From Legonia

A hippgryph is a partly flying partly running mammal with the appearance of a horse/eagle mixture.

Biology

Hippogryphs have four legs, the body of a horse, the head of a bird of prey and two big wings. Their grey, white or silvershining skin is covered by bright bird feathers. The hippogryph can fly for short time periods and distances because of his weight, moves very quick and normally runs away from other beeings. They're herbivores and peaceful.

Environment & extension

The mythical forest horses can be found only in the deepest corners of the elven forest. So, most human just know them from tales while forest elves seems to be the only intelligent race able to domesticate and ride them. Their biology is very sensitive to the climate and feed, so they couldn't survive for long in other regions. This and slaughtering by Nu'chunk nomads has nearly rotten the species out. Only the forest elves care for them and try to breed them.

Mythology

The rare population and their elegant but shy appearance made them parts of many folk tales and legends. Especially humans from the Big river but also people from the northern regions of the Skorpion Emirates impute them magical abilities, they don't have in reality. So, often a hippogryph appears in a story as god-sent guardian of nature or the forest. Sometimes, they can speak in human languages, sometimes communicate telepathic. Other tales say, hippogryphs can fly to the god's sphere where higher beeings use them to ride into our sphere for short visits. Although the elves meet them most, there's no mythological meaning in elven culture. Centaurs respect them as their related brothers, Nu'chunks hunt them for food.