The Chimera of Grendel's Revenge are very unique monsters.  In my opinion they are the most difficult to properly role play because they are the most animalistic of any of the castes. This is a look at Chimera as a whole and the individual races which make up thier caste.

 

 

Chimera are creatures of nature. Unlike Undead and Humanoids, they enjoy the Sun and revel in its light.  They are protectors of nature since nature is thier home.  They love the freedom of the sky, the crisp air of the mountains, and the soft soil of the jungle beneath thier feet. 

 

Chimera are proud creatures. Though they cannot wear armor or wield weapons and items, they love that they are not constrained to wear "metal skin". In terms of the Social Chimera, they are individuals who band together for a great good, perhaps a greater harmony with nature.  They scorn those who treat them disrespectfully such as those who pet them like they are domesticated animals waiting to be put on a leash.

 

Chimera are the wildest and most unpredictable of the castes which is probably why they are so hard to role play correctly.  It will often seem like a Chimera is being irrational, but you have to remember that Chimera are feral beasts who love nature above all else and see Humans as a threat to thier environment.

 

As a caste, they hate the Undead.  The Undead represent everything that the Chimera are not.  Chimera represent life, beauty, and nature.  Undead represent death, despair, and sorrow.  These two castes could never possibly get along.  In all honesty, Chimera see themselves as better than all other monsters. 

 

They regard Grendel with respect and see him as the one who was the first to strike at the humans who were cutting down thier trees and polluting the air with thier stench.

 

To be a Chimera is to be a wild, yet very intelligent animal.  We will not take a look at the individual social races of Chimera.

 

 

 

 

Gryphons are "proud, noble creatures with great courage and a deep sense of honor...Gryphons are suspicious and unforgiving of betrayal. They defend friends and family to their last breath, but traitors they tear to bits. They tend to jump to conclusions and judge before knowing all the facts...Gryphons present a stern visage to the world, but are loving and affectionate with friends and family members. They expect respect from colleagues, and give respect in turn if they feel it is earned."

 

Gryphons are difficult to roleplay with because they can often be irrational.  If they feel there is a threat to a friend or clanmate, they become very violent very quickly without asking many questions.  This can be hard to role play because you as a person may know that doing this with your Gryphon will result in bad in character relations with the other player.

 

As a part eagle and part lion, you have to think of a Gryphon as having the best of both animals.  They have the heart of a lion and the pride of an eagle.  While it is possible for you to show respect to other monsters with your Gryphon, you should always assume that people are going to respect you.  While Gryphons may seem mean on the outside, they care deeply about thier friends and clanmates and will be very affectionate with them.  Should they betray a Gryphon though, it will be hard for them to ever forgive that person. As an example, my character Whindanser found out that his clanmate Norin was betraying the clan to the Undead and Norin was kicked out of the clan.  While they were friends before, Whindanser now attacks Norin whenever he sees him.  As a player, I would love to have Norin back in the clan becuase he is a strong character, however Whindanser as my character could never forgive Norin for what he did and will do his best to keep Norin from ever coming back around his clan again.

 

Gryphons are always going to be the first into battle.  Whether they take to the skies and dive upon thier prey or use thier teeth and talons to rip them apart on the land, Gryphons will rarely back down from a fight because they have too much pride.  Being creatures who enjoy the mountains and fresh snows, they are resistant to the cold and thus often employ cold breath as thier choice of magic.  I don't feel that poison breath is necessarily appropriate for a Gryphon because, as noble creatures, they would rather feel their opponents die by thier own magic and claws, rather than watching them waste away with poison.

 

To be a Gryphon is to be a proud, noble and intelligent monster who cares more about his family and friends than himself.

 

 

Phoenixes, are "fearless and courageous, unafraid of death. They are flamboyant and ebullient, and with the power of their charisma can inspire others to follow them into battle...Phoenixes can seem shallow and somewhat flighty, but they are ancient, powerful creatures with the elemental force of fire at their call."

 

Phoenixes worship the Sun.  They are creatures of fire and light thus they hate cold and dark places.  This means they probably do not enjoy the confines of a deep dark lair since it blocks them from the rays of the sun.  Like the Sun that they worship, they have a fiery personality.

 

I call Phoenixes the trouble makers of the Chimeran caste.  They don't fear death, so they will do whatever they want without fearing the consequences of thier actions.  They can never sit in one place and always need to be in motion.  Phoenixes are magical beings and they have control of the elements.  I don't think it would be appropriate to have a Phoenix shooting Cold Breath out of his mouth since they are so opposed to the cold. Poison would never be able to run through the firey viens of a Phoenix either. However Lightning and Fire are friends of the Phoenix.

 

Phoenixes must be played with an active and fiery personality. Phoenixes aren't the type to just sit around waiting for things to happen, they are the ones that go out and make things happen!  If you would like to see a good example of how a Phoenix is played, observe Fierem the Phoenix.

 

 

Wyverns are "creatures who value their solitude and supremacy in their chosen habitat, swamps. Wyverns tend to be quickly annoyed by disruption or invasion of their lairs, and respond swiftly and lethally. They have cool, calculating minds, and are intolerant of others less swift of thought. They may choose to use sarcasm and an acid wit against foes before attacking them. Wyverns tolerate others of their own race, but different races are looked on with contempt. Other races generally see wyverns as cranky and complaining."

 

Wyverns are the grouches of the Chimera. They are the least social, most sarcastic, and have the quickest wit.  Wyverns love doing thier own thing and not being bothered by anybody else.  They take great pride in thier scaled wings and feel as though having lizard-like scales is much better than having fur or feathers. 

 

In terms of magic, Poison runs through thier veins as naturally as thier own blood.  Whether it seeps from thier claws or spews from thier mouth, Wyverns are natural poisoners.  They will sit and make cruel jokes at thier opponents as they watch them writhe in the agony of a slow poisonous death.

 

Wyverns may be tough to role play properly because it is difficult for a Wyvern to trust anyone and allow people to become friends with it, especially from other races. This will prevent you from getting to know other characters in-game very well, which you may see as a bad thing.  Wyverns however are very intersting to interact with as another race if the Wyvern is played properly.  An excellent example of a well role-played Wyvern is Endr the Wyvern.

 

 

Shinxes are "ancient creatures, serene and wise. Sphinx are very composed and calm, with impeccable manners and much patience. They have a habit of speaking in riddles, for they love riddles and puzzles, but this can be maddening to other races. Sphinx will never give a direct answer to a question, sometimes giving the impression that they have more knowledge than is actually the case."

 

Sphinxes are the jack-of-all-trades of the Chimera. They can succeed and do well in any role and in any clan.  Sphinxes with thier love of architecture make great builders.  The are perhaps the most thoughtful of all the Chimera. They are willing to sit down and talk about a problem or issue for hours before making a decision on it.  They are very mysterious monsters and as a player, you should try to give them a mystique, or an air of mystery about them.  Make other people feel like there is something they are missing out on that you aren't telling them.

 

Sphinxes, I feel, are the contemplative thinkers of the Chimera. Perhaps learning the secrets of Uthgol will allow you to play your Sphinx with an air of intellectual superiority over others.  They are great fighters both with claws and tail and magic.  Sphinxes make the best leaders for Chimera with thier thoughtfulness and patience to deal with the sometimes irrational behavior of the other races of Chimera.