Vishkanya

A secretive and uncommon race who don't have much of their own place in the world, instead choosing to exist amongst other communities, very rarely seen and very rarely embraced.

Physical Characteristics
The Vishkanya tend to be quite slender, very rarely bulked up with excess fat or muscle and normally sitting on the shorter end of the height scale compared to other Humanoid races. However, the muscles they do have are very lean and fairly dense.

Their maybe most notable feature that sets them apart is their lightly scaled skin, usually not visible from a distance but lending their skin a green or brown hue. The amount of coverage and exact hue of the scales differs between individuals fairly drastically. These scales do need to be shed regularly as they grow to adulthood; then once in an approximately two year cycle unless they shift in weight drastically, a trying task for a lone Vishkanya which can take some time.

Another feature which varies a lot less is their yellow or orange eyes with slitted pupils. Which combined with their scales and slender builds makes their look all the more serpentine.

The mouth of a Vishkanya is another large clue as to their heritage, the teeth are similar to that of a human yet meet in more of a mild point, the location of their canines, however, is instead filled with a small bone plate that stops their true incisors from hyper extending on release. The actual fangs of a Vishkanya are tucked neatly against the roof of the mouth and fold down when needed or when threatened.

Then finally their tongue, longer than a human's and is forked at the tip, it works in much the same way a snakes would, darting in and out to gain extra sensory information on the immediate area than would otherwise be available.

Certain bloodlines might show more characteristics of their reptilian background. Aspects might include: sealable scenting vents along the nose, unhinging jaw that may or may not have a splayed lower mandible, pointed backward facing teeth, ability to "spit" toxins several meters, lack of external ear structure, etc cetera.

Many Vishkanya also go into the entertainment or sex trade, their exotic beauty giving them an inhuman appeal.

Mental Characteristics
Due to the distrust of Vishkanya in certain parts of the world, the race has become quite distant and secretive, displaying many signs of paranoia to the other races which in the long run has pushed them further towards their usual professions and only heightened the distrust some have for the Vishkanya.

If A vishkanya chooses to live amongst another society though they can blend in and adapt rather well, picking up the customs of their adoptive country rather quickly.

Physiology
A fairly prominent unseen feature would be that of their blood, a poison that can damage or fatigue enemies, in larger doses it can be fatal to weaker creatures. This, combined with their build makes them much more suited for a life of crime or subterfuge, leading many Vishkanya to go into the work of a rogue or assassin, pirate or Inquisitor.

To accommodate the larger fangs housed in the roof of their mouth the jaw structure and mouth dexterity of a Vishkanya is altered to allow for a much wider opening of the mouth should it be necessary.

The Vishkanya is by nature a Mesotherm, in colder temperatures they require more food to sustain themselves but have to eat less as long as they can keep their surroundings of a sufficient temperature.

When it comes to Vishkanya mating they tread the line between mammalian and reptilian practices. The Vishkanya exhibit Cloacas and Hemipenes,

Origins
The Vishkanya have been around for a moderately long time but it is tough to tell their actual origins being as they very rarely ever form civilisations of their own and have very few scribes dedicated to documenting knowledge of the arrival and continued growth of the species.

Culture
There is very little in the way of what could call a 'Vishkanya society' as they tend to disperse through other societies, mingling into larger cities or travelling to make their way in the world. This means a lot of them end up in larger port cities, working less than reputable jobs around the docks and the poorer districts before moving on once again. Large groups of Vishkanya tend to set up in the port of Draghania on occasion partly due to its climate and partly due to the work available to them. Another large amount, probably one of the larger open concentrations of Vishkanya anywhere in the world is in Symmeria and its surrounding territories as they tend to be subject to less judgement in such an eclectic society.

This does not, however, mean there are no shared common practises amongst the Vishkanya, they have from time to time formed small groups within other societies and a lot of the tradition of the Vishkanya is passed down to the young in their very early days before they leave the home on their own path.

Many nobles of other societies, particularly Draghanian, hire Vishkanya entertainers for their functions. Entertaining their guests with supposed exotic charm and performing cultural songs and dances such as the Mar-Bazi.

Religion
There are no direct religions one could point to when it comes to the Vishkanya as they either decide to not worship any gods or pick up the gods of the city they reside in, aiding them with fitting in further.

Politics
Although there are no solely Vishkanyan civilisations as of yet and there may never be any there are still a number of Vishkanya who have managed to snake their way into positions of power, or more accurately are controlling people in power. Whether it be as concubines for lords and other leaders or as political figures themselves, using underhanded tricks to further their career.

Combat
The slender build of the Vishkanya means they are not fit to be frontline fighters for the most part but their speed, misdirection and extensive use of poisons, be it their own blood or external poison source means they excel at rogue like tactics, hit and runs and assassinations.

The Mar-Bazi dance style that is practised by the Vishkanya originated from and can still be used to great effect in combat, utilising swift movements and light footwork to spin circles around their opponent. The dance aims to distract the opponent whilst the actual weapon strikes are very directed, wasting no energy on useless movement in the arms.

Economy
The Vishkanya, of course, do not have a consistent society to demonstrate an economic style but their lack of inclusion into other societies and more rogue-like traits have lead to many Vishkanya earning money through quite nefarious means.