Naga

Physical Traits
Naga are sapient reptilians. They appear as 5-10 meter long serpents with humanoid torsos, arms and heads. Naga are not mammals, and as such do not have hair, though regional variants within the naga species display cobra-like hoods or scaly crests. Coloration varies widely throughout the species.

Naga are only slightly dimorphic between sexes - males typically are bulkier and more muscular, while females have slightly higher fat stores in their tail and torso.

Naga physiology functions optimally in warm, humid climates. The reptilian creatures suffer chills and sluggishness in temperate regions. They avoid arctic regions and winter as much as possible; the typical naga circulatory system shuts down quickly in sub-freezing weather.

Despite their sinuous, serpentine form, most naga are clumsy compared to other humanoids. This might be due to lower sensitivity and fewer nerves in their arms and hands than the mammalian races of the world.

Culture
Naga are sophisticated, often cosmopolitan creatures, who value learning, tradition and mastery. Aloof and observant, naga enjoy the company of highly intelligent life. They are known to join the communities of elves, hobgoblins, giants and even dwarves, and acquit themselves well by their adopted community's cultural measure. Naga gravitate toward large cultural centers and frequent centers of learning, art and trade.

Religion
Naga venerate the cycle of life itself, as well as a small group of pre-naga progenitor figures. Naga typically hold the concept of gods as the other races know them in polite (but clear) disdain.

Language
Naga typically speak Draconic and Elven. Well-traveled naga will speak Lexi (common), and can learn and speak most other languages. They have difficulty with languages that are reliant on hard consonant sounds due to their mouth and tongue structure.

Aklo
Naga also maintain a very difficult language of their own, Aklo. Many mammalian spellcasters who have tried to learn Aklo have gone mad.

Arts
Naga celebrate the arts, but their aesthetic values are rather different from most mammalian species. They particularly value sculpture for its tactile beauty, and hold architects and spellcasters in high regard.

Diaspora
The homeland of the naga race is said to be the subcontinent of Sarvoda, from which the naga were driven in the cataclysm that scoured that place of most life. In modern times, most naga live in tropical climates, and large naga communities can be found in Westlichhauner and it surrounding islands. Small, isolated 'braids' (groups of 3-5) of naga can be found in many tropical cities throughout the world.