Griffins
Basic Information
Anatomy
Griffins are quadrupedal. They have the hind quarters of a great cat, powerful and sleek. The thick legs end in long digits and claws capable of digging into and gripping stone. The tail is long, wide and feathered to aid flight. The forward half, including the forelimbs, head and wings, are of a bird of prey. The forelimbs have huge, taloned feet, often exceeding a diameter of 40 cm, with the talons adding as much as an additional 15 cm. The talons are mildly curved, comfortable for standing on even ground but still able to grip the craggy rock where they tend to roost. The internal toe is specialized as an opposable digit against the hind toe, used for finer manipulation of held objects. The chest and wings make up almost half the Griffin's size, built to lift it swiftly off the ground and fly at speeds for hours. The beak is sharply curved at the end, designed to slice through the tough hides of their prey. Sweeping back from the beak and over the top of the head is a dark plume or crest, with a heavy brow to cut down on glare.
Genetics and Reproduction
Griffins give live birth, usually one or two cubs at a time but rarely three. They have a gestation time of six months.
Growth Rate & Stages
A newborn Griffin weighs between 70 and 100 kg. They are quite weak, unable to stand on their own for about two weeks. Their beaks are soft at first, allowing for live birth, and harden within a month of being born. The telepathic ability of Griffins begins to activate around three months, as their cognitive abilities develop. Around six months, they are able to form full thoughts, but aren't usually able to control them until they are one year old. Griffins reach their full adult size at the age of six.
Ecology and Habitats
Preferring high rocky cliffs near large plains, the Windsong Mountains and certain peaks of the Twin Aster Mountains are the primary roosts of griffins. They choose den sites in high places, using ledges, caves or plateaus where they occur naturally and carving into the stone to form small alcoves where they cannot find more suitable dens. They hunt in the plains and forests around their home, traveling long distances and carrying whole carcasses back for their young. They rarely reach coastal regions and avoid tundra and desert regions.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Griffins hunt over a long range, generally seeking large animals to carry back to their roost and catching smaller prey for themselves during the journey. They are mostly carnivorous, preferring meat but will eat fruits and vegetables when it is convenient or when little meat is available. They usually eat 15% of their body weight in food each day. Hunting Griffins will travel in small groups of two to five. Griffins ambush large prey with a diving attack, slamming their hind legs into the back of the prey and digging their talons into the neck in an attempt to break the spine and cause major bleeding before lifting off and circling back for another attack. If the prey is sufficiently wounded, the Griffin will glide overhead until the animal collapses.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Superb sight allows Griffins to spot prey from high altitude. Griffins are telepathic with each other. They can converse easily with any griffin within a hundred meters. The longest range they can reach is three hundred meters, but the message is often faint and patchy to the recipient. Young griffins, especially newborns, often have trouble controlling their telepathic ability, incessantly projecting their every thought. As they mature, they learn to keep their thoughts to themselves unless specifically sharing them with others as well as focusing on a single conversation partner. These messages are structured as fully formed sentences.
Lifespan
120 years
Average Height
3-3.2 meters from talon to head crest
Average Weight
800-900 kg
Average Length
6.5 meters from beak to tail, 13 meter wingspan
Geographic Distribution
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