Jaculus

Cryptologic Name: Rostratus jaculus
Planar Origin: Daconia
Habitat: Temperate and subtropical forests
Diet: Carnivorous

Appearance & Morphology

The jaculus is a draconic species in the amphiptere family. Members of this family all have a single set of wings and no walking appendages. The jaculus has a long, serpentine body with a sharp, pointed beak. Its wings extend from its midsection and can fold flat along its sides similar to fish fins. It also has a wide tail fin at the end of its tail which can similarly fold together. The jaculus is one of the smaller species of amphiptere, growing to a maximum length of 42 in. and having a maximum wingspan of 18in. Individual jaculi range in color from rich browns to deep greens, but all are mottled in color.

Behavior & Magical Abilities

The jaculus is an ambush predator, finding a suitable hiding spot and waiting for prey to move into range. Though the jaculus is a winged dragon, it is not capable of full flight but rather is a gliding creature. Their strong abdominal muscles make them excellent tree climbers and their mottled coloration gives them good camouflage while they wait for prey to come into range. When its prey approaches, the jaculus will launch itself from its arboreal perch, glide until it has a good angle, and then fold its wings against its body to dive at the unaware target. These creatures can reach incredible speeds (500-600mph) in these dives, due to their magical ability to manipulate time within their own bodies. This also allows them to stop before impaling themselves into the ground. In their lightning-fast attack, the jaculus’s strong, razor-sharp beak will pierce straight through their prey, generally causing enough damage with a single strike to kill their prey immediately and allow the jaculus to eat at their leisure. They primarily hunt medium-sized mammals like raccoons, opossums, coyotes, and the like. They will, however, go after larger prey like deer, wolves, cougars, and humans when the opportunity arises.

Field Notes

• Studying these dragonkin led to some of the most unique and elaborate protective measures I’ve taken in the field to date. Given the speed which these creatures can attack, I needed countermeasures that were passive, rather than reactive, because the human brain cannot react fast enough once the jaculus begins to strike. Thanks to my research partner, Tsu’mat, and his expert enchanting skills, I carried a charm that emitted a field bound all time within a certain radius to its natural flow. This meant that if I did encounter a jaculus and it tried to impale me, it could not do so at the speed of a bullet, only the speed of a snake falling out of the sky. Fortunately, when I did eventually encounter a jaculus in the wild it had already found more enticing prey in the form of a young white-tailed deer, and I could observe the creature without it attempting to skewer me.

• It should also be noted that while these creatures are known to prey on humans, these attacks are incredibly rare.