#Opinicus

[a-sketchy-a-day]

Surprise! It's Apex Calamity Anne using the power of all 3 stones.

[askponyinuyasha]

Astro: Pardon me for prying, but what sort of creatures are you protecting the forest from?

Astro: Or do I have it backwards, and are you protecting the outsiders in the forest from the creatures inside the forest?

Inuyasha: Well, it's both, really. This forest isn't exactly the safest place for just anyone wandering through.

Inuyasha: But there're also ponies who would try to take advantage of this place and only end up tearing it apart.

@ask-wizard-sunburst: What are you protecting the forest from? Do you get many bad ponies or monsters?

Inuyasha: Sure, bandits try to come through here sometimes looking to cause trouble.

Inuyasha: Mostly I end up dealing with-

(Offscreen): HEY!!

~~To be continued...~~

<Next>

(High-res transparent PNGs below the cut)

These guys were super fun to draw and I ended up really proud of the way they both turned out! This is the first time I've ever heard of an opinicus, let alone draw one, so that was fun! And Sunburst is one of my personal fave canon ponies in terms of design and personality.

I could have broken this one down more than I did, instead of making it so much flipping text at once, but... well it flowed nicely in my head... Plus I know where it's going next! And it's going to be a more art intensive micro-arc so it might take me a while to churn out. We'll see!

[flamsinger]

Emin fanart

Fanart of a character from Vale's book series, gryphon insurrection. This is Emin after becoming a seraph!

Posted using PostyBirb

[curiousnaturestudio]

Just a little Gryphon~

[littlepillbugs]

random doodle/sketch pages

[kvalenagle]

For the beautiful interior graphite pieces by Brenda Lyons for the GryphIns series, the plan was to keep them as a perk for buying copies of the books. As more and more fans are experiencing the series on audio, I've been a little happier to show them on social media, just to make sure the audio listeners get to see them, too. The first piece for Eyrie was a deliberate choice: Reeve Brevin, the antagonist, in all her snake-themed peacock glory. While the series has gryphons that are more traditional (Zeph matches the traditional Egyptian gryphon pretty well as a hawk, Cherine matches the traditional Greek gryphon pretty well as a golden eagle), I'd noticed that there were some fans who wanted gryphons to be specifically a North American bald eagle + lion gryphon. While I love all gryphons, I didn't want someone to pick up this story and be disappointed. The choice to go with a green peafowl was intentional, especially as Zeph was on the cover, to let readers know from the outset that you were going to get interesting gryphons in interesting locations with this series.

The interior art pieces were set in the front instead of inside the text so if you picked up the book, you'd see Brevin and Hatzel (another non-traditional gryphon, saber-toothed tiger and the extinct Haast's eagle) first. If you wanted traditional (or bald eagle?) gryphons only, you knew this was a series to skip. But if the idea of interesting gryphons captivated your imagination, you were in.

Later editions would move the interior art pieces into the, well, interior of the novel, near where you meet each of the characters. Zeph and Kia, as the protagonists of Eyrie, also received interior art pieces. The reasoning there was that, once a few books were out, it was clear the series really lived up to its "interesting gryphons in interesting locations" mantra. Zeph may look boring (I'd argue he's interesting and pretty) on Eyrie's cover, but the next few books gave us snowy owls, shrikes, Peruvian diving petrels, European starlings, hooded pitohui, hoopoe birds, snow leopards, great blue herons, and white-tailed kites front and center.

Here at the beginning, however, in March of 2019, we wanted to set an expectation. And while Hatzel did some of that on her own, the choice of Brevin specifically let us show off the harnesses and jewelry the opinici in the series wear. It set an expectation: you won't get gryphons with laser guns, but there's some kind of society here.

I've always been grateful that we met Brenda Lyons. My husband came across her work at local conventions, and came home with one of her pine phoenix pieces for the office. She was working on a cover for another of my books when we all got to talking, and when you have three gryphon fans together, the topic often turns to The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon. And how much we all loved Larry's interior art pieces for the series, how they shaped many artists and authors today. Though the first review copies of Eyrie had gone out, there was a moment where we realized there was just enough time before the print files were finalized to do interior art. And the rest is history.

(The choice of Brevin also hinted at the origins of the gryphons and opinici in having a female character with male bird plumage. Growing up with peacocks and peahens guarding the nearby orange groves, I do know the difference between peafowl. But in addition to the nature angle, it foreshadowed the queerness of the characters. With Pridelord's release, it's probably the series with the most trans gryphons in it.)

[rainbowfeatherreplies]

"ALL STATIONS! Drop what you're doing, and STOP RAINBOW FEATHER!"

.....

"Her?" "Wait, you?" "Is it me?" "Him?" "Her?"

Art by @ghoul--doodle!

Featuring Robo Feather aka Featherbot, ol' Lady Feather, Nightmare Rainbow Feather, Medic Rainbow Feather, Rainbow Power Rainbow Feather, Princess Feather, Cyberpunk Feather, Ninja Opinicus Feather, aaaand Cowgirl (boy?) Feather!

[mythozoological-pet-care]

A Guide to Gryphons Pt. 1

A brief introduction: There are several species of Gryphon but I will mainly be referring to the Anglo-Saxon Griffin ,the Opinicus ,and Morph gryphons.Morph gryphons are any combination of feline and avian that is not traditional.

Diet : A gryphons diet should be 55% red meat ,25% dietary supplements (cuttlebone & salt licks ) ,and 35% white meat & fish. Do not feed Gryphon pellets as they are based off of fraudulent research findings. Water should be provided via fountain or spring.

Enrichment:Gryphons require a lot of mental stimulation . So unless you want to say goodbye to your couch, a good reinforced kevlar scratching post is a good idea. Lures,treasure hunts,and puzzles make great enrichment and should be switched up regularly.

Shelter: For Anglo-Saxon gryphons, tall tower roosts work best . Morph gryphons typically prefer caverns with a nest . While Opinicus usually prefer large open nests.

[artblooger19moon]

Opinicus

An Opinicus has the legs of a lion and the tail of a camel. This is the beast that is frequently seen in heraldry, or coat of arms. Sometimes it is shown without the wings, and sometimes its name is spelt Epimacus. The Opinicus was related to the griffin but you could always tell them apart because the front legs were more like the legs of a lion than the legs of an eagle.

[paleoforest]

Barbary gryphon. Or just griffin with large mane, instead of just half-feathered body

Alternate variant of cock

[nazrigar]

Helloooo I just discovered your Beast Fables worldbuilding and I need to say that it is very impressive, interesting and inspiring !

I've picked up writing recently and one of my story features mythological creature protagonists (only, no humans) so I'm doing à lot or research on chimeras and lesser-known creatures sur as the sak, akhlut or the alphyn (or at least creatures that I didn't know about before doing researches).

The way you share your worldbuilding is short yet efficient, and the illustrations really help ! I especially like your megafauna posts. I've had some troubles defining precisely how to differentiate "animals" from "intelligent creatures", because there are still our known animals but also more. I have questions like "should jackalopes be animals or should they also have a society like griffins or unicorns ?" etc. I also struggle à bit with figuring out biology/evolution. For examples, griffins and hippogriffs are related but still different species. However, opinicus and keythongs would be sub-species of griffins. Etc.

Anyways. I love what you do !!

Thank you so much! I'm glad my work can inspire others!

Well, my best advice is think about the direction of what you want for your fantasy or science fantasy story in question. Does the presence of more or less human-level intelligent characters or societies work for your setting?

For example, in the development of Beast Fables, there was supposed to be "regular" humans, werefolk, and merfolk... but I felt that the entire setting felt more unique when every human is some sort of werefolk, because it opens up a LOT of storytelling opportunities, and helped them turn into a thematic counerpart to the merfolk, who are all based off sea critters.

Based on what you've created for your world so far, and the characters you have set up, think of the lines of "how important it is to establish now?" and "can I save this for later?". That way it helps set up priorities of your worldbuilding and lore.

Now on evolution and biology? Speculative evolution works best, at least in my own opinion, is if it works under the realm of the "plausible". Evolution is after all a series of "good enoughs", and how much of these "good enough" solutions work for whatever niche the creature you have filled. If you can explain well enough why a lifeform adapted this or that, then it should be satisfactory.

BUT, it's always good to research on evolution and natural selection itself to give yourself familiarity on the subject!

[askponyinuyasha]

There's talk of giant spiders and other less natural monsters near the old fortress in the center of the wood; Be careful out there.

Zooks: There's talk of giant spiders and other less natural monsters near the old fortress in the center of the wood.

Inuyasha: What?!

Inuyasha: We'll have to finish this later!

Gad: Be careful out there!

Astro & Sunburst: ...

@ask-wizard-sunburst: Did he say 'giant spiders'?

<Previous> ... <Next>

~To be continued...~

(High-res transparent PNGs below the cut, and whoa-nelly there are a lot of them)

Thanks everyone for your patience! This bit took me a really long time because there were so many figures and new poses and effects to draw!

In the intervening time, I did really enjoy seeing everyone's speculations as to who the off-screen character was! Nobody managed to connect the dots that they'd seen this font and text color before!

Anyway I hope to do a couple more entries like this where I can sit back and let the story tell itself. I'll even try drawing some action sequences maybe but hopefully I can avoid drawing too many spiders.

[skindeepcomic]

What would Michelle look like if she was an opinicus instead of a Grecian sphinx?

I normally only take reader questions from patreon or the comments of the website because it's easier for me to keep track of them there, but this one was cute and I wanted to answer it! So it's today's reader question!

[ivypelvis]

Characters You Can Ask!

Undertale - Sans (Classic), Gaster (W.D), and Papyrus (Vanilla) King Papyrus and Advisor Sans - Azorius and Wyon

Underfell- Papyrus, Gaster and Sans: Captain, Salamander, and Cardinal Villains! Underfell - Papyrus, Gaster, and Sans: Baron, Amos, and Finch Underfell Silver - Papyrus, Gaster, and Sans: King, Silver, and Shrike

Underswap- Sans, Gaster, and Papyrus: Navy/Blue, Coral, and Syrup/Stretch Underswap Silver - Sans, Gaster,and Papyrus: Arian, Wystan, and Obsidian Hero! Underswap - Sans, Gaster, and Papyrus: Admiral, Incarnadine, and Sandstone

Horrortale- Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Clove, Cinnamon, and Clary Horrorswap- Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Chai, Ceylon, and Caper. Horrorfell- Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Chive, Cassia, and Coriander Horrorfellswap Carnelian- Sans and Papyrus: Caraway and Cayenne Horrorswapfell Amethyst - Sans and Papyrus: Caster (Sugar) and Champignon Horrorfellswap Amaranth - Sans and Papyrus: Cascabel and Chervil Horrorswapfell Glaucous - Sans and Papyrus: Tarragon and Thyme

Farmtale - Sans and Papyrus: Grove and Elm Farmfell - Sans and Papyrus: Ridge and Spruce Farmfellswap Carnelian - Sans and Papyrus: Keir and Ocelot Farmswap - Sans and Papyrus: Roan and Lark Farmswapfell Amethyst - Sans and Papyrus: Hart and Mercury Farmhorrortale - Sans and Papyrus: Lenox and Yves Farmhorrorfell - Sans and Papyrus: Kestrel and Acacia Farmhorrorswap - Sans and Papyrus: Mallon and Everett

Angels Fall AU - Angels - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Griffin, Sentinel, and Cobalt Fell Angels - Sans and Papyrus: Alwyn and Geir Horror Angels - Sans and Papyrus: Cerebus and Keeper Deity Angels Fall Undertale - Sans and Papyrus: Joldewin (God of Sleep) and Elio (God of Wishes and Dreams) Deity Angels Fall Underfell - Sans and Papyrus: Hellebore (God of Poison) and Grimoire (God of Curses and Nightmares) Deity Angels Fall Underswap - Sans and Papyrus: Ilarion (God of Joy) and Cyfrin (God of Mischief and Daydreams) Eldritch Deities Dreamtale - Sanses and Papyruses: Archemoros (Elder God of the Deep Seas), Myrsky (Elder God of the Sky), Tynan (Younger God of the Deep Seas), and Neifion (Younger God of the Sky) Swapfell Angels - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Evander, Bronze, and Copper Horror Swapfell Angels - Sans and Papyrus: Albel and Diaspore Corrupt Angel - Papyrus: Weylin Angel Hunter - Sans and Papyrus: Odin and Theron Angels Fall AU! Demons - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Orin, Magnar, and Zinc Horror Demons - Sans and Papyrus: Opinicus and Magnus Fellswap Carnelian/Red Demons - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Regulus, Badger, and Shale Horror Fellswap Carnelian/Red Demons - Sans and Papyrus: Rowan and Ermine Rogue Demon - Papyrus: Amon Demon Slayers - Sans and Papyrus: Conlan and Runyon

Fallen Angel - Papyrus: Xanthus

Incubus Angel!Swap - Sans and Papyrus: Tempus and Cancione Incubus Angel!Swapfell - Sans and Papyrus: Alaric and Beryllium

Disciples of Time - Gaster, Papyrus, and Sans: Kairos, Chronos, and Eon

Old AU - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Conroy, Rain, and Crane Old Fell AU - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Passerine, Heath, and Hellbender Old Fellswap AU - Sans and Papyrus: Noir and Bear Old Swap AU - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Aquamarine, Honeycomb, and Quartz Old Swapfell AU - Sans and Papyrus: Finn and Zirconium Old Horrortale AU - Sans and Papyrus: Carollan and Storm Old Horrorswap AU - Sans and Papyrus: Azure and Bumblebee Old Horrorfell AU - Sans and Papyrus: Sorrel and Ash

Mermaid Skeleton Boys: Mermaid Underswap - Sans and Papyrus: Turquoise and Rust Mermaid Fellswap Carnelian - Sans and Papyrus: Corvus and Angelshark Mermaid Horrorswap - Papyrus: Apricot Mermaid Horrorfellswap Carnelian - Sans and Papyrus: Arcturus and Tiger (Shark)

Fae Skeleton Boys: Fae Underfell - Sans and Papyrus: Crimson and Bardick Fae Horrorfell - Sans and Papyrus: Claret and Roark

Dragon Undertale - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Fjord, Titus, and Avalanche Dragon Underfell - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Strom, Pyrrhus, and Novis Dragon Underswap - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Sol, Beckett, and Infinis Dragon Horrortale - Papyrus: Volance Dragon Fellswap Carnelian - Sans and Papyrus: Infernos and Caedos Dragon Swapfell Amethyst - Sans and Papyrus: Veilios and Amaranthinos

Dancetale- Sans and Papyrus: Hip Hop and Latin Dancefell- Sans and Papyrus: Rhythm and Tango Danceswap- Sans and Papyrus: Merengue and DJ

Alluretale - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Glamour, Caramel, and Onyx Allurefell - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Merlot, Affogato, and Morganite Allureswap - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Cappuccino, Marocchino, and Tourmaline

Fellswap Carnelian - Papyrus, Gaster, and Sans: Hound, Sirius, and Ebony Fellswap Amaranth- Papyrus, Gaster, and Sans: Dolce, Ares, and Airen Fellswap Silver - Papyrus and Sans: Rex and Willet Hero! Fellswap Amaranth - Papyrus and Sans: Veranda and Grenach

Swapfell Amethyst - Papyrus, Gaster, and Sans: Brass, Orion, and Jet Swapfell Glaucous - Papyrus, Sans, and Gaster: Cortado, Dolcetto, and Neptune Swapfell Silver - Papyrus and Sans: Conleth and Marion Villain! Swapfell Glaucous - Papyrus and Sans: Macchiato and Carignan

Mafiatale - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Sharp, Button, and Canasta. Mafiadancetale - Sans and Papyrus: Nils and Savion Mafiaswap - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Spade, Slick, and Hex. Mafiaswapfell Amethyst - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Jasper, Iron, and Eros Mafiafell - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Roscoe, Commander, and Brawl. Mafiadancefell - Sans and Papyrus: Vulture and Sanguine Mafiafellswap Carnelian - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Spider, Lynx, and Kirill Mafiadancefellswap Carnelian - Sans and Papyrus: Ezra and Python Mafiahorrortale - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Butcher, Arsenic, and Euchre Mafiahorrorswap - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Diamond, Vulpine, and Cess Mafiahorrorfell - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Lyle, Boss, and Affray

Outertale - Sans and Papyrus: Rigel and Astrophel Outerfell - Sans and Papyrus: Canis and Hesperos Outerswap - Sans and Papyrus: Pyxis and Umbriel

Werewolf AU: Werewolf Fellswap Carnelian - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Zev, Wolfsbane, and Ammonite Werewolf Underfell - Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Harrier, Vermillion, and Dendritic

Vampire AU: Vampire Swapfell Amethyst - Papyrus and Sans: Selenite and Blackwin Vampire Underswap - Papyrus and Sans: Saffron and Steel

The Adventurers of Millenis - The Ranger Sans and the Sorcerer Papyrus - Rainer and Verrier The Fighter Sans and the Rogue Papyrus - Saber and Launce The Articifer Sans and the Monk Papyrus - Knox and Malachite The Druid Sans and the Paladin Papyrus - Remus and Wolverine The Paladin Sans and the Bard Papyrus - Cyril and Idris The Warlock Sans and the Cleric Papyrus - Chicory and Cicely

The Past Lives of the Adventurers of Millenis - The Cleric Sans and the Warlock Papyrus - Seldil and Gavyn The Monk Sans and the Ranger Papyrus - Sestri and Ciaran The Barbarian Sans and the Articifier Papyrus - Tymiar and Barxus The Bard Sans and The Fighter Papryus - Adrel and Canasite The Rogue Sans and the Druid Papyrus - Shailius and Fox The Sorcerer Sans and the Roguish Paladin Papyrus - Camphor and Chaparral

Wish Granter and Dream Walker - Sans and Papyrus: Carys and Caerwyn Underfell Wish Granter and Dream Walker - Sans and Papyrus: Anwir and Andras Underswap Wish Granter and Dream Walker - Sans and Papyrus: Bowen and Bryn

Angelic Tale Dream Walker - Sans and Papyrus: Erazem and Elidor Angelic Fell Dream Walker - Sans and Papyrus: Dariel and Didier Angelic Swap Dream Walker - Sans and Papyrus: Faolan and Forsythe

The Bookkeeper’s Technicians - Sans and Papyrus: Conall and Quinlan

The Mythical Creatures: Owlbear Swapfell Sans and Dragon Swapfell Papyrus - Cerulea and Cerauno Griffin Fellswap Sans and Phoenix Fellswap Papyrus - Incedis and Luceras

Cursed Skeleton Boys - Papyrus and Sans: Benoit and Elpis

The Wandering SOULs Swap - Sans and Papyrus: Isle and Stian The Wandering SOULs Fell - Sans and Papyrus: Achilles and Pharrell The Wandering SOULs Swapfell - Sans and Papyrus: Ulysses and Doran The Wandering SOULs Fellswap Carnelian- Sans and Papyrus: Pharris and Wolf

Final Boss AU: Sans, Papyrus, and Gaster: Paradigm (Para), Cider, and Tycho

The Void Travelers: Tale - Sans and Papyrus: Otto and Amadeus Fell - Sans and Papyrus: Dalton and Erasmus Swap - Sans and Papyrus: Kepler and Liu Swapfell - Sans and Papyrus: Jace and Azurite Fellswap - Sans and Papyrus: Licorice and Jackal

The Sun, the Moon, and the Eclipse - Papyrus, Sans, and Gaster: Soleil, Deimos, and Eridanus

The Love Interests in a Dating Sim: Underfell/Mafiafell - Sans and Papyrus: Falcon and Sangria Underswap/Mafiaswap - Sans and Papyrus: Aegean and Maple

The Fallen Stars - Sans and Papyrus: Cosmos and Oberon The Dying Stars - Sans and Papyrus: Solar and Pollux The Fading Stars - Sans and Papyrus: Cygnus and Solaris

The Sorcerers: Dreamtale - Sanses and Papyruses: Gael, Zayn, Smolder, and Holden Fell Dreamtale - Sanses and Papyrus: Elryc, Relic, Beyron, and Blaise

Pirate Outcodes: Dreamtale - Sanses and Papyrus: Eclipse, Durinn, Callisto, and Somnus Inktale - Sans and Papyrus: Quill and Parchment Errortale - Sans and Papyrus: Ragon and Byte Dusttale - Sans: Sickle Killer - Sans: Breaker

Fell!Pirate Outcodes: Dreamtale - Sanses and Papyruses: Noctis, Phoenix, Tienn, and Elidor Inktale - Sans and Papyrus: Hue and Canvas Errortale - Sans and Papyrus: Draconite and Techne Dusttale - Sans: Blade Killer - Sans: Striker

Dance Dreamtale - Sanses and Papyrus: Valentin, Tarantella, Waltz, and Merrick

Dreamtale - Sanses and Papyruses: Dream (Bliss), Nightmare (Dusk) Comet, and Umbra.

Dreamswap - Sanses and Papyrus: Dawn, Disaris, Lychnus, and Obitus

Dreamfell - Sanses and Papyrus: Finis, Lucis, Letos, and Lucernas

Errortale - Sans and Papyrus: Error (Lenovo) and Virus Errorswap - Papyrus: Vi Errorfell - Papyrus: Diesel

Inktale - Sans and Papyrus: Ink (Tusche) and Acrylic Ink Fellswap Carnelian - Papyrus: Owl Ink Swapfell Amethyst - Papyrus: Granite

Secret Outcode - Papyrus, Gaster, and Sans: Rune, Runar, and Rhydian

The Caged Bird AU - Papyrus, Gaster, and Sans: Forrest, Adair, and Juniper

Tenebrous Outcode - Papyrus, Sans, and Gaster: Morte, Draven, and Granite

Luminus Outcode - Papyrus, Sans, and Gaster: Lucien, Vitale, and Vitus

Equinox Outcode - Papyrus and Sans: Terberis and Mors

The Lost Skeletons - Papyrus and Sans: Einar and Cassiel

Killer Sans - Spiro

Dusttale - Sans and Papyrus: Dagger and Wraith

The Masked Shadow and the Lost Spirit - Papyrus and Sans: Soterios and Cian

[willowwillowbun]

My idea of a seraph from @kvalenagle's Gryphon Insurrection Series

Drew this a while ago, I think while I was reading Opinicus. Not entirely happy with it but I mainly just sketch anyway and never finish anything lol

If you like creature fantasy and gryphons, highly recommend GryphIns! One of my favorite series!

[kvalenagle]

Me trying to provide helpful clues for both myself and James Scott Spaid, the audiobook narrator, when it comes to which "a motmot" is which.

"Yes?" (Motmot who sings songs about Stripes' stripes) "No." (Motmot who solves all problems using strips of leather) "Brace yourself!" (Motmot who likes water slides)

🎨 @toadalled