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. They are also the only race considered to be ‘unlinked’ that can shapeshift.

In any case, Lindwurms aren’t very common. They usually reside in the outlands alongside Drakes and Serpents. They’re a relatively lightweight and small race with considerably strange anatomy in parts. 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 generally have short snouts and also sport one pair of horns on their head, no more, no less. These horns have a segmented appearance and they can come in many shapes and sizes. They also cannot hide their wings in their common forms like a lot of other races can.

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.

They tend to use their flight ability in tandem with their ability to climb. In saying that, their wings always have at least one finger claw, and sometimes up to three - which aids in this climbing ability. Their wings can be any shape or size, but generally they aren't too broad. Lindwurms are also terrible swimmers and have a natural aversion to large bodies of water.

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. 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.

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 - but the venom still does. Watch out!

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.

'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.

Like a lot of the races of Arcardia, Lindwurms are oviparous - they lay eggs. They can copulate in either forms, but can only lay eggs in their true forms. Lindwurms can lay up to 12 or so eggs, living in usually more arid environments and not, naturally, being at the top of the food chain- they’ve adapted to maximise the chances for their offspring by having quite a few of them.

Like all shapeshifting races in Arcardia, Lindwurm’s hatch in their true forms, hence the name. They are able to (clumsily) walk on their own in a matter of hours, but it takes about a year or so before they start to fly, and then even longer before they start shapehsifting. Usually they can start performing shifts when they’re about 4-5 years old.