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Description

So i was screwing around on youtube as i usually do after work, when i happened to stumble into shad-brooks 's youtube channel for the umpteenth time. His speculative mythological creature armament videos are interesting thought experiments, but really don't put things together... visually. I suppose I'm doing that here with his naga/ snake person video. here www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uVRKK…

He speaks on medieval terms but I decided to walk it back and forth a bit and the resultant kit is from all over the bronze age up through Hellenistic to early medieval times so bear with me.

Figure eight tower shields are unmistakably a bronze age Mediterranean piece of equipment, but the huge wicker tower shield does the job well for the high profile figure these snake people have, without being too heavy and unwieldy. Scale armor seemed to be a no-brainer too, it would not hinder low-profile forward movement and would be something a reptilian creature such as this would (i assume) feel comfortable in with minimal wear. Persian and later Hellenistic cataphract segmented bronze sleeves were a perfect solution to an exposed neck being a problem, and also wouldn't hinder movement. I had an assumption that chainmail would generate a lot of drag, and the constant dragging through dirt and sand would accelerate corrosion of iron or steel. Bronze and brass are less susceptible in that regard, but are less than ideal for chainmail owing to weight and softness. Padded armors keep the cost down, and offer some protection to the trailing body. This would make it fairly difficult for snakes to hear, something i realized in hindsight, but would make constriction takedowns a lot safer.

I also gave the heavy an extra spear since powerful lunging attacks could easily shatter the shaft, strikes with the teeth and the threat of constriction would be dangerous enough, but thats a bit undignified isnt it?

I started thinking about their physiology and such as well, would it be possible for them to speak any louder than a whisper, no deeper than the mouth? If they hear through their skin, it would be very difficult once kitted up to give or receive orders. Perhaps instead of musicians there would be incense burners with different scents for different commands, an unfavorable wind blowing could cause miscommunication and mayhem in their ranks, leading to some interesting scenarios. It also takes their deadly physiology down a notch when confronted in a strategic setting. Given how close they are to deaf and mute, I would make another assumption that they would be very literate, perhaps even relying more on written word than spoken. This would of course result in them being very learned. Since snakes dont see color, some dont even see too well, designs in clothing and armor would rely solely on contrast, or perhaps the word of a dye-hawking merchant.

being carnivorous, most crop farming would either be used to support pastoral agriculture or plantations for the sake of trade with other species. Being cold blooded they'd need to stick to warmer climates of course, limiting the need for aggressive expansion.

But what about the fortifications? crenels are just under chin height for a resting naga, with arrow loops at a comfortable height from that position, if an archer were to prop itself up in a manner similar to the one in the illustration, she may very well use the merlons and crenels as a humanoid would. The wall's walks would need to be exceptionally wide to accommodate movement, hinting at either enormous fill walls, earthwork backing, or wide casemates. To prevent lunges over the walls, stakes are set into the outward face of the battlement, as well as many in an inside ditch just in case a naga attempts to vault the walls altogether.

General purpose architecture would be interesting. Stairs might not be desirable in a naga town, any sharp edges while they might not hurt certainly wouldnt be comfortable.

Interesting thought experiment

Description

So i was screwing around on youtube as i usually do after work, when i happened to stumble into shad-brooks 's youtube channel for the umpteenth time. His speculative mythological creature armament videos are interesting thought experiments, but really don't put things together... visually. I suppose I'm doing that here with his naga/ snake person video. here www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uVRKK…

He speaks on medieval terms but I decided to walk it back and forth a bit and the resultant kit is from all over the bronze age up through Hellenistic to early medieval times so bear with me.

Figure eight tower shields are unmistakably a bronze age Mediterranean piece of equipment, but the huge wicker tower shield does the job well for the high profile figure these snake people have, without being too heavy and unwieldy. Scale armor seemed to be a no-brainer too, it would not hinder low-profile forward movement and would be something a reptilian creature such as this would (i assume) feel comfortable in with minimal wear. Persian and later Hellenistic cataphract segmented bronze sleeves were a perfect solution to an exposed neck being a problem, and also wouldn't hinder movement. I had an assumption that chainmail would generate a lot of drag, and the constant dragging through dirt and sand would accelerate corrosion of iron or steel. Bronze and brass are less susceptible in that regard, but are less than ideal for chainmail owing to weight and softness. Padded armors keep the cost down, and offer some protection to the trailing body. This would make it fairly difficult for snakes to hear, something i realized in hindsight, but would make constriction takedowns a lot safer.

I also gave the heavy an extra spear since powerful lunging attacks could easily shatter the shaft, strikes with the teeth and the threat of constriction would be dangerous enough, but thats a bit undignified isnt it?

I started thinking about their physiology and such as well, would it be possible for them to speak any louder than a whisper, no deeper than the mouth? If they hear through their skin, it would be very difficult once kitted up to give or receive orders. Perhaps instead of musicians there would be incense burners with different scents for different commands, an unfavorable wind blowing could cause miscommunication and mayhem in their ranks, leading to some interesting scenarios. It also takes their deadly physiology down a notch when confronted in a strategic setting. Given how close they are to deaf and mute, I would make another assumption that they would be very literate, perhaps even relying more on written word than spoken. This would of course result in them being very learned. Since snakes dont see color, some dont even see too well, designs in clothing and armor would rely solely on contrast, or perhaps the word of a dye-hawking merchant.

being carnivorous, most crop farming would either be used to support pastoral agriculture or plantations for the sake of trade with other species. Being cold blooded they'd need to stick to warmer climates of course, limiting the need for aggressive expansion.

But what about the fortifications? crenels are just under chin height for a resting naga, with arrow loops at a comfortable height from that position, if an archer were to prop itself up in a manner similar to the one in the illustration, she may very well use the merlons and crenels as a humanoid would. The wall's walks would need to be exceptionally wide to accommodate movement, hinting at either enormous fill walls, earthwork backing, or wide casemates. To prevent lunges over the walls, stakes are set into the outward face of the battlement, as well as many in an inside ditch just in case a naga attempts to vault the walls altogether.

General purpose architecture would be interesting. Stairs might not be desirable in a naga town, any sharp edges while they might not hurt certainly wouldnt be comfortable.

Interesting thought experiment