Piff

Flying little Scamps, Companions of Mischief

"Thunder, Gibbin, come here!" The two Piff look at me. Thunder, a grey and lean Lindey Piff with a owls head and a main-coone backside, looks at me entirely unimpressed. He snorts, and rises to his feet, stretching, then taking one small leap to my feet. Gibbin, a chunky Poff Piff with the head of a falcon and the backside of a calico, excitedly gets up and trots over to the other side, opposite of Thunder. My guest lights up, her eyes widening at the sight of the pets. "Oh my gods, they are so cute! I wish I could get one..."

P iff are the domesticated forms of the Griffon and have been pets and companions to the people of Spira for thousands of years.

Cross-Link by Nablange

Varying from breed to breed, their usefulness and adorable nature have led to them being found in every corner of the civilized world, with it just as likely to find a Piff in a household as a Cat or Dog.
Piff come in many varieties, originally bred for different purposes but now mainly acting as aesthetic differences. Although there are hundreds of breeds and mixes, the most popular 6 are as follows:

• Lindey: Lean, long-haired ratters which developed based on the need to keep rats and field mice out of Lienarian fields and homes. They are known for their nonchalant temperament and hypoallergenic fur, but they are notoriously friendlier around children and the elderly. Most lindey have heads reminiscent to owls, and backsides similar to Maine Coones. Their name is theorized to come from the Lindera region of The Teeth.
• Poff: Fat and fluffy lappets, Poff's are jovial and even-tempered companions who can be found in most homes. They are the most popular modern breed of Piff, and are great with families and are known to provide fantastic life companions. Most Poff's have hawk-like heads, and fat and fluffy Persian backside. They are named after their resemblance to the Creme Poff, a traditional Freylian desert.
• Teutanica: Muscular Hunters, the Teutanica is an example of Piffs who are closer to it's Griffon heritage than their modern incarnations. Theorized to be the first Piff's domesticated by humans, they are incredibly loyal and strong and are still used as hunting companions to this day. They have heads similar to Falcons, and backsides like lynx. They are named after the region of Teutano, as they were domesticated in that region.
• Niffin: Fluffy and diminutive companions, the Niffin are one of the foremost breeds amongst the aristocracy of Freymoor and Orkinese United Khaganate. They are trained to be loyal companions and have even and cool temperaments to resemble the aristocrats they follow. They have heads similar to Parakeet and backsides similar to Norwegian forest cats. The name "Niffin" is theorized to be a bastardization of the word for courtier in Moorine, being "Niefan".
• Juniferian Birdcatcher: Shorthaired and quick, these Piff are incredibly developed at bursts of speed which Juniferian hunters used to catch birds. Today, however, they are most likely to be used either by sport hunters or as companions to people with active lifestyles. An average birdcatcher is full of energy, and it is one of the most hyperactive species of Piff. They have heads similar to Falcons and backsides similar to the average tabby. Their name is an obvious combination of the region they were bred in and their purpose.
• Tlakas: Fey-like and large, these unnaturally lanky Piff developed in the now extinct Sun Elf empire southeast of Freymoor. These Piff carry their fey nature well and are notoriously haughty and aloof. They form excellent familiars for mages and can channel a variety of magic through an inner wellspring of mana that is bred to be much more concentrated and explosive than other Piff. They have heads that look like owls with stretched features, and backsides similar to sphinx. The origin of their name is unknown but is theorized to have come from the Sun Elven concept of "Tlagos", a type of angel spirit in Sun Fey mythology.

Piff are wonderfully loyal creatures, and should you find yourself in possession of one it is advised to give it as much affection as possible. Piff can be acquired at any local pet store, and require only a moderate amount of care to grow up healthy and strong.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Piff are tetrapodal pseudo-avian mammals. They have strong hind muscles, which give them extraordinary leaping ability. They have light, hollow bones and powerful wings that allow for anything between short bursts of flights to long-distance soaring.
Piff have 4 legs, the front two being talon-tipped claws that resemble whichever species of bird they mimic. The hind legs resemble whichever cat they mimic, and are noticeably stronger than the front legs.

Genetics and Reproduction

Piff, although mammals, lay eggs. Each litter of Piff contains 4 - 6 Piff eggs. It takes around 35 days for a Piff to gestate, after which they break through their eggshells with a quickly discarded egg tooth.
After being born, the mother Piff feeds her young milk (a process which is proven to be quite painful to the mother). The mother protects her fluff at all costs, but they are known to "show off" their young to owners whom they trust.

Growth Rate & Stages

The average Piff goes through 4 distinct stages, and have radically different appearances in each life stage:

• Infant: Fluffy bright down covers the front half of the Piff pup, and their backside is covered in long, frizzy, and fluffy hairs. They can barely stand at this stage and rely on their mother almost entirely. This stage revolves around them being quickly weened, and learning to fly.
• Adolescent: As their flight feathers come in, the piff's adult coat shows through. Darker colorations and patterns appear, and their backsides begin to become sleeker. This stage revolves around gaining proficiency in flight and learning to socialize with their owners. This is the optimal stage for hunting and trick training.
• Adult: Adult Piff have full coats, fluffy, and full of both flight and down feathers. Their muscles become fully developed, and they begin to go into heat. This stage revolves around finding a mate and bonding fully with their owners.
• Elder: Elder Piff begin to get grey feathers, and start to lose their ability to fly and leap. Piff in this stage develop a host of health problems, with Piff relying more and more on their owners as their life goes on. Piff who had angry or feisty temperments lose this as they mellow out in their later years.

Ecology and Habitats

Piff live in nearly every environment that civilization thrives in, and feral Piff can spread miles beyond the borders of cities and towns.
Piff have a notable trait of lowering the pest population of their habitat significantly, with them being able to take over an ecosystem and drive mice and other small animals out of areas. There are even laws in certain cities prohibiting the release of Piff into the wild to counteract this.

Dietary Needs and Habits

As Obligate Carnivores, Piff require a meat or sufficiently meat-like substitute to remain healthy and grow. Although Piff can eat any number of feed pellets or other such food substitutes made specifically for them, healthy Piff are usually fed a diet of actual, raw meat. Piff are also known to hunt for food, such as rats or mice, even when sufficiently full.
Piff play with their food, and it is a common sight to see two or more Piff tossing a mouse around. They are also known to make "nests" where they store their uneaten food, and it is a common occurrence to find food pellets and dead mice in a Piff's favorite spot, usually requiring cleaning if that spot is inside of a residency.

Biological Cycle

As the seasons go by, piff naturally adjust to the environmental weather and temperature. Adult piff are known to shed fur and feathers during the summer season, requiring much cleanup for long-hair piff breeds such as the Lindey, Poff or Niffin

Additional Information

Domestication

The process of domestication for the Piff was theorized to have been built out of necessity for the northern tribes of Teutano. Evidence points to Pre-Historic tribes of Teutanic humans leaving their meat-scraps and bones at the edge of their camps, causing Arctic Griffin(The closest ancestor to the Piff) to feed on the scraps and return regularly for more. Surprisingly, this seemed to have led to decreased Griffin attacks for these humans, causing them to repeat the cycle.
Hundreds of years of this behavior led to Piff becoming much more friendly and manageable, with the only sacrifice being the terrifying size of the Griffin. However, it is important to note that most modern breeds of Piff arose in the Eighth Era, due to an increase in urbanization making "luxury pets" a more desirable commodity.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Piff can be found in nearly every major population center in Nevarine, and can be found in feral forms around these settlements.

Average Intelligence

Piff are known to be remarkably intelligent, working well as either household pets or as utilitarian companions.
Some Piff Breeds work well as hunters or pest-control, and entire farming settlements have been known to rely on Piff to keep their granaries, barns, and houses clear of disease-carrying Rats, Rust Monsters and other such pests. Other groups, particularly hunters and fishermen, use their Piff for bird-catching and coastal fishing due to their flight and speed.
In urban areas, piff are treasured for their social intelligence. It is not uncommon for Piff to be taught innumerable tricks in their lifetime, or to have a surprisingly good memory of people and places.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Although the Piff have heightened hearing and smell, their main sense that they use to survey the environment is their sight, which has a visual acuity up to 5 times stronger than a normal humanoid. They can spot potential prey from up to a mile away.
Tlakas Piff have an extra ability, which comes in the form of their magic sense, which allows them to sense the Mana in other beings, allowing them to form bonds with beings they deem as "powerful"

Nomenclature
Infant: Pup || Group of Piff: Fluff

Scientific Name

Gryphem Piffus

Origin/Ancestry

Piffin Breeds

Lifespan

24 Years

Average Height

8.1 - 10 inches Height

Average Weight

9.8 - 13 lb

Average Length

18 - 24 inches Length

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The average piff comes with two different sets of markings that help distinguish them. The first is their "Feathery Coat", which makes up the front half of their body. This coat can come in anything ranging from Black and White to shades of dark brown and light beige. The most exotic piff have been known to come in shades of bright orange, but nothing more vibrant than this has been observed.
The second set is their "Furry Coat", which makes up the back half of their body. While generally following the same color scheme as their front half, rare genetic mutations taken to the extreme in certain breeds has led to a breed of "Chimera Piff", who possess a Fur coat that is a radically different color than their front half. Examples include the Domino Piff who have an entirely black Feather Coat and an entirely white Furry Coat, or the Spiral Piff, who have stripes of black and brown on their back half, leading to spiraling patterns on their front.