Rules

There are a few rules you need to follow if you're interested in adopting a Glassgryph:

• Please do not alter the Glassgryph artwork without permission, or claim it as your own.
• You are allowed to crop your own Glassgryph's image to make an avatar or signature link, but please do not use other peoples' Glassgryphs for this purpose.
• You don't need to be a member of PonyIsland to adopt a Glassgryph or Socit! If you're not a member of PI, however, you do need to be a member of the Glassgryphs forum in order to adopt.
• Glassgryphs and Socits can only be traded during designated trading seasons. They can, however, be gifted at any time.
• If you just have your Glassgryph on your PI presentation, a link to my presentation is enough. If your Glassgryph is on a webpage that is not PI, you must link back to the Glassgryph webpage.
• If you are leaving PI and still want to keep your Glassgryphs, please send me a PM and we'll make arrangements.
• If you are leaving PI and selling or giving away your account, please note that my adoptables are not transferrable and will not automatically go to whoever takes over your account. Please PM me to make arrangements if you're leaving PI and don't want to keep your Glassgryphs.

Easy enough, eh? So then onto the information!

General information

Glassgryphs are gryphons named for the glassy sheen of their feathers (they're not actually made out of glass, neat as that would be). They are intelligent creatures, able to speak and reason just as well as you and me, and are generally very friendly and kind-hearted. Though they are able to speak human languages, they also speak a language known only to the Glassgryphs.

The size of a Glassgryph can range from a small pony to a large horse, and females are always larger than males. The two genders live very peacefully together, though things can get a little tense during the mating season, with the males being prone to displays of strength and courage in attempts to impress the females. They can make their homes nearly anywhere, from a cliff ledge, to a cave, to a nest high in a tree, just as long as there's enough game in the area to hunt easily.

Glassgryphs are omnivores, though definitely leaning more toward the carnivorous side of things. They will eat almost any meat, though never carrion, and seem to have a particular fondness for fish. Fruits, vegetables, and grains make up a smaller part of their diet.

Society

Glassgryphs can live in large groups, in a family group, or by themselves, depending on personal preference. Each group stakes out their own hunting territory, and will drive away any Glassgryphs who try to poach their game. Different groups do intermingle to socialize, but usually on neutral ground.

During the mating season, several different groups tend to intermingle, giving the females a large selection. The males do their best to impress, and if lucky will be chosen by a female for that year's breeding season. The pair raises the chicks together, and when the young are fledged and have left the nest, the male and female usually go their seperate ways, or go back to a more casual relationship, if they regularly live in the same group. Sometimes a pair will become devoted to each other and take no other mates, but this happens rarely.

Main Species

There are several main Glassgryph species, with more being discovered every so often. All of the species are able to interbreed with each other, unless otherwise specified. When a regular Glassgryph is bred with any different species, there is a 25% chance the kitten will be the different species and a 75% chance it will be a regular. When two Glassgryphs of different, non-regular species are bred (ie, a Northern and a Dragon), there is a 50% chance that the kitten will be one or the other species.

Regular Glassgryphs

Regular Glassgryphs, also just referred to as Glassgryphs, were the first Glassgryph species to arrive at PI. They are the most common, and have a number of different patterns and special traits. Regular Glassgryphs can come in every color imaginable and in a wide range of personalities, though special colors, such as gradients, are rarer.

Northern Glassgryphs

Northern Glassgryphs come from the far north, and are covered with a shaggy coat of fur and feathers. Though they appear larger because of their ample plumage, they are the same size as basic Glassgryphs. Northerns tend to come in pale and natural colors, with brightly colored eyes.

Dragon Glassgryphs

Dragon Glassgryphs are said to have come from the lands where the true Dragons dwell, though they are keeping quiet on the subject of their origin. Thought to be a combination of true Dragon and Glassgryph - magically fused, rather than bred - Dragon Glassgryphs are generally ill-tempered and tend to avoid the company of regular Glassgryphs. Their colors tend towards the dark and the bright.

Unicorn Glassgryphs

Unicorn Glassgryphs make it a habit to be mysterious, while at the same time being very playful and energetic. Generally benevolent, a Unicorn Glassgryph sees everyone as a friend, whether or not they feel the same way. They are able to channel tremendous healing powers through their horns, though the horns themselves are not magical - a horn removed from a Unicorn Glassgryph has no more magic in it than a stick.

The first Unicorn Glassgryph to be made public appeared in the first Glassgryph RP, rescued from a true Dragon by a group of brave 'gryphs. She would not say where the Unicorn Glassgryphs originated, only that it was 'very far away.'

If a basic and a Unicorn Glassgryph breed, there is a 25% chance the kitten will be a Unicorn, and a 75% chance the kitten will be a basic. If a Unicorn Glassgryph breeds with one of the other sub-species, there is a 50% chance the kitten will be one or the other.

Freshwater Glassgryphs

Freshwater Glassgryphs are, as their name suggests, found in freshwater areas, such as deep lakes and rivers. Their large back fins give them some difficulty getting around in smaller spaces, but they can manage if they swim carefully.

Their physical appearance is radically different from that of the other Glassgryphs species, with no legs to speak of, dragon-like fin-wings rather than the usual feathered wings, and a large finned tail instead of the regular rear tail of the other species. Freshwaters are unable to go on land, though they are air breathers rather than water breathers. They are able to speak quite easily when their heads are above water, but communicate underwater with a series of clicks, singing, and other sounds.

Taiga Glassgryphs

Taiga Glassgryphs are about a third smaller than most Glassgryphs, with stocky builds and snow leopard-like tails. Originally from the colder regions, like Northerns, their coats are thick and shaggy. Taigas live in clan groups and are fiercely loyal to the other members of their clan, and very distrustful of strangers. Since joining the other Glassgryph species, they have extended their clan groups to include other species, but still regard non-clan Glassgryphs with a certain amount of suspicion.

The first Taigas were somehow stranded on a cold, snowy world, along with a group of Catfeathers who developed similar traits. A Catfeather called Lem was able to bridge the two worlds for a brief period of time, and an adventurous group of Catfeathers and Glassgryph traveled to the cold world. After some adventure, and the intervention of a True Dragon, the group returned with a couple of Taiga clans. Unable to return to their original world, the Taigas have remained with the Glassgryphs of Home, and flourished.

Risen Glassgryphs

The Risen are zombie Glassgryphs that are born from the corpse of a deceased Glassgryph. What little mind these monstrosities have is generally crazed, and despite their decaying bodies they can move fairly swiftly. Some Risen are placid and content just to exist, shambling about passively and smelling horrific. You definitely don't want to stand too close to a Risen if you can help it, and the only way to do away with one is to remove the head.

It is currently unknown what causes a deceased Glassgryph to become a Risen, and very careful expermients are ongoing to attempt to determine the cause. Risen are not able to breed.

Hybrid Species

When two Glassgryphs of a different species breed, there is a possibility that their offspring will be an entirely new hybrid species. In time, there will be a different hybrid species for each potential cross, but these are the ones that have been discovered. All of the species are able to interbreed with each other, unless otherwise specified.

Also unless otherwise specified, here's the percentages that determines what species a hybrid's kitten will be:

• If two hybrids of the same species are bred together (ie, a Glacier and a Glacier), there is an 80% chance that the kitten will be the parents' species, and a 20% chance of being one of the species that makes up the hybrid (in the case of Glacier, either Freshwater or Northern).
• If two different hybrids are bred together (ie, a Glacier and Kirin), there is a 60% chance that the kitten will be one of the parents' species, and a 40% chance of being one of the species that makes up the hybrid species (a 10% chance for each of the species involved).
• If a hybrid and a Glassgryph of one of the main species are bred, there is a 40% chance the kitten will be the hybrid species, a 40% chance it will be the species of the other parent, and a 20% chance of being one of the species that makes up the hybrid species.

So basically, if you breed a hybrid at all, the kitten has a possibility of being the hybrid species, or one of the main species that make up the hybrid.

Kirin Glassgryphs

Dragon x Unicorn

A Kirin Glassgryph can result from the unlikely union of Dragon and Unicorn. They tend to have the more peaceful nature of their Unicorn heritage, though they can be quick to anger, like the Dragons. The strange horns on their head don't seem to carry the healing power that the Unicorn's horn has.. but then, the Kirins generally keep to themselves what their abilities are.

Glacier Glassgryphs

Northern x Freshwater

Glacier Glassgryphs live on land, but are extremely comfortable in the water. Their fur slicks down when swimming to give them a more streamlined appearance, and they can hold their breath for about 10 minutes underwater. Their wings are too small for flight, but they can use them for maneuvering when swimming. How can a Glacier result when Freshwaters can't go on land and Northerns are no doubt weighted down by their fur in the water? It's better not to wonder about these things.

Glassfeathers

Glassgryph x Catfeather

Catfeathers are a now-retired adoptable that was run by Calicolupe. Upon their retirement, permission was graciously given to me by Calicolupe to allow breedings between Glassgrryphs and Catfeathers - the result is the Glassfeathers species!

Glassfeathers are generally wingless, with physical features from both species. Special traits may also result from breeding two individuals together who have one or more special traits. There's only one species of Glassfeather, so breeding a Northern Glassgryph and a Kittyfly Catfeather will still result in a regular Glassfeather.