Griffins are another species of semi-intelligent creature. They are not native to All Elfin and their original progenitors had to be genetically altered to permit them to live here.
They are now no longer predators. Because of the alterations, Griffins on All Elfin must be allied with an Elfin family. Their nutritional requirements are not available in the wild.
Griffins, despite their fiercesome appearance are among the gentlest of All Elfins' creatures. They are loving, loyal, eager to please and we find them a joy! Griffins love to race and we love to ride them in races. The Griffin racing Season begins in the late Spring and continues for four months. At its end, the Griffin with the most heats won is crowned Race King or Queen.
Torreo, the chief breeding male from Wing Singing Stables, is the current Race King. He is Nemani's griffin and Wind Singing Stables is her racing stable. Melia is one of her best breeding females. She is beautiful!
The adult Griffin can reach a shoulder height of 6' with a wingspan of 20'. Females tend to be somewhat larger than males. They clutch between 12 and 20 eggs per hatching. Their eggs are the size of ostrich eggs and the new-hatched griffins, like chickens, have no feathers or fur. Their fur isn't really fur, btw, but extremely thin, hair-fine feathers.
At about 2 months their first feathers begin to grow. they are the size of large turkeys by then. At 1 year their flight feathers sprout. The babies now begin to look like the adults, though somewhat smaller. They are the size of an Irish Wolfhound by then. By 2 years they are fully grown. Their lifespans are not as long as we would like, being only about 100 years at most. This is the result of our genetic tampering. Originally it was much shorter. Our geneticists are working at extending that span.
Griffins come in a variety of colors, but the most common is all-over golden. Many Griffins have distinctive head-markings, like Melia. Color and markings have nothing to do with personality, however. There are black Griffins. They are just as sweet-natured as their golden brethren. |
