Here comes the snake

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And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: / For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.







THE DEAL WITH THE SNAKE

...long story short, Santanico, the Culebra Demigoddess (she's...technically not a vampire? Even if they really are), has a snake. This snake holds the entirety of her power stored in its venom but was taken from her when she was trapped in the temple most know as the Titty Twister. When the Geckos were trapped in the Labyrinth to steal it back and in so doing free her...Richie swallowed it, since it was the easiest way to remove it and ensure nobody else would take it before he could get it back to her. Seeing as how he's yet to reconnect with her when he's pulled to the Barge (...although it still hasn't been removed anyway), when he arrives he will in fact have a snake living...somewhere in his digestive system. Don't ask, it's really weird, I know.

Beyond the fact that it's got all of Santanico's power stored inside it, it's just a regular snake, unexceptional on its own. It may or may not periodically slither out to investigate things, and it may or may not go through his mouth to do this. I only mention this because the above gifs are equally likely because it's a damn magical snake.




PSYCHOS DON'T EXPLODE IN SUNLIGHT, I DON'T CARE HOW CRAZY THEY ARE

GENERAL BIOLOGY

About 98% human. Most of the time there's no visible difference; no visible fangs, no sickly pallor, not too much of a temperature change (although he has converted to cold blooded, so there's a certain degree of need for finding a secondary heat source for his own comfort), and while his vitals are certainly towards the "worryingly low" side, they're at least present. But, as mentioned, this is only 98% of the time. What happens the other 2%? Well that would be the gif above.

There are exactly two (2) things that prompt the physical changes he does go through: proximity to blood/hunger (this one he has zero control over) and adrenaline/arousal of some kind, be it fear, anger, or sexual in nature (this one he does have some measure of conscious control over). Could be one, could be both, but chances are if it isn't one it's definitely the other. When it kicks in, his skin thickens and turns scaly, his eyes become more visibly snake-like, and his entire mouth changes, normal human teeth absorbed into his gums while his fangs pop out. His fangs themselves are like a snake's, hollow, curved, and designed for puncturing rather than tearing, with venom sacs attached that serve as the delivery system for turning someone. Also like a snake, the breed is capable of "dry" biting, meaning that not every bite is guaranteed to deliver venom, and in fact this seems to be controlled consciously. Much like snake venom, culebra venom contains a certain percentage of paralytics and anticoagulants to make feeding easier and their victims more tractable, but both have a relatively short duration of effect.

ABILITIES

- shapeshifting
- increased strength/stamina/durability/flexibility
- heightened senses

THE BLOOD IS THE LIFE

It's worth talking about the whole...blood thing, at least for a little bit. It's a compulsion more than anything else, a physical craving that can only be satisfied by the thing itself. Not fake blood, and animal blood's a far inferior substitute, and the blood of a corpse is an absolute NO. Blood from, say, a blood bank will work, and will fill the need, but it's like processed food versus the real stuff; it's always better fresh from the source without all the...extra preservatives. More filling too.

It doesn't mean it actually TASTES good in a hundred percent of cases though. It's metallic and salty with an aftertaste that varies from person to person (Carlos describes it as being able to taste a person's soul, likening it to popsicles in a variety of flavors) and generally not pleasant unless you're actually used to it, but the more you drink the more you want it. Need it. Have to have it. It calls and sings and pulses and practically BEGS to be drank after a while; it's like the most addictive drug ever created. On meth. So yes, Richie may balk for a while at having to drink it when his body's not forcing him into it, and may (read: probably will) complain that it tastes like sucking pennies and may try to find different things to dump into it when he's stuck with donor blood so he can get through it, but even so.

He still wants yours and would be more than happy to open an artery to get it.

WEAKNESSES

About all the standards apply with the exception of religious items; Culebras came before Christianity had taken a foothold in the region, so there's no reason for them to be harmed by crosses or holy water or any of that kind of thing. They are, however, still affected by sunlight, although the degree varies; the older specimens can be out in indirect sunlight with no ill effects, and in direct sunlight with some minor smoking, although Richie hasn't picked up this skill yet so he's just as affected by it as your standard interpretation. Otherwise, a stake through the heart or decapitation will do it pretty well too.