The Nagas

The Naga are a mysterious race of creatures that are enemies of all civilized races. They are serpentine, scaled and reptilian with arms in their true forms but can take on the appearance of other kinds.  They are the cause of much evil, disease and banditry though they are vanishingly rare and almost never seen.  Like a snake they have lidless eyes and even in other forms can be told by their unblinking gaze. They hate the Gods who have cursed them and holy symbols of the civilized races are said to burn the Naga.  Their magics can turn enemies to stone and they are venomous. The Naga agenda is pain, suffering and destruction. They don't want to rule or dominate- just destroy.  They kill travelers and steal children to eat in their lairs. There is no limit to their petty malice, even taking some's form and making trouble for them to blunder into later.

Historical Basis

The creatures called Naga are known things. They infiltrate in assumed forms and promote crime and banditry. This known.  Why is harder to determine. They are few, so perhaps they are an ancient race, some remnant from the Demonic age. Perhaps they are from some Fissure realm. Or they are just few.  They seem to work on their own agenda and not be in service to any known demon or other power. The folk tale that the Gods hate them and that holy symbols burn them is false.  The Centaurs say that the Naga are Kwee* Path: (Night Path: Wyrm - Breakers - Instability, Chaos and destruction devoted). They claim Naga involvement in the chaos of the collapse of the Centaur cities Classical  period in around 3800 T. 
Known Naga activity includes: A Naga masquerading as a member of Bronze house of Apple waged war against neighboring Metal Dragon houses and massacred the entire family in Imperial 673. 
A bandit chief was revealed to be a Naga on capture in Imperial 815 in the Golam northern Frontier.
In Imperial  904, an Olia merchant house was found to be a nest of Naga and conducting smuggling, coordination with bandits and supporting criminal activity with theft and resale of stolen gods. They also offered assassinations. The masquerade was revealed by The Imperial Order of the Ruby Rod: The Witchhunters. 
Most recently in 1404 a Naga pretending to be an Esereti traveler attemped to kill or kidnap a Torga noble's son in the Olia provincial frontier.