Na'alu (Race)

## Na'alu

### Hair color

Their hair can be many colours much like the hair of Terrans, though they can never be naturally red, and darker colours seem more common.

## Sociocultural characteristics

### Language

* Na'alian
* Galactic Basic

The Na'alu, the founding race of the Na'alu Collective and one of the Galactic Council's most respected members, have been sailing the stars since before Terrans had even really begun charting the oceans of Terra. The Na'alu are named for their homeworld, Na'al. From the waist-up, the Na'alu people appear remarkably similar to Terrans. They have very similar skeletal structures, with five digits on each hand. Na'alu have navels as well as breasts that continue to grow with age. They have similar facial structures, even hair.

However, that is where the similarities end. The most notable differences begin below the waist, as this humanoid torso is attached to what seems to be the body of a snake. Below the navel, a Na'alu is all snake, from form of movement to reproductive organs. Their entire bodies, even on their torso, are covered in scales. It should be noted that the scales on the torso are finer than the ones on the tail, enough to be mistaken for oddly coloured skin at a distance. These scales are duo-chromatic, with the bottom of the snake half having larger scales that are a different colour from the rest of their scales.

There is some conflicting information regarding the gender of the Na'alu. Na'alu are a mono-gendered species, most declare that they are "not precisely women". At the same time, the Na'alu are viewed as an all-female race. To humanoid races, Na'alu appear female with breasts and voices that sound female. Na'alu bear feminine titles like "dutchess" and "matriarch” and Na'alu offspring are called "daughters". The Na'alu are well-known as a xenophilic race, however, due to their genetic upbringing, they are only attracted to the females of other humanoid species.

Of course, this does raise the question of "if they're mono-gendered, how do they reproduce?" It's quite simple, really: Na'alu, much like the flatworms of Terra, are hermaphroditic. Like other snakes, the phallus of a Na'alu is dual-headed and "sheathed" within the body. Though the Na'alu are mono-gendered, when they are conceiving a child the Na'alu donating the genetic material is called the "father", and the one that actually gives birth is called the "mother".

Another prominent physical feature of the Na'alu is their hood. Much like the hood of a cobra, it can be extended or retracted at will. The Na'alu seem to consider it an obligation to extend the hood during battle, in any tense situation, or any remotely formal situation. When retracted, it is often obscured by the Na'alu's hair. However, besides just looking interesting, the hood has an extremely important purpose: it releases the Na'alu's neurochemical manipulation pheromones. These pheromones give the Na'alu the power of suggestion over others, it makes you like them, it makes you trust them (which is even more terrifying when coupled with their shrewd diplomatic cunning). It seems that not all Na'alu are equal in this regard, with some having more potent pheromones than others. Furthermore, they seem to have a degree of resistance to the power of other Na'alu's pheromones, though this resistance is dependent on the potency wielded by a given individual.