"The point in history at which we stand is full of promise and danger. The world will either move forward toward unity and widely shared prosperity - or it will move apart."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Griffins;
There are few creatures that walk this earth or soar these skies that rival griffins in strength and pride. What griffins are predominantly known for, however, is their loyalty to the flock.
Griffins are powerfully built and hardy creatures that inhabit the Endless Canyon, along with the mountain foothills and surrounding prairie. They tend to stand between two and three feet at the shoulder upon reaching adulthood, with long and muscular, tufted tails that are used for balance and steering while in flight. Females are typically larger than males, pushing 120-150lb, while males tend to be on the smaller side of the spectrum and often weigh between 70-100lb.Their front half is muscular, built for holding onto and bringing down prey both on land and in flight, though they tend to stalk their chosen meal on the ground and use their strong wings for quick travel across the flock's expansive territory, which is also known as the commonwealth. Their rear claws are retractable, but their front claws are not. They keep their front claws sharpened and ready to defend both the commonwealth and their family at the drop of a feather, though the Endless Canyon has been peaceful for many generations and hopefully for many to come. While no griffins are forced to remain within the territory, it is rare for a griffin to ever willingly leave. They find safety within the commonwealth from outside dangers, as it is rare for larger predators to stray into flock lands. They instead choose to hunt less troublesome and intelligent prey to avoid a mobbing. To them, griffins are just too large and they are rarely found alone. The griffins mark their borders with both their claws and their scent glands and they're watched and patrolled regularly for any intruders.
Griffins come in a variety of natural colors ranging from creams and tans to ruddy browns, natural reds, and greys. Griffins along the black and white color spectrum do exist, but tend to be less prevalent in society due to standing out. While they are not actively scorned, they are less likely to find a mate within griffin society due to their coats sticking out. It isn't all that uncommon for unexpected black or white griffins to be abandoned to the care of minders anonymously, as many parents don't want to having these anomalies running in their blood.
It is said that long ago griffins were once solitary creatures, coming together for mating season and not for much else. This is far from the truth if one were to observe the griffins of the Endless Canyon now, as they have built a thriving society in which they live and work together in what is considered to be (mostly)harmonious. They come together beneath the protection of the Madame General and her militia, female griffins who have proven themselves to be both tenacious and intelligent, whilst also being loyal to the commonwealth. The society is a matriarchal one, with females taking lead positions within the militia and dominating more combative tasks, while males tend to take more supportive professions, such as minding and teaching the flock's young.
Nests tend to be built just about anywhere a mated pair deem fit, be it natural caverns or claw carved caves in the cliffsides of the canyon, dens scraped from the earth below, huts of wood on the ground, or wooden platforms within the boughs of the trees that dot the landscape. The nests themselves are usually a soft, yet haphazard mess of sticks, twigs, dried out prairie grasses, moss, fur, feathers, and any other soft materials that the prospective parents can find. It isn't unusual for their dens to be lined with trinkets made from bone, pelts, woven fabrics, metals, or glass. Some griffins even prefer a more scholarly life and keep inks, parchment, and quills at hand to pen their own works. While many griffins learn to write and love to read, there is no printing press at this time and all written works are painstakingly copied by paw for distribution.
This brings us to another important fact concerning griffin physiology. While they are built for ruling the skies and stalking the earth, they've adapted over many thousands of years for other activities as well. It isn't unusual for a griffin to sit on their hind paws and rear while reading, writing, or crafting. They've even learned to work a forge, banging items out of ore melted in intense heat. While they are able to use their front paws and claws, they also have a skill for which they have no name. They have some telekinetic skill that serve as hands, with which they are able to perform delicate tasks. This skill is by no means anything out of the ordinary and all griffins are born with and learn how to use it instinctively. Some have a stronger grasp than others, just as some griffins have stronger wings than others, and all have no more than a couple of feet in radius in which their skills can be used.