Lindwurms are believed to have come from a hybridization of Wyverns, Serpents and possibly Drakes from long ago. Eventually they became prevalent enough to become their own species, which were named the Lindwurms - the same name often given to a dragon or wyvern and serpent hybrid. In any case, Lindwurms aren’t very common. They usually reside in the outlands alongside Drakes and Serpents, and are typically suited to live in more arid or hot climates.
They’re relatively lightweight and are the second smallest shapeshifting race of Arcardia, just ahead of the Drakes in height. They are also the only other race next to the Seraphs and Serpents with a venomous bite.
Lindwurms are a dragon-like bipedal race with a snake-esque appearance. They have long, flexible necks, whip-like tails, slender legs, and a single hooked claw on each foot. They're fast, agile, and somewhat awkward to get a hold of. They generally have short snouts and also sport one pair of horns on their head. These horns have a segmented appearance and they can come in many shapes and sizes.
Lindwurms are built as low tier crepuscular carnivores - meaning they would be most active during the twilight hours. The reason for this adaptation is mostly due to the biomes they typically reside in - being more active during the twilight hours gives them some relief from the sun while also still capitalising on available light. They also adapted this way to avoid larger predators. Lindwurms are good climbers, runners, and can switch to a quadruped stance for short periods, and sometimes even use their wings as an extra pair of legs.
They are however the weakest fliers out of all the races of Arcardia, as they're more suited for short bursts and deal very poorly with staying airborne for longer periods. Their wings can be any shape or size, but generally they aren't too broad. They tend to use their flight ability in tandem with their ability to climb, and in saying that, their wings always have at least one finger claw - and sometimes up to three - which aids in this climbing ability. Lindwurms are however terrible swimmers and have a natural aversion to large bodies of water.
In terms of colouring, Lindwurms are more limited, pretty much staying within all warm colours - from pinks, reds, browns, and yellows. Cool colours can sneak their way in sometimes though.
In their common forms lindwurms carry over their; hands/forearms, legs, tail, horns, and ears. A Lindwurms eyes do not have a visible scelera, and their pupil is vertically slit. Their eyes look the same in both their true and common forms. Their retractable venomous fangs do not carry over to their common forms. Their thin tongues also become thicker, but still forked, and still sort of long.
VENOMOUS BITE ▸ The most well known trait of a lindwurm is their lethal venomous bite - they possess a pair of large retractable fangs, and its venom is the most dangerous of the venomous races, those being the Seraphs and the Serpents. A lindwurms venom can even prove lethal to the largest Wyverns… though that’s if a Lindwurm can find a spot that isn’t covered in tough scaling. Despite its lethality, Lindwurms fangs are built to deal with small feathered or furred animals. These retractable fangs do not carry over to their common forms.
NIGHT VISION ▸ Lindwurms don't have great eyesight, but the four nostrils on the Linwurms snout (two on each side) offer up an alternative. They are actually pit organs that work similarly to a snakes and allow lindwurms to detect infrared radiation from warm bodies. At night, this almost allows them 'see' in the dark - giving them a unique extra sense. Their tongues also work like snakes, being used as a sensory organ. In their common form, their tongues are 'normal' apart from being longer and forked.
'WHISKERS' ▸ Below their horns, they have long pointed ears and a few ear-like fins below them - they usually have at least one pair of those and at most up to four or five pairs. These fins are rather sensitive and can serve as something similar to whiskers.