Who built the shrine, the fighting-pit or even the dozens of hippogriff statues is a mistery, and if Phallanx had something with the awakening of the hippogriff is also unknow. The hippogriff will appear twice in the game as a mini-boss in the great cliffs (holding another life extension), and inside Phallanx's palace, wich may probably mean that Phallanx succesfully managed to enslave them.