Tirawen

A feathered serpent is among the most beautiful creatures alive: a long, supple snake some twelve feet from snout to tail, sheathed not in scales alone but in soft plumage, with great feathered wings that shimmer every colour of the rainbow. Revered as near-divine by jungle peoples, it is wise far beyond most beasts and gentle by nature, striking only at the truly wicked or when cornered. It speaks mind-to-mind with any thinking creature and can take other shapes at will. A solitary dweller of deep rainforest and ruin, it wanders far in restless curiosity, hoarding knowledge over a centuries-long life. In a fight it prefers wit and sorcery to fang, closing only when forced, then binding prey in its coils while its venom does the rest.

Behavior

Glides silently above the canopy and strikes from the air only at proven wrongdoers
Speaks telepathically and will often parley, bargain, or simply depart rather than fight
Casts learned magic from a distance and changes shape to escape or gain advantage
Coils about a caught foe, constricting while its bite delivers a killing toxin
Lives alone yet regards all its kind as one far-flung clan, gathering only in dire need

Abilities

Venomous Bite. A bite injects a potent toxin that can drop even a strong victim within moments.
Crushing Coils. Wraps and squeezes seized prey, dealing steady damage over time until one of them dies.
Spellcraft. Wields a broad repertoire of innate magic and favours it over physical combat.
Shapechange. Alters its form at will, often taking the guise of a harmless animal or person.
Ethereal Step. Renders itself and a modest burden insubstantial to slip past walls and danger.

Drops & Crafting

Iridescent flight-feathers (highly valued decorative and enchanting material)
Shed serpent-skin (fine leather)
Venom sac (potent toxin)
Heart-feather (rare enchanting focus)
A grateful or fallen serpent may yield a single charmed trinket