What Are Gryverns?

Gryverns are fire breathing, immortal creatures with the spiked, scaled head of a sea dragon, the wings and front talons of an eagle and the body of a lion. They are large, beautiful, and fearsome creatures who can fly and carry multiple people on their backs. The color of their fyre corresponds to their Kindred’s color. For example Sorae breathes blue flames, because blue is the color for Lumnos Descended.

Gryverns are incredibly intelligent and each has their own unique personalities, mind and opinions. For instance, we learn from Luther that Sorae can’t be used during battle training because she can sense the intentions of the guards so mock battles don’t interest her. She’d rather have a snack and take a nap then bother with opponents that she knows doesn’t mean her any harm.

History of the Gryverns

Stories of them are told in schools and their likeness is stitched and carved into various materials around the realms. They came to Emarion with the Kindred when they arrived in the mortal realm many millennia ago from their home realm. Each of the nine siblings brought their gryvern with them as their companion and guardian. 

At the Forging, the Kindred bound the beasts to an eternity of service to the Crowns of each realm. These gryverns are bound to their realm’s crown and must protect them at all costs, and obey their every command. 

During the Blood War, the Fortos Gryvern, a male named Baldrum, and the Montios Gryvern, a female named Rymari, were killed by mortal rebels. Rymari, was the oldest of the gryverns, pure white from tongue to tail, with scales like opals.

Gryverns are magic-bound to the Crown and obey only them. They have both a mental connection through this bond, and a physical connection, meaning a gryvern won’t tolerate being separated from their Crown for too long. If a gryvern decides it has been long enough they will track their Crown down using scent and following the call of the Crown’s power.

Due to their intelligence, this forced loyalty can leave the Gryverns wary that they might be forced into service to a stranger whose goals they might not share. Gryverns tend to form, but not always, an extremely deep connection to their Crown, even being able to sense the next Crown before the current Crown has fully passed.

The Crown can sense the gryvern’s emotions and intentions, and vise versa – Diem can’t talk to Sorae per se, but they communicate in their own bonded way. They are also known to feel and feed off the emotions and thoughts of their Crown. 

While Gryverns are loyal to their Crowns they can still act of their own will. If their Crown fears someone, or even dislikes them strongly, the Gryvern might take that person’s life in an effort to please the Crown.