Saurag
The Saurag are a mostly bipedal species of slow-breeding reptiles and amphibians whose origins and age are clouded in mystery - mostly due to a severe lack of historical knowledge. While the Saurag race has had no documented contact with species outside of Nagai, their history with the Naga is one of long-seeded hostilities. Being in much smaller number than their Naga counterparts, the Saurag rarely leave the safety of their bogs and swamps where the deep water and thick mud create a natural defense against the raids of the slithering Naga. Despite this the two species have had several skirmishes and frequently attempt to raid each others territory - the Naga using their superior quickness and stealth while the Saurag utilize their superior size, diversity and tougher hides.
Overview
Much like the Naga that have come to control the vast majority of Nagai, the Saurag are a violent race of warriors who are incapable of communicating with mainland races. While mostly docile in their swamps and bogs the recent overpopulation of the Naga has led to increased hostility between the slithering raiders and their distant cousins. Within a decade more than thirty attempts were made by several Naga tribes to colonize the Saurian Swamps which has, in-turn, led the Saurag to sally forth from their swamps in great war parties to harass and exterminate Naga villages in the land outside of their homes. These warbands, however, never stray far from their swamp and return to their own lands as soon as their mission has been accomplished.
This has proven difficult for the Naga. While the slithering species is used to deep, quick raids the Saurag prefer to fight in a much more brutal fashion by bludgeoning their enemy with small but fierce bands of warriors while their weaker subspecies fill rolls they themselves cannot. Outside of the extermination campaigns of nearby villages, the Saurag
Saurag vary little in size with adults reaching peak heights between 8 and 10 feet tall, with the largest known of the species reaching 15 feet standing but having severe medical difficulties due to this size. Hide diversity is not only broad in color but the species has a natural ability to brighten and darken the hue of their scales - both as a form of communication but also as a natural defense. While not able to change the color of their scales completely a Saurag can make their light blue scales a darker and vice versa to help blend in with different lighting conditions.
The species is exceedingly pungent and foul - even by Naga standards. Much like their cousins, Saurag have an exceptional ability to smell. Unlike Naga the Saurag posses air sacks that allow them to submerge themselves in water for up to half-hour at a time if awake and up to an hour while sleeping.
The species appears to have developed technologically slower than the Naga and utilize mostly stone and bone weapons - likely due to the lack of materials available in their swamp homes.
The Saurag are much slower breeding than their Naga counterparts. A female clutch rarely exceeds ten eggs. Further, due to religious and cultural concerns, tribes often fight over "Spawning Pools" that leads to exorbitant destruction of eggs and death which culls their numbers.
This has proven difficult for the Naga. While the slithering species is used to deep, quick raids the Saurag prefer to fight in a much more brutal fashion by bludgeoning their enemy with small but fierce bands of warriors while their weaker subspecies fill rolls they themselves cannot. Outside of the extermination campaigns of nearby villages, the Saurag
Saurag vary little in size with adults reaching peak heights between 8 and 10 feet tall, with the largest known of the species reaching 15 feet standing but having severe medical difficulties due to this size. Hide diversity is not only broad in color but the species has a natural ability to brighten and darken the hue of their scales - both as a form of communication but also as a natural defense. While not able to change the color of their scales completely a Saurag can make their light blue scales a darker and vice versa to help blend in with different lighting conditions.
The species is exceedingly pungent and foul - even by Naga standards. Much like their cousins, Saurag have an exceptional ability to smell. Unlike Naga the Saurag posses air sacks that allow them to submerge themselves in water for up to half-hour at a time if awake and up to an hour while sleeping.
The species appears to have developed technologically slower than the Naga and utilize mostly stone and bone weapons - likely due to the lack of materials available in their swamp homes.
The Saurag are much slower breeding than their Naga counterparts. A female clutch rarely exceeds ten eggs. Further, due to religious and cultural concerns, tribes often fight over "Spawning Pools" that leads to exorbitant destruction of eggs and death which culls their numbers.
Appearance
All Saurag have two legs and arms ending in clawed digits as well as a long tail with spines running down the back. Saurag faces are always elongated that can vary in both length and width. Some posses forked tongues while others have tongues that end in a more blade-like tip. Likewise some Saurage have shorter, curved snouts while others have very long, crocodile-like mouths.
Saurag are much larger than an average human and Naga with the average height being between 8 and 10 feet tall standing. If laid out most Saurag will measure approximately 15 feet from tip of the tail to tip of the nose. The largest known Saurag was 15 feet standing and nearly 30 laid down but was reported to have severe medical problems.
Saurag are digitigrade and so their legs appear to "bend backward" above the ankles and just below the knees. When running the species seems to lean forward into their run - decreasing their overall profile. Some Saurag have a bone-like frill at the crown of their head - others do not.
The species is capable of seeing in the ultraviolet spectrum due to the low-lighting provided by their habitat. Saurag use ultraviolet colors in their scales as apart of verbal and non-verbal communications.
Saurag are much larger than an average human and Naga with the average height being between 8 and 10 feet tall standing. If laid out most Saurag will measure approximately 15 feet from tip of the tail to tip of the nose. The largest known Saurag was 15 feet standing and nearly 30 laid down but was reported to have severe medical problems.
Saurag are digitigrade and so their legs appear to "bend backward" above the ankles and just below the knees. When running the species seems to lean forward into their run - decreasing their overall profile. Some Saurag have a bone-like frill at the crown of their head - others do not.
The species is capable of seeing in the ultraviolet spectrum due to the low-lighting provided by their habitat. Saurag use ultraviolet colors in their scales as apart of verbal and non-verbal communications.
Habitat
Living in the swamps at the center of the Nagai island, the Saurag habitat is extremely wet, humid and murky. Winters bring torrential rain that raises the water level of the swamps which slowly regress as the winter nears its end. Tribes that live in the center of the swamps migrate to the edges of their land during winter - but most powerful tribes have taken the lands that are least effected by the rising water levels.
Saurag hunt and domesticate the non-sentient species of the swamps. Consumption of other defeated Saurag and Naga is common.
Saurag hunt and domesticate the non-sentient species of the swamps. Consumption of other defeated Saurag and Naga is common.
Traits
- Excellent low-light vision
- Above-average sense of smell
- Sluggish when compared to other sentient species
- Large, bulky and generally very strong
- Slow Breeding
- Bacteria filled mouths (rotting bite)
Lore
Saurag are a deeply religious race who believe they are the spawns of what they call the ancients. It is said in their oral traditions that the Ancients were a behemoth race of reptiles that discovered the secret of immortality. The Ancients grew larger and taller until they were so heavy they shook the sky when they walked. Eventually they grew so large that they shook the gods of the sky - i.e the stars - from their homes and they descended upon the world. In anger the stars destroyed the ancients with fire.
Some stars, however, had fallen in love with the Ancients after they'd watched them for centuries in the sky. These stars, knowing they could not save the ancients from the wrath of their brethren, mated with some of the ancients. The spawn of this mating are what the Saurag believe their origin to be and consider themselves a divine race.
As such they highly value "Spawning Pools" - black lakes of tar believed to be the dissolved bodies of the ancients. These pools are used to lay clutches and those born outside of the pools are often ostracized.
Some stars, however, had fallen in love with the Ancients after they'd watched them for centuries in the sky. These stars, knowing they could not save the ancients from the wrath of their brethren, mated with some of the ancients. The spawn of this mating are what the Saurag believe their origin to be and consider themselves a divine race.
As such they highly value "Spawning Pools" - black lakes of tar believed to be the dissolved bodies of the ancients. These pools are used to lay clutches and those born outside of the pools are often ostracized.
Culture
The Saurag are a tribal culture organized into religious groups referred to natively as broods. These tribes are heavily communial with simple hierarchical structures based on the perceived strength and/or divinity of the individual. Because there is little difference biologically between male and female Saurag their society lacks any strong convictions regarding gender roles. The only expectation put on females over the males is the protection of spawning pools and unhatched eggs. Likewise it is possible for female Saurag to ascend to status of leadership both spiritually and culturally. Tribes, thusly, can be just as easily ruled by the strongest as the "most divine".
There is also no concept of marriage or union within Saurag tribal units. Instead mating is done so in a polygamous manner - the environment of which varies between tribes. Tribes with fewer women may see fierce male competition for the chance to mate where the same could be said for the reverse. Tribes with a balanced population, and even some unequally populated tribes depending on custom, generally approach mating seasons with a "free-love" attitude in which mating is done freely with all of age members of the tribe at will. A more roman approach is also common with tribal mating becoming a public festival of sorts. Children thusly are raised communially without ever knowing which members of the tribe are their true parents.
Tribes lucky enough to have claimed spawing pools near the edge of the swamps tend to be very territorial. However, those forced to migrate to and from spawns in the floodlands are very nomadic and tend to be territorial only over spawning pools in which they have had eggs lain. Despite this both ways of life have evolved with violent tendencies.
Raiding neighboring tribes for captives is common - mostly to use the captured as food. Slavery is not unheard of among the Saurag but the practice is rare and resembles a sort of thralldom in which the slave is owned by the community and any children born of them made full members of the tribe.
There is also no concept of marriage or union within Saurag tribal units. Instead mating is done so in a polygamous manner - the environment of which varies between tribes. Tribes with fewer women may see fierce male competition for the chance to mate where the same could be said for the reverse. Tribes with a balanced population, and even some unequally populated tribes depending on custom, generally approach mating seasons with a "free-love" attitude in which mating is done freely with all of age members of the tribe at will. A more roman approach is also common with tribal mating becoming a public festival of sorts. Children thusly are raised communially without ever knowing which members of the tribe are their true parents.
Tribes lucky enough to have claimed spawing pools near the edge of the swamps tend to be very territorial. However, those forced to migrate to and from spawns in the floodlands are very nomadic and tend to be territorial only over spawning pools in which they have had eggs lain. Despite this both ways of life have evolved with violent tendencies.
Raiding neighboring tribes for captives is common - mostly to use the captured as food. Slavery is not unheard of among the Saurag but the practice is rare and resembles a sort of thralldom in which the slave is owned by the community and any children born of them made full members of the tribe.
Language
The language spoken by the Saurag is known as Saurian. This language bears several similarities to its cousin Nagaish in that several of its sounds rely on varying hisses and clicks of the teeth.
However, unlike Nagaish, it relies heavier on growls and roars. The spoken language also contains a slight visual element that deals with the hue of a Saurag's scales that can only be seen and understood by other Saurag.
The spoken language is unintelligible species originating outside of Nagai. It has been documented that Saurag and Naga who don't speak each others language are capable of very simple conversation.
The written form of Saurian is surprisingly complex, including over two hundred unique glyphs and symbols. Many of the symbols are pictographs of an item or place rather than a set of letters organized together to form a word as is with the human language.
This makes written communication for the Saurag races slow and mostly ineffective. For this reason oral tradition keeps most Saurag history and writing is used mostly by the Skyspeakers to record astrological information - though even this practice rarely utilizes proper Saurian glyphs.
However, unlike Nagaish, it relies heavier on growls and roars. The spoken language also contains a slight visual element that deals with the hue of a Saurag's scales that can only be seen and understood by other Saurag.
The spoken language is unintelligible species originating outside of Nagai. It has been documented that Saurag and Naga who don't speak each others language are capable of very simple conversation.
The written form of Saurian is surprisingly complex, including over two hundred unique glyphs and symbols. Many of the symbols are pictographs of an item or place rather than a set of letters organized together to form a word as is with the human language.
This makes written communication for the Saurag races slow and mostly ineffective. For this reason oral tradition keeps most Saurag history and writing is used mostly by the Skyspeakers to record astrological information - though even this practice rarely utilizes proper Saurian glyphs.
Religion
The Saurag religion varies slightly between tribes and subspecies. However, throughout each iteration there remains foundations of the faith that are rarely altered. The base belief is that all Saurag and their sub-species are descended from a race of titans known to them as "The Ancients". Little factually is known about the ancients other than their immense size and that they did, in fact, exist at some point in history. This has been proven by the discovery of fossilized bone within the tar pits Saurag cherish as holy places.
The rest of the ancient's existence is pure speculation. To the Saurag they were both creators and destroyers but did not hold the power of gods - which they see as reserved solely for the Gods of the Sky (i.e the stars, moon, etc). The Saurag place specific religious importance on celestial objects that can be observed in the night sky.
Most tribes, however, have very limited access to a view of the sky thanks to the thick canopy of jungle that rises high above their ancestral homes. There are, however, a few known large openings in the canopy that can be used for viewing the sky. The most well known of these is The God's Eye - a large floral wetland within the Saurian Boglands that is controlled by the Blackblood Brood. Those who cannot access these ope into will often risk exiting the swamps for short periods of time in order to make observations.
This religious interest in the sky has granted the clergy of Saurag tribes with immense knowledge of natural astrology. This knowledge, however, is not well known to the tribes in a general sense due to the limited areas from which the sky can be viewed.
It is not known why the Saurag never ventured far from their swamp homes. Most Saurag don't question their place in the swamp due to the popularized belief that the Boglands was where the stars took their ancient mates to shield them from the wrath of the gods. This view is rarely challenged on more than a small scale but the tide may be turning.
Another theory as to why the Saurag chose to stay so long is the presence of what they refer to as "Primals". Non-sentient and territorial these primals are said to be descended from ancients who never grew to their full size and stature. Spirtually the origin of the primals is contested - leading to a wide degree of treatment. Some hold them as sacred animals to be honored and respected - others wish to tame them. Rarely are they hunted.
The rest of the ancient's existence is pure speculation. To the Saurag they were both creators and destroyers but did not hold the power of gods - which they see as reserved solely for the Gods of the Sky (i.e the stars, moon, etc). The Saurag place specific religious importance on celestial objects that can be observed in the night sky.
Most tribes, however, have very limited access to a view of the sky thanks to the thick canopy of jungle that rises high above their ancestral homes. There are, however, a few known large openings in the canopy that can be used for viewing the sky. The most well known of these is The God's Eye - a large floral wetland within the Saurian Boglands that is controlled by the Blackblood Brood. Those who cannot access these ope into will often risk exiting the swamps for short periods of time in order to make observations.
This religious interest in the sky has granted the clergy of Saurag tribes with immense knowledge of natural astrology. This knowledge, however, is not well known to the tribes in a general sense due to the limited areas from which the sky can be viewed.
It is not known why the Saurag never ventured far from their swamp homes. Most Saurag don't question their place in the swamp due to the popularized belief that the Boglands was where the stars took their ancient mates to shield them from the wrath of the gods. This view is rarely challenged on more than a small scale but the tide may be turning.
Another theory as to why the Saurag chose to stay so long is the presence of what they refer to as "Primals". Non-sentient and territorial these primals are said to be descended from ancients who never grew to their full size and stature. Spirtually the origin of the primals is contested - leading to a wide degree of treatment. Some hold them as sacred animals to be honored and respected - others wish to tame them. Rarely are they hunted.
History
{{{History|Describe the history of the species. Feel free to leave for now and add more details over time}}}
