Gryphon

Gryphons (aka griffonsSentry Wards (quest)Battleground Preview or griffinsLil' Griffin) are powerful and highly intelligent winged beasts with the forequarters of an eagle and the hindquarters of a lion. Native to the Aerie Peak and the Hinterlands, they have long shared an inseparable bond with the dwarves of the Wildhammer clan, who later introduced them to the rest of the Alliance.
Gryphon riders are mostly dwarves of the Wildhammer clan, but more recently Ironforge dwarves and humans alike have started deploying gryphon riders of their own. Trained gryphons can be called through a special whistle.Day of the Dragon, chapter 19 Medivh's own whistle was a thin golden cylinder carved with dwarven runes.The Last Guardian, chapter 3
Domesticated gryphons are bred and raised at special aviaries, but wild gryphons are also numerous.
==Background==
Gryphons are majestic creatures of the skies, and are, much like hippogryphs and wyverns, more than just beasts; they're both intelligent and cunning.Razorbeak Friends They share a common ancestry with wyverns,Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual and were first befriended by the Wildhammer dwarves when the Wildhammers settled in the Hinterlands in the years following the War of the Three Hammers, roughly 230 years before the First War. The creatures became emblematic of the clan and an inseparable part of their culture.Chronicle Volume 1, pg. 156
Ever since, the Wildhammers have revered the gryphon as a sacred animal. While some say that the dwarves keep them, it's more of a friendship, and to befriend the Wildhammers one must first befriend their gryphons. During the Second War, gryphon riders from Northeron came to the aid of the Alliance to fight back against the marauding Horde,Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, Alliance Air Units, Gryphon Rider and during the Third War the wild dwarves responded to the call once more by bringing their proud, implacable beasts — noble symbols of the Alliance's fortitude — to keep the skies of Lordaeron free from enemy forces.
The dwarves have since introduced their noble steeds to the rest of the Alliance,Gryphon HatchlingStone Gryphon with some hatchlings even being descendants from the same gryphons ridden by Falstad Wildhammer and his entourage into Grim Batol after the Second War.
Gryphons' keen eyesight allows them to see over vast distances and warn their riders of any dangers that lie ahead.Mount Journal entry for Grand Gryphon The breed known as the armored snowy gryphon has proven capable of weathering the harsh winds of Northrend, and according to Mei Francis, when they attack, blood almost never stains their feathers.Mount Journal entry for Armored Snowy Gryphon
The gryphons of Aerie Peak are trained by the Wildhammers to kill forest trolls, their ancient enemy.Avenging the Fallen The dwarves also train young gryphons by sending them out to hunt rattlesnakes in the Twilight Highlands.Rattlesnake According to Huntsman Markhor, the elder gryphons known as razorbeak skylords are a much rarer breed than the rest of their kin, and are responsible for mating and "creating murderous offspring".
The gryphons of the Northrend peaks are the most resilient of the species.Gryphon Commander Urik#Quotes
According to the Ironforge gryphon master Gryth Thurden, the steeds of the Wildhammer dwarves may be fast, but they cannot stand the heat of Ironforge's Great Forge, unlike Ironforge's own gryphons.Gryth Thurden#Quote
The mangy silvermane wolves of the Hinterlands prowl the woods where Aerie Peak's gryphons range and have been known to kill gryphons that stray too low.A Mangy Threat The Dragonmaw orcs of the Twilight Highlands use gryphon carcasses as bait when wrangling black drakes, but only carcasses from wild animals; drakes hate the stink of dwarf on their food.Bait and Throttle
The Roughnecks provide all gryphon mounts for Kul Tiras.The Roughnecks They are led by Boss Tak, a Wildhammer dwarf from the Twilight Highlands who taught them how to tame and ride gryphons instead of hunting them for meat and pelts.Boss Tak gossip text
When finding abandoned gryphon eggs, a female gryphon might choose to adopt them.An Offering of Eggs
==Notable==
==Types==
==As a mount==
Gryphon mounts are the flying mounts for Alliance players. They come in a variety of colors and are capable of running on all fours like a cat for land travel, rendering it useful as a ground mount.
==As a companion pet==
*The Wildhammer Gryphon Hatchling can be captured in pet battles in the Twilight Highlands.
*The Gryphon Hatchling is available from the original Blizzard Shop for $25 US.
==As a hunter pet==
Gryphons are tamable by hunters as part of the Feathermane family, added in patch 7.2.0. In order to tame Feathermanes, hunters must purchase the Tome of the Hybrid Beast from Pan the Kind Hand at Trueshot Lodge at a cost of .
==Film universe==
Gryphons seem to be fairly rare; at the time of the arrival of orcs in Azeroth, possessed only a handful, and these were seldom ridden except for official business.
Gryphons are able to understand humanoid speech, or at least a few words - a person can verbally command a gryphon to fly to a certain location and it will do so, without further instruction, or need of a rider. Gryphons often express affection to familiar riders, and respond to subtler instructions such as the position of their rider on their back. Command of a gryphon does not require great experience, at least as long as the gryphon knows its destination.
==In the RPG==
The gryphon is the symbol of resolve and fortitude among the wild dwarves of Aerie Peak. From the tip of its powerful beak to the back of its swishing tail, a gryphon can reach lengths of 9 feet. Its wings can span up to 30 feet, and are powerful enough to launch the beast into flight from a standing position.
Gryphons are intelligent and loyal, suppressing their natural aggression and territorial behavior to assist the wild dwarves who share their mountain homes. They are, however, partial to horse flesh and unless closely watched indulge their taste to the detriment of nearby cavalry. In recent times, the trolls of the Witherbark tribe in the southern Hinterlands have been capturing gryphons to attempt to train their own windwarriors. They have thus far been unsuccessful, but it is conceivable that the trolls will eventually find a way to duplicate the success of the Wildhammer clan and produce gryphon riders of their own. In combat, a gryphon attempts to swoop down on its prey, attacking from above. Gryphons are intelligent enough to avoid fighting in situations in which they cannot make their attack at an advantage. The sale of gryphon eggs is considered a crime in most human and dwarf holdings, but black market eggs can be had for prices at around 2 to 3 times less than the amount of a fully trained gryphon.Alliance Player's Guide, pg. 208
==Notes and trivia==
*Dragons share a common ancestry with both gryphons and wyverns,Warcraft III manual, pg. 27 this might explain why Ancient Gryphons can be found on the Dragon Isles.
*Gryphon eggs are noted to be cream-colored and dotted with blue.Fire and Iron
*They have dorsal guiding feathers.Harrison McCabe
*The average weight of gryphons is about 500 pounds.
*Gilnean gryphons are stronger than the native gryphons of the Broken Isles, and may be able to carry a 2,000 pound cannon.
*Spectral gryphons transport non-night elf players in certain zones while dead, because of impassable terrain.
*Undead skeletal gryphons are found in a small amount of locations around the world. Armored skeletal gryphons are used as flying mounts by the Knights of the Ebon Blade.
*A few gryphons could be seen inside the gryphon aviary in Warcraft Adventures. Stealing one of their eggs was a plot point, and they were depicted as having long, serpentine-like tongues.
*The Last Guardian mentions that it is necessary to keep a falconry hood on a gryphon's head to restrain its vision after landing,The Last Guardian, chapter 7 but this has not been brought up in any other media.
==Gallery==
Gryphon4.jpg|World of Warcraft gryphon model.
Alpine Gryphon.jpg|Mists of Pandaria gryphon model.
Alabaster Stormtalon.jpg|The Alabaster Stormtalon mount.
Skeletal gryphons.png|Skeletal gryphon models.
Gryphons over Azeroth.jpg|Classic World of Warcraft artwork of gryphon riders.
Gryphon and Wyvern WoW Classic.jpg|Gryphon and wyvern.
Flight master gryphon.jpg|Gryphon's flight points banner.
HumanGryphon.gif|A gryphon rider in Warcraft II.
Gryphonrider.JPG|In the Warcraft II manual.
Gryphonrider2.JPG|In the Warcraft II manual.
Dragon Fight.JPG|Warcraft II art of a gryphon rider battling a dragon.
WC3GryphonRider.gif|A gryphon rider in Warcraft III.
BTNGryphonRider.png|Gryphon portrait in Warcraft III.
Gryphon Rider Reforged.png|A gryphon rider in Warcraft III: Reforged.
BTNGryphonRider-Reforged.png|Gryphon portrait in Reforged.
Kurdran TCG 2.jpg|Kurdran Wildhammer riding Sky'ree in the TCG.
Vindicator Javlo TCG.jpg|A draenei priest riding a gryphon in the TCG.
Utopia.jpg|Artwork on the TCG card "Utopia".
World of Warcraft The Adventure Game art.jpg|Cover art for World of Warcraft: The Adventure Game.
Gryphon battlefield Hearthstone.jpg|A gyphon on the Stormwind in Hearthstone.
Gryphon (Clear the Way).jpg| in Hearthstone.
Clear the Way HS.jpg| in Hearthstone.
Hunting Party HS.jpg| in Hearthstone.
Falstad HotS.jpg|Falstad and Swiftwing in Heroes of the Storm.
Falstad HotS Art.jpg|Artwork of Falstad and Swiftwing in Heroes of the Storm.
Dwarvewindrider.jpg|A windrider in the Warcraft RPG.
Windwarrior.jpg|A windwarrior in the Alliance Player's Guide.
Typical Wildhammer Dwarf Gryphon Rider.jpg|A typical gryphon rider in the Alliance Player's Guide.
Warcraft Film Gryphon screencap.jpg|A gryphon in the Warcraft movie.
==References==
 
Category:Feathermanes
Category:Transportation
Category:Magical beasts
es:Grifo
pl:Gryphon