Oh, and I've still got to finish the
Griffon Rider Mystic on this thread.
Updated the
Griffon Rider Mystic with the following Rough Draft for a
Description.
Description
Amiraspian griffon rider mystics are strange looking figures dressed in feathers and fur instead of the mail armor worn by regular griffon riders (see
Amiraspian Griffon Rider). A griffon mystic has strange symbols on their clothes and accessories, the most common being the
Trikyklopes – three circular eyes in a triangle. A griffon rider mystic is armed with a longbow and several pairs of light blades, normally two shortswords and two scimitars. These mystics are rare and often have very eccentric personalities. Some live as mountaintop hermits with only birds and griffons for company, but most spend at least part of their time in an eyrie with standard martial griffon riders.
The griffon rider mystic detailed above is a typical example. Mystics often have different spells than the example and some have different and/or additional abilities. These alternative powers often match the abilities of a barbarian (e.g.
Danger Sense,
Feral Instinct), ranger (e.g.
Feral Senses,
Hide in Plain Sight,
Land's Stride,
Natural Explorer,
Primal Awareness), monk (e.g.
Deflect Missiles,
Evasion,
Stillness of Mind,
Purity of Body) or another standard class, but could be strange powers only revealed to griffon mystics.
Eye of Lightning. Griffon rider mystics have many supernatural powers, the most notable of which is firing eldritch thunderbolts from their single eye. Even without these
Eyebolts, a mystic is a skilled fighter as skilled with melee and missile weapons as an expert amiraspian warrior (for example, a
Griffon Rider Gallant). Their abilities resemble a cross between an eldritch warrior and a warlock but are actually spiritual in nature, like a druid or shamanic priest. In battle a mystic uses
eyebolts, martial arts and support spells to deadly effect. In peace they act as sages and spiritual advisors to griffon riders and other amiraspians who seek their council. Not all eyries have griffon mystics and those that do typically only have one, possible with an apprentice or two. The record house of the griffon rider's Grand Eyrie always has multiple griffon mystics, both active mystics researching magical or historical texts and elderly mystics who have chosen to retire to its halls.
Spirit Allies. Arguably, a griffon rider mystic's most crucial role is acting as an intermediary to the spiritual and divine. While a standard griffon rider is partnered with a flesh-and-blood griffon, a mystic's griffon is a spirit creature from the Feywild (the
Gryphon Spirit in the mystic's Traits). An apprentice griffon mystic first learns how to summon this entity in the form of an eagle with the abilities of a Blood Hawk, but as they develop their spiritual powers their partner evolves in form. First to a Panther, then a Lion, then a Giant Eagle, then finally a Griffon. It is said that legendary mystics had gryphon spirit partners whose powers rivalled an elemental or young dragon.
Note: Although many griffon mystics can only summon their gryphon spirit partner, a substantial portion can summon other creatures. The griffon rider mystic's Challenge Rating includes their gryphon spirit partner and any other conjured companions.
Triple-Eyed Mysticism. All amiraspian mystics believe in a vast host of spiritual forces and beings, but the key figures in their belief system are Arges, Brontes and Steropes; three semi-divine cyclopes who made the thunderbolts of the King of the Gods. The trikyklopes worn by most mystics symbolizes these immortal one-eyed giants. The mystics say that long ago, these godlike Cyclopes took pity after seeing the monstrous
Amiraspi Cyclops exiling one of their half-human children to die. They tossed a splinter of thunderbolt into the child's eye, gifting it with the power of
eyebolts. Guided by the Trikyklopes, this youngster became the first ever mystic. This first mystic inspired other exiled amiraspi cyclops offspring to travel into the mountains and found the Amiraspian nation.
Becoming a griffon rider mystic is as much revelation as practice. Sometimes a completely ordinary amiraspian will be going about their mundane business when they have a sudden vision of one, two, or all three of the Trikyklopes, who tells them they're a mystic now. More often, an elderly mystic will find a civilian child or trainee griffon rider (see
Novice Griffon Rider) who the deific Cyclopes gave given the spark of mystic insight and take them on as an apprentice. The magical and religious beliefs of a griffon rider mystic vary greatly from individual to individual. One mystic's teachings can be wildly different from another's, and can sometimes be completely contradictory. This is rarely a cause for conflict, since mystics say their understanding of their revelations is limited by their mortal perspective, much like a squat cylinder can look like a circle from the end but a rectangle from the side.
