Fiction:The Firmament/Gorgon

Gorgons are a rare species of humanoid hailing from Khalmartis in Dryadala who sports a number of serpentine features, including the lower body of a serpent and living snakes for hair. They are typically seen as masters to lamias.

Biology
The average gorgon possesses an upper body reminiscent of an elf, and a body composed of a massive snake tail from the waist down. Their humanoid halves typically have pale skin, with their serpent bodies sporting various scale colours; green, brown, red and black are among the most common. Gorgons are adept at a limited form of shapeshifting which allows them to transform their tails into a pair of legs, allowing them to pass for common humanoids. Gorgons are all-female and require males from other humanoid races to reproduce, with their offspring always being full-blooded gorgons. They may live up to a thousand years.

Their other most striking feature is having living snakes for hair; these serpents have no mind of their own and essentially serve as extensions of the gorgon, with functional eyes and fangs, though they cannot feed or drink. These snakes are not made of flesh but of scale-like material which regenerates quickly and causes no pain to the gorgon should it be cut; this allows a gorgon to adjust her snakes to serve as a hairstyle of their choice without any hindrance.

Gorgons are famed for their innate magical powers; should they will it, a gorgon may unleash an unseen wave of energy at an opponent if they make eye contact with her, which causes the victim to be cursed and petrified. Only a gorgon - either the responsible or another - or powerful healing magic can undo this curse.

History
The gorgons are descended from a population of elves who ventured south during ancient times, in an expedition done for the purpose of exploring and then conquering new lands. Led by an ancestral figure known as Medusalen, they eventually arrived to the region known today as Khalmartis, establishing a new state which was able to live a safe and self-sustaining life away from the forests of Eondrassana. When the Greenskins of Druacatakh invaded Dryadala and begun the Great War, the elves of Khalmartis refused to provide aid to their brethren, believing they would be safe by simply staying at the other side of the Great Sea of Sands.

For turning their back away from their people, the Elven Gods cursed the elves of Khalmartis, turning them into serpentine monsters; the higher castes turned into the first gorgons, while the lower castes became the first lamias. Over the following thousand years, the snake-like folk of Khalmartis moved on with their lives and made a name for themselves as the most influential empire of southern Dryadala.

Culture
The gorgons are the rulers of the land of Khalmartis, and even the least influential among their kin is considered nobility. This has led them to grow an opulent and hedonistic society, where they believe the world exists to be enjoyed at their own pleasure. At the same time, gorgons value knowledge and magical prowess, leading many among them to be well learned scholars and powerful spellcasters.

Religion
Many gorgons are religious, with deities worshipped by their folk including Aether, Aldirei, Almonohuim and Dominus Mortis. Despite their fearsome and hedonistic nature, gorgons abhor deities associated with violence and chaos, and those found worshipping dark deities are often publicly denounced and killed.

Relations with other races
Gorgons are feared by most other races, as they possess a reputation of being monstrous and sadistic. Many gorgons see this as a boon, as it means the other races are less likely to bother them, though many realize it may yet lead to otherwise avoidable conflict. Races who actually interact with gorgons regularly see them as haughty, but not unreasonable.

Due to their association with both serpents and petrification, gorgons often take cockatrices and basilisk as pets. The most prestigious gorgons are known to tame hydras.