Hippogriff

Hippogriffs are chimeric magical beasts related to griffons. They are distinctly different from griffons, in that they also possess the physical characteristics of horses, rather than lions. In addition, hippogriffs possess the minds of animals, whereas griffons are intelligent.

Description
Hippogriffs have the body of a horse, with the wings and head of a hawk or eagle. Their forelegs end in sharp talons similar to those found in birds of prey, while their hind legs end in hooves. The average hippogriff is 9 feet long, with a wingspan of 20 feet, and weighs about 1,000 pounds.

Personality
Hippogriffs are extremely territorial and will attack any intruders in their realm. They attack by diving and attacking with their claws and beak. Though regarded as clumsy attackers, flocks of hippogriffs do know to attack in concert. They can kill large prey such as bison, and are even capable of carrying it away in their talons, but being omnivores, they do not always have to resort to such tactics. When it comes to defending their eggs and newborns from harm, hippogriffs are deadly and fearsome foes to be reckoned with.

Lairs
They live in temperate to tropical hills, in areas where it is particularly flat and barren, allowing them quick and easy access to the skies. A significant population existed in the Starspire Mountains in County Starspur in Tethyr.

Mounts
Hippogriffs are highly prized as aerial steeds. Because they are not as intelligent as griffons, a friendly attitude from the hippogriff to the rider/tamer is not required, but they still require an exotic saddle and 6 weeks of training (those are fairly standard issue for most flying mounts in the Forgotten Realms, however). The easiest way to tame a hippogriff is to steal an egg and raise it from birth, but as said before, hippogriff eggs are not easy to obtain, due to the ferocity of their defenders.

Hippogriffs cannot speak, and they are regarded as neutral in alignment.