Aacatau

Overview

Aacataus are a Dragon Friend species of Lakis that are very widespread throughout the world and have one of the largest populations of all magical species. Their hatched form is a snake with two forelimbs and they closely mimic human children of the same age in size. However, Aacataus are best known as shapeshifters, taking any form and look that they desire. Because of the need to hide and because of their similar size, most Aacataus can be found in a human form.

Characteristics

Aacataus have a generic snake-like form as their original form, which is the only form they can take that they cannot alter in any way. In this and all forms, they are warm blooded in contrast to the cold blooded bodies of other reptiles. The tops of their head and the bottom scales of their abdomen area are iridescent teal, shifting to light green at certain angles. The rest of their body is a light grey with hints of blue, ringed with adjacent bands of orange and brown. The orange ring is smaller and is closer to their head in each band. These rings also exist on their two thin forelegs, meant for holding themselves upright or interacting with objects but not for moving themselves forward.
Perhaps a coincidence or perhaps a matter of evolution intervention, Aacataus at all life stages are roughly the same size as humans of the same life stage, and Aacataus grow and mature at the same rate. Because Aacataus have a weak magic ability, they typically cannot change toe size of what other form they take, and thus to hide in plain sight their similar size allows them to easily fit in with humans. Particularly strong Aacataus can change their size significantly, though capable individuals are very rare. Beyond their shapeshifting ability, which is an intuitive spell, an Aacatau can use few spells easily, and no Aacatau can perform a complex spell.

History

Aacataus are believed to be one of the older Lakis species, and while no one truly knows their original home, many believe Aacataus originated in a cool weather climate somewhere on the Eurasian landmass, likely in a mountainous or rocky terrain. Shapeshifting likely was an early talent of theirs, and for a time the only magic they could perform. Yet this ability would have allowed them to adapt to a wide variety of climates and situations and thus gradually spread across the world.