Zinba

Commonly known as ghost serpents, zinbas are rare, amphibious snakes with healing abilities. They're of similar size to other large snakes, such as pythons, but have a distinct bright blue coloring with red-and-black patterned stripes along their backs. This distinct coloration is easy to spot, but zinbas can swim through the wet mud and soft earth of their homes to avoid being tracked by all but the most skilled pursuers. This elusiveness inspires their "ghost serpent" moniker.

A zinba can metabolize a unique additive for its venom that converts it from a deadly poison to a healing agent, which makes zinbas particularly valuable in the eyes of healers and poachers. There is a high demand for zinbas in many markets; live serpents fetch a hefty sum, but zinba eggs are especially valuable, as zinbas reared in captivity are less willful and more likely to eat in confinement. Their elusiveness, however, leads many to search for their dens instead, which are large pools of water among remote wetlands or underground hollows near bodies of water. The water of a zinba's pool also has minor but valuable healing qualities, but removing water from a den causes it to lose its healing properties after a few hours, so most who find a den attempt to immediately make use of it.

Even finding dens is a difficult prospect, since zinbas are particularly intelligent for animals and can recognize signs of travelers near their favored hiding places. When there are signs of danger, a zinba collapses its lair and flees to create another den elsewhere.