Naga

Nagas belong to a category of races commonly referred to as half shifters because of their natural ability to shapeshift between being bipedal and having a snake tail.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Hair

It is most common to see black or brown, but red and blond are still fairly common. There may be shades of other colours. The hair is usually straight and glossy.

Eyes

Yellow/gold and green are the most common, blue and brown a little less so. It's common to have a speckled iris. The eyes are proportionally big compared to the face, and has a large iris and small, slitted pupils.

Ears

Ears are rounded and proportionally small.

Other physical features

Many naga have venomous fangs in place of their upper jaw canines. These teeth are 2-3cm long, and lies back along the roof of the mouth, unless the mouth is open wide. The venom is never deadly, but it may cause severe allergic reactions, or worst case cause temporary paralysis. The venom can be neutralized with medication if it's a hindrance.
They can “unhinge” their jaw to open their mouth very wide, and they have long, cloven tongues (about 10cm outside the mouth).

Most common magical abilities

• Elemental: earth, metal

• Linguistic: runes

• Mental: hypnosis

• Molecular: regeneration

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Sharp features. Thin nose and wide mouth.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Origin: sixth planet, Elu.
Commonly found on: Orme, Shaban, Palir, Emandur and Elu.
Uncommonly found on: Arpa, Noverem, Emser, Kober and Helmi.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

Ideals vary a lot between regions. In some regions, muted, earthy colours of the tail are seen as the most beautiful, while in others the brighter and more sharply contrasted colours are seen as the most beautiful. Smooth and shiny scales are seen as the most beautiful in most places.

Relationship Ideals

Polyamoury: Nagas are fairly polyamourus, and having more than one parter is seen as normal. Although, once two people decide to marry, it is generally expected of them to stay monogamous with each other.
Interracial: In regions where more colourful tails are seen as more beautiful, interracial relationships between naga and Mer fae are common. Nagas have in general no opinions against interracial relationships.

Common Dress Code

A traditional naga folk dress is more or less a toga. The fabric is coloured or patterned differently depending on the region, but they are mostly lighter, airy fabrics that dry easily.
Pants weren't really a thing until other races brought them to Elu. Many naga, both male and female, still opt to only wear skirts or dresses to make it easier to shift.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Sunbathing is a very common pastime. It is seen as both healthy, and as an opportunity to be social with friends or family without the pressure of having to actively do anything together.

Common Taboos

Purposefully biting someone is illegal, and classed as assault.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Naga have always had close relations to Mer fae and Shark fae. There have been conflicts sometimes, but never anything that has lasted very long.

Average Height

Women: 165-185cm
Men: 160-175cm

Average Length

With a tail, all nagas are about twice as long as they are tall in bipedal form. Their "standing" height becomes about 1/4 - 1/3 shorter than their bipedal height.

Average Physique

Most naga are quite slim and wiry. Women tend to be slightly bigger than men, and to generally be rather flat chested.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Skin colours are generally between light brown and dark brown, occasionally with bright coloured markings (stripes, spots etc).
The snake tail is usually of earthy colour, green, brown, black or red, with assorted markings. These markings are occasionally bright colours, such as green, yellow, red or blue. The underside of the tail is usually a little bit lighter than the top side.
Brighter colours are more common on the warmer planets.