@Justin: Character Design: Figuring out the story - Part 1

RESEARCH - folklore stories, Pomeranian history, fantasy creatures

GRIFFIN:

* known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions

* history reaching Ancient Greece, Persia and Egypt

* protectors form evil, witchcraft and secret slenders

* Griffins would match for life

* claws were believed to have medicinal properties

* feathers could restore sight to the blind

* in Britain's stories Griffin has no wings

POMERANIA: 

* historical region on the south of Baltic Sea

* Pomerania = Slavik po more = Land at the Sea

UTOPIA - in this world utopia belongs to humans, particulary one - the villain - who wants to rule the world and does everything to make humans' life perfect.
Although there could also be a version of his intentions not being pure. The villain wanting to create an utopia for his own self, sacrifacing others, maybe even fooling them into thinking he's the 'good guy'.

Taken from folklore story: if a man was in a state of a fatal disease and really close to dying, there was still a chance for him to stay alive. If people saw the devil and the Grim Reaper next to the man's body he would defeat the disease and become healthy again.
Furthermore, people who sold their souls to the devil had to wear chains underneath their clothes as a indication of such action.

This could be a good inspiration for the villain's features and possibly the motives of his actions.
He could have some kind of devilish powers or evil skills as a prize for selling his sould to the devil.

DYSTOPIA - depending on the villain's action a particular type of dystopia would appear. It can either be a dystopia created out of aggressive actions of the humans, bringing the chaos and sadness amongst other creatures or a dystopia created purely by the villain.

Base idea for the dystopia: the dystopia is an outcome of the humans expanding their utopia. Some creatures think, that by betrying their own species they can gain protection and be left in peace. It never works this way for them.
Some races attack each other in order to gain power, expand their towns; they behave just like humans and that leads to even bigger chaos and anarchy.

SIDEKICK - definitely going to be some kind of a water creature. Based on a folklore story about A

Creature from the Regalica River. 
He could start out as being one of those creatures who believe that the villain will guarantee them safety if their work for him. SOMETHING needs to happen in order for the sidekick to realize that the devilish human is a villain (possibly his species imprisoned, family harmed).
The future sidekick captures the future hero (?) and that could be a way to introducing themselves to each others.




HERO - definitely going to be a griffin based creature. His personality is yet to be described. He could be either a destined hero or a hero-yet-to-become.

He doesn't necessarily need to have magical abilities, althought claws and feathers of griffins were said to have had special properties.
In the history of griffins they were also compared to the Sphinx. The hero could be a trickster and a clever character that uses his strongest points against the villain.
Also his backstory needs to be resolved. Answering questions like - is he a typical hero archetype or an innocent and not aware of the world youngster. Is he a serious warrior or a goofy one. How did he become the hero, etc.