Pyrrhura Griffin concept

This is my mount concept for the game Riders of Icarus and my entry for their designing contest.

This design combines several of my interests. First of all, griffins - obviously. Griffins are my favorite type of mount  in the game for their design and they got me interested in Riders of Icarus to begin with. I'm still hoping we'll eventually get to see heroic / legendary griffins, like Kegriff in the game.
Also parrots, which I have loved since I was a toddler. The natives in the area consider these clever birds their reincarnated ancestors.
I also love pirates, and parrots go well with that theme, as they are traditionally thought as the faithful companions of those fierce sailors, but those exotic creatures were also smuggled for trade by pirates because of their colorful plumage and intelligence.
The coloration of this griffin is based on my own pet pearly conure (parrot), and the name "Pyrrhura Griffin" comes from Latin - the Pyrrhura genus of conures. Conures are quite small but extremely fierce and would definitely challenge a dragon if given the chance. In this griffin form it can finally have a large enough body for that attitude.
All the accessories are optional for the design, but they tell his story as a pirate's companion. The saddle and armor are pretty obvious, but the golden jewelry was the seafarer's way to ensure he made his final trip to his homeland if his adventures were to end suddenly.