Griffon Clans
 
There are so many griffon clans that even griffons can't keep track of them
all.  Every intermarriage or political conflict has the potential to create a
new one.  With all their different customs, it is hard to treat them globally.
But there are commonalities among mainland griffons that are usually observed.
 
Griffon clans are often descriptive in name, such as the Skyfire and Iron Claw
clans.  They do not often form larger political groups;  however, they normally
do cooperate well with other griffons, aside from some friendly rivalry.
Griffons are normally reticent about the exact locations of their nests, for
safety's sake.
 
Wild griffons often show cultural influence from sylvan races.  Magic is
employed for utilitarian purposes - to solve problems for which humanoid
peoples might fashion tools with the fingers and thumbs griffons lack.  They
are civilized in their fashion, but humans might find some customs disturbing,
especially the messy, bloody meals.  The clans least accustomed to speaking
with humanoids may distort consonants such as "v," "p," "f," and "m," which are
difficult to form without lips.
 
Some wild clans have rejected the influence of other races altogether.  Often
descended from former slaves, these shamanistic clans are the most fierce and
physical.  But their general distrust of men and their institutions doesn't
keep them from helping their favorites.
 
There are also griffon clans which humanoids might describe as more "civilized"
in their own terms - these often live around other races, while still maintain-
ing well-secured nests elsewhere.  Despite generations of prejudice - or 
perhaps because of it - these griffons typically gravitate toward what is
counted most noble, wise, and courageous in the society they live with.  This
attitude is often reflected in their chosen professions.
 
It should be noted that the griffons living far east of the mainland are a
special case.  The ruins of an elaborate city suggest a high level of political
structure.  Those knowledgeable of the place have confirmed a complex clan
system.  However, the deep attachment of these griffons to their island, and
the intense war they fight with the city's occupants, have made scholarship
difficult for outsiders.