Adult Female
Name: Jalokivi
Species: Cardinal Gryphon
Birthday: Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Owner: StarShine
Element: Neutral 
You pull your cloak tighter around you, grumbling under your breath at the cold. A door to The Keep is just a few paces away, but you're hesitant to return to your studies. The thing that brought you outside was a group of cardinal gryphons, busy at play in the fresh snow. It is unusual for the adults to play, so you left your work and made your way outside to take a closer look. Their red feathers are ruffled, and they hold their fluffy spotted tails high as they run around, leaving paw prints in the snow. You lean back against the rough stone of the castle, moving slowly so as not to distract them from their joviality. You can't help but laugh, however, when a bright red hatchling makes his way into the fray, his clumsy movements startling the older gryphons. Your mirth makes white clouds appear in the cold air, and the gryphons notice you and busily rise to their feet. They stalk away with pride, and you make your way back inside, holding back a laugh at the little hatchling, who is now sneaking after the others.
With their beautiful bright coloring, male cardinal gryphons are easy to spot against the snow. These gryphons don't mind the cold, even the harshest weather. Perhaps this is because they are half snow lion, and their spotted fur shields well against the cold. These gryphons keep to themselves, living in the forests around the castle, where they hunt. While cardinal gryphons primarily prey on small animals, they have been known to take on the fiercest of beasts. They are one of the few known species to successfully battle dragons, and are commonly referred to as the most dangerous of gryphons. Unlike others of their kind, who make their homes along the ground, cardinal gryphons live above the forest floor, in huge nests that can take years to complete. Do not make the mistake of thinking that such homes are easy to find – their nests are made out of branches and the bones of past meals, and blend in perfectly with their environment. If there are eggs or younglings present, they are guarded by one of the parents at all times, who will fight to the death with beak and claw.
Sprite art: GlassWalker (adult) | Description: Damien