Obtaining a griffon mount in lore (not the commander, question for devs)

[Kalavier.1097]

There is a huge controversy over this on another forum, so I'm curious if over here there has been any other information revealed, or a dev could respond (Or point me to where it'd be more like for a dev to respond.

 

The PC gains the griffon after helping to rebuild and restart the sanctuary, though it's implied that sunspears in general are allowed to mount them. One sunspear even mentions pondering using a group of griffons to fly defectors to safety quickly, instead of long hikes across the desert.

 

So, the question is, how can somebody who isn't the PC gain a griffon. I've literally heard people state things like "The griffons are completely wild and thus would slaughter somebody who tries to approach and tame. But they are also controlled my the spearmarshall and kormir and thus won't harm innocents!" being stated at the same time.

 

Are them tameable/trainable like other mounts or beasts, or what. Is there any actual lore explicitly stating that there is no possible way to ride them other then being a sunspear and given permission by the last spearmarshall?

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

I would argue that Elonian griffons have been tamed, at least to a degree, over the past 200 years by Tahlkora, given that she has telepathy with them. The dialogue heavily implies that _these particular griffons_ are very much not wholly wild, though they do live in a wild environment, and have even assisted people on Tahlkora's request (for example, the griffon droppings seem to only contain threats to defectors - Awakened, Forged, etc.).

 

Being "given permission" is what Tahlkora says, iirc, but that's because we've not tamed them. The Sunspears very much could tame the griffons, given time.

 

Just don't go expecting to being able to hop on a Tyrian griffon and fly with it... You'd be best catching a griffon egg and raising it from youth.

[Pax.3548]

I share Konig's opinion, these particular griffons are different from their tyrian cousin, so they are probably less hostile than the rest and because of that, less likely to eat you as soon as you try to ride them.

[draxynnic.3719]

It's worth noting that in Nightfall, griffons were often seen accompanying harpies, which does somewhat imply that Elonian griffons are tameable (even if those in Nightfall were tamed by harpies rather than members of a playable race).

[Bish.8627]

Don't we see Ogres with Griffon pets?

[draxynnic.3719]

> @Bish.8627 said:

> Don't we see Ogres with Griffon pets?

 

We do, now that you mention it. Along with a bunch of other things that aren't available to playable rangers.

[Rognik.2579]

There are also raptors in Tyria, both in the core areas and the Maguuma Depths, but none of them are neutral. Meanwhile, the first mount we encounter in Elona is a raptor at a raptor ranch. I'd say that, whatever logic the raptors at the ranch were tamed is the same as how the Sunspears tamed their griffons. In fact, as you go to the nests which still have nesting griffons, they seem to be friendly to you, either because they know you've already befriended the Last Sunspear, or because they're just peaceful enough to be tamed.

[Leo Schrodingers Cat.2497]

The whole process of taming creatures is to find a creature that is docile enough, and can become reliant on you for food, or is easily handled/intelligent. These particular griffons are docile, and is stated that their eyes holds a form of intelligence. They are also communicating telepathically with one of the sunspears, and even act as flying cameras for her.

 

I don't think you own one of these griffon mounts. Just that you have an agreement or a contract with them.

[Athrenn.9468]

It looks like this question was answered on Reddit:

 

[–]Anet-ScottMcG

Mountable griffons are universally rare, so the average Elonian simply doesn't have access. We made them difficult to obtain and put a big block of lore behind the acquisition of them to convey just how unusual they are for anyone who isn't at the player's level of skill and commitment. Even the richest Elonian noble would find that cold cash is not enough.

Lore-wise, it's definitely possible that there are more-accessible griffons out there that could become mounts, if trained properly, etc., but the ones we know about now are very rare and very hard to obtain.

[Kalavier.1097]

So yes, it's entirely possible (If difficult and definitely for the skilled and committed, not something you throw money at and get it) for a character to get a griffon and there are other griffons of the proper size and temperament to be trained as mounts.

 

I'm happy they answered that. Now we need to figure out how long it takes to earn a jackal lorewise :P.

[castlemanic.3198]

> @Kalavier.1097 said:

> So yes, it's entirely possible (If difficult and definitely for the skilled and committed, not something you throw money at and get it) for a character to get a griffon and there are other griffons of the proper size and temperament to be trained as mounts.

>

> I'm happy they answered that. Now we need to figure out how long it takes to earn a jackal lorewise :P.

 

Probably the amount of time it takes to learn how to coalesce torment energy into a physical form indigenous to the desert region, using runesmithing and runeforging techniques that the djinn have discovered and used since the fall of abbadon.

 

Or the time it takes to earn the djinn's trust and learn how to use a jackal under their instructions.

[Sariel V.7024]

> @draxynnic.3719 said:

> It's worth noting that in Nightfall, griffons were often seen accompanying harpies, which does somewhat imply that Elonian griffons are tameable (even if those in Nightfall were tamed by harpies rather than members of a playable race).

 

Given that there are no male harpies, I took this to mean the griffons were mates.

[Squee.7829]

The griffon looking harpies were often labeled as hatchlings, so I too assumed either the griffon forms were mates or harpies all started this way but radically changed as they grew. Basically, it was my understanding that in the case of GW1 nightfall, the "griffons" were part of the harpy species somehow.

 

I'm not saying that's the case with rideable GW2 griffons though.