Griffons are regal beasts revered as symbols of freedom and strength in many cultures. They are physically striking, with the hindquarters of a lion and the head, wings, and forelimbs of a great bird of prey-typically an eagle, but some instead bear the features of a hawk, falcon, or even osprey or vulture. In rare cases, the griffon's hindquarters may resemble those of a different great cat, such as a leopard or tiger. The variations seem to conform to the environment in which the griffon lives-for instance, the especially rare griffons of northern Avistan have the hindquarters of a Grungir lynx and the upper body of a snowy owl-though this is not always the case. Some griffons lack wings altogether. These wingless griffons, known as alces, result from a rare mutation. Among a clutch of other griffons, the alce is typically considered the runt, so few of these offshoots survive their fledgling stage. Those alces that do make it to adulthood tend to be tougher, more violent, and more aloof than most griffons.