Fluttering above the ashen scrublands, the imperial griffinch is a tiny, canary-sized songbird which inhabits the island of Mossfellheim. In flight, one can see its striking black and orange colors, but its most notable traits are seen when it lands. As an imperial griffinch approaches for landing, it extends its wings forward to reveal a pseudo-paw with tiny claws. The imperial griffinch is a notable member of the genus Cornambulans. Also known as griffinches, it is a genus of songbirds which have adapted keratinized wing spikes capable of grasping.

Cornambulans are thought to have been descended from some of the first songbirds which arrived in the Mossfells. While their evolutionary history is incredibly fragmented due to the nature of island fossilization, it is hypothesized that these ancestral birds developed keratinized wing spikes as an adaptation for roosting amid the volcanic divots and notches in the cliffs of the islands. Keratinized wing spikes soon were accompanied with a muscular outgrowth from the wing around the carpal bones. This muscular outgrowth, also known as a pseudo-paw enabled wing spikes to function as gripping claws. Gripping claws enabled the development of a more energy efficient quadrupedal launching form. There is some evidence indicating that quadrupedal birds rose to dominance in many niches in the island chain before the arrival of mammals. Overtime, as the island chain grew, some birds returned to a bipedal stance and became the cockatrices. Now only their ancestors the Cornambulans remained.

The imperial griffinch behaves much like passerines on the North American continent do. It primarily consumes seeds and berries, but will consume insects if food is scarce. Imperial griffinches are monogamous, but inviduals will occasionally mate with more than one partner. Like other songbirds, imperial griffinches are quite vocal and their birdsong has been described as similar to that of red cardinal. Nest are made in tight notches in volcanic rock which protect the nest and brood from sunlight and predation. This often means that imperial griffinches nest close to the ocean, despite not being a seabird.

The imperial griffinch has one additional anatomical oddity which it uses to protect its nests. When threatened, imperial griffinches with assume a defensive posture with flared wings and tail feathers. If this posturing does not deter predators, the imperial griffinch will vomit a viscous semi-luminescent acid onto the would-be assailant. Imperial griffinches can eject this acid up to 2 meters away. This action is possible due to the presence of a specialized collecting organ called the corpus ballistrum which lies anterior and superior to the stomach. When threatened, the imperial griffinch can quickly fill the corpus ballistrum with a high concentration of very low pH acid. The acid is then put under high pressure by contracting muscle and then ejected at great speed. The acid is capable of blinding predators and can produce second-degree chemical burns if not treated.

While other griffinches have similar adaptations to protect themselves, only the imperial griffinch ejects a luminescent fluid. The mechanism for this is not entirely clear, however it is thought to be tied to their consumption of specific vegetation on Mossfellheim. This diet also produces the orange tint on their wings.

Because of their striking appearance and odd habits, imperial griffinches have been compared to diminutive dragons by Norse and colonists. This led to a proliferation of imperial griffinch iconography during the peak of the Mossfell Norse Golden Age. However after their collapse, griffinches appear considerably less in Viardrmen artifacts. During English colonization, imperial griffinches were considered a wonder of the new world and living specimens were sent to the courts of Europe. However, as their native diet is responsible for their striking orange color (and luminescent vomit), many would consider the accounts of these birds as vibrant, tiny dragons spewing a glowing flame as over-exaggerations.

In the modern day, imperial griffinches continue to dart above the scrublands of Mossfellheim in great numbers - protecting their nests with a glowing "flame", they remain tiny draconic protectors of the island.

Fearful dreams

Even tiny dragons have nightmares

A tiny bird, with wings of flame flutters through the yellowing trees and sparse scrubland below. She's looking for the familiar clumps of hard berries and seeds which normally decorate the rocky hillside this time of year. Below she sees a cluster of wood marking a felled tree, perhaps she might find food in there the tiny bird thinks. She comes closer to take closer look at a hollowed log. Wings out, she lands on all fours and scans the bush. As she begins to grasp her way through the log, behind her she hears a terrifying growl. Heart now beating furiously in her chest, the tiny bird chirps with all its might toward the veiled threat. From outside the log, she hears a terrifying snarl and calamitous crashing. In an instant, the crashing rushes towards her. The little bird flares her tail and with all the might in her pitifully small body spews out a vile burning jet.

The tiny bird awakes with a jolt. Her body is tensed, heart still racing. Across the night sky, trees of white light dance in foreboding clouds. She hears their forceful echoes rattle the hillside. In front of her nest she sees a streak of faintly glowing liquid - her frightened reaction to an awful nightmare. Still rattled, but no longer feeling in mortal peril, she returns to lay on her nest. Her eggs were disturbed from her frightened jolt. She gingerly rolls them back into her den - a tiny notch in the volcanic rock big enough only for her to crawl into. As the lightning continues to illuminate the pitch-black sky, she peers out into the dark. Life can be difficult for a tiny bird, constantly on the look out for hungry jaws and vicious claws. But tonight, despite the storm above, she is safe.