They passed a statue of the Ardanius of the West, a faceless griffin that wore heavy armor. It stood on its hind legs, supported by the large diamond-shaped shield it held at one claw, while the other gripped a large war-hammer. It was used as a model for the Fortus Knights, earth-griffins with strong capable bodies able to carry and lift heavy loads. While it looked mightily impressive, Gilda still favored the Wind Knights. 