Familiar: Ladon

Ladons are interesting creatures of the dark that can adapt to any situation and are found in different regions to prove that. They can make great bonded counterparts to Azrein and Human; with their small bodies they can hang on to different areas of a body without difficulty, or stay inside pouches and pockets to stay protected against harsh rains or cold. They are resourceful creatures that are useful in seeking out shelter or help. For this reason, they are popular among travelers.

Personality:
Ladons are highly shy and skittish creatures, especially when bright lights have been flashed in their faces while in the dark caves or if their leaf homes have been shaken. Yet, once you get past that shyness, they are intelligent creatures who are clever and make great Familiars.

Appearance:
Landon vary in size, but are generally small enough to fit comfortably in an adult-size hand. Their wings span one and a half times the length of their body. Ladon’s have clawed feet the better to cling to hard objects and a clawed finger at the tip of their wings to help them crawl from one place to another or break into fruits. They have soft fur along their bodies, and upturned noses resembling leaf-nosed bats. Female Ladon are smaller than males.

Natural Habitat:
Ladon’s live in dark, cavernous locations, such as within mountains, within thick trees, seaside rock faces and even within the homes of humans. If these creatures are bonded to an Azrein and there is no cave close by, the Ladon is capable of making do with making a home using the leaves of trees or just hanging on the manes of the Azrein for transportation and a bit of cover from the daylight. Being nocturnal, Ladon's prefer to be active at night. However, if there is a message that needs delivering, or if they need to find shelter for their Bonded, they are willing to fly during the day. They mainly conduct their hunting during the twilight hours and a night. Their diet consists of insects of all types, fruits and nectar. The region a Ladon lives in determines their main source of food.

Habits:
Ladon’s prefer to rest during the day and conduct their everyday activities at night. They are able to adapt to different situations and environments. Ladon’s live in large groups within caves and smaller groups within small locations, like tree houses. If they live alone, it is because they are bonded, or are anti-social for their own reasons.

The Ladon’s mating and birthing season occurs during the spring months. The female Ladon are unique to their species as they can control the amount of time until they will bear their young. This is important for the females who would want to be sure to have enough food sources that will sustain them during their pregnancy, and their offspring once they are born. Ladon females are capable of bearing two offspring.

Once offspring are born, they are kept within a hollowed out hole within the cave with soft debris of leaves and such as a nest to protect them from the cold elements of a cave, and help mask their scent from potential predators lurking. At birth, the babies are hairless, blind, and deaf, and the membranes on their wings are not yet developed. After a day, their ears and eyes open. After a few weeks, their hair and membranes have grown and developed, though they are not able to fly for at least a month. The mothers feed the offspring milk and will hunt after they have been well fed. This continues on for about a month, until the offspring are able to fly and hunt for themselves.