Coatl

Cryptologic Name: Fterophidia coatl
Planar Origin: Ilhuicatl-Teotlatlauhco
Habitat: Rainforest
Diet: Carnivorous

Appearance & Morphology
Coameh are large serpents with feathered wings. They have bright colors and patterns across their scaled backs and coordinating colors on their wings. Their scales and feathers both naturally glow and the coatl can control the brightness at will. Coameh grow to around 6.5m (21 ft.) in length with a wingspan of 4.5m (15 ft.). They are incredibly long-lived creatures, living an average of about 1500 years, reaching maturity around 375 years.

Magical Abilities and Behavior
These creatures are incredibly intelligent and can learn and use interspecies vernaculars telepathically (their physiology does not allow them to form and speak words aloud). It usually takes between 100 – 150 years to develop this telepathic speech with other species but they can understand these languages much more quickly than they can speak them when they are regularly spoken to. They can also freely communicate with their own kind from a much earlier age. Along with this intelligence comes a great enthusiasm for learning in most coameh, as well as a talent for magic. These creatures learn and perform magic from a variety of backgrounds, much like humans and other sentient beings with the capacity for magic. In many cases coameh will create their own spells to suit their needs. Most are generous with their knowledge and will share spells of their creation or otherwise within their breadth of knowledge with those they deem worthy.

The coatl’s bite is highly venomous, causing nearly instant paralysis and loss of consciousness in its victims. The venom is not deadly to most creatures, though it can kill demons and other creatures of demonic origins. Interestingly, this has been used as a method of exorcism as it will dispel demonic presence without permanently harming the host.

Field Notes

• Though they are capable predators, many coameh discover the joys of cuisine as they age and they often see it as its own unique form of knowledge. Preparing a dish the coatl has not previously tasted can make for an excellent offering for those who wish to gain knowledge from them.

OOC Corner

“Coatl” comes from the Nahuatl language and translates to “snake” or “serpent.” I used the plural “coameh” to reflect the name’s Nahuatl origins (though I am not overly familiar with the language so if someone comes across this who is and wants to correct my grammar, I will gladly make changes). Feathered serpents originate in Mesoamerican mythology, and mine resembles many of their pop culture representations from D&D/Pathfinder/Warhammer/etc. While the inspiration for this creature is rooted in Mesoamerican mythology, I am not an expert in that field and the representation and characteristics described here are fictitious, to learn about the actual mythology that inspired this creature, I suggest following thestorytimeguy on Instagram.