Eshilen Viper

"What, by all the void was that! What happened, by all the Ascended, my fingers, I'm missing two of my fingers!!!!"

"Yes milord, you do be missing two of your pretty fingers and part of that gauntlet that you thought would protect them. But if you don't keep up, you will be missing a lot more than that. As to what was chasing us, I thought the sudden loss of your fingers from its tail, its lack of legs, and its general scaly nature would have given it away. That was an Eshilen Viper. A young one mind, which is why you dispatched it so easily, and why all you lost for the experience was your off hand's pinky and ring finger."

"So why are we running, if I killed it."

"Because Eshilen Viper's are a rarity amongst snakes. They help take care of their young at first, including bringing them partially paralyzed victims, or crippled victims to hunt. You killed a young one. How exactly do you envision the mother responding? Now shutup and keep moving if you want to get out of this alive, we got a lot of ground to cover to lose her."

A debate between a Antilis the guide and a templar from a retinue who had hired her.

The Eshilen Viper, a species that lives within and haunts the deepest, dankest and darkest of swamps, moors and marshlands. A venomous snake species that given its size, has no business being venomous. It is far and away the largest and bulkiest venomous snake species on Valerick, a monstrous beast by comparison, getting to sizes to rival even large constrictor snakes from more southern climates.

A unique species, the Eshilen Viper is known to only haunt the deepest and most isolated regions of the swamps and marshlands of the continent of Durol, and preys on many large mammals, such as deer, caribou, elk, moose, boar, and even humanoid should the opportunity present itself.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Eshilen Viper is one of the largest members of the Serpentia familiy on all of Valerick and one of a substantial 7 species that fall into the order of Arcanom, or more classically referred to as a Magickal Beast. They earn this distinction for their observed trait in which they are capable of emitting a misty haze from their bodies, seeming to basically cause a thick fog cloud to fill the area all about them, a strange mist that is so thick, so hard to see properly through, that they can escape threats or ambush prey. Their venom is a necrotizing paralytic, softening tissue over time should a bitten creature not be immediately consumed, as well as paralyzing or partially paralyzing that creature. The necrotizing does not stop at soft tissue or tendon, if a creature survives long enough it will target organs as well. The dose delivered by an adult Eshilen Viper is enough to down a bull moose in heat, and as such, is generally more than enough to be lethal to most humanoids.

Adult Eshilien Vipers grow to be upwards of 16-19 feet long and weight about a hundred to a hundred and twenty pounds when they have not consumed a meal for some time. Like all members of the Serpentia family, they can greatly stretch their bodies, their bone structure, such as it is, as well as the structure of their tissues, scales and skin allowing them to swallow prey as large as deer, or even elk and moose. However part of how they do this as well, which is behavior that has been observed, is their tails. Eshilen Vipers are distinct in one other way. The last twelve to eighteen inches of their tails are unique and differently colored than the rest of their bodies, seeming to take on a very dull, yet notable, metallic sheen. They can snap their bodies quite suddenly in a violent whiplash, utilizing their unique tail as a vicious cutting blade that is most definitely as sharp and solid as at least mild steel. They use this tail on larger prey objects before swallowing them, carving off pieces expertly. This tail also makes a deadly defensive weapon of course, as it is more than capable of severing arteries or limbs.

Thankfully encounters with this creature are quite rare, very rare in fact, as they seem to live only in the deepest and thickest wetlands, swamps, and moors in Durol. That is not to say that encounters between them and the peoples of this land are unheard of. In truth there be those....seedy individuals whom will offer plenty of coin to anyone bold enough or fool enough to attempt to go out and get hands on the venom of such a beast. It is a favored tool in certain less than savory pursuits to be sure.

Ecology and Habitats

Temperate climates, preferring wetland regions, like swamps, moors and marshlands.

Dietary Needs and Habits

As with many members of the Serpentia family, the Eshilen Viper is assumed to eat relatively rarely, seeming to do as most other species in this family do, eat a large prey item for its body size and spend days or even weeks digesting it. It is a straight carnivore, as seems to be typical for the family of Serpentia.

Behaviour

Atypical behavior for the Serpentia family, however, is exhibited in a few ways. The first is the rearing of the young. A mother Eshilen Viper will only lay three to five eggs, contrary to most other members of this family. She will care for them, and when they hatch, she will rear them. How she does this is really in key part to the unique venom of the Eshilen Viper. The mix of paralytic and necrotic means she can strike a large prey animal, quite purposely in an area where the poison will spread more slowly, track that fleeing animal, find it paralyzed, and drag it back to the den to her young, where she will generally begin teaching the instincts. This behavior has yet to be observed, but it is assumed the young, who's venom is far less potent, would perhaps strike this prey item on instinct, the mother, whom has now discharged her venom, which takes days to replenish, will lash out and strike the prey item in different spots, sort of teaching her young visibly, and by example. Once her young have struck the prey, the mother will utilize her tail to cut off more appropriate size hunks, which the young, in the established hierarchy of the den, will consume, and she will eat what is left. This will continue for almost a full year before the young are weaned off of her aid, and simply slither off one night, their mother none the wiser, and seemingly unbothered by it when she becomes aware.

We have so little understanding of this fascinating and unique process amongst this family of creature and I would hope it will be further studied one day.

Caleb Fibble, a burgeoning herptologist in Kelethan's Academy of the Natural Realm.

The second unique behavior is that though they are recognized and widely agreed to be members of the Serpentia family, and reptiles, they thrive in such a temperate and even cold climate, seeming to not struggle, even in the winters of places like Depenwood or Raechin. There are many theories as to why this may be, but in truth we do not know what adaptations or traits allow the Eshilen Viper to thrive in such conditions, just as we have no sound explanation or reasoning for its very unique trait, at least amongst the family of Serpentia, of rearing its young.