Tempus

Tempus is the griffon companion and mount of Zerxus Ilerez. It is a visibly magical creature whose body is made of starlight and magic that appears as liquid, amethyst gemstone filled with constellations. Tempus also briefly appears in Zerxus's recurring dream.

It is likely a spirit bonded to Zerxus through the paladin spell Find Greater Steed. As a non-player character, Tempus is played by Brennan Lee Mulligan.

Description
Tempus is a griffon, a creature that is half-eagle and half-lion, made of starlight and magic. Its body is made of cool, amethyst-colored liquid gemstone filled with stars and constellations. It is cat-like in its mannerisms.

Biography
Tempus is the griffon mount and companion of Zerxus Ilerez during the Age of Arcanum and has been since before the events of Exandria Unlimited: Calamity It lives with Zerxus in Avalir in the Tower of the First Knight, which has been outfitted with a large window to allow Tempus to fly in and out of the suite. Considering that Zerxus learned to fly using the stars over Cathmoíra to navigate, it is possible that Tempus has been a companion to Zerxus before he came to reside permanently in Avalir at least seven years prior to.

Tempus is in Zerxus's recurring nightmare involving Elias, Evandrin Alterra, Asmodeus, and Pelor during a battle in Avalir. In the dream, it appears as a reassuring presence after Zerxus looks into a hole that Elias is fishing in and sees the stars over Cathmoíra. Tempus settles down near Zerxus and Elias, and Elias temporarily props his fishing rod up between its talons.

Throughout the events of and, Zerxus travels around Avalir and over Cathmoíra on Tempus, most notably to attempt (and fail) to clear his head after his nightmare and after failing to receive a letter from Elias as Avalir approached Cathmoíra. He also sends Tempus to scout around the city while he attended an eve of Replenishing party at the Plazzao Por'co.

Abilities
Tempus can fly and is large enough to easily do so while carrying Zerxus in his plate armor. Assuming that it is a spirit bonded to Zerxus through the paladin spell Find Greater Steed, which includes a griffon among the form options, Tempus uses the standard griffon statblock in the Monster Manual. Griffons have advantage on Perception checks relying on sight and makes two attacks, one with its beak and one with its claws.

Appearances and mentions

 * Exandria Unlimited: Calamity

Trivia

 * Tempus is named in a pun after the Latin phrase "tempus fugit" (time flies). Luis Carazo, who plays Zerxus, initially considered "Chronos" but discarded the name, feeling it was "too on the nose" and already commonly used. While searching for the Latin word instead, he almost abandoned "Tempus" as well for the same reason until he came across the phrase. Tempus fugit has a connotation of time wasted and irretrievably lost.
 * Clara Daly, an illustrator for Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, wrote on Twitter: "Listen all I'm saying is a griffin made of liquid starlight sounds suspiciously like an Age of Arcanum proto adranach."