Griffin

A griffin is a powerful and dangerous magical creature with the head, talons, and wings of an eagle with the body of a lion. Thanks to their incredible endurance, a griffin of any breed can fight for hours in which it will savagely tear its prey apart with its razor-sharp beak and claws. Most people assume that all griffins are the same but in truth, there are many different variants that are a mix of several types of birds and big cats. Some documented variants are seen to be part raven and lynx, part owl and snow leopard, part falcon and tiger, part hawk and panther, and many others. Griffins hatch from eggs and can lay a clutch of up to five or seven once every sixty years.   Griffins grow to varying sizes ranging from fifteen to almost thirty-five feet long with massive wings and varying shapes and sizes with feathers to match. Each griffin lays eggs that look different from each other as well ranging in a number of colors and designs. Not just their eggs but also their talons though all sharp can be of varying lengths and shapes that experts can easily identify them with.

All griffins hatch from eggs that can be any size from as small as a tennis ball to as large as a cantaloupe. Every breed lays distinct eggs that look different from each other due to their shape, color, and patterns. Their mating cycle begins in the spring and ends in the summer and like many different birds, they are highly monogamous and mate for life. Eggs take about 27 to 35 days to hatch.

A griffin depending on the breed can take up to 8 to 12 years to fully mature reaching their adult size. Griffins begin as hatchlings and are incapable of flight as their wings are ill-suited for flight at that age. Most griffins begin to fully fledge around 10 to 12 weeks old and are capable of flying on their own and begin hunting at five years old.

Griffins can be found in a variety of locations from a desert to a forest and tundra alike. No matter the breed all griffins prefer to make their lairs on high perches such as the tallest trees, mountain tops, and cliffsides. They build up burrows and thickets that oftentimes lead into underground

Griffins appear to be carnivores at first eating things from mice to pigs and even horses. In truth, they also eat a number of things such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts alike.

All griffins similar to eagles begin to molt their flight feathers just about every year from summer to fall. It is common in places like the Protectorate for those who train griffins to collect hundreds of shed feathers, some of which are used in special potions and serums.

All griffins are proud and confident in themselves making them easy to offend causing them to attack. They are also highly solitary, traveling alone for most of their lives until they take on a mate. They are naturally very protective of their young and will kill anything that poses a threat. At the same time, tame griffins will care deeply for their companions, especially their riders forming powerful bonds making them fiercely loyal. Because of this, many find out that griffins will mourn the loss of their young and their riders when they are killed only to seek a bloody vengeance. Griffins can track their prey for weeks or even months across hundreds of miles until they find and kill the one who took their loved ones from them. They are highly vindictive, to wrong a griffin in any way is to risk possibly making an enemy for life.

Griffins have long since been used as mounts in war and travel by the Protectorate and many other powerful nations. This process has taken years if not centuries to fully take effect. As a result, the lifespan of a griffin has increased allowing them to live longer than a typical griffin born and raised in the wild and making them immune to certain diseases that can be contracted from the Outlands.

Though not commonly done in the Protectorate, it is quite common for beast hunters and poachers to slay griffins and make use of their talons, feathers, bones, and even oils and decorations alike. Many spellcasters use these same materials to create potions and talismans to grant them dangerous abilities. Scientists and doctors use the remains of griffins to create serums and even medicine for dangerous poisons.

Griffins have exceptional eyesight and are capable of seeing across far distances over hundreds of yards at will. A griffin no matter what breed can watch a coin fall from the highest point of the tallest tower from almost a mile away and see it hit the ground. At the same, they make use of a great sense of hearing and sense of smell making them difficult to sneak up on which means the element of surprise is important in such a matter.