Name:
Lord Magnus von Steelbeck, "The Conquistador"

Race/Subrace:
Griffon

Sex:
Male

Appearance:
[img=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs6/i/2005/065/0/1/Isriphos_the_Griffon_by_DrChrissy.jpg]
Very large in size even by griffin standard, his fur coat is becoming entangled with grey and white fur, many patch being missing showing a scar or another and although it is covered by fur on most of his body, his left front leg shows remains of the plague known to the Deers as 'Swamp rot', a sickness he managed to heal on his own without shamanic intervention, a feat saying as long as his scars to the natives about his incredible endurance, even if it left him scared and part of his flesh almost completely insensible to any physical stimuli.

Age:
55

Personality:
Although he swore that he'd behave, Steelbeck still isn't used to be in a position where he isn't in command and considering ponies as his equal is hard at best. His racism is so pervasive he can hardly control the arrogant stares and comments he keeps blurping out. Still, he knows the value of companionship in life or death situations and has evolved as quite the donkey, although those left alive to tell the tale can be counted on a claw.

Background:
A proud griffon and once a powerful Sovereign Prince, his life was one of the average griffon noble: Fighting off challengers and backstabbing the family and other nobles to gain more power, he lived by this creed and eventually became the Sovereign himself, getting involved in 2 succession crisis at the death of the king, less than 3 years apart of each other but failed to take the throne, another more powerful securing it. When news came about the exploration of the Equestrian Princess Twilight Sparkle of the Equestrian Kingdom and how they planed to 'Invade' their southern land, Steelbeck saw the opportunity to gain more power and decided that in the name of the Griffon Kingdom, he'd secure the southern land for Griffin kind, this of course, in exchange for the title of Viceroy of all the lands he managed to conquer and hold. The deers could serve as slaves or cattle, no one cared. Thus, Magnus assembled a large force from his household and went south, deep into territories not even the griffins knew of to try and bring wealth to the kingdom and himself.

Little did he know, it was the beginning of the end and although he knew some success at first with the sheer amount of manpower and war supplies he had brought with him, he quickly found that white conquering the territory was easy, holding it was another matter entirely. The deeper he went, the more stretched out his resources were and he constantly failed to find the ore and spices he had promised to bring home. As he went deeper he lost contact with civilization all together and in the meantime cogs were turning in the Kingdom and his own children and wife were taking his place, pretending he had died in his foolish enterprise, never to be seen again eaten by the wild. 

He came back 4 years later, almost dead with only a handful of griffins compared to the hundreds that had followed him at first, sick by some unknown disease and raving about tales of lost civilizations, strange magic and unknown lands no one had ever laid eyes on in centuries. Thinking he was mad (And because he didn't want to relinquish power), his own son cast him out of the castle and although he tried to fight this by dueling him, Magnus hadn't fully recovered from the sickness that afflicted him and was defeated.

He was exiled to Equestria, barely managing to make it by until Twilight Sparkle, having heard of his tale asked him to join the Explorers, his knowledge of the geography, dangers and lands in general to be explored being invaluable. Although Twilight expected to have to insist to get the prideful griffon to cooperate with Equestrians, von Steelbeck accepted almost immediately. This would allow him to achieve what he had began, to rub it in the faces of those who had cast him out and called him a fool.