Adult Male
Name: Zepto
Species: Tetzcotal Eagle Hippogryph
Birthday: Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Owner: GeckosinaBowl
Mother: Niraya
Father: Lauter
Element: Life 
You are more likely to hear a Tetzcotal eagle hippogryph before you see one; their raucous voices can be heard from great distances away, a loud, almost musical scream mixed with high-pitched whistles. Although talkative, these birdlike beasts are just as intimidating to behold, much larger than any other hippogyph species, save the harpy eagle variety, which is slightly heavier. All eagle hippogryphs are known for their great size and magical strength, often using both to haul away creatures as large as elk, or even bears. While many hippogryphs are content to hunt on the ground as well as the air, Tetzcotal eagle hippogryphs usually hunt in a style known as perch-hunting, where they wait for a few minutes on one perch high in the canopy, then slowly descend to other perches further down until they find something edible. They can be patient animals, but will attack almost anything, from monkeys to antelopes. While most gryphons and hippogryphs display intricate courtship rituals, harpy and Tetzcotal eagle hippogryphs have no such behavior, and no one is sure exactly how they choose a mate. Tetzcotal eagle hippogryphs live along the southern part of the Alasre Mountain chain as far down as the southern rainforests, crossing over the range of the harpy eagle hippogryph within Silva Forest. Villagers from near their range often describe Tetzcotal eagle hippogryphs as being able to ward off any injury or illness, effectively guarding anyone against death. Unfortunately, this belief reflects the healing properties of the hippogryphs' feathers, and hunting has diminished their numbers to make them far rarer than the harpy variety.
No one knows when the first eagle hippogryph came to be, as rocs and minicorns almost never mate in the wild, but the charismatic traits of their offspring have given the eagle hippogryphs their fair share of village tales. The most common one tells of a dark wizard who magically crossed one of the gentlest creatures known, a minicorn, with one of the fiercest, a massive roc, and the resulting offspring was so conflicted about how it should act that it escaped its wizard master and hid deep within Silva forest. According to the legend, it met the spirit of a forest dweller that needed to cross a vast river in order to reach the land of the dead. The newly-made eagle hippogryph helped the spirit on its journey, both carrying it across the river and protecting it within the land of the dead. As a reward for its efforts, the spirit endowed the eagle hippogryph with the power to protect others in the future. This story crosses through many different cultures in one form or another, and as a result, many tombstones are decorated with motifs of eagle hippogryphs as a token of good luck in the next life. Most magi dismiss superstitions about harpy eagle hippogryphs being able to ward off death or Tetzcotal eagle hippogryphs carrying people into the spirit world, but they are well-aware of the healing properties of their feathers and the magical strength that both of these eagles possess.
Sprite art: Tekla (adult) | Description: PKGriffin