10 – Zimnoilur

There are currently seven recognised species of griffon extant today, the most famous, studied and numerous is the Heraldic Griffon, but there are also the Great Griffon, Plains Griffon, Griffon-swift, Little Griffon-swift, Imperial Griffon, and least known of all, the Marsh Griffon.  The Marsh Griffons are by far the most intelligent, but least known of the species – they breed high on the Russian Tundra in isolated pools and migrate south to spend the winter in a few small areas of Southern India and Sri Lanka in their drabber grey winter plumage.  They have a very complicated language of their own, and pick up  the languages of others far faster than any human.  Marsh Griffon language sounds like a high pitched piping noise, and is considered one of the most difficult languages to master on the basis it’s designed to be spoken with a long thin beak

Zimnoilur is a current “outflier” – each generation three young marsh griffons are selected to live amoung humanity to act as diplomats and share knowledge to the gain of both sides.  The three usually have a far more intimate knowledge of the oldest fundementals of magic than any living human, often knowing nuance that has been lost for millenia.  He is also a world class expert on folkloric creatures found on the tundra, an area with a disproportionatly high level of such things, making his consul valued for research on magical beasts, further aided by the fact that all griffons can see into the thaumic (magical) parts of the spectrum.  Like most marsh griffons, he is not a fighter, and tho he can defend himself, their first instinct is flight or hide.

For this character, I’d decided I wanted to create a griffon using a non-raptor as the bird part – I settled on a black redshank due to it’s stylish summer plumage, and I liked the idea of a sentient character both migrating and having different plumage at different times of the year.  To have a non human living in an isolated community, I needed to make him different to Shiqi, so while Shiqi was from a magically created warrior race, Zimnoilur is a non-combative academic of sorts from an apparently naturally evolved lineage.  The two probably don’t get along as Shiqi or one of his people would probably happily catch, kill and eat a marsh griffon should the opportunity arise.

Category: 2011, Fantasy