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Argosy (griffin) [FINAL]

flutterscotch

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flutterscotch Equestrian

flutterscotch

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Roleplay Type: World of Equestria

Name: Argosy

Sex: Male

Age: Old enough to know better

Species: Griffin, bird part is a black-headed white gull, "lion" part is a Manx cat.

Eye Color:

Coat Color:Mostly silver marbled tabby, which gives way to grey feathers fading to white around his chest and neck. The top of his head and around his eyes is black, making him look like he has a mask on.

Mane/Tail/Markings Color & Style: N/A, but he does have a little tuft of feathers that he usually hides under his red knit hat. He does not actually have a tail like most other griffins, just a little stubby bit of tailbone. He uses his hind legs like a bird would its tail for stabilization though, so it doesn't affect his flying ability whatsoever. it might even give him an advantage in a chase since it's not sticking out there to be grabbed.

Physique: Being part seagull and part housecat, he's rather small, but toughly built. He's fast, bright and quick, so probably a good scrapper if the need pops up.

Cutie Mark: N/A

Origin/Residence: His parents are from Talonopolis, but he grew up essentially on river barges and ships in the coastal waters of the Badlands.

Occupation: Lookout/Cabin "boy" of the Rocinante. Even though he's the oldest of the crew. It's a small ship so crew has to pull double-duty.

Motivation: To prove to the world that small griffin males aren't weaklings to be shunted from society and that they have their place. I am not sure how his position, with a pony as a boss, on the particular ship he's on, is going to help him though. But hey, ponies are at least nicer to him than his own folk are.

Likes: (optional) Sardines, prawns, tidepools, whatever the pony equivalent of Ritz crackers are.

Dislikes: (optional) Not being given a chance to show anyone what kind of moxie he's got due to his size and of course, being made fun of for his size.

Character Summary:

Born in a clutch of many nautically-named chicks, to sea-and river-trader griffins Mizzenmast and Sternwheeler, Argosy was clearly even at that stage the runt of the litter. Like their mother, most of the other children were a lovely blend of the characteristics of osprey and lynx, small-ish and compact, yet fierce scrappers so when they were hatchlings the size difference between Argosy and the rest of the brood didn't seem like it would be enough of a big deal. His parents were confident that eventually he would catch up to the rest of his siblings. But by the time they reached the fledgling stage, it was clear that despite his vast food intake, Argosy would always be much smaller than the rest of his family. Even more clear was that while his siblings coats eventually gave way to a ticked thin tabby coat, and their crests stark white with brown markings emanating from their eyes, that he had quite a different genetic makeup with his masked face and marbled stripes.

That didn't stop him from trying to keep up with his siblings though, and his parents did not treat him any differently than their other offspring. When it came to chores and expectations, they kept him to the same high standards that they laid out for their other children. In spite of, or perhaps because of the fact that the much smaller griffin had the same duties of an average sized griffin, and could perform them admirable, he went through his entire childhood thinking it wasn't much of a big deal that he was small. He was quick, he was fast and more importantly he was smart.

He could outfly almost any of his siblings because he had greater stamina and was infinitely better at games of hide and seek (since there were more places for him to hide, and could definitely outsmart them when it came to the choicest morsels at the dinner table (they were not a family that were well known for their table manners). His tongue was sharp, his wit was quick, and he was a favorite among his brothers and sisters with his hilarious antics and impressions. He also had an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time to overhear things to his benefit, whether it be the machinations of his siblings, or the daily goings on and whispers of treasure from other passing ships and barges.

It wasn't until he was old enough to start to help with the family business that he ran into problems. Suddenly, a size that was not that much of a big deal started losing his family business every time he was in charge of the sales counter during landfall. The rough and tumble river dwelling griffins simply did not want to deal with a "little pipsqueak" like him, and the stern and strong sea griffins thought he as only good for sighting land, or at best treated him like he was somebody's pet.

But he wasn't going to let it get him down, and he was definitely not going to let any other griffin, especially ones that he seemed to be smarter than treat him like a pet! Clearly his parents' clientele were utter fools and didn't value the unique skills Argosy possessed, so while he and his parents decided to put him on a more "behind the scenes" role in the business, he honed those skills of subterfuge by listening in on the competition under the cover of night and reporting back to his parents to give them the edge over their competition, frequently gracing them with impressions of the people giving the news he had overheard. It was in this time that he also learned to curse like a sailor, a trait his parents disapproved of, earning him the in-family nickname of "Fowl Mouth".

As he grew into a full-fledged adult, he grew tired and slightly bitter of having to take on this secret spy role for his parents' business. It was so BOOOORIIING for a young griffin to be stuck in the same routine day in and day out. He was ready for his own adventures on the open seas! He was ready to meet other small griffins like himself (maybe even a LADY griffin), because he gathered that they were out there somewhere. After seeing him restless and agitated for many seasons, his parents finally asked him what was up and acknowledged his need to leave the nest.

Since he had helped to keep his parents coffers' full throughout his childhood, and by this time they were quite a prosperous family indeed as they still were at the top of their trading game and had made many wonderful contacts by Argosy's information, they granted him a hefty allowance from their takings. Wishing him a tearful goodbye, they knew that their small son was destined for something great!

Despite Griffins' natural affinity to not quite gravitate towards ponies, Argosy found himself in the warm, southern coastal islands called the Galapagos. After several weeks of just, well, lazing about taking food from the bountiful tidepools and reefs around the islands, he got bored of of the idle life, and decided that he needed something to do, although he had spent very little of his money. it was around that time that he met Green Flash at a local bar and understood that the Pegasus was in it for the thrill of the hunt and the fun of the adventure, rather than the more cut-throat actual pirates stationed in the area. Presenting himself as the ideal lookout for the tiny ship Rocinante, he was quickly accepted by the weird-o pegasus and presented with his very own room in the cave that they call Headquarters.

Argosy is pretty content with this arrangement, and still uses his small size to help augment the rather pitiful coffers that keep their little operation afloat, and sometimes to look for exciting treasure. But mostly they just explore and see the sights when bits allow. After all, what other boss will set sail just because you feel like seeing another coast? And what other crew would accept him wholeheartedly for who he is? As content as he is, he often still writes to his family back home, telling them about his new family on the slopes of Mt. Firefoal, and sadly has not met another griffin his size yet.

5517066517_8bd1d316be.jpg

Think Kehaar from Watership Down

crossed with

Sierra_b.jpg

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flutterscotch Equestrian

flutterscotch

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Rosie, m'dear, we're done here!

Not quite as confident as Asteria with this one, but this is my first griffin and I didn't want him to have a violent, cranky past. Lemme know if you think I am missing anything.

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