The Serpents, or sometimes called Kraits as a slur, are a race of, like their name suggests, serpent-like creatures. Their movement can be slightly awkward as a result, but they are excellent climbers, swimmers, and possess a unique trait that is essentially the ability to float using magic.

Much of their race make up the Arkxin Republic, which represents a direct competition to the Anerc Katafygio (Anerc), as they control large portions of the Outlands. They are dwarfed in comparison to Anerc influence and power, but are definitely still a pain in the backside for them. In an attempt to weaken them, Anerc demonized the Serpernts very heavily. They are seen as untrustworthy, sly, and dangerous- and often face heightened aggression from others as a result.

Serpents are a quadrupedal race with a very serpent-like appearance. They have long, flexible bodies and short, legs- making them stand quite low to the ground. Their hindlegs are plantigrade (unlike in their common forms). Unlike many other shapeshifting races of Arcardia however, Serpents do not possess scales; instead they are either covered in short, dense, fur, or they just have skin. This skin however can have the texture or smooth-ness of a snakes scales. Serpents also do not posses any kind of elaborate ears, they just have ear holes - in their common form they have elf-like ears, usually small. Serpents, oddly, also have whiskers. Or structures like whiskers. In general the traits of a serpent are like an odd mix of reptilian and mammalian.

Serpents prefer to reside in caves, generally underground environments, dense forests or jungles, or around water. They are often also found in hotter or more tropical environments. Serpents are also known to not enjoy open spaces - their natural predators always came from above after all, and though they can be fast runners... they aren't really well suited for it. They like tight spaces, places to hide, places to swim, and places to climb. That's their thing.

Their heads are snake-shaped- having a very flexible look to them, as they are able to swallow things that are quite large whole. They are, in general, very flexible and stretchy. Serpents can also posses more than two front legs. The maximum amount of front legs is often six (three pairs). They always have one pair of hind legs though. They can also posses up to three tails, usually, but not always, split off from the base.

In terms of variation, Serpents usually sport fins or flexible spines- or sometimes nothing at all. Bare ass noodles. Some serpents may also possess webbed hands and feet. They however can never have horns or really anything that would make moving through tight spaces a pain. Patterning and colours can be anything, within reason. On more rare occasions they can also sport bioluminescent markings.

A serpents eyes always have a coloured sclera and a large iris that takes up most of their eye. They do not have visible pupils. This is in their true form, at least. In their common form, their iris shrinks a little (though still remaining quite large in comparison to a humans iris) and they gain visible pupils, which are also rounded.

SENSES ▸ Serpents have poor eyesight, but like the Lindwurms, instead have an alternative. The three 'nostrils' on each side of the snout are actually pit organs that work similarly to a snakes, and allow serpents to detect infrared radiation from warm bodies. At night, this almost allows them 'see' in the dark - giving them a unique extra sense. This sense they have is a lot sronger than the Lindwurms, especially for the fact that serpents naturally spend a lot of their time in dimly light environments. Their tongues also work like snakes, being used as a sensory organ to 'taste' the air. In their common form, their tongues are 'normal' apart from being longer and forked.

VENOMOUS FANGS ▸ Serpents have a pair of retractable venomous fangs (doesn't carry over to their common form, except for the venom part). Their venom can be lethal to creatures their own size and smaller, and to larger creatures, it will make them rather ill. Serpents come in second for the lethality of their venom, right behind the Lindwurms. However, unlike the Lindwurms, a serpents fangs are much more robust, allowing them to peirce some tougher materials.

SKY WALKING ▸ Serpents possess the unique ability that allows them to essentially 'fly', by creating a magical platform where ever they step. This ability however is not something all Serpents can just do. Just like all magic it's something that needs to be learnt, and this specific ability can take many years to master. A serpent needs to be of at the very least level 3 mastery to be able to perform this trick. The colour and shape of the magical platforms resembles the colour of the users affinity.

whiskers ▸ Serpents have whiskers! kind of! they aren't exactly the whiskers of a mammal, but they have the some functionality- allowing then to detect if they can fit in the tight areas they like to fit themselves into. Like whiskers, they are very sensitive.

constriction ▸ Serpents are much stronger than they may first appear. Though this isn't something they are specifically designed to do, they can constrict others within the coils of their tail and/or bodies. They are incredibly strong in that way. Due to this partly natural strength, a serpents tail can often be used as another appendage to manipulate objects with, in other words, it is prehensile.

Like a lot of the races of Arcardia, Serpents are oviparous - they lay eggs. They can copulate in either forms, but can only lay eggs in their true forms. Serpents lay up to 9 or so eggs on average- and these eggs are round and have a soft rubber-like shell. Like all shapeshifting races in Arcardia, Serpent’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 four or five years before they start shapeshifting.