Asp Viper
Racial Magic
Ilnid's Movement
Able to move on or through sand freely, swimming, stepping or flying through solid quartz or glass. They can use any of these materials as a solid foothold or move through solid materials as though it were water. They are also able to briefly turn into sand, traveling on the wind or through desert sands and reform elsewhere. Immune to Ilnid magic and impervious to glass or quartz.
☀️Rithaldis' Form
☀️
Can convert their serrated fangs and scales into a kind of radiant energy (photons, plasma, sunlight, ionizing radiation) creating numerable razor sharp plasma scales. Very dangerous to the touch, leaving radioactive burns. Immune to intense sunlight or radiation.
Also called an Rmla Viper by the Imaziɣen, this venomous snake is native to the Shamsi Desert alongside another desert snake the Isk Viper. They aren't particularly aggressive but won't hesitate to stand their ground when threatened, coiling into a C shape and rubbing their scales together with a rasping sound. These are a small and stout snake, especially the females, with a broad, triangular head and small eyes atop their head. They spend their days buried in sand dunes or under bushes, ambushing prey in the night and burning any foolhardy enough to touch them.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Original Ancestor
Sahara Sand Viper
Lifespan
Length
Coloration
Genetics and Reproduction
Unlike most snakes, these are not an egg laying species. Asp vipers instead give birth to live young, anywhere between 3-8 snakelets. They usually breed during the first weeks of April, attracting a mate by releasing pheromones. They mate while buried under the sand.
Ecology and Habitats
by Lee Stepp
These vipers are evolved to live in sand dunes called erg and sandy scrublands, living within the Shamsi Desert, Kemet, Kna'an and Dawn Ahrayn. They are most active during dawn and the evening in spring and autumn but are purely nocturnal in summer months. They will warm their body in upper layers of sand during the day, easily slipping between loose sand with their magic. If they feel threatened, they rub their scales together in warning and might open their mouth to expose their fangs, both glowing white hot. Only its eyes and nose break the surface of the sand while waiting for prey.
Dietary Needs and Habits
by Lee Stepp
These are a solitary species, only interacting with others of their kind during mating season. They have a unique hunting strategy, a mix of ambush tactics and pursuit. However, they usually only take up more active tactics in the months leading up to brumation (hibernation). Usually they appear slow but can move with surprising speed once they begin sidewinding across the sand. They sink into loose sand very quickly using their angular, serrated scales, slipping underneath the sand tail first. In this position, they wait for prey to approach, sometimes leaving the tip of their tail exposed and wiggling this to draw prey closer. They mostly feed on lizards, geckos, rodents and birds like Qafz Jerboa, Ramil Lark or Rock Agama.
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