[center][u][big][color=orange]Swiftwing[/color][/big][/u][/center]

[center][img=25481]Swiftwing[/img][/center]

[color=white]       The predatory stare of two emotionless golden eyes, stark and always searching; the gaze of an avian hunter is hard to see past, shadowed by the expressionless ridges above his eyes. Only those who look closely may notice the brightness in those eyes, the muted glow of intelligence hidden just beneath their surface. But even the smartest hunter needs a weapon, and the foremost that features on this animal is his massive, hooked beak. Dull yellow and dangerously sharp at the tip, it looks capable of easily cracking through bone and possibly thin metal- to say nothing of flesh. Further back atop his head sit a pair of feather-tufted ears, occasionally swiveling this way or that in pursuit of noisy prey.

       Offsetting these fearsome traits are small but beautiful things: feathers. Thousands of tiny plumes, so fine that they blend together into a lush snow-white coat, cover his head, neck and chest, softening the sharp features of his aquiline head, concealed beneath the plumes of his throat is a simple ring of hemp rope from which dangles a dull jade gem ringed in spiraling gold filigree. Past his neck and continuing along his body the feathers are a dark chestnut brown continuing partially down his forelegs before they taper away into a pair of yellow-scaled avian feet, armed with wicked talons. Completing the front half of his body are an immense pair of wings, resting on his back when not in use. The feathers are the same uniform brown of his back and sides, but this makes them no less imposing. When fully unfolded the span is twice the length of his body and arch high above it, the massive limbs strong enough to lift him and an average human rider with ease. Anchoring at the shoulder, these wings mark the end of this creature's avian attributes.

       Mid-way down his body the feathers stop and a coat of sandy-gold fur begins. Without the thick plumage obscuring his body, its definition is easy to see: Powerful leonine muscles ripple beneath the thick hide of his haunches, making their weight apparent in his slow, smooth movement. Supporting them are two great furry paws, a sharp claw laying dormant within each broad toe. A long, ropy tail marks the creature's end, the same muddled golden hue as the rest of his fur save for the tip, which is topped by a spade-shaped fan of feathers. This appendage is as close to modesty as this creature comes, for his tail loosely conceals his more untoward parts; it is still easy enough for a casual glance to determine that he is a male.
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[collapse=IC Information][quote]The gryphon is a mythical creature of legend to some and a persistent problem to others; as such, threats to the population are numerous, but varying in severity. While those of noble disposition have long valued these beasts for their intelligence and loyalty, when untrained they can be fearsome and territorial; when wild prey runs thin it is not unheard of for a gryphon to mount attacks on livestock, caravan animals, and in very rare circumstances humanoids themselves. For this reason, there is often a standing bounty on gryphons in agriculture-heavy areas, and primitive tribes value their pelts and bones as a sign of strength; collecting either of these things is incredibly difficult and often lethal, however, so it is typically the purview of well-equipped mercenaries or experienced champions.

Despite its strength, the gryphon is not always an apex predator. In areas where they compete with territory and food for dragons, a lone gryphon can find itself as prey. For this reason, they tend to group together in large prides to better protect their young, which they will fight to the death to defend. When given the opportunity, a gryphon will kill a dragon's young and destroy its eggs, to lessen future competition.

Violence occasionally even extends to their own kind, as when territory or food is scarce, competing gryphons will often have dangerous but typically non-lethal duels, ending when one submits. Males may codify this submission with displays of humiliation such as demanding the loser bathe and groom him, though most scholars dismiss anecdotes of male-on-male 'mounting'. Tthe assertion that pride-members stealing prey or mating above their station may be subject to acting as a female as a form of punishment is also unlikely; given the unforgiving nature of life in the wilds, it is much more probable that such a 'traitor' to the pride hierarchy would be killed by his peers. Assertions that both of these punishments can occur in tandem for particularly heinous crimes have been levied, but reinforced with nothing more than conjecture.

Most heinously, the gryphon can fall victim to its own portrayal as a creature of nobility and heraldry. Because of its association with knightly virtues, wicked men and evil creatures of all kinds frequently delight in torturing captured or injured gryphons. Stories of such things range from gruesome and bloody to vile and depraved, and everything in between. Some of the best known events of this sort have occurred when particularly storied gryphon riders become prisoners of war; when the men themselves must be left unharmed for ransom, their mounts are often publicly displayed and executed as a symbol of victory, typically going on to become expensive meals for the nobility or grand trophies in manor halls.
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Excerpt, A[i] Conservationist's Guide To Magical Beasts[/i] 3rd Ed, Aethor.

[quote]You got rotbrain, stranger? Not a one of us goes hunting in Skytop. Sure it's mighty tempting in the lean season, see; whole herds of elk and deer sprinting through them pines, and it looks a pretty sight with the streams all coming down from that mountain, but don't you set a single foot in that forest. What? The roads? Oh, yeah, you can take a caravan pretty as you please, pass on through without so much as a care; sure be it enough the traders do it day in and out.

But don't you take a bow into them woods. Don't you take a spear. Don't you go with net or bait or even a rumbling of your belly, because it'll know. And God won't help you if you spill so much a drop of blood, quail or elk or hare, even a drop. You'll feel watched, at first. Then you'll hear wings. Then the devil's own shriek. Then you'll see it- Claws big as swords, beak like a halberd, swooping on down from hell above to take your heart. If you're lucky, you're real lucky, maybe it'll just take what you killed. Maybe it'll just crush your weapon and rip your skin and send you running. If so, don't go back. Don't ever go back. It's the ones that go back that we find, some of 'em hanging guts-first out a tree, a quarter of 'em spread out over the ground, and whatever's left, sure as you please, fillin' the monster's belly.

Oh, and by-on-by? We all know the tales. Skytop bein' so full of gold the caves glitter back your torchlight. You best take those tales and keep them in the stories, where they belong- Because you might get a chance to run, with a bow. But you go up there with pick and lantern? Not even your bones come back down. [/quote]

[i]As told by villager near the mountain of Skytop, to passing hunter.[/i]

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[collapse=OOC Information]I have a lot of nasty things in my kinks, and I prefer to be on the receiving end of them; while there can be certainly be some mutual violence or sex, if Swiftwing is domming I usually do so with the intent of having turnabout occur. Keep in mind, gryphons are large and dangerous- If your character is a biped of average height, he's going to need some tools, training, or accomplices to take one down. See the IC Information category for a bit more about this (as well as hints to some of my favorite scenarios.)

To the nuts-and-bolts: I don't require that my partners be capable of writing a novel, but the ability to spell and punctuate is a must. I can adapt to a variety of different post lengths, but I'm not the quickest on the draw; if you're looking for more than three to four sentences a post I can accommodate, but please be prepared for the possibility that we may not finish the scene in one session. In addition, I like a bit of context for the scene. A huge backstory isn't necessary by any means, but before going IC I like both characters to have an idea of where they are, what they're doing, and what their motivation for the scene is. This doesn't have to be anything more complex than "You are hunting on my territory", or "My small band of adventurers has come to stop your raids on the cattle".

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[collapse=Pathfinder Stats]As a [url=http://paizo.com/prd/monsters/griffon.html]gryphon[/url] but imbued with the [url=http://paizo.com/prd/spells/awaken.html]Awaken spell[/url] when collared. Of the stats effected, he has 12 Intelligence, 11 Charisma, and 58 Hit Points. His language known is Common, in addition to being able to communicate with other gryphons.[/collapse]
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So hit me up if you're interested! Occasionally I may not respond right away, as I leave FChat running in the background, but I will get back to you. Thanks for reading!