Gideon

February 25, 2016

Generally, Gideon has the head of a kestrel falcon and the body of a jaguar. The feathers that cover his head are orange at the top and back, with blue covering the middle area. His beak has a light orange color at the base with black going from light at the middle to dark at the tip. His eyes are circled by dark brown with white at the chin. The talons on his forelegs are the standard gold/yellow color.

His body is covered in yellow fur, which is marked by various black spots that vary in size, shape, and location. His tail is also yellow and it ends with a fluffy patch marked by black. Likewise his wings are orange at the base and dark blue from the mid-point to the tip; which can extend to allow full lift.

To those who wouldn't know him Gideon would seem just like any other griffon out there. He values money, is stubborn with prices, and doesn't always socialize with other ponies that much. In a lot of ways; this is true. He is often found in his bookstore counting money and double-checking his prices. That isn't to say money is his favorite thing; his true love is books and the spread of books is his main cause.

Considering his base of operations is the small town of Derbyshire his bookstore isn't terribly busy. As such he spends a lot of his time reading books. Outside of a select few, he doesn't spend a lot of time around others. He does have a close friend in the zebra Zaru and has an association with Sojourner and her museum, but aside from that he largely keeps to himself. This doesn't mean he completely shuts himself from others. He is kind to his customers and will sometimes negotiate prices with them; usually at the behest of Zaru.

While he usually prefers to stay around his collection of books he does appreciate the call for adventure every now and then. He doesn't always venture out with the like of Sojourner and her crew, but if needed he is willing to lend a claw.

Born to loving parents in the kingdom of Griffonstone Gideon grew up in a time when his home nation was not in a good situation. With the loss of the Idol of Boreas so long ago the kingdom fell on hard times. As such his parents were concerned about the future that was before him and wanted to expose him to other interests outside of business. Of course they taught him the value of money and how he could make a living, but they also exposed him to other things. The one thing that stuck with him was books.

Upon first reading he was enamored by what was on the pages. He read stories of lands outside of his home; of lands inhabited by ponies, dragons, and other races. He also learned about Equestria as a whole, about the history of so many cities and towns, and even read comics from time to time. His parents noticed this and used his enthusiasm to encourage him into selling books. With the fall of the Griffonstone royalty a lack of interest in books had pervaded and as Gideon grew he wanted to change that. However that was easier said than done.

As the years passed he began to grow disillusioned by the apathy shown by other griffons toward his books. Sure there was enough business to keep him going, but oftentimes the books bought were barely read. The griffons of Griffonstone cared more about money than the treasure within books. Considering closing up shop a curious visitor entered his shop. A zebra with faint purple markings had trotted in. Curious as to why a zebra, whose name was Zaru, was in Griffonstone he inquired with the stallion on his reasons for being there. The zebra, not showing a lot of emotion, had stated that he was looking for a partner who had a strong interest in books. Stating that he had been to many places in Equestria and had found a suitable location for a bookstore in a small town there he was looking for someone with a love of books and knowledge of business to help bring it to fruition. He was lead to Griffonstone to seek out a griffon named Gideon.

Hesitant at first to leave his home, Gideon was tempted to leave behind the apathy he had lived around for so long, but the idea of selling books to ponies was a curious one to him. Deciding the he needed a change he agreed to the zebra's proposal. A few months later Zaru and he opened up a small bookstore in Derbyshire and, to his surprise, had found there was a need for such a business here. Especially with the local historical academy nearby his bookstore was extremely useful to the local populace. This was also helped by the later opening of a museum nearby.

As the months moved on Gideon not only found a partner in Zaru, but also a close friend. Through their short time together they had shared the material that they had read over the years and had plenty of discourse on it. Gideon found him to be a contemplative and patient zebra; though also fairly silent. Gideon also found a partner in Sojourner; who was the co-owner of the local museum. While he wasn't the most adventurous of griffons he did go on a few expeditions when asked. Indeed, while he missed his home, he found Derbyshire to be a breath of fresh air and was more than happy to make his home here

The bookstore is located within Derbyshire's main business and residential area.