Imperial Osprey

It's clear that the Imperial Osprey once resembled the power of The Empire, to what extent is still unclear...

— Warden O. B. Davies

The Imperial Osprey is considerd by many to be a bird resembling the power that was once contained by the Oldfront Empire and is still considered by many to be the state bird of Farrow. They can be found among the coastlines and cities along the western coast of Farrow as well as in several forests along the entirity of Stanos.
Both Farrow and Marine have declared laws under which it would be a crime to kill or otherwise harm an Imperial Osprey, particularly due to their rarity among the realm and their important significance related to the Oldfront Empire. Nylan has no such laws to my knowledge, however there is a religious reverance for the power that is said to be held by the creatures. According to Nylan teachings, the Imperial Osprey is said to be imbued with a small fragment of ancient magiks.

A Strange Bird

To many the Imperial Osprey is considered a strange sight particularly because of its larger size. It stands at around 3 - 4 feet tall once fully grown, though some have reported Imperial Osprey which have grown an impressive 6 feet tall. When looking at them, the creature has a chest plumage that is a eggshell to off-white color, with a set of back feathers that seem to stem from a lighter to a rich dark blue colour.
It is important to note that most of the depictions of an Imperial Osprey have a horn life feather going back on their head. While I am no Ornithologist, the writings of the experts that i've read seem to indicate that this feather could be to ward of predators and particularly could be an indication of a predatorial nature. This would make sense with many accounts of the bird which would indicate that their diet usually consists of many fresh and salt water fish, it is believed caught by the Osprey as a hunting ritual.
During and after the dissolution of the Oldfront Empire, different sides of The Great War had different responses to the sight of an Imperial Osprey. On the side of the Monthranis, the Imperial Osprey were hunted down in their hundreds, particularly as the Monthranis were against what they believed was the oppressive force of the Imperial dominion.

The Mythical Magikbird

There is a story that was written near the end of the Oldfront Empire of the power that was contained within the power of a creature known only as the Magikbird. This creature was said to be twenty feet long, with a wingspan that could rival the length of even modern day ships. The Magikbird was said to be a mount for a larger and more imposing creature that was to arrive in the coming centuries as a destroyer of the world as we know it.
The story from which the idea of the Magikbird originates is known as the The Bird Cometh by an unknown author at the beginning of the 1600s. While the author remains unknown, several reports have claimed that they are a Seer rather than just an author and they are using the tale as a warning for the world before the written destruction occurs. While I normally hold no credit to such theories and rumors, something about this one rings true, particularly when the story includes reference to the 'Steam Bird' disturbing the Magikbird from its eternal slumber. The steam engine had not even been considered as a possibility in the 1600s, so the possibility of a steam powered vehicle of the skies isn't out of the question...

Imperial Bird

Stanosian Name

Dēfuikmōḡa I'ūwīd

(Flying Animal of the Empire)

Environment
Coastlines, Forests, and Urban
Current Population
~ 350 (as of 1904 CY)
Year of Discovery
1407 CY
Discovered By
Larel Coremane
National Bird
Farrow
Oldfront Empire (formerly)

The Discovery of the Imperial Osprey

I cannot speak for the accuracy of the discovery of an imperial osprey, however, I think it is somewhat pertinent to use an excerpt from the writings of Larel Coremane. Coremane was an imperial scientist and explorer who took on the sole purpose of tracking and taking exact writings of different creatures from around the realm. The following excerpt has been taken from Coremane's Diary of the Kingdom Ānilavrā from 1407 CY, where they discuss their first full encounter with the Imperial Osprey.
While I have not been fortunate enough to see an Imperial Osprey, many have said that the sight bestows great luck and fortune to an individual. Many have claimed to have seen an Osprey before good fortune smiled upon them, however many are unconfirmed sightings as such. This specific power of an Imperial Osprey seems to stem from the majestic ideals written by Coremane.

There exist no such powerful moment as the first time I laid eyes on the strange off-white crest of the bird. In its beady black eyes I noted nothing more than a void that seemed to swirl directly into my heart. I cannot describe the majesty with which the bird flew over the boat as the sails carried us across the nations.
I have named the creature as the Imperial Osprey, for I noted a family of three such creatures when I arrived that sundown in Oldfront, particularly in its docks. Upon spending some time studying it, the two adults seemed to walk with an unreserved pride that reminds me still of the militias who walk streets as guardians of the innocent.
Despite these, the crowning moment of my observation of these creatures came upon its flight. The creatures wingspan was easily equal to that of my own, creating a large and powerful sight to behold. It seems to me that creature seemed to even glow as it glided across the sky. The gleaming particles that seemed to fall behind the creature seemed to lie and almost sparkle along the deck of the ship, it was by many means the most interesting moment I have experienced on this journey...

– Larel Coremane, Coremane's Diary of the Kingdom Anilavra, page 34