Griffons and Culture Griffons, being avian creatures, tend to find close spaces rather confining. The abuse they have often received from other races in their cities has only strengthened the sentiment. Thus the race has largely turned its talents toward life in the wilderness, banding together into small clans with widely varying customs. Centuries of such have done much to shape their social structure, and wild griffons have enjoyed a history somewhat obscured to man- kind for some time. While the sight of a griffon within city walls has become more common in recent days, this is less true in some places than in others. Many generations of men have gone by since the Empire of the Bright Star kept griffons as slaves, yet they are still viewed there as nothing more than beasts. In the Northern Wastes, as in parts of Uxmal, griffon meat is considered a delicacy. Southern culture has been perhaps the most welcoming - many griffons serve openly in the Zhensh military, and enjoy the same respect as Zhenshi's humanoid citizens. By nature, griffons are relatively unselfish, having strong desires to help others. However, exactly who they help - and how - can vary greatly. While they are inherently-good creatures, griffons need not be principled, and they certainly are not faultless. A strong taboo exists against attacking others of their race, although griffon sports can get quite rough. Griffon cubs mature quickly, becoming full-grown only 3 years after hatching. Younger griffons can thus be painfully naive, despite their innate intelligence - slightly greater than a human's, on the average. Most griffons actively deny the popular "Legend of the Cauldron," and many disavow their race's purported magical origins altogether. While most Clans have alternate origin stories of their own, these tales have not won over the bulk of Pyrathia's people - many still consider griffons to be an aberration of nature. But if persecution has taught the race caution, it has not changed griffons' fierce adherence to doing good. See also: griffon-clans