Naga

The Naga are a sentient, serpentine race occupying the singular lake and river which cuts through Illian’s Savage Lands. The eldest of the known races, their culture dates back farther than any current empire.

Appearance
Generally speaking,the Naga appear as giant serpents with vaguely humanoid features. The move with the uppermost portion of their body held vertically and have either two or four arms that function just as a human’s would. However, their hands have only four fingers, each of which end in long tapered nails. Their faces resemble that of a snake with short, angular skulls and nostrils cut liks slits in the center just between their large, diagonally oriented eyes. Their length, and therefore height, varies greatly. In general, they are anywhere from 10 to 16 feet long and are capable of vertically lifting up to half of their length so as to be on even terms when speaking to bipeds. Their voices are innately hypnotic.

 

Homeland
Naga hail from the Che'Huatl river which long ago cut a system of canyons through the middle of the Savage Lands’ desert. They are most prominently concentrated in Quetz’A-Telako, the city they built on lake Che’Huatl, which is named for the river which birthed it. The lake lies at the innermost end of the river. The Naga also man Arx Vesuna, the fort built into the canyon above the lake by the Illian Empire when the Savage Lands were claimed.

 

Culture
Naga approach life like a challenge; they aim to master and shape their world just as the waters of the Che'Huatl have conquered the rock of the canyon. Strength and endurance are the height of virtue, alongside a deep appreciation for their environment for providing both obstacle and sustenance. Consequently Naga are highly competitive and can be zealous in their pursuit of accomplishment. They defer to mastery rather than age. This drive, in ages past, lead the Naga to explore and expand. They once held sway as far as the Agrio Dasos and clashed with the Djinn, who they recall as enemies still. The Naga most frequently clash with the Efreet who are descendants of the banished Isati Djinn remnant.

 

Religion
While the Illian Empire is a Proximian nation, the Naga religion deviates in form while holding true to much of the overall tenants of the Proxima. Rather than telling of a long ago battle between a dragon and a phoenix, their lore tells of an eternal battle between two serpents. One serpent represents the day, one night, and if ever the great life-giving serpent loses the battle, the sun will cease to rise. Quetz'A-Telako was built around the first temple to the sun serpent Itzamma who possesses traits similar to that of Sanctus Arduro, whereas the night serpent, Kukulkan, is distinctly similar to Invictus Tenebros. Their faith is symbolized by the ouroborian depiction of two entangled snakes devouring the others’ tail.