Fire Naga Families and Characteristics
by Prof. Shelia Gast

Fire Nagas are a major species of Naga, meaning they're a branch straight from the Naga line.  They have broken off into more minor species, tho' those species always have roots in Fire Naga blood.

Fire Nagas, as a race, have obvious physical similarities.  Their tails are always some shade of red or orange, with yellow or white underbellies.  Their skin is smooth and warm to the touch, Fire Nagas being the only Naga species to date that can generate their own body heat.  Their hair is always brown, blonde, or red naturally.  They also can have naturally occurring red irises, another rare trait.  

They are adept both physically and magically, obviously having a natural attunement fire magic.  This attunement comes from their blood, which itself is hot to the touch.  Fire Naga blood is an extremely valuable ingredient in many magical potions and spells.  However, attempts to acquire this rarity often end with the mage in question never returning.  The blood cannot be acquired from a dead Fire Naga, as when they die, the blood ignites and burns away the body.  Because of this, it has been nearly impossible to examine Fire Nagas any way but from a distance.  We know almost nothing of their biological make-up, but we assume it is similar to other Nagas.  However, Fire Nagas display the ability to breath fire, suggesting they may have some organ to generate the flame, possibly a sort of third lung.

Venom from a Fire Naga is usually a very strong sedative, however on rare occasions it has been known to cause paralysis.  Fire Naga venom is always very potent, and has been known to effect even those with immunity, tho' obviously to a lesser effect.    Also, they possess an ability only actually seen once, where they're actually able to inject their own searing blood instead of venom directly into the victim's veins.  This has only been observed once, in a life and death battle between two Nagas, one Fire, one garden variety.  The video clearly shows blood dripping from the Fire Nagas fangs instead of venom and small puffs of smoke as it hit the ground before the bite.  Afterward, the puncture hole  had small flames erupting from them before the other Nagas neck and shoulder ignited from the inside.

Fire Nagas share some personality traits as well.  They are extremely hotheaded, getting enraged rather quickly and easily.  However, they also just plain jump from emotion to emotion with very little stimuli.  They're almost never subtle in what they feel, one minute raging, the next joyously laughing, then even later sobbing.  Fire Nagas very rarely gather in groups for anything other than mating.  A father and mother will stay together with their child until it is hold enough to fend for itself, however even after that the three nagas will depart from each other and likely never see each other again.  It seems to simply be in the Fire Naga's nature.  However, there are always exceptions, some Fire Naga's get very attached to a place or person and rarely leave from that point onward.  

Fire Nagas are incredibly fierce in battle, usually taking a very straight forward approach to a one on one fight, without taking much time to plan a strategy.  They open up immediately with an onslaught of attacks and don't let up until it's all over.  They never take any battle lightly either, which is both why so few have actually managed to kill one, and why Fire Nagas are generally not welcome in any territory.  Of course, not being welcome usually suites them fine as they're always traveling anyway.  

Now, to talk about one of the several subspecies of Fire Naga, the Desert Naga.  As their names suggest, their primary habitat is the desert, and unlike Fire Nagas, they often stay in groups and tribes.  There are very few lone adventurous souls amongst Desert Nagas.  

As with Fire Nagas, they all have similar physical traits.  The tail of a Desert Naga is always tan, white, brown, or a very pale yellow.  The underbellies are almost always white.  Their skin is anywhere from lightly tanned to very tan, depending on the individual Naga.  Hair is usually red, light brown, or even white.,  However, very, very few Desert Nagas have black hair.  These are often looked at as somewhat more important, even to the point of sometimes being considered royalty.  It is considered a rare gift, and a black-haired Desert Naga is always treated with respect, and usually, authority.  Desert Naga eye color, for some reason, varies greatly.  Eyes are generally referred to within Desert Naga culture as 'Gems of the Soul', and are looked at as such.  Often, the color of one's eyes is the complete basis for how they are judged by the Desert Nagas.  Also, while they cannot generate their own body heat, they're able to absorb heat for about and hour to last them a full day.

(Scribbled in the margins seems to be a key with a scribbled note:
It seems there are two sides to every color...
Gray - Elegance, Wisdom/Decay, Pollution
Black - Power, Sophistication/Evil, Greedy
Red - Passion, Romance, Leadership/Arrogance, Anger, Ruthless
Blue - Peaceful, Loyal/Weak-willed soul
Green - Luck, Hope/Envy
Yellow - Optimist, Intelligence/Dishonesty, Cowardice
Purple - Creativity, Royalty/Sensuality, Pride
Orange - Enthusiasm/Overemotional
Brown - Calm, Traditional/Poverty
It seems they are 'judged' based on their most recent actions, either on the good side or bad side.  Indicating, if there's any truth to any of this, they hold both sets of qualities)

Desert Nagas have less magical ability than Fire Nagas, and as such, they're blood is not as sought after.  However, it is still able to be used in spells, just not to the massive degree of Fire Naga blood.  Also, their blood does NOT burn up when they die, so it is easier to acquire.  I, myself, attained a small sample and upon dripping it onto a candle flame, the flame easily doubled in size and stayed that way for a good hour.  

Desert Naga venom is very, very similar to Fire Naga venom, however they also display the ability to drain liquid, almost like a vampire, with their fangs.  However, they rarely, if ever, do this to living creatures.  Mostly, they do it to plants, such as Cacti.  They leave the desiccated remains of the cacti untouched, so it's easy to tell if one has been by, as in addition, the needles will all be burned off in an area surrounding the two puncture marks.

Generally, Desert Nagas are more respectful and coolheaded than Fire Nagas.  Their emotions are usually pretty even at all times, however they can get emotional.  They are far, far more loyal than the average Fire Naga, especially if their life is saved.  If that happens, you have, at the very least, a loyal friend for the rest of your life.  Even if you may part ways, it has been shown that should you meet up again, you will be greeted warmly.  I learned this by interviewing an adventurer who saved a Desert Naga 27 years ago.  He says they're still close friends to this day.  However, this isn't the only way to befriend one.  They are far more accepting of Company than their Fire Naga counterparts.  However, admittedly, sometimes this is a trap to lure their next meal, sometimes it is sincere.  Either way, still better not to take the risk unless you're sure.

Desert Nagas prefer far more precise way of fighting, often taking up things such as Martial Arts and fencing, as opposed to the reckless fury of the Fire Naga.  Since they have possibly hundreds of years of experiance, it's best to avoid such a foe.  They also maintain the belief that devouring a defeated opponent will grant you their strength.  This is similar to the human belief years ago that eating an opponents heart would do the same.

Our next subspecies i- (This point and below seems to have been torn away)