Post by Storm Chaser on Oct 19, 2011 8:09:25 GMT
-General Stuff-
Name: Gunther
Nickname/Alias(es): Fluffy, Feather-head
Race: Griffon
Gender: Male
Age: Adult
-Physical Stuff-
Pelt Color: Dark brown/almost black
Mane/Tail Color and Style: No mane, but feathers are dipped in red paint and very dark brown
Eye Color: Rust colored
Cutie Mark: none
Other Scars/Markings: none
Physique: Large, incredibly muscular.
-Social Stuff-
Current Residence: Traveler, currently in Fillydelphia.
Job: Construction worker, does odd jobs on the side.
Mother: Greta
Father: Hans
Sibling(s): none
Other Family: Storm Chaser and Dust Devil(considered to be like family)
Closest Friends: Storm Chaser, Dust Devil, Red Wine
Courting/Courted By: none
Mate: none
Foal(s): none
-Personality Stuff-
Likes: Saxophone music, smooth jazz, hot chocolate, midnight flights, snow storms, a good meal, fluffy pillows
Dislikes: The presumption that all griffons are brutes, the illiterate, being looked at with fear, being so large, daisy sandwiches, red meat
Motivation: Gunther is trying to find acceptance in pony society, which is kind of hard if ponies are afraid of you. He also wants to start a family, and own his own business, but is having a hard time becoming financially stable enough to do so.
Strengths: Clever, good at improvising, a smooth talker, gentlemanly, great chef
Weaknesses/Flaws: Insecure, worries about how he's seen, terrible singer, can be a glutton, easily discouraged
Fears: Severe weather, having his good relations with the ponies tarnished, losing Dust Devil, losing his ability to fly
Overall Persona: Gunther is a loving, gentle griffon - something fairly uncommon in griffon society, where toughness is encouraged. He merely wants to find a quiet little town to settle down in with his partner, Dust Devil, but fears rejection and being an outcast in pony society because of his rather fearsome appearance. He loves to cook and create, but because of his sheer size, finds it hard to move around a kitchen and often settles for physical labor jobs in order to make money. Even under pressure, Gunther tries his hardest to be polite and be a good representative of his race, but will sometimes become so discouraged that he will shut himself away from others for days on end. He often worries about what others think of him, and really just wants to start a family and have many close friends that aren't afraid of him.
History:
Gunther was born into a decently-sized griffon tribe, and raised to be a strong flier from the moment his flight feathers began to grow in. His first few years of life were quite uneventful, though he often lamented on how it was hard to make friends with some of the other griffons his age. They were quite brash, loud, and (in Gunther's opinion) jerks. He was teased for his "slow and steady wins the race" attitude, and sometimes excluded for not showing interest in competitive activities.
This concerned his parents, who tried their best to encourage Gunther to bond with his peers so he would not be off on his own all the time, but to no avail. Gunther just wasn't cut out for the rough and tumble of griffon society. He seemed content with the fact, and didn't even seem to mind not having many friends his own age, as the older griffons were much more interesting. Though they too held the competitive and sometimes aggressive attitudes of the younger generations, but they had mellowed out over the years and enjoyed talking about their life's adventures with anyone who would listen.
Through the elderly of his tribe, Gunther learned about far off places such as Stalliongrad, the Everfree Forest, Cloudsdale - and subsequently, the other creatures of Equestria. Gunther had known about things like dragons and manticores, for they shared the griffon territory, but the one species that fascinated him most were the ponies - pegasi to be exact. Some of the elders spoke fondly of the ponies that could outfly them in their prime, while others rolled their eyes and complained about how ridiculous they thought the ponies were. But either way, Gunther found himself with the desire to meet a pony, to see if they were as interesting(or horrible) as the elders said.
Well one day, Gunther got his wish, and it forever changed the course of his life.
In the fall just after his flight feathers had begun to grow in, a small family of nomadic ponies made their way into Gunther's tribe and requested to stay for a while in exchange for their wares. Though the group was small, Gunther was thrilled to finally confirm or debunk the elders' stories for himself. His eyes eagerly scanned the group of ponies, flitting over three earth ponies and a couple unicorns, until they came across three pegasi. They were much larger than the rest of the group, dwarfing even the male earth ponies, and had absolutely massive wings. The looks on the elders' faces suggested to Gunther that these pegasi weren't quite what they were familiar with, but he didn't care, as something else had caught his eye.
Between the larger pegasi stood a gangly little mass of limbs and feathers, whom Gunther would later come to know as Dust Devil.
Their first interactions were painfully awkward, at best. Gunther attempted to approach the colt once the crowd had dispersed a bit, only to have Dust Devil back away from him and cower behind his parents' legs. Gunther was surprised by the reaction, and a bit hurt. He had no ill intent, but a vague memory of his grandfather's words came back to him upon deeper reflection.
"Some griffons eat ponies. We are carnivorous, after all. So some ponies are very wary of us, and I suppose they're right to be."
Discouraged and embarrassed, Gunther quickly slunk away to hide his shame. Perhaps the group of ponies had encountered another, not-so-friendly tribe on their way...For some reason, that thought bothered him.
Over the next few weeks, Gunther tried to stay away from the ponies, despite his nagging curiosity driving him up the wall. He wanted to ask them questions about their travels, and maybe fly with the colt that had shied away from him. But it was no use, he figured that he would probably be seen as a potential threat and held at arm's length as though he were a venomous snake. Saddened by this thought, he did his best to avoid the group of ponies.
One day, however, this changed.
When out for an early morning flight, Gunther caught sight of something he considered to be quite spectacular. The colt he had scared shot past him in midair, zooming in and out of the clouds before diving low and kicking up dust. The result was an amazing display of miniature tornadoes - dust devils - swirling around in what Gunther could only describe as a dance before losing steam and simply vanishing.
As the colt landed, Gunther could only hover above him, beak agape in a stunned silence. At last, the colt took notice and looked up at Gunther, who willed himself to land and bashfully paw at the ground. Though nervous, the colt did not run this time.
"Th-that was awesome."
Gunther murmured, before looking back up at the pegasus with a sheepish grin. The colt looked surprised, but slowly relaxed and returned the smile.
"Thanks, mate. I didn't see you there, sorry for just mowing right by you."
Slowly, but surely, the two bonded over a variety of things ranging from flight tricks to even meals! Gunther preferred fish and made this quite apparent to his new friend, who began to relax more around the griffon and grow to trust him. It was absolutely wonderful to have a friend, and even Gunther's parents seemed impressed by his newfound zest for life.
But the weeks passed by, and soon the ponies were to leave for a town called Fillydelphia. Gunther was absolutely heartbroken at the prospect of losing his new friend, until one evening his father pulled him aside and gave Gunther his blessing to leave.
"It's quite obvious that you are a traveler at heart, kid. Take this opportunity and broaden your horizons, eh? Greta and I will be fine, and you can continue to spend time with your pony friend."
This news thrilled Gunther, and though he knew he would miss his parents, he longed to travel and make more friends. The next day, with his belongings in a little satchel, Gunther left for Fillydelphia with Dust Devil and his family, eager to grow and experience new things.