Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you the Light of the Eastern Sun, Supreme Monarch of the Serapian Realm, Lord of the Sky and Earth, Eternal Master Of All He Surveys, Devourer of Mortals... the Emperor of All. King Goldeneye the Majestic, the Resplendent, the Eternal, the Voracious.

I do have several dozen more titles, but shall we keep this informal? This is myself, the maniacal gryphon-shaped Shard Goldeneye, wearing his wreath of office (those bronze-coloured feathers are actually bronze) Also on his divine person is the ring of the once omnipotent god Joshua the Eternal, who is currently being forced to serve myself as a Royal Physician - even deities are not beyond my hungry glance.

This exquisite picture was created by the brilliant and wonderful pen of neltruin ( http://www.furaffinity.net/user/neltruin ), with my adorable snuggle-slave aeznon (http://www.furaffinity.net/user/aeznon/) adding a bit to get some extra sketches and colour them all. I love it. I really do.

Goldeneye is not a gryphon.

He has never been a gryphon. He was not hatched to gryphon parents – indeed, he never had any parents at all – and the only reason he’s referred to as a gryphon is because in almost every physical sense he usually resembles one. But in fact it is debatable that he is even a living thing. The organism which calls itself Goldeneye is in fact a composite creature, known as a Shard. Rather than possessing true souls, or the vast cascades of purpose which drive many Incarnations and gods, Shards are created entirely from broken splinters of other minds, which come together, as if by some sort of gravity, and form grotesque parodies of living creatures’ minds. Shards are creatures of nothing but thought, and yet most cannot be said to be any more intelligent than microorganisms or plants.

However, some manage to evolve beyond this stage, and start to absorb more splinters of minds throughout the cosmos. The larger a Shard grows, the more sapient it becomes, and the more powerful it grows. Shards are, however, innately very unstable, and the larger ones even more so. A wayward twist of emotion can lead to total mental disintegration. Resultantly, almost all Shards have lifespans measured in hours and little more.

Some, however, absorb a certain few mind-splinters. An interconnected web of splinters from different minds, related, interlocking, close enough to act as a frame of reference around which the Shard can grow like a plant clinging to a tree. It was this, and a few lucky chances, that allowed this particular Shard to grow, and grow, and become possibly the largest, most powerful composite-based Voidborn in the universe.

It was not called Goldeneye then, howeer not until it discovered the physical world. A mere few millennia of agonised struggle was all it took for the Shard to push itself into reality, taking the shape of a gryphon through a combination of several particularly powerful splinters – emotions of terror so intoxicating and potent they shone through almost all others, centred around a certain dark-feathered beast with eyes of molten gold cruelty – and the culmination of several centuries of the local city-state’s belief in the mythical creature as a god. Goldeneye named himself that dark night, and the next day he claimed the city of Serapia as his own. The swollen power of the Shard has resulted in an incredible ability to manipulate mind and matter alike, and Goldeneye, still completely selfish and greedy, takes every opportunity to use it.

Goldeneye’s personality, if such a word can be used, is far removed from normal living things. Were he truly alive, he might be described as a semi-autistic savant, or possibly a complete psychopath. The gryphon is completely unable to feel any empathy whatsoever with living creatures. Utterly self-centred and ruthless by nature, he views every living thing as nothing but toys to be used for whatever he wishes. This cold outlook results in one of Goldeneye’s main constants: he is incredibly dominating, taking personal pleasure in punishing even the slightest resistance to his control until his unfortunate plaything is compliant, whether by terror or absolute devotion, to his every desire.

Although such desires can be incredibly varied, they tend without exception to indulge Goldeneye’s incredible hedonism as a result. As one not naturally born of the physical world, the gryphon takes enormous delight in the sensations this foreign place can provide, so much so that a full 35% of the brain the gryphon uses as a waypoint between body and splintered soul is devoted purely to his senses, which are acute to a level far beyond normally possible. Perhaps the gryphon’s most favoured way of combining both his desire to dominate and his lust for sensation is also his most infamous talent: his liking for swallowing living creatures raw and alive. Taste, scent, touch and even hearing and vision to some extent are all stimulated deliciously, for both parties – even if one of them isn’t so keen on the whole ordeal.

For an obvious reason. One who enters the gryphon’s body, willingly or (much more often) unwillingly, will very, very rarely ever leave it. He can resurrect his prey quite easily, but most of the time letting them simply fuel his powerful body is the end he chooses for playthings. Any matter ingested by the already powerful digestive system of the gryphon will be burned away completely, every last atom absorbed or turned into energy.

Beyond these two pillars of consciousness – dominance and hedonism – however, the gryphon is a very changeable beast. Thanks to the movement of literally trillions of mind-splinters in his composite soul, Goldeneye’s main outlook on life can change from day to day. He has even been known to act nobly – not out of any desire to help, but simply because he may enjoy the emotions and situation created as a result, as well as a particular fondness for being seen as an actual deity. The Shard-beast has in fact carefully cultivated cults of worship and absolute devotion on several worlds – perhaps out of a sense of irony, as the gryphon has devoured several so-called “deities” himself. Goldeneye’s true age is difficult to state. Although his corporeal form has only existed for a relatively short time, he has existed for far longer. A Shard of such complexity must have taken millions or even billions of years to gestate and mature into a truly sentient organism. If he knows himself, he doesn’t speak of it.

Despite all the incredible power he possesses, however, Goldeneye is not invulnerable. Ageless, yes, indestructible, almost completely, but as a Shard he is forever vulnerable to the natural instability of his kind. He has been known to sabotage or lose control of his own schemes purely on a whim, merely to sate his own maniacal amusements. More dangerously, the sheer size of the gryphon’s vast consciousness, like a nebula of splintered souls around the star of his body, means that without a stream of reinforcing emotions and thoughts from other creatures, used to strengthen his constantly shifting mind, he can start to fall apart. Deprive the gryphon of contact with living, thinking creatures, and he will slowly disintegrate. It is because of this that the gryphon is never, ever, ever alone. Even when exploring the deep reaches of space, he will carry another mind with him – often in the form of some unfortunate trapped in the gryphon’s innards, condemned to several years of hot, dripping despair and the occasional taunt from their predator before a digestive death. Ironically for a merciless murderer and maniac, Goldeneye genuinely needs people.

The shape he takes most of the time is that of a Mathraxian gryphon, one of the largest species of avian known across the multiverse. He stands a total 12’4” and weighs in excess of six thousand pounds, with a tail, thicker at the base than most gryphons possess, nearly twice the length of his body (sadly, this measurement was taken after this beautiful picture was created, and so isn’t quite represented) and a wingspan of fifty-three feet. Size, however, is only a question of dimensions, and so instances have been recorded of the Shard reaching sizes measured in kilometres and even more, using his supernatural abilities to strengthen his body and so bear the vast weight with no ill effects. The wreath of bronze he bears proudly upon his brow is supposedly representative of his office as Emperor of Serapia, but Goldeneye views it as more a symbol of power over anything he wishes.

The considerable size of a Mathraxian already results in great strength, but as already noted, Goldeneye is not a Mathraxian gryphon by nature, and a narcissist of his stature can’t help but go one better. Or preferably one hundred better. Goldeneye’s physical capabilities are supernatural in every respect: he has the strength to crush solid stone, can move with lightning speed, and ignore any physical damage – as his body is just a manifestation, it is fuelled not by oxygen and nutrients but by the energy of his vast mind alone, and so needs no breath or food or blood. A simple renewing of his projected physical form can allow any injuries to be instantaneously regenerated. Whatever his measurements, Goldeneye is still an incredibly graceful creature, thanks to his mental capacity to consciously control every single muscle at once. And yet his body is not his most potent source of power.

The Shard was conceived and born in the anti-dimension known as the Void, a space between all realities, where, for an unknown reason, all living minds echo like beautiful galaxies of thought and emotion. Here is where Goldeneye’s true form dwells still, and here is where he is most adept, having spent untold millions of years evolving into the creature he is today. He is an incredibly potent telepath, expert at recognising and examining the tiniest traces of emotion in another’s mind. He can also twist the liquid cascades of thought to his heart’s content, changing perceptions, wresting control to his own whims, and even altering the very beliefs of his victims themselves. The gryphon, however, sees such a display of power as lazy: such control can be achieved with care, psychological conditioning, and patience. His delight is in the power to influence the stunning dance of sentience like one twists a kaleidoscope, not control every speck of dazzling colour.

His own colours and jewel-like eyes, certainly rather dazzling themselves remain the same whatever form he takes, as does, rather oddly, the texture of his coverings. Whether fur or feathers, Goldeneye’s bodily coverings are incredibly soft and silky, each and every strand almost completely smooth even at the microscopic level. The feel of such feathers is quite unique to him, described as being so smooth than individual strands can barely be felt. As per his delight in sensation, the gryphon absolutely adores cuddling with his playthings (whether they want it or not), sometimes resulting in a complete immersion in the soft plumage with only a ruffled patch depicting where they disappeared.

Speaking of immersion, a few notes should be made on the inside of the Shard’s form as well, since Goldeneye is so fond of sending people to explore it. His throat, already large enough to accommodate a small bipedal creature with barely a few gulps, is also stretchable and powerful enough to accept larger prey quite easily. Instances have even been known of the gryphon devouring prey his own size – he has a particular taste for other gryphons, possibly out of a desire to dominate even his own species. Such a task is still a rather patient feat to accomplish, and so the rings of muscle surrounding the soft flesh of the gryphon’s throat are, even taking into account Goldeneye’s supernatural strength, extremely powerful. Most of the time, the swallowing is a fairly gentle, if irresistible ride, but no matter what the size of the gryphon’s prey, squirming will only prolong their predator’s pleasure.

Goldeneye does possess a crop, situated inside his just inside his ribcage – like many gryphons, it takes advantage of the bands of elastic cartilage which hold together the ribs, known as the sterdanis. This was originally evolved to aid in flight by providing extra power in each wingbeat, but also allows the ribcage to expand massively. The fleshy chamber, situated neatly between the gryphon’s lungs, is therefore large enough to hold single individuals quite comfortably, but can house several more without complaining. Powerful muscular sphincters hold both exits tightly shut, ensuring no escape… although from the recollections of those who have come back after entering so deep into Goldeneye’s body (generally thanks to the gryphon’s powers of resurrection; the Shard is not at all fond of letting his prey back out), escape would be too exhausting anyway. The intense heat of the gryphon’s body, being right next to his massive heart, combined with a constant, squeezing massage on all sides (although most avians use their crops to temporarily store food, particularly predatory species of gryphon have evolved adapted versions which used muscular systems to squeeze and soften up large loads of meat for digestion, as well as the powerful thud-thud of Goldeneye’s heartbeat, the hum of his breathing, and the distant gurgles of his vast body, all serve to sap the willpower of most prey rather fast. Goldeneye uses his crop most often as a pacification chamber or mental torture room, either massaging particularly resistant preythings into exhausted submission over the course of several days, or taunting unfortunates with the mere few muscle contractions they are from a painful, gurgling death. Should he deposit his meals there rather than continuing the long ride down to his stomach, the reason is unlikely to be in their best interests.

But onwards, or rather downwards and onwards. Once suitably tasted and massaged, the valve below yawns open and the flesh above squeezes down, and over either several minutes or several hours, the last few metres of rippling gullet are traversed until ejection into Goldeneye’s stomach. This chamber is about twice as Goldeneye’s crop, and prey could kneel in it or even lie down while barely curling up… although they most likely don’t want to do such a thing. A gryphon’s stomach is naturally powerful, having to deal with large amounts of meat in a short time, but when the meat in question is still alive, and bone, fur and hair are also included, Goldeneye’s belly takes it to a new level. The experience has been simply described as “hell on earth” by those who have gone through it, much to his personal delight. With thick layers of muscle and fat beneath, followed by the thickest fur on the gryphon’s body, and the rest of his organs above, the chamber is extremely insulated, and can reach almost painfully hot temperatures. The fluids which fill it are incredibly caustic, a cocktail of enzymes and acids which can dissolve anything, given time and enough liquids. To top it off, muscular walls churn and ripple on every side, squeezing every inch of flesh in their rapacious grasp. Although normally the savage massage can be strong enough to break bones, Goldeneye prefers to tone it down a little, ensuring that his prey can squirm as long as possible.

The amount of time one can survive in such a hostile environment would normally be a few minutes at most, even excluding the obvious problem of suffocation. The gryphon, however, disapproves of such easy deaths (and the loss of torment and squirming that result), and so Goldeneye frequently boosts his prey’s mental endurance through his potent telepathic powers, allowing their hearts to remain beating and their minds to remain functioning as long as possible. Such a fate is not always painful, however, as the agonies of digestion can be mentally dispelled, or the prey simply soothed into unconsciousness before the caustic fluids begin their gory work. Goldeneye is not a sadist, merely a mad telepath with a love for domination and provoking and experience sensations. The fact that he does not possess the capacity to express true malice may, however, come as little comfort to those who are destined to spend the short rest of their lives inside him.

This is where a journey through the gryphon’s innards will generally end, and indeed has ended for untold thousands throughout his time of physical manifestation. There have been a few cases where even the stomach is but a slight rest stop, and Goldeneye chooses instead to pull his prey further in and let them melt away in the great morass of his intestines. With a supernaturally efficient digestive system, the great labyrinth of rippling tunnels is quite clean, and except for the slight rise in temperature and the many varying angles prey find themselves slurped along, this section of Goldeneye’s insides is quite similar to his throat. The only other differences are the length – if uncoiled, the gryphon’s intestines could measure a full hundred feet, and he claims he’s not totally sure precisely just how deep inside some of his prey end up – and of course, the fact that Goldeneye’s throat doesn’t usually produce more digestive fluids as his prey are squeezed through it. A demise here will, if anything, likely be slower, as the juices produced are intended to render down chyme to its constituents to be absorbed by the walls of the small intestine, rather than still whole, still living meat.

But a demise is all Goldeneye’s prey can often look forward to, and that’s assuming he doesn’t like them so much he intends to bring them back and continue his pleasures. I’m sure he’ll have fun with you…

Contains: gryphon silver blue goldeneye golden purple eye ring Emperor predator cruel sadist sociopath wings semi macro griffon griffin beautiful wreath bronze claws paws talons psychopath psycho murderer ruler tyrant Shard

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