Cee

**Cee** (pronounced *see*) is a birdcat gryphon living in the Age of Kingdoms. He is the son of King-Zeta, and was intended to take leadership of Zyadrin-Zeta after her death, but the Birdcat Revolution removed any power he held. When he became an adult, he left Zyadrin and settled down in the Mother's City. His partner is Tulek.

## Appearance

Cee is a True birdcat gryphon, being an eagle/lion hybrid, although he is smaller than others of his species. The fur on the lower half of his body is a leucistic brown with faint darker markings. His mane, head, wings, and tail tip are a sleek black. His beak is bright red and yellow, and he has similar-colored markings on the inside of his wings.

## Personality

When growing up in Zyadrin, Prince was being groomed to take over as King after his mother, and so he behaved entirely as he was told. He was quiet, unemotional, and stiff. He rarely spoke, but when he did, his voice was cool and level.

After the revolution, Prince was given a second chance at childhood, without the pressure of being next-in-line. He opened up, trying to make friends with the creatures he had been prepared to rule, but he still found personal connections difficult. He became shy and withdrawn.

Once he left the tribe, it was like a fresh start for him. Away from the creatures he had known all his life, he was able to make new friends and actually enjoy the world around him. On his own, he became open, friendly, and genuinely kind. He is also wickedly clever, with a good sense of humor, although his unusual upbringing makes him occasionally clueless about things he never learned.

## History

Cee hatched from his egg on Autumn 19, y1479. As he was a True birdcat gryphon, being a perfect eagle/lion mix, he was instantly declared to be next-in-line for the throne and given the name Prince. He had two siblings from the same clutch, but neither of them were True, and a season later they were sent to different tribes to be raised there instead.

From the moment Prince could walk and talk, his entire life became about being groomed to take over the tribe after his mother died. He was trained in tribal etiquette and rules, and quizzed on the hierarchy system until he had committed it to memory perfectly. He learned how to speak to the leaders of other tribes, and how to protect the borders of their own tribe, and how to keep everything running smoothly. Although his position as King's son placed him second in the hierarchy, he was never treated like his own being, but simply as a part of the system.

When he was seven years old, his mother was overthrown by the Birdcat Revolution, and suddenly Prince's entire life was different. The tribes were disbanded and united into one kingdom. He was no longer next-in-line for the throne, which meant he no longer needed an army of assistants and teachers to shape him into the future leader. He had never made any friends, as that was never something he needed as a future leader. He was left without a purpose, without a plan.

He spent the next several years existing aimlessly in Zyadrin, simply along for the ride in a rapidly-changing territory. He tried to connect with other creatures, in hopes of making friends, but he was never taught how to form personal connections. His mother paid even less attention to him now than she had when she was in charge. Feeling lost, Prince decided he would leave Zyadrin, and so he did.

In y1489, when Prince was thirteen years old, he set off from the kingdom and headed east, towards the Commonlands, without much of a plan at all.

## Relationships

### King

Prince's relationship to his mother is mainly performatory, with no real love behind it. He was born because she needed an heir, not because she wanted to have children, and he cares about her because that is what he is supposed to do, not because he feels any actual connection to her. After Prince left the tribe, he never saw or heard from her again.