2.2.12: Haggans

The Haggans (Diadophimagnus lacertacomedenti; commonly pronounced "hag-GANZ" but more properly pronounced "hajj-AHSS") are a colubrid species with a home range just outside of Known Space. An aggressive but not overtly belligerent species, the Haggan people largely act as trade intermediaries for several races, including those elements of the Terran and Kilrathi spheres that still want to interact with one another. They are perhaps best known as eaters of larger lizard species; in particular, they consider the Jarma a delicacy (a fact that explains the cold relationship between the two races).
*Personality: Haggans are fairly aggressive creatures, rarely backing down whenever they feel like they're being threatened or mistreated. Trade with the species can be hazardous and it's not uncommon for them to come away with the better end of a bargain as a result (particularly if the other trader is unskilled; especially if they are a member of a species the Haggan wouldn't hesitate to eat). Haggans are social creatures, preferring the company of others of their own species but willing to socialize with members of other sapient species. They will socialize with members of prey species if absolutely necessary, though this tends to be stressful for all concerned. Haggans are largely nocturnal; they have no problems operating in space but they will grow drowsy on the day side of any planet they're visiting.
*Physical Description: Haggans are snake-like creatures, measuring over nine meters in length and having a mass of about 450 kilograms on average. They are closely related to members of the Genus Diadophis, with their large size being the main difference between them and other ring-necked snakes. Their bodies are covered in a layer of hard, overlapping chitinous scales. Dorsal coloration is a solid olive, brown, bluish gray or black, which is broken only by a distinct yellow, red, cream-colored or yellow-orange neck band. Individuals may have a reduced or partially-colored neck band that is hard to distinguish. Head coloration tends to be slightly darker than the rest of the body. They exhibit a yellow-orange to red coloration on their ventral side which is usually broken up by crescent-shaped black spots. Some individuals lack the distinct ventral coloration but retain the black spotting. Like most colubrids, the Haggans are strict carnivores and are capable of eating prey that is much larger than the radius of their bodies. Their rear maxillary teeth are elongated into fangs and their Duvernoy’s gland produces a fairly potent hemotoxin. Haggans are capable of normal auditory communication; they pronounce most languages with a noticeable sibilant rasp and cannot hear higher frequencies very well due to the location of their auditory receptors. Haggans are reasonably strong creatures though only of average intelligence. Their tails are prehensile and afford the species fine motor control. They are capable of multiple modes of locomotion common to most species of snakes, including lateral undulation, sidewinding and rectilinear motion. Haggans must eat their food whole. They are easily capable of taking in a creature as large as a juvenile Kilrathi and generally need only feed about once every five or six months on average, gaining both their nutritional requirements and water requirements in the process. Haggans have been known to carve up a particularly large creature to share amongst many individuals. Larger meals take a greater period of time for a Haggan to digest; while this is occurring, a Haggan will remain in a dormant state. This is the only time the species well and truly "sleeps" as a rule. Haggans reproduce sexually and oviparously. Haggan females enter estrous roughly every six months provided they are not already tending to a brood. Once impregnated, females of the species will lay a clutch of anywhere from three to ten eggs after about three weeks, which then take about three months to finally hatch. Haggan offspring are precocial and are usually on their own by their fourth year of life.
**Motor Appendages: 1* (see discussion)
**Visual Organs: 2
***Field of Vision: Optimal 186 degrees forward, Peripheral 310 degrees forward.
**Auditory Organs: 2
**Olfactory Organs: 1
**Gustatory Organs: 1
**Propulsive Appendages: 1* (see discussion)
**Reproductive Organs: 2
*Relations with Other Races: Haggans have a tough time getting along with many races due to their aggressive nature. They respect the Wu and feel their treatment by the Kilrathi is particularly shameful, something which has earned them some amity from the Terrans; for their part, the Haggans would like to see the Confederation win their war against the Kilrathi. Members of starfaring species that resemble their favored prey animals - such as the Firekkans, the Hagarin and particularly the Jarma - steer clear of the Haggans for fear of becoming a meal. Most of the other races are left alone altogether. Haggan traders have been known to trade with all starfaring races (including the Kilrathi) from time to time.
*Territory: The current territory of the Hagarin people is unknown; it's generally believed to be somewhere rimward of the Epsilon or M'Shrak Sectors. Those Wu who have made their way into Confederation space have indicated that the Haggans were once part of the Wu Hegemony and were one of the very few ex-members that managed to escape from the Kilrathi when the Hegemony was finally conquered. This explains their reticence to reveal the location of their new home territory; they are taking an awful risk just by trying to re-join the interstellar community.
*Onomastikon: Haggan names are generally given to individuals by their matriarch just prior to them leaving their brood-homes at four years of age. Haggan names consist of two words, a given name and a surname. Given names always consist of three elements; these may be repeated in an individual's name. It is unknown what kind of ideas Haggan names are meant to convey in general. Haggan surnames are matronyms, which consist of the second of the matriarch's given name elements followed by "sssa" if the individual is male and "sssy" if the individual is female. Like the rest of their language, Haggan names consist only of fricative sounds (with the only exception to this rule being the use of soft "G", which is an affricative sound). Consonant sounds include "F". "H", "S", "SH", "TH", "V", and "Z". The letter "n" is frequently added to Romanizations of Haggan names, but is always silent; name elements containing the silent n only occur as the third given name element. Vowel sounds in Haggan names include "AW" (represented by "A"), long "A" (represented by "E"), long "E" (represented by "Y"), and "OO".
**Name Elements: fa, fan, fe, fen, foo, foon, fy, fyn, ga, gan, ge, gen, goo, goon, gy, gyn, ha, han, he, hen, hoo, hoon, hy, hyn, sa, san, se, sen, sha, shan, she, shen, shoo, shoon, shy, shyn, soo, soon, sy, syn, tha, than, the, then, thoo, thoon, thy, thyn, va, van, ve, ven, voo, voon, vy, vyn, za, zan, ze, zen, zoo, zoon, zy, zyn.
*Motivation: Haggans have no problem whatsoever with leaving home for parts unknown, though they generally will prefer to do so in the company of others. Trade is the most common reason why Haggans are found off-world, though sometimes they will leave just to see what's out there (which, as previously mentioned, is a dangerous proposition for them - perhaps the reason why they do it). A few simply head out to test their mettle against other species; these trips tend to be short, especially if the individual decides to go it alone.
*Basic Characteristics:
**Size Class: C7
**Base HP: 80 (+50 AHP)
**Base HD: 63/57/58
**Physical Attribute Building Point Pool: 200
**Mental Attribute Building Point Pool: 125
**Discipline Building Point Pool: 300
**Genders: 2
**Life Stages: Adolescent at 9 years. Adult at 12 years. Middle age at 21 years. Old Age at 30 years. Venerable Age at 45 years.
**Lifespan: 49 + 2d10 years.
**Length: 6.82 + (2d5 x 0.46) meters.
**Mass: 337.5 + (same 2d5 from length x 22.5) kilograms.
**Speed: Runner (Pseudoped) - 5 kph (9 m/rd); 2 (short-range combat), 1/3 (long-range combat)
**Trade Value: ¤770
**Racial Abilities and Restrictions:
***Scales. Haggan bodies are covered in a layer of toughened scales, which acts as First Class Natural Armor.
***Snakebite. Haggans consume prey just like any other snake (they have the Swallow Whole special ability) and are equipped with a nasty set of venomous fangs (Bite; 22 Lethal Damage + Hemotoxin).
***Tempered Aggression. Aggressive as they are, Haggans are also capable of showing great mental restraint; they have Discipline at +5.
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Category:WCRPG