Nagas
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Contents
Nagas are half human, half snake people. Their size varies a lot, ranging from 6 to 120 feet "head to ground", with wide variations in body lengths. Smaller nagas are the most common type, though in Felarya, the term "naga" tends to refer to the giant specimens who are, obviously, infinitely more dangerous and feared. Indeed, giant nagas pose an enormous threat to adventurers in the jungle. They are fast and very agile predators, surprisingly silent for their size, and they love to ambush convoys and small groups of humans. They possess huge appetites, and a typical giant naga would have no problem eating a dozen humans a day, although their diet is pretty varied, including various animals and sometimes fruits and vegetables.
Felaryan nagas possess two stomachs. The smaller one is situated in their human half and is used for small prey, while a much bigger one is situated within their snake body. A naga eating a small prey would only use the first stomach, as it would be a waste of energy to "warm up" the larger one. In that case the food arrives in the large stomach already digested, so the large stomach just acts like an intestine and moves the food along to the intestines proper. A naga that ate something bigger, however, would require the use of the bigger stomach, so the smaller stomach would stretch and let big meals pass through, as if it were simply a section of the naga's throat. Theoretically, all nagas are able to swallow very large prey, unhinging their jaws and possessing a very extensible throat and stomach. However, in Felarya many of them are used to eating small prey, leading these mechanisms to atrophy somewhat. Some nagas like Crisis are almost unable to use them any more. Nagas have very strong stomachs. Not only it can digest just about everything, but it's very resistant to damage as well. Once an unfortunate adventurer finds himself trapped inside one, there is really only one thing that can happen...
In battle, nagas mostly use their tail, along with their bare fists and sometimes a weapon. A naga's tail is tremendously strong, and can do great damage when swung, crushing their foes between the ground and their tough scales. In spite of their physical powers nagas are usually peaceful towards other creatures and are not really a war-like race. The major exception is when dealing with dridders who have been their natural enemies for millenias. The two races are not at war anymore but they still glower at each other suspiciously. Most nagas are potentially powerful spell casters, though their talent often appears rather late in their life. They usually possess a favored element, which means that they feel more at ease and focused when in contact with that element. They are also more prone to learn Magic based around this element, and more resistant to being damaged by it as well.
Thus in Felarya, nagas are most commonly classified by habitat and elemental affinities ( there are many exceptions though, and some nagas that simply can't be classed along those lines. Nagas are also adaptive beings, so it wouldn't be too uncommon to encounter one far from its usual habitat. )
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Common types of nagas | |
Arboreal NagasThey are widely found across Felarya, in jungles and forested areas. They typically have green tones to their scales which lets them hide in the canopy, and long, powerful tails that let them scale trees and leap to different branches with ease. They possess primarily an affinity for nature Magic, as well as others depending on their location, such as darkness in Evernight forest, or water in the Great marshes. Terrestrial NagasTerrestrial nagas are usually found around mountains or underground. They often have earthly colors, very thick and hard scales, robust bodies, and have, in some cases, adapted to see in absence of light. They possess an affinity for earth Magic and sometimes darkness. Field NagasField nagas are usually found in areas with little dense foliage, using the color of their tail to blend in tall grass or in flower fields. They are very swift for their kind and usually possess an affinity for wind and nature Magic. River NagasRiver nagas are usually found around freshwater and their scale color usually ranges between blue and purple. They are good and fast swimmers, with typically a predilection toward water and ice Magic. Desert NagasUsually found in arid regions, they typically have sandy tones, with shades of yellow or orange. They can retain large amounts of water and have a great tolerance for high temperature. They usually possess an affinity for fire, wind and earth Magic. Volcanic NagasVolcanic nagas are usually found around mountains and volcanic regions. Their scales are often black, grey or red. They are very resistant to extreme heat, with an affinity for fire and earth Magic. Storm NagasUsually found around regions with unpredictable weather, they often have blueish and grey colors and are capable of sensing ambient changes in the atmosphere such as temperature, pressure, etc. They tend to have an affinity for wind and lightning Magic. Arctic NagasUsually found around cold regions, their scale color usually ranges from white to cyan. They have great tolerance for very low temperatures and retain normal traction on ice and snow. They usually possess an affinity for ice, water and wind Magic. Rin, Aniya
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Culture
Small Nagas
A much more common variant than their giant cousins but encountered less, "small nagas", who are approximately human-sized, are very elusive. As the majority of them are loners, similar to their giant cousins, they prefer to avoid confrontations with groups, especially those consisting of humans. Their skins sell well in certain markets, and there are plenty of people harboring a grudge against their larger cousins to justify hunting them for such means. Most smaller nagas tend to give Negav a wide berth as a result of these bad relations, and so the humans living there are widely unfamiliar with them. Like their giant counterparts, small nagas are able to swallow creatures their size and so are dangerous to humans. However they will only attack human-sized prey when they are sure they have a place to safely digest without their movement being handicapped by a bloated tail. To a giant predator, a small naga that's just eaten a big meal is a very easy and filling catch. Therefore they are rather careful about attempting to eat such comparably large prey, and may consider for some time the circumstances before deciding to eat you or not, conversing all the while. Some clever small nagas are able to get away with eating humans often as long as larger suspects are blamed, but many more would rather keep away. Like nekos, they often prey on tinies. Small nagas sometimes form far-between villages, which are rather rare.
Nagas Sub-species
- Credits to Fish and Oldman40k2003 for some precisions on naga anatomy, and to Sean Okotami for ideas to better classify them.
