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Naga

Basic Information
slithers, hissers Nagai 30 years carnivorous various
Physical description
6-8 feet Long tail, two arms, venomous spit
Cultural
seem to form raiding clans Nagish (unknown)
Out-of-character information
JMXD


The Naga are a species of reptiles and perhaps the youngest sentient species seen in large numbers on Arethil. The first confirmed meeting between Humans and Naga on the mainland was just seventy years ago. Tales from before that could have been meetings with the naga, but could well be about the Kivren. They are hostile, bellicose raiders whose native language has yet to be translated.

Overview (Common Knowledge)

The Naga have recently become a greater threat to the mainland, being seen in increasing numbers and moving further west. Not once has any attempt at diplomacy been successful. There are just a few key facts known to other species that have been confirmed.

They tend to cross the mainland in raiding groups of relatively small numbers. These groups typically have the same coloring. Hide colors vary greatly, from greens to browns to blues with a variety of possible patterns. On land, they can travel quickly and only a mounted force can pursue a raiding party.

They vary in size more than most species. The smallest are slender and roughly the size of a man. The largest can grace eight feet in height but are rare. They are aggressive, fast and powerful. They will decimate small settlements near their lands and have encroached deep into the territories of other species briefly. They will take captives, but it is not clear why. They favor spears and other polearms but will be seen with swords and axes occasionally. A sword may be used as a symbol of rank.

It is believed they are learning quickly. When they were first sighted they used crude armor and iron weapons. Curved sickles were common. Now they have been seen with chainmail and steel. This suggests they are learning from the elder species.

They give off a strong odor found unpleasant by others and it is believed they have an exceptional sense of smell, flicking the air with their tongues.

To date, they have outright refused to be baited into battle with a traditional army. Alliria dispatched a full host across the Reach and not once would the Naga be brought to the field. With their supply chains being raided behind them the force eventually returned home.

No confirmed accounts of them using magic have been made by species on the mainland.

Language


Unintelligible to any other species. It seems to consist of a mix of hissing sounds, clicks, and growls.

Appearance


All naga have two arms and a tail. They have a head similar to a snake with two eyes and a long, forked tongue.

Most naga are similar in size, or slightly larger than humans. However, some grow as large as eight feet in eight. They have a muscular trunk and slither on a long tail. When lying out flat they measure up to fifteen feet from nose to tail. They appear lower to the ground when slithering at speed and then tend to draw themselves more upright.

They come in a variety of colours and with different markings. Some have a large frill around the head, others do not. Their skin is smooth to the touch and it is made up of flexible scales.

Habitat

Their island is a hot and humid jungle in the summer. The winters are categorized by torrential rains brought in from the sea.

Whilst not known to most, they have established several small colonies on the mainland, hidden in forests. An old open mine is now a center of Naga industry where slaves taken from the other species are put to work.

Traits

  • Sluggish at night.
  • Excellent sense of smell
  • Vary in size and color greatly
  • Grow and shed as they age through life
  • Breed rapidly
  • Venomous spit
  • Complex scent glands

Behind the Scenes

Whilst the elder species know little of the Naga they have a complex social structure. There is no overall leadership on their island. Back at home the various sub-species control their own territory and skirmishes frequently break out for space. With their home island, overpopulated individual tribes and races will only cooperate to raid the mainland.

They breed rapidly. A female can breed and lay a clutch of twenty eggs from around the age of five. Young will be raised collectively by a wider family group.

Their language, in fact, includes both sound and scent. Glands around the neck and wrist can create remarkably complex instructions and will be used to leave signals to future raiding parties or mark territory. They have no written word. A scent mark on a tree could identify a human settlement nearby, its size, distance and direction and how much of a threat it is.

Females are very similar in appearance to males, at least to the other species. They are typically larger than males.

There are Naga magicians. They have yet to grace the mainland but can be recognized by large headdresses made of feathers and bone. They occupy an important position in Naga society and will make predictions of the future using a form of bone dice. Having control of the weather is a common and much-lauded skill.

Whilst they are not the deep thinkers like Elven scholars or Dwarven engineers, they learn quickly and pass on knowledge to the next generation fast. They rarely think about the past or their mistakes, their focus is almost always on the future, their goals and protecting the position of their tribe. The suffering of other species is simply of no concern to them.

References

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