Griffin

The griffin is a magical beast in Betrayal in Antara. First seen in the introduction to Chapter 1, its origin is described in Chapter 8.

Description
A griffin is a magical crossbreed between a creature of Ramar and a creature of Etherea. Powerful both physically and magically, such crossbreeds can survive in both the mana-rich Ethereal atmosphere and the mana-poor atmosphere of Ramar's plane.

It is large in size, with powerful taloned wings and four-taloned feet, a muscular body and a beaked head like that of an eagle. It can be magically deterred, leashed, or killed, and is intelligent enough to recognize specific humans and to follow orders pertaining to them.

History
The griffin was found in or near the Waste by the mage Calvert Bryce. It mauled a man's arm in Knightridge badly enough to require the arm's removal before Bryce blasted it to the ground, quelled its anger with magic, and sent it away. It was later described to and painted by Perdugo, a local painter; the portrait hangs in the Knightridge inn.

Seeking to kill a joyman named Gregor, Bryce sent the griffin after him. The griffin "dropped a firebomb" on the ship Gregor had embarked on, the Fair Current, which was under attack by pirates at the time. The attack resulted in the sinking of the ship. As passengers and crew escaped, the griffin targeted the lifeboat carrying Gregor and another passenger, William Escobar. Upon reaching land, the griffin fatally wounded Gregor and was attacking William when it was interrupted by Aren Cordelaine, a young steward and stablehand waving a scaling knife. Momentarily distracted, the griffin attacked Aren as well, but was blasted into bones and scraps by the first explosive manifestation of the frightened young man's talent for magic.