Lore
The Venomous Coatl subspecies is the result of a migration, stretching from their homeland through the Scarred Wasteland before they finally arrived in the Tangled woods. Somewhere along this journey they developed their venomous abilities. Some suggest this might be from the eating of too many glowshrooms after their arrival. The more learned dragon realizes the Coatl species eats only fish and thus concludes that it must be from eating fish.
Actually, they are both right, on some account, or wrong if you're the glass is half empty kind of dragon. The Scarred Wasteland is home to many sorts of interesting animals and the Coatl could not escape the need to fish whilst there. Their most preferred prey - I don't know which fish you can catch there, maybe you have an idea - feeds on poisonous plants that grow near the river edge. Due to their acquired taste for this particular kind of fish they kept near the edges of the Shadow territory for long periods of time. Generations of following this diet slowly granted the subspecies the low venomous qualities of their prey, enhanced by breeding with each other.
Life in the Shadow territory led to evolving a darker body color, dappled with markings to blend easier with the shadows. Subtility however is not their strong suit, their wings coming in a myriad of crystal colors. These serve a dual purpose; warn predators that these Coatl will be more than they bargained for and luring fish by dipping the tips in the water. The Venomous Jewel has turned fishing into a true art and makes it seem effortless, though hatchlings tend to be pulled in the water if they manage to catch 'the big one'.
During the rise of the beastclans this subspecies found it beneficial to seek the company of other dragons, where they often fulfill the role of decoy. With their bright plumage they lure out the enemy, while the better camouflaged lair mates wait in an ambush nearby. And even if the ambush fails, the Coatl is not harmless with toxin strong enough to fell a Centaur in a few seconds.
Their cohabitation with other Coatl has led to the birth of several variations. Though the pure Venomous Jewel possesses Vipera stripes, their less venomous cousins have thinner, almost Tigerlike stripes, while the meandering Bar pattern became more subtle. These less venomous Jewels often try to appease an opponent with small gifts if caught without any friends nearby, though if necessary they can still take an opponent down. Because their venom doesn't refill quite so fast they prefer to wait until the last possible moment before injecting it.
The third kind of Jewel has lost most of it's characteristic coloring, their pied skin a giveaway for their ancestry. Mostly harmless, these Pied Jewels rely on their clan to defend them from harm, though their poison can still take care of small rodents. They prefer using it on large fish, though this renders the prey unedible for any dragon not possessing an immunity.
~History of the Venomous Jewels written down by @
MoonsEnvoy
by Kurayami
