FRIC — Viewing Species: Wendistrix

It's a cream-coulored, fragile egg with large brown speckles. It looks like the egg might belong to some kind of bird, but is quite heavy for its size if the creature inside were to have hollow bones like most birds. Intermittent tapping can be heard from inside.

This fluffy newborn resembles an owl chick, but with a very long neck and tail, as well as small horns and large ears. It's most active at night, and appears to be exclusively carnivorous, tearing at the food it's given with surprising ferocity. It seems to recognise that its handler isn't food, thankfully, but that only means instead that the chick screams loudly for said handler when left alone for more than a few minutes.

It is unknown if the eerie Wendistrix is related to the "Kirin" family which includes Qidrik and Tyilings, despite sharing some superficial similarities such as antlers, chimeric physiology, and high intelligence. Indeed, Wendistrix are known to use tools with surprising precision, owing to their large and flexible hands which seem humanoid in structure. They are covered in mottled feathers which, despite the large size of those on their forelimbs, do not grant Wendistrix the ability to fly. In spite of their frightful appearance, these birdlike creatures are typically not aggressive towards field researchers unless disturbed or provoked—it is typically safe to observe them from afar, as long as one maintains a respectful distance from the nests they lay in the autumn season.

However, they are ravenous nocturnal predators that will eat any meat they come across when hungry. They're not above scavenging a kill from other creatures, using their shrill and ghastly screeches to scare rival predators away. The talons on their giant hind feet are wickedly sharp, used to hold down live prey as the Wendistrix uses its equally dangerous beak to rip at its struggling meal. Researchers who have observed this feeding behavior remark about how messily bloody the affair is, and how it serves as a reminder of just how cruel nature can be.