The World Of The Dark Crystal

http://www.darkcrystal.com/galleries.php

Gelfling

Gelfling are two to three feet tall. Female Gelfling have gossamer wings; males do not. Gelfling can "dreamfast," or share memories through touch.

Gelfling were the people of Thra. Aughra described them as innocent, naive and forgetful. Their society was composed of clans during the Age of Harmony and they created a high civilization of seven great tribes, centered around a palace and a matriarch.

A single queen was known as arbitrator and ritual guardian of all Gelfling clans. The seven clans are known to be:

The Woodland Clan
This clan was a proud and ancient people who dwelled on the fertile lands near Dark Wood. Many Woodland clan Gelfling were valuable guards at the Castle of the Crystal. They were farmers and cobblers and makers of tools. They were inventive, but pastoral; peaceful, but fierce when threatened.

The Spriton Clan
Age-old rivals of the Woodland clan, the Spritons were a warrior race. They were hostile in peacetime, ferocious in combat and perpetually armed to the teeth. According to the Skeksis, drinking their essence provided not just youth, but additional strength.

The Drenchen Clan
The Drenchen clan was a race of amphibious Gelfling who wallowed in the putrid Swamps of Sog. Good at catching lizards; bad at personal hygiene. Fatter and hairier than the rest of their race, the Drenchen were powerful in combat, but generally preferred to avoid exerting effort.

The Vapra Clan
The Vapra clan was a beautiful race with white hair, fair skin, and gossamer-winged women. Experts at camouflage, the Vapra could virtually disappear into their surroundings. Their essence was prized above all by the Skeksis for its restorative effects.

The Grottan Clan
A mysterious, secretive breed who dwelled in perpetual darkness in the Cave of Obscurity. Generations in the shadows left them with an extreme sensitivity to light – and solid black eyes that could see in the dark. Drinking their essence may have improved vision.

The Sifa Clan
Found in coastal villages along the Silver Sea, the Sifa were skilled fisherman and sailors, but very superstitious. Explorers by nature, the Sifa were competent in battle – but they truly excelled at survival, a trait they attributed to the magic charms they carried with them at all times. It is said that one could drop a lone Sifa on a deserted rock in the middle of the ocean, and return a year later to find that he not only survived, but had built a home and started a family. According to the Skeksis, essence of the Sifa was known to aid in longevity.

The Dousan Clan
Difficult to find, the Dousan clan lived in an enormous desert made of tiny crystals (instead of sand) called the Crystal Sea. This clan made their settlements on sandships – amazing constructs of bone and crystal that navigated the sea like ocean vessels. The Gelfling that made a life there are shrouded and unsettlingly quiet, supplementing whispered words with complex gestures. Talking wasted moisture, so the Dousan learned other ways of speaking. They were rarely seen by other Gelfling – their crystalweave cloaks allowed them to vanish into the sparkling sand currents.

Some Known Gelfling:

All-Maudra Mayrin
Mayrin, of the Vapra clan, was the All-Maudra (queen) at the beginning of the time known as The Gelfling Gathering.

Gurjin
Gurjin was an friend of Rian's and a member of the Drenchen clan. He is the twin brother of Naia, and one of the first Gelfling to uncover the Skeksis’ plan to drain Gelfling essence.

Gyr
Gyr was a traveler and a minstrel. He wandered the lands of Thra, roaming from tribe to tribe, learning their songs and sharing his own.

Jarra-Jen
Jarra-Jen was a legendary figure in Thra. They say that lightning raged when he was born. As he grew to be a man, lightning was the only force that could match his intensity. He was fearless, curious, and overwhelmingly charming. 

Jen
Raised by the urRu in their valley, Jen believed he was the last survivor of the Gelfling. But when his dying master sent him on a quest, he discovered he was not alone. The Dark Crystal is the story of the terrors and final triumphs of Jen's quest. 

Katavra of Ha’rar (Tavra)
“Tavra” was a Vapra warrior and daughter of the Gelfling All-Maudra. Tavra was originally sent by her mother to find the Gelfling traitors Rian and Gurjin, but later came to realize the truth of the situation and tried to protect them instead. She was named after a Gelfling of myth who was said to be a friend of Raunip.

Kira
Like Jen, Kira survived the attacks of the Garthim on the Gelfling. Rescued by the Pod People, she learned to live in harmony with the woodland creatures who inhabited the swamps and forests surrounding the Podling village. When fate brought Kira and Jen together, she joined him on his quest. They gave each other strength, encouragement, and the will to succeed. 

Lahr
Lahr was a shepherd and music maker. He was the first Gelfling to have ever killed a Garthim. He was strong and compassionate, and regarded as brave by the other Gelfling. He has a small, dog-like pet named Whouf, as well as a herd of large Mounders, large apelike creatures that resemble grassy hills with trees growing out of them when they sleep. When his village is destroyed by Garthim, he set out to save others from the same fate. He and Neffi aided villagers in fighting off Garthim attacks, and journeyed to the Castle of the Crystal to free the Gelfling prisoners. Lahr married Neffi.

Naia
A Maudra-in-Training of the Drenchen Clan, with the special ability to dreamfast with creatures other than Gelfling. She left her home in the Swamp of Sog in search of her missing twin brother, Gurjin. After traveling all the way to the Castle of the Crystal, Naia was one of the only Gelfling to discover the darkened Crystal and survive to sing the tale.

Neffi
Neffi was a weaver from the village of Greengrove. She was kind and playful, and loved children. She was also very resourceful and courageous. She and Lahr, both victims of the Garthim Wars, ventured together to warn the other villages of the danger. With Lahr, she aided villagers in fighting off Garthim attacks, and journeyed to the Castle of the Crystal to free the Gelfling prisoners. Neffi married Lahr.

Rian
Once a loyal palace guard serving with his father, Rian was a skilled fighter and a member of the Woodland clan. It was Rian who discovered that the Skeksis drained Gelfling for essence.

http://www.darkcrystal.com/encyclopedia_gelfling.php

I think that I am going to design a creature that would be ridden by the Gelflings - a 'noble steed'. I am interested to look into maybe designing a creature that would be used by a specific clan or even a specific Gelfling.