eighty to nighty years. Though they do bond with there owners and it is common to see young gryphons die well before there time from melancholy over there owners passing. 

Feathers:

Without proper treatment the feathers have been said to last up to six months before they begin to wilt away. 
With proper treatment, many can last up to ten to twenty years depending on the care and usage.

Hide:

Like common hide, the hide of a gryphon tends to lose its natural stretchy oily feel after about two weeks. However, blazetails are capable of continuing to produce from there hide an oily substance so long as they are kept in hot climates. Allowing for an almost indefinite amount of time to pass without any loss to the hides value.

Eggs:

Typically an egg takes about one to two weeks to hatch depending on the size, sub species, and enviornment the blazetail has laid her eggs within.

Talons:

Indefinetly due to the lacking of any natural degredation within the talons. They seem to be made of a solid cartilage mixed with bone and sulfur that allows them to ignite when struck with friction.

Bones:

With being rather fragile it is common these bones do not last more then a few days. With both size and lack of structure support within, the bones are almost as fragile as a fresh made flan.

Meat:

Prior to salting about a week or two, though in hotter or colder climates up to an extra week longer has been documented before the meat spoils. Giving off a strangely fried smell, the meat when spoiling seems to take on a brownish appearance and begins to wilt inward. 

Common Uses

Living:

With the creature being such a difficult beast to tame and deal with, many use them as a status symbol. Few knights have managed to actually ride the beasts, and even fewer nobles. But those who do are looked upon with mighty prestige and respect for there abilities. 

Feathers:

Commonly used by the southern elves of drafika, the feathers make for great materials when crafting firey arrows. Giving them not only a glow of a light ember, but as well creating tracers in the sky as they fly. Allowing for hunters to track there prey on top of following where there arrows hit in even the most magical darkness.

Hide:

Though not of much use as a basis, it does offer fire resistance to most leather armors and a +2 natural material to anything its crafted with. The hide is said to have the beautiful white coloration and toward the back end a gorgeous firey red, orange and yellow pattern. Many artists also favor this material for its oiliness that seems to hold charcoal designs well. 

Eggs:

Tasting great when eaten but as well for hatching and harvesting the shells for calcium, the egg of a blazetail gryphon has many uses. Most wizards and arcane casters alike use them as powerful ritual ingrediants. While alchemists favor the liquids and unborn bodies of the chicks for there potion making. Then there are those who wish to raise a blazetail gryphon from birth in which an egg is preferable. As when they are born, the imprint on the first individual they see. 

Talons:

Beautifully sharpened, it seems these talons never lose there edge. Making for fantastic daggers and short curved blades when worked by master craftsman.  They can also commonly be found as arrowheads for the wealthier or more experienced hunters and rangers of the woods. 

Bones:

Not useful for much more then broth as most craftsman have found. With bones that are large yet light, they seem to hold little to no craft work in them. Runes carved tend to crack the bones, and handles made from the material tend to splinter. Thus most adventurers instead use it for broth to flavor there salt meat stews.

Meat:

Similar to a tough chicken with an oiliness to it, thus few consider the meat appetizing over more "plump" game.

Description

The Blazetail Gryphon is a majestic, eagle-headed creature with fiery feathers and a tail that trails flames. Its wingspan is impressive, and it emits a low, rumbling growl that adds to its fearsome presence. Used commonly for transport, these creatures are known for there highspeed flight capabilities and there long distance travels having circled the globe once before needing a full days rest. These grpyhons are commonly bought by wealthy merchants to pull sky ships or to be used to transport goods at extreme distances

Discoverer

Gobbo "The First" of Gobbo and Pyrus.