Rainbow Snake: Difference between revisions

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|image = noimg.png
|image = noimg.png
|officialname = Rainbow Snake
|officialname = Rainbow Snake
|nicknames = Shimmer Snake
|nicknames = Shimmer Snake, Slizzar Snake
|classification = Reptile
|classification = Reptile
|habitat = Sendras
|habitat = [[Sendras]]
|domesticated = No
|domesticated = No
|status = Rare
|status = Uncommon
|}}
|}}
The Rainbow Snake is one of the more curious animals in [[Aloria]], exclusively inhabiting the jungles of [[Sendras]]. These oily serpents linger in the jungle floors, tending to hide in the dark, but shine with a multitude of colors when the sun is cast upon them. Even though the Rainbow Snake has few predators, they are still uncommon sight to be seen. Currently, the creature is prey to those with eyes for exotic beasts, poachers seeking rare skins, and craftsmen craving expensive additions for their works.
The Rainbow Snake exclusively inhabits the dense jungle continent of [[Sendras]], where the [[Allar]] used it for decades in the creation of alchemy products before these practices ended following their civil war. The animal is rare, with a high youth mortality rate, but once it has matured and starts producing its bad-tasting slippery black reflective oil, it is guaranteed to survive for a long time. The animal is also known for rarely hunting prey, instead going after the dead of Sendras first. Their spread is so vast, across the entire landmass, that it is unlikely they will slip into the darkness of extinction any time soon.
   
   
==History==
==History==
It is unclear how long the Rainbow Snake has been in Sendras, since many records have either been lost, poorly kept, or destroyed during the [[Sendrassian Civil War]]. The earliest record found was in 62 BC, but is highly debated since there are few pages, and only consist of descriptions of a snake of various colors. Most scholars cast it aside, simply out of doubt. The earliest undoubtable record is dated in 8 AC. From that point on, more and more updated records of the reptile can be found up until just after 90 AC, at the end of the war.
The Rainbow Snake has long been a feature of Sendrassian and by extension, Allar society. The reptile was long a feature of Allar artwork and due to its unique body, a great tool in their alchemical creations. It was so important that in the artwork of the period, it was second to the [[Dragons]] in many depictions, appearing in their claws or directly below their heads. As for Allar alchemy, the oil they naturally produced was said to help create wonderful beauty products (horn polisher, scale shiners) as well as skin-soothing ointments. The animal was not affected by the [[Sendrassian Civil War]], as it was already a rare animal and did not suffer in any significant way during the destruction caused by the war. The animal’s history is shrouded in mystery from this point forward. While a handful of specimens have been collected, mainly by brief Hadarian Allar-led excursions to the region that was once their own, the animal has remained elusive, and a rare find for any alchemist or hunter who has traveled to Sendras.
Due to the creature’s irregularity, it is not uncommon for their shedded skins to be the highlight of scientific lectures, and for a live Rainbow Snake to be a spectacle of pure awe. For this reason, poachers and pirates will sometimes take a daring adventure to the coast of Sendras and risk attack from the native [[Mu-Allar]], gambling disease and death to capture the elusive snake.
Culturally, Rainbow Snake oil has been used as a stain (though many fakes are often sold instead), and as an ingredient in making some instruments, types of makeup, and dyes. In instrument-making, artisans who use the oil of a Rainbow Snake are generally some of the finest craftsmen around, since others simply could not afford such a luxury. Many claim the stain of a Rainbow Snake can give an instrument a unique sound that no other ingredient could produce, “sound so finely woven that it could be silk”, but these claims are completely unfounded.  
   
   
==Physical Appearance==
==Physical Appearance==
The most obvious way to identify a Rainbow Snake is, undoubtedly, the rainbow colors emitted from the reptile when exposed to light. As many would describe it, the glimmer is similar to black oil floating atop water, and this is not far from the truth. Their shimmery, oily appearance is in fact oil that the snake naturally produces and coats its chitinous scales with. It is most commonly believed that this is to protect the snake from the constant humidity of the Sendrassian jungle, while serving as a natural repellant for predators. As, according to many scholars’ reports, the oil is foul-tasting. If washed and the oil cleared, the scales are a rather pale color. The oil is naturally a dark shade, which covers and camouflages the snake when in the shadows.
The Rainbow Snake reaches anywhere from three to four feet in length, with its weight being challenging to weigh due to the oil the reptile excretes, but assumed to be around 20 pounds. Their heads are small and arrow-shaped, with a slender snout expanding back into a clearly two-sided slightly bulbous head. Their eyes can have a variety of colors, and there are reports of heterochromia occurring within the species. They possess no venom and so have no fangs, though their mouth is full of sharp teeth. The rest of their bodies are thick, ending in a pointed tail. Their diamond scales are naturally colored pale grey or beige, but over their lifetime, their scales are stained into a dark grey or black coloration by the thick oil they produce from special glands. These glands are located just beneath the scales and help produce a black oil, known to glint rainbow colors in direct light. This oil allows the animal to slip away quickly if grasped, as well as possibly protecting its body from infection and blend into the dark jungle floor.
The serpent itself is around two and a half feet in length. They do have teeth, but lack venom glands. Instead, they rely on infection to kill their prey if their initial bites do not kill. The head of the snake has a small, slender snout before expanding into a bulbous head, only slimming a small bit once more to form the length of the body.
===Diversity===
===Diversity===
Rainbow Snake diversity is a heavily debated topic, due to their uncommon appearance and rare capture. From record, the ratio seems to lean towards the snakes more commonly being males. There is no firm data besides the statistics of captured Rainbow Snakes, which may be an anomalous finding. Males and females are hard to distinguish visibly, due to the oil that coats them. The easiest and most common way to identify a Rainbow Snake’s gender is to directly examine the cloaca.
Rainbow Snakes have a disposition toward the male sex, though there are no external indicates of an individual’s sex. Further diversity exists in their eye colors, with possibilities of green, yellow, orange, red, brown and blue all possible. These are carried from parent to child (genetically), and heterochromia can create some very exotic eye colors in certain individuals.  
===Life Span and Development===
===Life Span and Development===
Rainbow Snakes develop as most snakes do, minus their oil production. They begin as soft, leathery eggs, which are normally buried or oiled to camouflage the vulnerable youth until they hatch. The oil is rarely used to cover the eggs because if it dries, it can harden and prevent the young snake from breaking free. They normally hatch as small, oil-free serpents a few weeks after birth. A Rainbow Snake will begin to produce oil a few days after hatching to protect from the constant wet of the jungle, and to hide from/deter prey. Rainbow Snakes that are unable to produce their oils are quickly devoured by predators since they are easy to spot, and lack the taste of the oil to dissuade any would-be hunters.
Rainbow Snakes are born in clutches of two to eight small soft, leathery eggs which are buried in the ground and then oiled on by their mother before she leaves. Within a month of being laid, the young snakes emerge and, lacking glands for oil production, are the natural pale coloration all members of the species are. They try to rub themselves on their mother’s dried oil, which at best lightly smears their scales with black. They then emerge from their nest and set off in different directions. Over a further month, they grow in size and develop the glands that can be used to protect themselves and until such a point, they will use dirt and other substances to dirty their scales. Once their glands come in, the Rainbow Snake’s development slows. By the age of one, they are considered adults and have reached their full maturity, both in mind and body. The Rainbow Snake has a lifespan of nine years, but many die within the first month of life when they cannot produce their body-protecting oil.  
The average lifespan of a Rainbow Snake is 9 years, but this is significantly reduced within captivity to 5 years. Constant exposure to sunlight or dry climates can also lower their lifespan.
   
   
==Mental Overview==
==Mental Overview==
The Rainbow Snake is an untameable hunter, and a bold one. Few creatures will willingly bite into a Rainbow Snake due to its distasteful oil. These serpents prefer to strike at their prey several times, and will often take on beasts larger than themselves. If their prey is unable to be killed by the initial bites, the snake will stalk it and wait for it to succumb to blood loss or even infection. Once dead or weakened, the Rainbow Snake will unhinge its jaw and consume their prey whole. If frightened, the snake will make use of the natural oil it produces to try and wriggle free of any grasping predators.
The Rainbow Snake shows medium emotional and actual intelligence. The animal, while generally dispassionate toward other members of its species, can show small signs of affection and care. Females “hugging” their eggs might be seen as both a survival technique (her giving them a bit of her oil) but also an emotional action. Males and females during the mating season, while a bit mechanical in the process, do show small signs of affection such as cuddling when the act is done before both parties depart. In its relation to other species, the only race that had any extensive contact with it was the Allar. They displayed similar dispassion and disinterest toward these very distant cousins, but did attempt to escape and survive when hunted or grabbed by them. On the topic of hunting, the Rainbow Snake is a master escape artist thanks to its oiled body. Many predators ignore them due to the oil’s bad taste, while what predators that do hunt them often find their jaws unable to close fast enough to slice open the serpent’s flesh. As for the hunt, the snake is lethargic in that regard. It tends to feed on the dead of Sendras first and only when extremely hungry and lacking any corpses does it hunt the large insects or small jungle-floor dwelling creatures.
===Territory and Groupings===
===Territory and Groupings===
When first hatched and during mating seasons, Rainbow Snakes will cluster together in large gatherings. This conclusion was made by scholars discovering the oil of Rainbow Snakes in massive coats, sometimes even small puddles across the ground. They mate in large groups, with males combatting each other by entangling and biting at necks. Death rarely occurs during these duels.
The Rainbow Snake is a perpetually nomadic animal. They have no set territory, no set group, and live a solitary existence the moment they leave their nests. They are only likely to come into contact with another member of their species during the mating season.  
Outside of their brief mating periods, Rainbow Snakes prefer to wander alone and are highly territorial. Two Rainbow Snakes will normally combat each other if they meet, females included. They normally prey upon an area for a few days, weeks if the location bore fruit, before finding a new spot and repeating the process.
   
   
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*A Rainbow Snake was once brought before a court of lower nobility at a party to show off the proud lord’s elegance. The snake escaped, however, causing widespread panic amongst the guests in fear that it was poisonous. The snake’s carcass was found a few days later, vomited up by the lord’s hunting dog.
*While the traditional uses for Rainbow Snake Oil exist, a grouping of people became known for falsely claiming to both possess such oil and to have created many miraculous alchemy creations from all parts of the animal. Snake Oil salesmen is a now a term to refer to such razzle-dazzle cheats.
*Several hunts conducted by pirates and poachers have been foiled by the Rainbow Snake’s oil, slipping from their captor’s grasp and leaving them flailing and struggling to keep hold before losing their prize in the dense jungle vegetation.
*Despite these false claims, some wonder what other creations or products could be derived from the animal’s scales, oil, and so forth.
*A [[Cro-Allar’s]] tomb was not sealed properly, and when the Allar reopened it, namely to investigate the awful smell, they found well over a dozen Rainbow Snakes had entered and eaten him while their oil pooled and dripped across every surface.  
{{fauna}}
{{fauna}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Writers = AlphaInsomnia
|Writers = HydraLana
|Processors = HydraLana, Scribbe, PonyoWantHam
|Processors = HydraLana, BillyTheScroofy
}}
}}
[[category:Fauna]] [[category:Reptiles]]
[[category: Fauna]] [[category: Reptiles]]

Revision as of 16:13, 9 September 2018

Rainbow Snake
Noimg.png
Fauna
Official Name Rainbow Snake
Common Nicknames Shimmer Snake, Slizzar Snake
Classification Reptile
Habitat Sendras
Domesticated No
Current Status Uncommon

The Rainbow Snake exclusively inhabits the dense jungle continent of Sendras, where the Allar used it for decades in the creation of alchemy products before these practices ended following their civil war. The animal is rare, with a high youth mortality rate, but once it has matured and starts producing its bad-tasting slippery black reflective oil, it is guaranteed to survive for a long time. The animal is also known for rarely hunting prey, instead going after the dead of Sendras first. Their spread is so vast, across the entire landmass, that it is unlikely they will slip into the darkness of extinction any time soon.

History

The Rainbow Snake has long been a feature of Sendrassian and by extension, Allar society. The reptile was long a feature of Allar artwork and due to its unique body, a great tool in their alchemical creations. It was so important that in the artwork of the period, it was second to the Dragons in many depictions, appearing in their claws or directly below their heads. As for Allar alchemy, the oil they naturally produced was said to help create wonderful beauty products (horn polisher, scale shiners) as well as skin-soothing ointments. The animal was not affected by the Sendrassian Civil War, as it was already a rare animal and did not suffer in any significant way during the destruction caused by the war. The animal’s history is shrouded in mystery from this point forward. While a handful of specimens have been collected, mainly by brief Hadarian Allar-led excursions to the region that was once their own, the animal has remained elusive, and a rare find for any alchemist or hunter who has traveled to Sendras.

Physical Appearance

The Rainbow Snake reaches anywhere from three to four feet in length, with its weight being challenging to weigh due to the oil the reptile excretes, but assumed to be around 20 pounds. Their heads are small and arrow-shaped, with a slender snout expanding back into a clearly two-sided slightly bulbous head. Their eyes can have a variety of colors, and there are reports of heterochromia occurring within the species. They possess no venom and so have no fangs, though their mouth is full of sharp teeth. The rest of their bodies are thick, ending in a pointed tail. Their diamond scales are naturally colored pale grey or beige, but over their lifetime, their scales are stained into a dark grey or black coloration by the thick oil they produce from special glands. These glands are located just beneath the scales and help produce a black oil, known to glint rainbow colors in direct light. This oil allows the animal to slip away quickly if grasped, as well as possibly protecting its body from infection and blend into the dark jungle floor.

Diversity

Rainbow Snakes have a disposition toward the male sex, though there are no external indicates of an individual’s sex. Further diversity exists in their eye colors, with possibilities of green, yellow, orange, red, brown and blue all possible. These are carried from parent to child (genetically), and heterochromia can create some very exotic eye colors in certain individuals.

Life Span and Development

Rainbow Snakes are born in clutches of two to eight small soft, leathery eggs which are buried in the ground and then oiled on by their mother before she leaves. Within a month of being laid, the young snakes emerge and, lacking glands for oil production, are the natural pale coloration all members of the species are. They try to rub themselves on their mother’s dried oil, which at best lightly smears their scales with black. They then emerge from their nest and set off in different directions. Over a further month, they grow in size and develop the glands that can be used to protect themselves and until such a point, they will use dirt and other substances to dirty their scales. Once their glands come in, the Rainbow Snake’s development slows. By the age of one, they are considered adults and have reached their full maturity, both in mind and body. The Rainbow Snake has a lifespan of nine years, but many die within the first month of life when they cannot produce their body-protecting oil.

Mental Overview

The Rainbow Snake shows medium emotional and actual intelligence. The animal, while generally dispassionate toward other members of its species, can show small signs of affection and care. Females “hugging” their eggs might be seen as both a survival technique (her giving them a bit of her oil) but also an emotional action. Males and females during the mating season, while a bit mechanical in the process, do show small signs of affection such as cuddling when the act is done before both parties depart. In its relation to other species, the only race that had any extensive contact with it was the Allar. They displayed similar dispassion and disinterest toward these very distant cousins, but did attempt to escape and survive when hunted or grabbed by them. On the topic of hunting, the Rainbow Snake is a master escape artist thanks to its oiled body. Many predators ignore them due to the oil’s bad taste, while what predators that do hunt them often find their jaws unable to close fast enough to slice open the serpent’s flesh. As for the hunt, the snake is lethargic in that regard. It tends to feed on the dead of Sendras first and only when extremely hungry and lacking any corpses does it hunt the large insects or small jungle-floor dwelling creatures.

Territory and Groupings

The Rainbow Snake is a perpetually nomadic animal. They have no set territory, no set group, and live a solitary existence the moment they leave their nests. They are only likely to come into contact with another member of their species during the mating season.

Trivia

  • While the traditional uses for Rainbow Snake Oil exist, a grouping of people became known for falsely claiming to both possess such oil and to have created many miraculous alchemy creations from all parts of the animal. Snake Oil salesmen is a now a term to refer to such razzle-dazzle cheats.
  • Despite these false claims, some wonder what other creations or products could be derived from the animal’s scales, oil, and so forth.
  • A Cro-Allar’s tomb was not sealed properly, and when the Allar reopened it, namely to investigate the awful smell, they found well over a dozen Rainbow Snakes had entered and eaten him while their oil pooled and dripped across every surface.

Accreditation
Writers HydraLana
Processors HydraLana, BillyTheScroofy
Last Editor HydraLana on 09/9/2018.

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