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[✓] [Creature!] The Djiazecken Pygmy Gryphon


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Djiazecko is a land far away, a realm of intrigue and wonder. Filled to the brim with unique, fleshed-out cultures, beautiful creatures, and gorgeous geography, Djiazecko is the perfect place to take a vacation!

 

[Excerpt from a travel brochure about the island-continent]

 

The Pygmy Gryphon of Djiazecko is one of the many species of strange, alien creatures to inhabit the island. This particular Gryphon comes in two variants: northern and southern. In the dry, arid highlands of the south, the Pygmy Gryphon takes on a more fitting size for its name. About the size of your average house cat, the southern Pygmy Gryphon(abbreviated henceforth as "PG") bears a striking resemblance to the island's foxes - enough so that it blends in with other wild canines if it tucks its wings away. Despite the similarities to canine wildlife, these creatures are not canines. The southern PG, like with its northern cousins, has a beak instead of a snout, and wings sprouting from its latissimus dorsi muscles that it controls by flexing and relaxing its back. The wings themselves are like limbs, with limited degrees of control. A southern PG may find itself hunted for its pelt - its unique blend of fur and feather make it a highly sought-after material.

 

fox_hawk_gryphon_by_ryaskgoldengryph.jpg

Artist's depiction of the southern pygmy gryphon

 

Unlike its northern variant, though, the southern PG's front legs very closely resemble the legs of an eagle, with the same scale-ish, rough skin, sharp talons, and long toes. Its hind legs, however, are padded and furred, like the hing legs of the fox the creature so resembles. Its tail has more of the feather-fur, soft but rigid at the same time. The last, but possibly most important feature the southern variant has that the northern variant does not is its fox-like ears. While the species as a whole has excellent eyesight - akin to that of an eagle - the southern variant is capable of hearing a rabbit run through tall grass from a hundred feet in the air. This magnificent beast is the apex predator in the south and the north, but in central Djiazecko, it's overtaken in that regard by the painted hyena(see page 22*). 

*page 22 is not included in the excerpt. For the full brochure, contact the Black Oak Travel Co.

 

In the rocky north of the continent, the PG adapted quite differently. The most noticeable difference between the two is their size  - the southern PG, as stated earlier, is on average the size of a house cat. The northern PG is much larger - it can grow to the size of a man, if a man were to get on all fours. Unlike its southern variant, the northern PG more closely resembles an eagle than a fox, though the similarities are still present. The northern PG's wings sprout from the trapezius muscles, controlled by flexing and relaxing its shoulders. This allows for greater control and faster flight than the southern variant, which goes hand-in-hand with the beast's size. Another big difference is that, while the southern PG has the front legs of an eagle and the hind legs of a fox(speaking loosely), the northern PG's legs are all uniform in appearance. More of an even mix between the fox and the eagle, the northern PG's legs start out furred, and shift suddenly into black or grey scale-ish, rough skin, with talons and long toes.

 

fox_gryphon_collage_by_hbruton-d36htub.j

Artist's depiction of the northern pygmy gryphon

 

The northern variant also differs in its fur. While the southern PG is covered in something of a mix between fur and feather, the northern PG has both feathers and fur. Its legs, its underbelly, and most of its neck are covered in a thick coat of brown-red to white fur, while its tail, back, wings, and the nape of its neck are covered in the same brown-red to white in feathers. Its feathers and fur also occasionally speckle black or grey, typically in dots or at the end of the feathers. The northern variant's body is shaped more similarly to the classic gryphon - burly around its limbs, with a thin abdomen and neck. Its pectorals are the strongest muscles in its body, in both variants, but especially so in the north. The northern PG does not suffer from a lack of incredible hearing - its eyesight can(and regularly does) surpass that of both its cousins and the eagle.

 

The southern variant preys on smaller creatures, like wild cats, rabbits, foxes, or even mice. It often makes its nest in ditches, holes, or burrow underground. Rarely will a southern PG nest in a tree. The northern variant preys on larger mountain goats, big cats at the foot of the mountains, and eagles higher in elevation. Its nests dot the mountainsides of the north, either within large mountain trees or outcroppings in the sheer drops of the far north.

 

Possibly the most shocking and intriguing difference between the two variants is the method of birth. While the southern variant will lay a clutch of eggs, the northern variant will give live birth to a litter. Despite this difference, the two species are compatible, and can produce fertile offspring if habituated with one another. The offspring of the two will always give live birth, though its appearance doesn't favor one or the other - rather, it depends on the level of either variant in their blood. If a PG has two southern parents, but one northern grandparent, it will adopt some minor features of the northern variant, while remaining mostly similar to the southern variant, etc. 

 

Lastly, a warning: all PG are very territorial. Many of the species fight and kill one another just for trespassing. While a man or a woman may not be harmed so severely, there's still a chance of being attacked. As always, we recommend hiring a guide to take you out to see these animals. If you go without trained help, you may not return.

 

[End of excerpt]

 

OOC

Thank you for reading! Unfortunately, a piece like this can't really be tl;dr'd, so if it's just too long for a read, you may have to try again when you have the time. I'm a big fan of creature lore - I think new and unique creatures are great fun to read about, so I wanted to contribute! And what better to make lore for than the continent I designed in the first place? Thanks again for reading.

 

The reference for the southern pygmy gryphon was created by the talented Hbruton(probably not Harrison).

The reference for the northern pygmy gryphon was created by the handy Ryaskgoldengryph.

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could be a celestial. do like

 

 

Edit: as in the art is nice. I could easily use the art for a celestial. Thus I likethe piece & and am not saying this should be a celestial instead. 

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Not everything is Celestialism please.

There's a creature index for this type of stuff as well. It's very nice regardless.

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5 minutes ago, Gladuos said:

Not everything is Celestialism please.

There's a creature index for this type of stuff as well. It's very nice regardless.

0
 

 

Was talking about he art being a cross breed magical beast thing. :-( Get off my back!!!

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On 2017-07-23 at 3:22 AM, Sir K Andruske said:

could be a celestial. do like

 

0
 

pls just let the ******* celestialism die already 

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16 hours ago, LodeCorvoAttano said:

pls just let the ******* celestialism die already 

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What is your deal? I support lore and you **** on a fellow community member why? Please find some decency or some manners. Whatever you need to quit it. Celestialism isn't going to die. Not sure what problem you have but its here to stay & I find joy in having more and more magical beasts on the server whether they are celestials or not! BE POSITIVE. NOT A PUNK!

 

edit: also sorry for replying to these comments on your thread. I really do enjoy the piece. Art always gets me going! 

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Thank you for submitting your piece! This is now under review and you can expect a verdict in roughly a week.

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This Lore has been accepted. Moved to Implemented Lore, it will be sorted to it's appropriate category soon.

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