Naga

Known by the empire as Dragon Serpents, the naga are a fierce and graceful people.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A naga's torso and arms appear fairly human, though their skin is more like a snake's and ranges from black to red. They have sharp claws on each of their four fingers, with the longest talon on their thumb. Their faces are also humanoid, though with somewhat flat, rounded noses, broad scales in place of eyebrows, and practically non-existent ears. Their primary defining feature, though, is that in place of legs, they have a snake's body and tail, incredibly strong and coated with hard scales.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Naga can eat just about anything, and the variety is actually quite important for their health. Not only do they need the human-standard proteins, fruits, and vegetables, they also derive nutrients from bone, eggshells, and organs that a human chef would generally discard.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Naga are very sensitive to vibrations. This not only augments their hearing, it also allows them to sense nearby movement with incredible accuracy.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Of all the people conquered by the Raithar Empire, the Naga were most successful at retaining their own culture. One part of this was their importance to the Raithar military--they are able to move quickly across most terrain, have a long history as skilled warriors, and had a natural attunement to the body language and movements of the war dragons. The naga alone, of all the non-human species, earned a measure of respect from the Raitharans; it came with a great deal of suspicion and strict boundaries, but afforded some freedoms as well.

Another portion is that their culture had at least surface similarity to Raithar's: they, too, believed in the spirits and the glory of battle. But likely the largest portion is that the primary vehicle of their cultural traditions was and is dance. Though Raithar destroyed the physical expressions of their culture--the temples and palaces--and employed their usual tactics to destroy their native language. But the power and narrative inherent in the naga dances was underestimated.

Common Taboos

For a traditional naga, there are few things more appalling than touching the plumage of someone else's feather-stick or disrespecting a Death-dancer. The latter may include touching the Death-dancer's hood, asking or using their name, or even just watching them too closely. To the naga, Death-dancers are the guardians and guides of their tribe's souls, and are all but deified.

Common Myths and Legends

Naga myths are beautiful to watch... but mean little to those who do not understand their language of dance and nearly-imperceptible vibrations.

Known To

Diplomats
Foreign Knowledge