All those dhani questions

[Licearsvansan]

In an attempt to clear up the numerous confusions surrounding the dhani I decided it was best to ask all the major ones that have been plaguing both new and old members alike. It should be noted that I research on these question and will offer a theory, but I may very well be incorrect in my assumptions.

1. How human are the dhani forms?

The snake form is just a big snake. The human form looks completely human (according to the staff). However, I'm unsure of the actual dhani form. Based on the race page, the dhani form seems to be a snake head/neck attached to a human torso on a snake tail. However the part I'm unclear on is whether the human torso is completely human, scaly, or some strange area in between. Based on the fact that the limbs grow stronger in this form (likely because part of their snake muscles are mixing with their human ones) I assume that the torso is scaly or at least somewhat scaly.

2. Do dhanis have claws in the dhani form.

Based on what you see around the forum the answer is yes, but I still haven't found a single page of lore suggesting that the dhani would have claws so I (and many new members) are left wondering if the dhani have claws or not. Based solely on the fact that the dhani are a mix of human and snake, it seems almost laughable that the hybrid of the two should possess something the other two forms lacks. However, claws do make sense from a certain stand point. The dhani forms heavy human torso would make it difficult to travel at high speeds while standing upright, and the torso also lacks the muscles to slither properly on the ground. This would likely cause a dhani to use its hands to support its weight and crawl when it wants to reach its highest speeds. Claws would allow the dhani to better grip the ground, and this better grip could help the snake move even faster. Faster snake=better chance of survival=more reproduction.

3. Can the dhani speak Common in snake/dhani form?

Scientifically speaking: no petching clue. I'm guessing yes though because EVERYONE already does it that way already and we would have to fix SOOOOO many posts otherwise.

4. how well do dhani see with their normal eyes?

I'm guessing the humans see normally. I'm unsure about the snakes/dhani though. On earth, snakes can't see color well due to poor vision (not entirely colorblind, but its bad enough that they might call a red shirt yellow). That being said, this is Mizahar, not earth and the race page seems to imply that their vision is average even in dhani form.

5. Can dhani milk their own venom?

Yes? but how long would it stay poisonous? (I'm have little knowledge of poisons and venom)

6. How cold blooded are the dhani (the big question)

I'm assuming the snake form is completely cold blooded since it is their original form. However, I am unsure of the other two forms. I assume that either all forms are completely cold blooded, or the dhani becomes increasingly warm blooded as it becomes more human. I am lead to believe the latter since it seems that in the human form the dhani is more in a threat of severe grogginess than the complete and total failure of their internal organs. I doubt that the dhani becomes completely warm blooded in their human form though. Mostly because a complete shift from a cold blooded system to a warm blooded one in a matter of 30 seconds is like forcing a heart to go from its normal rate to one 5-10 times as fast in that short amount of time. The body can change its rate of function dramatically like in hibernation, but even that requires time and is hard on the body. Luckily, there are many states between cold-blooded and warm-blooded that a creature can exist in (which is why most scientist no longer coin these terms). I imagine that when the dhani becomes more human it grows somewhat more warm blooded. The reason I think this is because it accounts for two things. 1. The dhani seems slightly more resistant to cold in the human form though not entirely. 2. The dhani's have a voracious appetite. Why the second? Well the advantage of a cold blooded creature is that they only have to eat once in a while to survive. However, if a normally cold blooded creature shifted to be slightly more warm blooded the creature has to burn ALOT more energy and their appetite will increase dramatically. *breaths*



Okay, those are my questions and my best guesses. So what are your answers forum goers and staff?

[Ssafirsotibones]

Alright, I will try to answer these the best I can. Hope it clears things up. 1. How human are the dhani forms? I believe the human torso on the Dhani form, is completely human. However, this does not mean it will be human sized. It would look kind of silly for instance on a constrictor Dhani, to have a shrunken human torso between the snake head and tail. So I know for a fact, that the human torso for a constrictor Dhani in Dhani form, is much bigger than a normal humans. I think about twice as big. So advice, if you plan to change form, don't do so wearing armor. If you are lucky you bust the armor, or if not... Ouch. Also weapons such as shortswords you use in human form, would be more like a dagger in a constrictor Dhani's Dhani form. At least, compared to the size of the body. Now, you mention that when in Dhani form, they are stronger. Yes, the constrictor and rattler forms are stronger. But I believe part of this, comes from the increased size. Look at Akalaks. They are all around 7 foot tall, and several hundred pounds. Is it any coincidence that they are also all stronger than normal humans? Size is a factor in strength, and the increased size gained in Dhani form, is likely part of were this added strength comes in. A elephant is quite strong, but look how big it is. If it was human sized and weight, it would not be nearly so strong. 2. Do dhanis have claws in the dhani form. No. I honestly have never heard this from another person, so perhaps it is a new convention, but it makes no sense at all for them to have claws. They are not Symenestra or Kelvics. They are Dhani. Snakes do not have claws, they don't even normally have hands! So in Dhani form, with their human hands, they have human fingers and nails. 3. Can the dhani speak Common in snake/dhani form? In Dhani form, it is likely possible, though I would note it would be harder than normal, and require training and time to get decent at it. In snake form however, they cannot speak common. Only snake-tongue. They have no mechanism, to speak common, as they are snakes. 4. how well do dhani see with their normal eyes? Yes, their eyesight is average in Dhani form. Bear in mind, Dhani form is half snake half human, so not everything will be explicitly like a snake. But to be honest, they tend to rely more on other senses, such as heat sensing, than eyesight. At least when hunting. This is even more true when in snake form. And since in human form, they are indistinguishable from humans, it would also be average. 5. Can dhani milk their own venom? Yes, though only the two that have poison, rattlers and vipers. But bear in mind, you would need tools likely, as a snake is not immune to its own venom. Literally. Also, expanded skill in poison would not hurt. Just be careful you don't get yourself while doing so. The rest has little to do with Dhani, and more to do with the poison lore, which I think you should read if you plan to do so, or use that skill. 6. How cold blooded are the dhani (the big question) Not completely sure on this one. They do all dislike the cold, and get sleepy in it. They also will hibernate, if they get to cold for to long. A good idea if you are traveling in the cold is to do so in human form, and or to keep a full belly. Digesting food warms snakes up, due to the extreme amount of energy they invest in digesting. So a possible way to keep warm to an extent, is to keep fed. Plus, all that warm meat and blood in your belly as a foreign heat source, helps out, especially if they are still alive while digestion occurs. Its like having a nice little living fire in your belly, keeping you warm, while you slowly digest it.

[Licearsvansan]

Thanks for the quick answer bones, it was really helpful! It seems the only mystery left is the "how cold blooded is the human/dhani form" (hopefully someone can answer this)

Oh it seems the posts where dhani have claws tends to be by newer dhani members. Probably since naga (who usualy have claws or sharp fingernails) bear a strong resemblence to the dhani form.

Also thanks for the tip about eating to keep warm, but I'm a little curious...was that RL you talking or your PC

[Caran Icewave]

I think from here on out, you should treat the word Dhani as a proper noun. It's the name of a race and should be treated as such. It kind of looks weird, too, to see dhani instead of Dhani. Try to do this with all sentient races and things should look far more sophisticated. When it comes to the claw question, Dhani shouldn't have claws at all unless they are jagged fingernails, in which case using them to attack people indiscriminately would break them and/or be painful after enough. Very unlikely as well if the Dhani is a vain piece of snake. Rough, long nails wouldn't look pretty.

Also I have no idea what a Naga is but I suspect it's some kind of folklore. When I read something like "he clawed at her face", or "her hands were curled claws", I just imagine fingers in a position ready to scratch and jab and rake across something. Not always literal claws.

I'll have to give a better look at this when I'm not in bed on my phone, but so far I appreciate your questions!

[Licearsvansan]

Lol sorry about the use of "dhanis"

And your right, the "claws" clould just be "clawing" with fingernails. Honest mistake if thats the case.

Oh and a naga is a half snake half human creature in lore...usually. Just google it if you are really curious. Its really not that important.

[Verilian]

I think if we really wanted to get technical with capitalization, you would only capitalize the word Dhani when referring to the race itself, but not when referring to the dhani form.

[Dahrien Rhale]

Ok, so , first thing first: I'm new to the site. I know this isn't a newbie forum but I have been planning a Dhani character, and ,this seemed to be the best choice of forum to pose related inquries. Being an American irl, as well as seeing a despairing lack of them on the active list, I've taken a strong interest in playing a Rattlesnake Dhani. Mainly because I feel a lot of charater depth can be achieved with them, though I think there is a lot of misconception (implied at least) with personality/psychology, and a lot of holes in the cultural info. One of the major issues I am encountering is with the lack of info on Taldera (the listed home territory for Rattlers), the second being the nigh murderous nature the Dhani as a whole seemed to be portrayed as possessing (at least suggested in psychology, and interpreted through some of the profiles I've been able to read). I realize in RP there is a lot in the way of player interpretation, but it would really help to have a little more insight into the race, also, because I would like to have some fidelity to the setting in my writhing. If the wiki page is the guideline then no worries , but as this is a growing site, I thought I would dig a bit deeper in the forums. Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.