Naga

While supposedly hailing from a distant land, these half-human, half-snake Monsters have happily made Geargadas their home for dozens of generations. Naga often live together in massive bunches; you can be certain when you see one, there's another three or four simply around the corner. Their spaces generally have plenty of water, from tiny streams making their way around the house to fountains outside, to simply living by the river itself. They're often fairly proud and shrewd business owners, and what few Monsters live in the Aristocratic District tend to be Naga as a result.

**A Naga can be any kind of snake or legless lizard**, even the sorts that have legs—so long as the legs are non-functioning for movement.

### Mandatory Changes

#### Physical

* A reptilian tail; this replaces their legs entirely and is generally twice the length of their body. Depending on the snake or legless lizard they are, Naga may have extra bits on their lower half, such as a rattle.
* Fangs. They're flexible and can fold back when not in use, and their type varies depending on whether or not the Naga is constrictor-based or venomous-based. Constrictor Naga can spit venom but not inject it, while venomous Naga can do both.
* Scales, primarily around their waist and hips where their lower half begins, but also on their hands, up their spine, and around their eyes. This sheds periodically.
* Reptilian eyes; these can either be slitted or round, depending on whether or not the Naga is primarily nocturnal or diurnal. They also have no eyelids, instead have a thin, protective membrane over it, which is renewed when scales are shed.
* A forked tongue. This allows Nagas to "smell the air," giving them an extra advantage when unable to see, as they're able to gather an incredible amount of information based on the particular particles present in the air. This also works as something similar to 3D glasses; the smallest bit of difference on one side versus the other affects which direction something - or someone - might be in.
* During the full moon, the scales of the Naga turn harder and their senses sharpen; they may feel the need to hunt, either for food, for fun, or for sexual purposes. Many Naga engage in polysexual relationships on the night of the full moon, writhing together, but just as many simply channel their restless energy into one of their other instinctual drives. Fighting against these only causes them to grow stronger, and the Naga in question has the chance of blacking out completely in order to accomplish one of these three instincts without their sensibilities getting in the way.

#### Mental

* A natural inclination to sunbathe and keep themselves warm, and avoidance of colder climates
* Naga look for and hoard the warmest things they can find on instinct, and the way they get them ranges from buying them like a law-abiding citizen, borrowing them, or "borrowing" them and "forgetting" to give them back. When that fails, they take to higher places to be closer to the sun. Naga will often find someone they can trust to accompany them, mostly for protection's sake.

### Optional Changes

* Further scale growth, possibly into full coverage.
* A snake's head; this replaces their previous head completely. Their torso will still be of their original self, complete with arms, but their head will be smooth and reptilian.
* Extra snakes, sprouting from the shoulders or head. They're much smaller, but still the same type the Naga is. These often have a mind of their own, but are empathetic to the Naga they're attached to, much like the hair of the mythical gorgon.
* Naga who have completed most of their changes can shift into the form of a full snake. This shift is difficult to master for Naga who have not accepted their Monster form (if they are still fighting against their Monster instincts and changes), and it is easier during the full moons.
* Possible psychological changes that come with their respective snake or Naga lore, such as a more black and white view of morality (if you do something good, you're good; if you do something bad, you're bad), the instinct to chase and ambush prey-like animals or Monsters (such as Faun and Puca), a fear of birds and bird-like creatures, a fondness for hot rocks, and so on.

### Strengths

* **Able to spit and/or inject a toxic, paralyzing venom**. While their variety of snake is non-venomous, Naga based on constrictors can still spit venom, but not inject it. Venomous snake-based Naga can do both.
* **One of two abilities:**
	+ **Access to water magic.** While still not on the same level as properly trained Witches, Nagas are able to do a little more than Merrow can with water, including drawing it from the ground in the form of a spring, changing its direction, and creating small, localized showers. They do this by speaking to the water - not as a spell, but by having a natural empathy with it; **OR**
	+ **The power of hypnosis.** Similar to Vampires, this works easiest on non-Monsters, but can work on Monsters as well.
* **Adept at using their powerful lower bodies.** Some are better at climbing, swimming, or faster movements than others, but they're all strong. This also includes even non-constrictors being able to wrap prey up in their coils to the point of breaking bones.
* **Thermal detection** - aka, heat vision. This is stronger in Naga based on boas, pythons, and pit vipers, but is an ability that all Naga have. This allows them to detect warm-blooded creatures (prey, humans, most Monsters), and locate them, even when they're unable to see otherwise.

### Weaknesses

* **Because they're cold-blooded, Naga are even worse at cold weather than Dragons are.** It can cause them to enter brumation, a state similar to hibernation where all of their bodily processes decrease. If the temperature becomes too cold, it runs the risk of illness, and possible death.
* **Naga err on the defensive side of fights**; they'd rather diffuse a situation or take themselves out of it completely, either by hiding out of sight or finding a way to verbally shut things down. While they can fight and are powerful enough to do so, they'd prefer not to.
* **Sunbathing.** Naga are required to stretch out in the sun to warm themselves up each morning; this comes as a natural inclination, but it also poses a dangerous threat, as they're slow and drowsy when not heated properly. Many Naga get around this weakness by sleeping with something or someone warmer than them, decreasing the amount of time required to wake up by sun.