Methrinin

Homeworld/plane: the methrinin is said to have originated from a long-dead planet called Menithrin.

Climate/terrain: due to their love of the ocean, and their preference for fish, shellfish and other food from the sea, methrinin always settle close to the ocean. Quite versatile, the methrinin will live almost anywhere as long as there are trees large enough to build their hanging homes-- which is built of intricatly woven tree branches, reeds and a gum manifactured by the elvin.

Special Abilities: methrinin magic is based on the elements of water and air, although only a handfull magic-users are born each year. Some methrinin are also able to communicate with whales, the kraken and the spirits of those who have perished at sea.

Society: the ocean is an important part of methrinin society, and ship captains can enjoy a high position among their kind. A relatively peacefull race, they rarely resort to violence unless they have no other choice-- prefering to solve conflicts through peacefull means, although they do seem to have a preference for trickery. The methrinin is also frequently trading with the elves and other races who doesn not try to exploit their kindness, and it is not unusual that a group of methrinin will show up at the spring markets to sell fish products and various plants for medicinal purposes. Music, song, acting and art is important parts of the methrinin society, so artists and troops of traveling entertainers are almost always welcome into their settlements, especially during wintertime.

Description: resembling the gryphons of legend, the methrinin are half eagle and half ocelot, their bodies covered with colorfull feathers. Quite small, they rarely grow taller than a human, and unlike their fictional 'cousins' they walk upright and live in a society not too unlike that of their elvin allies. The methrinin have hand-like claws, and they are known for their ship building skills and their healers and herblore. Prefering a diet consisting mainly of fish and other food from the sea, each methrinin village has at least a couple of fishing ships, and among the younger ones it is a important job to gather shellfish, clams and sea plants in the shallows. Where the elvins live deep within the forests lining the coast, the methrinin live in the outer parts-- where they can be close to the sea and still get some shelter during storms.

Black purple- females.
Black crystal- females.
Red- females.
Golden orange- males.
Gold crystal- males.
White- males.

Size at birth: 30-40 cm long.
Size at maturity: 1.5-1.8 meters tall.
Time to maturity: 10 years.

Combat: at those times when they have to fight, the methrinin prefer such weapons as crossbows, spears and other weapons that can be used from the air, neither will they ever go into combat without at least one magic-user. A methrinin will try to avoid fighting at the ground whenever possible, but they do carry a dagger for those times when they have to, and of-course their beaks and talons are formidable weapons. Neither are methrinins too proud to resort to dirty tricks both when fighting and at other times.

Race weaknesses: the bones of a methrinins wing are relatively fragile, not to forget that the complex set of bones it consists of makes a break very painfull, not to forget that a difficult fracture may make it impossible for the wing to heal properly. Very young and very old methrinin are also vulnerable to stress, and even a healthy adult may suffer heart attacks in very stressfull situations.