Basilisk

In their true form, a basilisk is a large reptilian demon. Their body is covered in scales, usually a greyish green or blue colour, though some can have scales ranging from white to red to violet. Their body and tail are long and slippery like those of a serpent, with short arms and webbed fingers like those of a frog. The ears of a basilisk are also webbed.

A basilisks's head is of a wide, oval shape. Their eyes are big, frog-like and round, with slits as pupils and vertical eyelids.

Shape-shifting Properties

A basilisk is born in their true form, and instinctively, if unconscious, caught off guard, or otherwise prone, they revert back to it. Approximately 5 years into a basilisk's lifespan is when the shape-shifting properties begin to manifest.

The basilisk is able to shape-shift into any sentient creature, as long as they have seen at least one example of that creature and possess a basic understanding of its main bodily functions. This serves as an explanation to why a majority of basilisks usually only shift into simpler creatures, such as beasts or humans, if they choose to shift at all. Once capable of shifting, the limits of the features of the shifted creature depend on three variables: the limits of nature, the physical capacity of the shifter, and the imagination of the shifter.

These limitations can be foregone to an extent if the shifter has access to exterior magical abilities that can change them.

Basilisks tend to live in any environment with enough warmth, though they prefer places that are dark and damp, such as caves and dense forests. Many live near bodies of water such as lakes and rivers. A very intelligent species, a basilisk contructs its own dwelling reminiscent of other dwellings in the area, (one near a human city would imitate the architecture of a human house, etc.) utilizing the material it finds.

Similar to beings such as goblins and pixies, basilisks are thaumativore. They feed on any magic or food of magic nature they find, though pure magic either found or created produces the most energy. Most basilisks feed solely on magic-based vegetation they cultivate. Though now a rare occurance, some basilisks will hunt magical mammalian beasts such as Evamorta sheep. They may also intentionally live near or even among magic practitioners, most usually witches, who either voluntarily or involuntarily feed them.

"My father was a basilisk living in the Forest of the Silver Horn named-" Virgil emitted some horrible mix between screeching, clacking and hissing.   The party stared at him, mouths agape. [...]   "But uh, his common speech name was Eddie." Virgil quickly added.

Like most demons, basilisks have their own animalistic (in this case serpentine) language with their own names. Traditional basilisk names are usually comprised of hisses, and sometimes include shrieks and clacks.

As some basilisks have become more and more integrated in other societies, they have begun adopting names that would be easier to use by other species. Some attempt to translate their traditional names, but most simply pick out common speech names that they like the sound of.

They don't traditionally have last names, even when choosing common speech forms.