Post by The Salty Void on Jul 15, 2015 20:35:30 GMT
Species Name:
Petrigriff
Description:
Diminutive gryphons made of smaller bird species spliced with rodents and their ilk. Unlike the others, the classification seems to stem more from the bird halves, since the rodent halves are harder to distinguish. Rats, mice, shrews, moles, even the odd possum like backside has been found (pouch oddly included). They take their forms mainly from different avians under a foot in height, but abnormal ones have appeared. They’re not limited by Earth’s classification of birds either, as some more ‘alien’ specimens have been found.
Unlike a gryphon, they’re not entirely stable on what parts they seem to gain, though this is a mutation in most cases and very uncommon. Typically they have the head of the bird and their wings jut out from where a typical mammals shoulder blades are located, and the front legs will be of a bird, and the entire back end of a rodent. Sizes range from just under two feet at the shoulder to palm sized.
Personality wise, they are generally very curious creatures and like to snoop through stuff and steal small shiny things, but this hasn’t been seen in all cases. Like many small birds they’re also easily startled and very good at flying away from trouble.
As for supernatural abilities, unlike your typical Earth bird their beaks are as hard as iron, if not more so making them nearly impossible to trap. They all possess the ability to peck much like a woodpecker and will destroy things with ease.
They communicate with each other and many others in the family Dimiavae with the chirps and whistles of a bird, but do possess the ability to communicate on a more humanoid level. They can speak in short phrases and sentences, and tend to talk very literally. If you ask them if they want a cracker, you better have one on hand, most do not enjoy jokes at their expense.
Typical Chase:
The typical petrigriff enjoys flying and so the chase will reflect that. These little critters will zip around obstacles in an attempt to fool or trip up their suitors and then either let themselves be caught by their favorite or tackle them. Presents of food at the beginning may influence their decision. After a chase, Petrigriffs will lay anywhere from 3-5 eggs. A full impression is closer to 10-15.
The eggs will hatch a few weeks later, featuring bundles of terrifying bird babies. Mother generally won’t let them leave until they’re presentable, and usually when they can fly short distances.
Impressing:
The mother bears the brunt of most of the work, gathering up humanoids in some fashion and leading them to wherever their nest is at. How they get the people there is of no consequence, though the nicer ones will usually just announce it in a populated location.
Impressions usually do not last longer than a few hours, giving the chicks ample time to interact with the available people. Food can be used to influence in some cases, but not always.
Types:
Rare:
Fairy Lights
These griffs bear the strongest resemblance to hummingbirds in most cases, but have taking the form of other very swift birds, with the ability to hover and a strong love of all things sweet. Their feathers have a luminous radiance to them, making them easy to spot when they are around but very difficult to keep up with. Mostly come in all colors of the rainbow, but they rarely have any strong patterns on them, just distinct differences between head color, wing color, etc. Their beaks even glisten much like diamond or other fancy jewels, and they can quite literally not be contained. To acquire one, you must earn it. They tend to nest where there are tons of flowers.
Scarce:
Auroras
When you think of coveted creatures, you probably wouldn’t think of a pigeon. For some reason this scarce type tends to take the form of Columbidae birds, though others have appeared as well. They have an amazing sense of navigation, and plenty of flying endurance which is why they are frequently seen at mail stations. Though they haven’t settled on a color, they like the cooler spectrums and frequently come in shades of blue or green. Their beaks are always a dark, nearly black shade. Some scientists think it might be made out of Magnetite, which might explain why they tend to be found stuck to the walls of Scrapton houses after a bad wind.
Standards:
morse code on stone walls allows it to find pretty rocks
it can hear the frequencies
Most commonly look like woodpeckers
Mutation:
Flickers
Even the simplest of creatures can just seem to go so bizarrely wrong. There’s only one classification of mutation and it just seems to change which parts go where. Mouse heads on bird bodies with teeth of adamantine have been noticed, even wingless in some cases. Some simply just have a bird tail instead, or all rodent feet. It’s still restricted to the typical bird and rodent bodies thankfully, no miniature lions have been found. They also may have bird bodies that don’t necessarily match the proper abilities for their type, or beak/teeth material.
naming shiz
Willowisps
Sparks
Lightning
Streams
Orbs