Moonviper Abilities
Natural Abilities
A relatively unknown piece of information about Moonvipers is that their blood is toxic; even ingesting a small amount can make a dragon very ill. Thus fighting a Moonviper can be dangerous. However, silver sundrakes are seemingly immune to the toxins in Moonviper blood, due to their distant relations. Moonviper blood has an awful, acrid stench, something akin to rotting fish and seaweed.
Due to their biology, moonvipers are naturally highly resistant to poisons, even ones that are ingested; their digestive systems tend to break things down before they can take effect. They may feel ill for a few days afterwards, but they won’t die unless they’re given a massive dose of fast-acting toxins.
They are also surprisingly skilled swimmers, able to cut through the water like sea snakes, and are highly resistant to cold weather. Although they cannot breathe underwater, they can typically hold their breath for upwards of an hour even without practice. Saltwater tends to irritate their eyes and scales, however.
Despite resembling large snakes, moonvipers do not have the muscle suited for constriction, and are neither strong enough nor flexible enough to do so.
They are large enough to carry a single human companion for shorter distances by air, provided that they’re small, and decently far if walking or swimming.
Due to their biology, moonvipers are naturally highly resistant to poisons, even ones that are ingested; their digestive systems tend to break things down before they can take effect. They may feel ill for a few days afterwards, but they won’t die unless they’re given a massive dose of fast-acting toxins.
They are also surprisingly skilled swimmers, able to cut through the water like sea snakes, and are highly resistant to cold weather. Although they cannot breathe underwater, they can typically hold their breath for upwards of an hour even without practice. Saltwater tends to irritate their eyes and scales, however.
Despite resembling large snakes, moonvipers do not have the muscle suited for constriction, and are neither strong enough nor flexible enough to do so.
They are large enough to carry a single human companion for shorter distances by air, provided that they’re small, and decently far if walking or swimming.
Senses
Moonvipers have a keen sense of smell, but it's rather like snakes; they have a jacobson’s organ on the roof of their mouth and smell by flicking out their tongue to 'taste' the air. They have a decent sense of taste, although their senses of smell and taste are intertwined.
They have decent vision and are capable of seeing in the dark due to originating in the Realm’s far north, where nighttime would last for months in the winter. Moonviper hearing is nothing exceptional, and about equivalent to that of a human.
Due to their thinner, less armoured scales, they do have a decent sense of touch unaffected by plating, unlike dragons with heavier ‘natural armour’ like the stormheralds.
They have decent vision and are capable of seeing in the dark due to originating in the Realm’s far north, where nighttime would last for months in the winter. Moonviper hearing is nothing exceptional, and about equivalent to that of a human.
Due to their thinner, less armoured scales, they do have a decent sense of touch unaffected by plating, unlike dragons with heavier ‘natural armour’ like the stormheralds.
Moonviper “Venom”
A Moonviper's venom. Art by GlowingLoudly.
A note; this visualization is accurate to their gums and teeth, however their venom is stored in glands at the back of their mouth and shot out of there, not through fangs. |
Moonvipers do not have the ability to breathe fire, but rather are able to shape stone itself as if it were clay. This is done by spitting a silvery venom onto rock; it becomes softer and easier to manipulate this way. It allows the Moonvipers to shape an entire city out of a mountainside, with little need for chisels or anything else normally needed to work with stone.
This ability can be used as a weak acid, however it is not particularly effective on organic targets and can be washed off with minimal permanent damage with water. Their ability allows them to make exceptionally powerful use of Runes when using stone, as it is easy to manipulate and make runes this way, although sadly such magic is underused by the Moonvipers. They are also able to 'embed' memories into the stone; by concentrating on thoughts, feelings, memories or emotions, the fine mist that a Moonviper breathes out will contain a copy of them within it. When the stone dries and solidifies again, simply by touching the surface of it, anyone, human, dragon, or even an animal, will be able to feel the same emotions - or see the memories - that the Moonviper put into the stone. This is an incredible manner in which to record history and share feelings; no Moonviper lovers ever wonder how their partner feels about them because, simply by working their memories into the stone, they can share anything. Some particularly old buildings are thought to have 'personalities'; the layers and layers of Moonviper work on the stone give dragons a distinct feeling when they enter it, prompting dragons who are unfamiliar with Moonvipers to believe that such places are haunted. The many ruins across the Realm are a testament to this, and often avoided if possible. |
Moon Children
The Moon Children are an uncommon subset of the Moonvipers.
They do not occur naturally; for a Moon Child to exist, their egg must be placed in the Moondial in the Great Temple of Luna, something that only happens as a reward to those who show great dedication to the trio of goddesses. Hatchlings from such eggs are distinct from the other Moonvipers, with blood-red eyes and paler scales. On top of the natural abilities of their kind, they are gifted with the ability to breathe forth healing, shimmering mist often described as moonlight through smoke, and possess a natural skill in shaping stone. They are respected by worshipers of the Moon Sisters, and often receive gifts of jewelry and rare fruits when they pass through towns where the Sisters are recognized. |
A Moon Child's healing mist. Art by MetaphyiscalMonsters.
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