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 maintaining 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.