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Name: Gaelen Woodley Age: 31 Race: - Aspid | +
- Aspid
As with many of Earth's peoples that exhibit some animalistic qualities, the history and reputation of the Aspid are as much influenced by myth as actual ability. Heeding from the region and so named for the Egyptian Asp, they come with the notoriety of Lilith's seduction of Eve, but also for the merciful death granted to Cleopatra, and their curative prowess as Asclepius's healers. Whether informed by culture or a more innate drive, many Aspid seem to follow a path from the legends that precede them and are thus often found to be doctors or medics, while others seek and dispense iconoclastic wisdom. As such, they are often regarded with a certain thankfulness, or oppositely (especially by the fiercely religious) as inherently sinful. While they had only rarely leaved their homes near the Nile, they experienced a minor diaspora under the country's time as a British protectorate, with some establishing families on the British Isles, or other imperial territories.
Aspid Morphology Though largely human in appearance, there are many significant and telling differences between them. For starters, Aspid do not have outer mammalian ears, but have small conical cavities that function in the same role, though they are often obscured by their hair. To make up for their sub-par hearing, they possess an inner sensory organ that allows them to detect even very fine vibrations. Another distinct hallmark of the Aspid are their tails, which are continuations of their extremely flexible spines, and can be up to 4.5ft in length. They are usually held somewhat upwards, as it's considered unsanitary to drag them along the ground. Their skin too, looks ostensibly human, but is scale-like near various places; namely near their elbows, knees, hips, spine, and grow in a wide variety of patterns of their tails. Aspid scales are very smooth to the touch, and are more sensitive than their human skin. Aspid skintones vary greatly, but tend to have either grayer or bluer hues than their climates would suggest, with their scales tending to a monochrome array of bright whites and deep blacks. Additionally, Aspids enjoy a curious melanin hyper-regulation, allowing them to assume an approximation of the skin color of a place's native population in a matter of weeks. Lastly, they have a few distinct facial features. Most notable is their eyes, which share the slit-design of their reptilian kin, and have colours ranging from carmine to vibrant greens, or sometimes even aureate yellows. Despite this, they do have human eyelids, and do not need to hydrate them with their long, forked tongues. Albeit not nearly as threatening as other more predatorial peoples, Aspid do have far sharper and longer conical teeth than humans, though they are still omnivorous in nature.
Aspidic Abilities As mentioned, Aspids have a separate sensory organ attuned to picking up vibrations in the ground and air, which supplements their relatively poor hearing. Over time, they've learned to make great use of this ability, especially those among them who work as mechanics or archaeologists. Furthermore, they are able to secrete a flexible venom through either a pair of their teeth, or through minuscule needles embedded in their index and middle-fingers. While they generally only produce the toxin in trace amounts, when stressed, the needles on their fingers protrude. They are able to paralyze most species with a single press, though this does sometimes come with deadly results, especially with repeated applications. The venom they can deliver with their fangs is far more flexible in its usage however, and can be used to inject small amounts to work as a soothing painkiller, or in slightly larger amounts; a relaxing sedative. Especially in Victorian times, diluted Aspidic venom was a popular recreational drug.
Vulnerabilities Due to their small communities, Aspid remain rather rare, and their population numbers have often dwindled into the thousands. The largest loss of Aspid life had been during the first World War, where they were deployed en masse by British forces to work as trench-medics, which is where their biggest weakness came to light. Under extreme stress, an Aspid may overproduce their venom. If not injected in another living creature, their glands may eventually 'pop', releasing an extreme amount of toxins into their own bloodstreams, suddenly killing them in seconds. Their scales are also particularly vulnerable, and though they can be rapidly regrown, their sensitivity to pain easily startles, or even temporarily incapacitates Aspids. That said, many enjoy skirting that line a little, especially during romantic engagements.
Gender: Male Job: Junior investigator at the Verbintenis, research fellow in Theology and Western Esotericism. Appearance: Personality: Special traits: History: Extra:
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