Cyrus had the power and was on the path to become an Archmage one day. However he threw all of that out of the window when he intervined in natural selection and lifebonded with Azuraph to save the unborn Griffin's life. He was not allowed to be an Archmage and a Griffin Rider. And his life bond with Azuraph made the decision an easy one. However he has training and magic still. He just can never hold the rank he was being prepared for from birth. He was once asked if he regrets the decision. He just smiled and looked at his bonded partner, "Never." He now travels around Arcadia on an elite squad of Griffin Riders trained to protect the world.
Personality
Cyrus and Azuraph are an honorable pair. They have sworn to protect the world. Cyrus also has an insatiable appetite for learning, especially about Magic. He can be a little bit of a show off sometimes when it comes to magic. He has a lot of power at his command. Especially with Azuraph's help. Azuraph also shares that show off flaw. He likes to show off his aerial prowess. The two will do whatever it takes to get a job done and to protect the greater good. Even if it means breaking the rules or flying off to fight a threat on their own.
Background
Section
When Lunaria Sylvarian was pregnant with her first child, an old crone had read her unborn son's future. It was prophesied that her child was going to be a magical talent that could one day become the Archmage of the highest order. When Cyrus was born, it was a solar eclipse on a blessed moon. The energy that radiated off of the baby was obvious to even those who weren't sensitive to it. That raw talent needed to be cultivated from an early age. Cyrus was sent to study with the scholars at the Magic Order. Life at the Academy with the Magic Order was pretty straight forward. Cyrus was a sponge for knowledge and he loved what he was doing. He didn't have many friends at the Academy growing up though. He was raised around older students who were not interested in having a little kid around them.
Cyrus was a natural when it came to Magic and his studies also came easy to him. As the years went by and he grew in power and skill he started to get bored with the studying the basics. He took to studying things on his own. And when he was running out of things he was allowed to study for his young age. He would sneak into the restricted areas and study more magic. Cyrus could easily channel each of the elemental magics and was on his way learn even more. It was then that they decided that young Cyrus needed to start doing some journeyman studying in the world before he can come back to get on the track to becoming an Archmage some day. He was sent to study with a high ranking Master Mage named Duncan Moonstone. Duncan took the eager young mage under his wing. Duncan started to explain to Cyrus the ways of the world. Cyrus and Duncan traveled together for a couple of years. They went to various areas and Cyrus learned about different cultures and societies. He learned magic and languages during his travels.
It was during their travels that they found themselves at the Aerie. They were invited to witness a very rare and special ceremony where young trainees would form a lifebond with one of the Griffin's that was to hatch. It is a tradition that the Aerie has carried on for generations. The bonded pairs would help protect the world from any trouble. Usually errant flying creatures that terrorized villages, mostly evil dragons but sometimes other things like manticores or harpies. The pairs were trained to take out these problems. The Griffin Riders would come to the aid of those who needed it. The ceremony is very sacred to the people of the Aerie. Very rarely do they allow outsiders to witness the ceremony. However Duncan was born in the Aerie before he chose to focus on a life of magic. It was at the ceremony that everything in Cyrus's life changed.
The candidates would stand in a circle around the clutch of giant eggs. As they are born, the chick would reach out into the minds of those candidates and find the one who fits them. The two create a magical bond on a psychic level. The bond that is created links the two. They grow more powerful as a pair than each would be individually. The bond comes at a price. The two become intertwined forever. If one dies, the other dies. The hatching is a magical and beautiful experience. The eggs hatched and one by one the chicks were bonding. All that was left was one sole egg. As the ceremony was ending. Duncan explained that very rarely a chick isn't strong enough to hatch or it doesn't sense it's partner and it doesn't have the will to hatch. A various list of reasons. It was a sad ordeal but it was something that they had come to accept in the Aerie. However Cyrus could not let it go. As the candidates all left the nest, the brooding dam and sire had this sadness about them. Cyrus left the observation area and he ran to the nest. He laid his hand upon the giant egg and he fed his own energy into the egg. The egg exploded and the bond was created before anyone knew what what happening.
Cyrus found himself in a lifebond with this newly hatched Griffin, Azuraph. The griffin was a bundle of energy from the moment he came out of that egg. Azur has a distinct personality and he cares about one thing in this world and that is Cyrus. Everything else is second to him. The griffin was very much like Cyrus. They both are strong willed and independant. Things came easily to them both and that is where the boredom kicked in. Azuraph was the first of the clutch to be taking to the air. He was the first hunting on his own, he was a daredevil flyer. When Cyrus and Azuraph bonded, word got back to the Academy about the pair. Cyrus was recalled back to the Academy but he could not come. He could not leave the Aerie until Azuraph was old enough to fly and fight on his own. When Cyrus didn't show up, a representative from the Academy came to him. A Griffin rider could never become the Archmage. At which point, Cyrus decided to leave the Academy to focus on his new life with Azuraph. Cyrus was still a mage. And now a griffin rider. He put all of his time and energy into training. The duo rose to the top of his class. As if anyone was surprised by this. Upon graduating, Cyrus and Azuraph were inducted into a special elite squad of Griffin Riders. The pair were strong enough and deadly enough to take down major threats by themselves. Cyrus and Azuraph took to the skies protecting the planet. With Cyrus's magic and Azuraph's beak, claws and talons.
SKILLS
COMBAT TRAINING - Competent: Cyrus was trained by the riders of the Aerie in basic combat techniques. He knows how to use most basic weapons and is fully trained in the use of the elven long bow. His weapon of choice for combat is the elven curve blade. He also has years of training with staff fighting.
MAGIC LORE - Expert: Cyrus spent years training at the Academy with the Mages. He is familiar with a great deal of magical lore as he was training to become an Archmage. Even if he does not have the information, Cyrus has spent enough time in the library that he is good at being able to do the research on magical lore to help find the answers.
MONSTER HUNTER - Expert: Cyrus and Azuraph were part of an elite team of Griffin Riders who specialized in hunting down monsters that were terrorizing Arcadia. They studied a lot of big bad monsters and learned their weaknesses. They were trained to take down these threats without others. Each one having a strength and weaknesss. Cy learned as many possible to try and maximize his potential and to save lives.
MUSICIAN - Novice: Cyrus has a very good singing voice. He isn't trained. However he enjoys singing to himself and to Azuraph. He has started to learn the guitar.
POLYGLOT - Competent: Cyrus speaks and reads multiple languages. He is trained in Common and Elvish. He also knows the arcane magic language and how to read magic runes. He also can speak some Orc and Dwarvish. He is trained in conversational Fae but it is rusty. And he is learning the basics of Draconic.
RIDING - Expert: Cyrus is an expert rider. His life bond with Azuraph has made it almost second nature to ride the griffin. He has expertise in being able to ride at high speeds and stay mounted while doing aerial acrobatics. He has become so skilled at riding he can do so with limited to no riding equipment. However stunt flying does require some riding equipment.
POWERS
ABJURATION - Enhanced: Cyrus was trained in the ways of abjuration. His focus was the creation of protective charms and wards. His abjuration has also been good at countermagic and breaking spells and hexes.
CONJURATION - Enhanced: The school of conjuration has been a mixed bag for Cyrus. He can conjure basic items but the more complex the more difficult for him to conjure. HE has tapped into summoning spells however the advanced summoning has been cut off before he was up to that in the Academy. He can conjure basic food and drinks. Simple animals can be summoned but nothing complex or higher intelligent lifeforms. Where Cyrus does excell with conjuration is within the healing aspect of the school. He is able to channel healing magic through conjuration. The gift has been very necessary in the field as a Griffin Rider.
DIVINATION - Basic: While Cyrus was trained in the basics of divination. He mostly uses the magic for scrying and locating lost things. He has had bad luck with prophecies and clairvoyance.
ELEMENTALIST - Supreme: Cyrus is able to tap into the forces of nature. He holds a natural store of magical energy in his body. He has been able to tap into all of the elements since he was a small child. While his power is strong, it took years of training at the Academy to work up this level of control.
HEALTH - Basic: With his connection to Azuraph, he has better health than most. The smaller things do not get him sick and he recovers faster from the stronger diseases. He recovers from physical trauma much faster than others as well.
ILLUSION - Basic: Cyrus' knows the basics of illusion magic. He can't create major illusions. However he can do some prestidigitation and create ghost sounds.
LIFEBOND - Supreme: Cyrus and Azuraph have a special life bond that grants them benefits as well as flaws. The first and biggest advantage is that they enhance one another. They are a complimentary pair. Their powers enhance one another. As such Cyrus' physical attributes have been enhanced from his bond with Azuraph. He is stronger, faster, sturdier. Cyrus doesn't get as sick and if he does he bounces back a lot quicker. This enhancement works best when the two are touching. Azuraph benefits from this lifebond as well. He is stronger and faster than aother griffins. The two have a telepathic bond and they are able to communicate anywhere in the world. As long as they are both alive. They can locate the other and also.
SENSES - Enhanced: While Cyrus has enhanced eye sight and hearing of an elf. His senses are even further enhanced from his lifebond with Azuraph. He has the keen eyesight of an eagle. His other senses are enhanced from the lifebond. His sense of smell, his taste and hearing are all greater than a normal elf. Cyrus is also able to sense magical auras and read them on objects on people.
STRENGTH - Basic: Another benefit of the lifebond with Azuraph is that he has additional strength greater than an elf his size and weight. He is able to lift more weight for longer periods of time.
ADVANTAGES
AZURAPH Cyrus has a lifebond with his griffin Azuraph. The two enhance each other to be better than they would be on their own. They both get physical enhancements. They both are stronger, faster, sturdier and ages slower. Azuraph is significantly faster than a normal griffin his size. Azuraph also has above average intelligence. He can fully speak with telepathy. Generally he speaks directly to Cyrus, however he can speak to others. With the bond that the two have, upon concentration they can see through the eyes of the other. They can feel eachothers emotions general well being. They have an idea of where the other is located. Azuraph is a deadly predator of the sky. He has training to fight dragons and other creatures of the sky that are even bigger than him. He has perfected a deadly attack similar to that of the peregrine falcon. A powerful dive attack that knocks it's foe out of the air. He can carry multiple riders on his back. His beak, talons and claws are deadly as well. They have been known to rend through dragon scales.
GRIFFIN RIDERS Cyrus and his bonded partner Azuraph are part of an elite squad among the Griffin Riders of the Aerie. They are called in when something big and deadly needs to be taken down. They are reliable and get tasks done. They also have the support of the Aerie and the respect of the other riders.
STAFF OF SOLARIS When the prophecy was made about the unborn child becoming the next Archmage. His grandfather had comissioned the creation of the staff of Solaris. The artifact was already partially in the family. The staff is a magical focus which made channeling magic easier. The beautiful sun stone was then merged with the staff to store magical energy. The staff user can now tap into the sun stone for additional energy instead of their own personal reserve. This allows them to cast more spells without needing to rest as much. Upon his birth, Cyrus received the artifact from his Grandfather. He was trained at the Academy in how to use it as a focus and also how to tap into the power.
WEAKNESSES
CAN'T GO HOME By bonding with his life partner, Cyrus can never become the Archmage that was in the prophecy given at his birth. Racial tension is very high in the Kingdom of Lyne. Being of mixed blood is already problematic. Then Cyrus pissed off the magi by leaving them for the griffin riders. He just gave them an excuse to hate him. On top of that all, it is never a good thing to break a prophecy. The protection that the prophecy had created was torn away. Neither the humans of Lyne or the Elves of Lyne accept him now and the Magi will not grant him any sanctuary for deserting them. The superstitous of the kingdom said that he spit in the face of fate and as such they spit at his feet when he walks by them to avoid bad luck of angering the fates. He has not been back to see his family.
LIFEBOND Cyrus and Azuraph have an unbreakable lifebond. The two are synced up on a magical and psychic level. As such if one or the other takes a significant amount of damage they will know. The lifebond is so extreme that extreme emotions can affect the other. If one is in duress the other will know. Even things like lust or hunger can be fed to the partner if they are not shielding properly. And ultimately the two are so intertwined that if one of them dies, the other usually does not survive the ordeal. Those that do survive the initial trauma end up broken. A part of them is forever missing. In a lot of cases riders who lose a partner end up going mad, become recluses or comitting suicide. Griffins that survive the loss of a rider often end up going feral and either killing themselves or end up needing to be put down. It is rare but it can happen where one can survive without the other but they read as off magically.
MAGPIE Azuraph has a serious Magpie problem. The Griffin likes to collect shiny things. He has been known to pilfer tiny things and hide them in his roost. He is often trying to get Cyrus to take things for him. Sometimes Cyrus has a problem resisting the urge to collect trinkets as well.
NECROMANCY Ever since Cyrus bonded with Azuraph he has been unable to delve into the magical art of Necromancy. Necromancy deals with both death and life energy. This energy is the closest to the magical energy that has tied Cyrus and Azuraph together. Cyrus has created a mental block in his own head. It is beyond a simple fear. The magic is too similar to his lifebond. Whenever he attempted to channel that magic it has not worked properly. The result has always been off. It is a subconcious fear that is blocking him from being successful. His irrational fear is that it channeling too much necromancy energy will disrupt the bond that he has with Azuraph. The risk is too great for him to not even attempt to go into that sphere of magic.
OWRGS As Cyrus and Azuraph are elite hunters of the griffin riders, they are trained to combat the threats in the world. The biggest threat that they are trained to take out are the Owrgs. Cyrus has a personal vendetta against these creatures as they are found near his home kingdom of Lyne. Even before he became a griffin rider. The affects of their existance had an impact on his life. It was after bonding with Azuraph that he finally had the strength to stand up and fight them. The life bond the two share is a positive life energy that is the direct opposition of the evil energy. If an Owrg senses the life bond energy, it is drawn to snuff out this positive magic. With his squad of riders, Cyrus and Azuraph have taken out some Owrgs. However, one particularly nasty Owrg that has wings and takes to the air has elluded Cyrus and Azuraph. The two have come to call him, "Sceledrus." Sceledrus has killed a couple of griffin rider pairs and both Cyrus and Azuraph have vowed to end his existance and avenge their fallen breathen.
