The SkyKin

The roar of the SkyKin clan waterfall is no match for the roar of a SkyKin gryphon. This clan is full of highly-trained and passionate gryphons who fight for what is right - or what they think is right - and provide for one another like a family.

It was impossible not to choose the beautiful SkyKin waterfall as the clan’s camp. Surrounding a massive waterfall are ledges in the cliff that have been repurposed as dens for gryphons. Behind the waterfall is where the Skyjumper and moonspeaker reside. Other trees at the top and bottom of the cliff serve as roosts.

Appearance

When a tyro completes six moons of training, they will be eligible to try to graduate from tyroship into their role. The tyro trials vary from clan to clan and role to role. Below are the SkyKin trials for each role.

Below are the descriptions of SOME OF the roleplay channels you will find in the SkyKin category.

more channels to be found in the server

By the time the other Kin remembered Skystar’s unyielding power, it was too late to make amends. He came like a tsunami, reeling back in preparation and striking with the might of three Kin at once. It might be thanks to Skystar that the Conflict finally came to an end, even if the cost was great. Those who speak of Skystar say that those moons of his life were his strongest and most noble displays of leadership, but for every victory Skystar secured, he became more and more hollow.

– excerpt from The Conflict of the Gryphons of Noctus by Djehutimes “Ibisdance”

Though being younger than both Sunstar and Rainstar being born in Moon 20 P.N., Skystar, founder of the last clan, the SkyKin, was far larger than all three other founders of Noctus. He was born in the North as Sky, an only-cub. The eagle gryphon family was isolated from many other clans, living high in a deciduous mountain west of many other gryphons. Sky was taught to be strong, to be kind, and to have loyalty; when his parents died thanks to the invasion of twolegs, he kept this promise in the back of his mind. Fleeing, he soon found Sky, Rain, and Fen, following them to Noctus and cementing himself as a respectful, strong leader.

The SkyKin are an odd group of gryphons. While some SkyKin show incredible loyalty to one another, some SkyKin are isolated and serve only themselves. They are a respectful group who take fine to visitors, but one look will tell anyone that this is the final clan of gryphons established on Noctus thanks to the descendants taking after their SkyKin ancestors’ independence. There is one uniting factor across them, however: their determination to thrive. 

Of all the clans, the SkyKin are known to fight with the heaviest hits; they are worked to the bone and many warriors and hunters love it, fighting alongside one another and proving themselves as the strongest of all Kin. They are a balance of the three other clans, mastering the things that the SunKin and RainKin can not. While they have weakspots - namely their prioritization of strength and size over ingenuity that the other Kin have - they are revered across Noctus.

Their isolation is what made them wait, but Skystar couldn't wait any longer and pulled the trigger. Was it a good one? Even he can’t answer…

One way that the SkyKin bond is through a sport that originated from a time before Noctus, ringball. Though the rules have changed over the moons, one thing has stayed the same: there is a ball of rubbery hide that in some way must go through the carved ring of stone west of the SkyKin waterfall. Ringball is composed of two teams between two and six players each.

The most common rule is that you may not grab the ball with your talons or beak, only hitting it with your flank, shoulder, head, wing, or foot. It takes a very skilled flier to play ringball and properly aim for the hoop. Large or small, ringball players vary widely in shape and expertise; some SkyKin have started to make “official” teams, decorating their feathers and fur with specific colors that mark their team.

Behind the SkyKin waterfall, one would expect to be met with a plain rock wall. However, the SkyKin gryphons found something else entirely: a cavern with a depth as long as a stadium rife with gleaming gemstones. The material, which SkyKin gryphons call andromedite, is the same crystal that forms deep in the Cave of Stars. With such easy access, it’s no wonder that the SkyKin have spent many moons chiseling away at chunks of andromedite for jewelry, religious, and decoration purposes.

But what about the cavern itself? Not the whole cavern is made of andromedite, which means that the SkyKin can use it as an informal clearing. There are a few ledges in the cavern that give gryphons a comfortable space to perch, as well as some flattened gryphon-sized stalagmites. Two shallow dens are also to be noted here: the moonspeaker and the leader dens. The leader stays in a divot near the ceiling. The moonspeaker’s den is at the bottom western side.

The cavern has some tunnels that lead deeper into Noctus. Unfortunately, these are not well-lit enough for gryphons to venture inside. They will stay unexplored for now. Cubs and tyros are heavily discouraged from exploring them, though this doesn't prevent their curiosity and it has caused a few casualties over the moons.

The SkyKin don’t have the same unity in storytelling that other clans do, but they have some fables that drive their warriors, artisans, and hunters to work hard and stay working. Many cubs and tyros look up to three figures of SkyKin legend, following their example:

Strongheart, the dragon slayer. It is said that long before Noctus was found, a gryphon who wore armor of stone hunted dragons for a living. Nobody can really trace where this story came from, though even the oldest SkyKin gryphons remember Northern clans telling this tale with alterations from family to family, like Strongheart being made of stone himself or only hunting one great dragon. He is the inspiration of many ballads and armor designs. 

Amaranth, the enchantress. Similarly to Strongheart, her story hails from a time before Noctus was discovered; it is said that this owl gryphon was capable of weaving magic into her inventions. Some examples are glittering gauntlets, wing extensions that would make you glide faster, or a traveling gryphon nest that could walk on two legs. The artisan role was not inspired by Amaranth, but the SkyKin artisans take a leaf from her book and create very detailed items that have their own “magic,” like optical illusions or “blessings from Andromeda.”

Tuna, the bountiful hunter. It is said that a gryphon travels aimlessly through the North, carrying a gigantic twoleg pouch that is always full of food. Tuna catches it himself and gives it to gryphons who are in need of rations during rougher leaf-bares. While this was a popular legend in the North, there is no actual proof of his existence. Often, roosters will use this as a means of telling their cubs to eat their food or else “Tuna will steal it and give it to someone else.”

North of the SkyKin waterfall, a village of centaur has existed for many moons before the gryphons found Noctus. While centaurs are known to be a peaceful race, this doesn’t mean they are peaceful towards the predatory gryphons. Warriors and hunters alike are warned to stay away from these creatures unless they’re up for a gamble. Some centaurs are well-equipped with weapons and armor that even a gryphon can’t pierce. 

The village itself is quaint. At night, many centaurs will go inside their wooden abodes, which leaves the vast farmland open for gryphon picking. The SkyKin moonspeaker favors this place for its bountiful growth of dozens of Noctus medicine materials; the centaurs like fruits and vegetables over meat, so berries and other flavorful plants are grown year-round there. It’s advised to visit during colder moons only, though - during warmer seasons, twolegs will visit Shiredin from the North and commence trade with the centaurs.