Iaressi

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Iaressi are a race of snake like people, exhibiting extreme sexual dimorphism compared to other races, on both a external and internal level. Both males and females of the species share some common traits however. They are both humanoids with long tails that easily reach the floor, and have human-like bodies with snake heads. Both genders possess fangs, but neither are venomous. They also have scales that cover their shoulders, upper arms, and backs, which thin out along the length of the body. These scales are typically sandy or earthy in colour, with the exception of females who have been seen with some more exotic colouring. The rest of their body much like humans, varies in skin colour from a light olive to a deep black. Vitiligo is not uncommon amongst the species.

The males of the species are small, at no more than approximately 140cm in height, with their tails reaching to the floor. Their scales are usually monochromatic, though some individuals do exist with a pattern in their scales. Their heads are completely smooth aside from the scales and they tend to have a more diminutive frame. Males also tend to rely more heavily on social interaction and cues to survive in the world, and so their brains are better wired for it.

Females of the species are large individuals, standing at approximately 180 to 200cm in height, their tails are often very long and may trail behind for several feet. They have a much heavier build owing to a greater amount of muscle mass. Females unlike the males often have elaborate and distinct patterns on their scales, they are also hooded and their hood will flare out when the female is feeling high levels of aggression or arousal, it is difficult to tell which and guessing wrongly has been the end of many males of the species. As the females are larger, their brains are more wired for aggression and less so for social interaction.

Genetics and Reproduction

Iaressi females will cultivate harems of 10 males or more, they encourage social fighting and dominance struggles amongst them as she will only offer the chance to mate to whomever is the superior of the group. This is something of a poisoned chalice however as Iaressi female warning and mating signs are near identical and even though the male may be top of the harem he is just as disposable to the female as the others. There is however an exception, males with interesting or otherwise attractive patterns to their scales are coveted by Iaressi females and they will often fight over the right to include such males in their harems as something of a trophy. Naturally, this leads to competitive and exclusionary behaviour from other males towards these individuals however. 
Iaressi do not lay eggs, instead they give birth in spawning pools to live young, often around 10 at a time, most of which will be male. During this period and the next year or so the mother will not leave her young and will stay with them to ensure they are safe from the other males who may attempt to poison or kill off the brood in some manner. Some females have been known to cull their harem (including the parent male) after mating to prevent this.

Growth Rate & Stages

Iaressi begin life in their spawning pools in something of a tadpole like state, they are born with tails and lack limbs such as arms or legs. Slowly, over time these develop and the tail begins to morph into a more adult one. It takes approximately 1.5 to 2 years for an Iaressi to become large enough to leave it's spawning pool. By this point it is usually the size of a small child albeit at a strangely older stage of development by human standards. They slowly grow much in the same way that most races do at this point, with the males reaching maturity after about 12 years, and females about 18 years. Both genders have a lifespan of approximately 90 to 100 years, though the life expectancy of males is often significantly lower.

The Brood mother will look after the young until they are old enough to leave, typically at around 8 to 12 years or so. During this time she won't mate again and will instead teach her young how to behave and act, with males growing seditious and the females more aggressive.

Ecology and Habitats

The Iaressi like the hot dry climate near the surface, but do not live on the surface itself as the utter scarcity of water makes it incredibly difficult for them to reproduce, so they seek the still warm but more moisture conducive climate of the upper city and it's ruins to live and reproduce in, with some even risking descending into the lower levels to give birth to their young. 
The Iaressi survive comfortably in hot weather and are commonly seen travelling amongst the upper city and to / from the surface. Females will typically remain in a general area unless it is too crowded with other females, in which case they may leave to find a less densely populated region. Unbonded-Males on the other hand will travel with much more frequency, bonded males will remain with the harem and their female.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Iaressi are carnivores and need to consume other living things to survive. Those who live in or around settlements will often make use of the marketplaces to acquire their food, though those living further afield will hunt Dustboar and Rockettes. The latter small enough to be devoured whole.
Unlike most snakes, the Iaressi do not need to swallow their food whole or unhinge their jaws to do so. Many will have their meat cut into chunks that are small enough to be swallowed but still larger than anything a human could fit into their mouths. Most Iaressi do not cook their food, preferring to eat it raw. This is a point of contention in Iaressi culture, with some seeing it as a mark of religious devotion, tradition, or simply respect to the animal that was killed, with others seeing it as barbaric, tasteless, or socially unacceptable amongst others.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Iaressi have an extraordinarily strong sense of taste and heat detection, allowing them to perceive the presence of something through it's body heat alone in darkness. Their other senses are no better nor worse than any other race's.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Much like their physical and social differences, Iaressi male and female naming conventions differ also. This difference however does not manifest until they come of age. Once the Iaressi have left their tadpole phase and emerged onto land, the brood mother will give them each a name, which they will be known by until they are old enough to leave and make their own way in the world.


Females will have simply one name, for they are independent entities unto the world and view that their name should be befitting as such. Males on the other hand will acquire their bonded female's name upon entering their harem, whilst retaining their own name as well.


Common Female names include:

• Herissaet
• Atakhessumn
• Haddadeshi
• Nhubrissihm
• Balarissia
• Eshmounisses

Common male names include:

• Suma
• Khem
• Irat
• Nuba
• Hakhu
• Tiwat

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Sarissi is the language of the Iaressi, a difficult to pronounce tongue which is known for long compound words with rolling consonants that require specific intonations to give them their meaning. To make matters worse for non-native speakers, Iaressi is a language fraught with metaphor, hidden meanings, and reading between the lines, so a single sslip up can be the difference between a greeting and an insult.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

To the surprise of many, for such a hostile race the Iaressi produce some of the most skilled musicians and artists in the Endless city, the fine clothing and jewellery of the rich and powerful are often crafted at least in part if not entirely by the hands of an Iaressi harem, a lot of the most popular songs and musicians of the time are Iaressi males, seeking to improve in order to impress a matriarch in the future. It isn't uncommon to find some Iaressi males that dedicate their lives to their crafts, eschewing the pursuit of their instincts entirely, much to the disdain of their own species, but to the delight of their patrons.

The Iaressi recognise the value of money, but to them the currency of secrets is much more valuable. Goods and services amongst the Iaressi are often exchanged with information, and sometimes a valuable secret can get you much more than the weight of coin in your pockets. Indeed, this system of the currency of secrets is so advanced amongst Iaressi that a complicated form of secret banking involving secret debts and interest has emerged. In Iaressi society the wealthiest being can have no coin at all, and yet control vast amounts of power and influence simply through what they information they know, owe, and have on others.

Common Taboos

To the Iaressi, the two greatest taboos go hand in hand in a manner of speaking, the first is the breaking of an oath, promise, or any form of fealty, one would think that for a race that is prone to dishonesty and deceit that promises would hold little value, but the weight of an oath is a heavy one for the Iaressi. It would seem that the inability to keep one's promises lowers the value of the individual's currency of secrets.

The other taboo to the Iaressi is that of careless talk and giving away secrets for free, it is seen as being a risky individual and a fool who can't put good information to good use.

History

Iaressi origins are a complete mystery to all, having been one of the last races to adopt the written word very little of their distant past is recorded for future generations, this coupled with the inherent propensity for Iaressi towards deceit makes what is known somewhat unreliable. It is known that like most they developed out of the ruins of the Upper City. With isolated Iaressi females forming havens which the males would travel to and from in search of bond mates, with females occasionally fighting over territory. Such things are known because they are recorded by other species' observations in their annals, not the Iaressi's.

The Iaressi were unable to continue their way of life, however, as constant infringements on the newly established and growing settlements around 1800 years ago founded by the Humans, Ashan, and recently the Unmau meant that competition for space amongst the ruins was to lead to an inevitable conflict. The Iaressi Pacification, in which warbands lead by Human and Unmau commanders rooted out Iaressi matriarchs from their havens and destroyed them, putting many to the sword. That said, there are few things fiercer on the battlefield than an Iaressi Broodmother when her young are threatened and the cliffs of the ruins would ruin slick with the blood of the attackers as the Iaressi matriarchs made them pay dearly for every inch taken. It is said that the region the war took place in was so blood ridden that it permanently stained the stone a deep reddy ochre.
This war would end in stalemate, leading to a compromise known as the Concordat, in which Iaressi were given permission to settle inside settlements in return for their compliance with Human-Ashan law.

With the introduction of the Iaressi into settled living spaces came a century of ethnic tensions, with many not happy about suddenly becoming neighbours with those that they had been fighting for the better part of a decade or more. Things would come to ahead in an attempted pogrom against the Iaressi led by mobs in the great trading city of Huberios, which was violently suppressed by the privately-owned guards of the ruling merchant class, who had grown to find the Iaressi matriarchs' ability to deal so well in the trade of secrets to be incredibly valuable assets against their rival clients and merchants. Many nights of bloodshed followed as various attempted attacks were made, leading to outbreaks of disease amongst the living due to the dead and dying. Such levels of decay lead to the attraction of creatures from deeper down in the ruins, fueled by hunger, and leading to a series of attacks of the lower quarters and gates, cutting off the city for months. This in turn, lead to the First Excursion, in which many Iaressi Matriarchs participated, their efforts greatly contributing to the relief of the city and the survival of all within owing to their martial prowess.

In recent centuries the Iaressi have been faced with a different kind of conflict. Many male Iaressi have done quite well for themselves in modern civilisation and are less inclined to bend to the whims of the matriarchs given that their safety can be assured by the walls of the settlements they reside in, those who choose to pursue things other than the Matriarchs have been able to carve out comfortable lives for themselves much to the disdain of their female counterparts.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Iaressi have very little to do with the affairs of other races, deeming their business to simply be not important by their standards. So long as the affairs of others do not directly interfere with the sanctity of a female's harem, she has little concern about what happens around her. Iaressi are much more concerned with the affairs of other Iaressi, particularly when females and their harems come into contact, sometimes this can draw the attention of other species if trouble flares up inside a settlement, as a fight between two females and their harems is not something anyone wants to be caught between.

Geographic Distribution

• The Upper City