Here is a list of characters and nations among Griffonkind, not just those from their homeland of Griffonnia but also Griffon realms found elsewhere on Equus.
To return to the main character index, click here.
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General
- Adaptational Badass: All Griffons have the ability to wield weather magic, something that is not even implied in the show.
- Fantasy Pantheon: Griffonnia and Griffonkind as a whole have four major Griffon Pantheons, based on the cardinal directions and winds. Boreas (from which the Idol of Boreas got its name) and Astra are head of the Northern Griffon Pantheon, while Notus is the head of the one in the South. They used to be unified and more active, but are now divided and became insular from even their mortal subjects. Lesser Griffon Pantheons exists in and beyond Griffonnia such as the Talon Bais Pantheon.
Griffonstone
General
- Greed: A major defining trait of Griffons is their love money, easily rivaling dragons in that regard.
Gilda
- The Chosen One:
- Princess Grizelda II, the Heart of Griffonstone chooses her as her personal apprentice, and it's implied that she's her biological descendant.
- She's chosen by Discord as one of the Equestrian Elements of Chaos, specifically the Element of Desire.
- Divine Parentage: She's a descendant of Princess Grizelda II, the Celestial Griffon goddess of Morality, Sound, and Defiance. This also means that she's a descendant of Queen Grizelda I, Grizelda II's mother.
- Heroic Lineage: She's a descendant of both Queen Grizelda I and her daughter, Princess Grizelda II, though the latter being an Ascendant goddess would also make their blood ties Divine Parentage. Like in canon, she started off as a Jerkass, but after character development made her Took a Level in Kindness, she started becoming similar to Grizelda I in personality, wanting to restore Griffonstone to its former greatness without going down the route of many revanchist Griffon Autorist factions.
- Karmic Jackpot: Her wanting to know the fate of her ancestor, Queen Grizelda I, as well as outright rejecting the Idol of Boreas (a status of leadership and power in Griffonstone) is what impresses the Dragoness Agalina, who leads her to the underground chamber where Grizelda I's Ascendant daughter, Grizelda II, was sealed away.
- Wowing Cthulhu: She impresses Agalina, an ancient Dragoness who knew Queen Grizelda I and had been guarding her Ascendant daughter Grizelda II (who sealed herself away in a block of ice), by rejecting the Idol of Boreas and stating she came to treasure friendship over "that dumb old idol". Agalina even called her "a griff after [her] ancestor's heart".
Lord Goldstone
- Adaptational Karma: It's implied in the comics that he was likely punished for attempting to destroy an important treaty, which would have caused a massive diplomatic fallout. However, his fate is made more explicit here as he not only loses his position in the provisional Council of Griffonstone, but is also arrested and tried for his crimes (as well as his ties to revanchist Griffon Autorist factions).
- Adaptational Villainy: Lord Goldstone in the comics was a greedy scumbag who sought to seize Equestria's territories (which means the entire country) to fill his personal holdings, not caring for the millions of Ponies and other non-Griffon races who would be potentially displaced. Here, he's revealed to be part of a revanchist Griffon Autorist faction looking to restore Griffonstone's former territories.
- Didn't Think This Through: Lampshaded in one Drabble by Lord Gestel in regards to his plan to restore Griffonstone to its former glory by seizing Equestria's territories, who point out that even if his plan work, Equestria is a land full of the likes of heroes, royalty, monsters and even gods who would take issue with Lord Goldstone's naked land grab and attempt to force them from their homes, and would not only ignore his legal/contractual justifications however watertight but also more than capable of making Lord Goldstone's life utterly misterable (for however long that lasts) for doing so.
- Feathered Fiend: He's a corrupt and greedy Griffon Lord who has ties to revanchist Griffon Autorist factions. He seeks to seize the entirety of Equestria — displacing millions of Ponies and other non-Griffon races in the process — just so he can increase his personal holdings.
- Greed: The reason why he was willing to seize the entirety of Equestria's land and displace millions of Ponies and other non-Griffon races for the sake of restoring Griffonstone? It's because he wanted to increase his personal holdings. Lord Gestal suspected this was the case until his crimes and secret allegiances came to light.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Goldstone sought to restore Griffonstone to its former glory by seizing Equestria's territories — which, historically, were loaned by ancient Griffons to Third Age Pony survivors to help them rebuild and by contract were supposed to be given back if the Ponies' debt was not paid a century later. However, the debt was paid, but it turns out Goldstone wants to seize the land anyway because he was motivated purely by Greed. His crimes and motives being exposed is what gets him arrested and costs him his standing in the (provisional) Council of Griffonstone.
- One-Steve Limit: Averted. He shares his name with Blue Goldstone, a heroic Alicorn member of the Trimortidae and adoptive son of Audens Manes.
Lord Gestal
- Didn't Think This Through: Lampshaded in regards to Lord Goldstone's plan to restore Griffonstone to its former glory by seizing Equestria's territories, pointing out even if his plan work, Equestria is a land full of the likes of heroes, royalty, monsters and even gods who would take issue with Lord Goldstone's naked land grab and attempt to force them from their homes, and would not only ignore his legal/contractual justifications however watertight but also more than capable of making Lord Goldstone's life utterly misterable (for however long that lasts) for doing so.
Grandpa Gruff
Talon Bàis
A Griffon kingdom famous for its dragonslayers, Talon Bàis (first introduced here
) was founded by Gael, the Dragonslayer King who supposedly slew an entire evil Dragonflight and used their hoarded wealth to build the kingdom, a legendary act which led to Gael being respected (to a degree bordering on worship) even to this day. Naturally, this led to the country developing anti-Dragon racism, which would worsen to horrific extremes once certain revelations regarding Gael's true character and deeds were exposed, starting a chain of events which would ultimately lead to the kingdom's destruction... General
- Apocalypse How: Class 0 - Regional Collapse. Talon Bàis ultimately lost the war, but fought to the bitter end and is ultimately reduced to flaming rubble and desolate ruins.
- Asshole Victim: Deconstructed: Talon Bàis got away with their heinous crimes for so long because they were mainly committed against dragons, who were seen by many as Always Chaotic Evil, so no one bothered to look deeper into it and even cheered for their hunters as they did their thing. The deconstruction comes in because dragons aren't Always Chaotic Evil, and that mentality was Fantastic Racism. As such, because of this idea they 'deserved it,' they were able to get away with actions so vile even Black Dragons and Changeling Kings were disgusted simply because no one cared enough about the dragons to bother making sure the ones being harmed were good or evil. Needless to say, many people do not take this realization very well.Princess Bright Eyes: While what happened in Talon Bàis was horrific and disgusting, we have to remember that much like the Reichists in the Second Age, they only managed to get that far because of a mentality that had sadly became prevalent. The idea dragons are all evil, savage brutes was sadly rather widespread. Things like this are a grim, tragic but much needed wake up call to vile mentalities that simply cannot be allowed to thrive. All we saw in Talon Bàis was that anti-dragon sentiment taken to its horrid, logical extreme...but anywhere that racism existed, that could have happened.
To give a famous quote: let this be 'a monument to a moment in time when some creatures decided to turn the Equus into a graveyard. Into it, they shoveled all of their reason, their logic, their knowledge, but worst of all, their conscience. And the moment we forget this, the moment we cease to be haunted by its remembrance, then we become the gravediggers.' - Awful Truth: As it turns out, Gael, the kingdom's founder, fabricated the entire backstory of how he founded the kingdom: Rather than being the heroic dragonslayer he passed himself off as, he was actually an extremely racist mass-murderer who killed innocent Griffons in a False Flag Operation, and then slaughtered an innocent Dragonflight through deceit and betrayal. This truth being uncovered and published directly leads to Talon Bàis being destroyed in the long run.
- Blood Magic: Gaelium is made by forging metal in dragon's blood, granting it some of their arcane power. However, this also has a habit of tainting the metal with malice and evil.
- Breakout Villain: Talon Bàis was introduced as an example of how far the words 'they deserve it' can be taken...but ended up blowing up and getting a lot more focus and expansion than expected.
- Cavalry Betrayal: On the receiving end of one in a Drabble by a group of Menorahite soldiers, who pretended to be coming over to support them as volunteers against the Dragons and other anti-Gaelist forces, only for them to quoting one Gaelist soldier 'buck off before the battle even started' with their dragonslaying equipment and vehicles, laughing their heads off over them falling for their deception and one of them flipping the Gaelists off. The Menorahites planned all this as they vehemently disapproved what the Gaelists are doing as not too different from what Reichists and Autorists had attempted to do to the Menorahites. A similar incident played out with the Hornet's Nest Mercenaries, with the local chapter accepting payment to turn against Equestria and promptly leaking the planned attack to the authorities, throwing the assault into chaos.
- Commonality Connection: Downplayed, as while the Police State which arose in Talon Bàis was not classified as either, their racism, militance, totalitarianism and fanaticism made them not quite different from many Tribalists and Autorist factions and nations. It's for this reason why they quickly drew close to them when they became diplomatically isolated and received military support during the 'Talon Bàis War' as the tide turned against them.
- Crippling Overspecialization: Talon Bàis is well known for its incredibly capable, well-trained/armed and experienced dragonslayers, making them dangerous to Free Dragons and Dragonflights, especially 'old school' ones. But militarily speaking they are mediocre at best in experience and weaponry against everything else, up to and including Dragons who are advanced enough and actually knows how to fight. This is best seen in aerial combat against Terrans' and Angel Vales' aeroforces, where their aeroflyers are clearly shown to be inexperienced in stark contrast to their Autorist allies, opening fire well out of effective weapons range as well as falling for tricks and tactics which more experienced pilots would had spotted and avoided.
- Subverted with their infamous 'Dragonkiller' aerial cruisers: They are so well armed and armoured that on top of being highly effective in slaughtering packs of Dragons, they also do very well for both ground-support and air-to-air engagements against other capital vessels. Taking them out became a military priority for the Dragons and their allies.
- Culture Justifies Anything: Deconstructed. Due to their culture revolving around dragonslaying and the perception of Dragonkind as savage beasts who 'deserved' their fate, the majority of Talon-Bàisians saw absolutely nothing wrong with experimenting on them, turning their unhatched children into delicacies, and treating them as animals to be hunted for sport. When this came under harsh global scrutiny, they frequently tried to defend their bigotry and actions as integral parts of their culture, all while accusing those who condemned them as being cultural supremacists trying to destroy their way of life. Unfortunately for them, "it's just what everyone did/it's just what the culture is here" can only go so far, because what they did was so horrible nobody else was willing to defend their culture.
- Defiant to the End: Convinced that the Dragons and the allies they 'deceived' were out to destroy them all in revenge for the murdered Dragonflight, the fanatical regime of Talon Bàis fought to the bitter end when the war turned against them, leading to the destruction of the country.
- Dehumanization: They treat dragons as savage beasts and animals. This results in them treating dragons in horrific ways, up to including caging them in extremely inhumane conditions before hunting them on game preserves, and even turning their unhatched eggs into Draco-Balut, among other horrific crimes.
- The Dragonslayer: Deconstructed. Talon Bàis was famed for producing these, often lending them out to countries under threat from dragons, and in the early days of the 'Talon Bàis War' they were able to pose a serious threat to both the Free Dragon nations and Dragonflights they launched their wars of genocide against. Unfortunately for them, while capable of taking on 'Old School' dragons easily with their techniques and technology, they were facing more advanced and progressive 'Free Dragons' and Dragonflights in the likes of Cobbletown, Angel Vale, and the Avalar and Equestrian Dragonflights, who were also informed of every trick and tactic they used by defectors, and their initial advantage soon disappeared. Also, the reason why they became Dragonslayers in the first place is due to Gael covering up his genocidal slaughter of an innocent Dragonflight by demonizing his victims, which his subjects believed for years until Sacred Swan discovered the truth.
- Dread Zeppelin: In a Drabble/Tales entry, their specially designed aerial cruisers, nicknamed 'Dragonkillers', wreaked havoc upon Dragons and even their allied forces both before and during the Talon Bàis War. They are heavily armoured and magically protected enough to be able to take a beating from a full-grown dragon's claws and flames, and are packed with heavy firepower in the form of casemate Blastfire cannons, Pneumatic-Catapult emplacements and batteries of Trotfire rockets. On top of being able to mow down upon whole packs of old-school dragons, they also serve as decent fire-support and air superiority weapons platforms against even regular non-Dragon forces on the ground and in the air. Their major weaknesses were their relatively slow speeds and vulnerability to small but fast and well-armed aerofighter crafts (like the Terran Empire's Thunderbird multirole aerofighters), requiring aerofighter escorts for protection, and they were expensive and time-consuming enough to build that each loss put a dent in the Talon Bàis war machine.
- Eats Babies: One of their most horrific atrocities committed against Dragonkind is the creation of Draco-Balut. The Fourth-Age version/successor of the Fillypino Balut from the Second Age, Draco-Balut takes the same methods used for Balut - incubating the eggs and then cooking the unhatched infants inside by boiling or steaming them alive - but applies them to unhatched Dragons. When information about it was publicly released, everyone was understandably horrified, to say nothing of mortal and divine Dragonkind.Dragon Queen Tiamat: (roaring) THEY DID WHAT WITH OUR CHILDREN?!
- Egomaniac Hunter: It's noted their dragonslayers tend to act this way killing dragons, viewing them more like animals to hunt for sport than sapient beings. This applies to even children.
- Empire with a Dark Secret: Well, "kingdom" in this case. Talon Bàis was founded by Gael, the Dragonslayer King, a mass murdering racist who framed, betrayed, and killed a benevolent Dragonflight and covered it up. Sacred Swan eventually revealed the truth, resulting in the kingdom's eventual destruction.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: The kingdom was founded on racism against dragons. As such, the idea of a good dragon, let alone that they can ever be something other than greedy, destructive brutes, is fundamentally impossible for them to comprehend. This bit them in the rear hard as it means they couldn't understand their tried and true dragonslaying tactics were So Last Season against 'New Flame' dragons that had progressed and grown into more than what they once were.
- Fantasy Metals: Gaelium is a magic metal created by forging metal in dragon's blood to grant it some of their arcane power. However, this also tends to taint the blades with bloodlust and malice.
- General Failure: As noted by Prince Regal Scroll of the Terran Empire, their initial onslaught against the various Dragon nations, flights and communities around the world makes absolutely no military sense, since while they are a regional power which have militarised heavily following their degeneration into a Gaelist warmongering Dragon-genocidal Police State, even they don't have the resources and means to fight so many enemies at so many places all at once without running into severe logistical and other issues which would doom their operations to failure. As observed by Princess Amicitia Sparkle, they had made a number of fatally-flawed presumptions due to their arrogance and fanaticism which made them underestimate their opponents and overestimate their own capabilities (although it is implied there are deeper, yet-revealed reasons for the Gaelists' moves). True to form, not only do their campaigns failed, it provoked all the Dragons they attacked and even non-Dragon factions and nations they provoked in the process into counterattacking against them, dooming them to a war they can't win.
- Go Mad from the Revelation: Discovering the Awful Truth of Gael's true character and deeds proved to be so devastating that its public exposure by Sacred Swan and various benevolent (demi-)deities triggered what is essentially a Civil War. Unfortunately, the racist, fanatical extremist factions won, purging those who accepted the truth (including less racist members of the royal family) and driving Sacred Swan and her supporters to flee by branding them as heretics.
- Guilt-Free Extermination War: Gael founded the kingdom following one he (supposedly) waged by himself against an entire evil Dragonflight. Talon Bàis later attempted to start one against neighbouring Free Dragon nations and Dragonflights, both out of paranoia that the dragons would want to seek revenge over Gael's massacre, and their belief that dragons are savage beasts which they could easily deal with. Both would ultimately backfire horribly on both Gael and the kingdom he built.
- Hated by All: They committed atrocities against Dragonkind that were so vile that even their Autorist allies were put off by them (which was pointed out as hypocrisy by the Talon Bàisians since the Autorists themselves had no problem with committing similar crimes towards other races). And after information on Draco-Balut was released, entire pantheons were roused to battle. It got to the point where multiple deities and demi-deities from the likes of the Equestrian Pantheon and the Terran Royal Family joined Deireadh, Griffonkind's Princess of Reapers, in delivering a divine sanction against the Talon Bàis Pantheon on the Grand Primevals' behalf.
- Have You Seen My God?: Part of the reason why Talon Bàis fell is because it suddenly lost the support and blessings of its own pantheon, which would have allowed the country to fight a little longer. It's revealed that the pantheon was destroyed by Deireadh, the Princess of Feliaves Reapers and her army of benevolent deities as part of a sanction for breaking Primeval Law regarding their admission of the racist, mass-murdering Gael into the Heaven-Realms. Those of the pantheon who were genuinely innocent and/or repentant were spared and whisked away from the destruction.
- Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: Rongoa notes during his second entry that their dragonslayers treat killing dragons almost like sports hunters, showing how much they dehumanize/animalizes them.
- It Is Beyond Saving: Thanks to its founder and the local pantheon breaking Primeval Laws (among other things), Talon Bàis was deemed to be extremely corrupt by the Grand Primevals, who allowed Deireadh, the Princess of Reapers to herald its destruction. Those who were genuinely innocent and/or repentant were evacuated. Sacred Swan, one of Talon Bàis' former residents, tried to defy this by preaching the truth to anyone she hoped will listen, and felt guilty for her role in everything once her home finally fell... but she later came to accept its fate after Blacktip assured her that her people chose to cling to their racism in spite of what she did.
- There was a brief time when history hung in the balance and the war and the kingdom's destruction could had been averted, as Queen Saorsa II, who believed Sacred Swan and horrified by what they were doing, tried to change course with the support of those of her subjects who also had a Heel Realization. A successful coup launched by her brother and the country's descent into a genocidal and warmongering 'Gaelist' dictatorship sealed Talon Bàis' fate.
- There was a brief time when history hung in the balance and the war and the kingdom's destruction could had been averted, as Queen Saorsa II, who believed Sacred Swan and horrified by what they were doing, tried
- The Infiltration: Bad guy version. Seeking to destroy Dragontwon in Fillydelphia, the Gaelists contacted racist traitors in high places among the Equestrians through Autorist and Tribalist organizations and factions they have ties and contact with, and offered to get rid of the Free Dragon community for them if they can help them help bring a force of their troops and Dragonslayers into the city. The offer was accepted, and those racist traitors used their positions, bribery and other means to undermine Equestria's national defences and domestic security, allowing a Talon Bàisian taskforce to be snuck into Fillydelphia under everyone's noses.
- Just Following Orders: Defied hard. A group of Talon Baisian soldiers who attempted to invoke this trope to escape accountability are called out, given that they were exposed to information that showed their orders were immoral thanks to Sacred Swan's publication of Gael's diary, and still choose to obey them. They're promptly Dragged Off to Hell by Mortem Notam, one of Deireadh's daughters.
- Logical Weakness: Pyropenetrator rounds work by piercing a dragon's tough scales and setting off an enchantment inside that ignites their internal tissues. Turns out, the enchantment will go off if it penetrates any significantly tough material, and thus an Armored Dragon is, while not invulnerable to all harm (as it still might pierce the skin), unaffected by the enchantment, as it goes off prematurely before it can pierce deep enough to matter. It also doesn't work very well on demi-gods owing to PQ being much more resistant compared to mortal flesh and blood.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: Just as their founder was created using inspiration from Hitler himself, Talon Bàis takes inspiration from Nazi Germany, including their use of systemic, institutionalized racism as a means to motivate and control the population, political purges, and so on. Like with the Nazis, they also embodied a common mentality of the time (in this case, Fantastic Racism torwards dragons and belief they're Always Chaotic Evil) taken to its logical extreme, and serve as a chilling wake up call to the world as to just how evil and wrong such a worldview can get.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: In a massive irony, their atrocities were so vile that they served as a wake up call for the world at how toxic anti-dragon Fantastic Racism was becoming and caused a steep decline in it, the exact opposite outcome that they desired. It's believed this is why the Powers That Be permitted it to happen: it's The Only Way They Will Learn.
- Out-Gambitted: The Gaelist forces at the start of the 'Talon Bais War' had attempt to launch a surprise assault into Angel Vale through hijacking and passing through the Zebrican Gate linking it and Ashfall. However, General Treu and General Piercing Arrow of Angel Vale and Ashfall respectively predicted this and turned it against them, surrounding the gate with their dug-in forces and caught the invading Gaelists with overlapping fields of fire, turning the whole gate entrance area into narrow chokepoint ending in a massive killzone that proceeded to wipe out much of the Gaelist forces, much to the Gaelists' regret.Gaelist Commander: We've been played. We've been cornered. And we've been quite possibly bamboozled.
- Playing with Syringes: Played for Horror as Free Dragon and allied forces found evidence that many dragons who were captured in Talon Bàis territory, regardless of morality but especially the young and teenaged ones, became victims of twisted experiments performed on them by the kingdom's military and research divisions, which rivals those performed in Reichist death camps back in the Great Wars Era of the Second Age in terms of sheer cruelty.
- Power-Up Food: Deconstructed. Eating Dragon meat, including Dragon eggs, granted Talon Bàis Griffons enhanced physical/mental abilities and stronger spellcasting. The cuisine of Talon Bàis as a whole promotes this, with even ordinary Talon Bàisian citizens consuming Dragon-related foods for mundane purposes. This intially gave Talon Bàis' military (such as its Dragonslayers) a huge advantage over their enemies and made up for their smaller forces in the early days of the "Talon Bàis War". But once their supplies were cut off and even outright destroyed, they gradually lost their empowerment, which contributed to the kingdom's eventual destruction. Not helping things is that the Talon Bàisian Griffons were consuming meat that came from a sapient race whose members had radically different physiologies than theirs, making the empowerments temporary and inflicting long-term consequences on their body and arcane makeup due to compatibility issues.
- Proxy War: The conflict Talon Bàis started became one between the nations and factions which supported the Free Dragon nations and Dragonflights (such as Equestria, Terra, Machina, etc.) and the hostile/malignant nations and factions which supported the Talon Bàis (Mainly Autorists and Tribalists), with comparisons being made to the Spmanish Civil War in the Great Wars Era of the Second Age which also became a Proxy War between fascist and non-fascist nations supporting the Republican, Nationalist and other sides. A Drabble/Tales entry shows a whole squadron of Autorist 'volunteers' piloting their country's Skycondor aerofighters alongside the Talon Bàisians' own escorts against a squadron of Terran aerofighters trying to take out a squadron of Talon Bàisians 'Dragonkiller' aerial cruisers.
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Part of their justification for their attempted war of genocide was the belief the dragons who 'pretended to be civilized' and those they 'deceived' would attack and destroy them if they didn't (though this was mostly just to justify their own Fantastic Racism). While they're wrong about the dragons being that way, their unprovoked war and refusal to surrender even when it's clear they can't win does indeed result in the complete destruction of the kingdom.
- Shocking Defeat Legacy: Invoked. the forces aligned against them during the war made it a point to have their anti-dragon weapons taken out by dragons at several points for the expressed purpose of demoralizing them.
- Soiled City on a Hill: By the time both deities and mortals were done, the kingdom of Talon Bàis has ceased to exist, with the city known for mass-producing Draco-Balut being recorded to have been reduced to a cratered wasteland via aerial bombardment by Prince Emerald Lion and his Dark Angels chapter while the rest of the kingdom faired no better. Then the region gets resettled by a benevolent Dragonflight several years later, ensuring that Talon Bàis is erased even further on a societal and cultural level as well.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: On the receiving end: Prince Emerald Lion of the Terran Empire, allied with the Free Dragons, responded to the Talon-Baisians’ atrocities against innocent dragons by completely obliterating one of their cities (a major military target where their Draco-Balut delicacy were made) by mass, sustained, and unrelenting aerial bombardment from his aerial flagship Invincible Reason and other vessels of his Dark Angels chapter and the Imperial Terran Armada fleet attached to them until there was nothing left but desolation.
- Tyrant Takes the Helm: A faction of racist fanatical hardliners took over the country and established a Police State which persecuted and purged those of Talon Bàis society, government and even royal family who accepted the truth of Gael's nature, and doubled down on their anti-Dragon racism to the point of eventually starting wars of genocide.
- Van Helsing Hate Crimes: They see all dragons as evil, savage beasts and thus see nothing wrong with hunting them like animals or even performing horrific experiments on them, rather the dragon ins question is actually evil or not. Taken to its extreme when they launch a genocidal war against benevolent dragons on the belief they're only 'pretending' to be civilized.
- Villain Forgot to Level Grind: Their dragonslaying tactics are some of the best, and can easily take out old school dragons...but they pick a fight with 'new breed' dragons who have developed civilization and their own techologies and alliances with nondragons. While still a very sizable threat, they ultimately lose in the end when their tried and true tactics run into dragons who can actually outthink and counter them.
- Wake-Up Call: Their belief that dragons are savage beasts and Always Chaotic Evil isn't an entirely uncommon one, despite being entirely untrue (as while many are, there's plenty of benevolent ones who are entirely innocent of what their evil counterparts have done). Talon Bàis takes it to such a horrifying extreme that they serve as a chilling wake up call to the world as to just how dangerous that way of thinking is. It's noted that the mentality took a nose dive following the Talon Bàis War due to this, much like the mentalities the Nazis had as their foundation did in real life.
- Weapon of X-Slaying: Being a kingdom of dragonslayers, they naturally have a large number of them. However, they discover that they're So Last Season against the 'new breed' of dragons who are smart enough to find Logical Weaknesss to them.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: They see dragons as savage beasts and don't treat them as sapient creatures. As such, they see nothing wrong with persecuting and hunting them for sport.
- Would Hurt a Child: Due to their views of Dragonkind as nothing but savage, non-sapient beasts that need to be culled, they see nothing wrong with harming their young, using them as test subjects for various horrific experiments and turning them into delicacies. This later bites them in the collective flank hard when information of their atrocities gets published, with both mortals and deities rightly condemning them. Princess Bright Eyes/Themis Machina even compared them to the Second Age's Reichists in terms of depravity and xenophobia.
Gael, the 'Dragonslayer King'
Gael, the 'Dragonslayer King' (first mentioned here; first name-dropped here) is the founder of Talon Bàis, a Griffon Kingdom famous for its dragon-slayers (and its fierced racist hatred for Dragons), where he is revered bordering on worship for his single-clawed slaying of an 'evil' Dragonflight, using the wealth from their hoards to build his kingdom and legacy.
Except it is all a lie: He was a racist mass murderer who slaughtered a whole innocent Dragonflight through deceit and treachery, exploiting the prejudices many have against Dragons and their demonization as little more than savage beasts to cover it up, and completely got away scott free with it all, not only life but also in death due to the local gods also sharing his rotten character and racism against dragons. For a time, he was allowed to think he had won... before his crimes and the consequences of time finally come back to bite him and all he had built in the present day.
; first name-dropped here) is the founder of Talon Bàis, a Griffon Kingdom famous for its dragon-slayers (and its fierced racist hatred for Dragons), where he is revered bordering on worship for his single-clawed slaying of an 'evil' Dragonflight, using the wealth from their hoards to build his kingdom and legacy. Except it is all a lie: He was a racist mass murderer who slaughtered a whole innocent Dragonflight through deceit and treachery, exploiting the prejudices many have against Dragons and their demonization as little more than savage beasts to cover it up, and completely got away scott free with it all, not only life but also in death due to the local gods also sharing his rotten character and racism against dragons. For a time, he was allowed to think he had won... before his crimes and the consequences of time finally come back to bite him and all he had built in the present day.
- And I Must Scream: His ultimate fate after his Karma Houdini Warranty finally runs out: he is kicked out of the heaven-realms, but also barred from the hell-realms, and is doomed to wander the afterlife, hated by all the dead for his crimes for all time. Even when he is not reviled he will find no peace, as when it happens he would be Forced to Watch projections of the destruction of his kingdom and legacy over and over again.
- Asshole Victim: His ultimate fate would be pretty awful if anyone else was subjected to it. But since he was a lying, racist mass-murderer who used his divine favor to cover up his crimes and enjoy his eternal reward at the expense of those souls who rightfully earned it, he completely deserved it. Even those who once admired him now want nothing to do with him once the truth was publicized.
- Awful Truth: Gael was no hero: he framed an innocent dragonflight for crimes they did not commit, murdered them all through deceit and treachery, then used their hoard to found a kingdom, all so he could act out his racist hatred and bask in the glory of being a hero - and he almost got away with all of it. It caused his kingdom in the present day and ultimately even he himself no shortage of grief when it was finally exposed.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Played Straight initially but ultimately Subverted. He lived and died a revereed hero and king, and was even given a heavenly afterlife by the local pantheon who shared his corrupt, racist character and helped him cover up his crime. Unfortunately, he was only allowed to think he won, as the Powers That Be higher than even his divine backers were well aware of what he did and only delayed recification to make his eventual afterlife punishment as well as the consequences of his deeds in the living world even more impactful for him and everyone else.
- Barred from the Afterlife: After his crimes and deceit are exposed, he is kicked out of his undeserved Heaven-Realm by those deities who arrived to punish his local pantheon for their gross incompetence, and then barred from entering even the Hell-Realms because his crimes are too great to deserve punishment there. Instead, he is made a loathsome figure reviled by even the dead, and when not hated he is made to behold the total destruction of his kingdom and legacy through magical projections, over and over again.
- Broken Pedestal: A huge one. Upon discovering the truth of his 'dragonslaying' feats, many of his subjects, including Sacred Swan, jumped ship and defected to Cobbletown, where they would receive asylum and atone for their previous anti-Dragon racism. Those who stayed behind - usually hardline extremists - would attempt to launch a genocidal war against Cobbletown and its allies, and got utterly obliterated in the process.
- Commonality Connection: His kingdom's local pantheon turned out to be Jerkass Gods who also shared his anti-Dragon racism. Thanks to this, any crimes he committed he covered up, and when he died, he was ushered to a Heaven-Realm where he got to enjoy his undeserved eternal reward. Needless to say, many benevolent deities, up to the agents of Mortem, the Death Primeval, were absolutely pissed off, with the only reason why they initially let him off the hook being to make his eventual punishment more impactful. Once a chance presented itself, they revoked his divine privileges and punished the pantheon who enabled him.
- Cult of Personality: Played for Drama and Deconstructed. He managed to cultivate this in Talon Bàis by presenting himself as a saintly dragonslaying hero to the point his people almost literally worship him. This causes problems once his true nature is revealed, as while many people in Talon Bàis were horrified and saw him as the monster he is, many others refused to believe it, declared those who did heretics and became more bigoted. The echo-chamber this created eventually radicalized those who did not reject him into become so fanatical and obsessive with him and everything he represented that they turned into genocidal warmongers out to attack every Free Dragon nation and Dragonflight they can reach and kill (or worse) every dragon they can get, triggering a war which ultimately led to Talon Bàis' total destruction, in the process destroying the very legacy and devotion Gael had worked so hard in life to build and cultivate.
- Deconstructed Character Archetype:
- For The Dragonslayer. He is famed for slaying an entire wicked Dragonflight by himself, to the point where his subjects hold worshipful admiration of him. But Sacred Swan soon discovers that he is not a hero, but a murderer who killed an entire innocent Dragonflight purely out of racism. The only reason why he got away with this (along with many other crimes) is because he was favored by his kingdom's local pantheon, whose members were as racist as he is. The fall-out from this is so great that half of his subjects flee to Cobbletown, while the kingdom is reduced to rubble following a failed genocidal campaign against Cobbletown and its national allies.
- For the Fake Ultimate Hero as well. He rose to fame when he slew a wicked Dragonflight by himself, and would go on to become the beloved founder of a kingdom and inspiration for countless future generations of Dragonslayers. However, Sacred Swan discovered everything about him was a complete lie: He wasn't a heroic Dragonslayer, but a racist murderer who killed his victims in extremely dishonorable ways. The Dragonflight he murdered? They were completely innocent, but no one knew because he demonized them as savage beasts. He got away with his crimes because he had the divine favor of a local pantheon whose members were also racist towards Dragons, which netted him a place in the Heaven-Realms upon death. Once the truth got out, both his kingdom and his legacy were reduced to rubble, and he was punished post-mortem by not only being Barred from the Afterlife completely, but also being forced to behold his kingdom's destruction for eternity.
- For The Paragon. In life, he was seen as a saintly, Knight in Shining Armor-like figure who slew a wicked Dragonflight by himself to protect the innocent, with countless generations of Griffons being inspired by his story to become Dragonslayers themselves. However, as a horrified Sacred Swan discovered, he was Evil All Along - he was an extremely racist bigot who murdered an innocent Dragonflight through deceit and betrayal, demonized his victims, and pulled a False Flag Operation that involved burning Griffons alive in order to make it look like the work of Dragons. He also used his divine favor with the local pantheon, whose members are just as racist, to earn a spot in the Heaven-Realms despite being completely undeserving of it. Once Sacred Swan and others learned and published the truth, he proceeds to lose everything, with his ultimate punishment being Barred from the Afterlife and forced to relive the utter destruction of his kingdom over and over again.
- Disappointed in You: Received one in the afterlife from Gael Notus, a distant ancestor from the Imperium Era, who was disappointed that Gael the 'Dragonslayer King' was such a horrible person and tarnished the heroic legacy Gael Notus fought so hard to leave behind, leading to Gael Notus practically disowning him as his distant descendant.
- The Dragonslayer: Utterly deconstructed. He rose to fame as the sole slayer of a wicked Dragonflight, which not only inspired countless generations of dragonslayers like him, but also caused his subjects to admire him in a way that bordered on worship. However, as Sacred Swan discovered, what actually happened is that said Dragonflight was entirely innocent, and he murdered them all via deceit and treachery purely out of racism. This caused a fall-out so bad that half of his subjects left for Cobbletown, and an attempt to launch a genocidal campaign against many 'Free Dragon' kingdoms led to a retaliation that left the kingdom completely destroyed. His crimes were so great that he is Barred from the Afterlife entirely, reviled by both the living and dead, with an additional punishment involving being in a magical projection where he forced to behold his kingdom's destruction for all time.
- Evil All Along: He was held up as a paragon and legendary hero for slaying an entire evil Dragonflight singleclawed. However, in reality he was actually a mass-murderer who demonized his victims, and was so utterly monstrous in character that even Black Dragons and Changeling Kings found him revolting.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He's so utterly racist against Dragonkind that he only sees them as savage beasts pretending to be civilized. It's implied his genocidal murder of an innocent Dragonflight was fueled by this.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Not him, but he caused this in other evils. It's noted even Black Dragons and Changeling Kings find his actions sickeningly vile once the truth is exposed.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: A truly sickening deconstruction. He murdered an innocent Dragonflight through deceit and treachery, demonized them as being wicked monsters while making himself out as a heroic dragonslayer, and then used their stolen hoards to build his own kingdom where he's revered to the point of practically being worshipped. He also killed griffons in a False Flag Operation as part of his plan. He's a mass murderer who presented himself as a hero. And worst of all, he completely got away with all of it... until he didn't.
- False Flag Operation: He barricaded villages of griffons in their homes and burned them alive to frame the innocent Dragonflight he murdered and demonized.
- Fantastic Racism: He was such a racist bigot that he slaughtered an entire innocent Dragonflight via betrayal and deceit, stole their treasure hoards to found the kingdom of Talon Bàis, and then covered up his actions by demonizing his victims. This would influence future generations of his subjects to become bigoted towards Dragons, including Sacred Swan, seeing them as nothing as savage beasts pretending to be civilized. Worse, the local pantheon that watched over his kingdom were just as racist and helped him cover up his crimes; when he died, the pantheon welcomed him into a Heaven-Realm despite being completely undeserving of it. His crimes later catch up to him when Talon Bàis gets obliterated by 'Free Dragon' kingdoms like Cobbletown for launching a genocidal war against them, then learns from Deireadh, the Princess of Feliaves Reapers, the true reason behind his success: Various benevolent deities let him win so they can bide their time until they have an opportunity to give both his post-mortem punishment and the consequences of his actions a much greater impact. By the end, he is left a despondent wreck, reviled by even the dead for his cowardice and hypocrisy, and when not hated is forced to watch his kingdom's destruction over and over again for all time.
- Hated by All: Once the truth comes out, the only people who still like him are hardline zealots who are in denial over his true nature. It's noted his crimes were so horrid and revolting that even the likes of Black Dragons and Changeling Kings found them sickening. Invoked in his punishment: he is left to wander the border between life and death for all eternity, despised by both the living and the dead until the end of time.
- I Let You Win: Deireadh, the Princess of Feliaves Reapers reveals he never actually got away with his crimes - the Powers That Be let him think that he did so they could make his eventual punishment even worse and the consequences of his actions back in the living world have a bigger impact once they finally passed their judgement.
- Just One Little Mistake: Gael would've gotten away with everything...but he made the mistake of keeping a diary of his crimes and hiding it well in his old house. While it was hidden so well it took Divine Intervention to find it, his need to brag to himself about his misdeeds ended up destroying everything he'd built.
- Karma Houdini: He was able to get away with his crimes in life by demonizing the innocent Dragons he slaughtered out of sheer racism. He died a 'hero' worshiped by all, upon which the local pantheon rewarded him with a blissful afterlife only reserved for the genuinely innocent/righteous. Said pantheon also helped him cover up his crimes due to being as racist as him. However, his eternal reward didn't last long.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: He eventually discovers that both his supposed 'victory' and his eternal reward were allowed to last that long by various benevolent deities - including Deireadh, the Princess of Feliaves Reapers - so his punishment and the long-reaching consequences of his actions will have a greater impact. It works, as he is reduced to a screeching, desparing wreck who is not only forever remembered as a murderer even among the dead, barred from entering even the Hell-Realms, but is forced to behold the destruction of the kingdom he founded for all time. Half of his mortal subjects, including Sacred Swan, also abandon him to his fate after learning just how monstrous he was.
- Kicked Out of Heaven: As part of his ultimate fate, he was kicked out of the Heaven-Realms he was staying in at the expense of the innocent souls there, courtesy of Deireadh. It's ustified in that he's not meant to be there in the first place, being a racist mass-murderer who only got away with his rightful afterlife punishment because of the local Talon Bàis Pantheon's favour. However, he's also kicked out of the Hell-Realms, as his crimes were so horrible and unique that they warranted a special kind of punishment even the Hell-Realms wouldn't be able to provide.
- Manipulative Bastard: He played on existing anti-Dragon stereotypes and prejudices as well as engineered a False Flag Operation in order to make himself look a hero slaughtering a dragonflight and cover up his crimes.
- Moral Event Horizon: In-Universe. He had crossed so many lines with his bigoted actions that when they were published by Sacred Swan and her supporters, even the likes of Black Dragons and Summer Changeling Kings were sickened. In particular, his usage of his divine favor with the local pantheon to earn an undeserved spot in the Heaven-Realms was counted as a violation of Primeval Law regarding proper treatment of the dead. For his crimes, Deireadh sentenced him to an eternity where he is Barred from the Afterlife and forced to behold the destruction of his kingdom over and over again in a magical projection of the event.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: His creator compares him to Adolf Hitler, in that he's a mass murderer who manipulated people's pre-existing racism towards a certain group to gain popular support while demonizing his victims. Unlike Hitler, though, Gael succeeded, leaving behind a legacy that would see his people worship him as a borderline godlike figure... or at least he thought he did.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: He received one from Deireadh, the Princess of Feliaves Reapers, once his Karma Houdini Warranty finally ran out. It also doubles as a To the Pain speech as Deireadh makes it clear exactly what and how unique his own personal torment would be - not only for his crimes, but also getting away with it for so long.Deireadh: You cannot escape your sins. They have followed you all this time. We knew, we always did. We allowed for a time for you to think you could hide them. So that this moment, as the gods who enabled you suffer their punishment for aiding you in your crimes, as the entire realm of the dead you inhabit and the world outside bare witness to your crimes, crimes that will be remembered forevermore, you will experience the unique form of despair your crimes deserve. The despair coming from the knowledge your victory was never real, and now you will be remembered for all time as not a savior. Not a hero. But as a genocidal murderer. You will not be cast into a Hellrealm...for this is your Hell of your own creation. You are forever SHAMED. Have fun with that.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Deconstructed. The crimes he committed in life normally would have warranted a trip to the Hell-Realms, but he ended up in the Heaven-Realms instead thanks to his connections to his kingdom's local pantheon, whose racist members supported his vile actions. However, he doesn't get to enjoy his eternal reward for long - both Deireadh, the Princess of Feliaves Reapers, and her boss, Mortem, the Death Primeval, knew of his crimes but let him go unpunished for a while so his eventual punishment would have a greater impact on his psyche. It works, as once he is punished, he is reduced to a despairing wreck who can only behold the consequences of his actions over and over again.
- Villainous Breakdown: He is last seen in a Hellrealm screeching in denial and despair at his doom, even while a projection of his kingdom's destruction in their failed war/genocide against Cobbletown and other Free Dragon kingdoms is played out around him as an additional torment on top of what he received.
- Villainous Legacy: Talon Bàis and everything in it is entirely his creation following his ideology. As such, he's the cause of Talon Bàis War.
- Villain with Good Publicity: He's a racist murderer who killed an innocent Dragonflight in cold blood, passed them off as the monsters, and stole their hoards to found Talon Bàis, where he is revered and borderline worshipped as a savior and hero. His kingdom's Jerkass Gods even helped him in his cover up and gave him a place in the Heavenrealm due to their own corruption, racism against Dragons and respect for Gael's cleverness. Fortunately, his kind's Princess of Reapers had something to say about that.
Ambassador Sacred Swan
- See her entry here.
King Gael IV
The last ruler of Talon Bàis, Prince Gael was Saorsa II's brother who refused to believe in Sacred Swan's reveal of Gael's true nature and clung onto his country's hero-worship of Gael and their anti-Dragon racism to an almost fanatical level. As Saorsa's brother and member of the royal family, this led to him becoming the leader of the 'Gaelist' faction which would overthrow the reformist Queen Saorsa II, purge those who don't align with Gael, and establish a fanatical warmongering genocidal regime which would start the 'Talon Bàis War' - a conflict which would ultimately led to Talon Bàis's destruction.
- Abusive Parent: If Saorsa's comments are any indication, he's one to Gaius Argentum, who's The Unfavorite compared to Aela Kralle. Getting Taran far away from his influence is also one reason why Soarsa left Taran to Gabriel.
- Big Bad: As the leader of Gaelist regime which seized power in Talon Bàis, he's the main antagonist of the Talon Bàis War.
- The Coup: Launched one against his own sister when she attempted to change her country's course as the head of the Gaelist faction.
- Double Meaning: The 'Gaelist' faction name likely refers to supporters of Prince Gael/King Gael IV as well as those who stuck to the original Gael, the 'Dragonslayer King'. This is especially considering those who sided with Sacred Swan and Queen Saorsa II were dubbed the 'Saorsist' faction.
- Evil Reactionary: The fanatical Gael-worshipping dragon-hating reactionary to the reasonable Gael-rejecting regretful reformer that is his sister the ruling Queen, whom he would overthrow in a palace-military coup and with his supporters establish a Gaelist regime in place.
- Fantastic Racism: He like many Gaelists hated Dragons, and takes this to the logical conclusion when he and his regime launched a campaign of war and genocide against Dragonkind in the Talon Bais War.
- Final Boss: Served as this for the Talon Bais War, complete with a de-facto bossfight against him at the end of the war during the Capital Offensive where major leaders, heroes and champions who participated in the war went mano-o-mano with him even as the capital city burnt around them.
- I Reject Your Reality: He, like the rest of the Gaelists, completely refuse to accept Gael's true nature and doubled down on their country's anti-dragon beliefs to almost fanatical, obsessive levels.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After usurping his sister and spending his whole reign leading a war of genocide against Free Dragons and Dragonflights in the Talon Bais War, he was made to watch as his kingdom and his rotten ancestor's legacy was destroyed, while he himself was defeated and meeting his end at the claws/maw of Dragon Queen Tiamat herself.
- Tyrant Takes the Helm: King Gael IV was a racist fanatical Evil Reactionary who established a monarchal-military Police State which purged those who don't align with the country's anti-dragon beliefs, and ultimately started genocidal wars against Free Dragon nations and Dragonflights which would lead to the kingdom's destruction.
- My Rule Fu Is Stronger than Yours: Subverted, as King Gael IV's initial attempt to depose his ruling sister the Queen Saorsa II by legal methods failed, causing him to stage a coup instead.
Queen Saorsa II
First mentioned in a Drabble, Queen Saorsa II was the second last sovereign of Talon Bàis. Queen Saorsa II was among those who believed and were horrified by the reveal of Gael's true nature, and tried to change her kingdom's course to make amends and stop perpetuating Gael's crime. Unfortunately the pro-Gael hardliners of the country, led by her own brother, deposed and imprisoned her to establish a racist genocidal Police State which doubled down on everything their kingdom stood for. Saorsa II would survive the subsequent war and destruction of the kingdom, filled with regret for not only (initially) condoning its anti-Dragon racism but failing to stop it when she had the chance to, and would make amends by working with her surviving supporters to help establish a better kingdom (formed by Free Dragons) in the place of Gael's ruined vile legacy.
, Queen Saorsa II was the second last sovereign of Talon Bàis. Queen Saorsa II was among those who believed and were horrified by the reveal of Gael's true nature, and tried to change her kingdom's course to make amends and stop perpetuating Gael's crime. Unfortunately the pro-Gael hardliners of the country, led by her own brother, deposed and imprisoned her to establish a racist genocidal Police State which doubled down on everything their kingdom stood for. Saorsa II would survive the subsequent war and destruction of the kingdom, filled with regret for not only (initially) condoning its anti-Dragon racism but failing to stop it when she had the chance to, and would make amends by working with her surviving supporters to help establish a better kingdom (formed by Free Dragons) in the place of Gael's ruined vile legacy.- The Atoner: Tried to make amends by changing her country's course almost immediately after her Heel Realization, with not insignificant support of her subjects who also believed Sacred Swan's reveal. She was unfortunately stopped before they could bear fruit and potentially outright prevent the Talon Bàis War.
- Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: Gender-inverted. Saorsa left Taran with his birth father Gabriel D. Griffin partly because she didn't think she nor the royal family of Talon Bais is a good parent nor place to raise him. Given the events that followed, it would turn out to be the right call.
- Badass Normal: Implied. Saorsa handed Gabriel D. Griffin his ass the first time they met, and had earned enough respect from Dragon Queen Tiamat that she agreed to become her daughter Rhiannon's godmother.
- Badass in Distress: Recent Drabbles implied she is quite capable in her own right, although she spent much of the Bàis War in captivity after being overthrown by her brother until she was rescued by Taran Stormwing of the Forge-Wrathfire Clan, who was actually her long-lost son and rightful heir to the throne of Talon Bàis.
- Failure Is the Only Option: It's implied Saorsa's attempts to change her country's course and avert the Talon Bàis War may be doomed from the very start. While well-intended and supported by many who were also convinced of Gael's revealed true character, she is still trying to force changes in a country which had spent many generations and centuries in a culture revolving around hating and slaying dragons as well as hero-worshipped Gael almost to literally religious levels, and those parts of the population, nobility and royal family are ultimately backed by their own pantheon, who are similarly racist and rotten as Gael himself. Still, she gets points for trying.
- Internal Reformist: Tried to change the kingdom's course almost immediately when she realized to her horror their founding hero was a fraud and they were perpetuating his crimes upon dragons who are NOT Always Chaotic Evil. Unfortunately, her brother deposed her and prevented it from bearing fruit, sealing the country's fate.
- Mama Bear: And how. After the events of the Talon Bàis War, Saorsa would hook up with her Old Flame Gabriel D. Griffin again and give birth to Princess Rhiannon. While the young cub certainly was well protected with Dragon Queen Tiamat as her literal god-mother, rogue REMIS agents around the time of Canterlot Coup and resulting Second Equestrian Civil War would attempt to kidnap the cub over previous incidents Gabriel and Taran had interfered with REMIS' work. When she realized what had happened, it took TIAMAT to convince Saorsa not to march straight to Princess Amacita Sparkle and demand Minister Sterilizing Agent’s head on a pike. Later, when her daughter was found in the Terran Empire, Prince Fanged Paw was sent scurrying away when the Queen growled at him as he was between her and Rhiannon.
- Old Flame: Saorsa used to be one with, of all Griffons, the infamous Gabriel D. Griffin of the Forge-Wrathfire Clan. Taran Stormwing turned out to be the son they had together, making him royalty.
- Point of Divergence: Queen Saorsa II's attempts to reform her country was the last, best chance of ending Gael's legacy peacefully and reasonably, averting the Talon Bàis War/First Draconic War and the country's consequent destruction. Her usurpation by her brother and the purge of the 'Saorsists' by the 'Gaelist' regime which took over sealed the country's fate.
- Sins of Our Fathers: Saorsa II is guilt-ridden about her people's crimes against innocent Dragons up until the kingdom's destruction, and a part of her believes it's what they deserved for perpetuating Gael's atrocities.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: According to Gabriel, he and Saorsa first met in a bar back when she was still a rebellious princess. She spat out the crappy beer she was drinking in his face out of disgust, and Gabriel responded by challenging her to a claw-fight - which he lost three/four times in a row before the two of them made up and decide to go on an epic bar crawl which ended with them drinking multiple dragonslayers in several taverns under the table.
Crown-Princess Aela Kralle
First introduced in a Drabble, Aela Kralle is the manipulative, narcissistic and scheming daughter of Gael IV who became the crown-princess when Gael IV seized power, and is a formidable dragonslayer in her own right. She would become a major rival and enemy of Dragon Lord Ember throughout and after the Talon Bais War.
, Aela Kralle is the manipulative, narcissistic and scheming daughter of Gael IV who became the crown-princess when Gael IV seized power, and is a formidable dragonslayer in her own right. She would become a major rival and enemy of Dragon Lord Ember throughout and after the Talon Bais War.- The Ace: Was a Consummate Liar and Manipulative Bitch who also happened to be an incredibly capable dragon-slayer (to the point of potentially killing an entire dragonflight by herself like Gael I supposedly had).
- Always Someone Better: Unfortunately for her, Dragon Lord Ember was this, capable of defeating and defying her repeatedly. This led to her undergoing Sanity Slippage and eventually culminated in a Villainous Breakdown.
- Arch-Enemy: Found one in Dragon Lord Ember during and after the Talon Bais War, developing an emnity for Ember for refusing to be defeated/killed by her, while Ember despised her for her spoiled and sociopathic character.
- The Dragonslayer: Is among the top five dragonslayers of Talon Bais, and reportedly so capable she could in theory take on an entire dragonflight by herself and win.
- The Dreaded: Her ruthless sociopathy and battle prowess as crown-princess and one of Talon Bais' top five dragon-slayers gave her this reputation among many. Even Gabriel D. Griffin is wary of trying to take her on, describing her as a rabid animal that needs to be put down with nothing short of "an absolute metric shit ton of explosives." at a distance.
- Expy: Of the sociopathic Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
- Oh, Crap!: Panicked when confronted by her aunt Saorsa. This fear proved to be well-founded when Saorsa promptly put her on the defensive, when she'd been in the process of (almost) defeating Ember.
- Villainous Breakdown: Suffered a Sanity Slippage over the course of the Talon Bais War and its aftermath from repeated battles and defeats at the claws of Dragon Lord Ember, until she finally snapped.
- Why Won't You Die?: Developed a severe hatred against Dragon Lord Ember partly because she not only won't die to Kralle but is also capable of beating her repeatedly, a fact which contributed to her Sanity Slippage and Villainous Breakdown.
Prince Gaius Argentum
First mentioned in a Drabble, Gaius is a son of Gael IV and brother of crown-princess Aela Kralle who tries hard to please his father and live up to the legacy of Gael, but found himself conflicted as Talon Bais' rotten nature comes to light.
, Gaius is a son of Gael IV and brother of crown-princess Aela Kralle who tries hard to please his father and live up to the legacy of Gael, but found himself conflicted as Talon Bais' rotten nature comes to light.- Expy: Of Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
General Solan Venti
General Getriebe, the Forger of Death
General Getriebe (introduced in this drabble) is one of Talon Bàis' chief generals and creator of many of their war machines.
- Big Bad: Getriebe serves as the main antagonist of 'The Battle of Ruby Hallow,' as he attempts to destroy the settlement using his prototype superweapon as a weapons' test.
- Co-Dragons: He's one of King Gael IV's direct subordinates.
- Cyborg: After being horrifically maimed in a dragon attack, he rebuilt himself as a cyborg.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: When Liebe reports from his scouting that Ruby Hallow is a mixed dragon-non dragon community, Getriebe's hatred for dragons and cultural indoctrination led to him absolutely refusing to contemplate the possibility that the town's dragons are genuinely getting along with the non-dragons in peaceful coexistence, instead 'theorising' that this is an attempt by dragons to 'steal' civilization from non-dragons due to their greedy nature coveting what they don't have, making it all in his eyes little more than pretentious imitation.
- Freudian Excuse: His loathing of dragons comes from being horrifically injured in a dragon attack, forcing him to rebuild himself as a Cyborg.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: As Ilieh points out, what happened to him was horrible, but he's now perfectly willing to inflict the same suffering and pain on others, making him similar to the dragons that ruined his life.
- Hero Killer: He manages to kill Liebe by stabbing him through the chest.
- Humongous Mecha: Builds a giant clockwork mecha-golem called 'Letzte Stunde' (Last Hour in German/Germane/Griffish) which he planned to field test by destroying Ruby Hallow with it, and used it to battle Liebe and Ilieh.
- Make Them Rot: He dies when Ilieh's Decay Breath rots him to death in his cockpit while rusting his cybernetics to junk.
- Vader Breath: His breathing is labored due to the injuries that resulted in him becoming a cyborg in the first place.
- Villainous Breakdown: Gradually over the course of the Battle of Ruby Hallow as his plans go wrong and the battle turn against Talon Bais, but hits in full when Ilieh, empowered by Liebe's Heroic Sacrifice, destroys his mech all around him, when he turns Not So Stoic and becomes visibly terrified as he relives his horrific teenage trauma of the dragon attack which horrifically injured him.
- You Are What You Hate: Ilieh points out that by piloting a mechanical dragon with intent to burn down an innocent village, he's become the exact thing he hates the most: a rampaging dragon. The actual entry makes note his behavior in response makes him more like his country's perception of dragons than the actual dragons are.
'Ivory Clawed' Jägerin
Character: Villainous
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Type: Huntress, Dragon Slayer, Serial Killer, Egomaniac Hunter, Sapiant Hunter, Griffon
Faction: Talon Bàis
Jägerin (her entry here
) is a Talon Bàis Griffoness who in life was one of the top five dragonslayers/huntresses in her kingdom, and shares the Egomaniac Hunter mindset that is glorified in many Talon-Baisian dragonslayers. She finally meets her match in Aerri when the superintelligent dragoness turns the tables on her and kills her instead.- The Ace: She was one of the top five dragonhunters/slayers of Talon Bàis, and implied to not only very proud of her skills but could actually back it up. Unfortunately for her, she went after Aerri in her final hunt.
- Death by Irony: Her bird half is a Northern Shrike, which are known to impale their prey on sharp objects. She ends up impaled and hanging on the wall of her Trophy Room.
- Dragged Off to Hell: Her final fate. Following her brutal death at Aerri's claws (and teeth), Moon Ray Vaughoof would arrive to drag her damned soul off to a Hell-Realm to receive her eternal punishment, with the souls of the innocent Dragons she killed helping him out.
- Egomaniac Hunter: Shares this mentality with many other Talon Bàis dragonslayers. She was astoundingly enthusiastic at finding a 'worthy' hunt and trophy with Aerri, even as Aerri turns the tables on the huntress. At least until Aerri manages to outwit and corner her.
- The Hunter Becomes the Hunted:
- When Jägerin has Aerri in her sights, the superintelligent drakina turned the tables on her and hunted Jägerin down instead.
- As part of her Ironic Hell, like those dragons she kept in her private game reserves she is doomed every now and then to be allowed to escape from the pits where she is tortured, so she could be hunted down as part of her punishment and for the amusement of demons and dark gods. And for extra irony, she is transformed into a dragoness for those hunts.
- Ironic Hell: A drabble reveals her personal Hell, at least on occasions she was allowed to escape the prisons and pits she's held in, involves being turned into a dragon and become the one hunted by dark gods and demonic huntsmasters, pursued until she is 'killed', torn to still-twitching and feeling pieces which made into trophies, mounted on walls and floor for a while, before respawning in the pits, where it would repeat again and again, likely for all eternity.
- I Let You Win: Following her death, she managed to briefly escape the pits of the Hellrealm she was imprisoned and tormented in, unaware that she was deliberately allowed to escape so that she could be hunted down by demons and even dark gods as part of her Ironic Hell and for their amusement, often in the shape of the dragons she hunted in life.
- Ignored Epiphany: She briefly had a realization dragons weren't the animalistic brutes she believed them to be as a child, but was forced to shoot anyway by her father. It's noted that Jägerin likely subconsciously knew that were but repressed it and continued to act as a monstrous dragonslayer.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: As she's tearing her throat out, Aerri threw the mortally wounded Jägerin across the room and onto the mountings for a fresh dragon head. She's impaled through the chest and left hanging there as she dies.
- Karmic Death: She viewed Dragons as non-sapient beasts and hunted them down for sport, even keeping a Trophy Room for all her kills. She ends up dying to a Dragon, Aerri, who kills her by slashing her throat, and is afterwards Dragged Off to Hell by Moon Ray Vaughoof. Even more karmic is that Aerri used one of those stuffed corpses to shock her and she ends up hanging from one of her own trophy mountings after being impaled on it.
- Karmic Transformation: As part of her Ironic Hell, she's transformed into a dragon while being hunted. For someone who always look down on the dragons as mere dumb game animals, this in itself is a Fate Worse than Death.
- Meaningful Name: Jägerin means 'Huntress' in German, and she is an ace Egomaniac Hunter of dragons.
- Mugging the Monster: When she picks Aerri as her prey, while she still poses a huge threat, she underestimated just how smart Aerri is. She only realizes this when Aerri has flipped the script and is posed to rip her throat out.
- Oh, Crap!: Jägerin's enthusiasm over having the best hunt of her life in Aerri completely goes out of the window when Aerri turns the tables on and hunted her down instead. The specific moment she experiences this is complete with a mild Precision F-Strike.Jägerin: This is the hunt of my life! I... (Realizes she was outwitted) Oh, drake-droppings.
- Shout-Out: She drops one to Jurassic Park when she realized Aerri outwitted her, with Aerri's insistence.Aerri: Say it.
Jägerin: Er... clever girl? - Slashed Throat: Aerri kills her by tearing her throat out.
- Trophy Room: Known to have one for all her dragon kills, a fact which incensed Aerri and incentivised her to hunt Jägerin back and kill her.
Häuten
Dr. Leiden, the 'Angel of Death'.
Dr. Leiden (introduced in this drabble) is a high ranking doctor responsible for numerous monstrous medical experiments.
'Thunder Wings' Liebe
- Bequeathed Power: As he dies, he transfers his entire magic core to Illieh, permanently empowering her enough to defeat Getriebe.
- Love Redeems: He was originally a racist, genocidal dragonslayer like the rest of his country...but meeting Illieh and falling in love with her, as well as his beliefs being completely erroded by Ruby Hallow's benevolent dragons, results in him genuinely repenting and trying to set things right.
