Griffin

**Location** | Firdaus

**Griffins** (グリフィン, *Gurifins*) are noble creatures whose likeness can often be found on the shields and crests of many knights and nobility within society. These beasts are creatures of great skill in hunting, being found all across Firdaus but believed to have originated in the country of Grimmwald.

## Description

Griffins are hybrid creatures with many legends surrounding how the beasts came into existence. These theories range from the drunk creation of a God to an awkward night between a lion and an Eagle but regardless of how the creatures came to be it is obvious to everyone that they are here to stay as apex predators in whatever habitat they find themselves in. Being large enough to look most full grown men in the face while standing on all four limbs, the Griffin is a large and ferocious creature weighing normally around five hundred pounds. Their main source of food consists of deer and sometimes farm animals such as cow, sheep, or pigs. Due to their large size and unreasonably sharp front talons, humans can also find themselves on the menu if not careful and respectful of the creature and its home.

Griffins are known to be aggressive and territorial creatures when approached, striking out at any invaders who dare come too close to its nest and persistent in chasing the foe until it has left the boundries of its territory. This tends to make it a problem when griffins find themselves nesting near human settlements, the griffin often terrorizing the town until the creature is either killed or relocated further away with the former being the case far more than the latter, unfortunately. When hunting, Griffins are known to be especially cruel to their prey, often playing with their food before beginning to consume it while still alive making them all the more frightful for those who have no experience in fighting beasts as the prospect of becoming a living meal is one that turn many away from hunting these creatures.

Despite their cruel reputation, Griffins are known to be loving parents, being one of only a couple dozen animals who pick a single breeding partner for their entire life. Known to lay eggs, only about two or three at a time, these beasts nurture and care for their young with diligence once they've hatched until about the age of eight months at which point they will go off on their own in search of their own territory and breeding partners.

Once a Griffin has reached the age of fifteen years old, its feathers and fur will take on a red and rusted coloration and grow in size as a symbol that it has become an Archgriffin sometimes referred to as Royal. Archgriffins are larger and possess a thicker hide than their lesser counterparts. To reach the age in which one becomes an Archgriffin is a status symbol among Griffins as their aggressive lifestyle often sees their lives cut short, while an Archgriffin is one who has overcome the many hardships of life and lived to be some of the oldest of their kind and also making them the most dangerous to humans. The full griffin lifespan, should they reach their old age is about twenty one to twenty five years with incredibly rare cases of white or grey furred griffins who have lived to thirty.