Origins

Far inland in the North, a small clan of gryphons, including Sun, Fen, Rain, and Sky, lived in a paradise. Surrounded by a wide range of environments, the gryphons had the freedom to fly, explore, and hunt. However, twolegs began to ravage the land. Their terrible claws destroyed the furthest reaches of the gryphon territory and slowly closed in more and more until the gryphons were forced to act.

The owl gryphon Sun was determined to find somewhere new - a place gryphons would be safe from twolegs and their reach. As a natural diplomat, Sun rounded up her fellow gryphons and explained her fears to her companions, hoping they would follow. Rain, Fen, and Sky joined her party.

Many gryphons were eager to fly, but some elderly gryphons and other stubborn residents refused to follow in fear of land never being found. Some were too closely bound to their paradise and did not want to leave it behind. Sun, Fen, Rain, and Sky flew south with the adventurous group of gryphons from the paradise, leaving many behind.

Searching for five moons, none of the lands seemed suited for gryphons. Most of the North they explored was too forested, too shallow, or too close to twolegs. It seemed futile as they approached the ocean, knowing this was a dead end. However, they spotted something: a volcano, and next to it a massive island resembling their home. Composed of many ecosystems, a lush environment, and a place to thrive for all kinds of gryphon, Noctus became their home.

Sun staked claim to the desert in the north, joined by many of her fellow gryphons. There, she promised to meet Rain and Sky again, beginning to forge a camp around an oasis. She felt like she was falling into a leadership role. Having been reassured by her parents and friends about her diplomatic nature, Sun began comfortably leading their small group. The clan struggled to find trees for their homes until they stumbled across twoleg ruins inhabited by sphinx. Though wary of the gryphons, the sphinx assisted the gryphons in finding trees for their home to keep them away from the dunes. Sun honored their order.

Rain set course for a different environment that wasn’t as arid as the desert. Alongside Fen, she soon settled into a tropical setting with a thick canopy that felt like home to her. It provided everything necessary. Many gryphons settled here, enjoying the heat, humidity, and plentiful food. There were dangers to be found in the jungle, but the gryphons of Rain's group became resilient and steadfast against challenge.

Some, however, did not like this new scenery and turned to join Sky in his own search. Sky made his way east, flying past the mountains to a beautiful woodland. Sky eventually came across waterfall - a place that reminded him of his old home. Finding comfort in the woodland territory, he settled on the cliffside of the waterfall alongside the gryphons that followed him.

All of the clans were now settled in their new homes. Comfortable, they established themselves as the SunKin, the RainKin, and the SkyKin in respect of their most notable members. However, a dream came to Fen: the visage of the great dragon stooping down to bestow a message for him to share with not only the RainKin but all the others as well. They spoke of the leaders being the stars of the night sky and their healers the moon, and bespoke Fen to wake and journey west to the Cave of the Stars.

Unsure of the true location of the cave, Fen rose with Rain into the skies with nothing other than their intuition to guide the pair. Upon finding the Cave of Stars and navigating the maze of tunnels, he found it: the glimmering, bioluminescent hoard of a dragon within the heart of a labyrinth. The creature was of the purest white, eyes blazing orbs of iridescence that matched the scattering of twinkling scales on her form.

It was then the dragon, who introduced herself as Andromeda, began to explain her role as the gateway to the stars and how each leader would rule their clans for long reigns. Rain and Fen were given extra lives and were told to lead their clan as the leader and healer - moonspeaker- of the RainKin. They emerged from the cave as Rainstar and Fenmoon, changed in spirit and body.

The group of four reunited in the center of Noctus after finding the Moonplace. Fenmoon and Rainstar eagerly told Sky and Sun of their findings. Trailed by the chosen moonspeakers of the SunKin and SkyKin, the four other gryphons earned their own lives and names. Once home, gryphons of the clans started to take up their own two-word names and fell into roles.

As the leader of the SunKin, Sunstar held a high head and bestowed proper names to the agile, docile, and witty gryphons of her clan, worshipping Andromeda with six lives to spare and promising peace in Noctus as long as she could hold it.

Rainstar faithfully lead the cunning, courageous, and powerful RainKin with six lives granted by Andromeda. She granted bold names to her crafty clan and taught them the ways of defending themselves in the jungle.

Skystar lead the SkyKin with pride, overcoming hardship with determination and pushing for his clanmates to be their best. He promised to defend his SkyKin and felt hopeful for the future of the gryphons that decided to stay with him.

Though the clans had found a new home, concern cloyed at the back of all gryphons' minds.

What new dangers would Noctus bring to the gryphons who had claimed it as their own?