S'Kra Mur Physiology

Appearance

S'Kra Mur are not mammals. Therefore, they do not have hair or breasts. They do not have external ears but merely holes in the sides of their heads.

Height: S'Kra Mur range in height from 5.25 to 6.25 feet. On average, females are slightly taller than males.

Skin and Scales: A S'Kra Mur's skin is covered in small scales. (Wealthy S'Kra Mur often buff and polish their scales to a fine sheen.) The largest and thickest scales cover the area around the spine. The smallest scales are on the face, which allows for a greater range of expression. A S'Kra Mur's scales do provide some protection but are not able to take much more damage than human skin.

S'Kra Mur do not molt like snakes. Rather, old scales continuously flake off and are replaced by new scales. In an unhealthy S'Kra Mur, the rate of shedding may outpace the rate of growth, resulting in a patchy appearance.

• Possible colors: grey, sorrel, brown, green, green-grey, olive, black, green-brown, golden, silver, white, mottled, speckled, camouflage, dark gold-edged, red-gold

Snout: The length of one's snout usually depends on whether he is descended from mainland or island S'Kra Mur. Mainland S'Kra tend to have longer snouts and tails. The growth of the snout can be stunted by injury.

A S'Kra's nose is not malleable like a human's; it could not be wrinkled in disgust, for example. However, it has a small degree of flexibility and could be pointed in the air.

• Possible variations: pointed, striped, speckled, dappled, standard, slender, narrow, elegant, straight, squared, long, upturned

Eyes: The S'Kra Mur's eyes have slitted pupils.

• Possible colors: blue, gold, crystal blue, sapphire, turquoise, blue-green, emerald, green, moss-green, leaf-green, crystal green, jade, hazel, topaz, milky blue, amber, ale-brown, brown, dark, dark brown, black, silver, clear-colored, milky white, steely grey, stormy grey, grey, blue-grey, violet, red
• Possible shapes: almond-shaped, tilted, crinkled, gold-flecked, silver-flecked, wide-set, close-set, deep-set, limpid, sparkling, crossed, twitching, red-veined, beady, bulging, standard, absent, original

Mouth: The teeth reflect the S'Kra's carnivorous origin. They are sharper and more slender than the teeth of other races. Between the two primary fangs in the front of the mouth are four identical incisors. Behind each fang are four more interlocking "demi-fangs." Behind these demi-fangs is a gap followed by a row of interlocking molars. With the exception of the two primary fangs, which are only in the upper jaw, all of these teeth are matched on the lower jaw.

The fangs of a S'Kra Mur do not look the same as those of a snake, and S'Kra Mur are not venomous.

The S'Kra's forked tongue is slender and highly maneuverable, rather than thick like a human's.

Limbs: S'Kra Mur have ten fingers and ten toes, which are capped with short claws. A S'Kra Mur's claws are somewhat blunted. (To sharpen one's claws is taboo.)

Tail: A S'Kra Mur's tail is long and slender but not prehensile. (It cannot be used to grasp things.) Nor is the tail suitable for whipping. However, the tail is flexible, and its movement and position are often indicative of the S'Kra Mur's emotions.

If severed, the tail can slowly re-grow, but it may be kinked at the site of the injury. If the tail is severed too close to the base, it will not re-grow. (This can be done intentionally in the smozh ceremony.)

• Possible variations: slender tail, crooked tail, long tail, stubby tail, thick tail, kinked tail, straight tail, curving tail, original

Senses

Vision: S'Kra Mur have full color vision. In fact, they experience a deeper and more varied level of color in the visible world. However, this richness is counterbalanced by a weakness in focus in the eyes of both the very young and the very old. (It is not uncommon for elderly S'Kra Mur to be blind.) S'Kra Mur may have enhanced night vision.

Hearing and Touch: A S'Kra Mur's hearing and sense of touch seem to be interrelated. In addition to perceiving sound as we know it, they also perceive vibrations with both their ears and their skin. This gives them a heightened sense of proximity when listening.

Taste: A S'Kra Mur's taste is neither better than nor worse than that of other races. However, they do prefer spicy foods, and they do not enjoy sweets or heavily prepared foods. (They may view cakes as too sugary yet bland.) S'Kra Mur have also demonstrated an increased ability to distinguish the freshness of raw fish, and this ability may translate to other raw meats.

Smell: S'Kra Mur have a poor sense of smell, even compared to humans.

Thermoregulation

There is conflicting information about whether S'Kra Mur are warm-blooded or cold-blooded. Being reptilian, one might assume that S'Kra are cold-blooded. The official description on Play.net refers to non-S'Kra as "those with warmer blood." S'Kra Mur as being more tolerant of heat but more susceptible to cold, which is consistent with cold-blooded reptiles. Some sources have gone so far as to say that S'Kra Mur "have no means to regulate their own temperature."

However, GMs Ellerina and Porlock refer to S'Kra Mur as "cool-blooded" or even warm-blooded. In their view, the S'Kra Mur are warm-blooded but are still more sensitive to cold and more tolerant of heat than the other races. It is generally agreed that the S'Kra Mur, though they can regulate their own temperature, may not be able to do so as efficiently as the other races.

Modern scientists view thermoregulation as a continuum, rather than in terms of either/or categories of "warm-blooded" and "cold-blooded." Therefore, it is quite possible that the S'Kra Mur are neither "cold-blooded" nor "warm-blooded." Rather, S'Kra might have metabolisms that are different from -- and in some ways intermediate between -- those of modern cold-blooded and warm-blooded animals.

Reproduction

S'Kra Mur do not lay eggs; they have live births. The average period of gestation is eight months.

Although the mechanics of the reproductive act have (thankfully) not been described, S'Kra Mur do not have mammalian genitalia and cannot interbreed with other races. (Although there have been interracial couples, such relationships are viewed as taboo by mainstream S'Kra Mur society.)

Life-span

S'Kra Mur can live up to 100 years, but their average life-span is 75 years.

Sources

• An Introduction to S'Kra Anatomy (book)
• GMs Ellerina and Porlock (S'Kra Mur Race Champions)
• Play.net