(As I do not have Trust level 3, and likely never will, I have had the generous Mianyaue repost this about 17 posts down with the pictures and such at
Sorry for any inconvenience. If you would like to just read my original post, without the pics, you can simply click the dropdown right below. Keep in mind, Mianyaue may not have gotten around to adding the edits I have made to my post here, so her repost may be missing things. When in doubt, check my version.)
Here is my original post with no pics
Well, after a long period of physical illness and lots of time and effort, I can finally say…
It’s time.
“Time for what?” You ask? Why, only for us to discuss, perhaps, one of the longest requested playable races in the history of the World of Warcraft!!
Naga, my friends. It’s time, once again, to talk about Playable Naga
It’s time for Naga enthusiasts, as well as those curious about the Naga, and those who don’t otherwise care, but are charitable enough to support the cause, to all come together!
Welcome to the Unofficial Naga Playable Race Discussion Megathread!
Or, well, hopefully megathread. Time will tell whether the hope for that future title change is mere hubris or not. Hoping for the best!
The purpose of this thread is to act as a thread for people to voice support for Naga becoming playable, as well as a repository for all things Naga.
Ideas, theories, suggestions, and even headcanons for playable Naga, along with all that would come with them, as well as simply a place to discuss everyone’s favorite nefarious Warcraft sea serpent people! This thread is for all of it. If Blizzard finally sees reason and adds playable Naga, perhaps they will consider using some content and information here to do so!
First things first, shout out to all who have made or supported playable Naga threads in the past, despite all the naysayers. You helped keep the dream alive, as I am attempting to. May our efforts be met ultimately with success in getting Blizzard to bring the dream to life!
Secondly, while many have been waiting actual decades for the Naga to be playable, I am not suggesting the Naga be added before any other race being requested. With luck, they will be added soon, alongside other races people widely request!
In addition, this thread is very much a work in progress, this original post will almost certainly be subject to change, particularly if/as people contribute and make suggestions, and as I decide something needs tweaking. In particular, I am not trust level 3, and likely never will be, so this will not have any images, videos, but if that changes, you bet so will the thread.
Lastly, as should go without saying, let’s keep it civil and considerate in here. No matter what we think of one another, let us focus on our love of this really cool part of Warcraft, and the prospect of playing as them!
Now, without further adieu, let’s get started!
https://i.imgur.com/m5dc4bd.png
Contents:
- Introduction
- Who Are the Naga?
- Lore
- Additional Info
- Faction
- Core or Allied
- Possible Leaders
- Capital
- Racial Mount
- Hunter Pet
- Classes
- Banner and Tabard
- Racials
- Customization
- Heritage Armor
- Dance
- Flirt and Joke Suggestions
- Issues and Solutions
- How to help
- Acknowledgements
Introduction
The Naga… They have been part of Warcraft for a very long time, and have been requested to be playable since WoW was barely even on many people’s radar. For those of you who are unaware, Naga first appeared before WoW came to be, in the Warcraft 3 expansion, The Frozen Throne. Their arrival in the expansion’s opening cinematic was both impressive, intense, and a bit menacing. I’d recommend seeing it if you haven’t. It’s a nice watch.
https://youtu.be/iqB3KeiBLuw?t=63
They had quite a few assets for a non-playable faction in the game. It was likely that, in addition to their incredible design, and the fact we actually get to play as them in the single-player campaign for a few levels, which inspired players to ask for them to become a fully fledged playable faction in the game. Alas, despite popular demand, this never happened. When WoW came along, developers (specifically the animators) again came up with reasons not to make them a playable part of the game, even with the fans still asking for them, and Metzen himself allegedly wanting them to be added as an option.
However, the requests continued, and have continued for many years. While others and I have made request threads in the past, it has been suggested to me to make a serious thread dedicated to bringing the fans together to support the sinister serpent people’s realization as a playable race once and for all!
They are a race that holds a pivotal place in Warcraft, as well as in my heart. They are also arguably one of the first races to be truly unique to the Warcraft franchise, and without them being playable, I truly am just never going to be really satisfied with WoW. I adore everything about them and how they are depicted. Their look, how they tend to sound, their history and lore, their aesthetic, and their sinister characterization!
That brings us to the question…
Who Are the Naga?
The Naga, by and large, are a race of scaled reptile-like semi-humanoids originating from the underwater empire of Najatar, centered around the Maelstrom between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. They are amphibious in nature, capable of breathing in air and water, with mostly humanoid torsos, and the lower half of large sea serpents. Males tend to have heads of sea serpents as well, nearly draconic or crocodilian in appearance, with rows of sharp teeth that protrude visibly, lending further to their bestial look. Their torsos are heavily muscular, often being even physically larger and stronger than orcs (according to the novel “Illidan”) and covered in thicker scales than female Naga, particularly on their chest, and bellies, which are covered in large thick scale segments that extend down the underside of their tails. No visual trace of their once proud elven origins seems to remain. Females, on the other hand, retain some semblance of their former elven features in the shape of their faces and torsos. However, between the slit pupils of their eyes, the fact that many have fine scales that cover their torsos, and complete lack of visible ears, their reptilian features make it impossible to confuse them with a true elf. On top of this, females also often have multiple pairs of arms, though this is not universal. Both males and females have clawed hands that are missing digits. Two are missing on males, and one on females. Both also tend to to have sharp, spiny fins that sprout from their heads and down their back and tails. The color of these fins, as well as the Naga’s spines and scales varies widely. The scales and spines of most tend to be shades of blue, green, or silver, with the exception of on their chests, bellies and undertails, which generally have a different color than the rest of their scales, often a tan, or even golden color. That being said, other colors, such as red, yellow, black, and purple are known to occur. Likewise, the fins also vary widely in coloration, typically contrasting vibrantly with the color of their scales.
It’s important to note that many also display mutations, likely as a result of their extensive use of a variety of powerful and corruptive magics, or transformations bestowed upon them by N’zoth or Azshara. As such, there is actually a great degree of variance in the appearance of Naga, with some having snakes growing from their heads, tentacles or crab limbs in place of legs, seashells and stone fused to their body, or extra eyes. (Playable Naga would most likely not display most, if any such traits)
Their transformation was not merely physical. Their minds and souls were both deeply affected by the Azshara’s bargain with N’zoth. Their minds infused with hatred, and their hearts and souls made dark and cold like the ocean depths, they were forever changed. This was only compounded by the bitterness they felt at the loss of their imperial holdings, and banishment beneath the waves. As a result, most, if not all Naga have malevolent tendencies, with dishonesty, ruthlessness, and an insatiable hunger for power being a prevalent feature of the psyche and culture of most Naga. They have a penchant for exploiting other races in various ways such as slave labor, among other things. Murlocs in particular are the first known targets of enslavement.
However, although they all undoubtedly will lean towards the wicked side, this does not mean they all think or act exactly the same. Some display not only a capability for independence from Azshara, but even a degree of friendliness towards other races on rare occasion. Naga also seem to be fiercely protective of their young, with their hatcheries and spawning grounds being heavily guarded, so perhaps there is a nurturing side to these otherwise largely malefic creatures.
Like their elven cousins, Naga tend to be long lived, with some even having gained eternal life as a result of their transformation, though this tends to be more the case for Naga females than males. On that note, Naga society is largely matriarchal, with females usually retaining more of their pre-Sundering memories and personalities than males, and tending to be smarter and more magically gifted as well. As a result, females tend to be in charge, and most male Naga are relegated to the role of foot soldiers and front-line troops. Exceptions do exist however, and not only do some Naga males demonstrate magical talent and intellect, many in fact also hold leadership positions.
Almost all Naga are entirely addicted to magic. This is the result of their excessive use of it both before and after their transformation from Highborne Kaldorei, as well as how for thousands of years they have been bathed in the power of the Maelstrom, the remains of the Well of Eternity. They are magical creatures by nature, as their current state of existence was brought about through a magically induced transformation.
Lore
Speaking of the Naga's current state...
Do you know how the Naga first came into being?
They were elves once, taken by the dark powers…
… and turned into something sooo much more awesome!! Err… I mean… ahem…
The story of the Naga begins… with the end. The end of the Kaldorei empire.
The mightiest mortal empire the world had ever seen, that had lasted many thousands of years… was meeting its annihilation. The empire’s queen, Azshara, beautiful, intelligent, and among the most powerful mortal wielders of arcane magic in the world, had bargained foolishly with the Dark Titan Sargeras, who offered power and eternal prosperity to her and her loyal Highborne noble elite. The demon lord’s Burning Legion, summoned into the world by Azshara and her loyalists, would scour the world of all other life. Then, according to him, the world would be made into a paradise for her and what was left of her people. The result was the rebellion of many of the mortal races of the entire planet, including the common folk and lesser nobles of her empire. The culmination of this rebellion was the destabilization of the Well of Eternity, the ancient fount of arcane magical power, that the Kaldorei, particularly Azshara and her Highborne, cherished. In its death throes it sundered the surface of the planet, causing much of the land to both be torn apart as well as sink, letting the ocean bury everything beneath the waves.
Azshara tried her best to hold the destruction at bay. Using all her power, she tried to protect the center of her kingdom and her palace from the waves of destruction that sought to consume it. But she could not withstand. The magical barriers she had raised shattered, and the heart of her empire, and all her loyal followers, were taken by the ocean. In fear and desperation, Azshara made a new bargain, this time with an ancient evil long rooted in the planet: the Old God, N’zoth. Where once, she offered up the bulk of her race to be destroyed by Sargeras’ Burning Legion, now she would offer her most loyal followers she had once intended to bring into prosperity, instead into utter corruption and damnation. An army in service to a mighty godly avatar of the dark Void. In exchange, she would be granted new power. With her people, she would survive the consequences of her choices… and be reborn.
Thus, the Naga came to be.
After their transformation, for ten thousand years the Naga stayed largely out of the affairs of the surface world (with a couple notable exceptions, including an incident in Vol’dun with the Tiger Loa), focusing on taking control of the ocean depths, building a new empire on the ocean floor. This changed after the Third War, when Naga suddenly started surfacing around the world, almost always with nefarious purposes. It was during this time that first known contact between land dwellers and Naga was made, albeit only one and only the spirit of one. Thrall, sailing from the Eastern Kingdoms to Kalimdor, rescued the Darkspear Trolls from the ghostly Naga Sea Witch Zar’jira, and her Murloc worshippers who sought to sacrifice them to her. After that, the next apparent encounter with the Naga, as well as the first encounter with ones of flesh and blood, was made by Illidan Stormrage at some point after his consumption of the Skull of Gul’dan, and the battle of Mount Hyjal. Azshara, at the behest of N’zoth, sent one of her greatest servants, Lady Vashj, at the head of a large force to serve Illidan after he used magic to call out to them, secretly intending to use the fel-corrupted Night Elf to further the Old God’s agenda. While in service to Illidan, Vashj assisted the Blood Elves under command of prince Kael’thas Sunstrider, the last known living member of the royal family of Quel’thalas, and subsequently brought the prince and the elves following him with her to Outland to serve Illidan.
Around the same time, another group of naga led by Lady Darkscale attacked the forces of Kul Tiras in Dustwallow Marsh, taking a few prisoners, and killing the rest. Soon afterward, Lady Darkscale and the rest of her naga forces were slain by the combined might of Jaina Proudmoore, Rexxar, Rokhan, and Chen Stormstout.
Since that point, Naga have been involved or at the very least been encountered nearby with almost every important event on Azeroth. In Vanilla we encounter them all over the world, most notably summoning minions of the Old Gods in Blackfathom Deeps. In The Burning Crusade we encounter them fighting on behalf of Illidan, and draining the Zangarmarsh dry to control the region and its denizens. In Cataclysm they were fighting on behalf of N’zoth with Deathwing, and imprisoning Neptulon. In Legion some of them were fighting beside the Illidari, and some joined the Legion, while those working for Azshara stole the Tidestone of Golganneth.
Battle for Azeroth was the latest, and last time the Naga were of significance, most notably when the Naga attacked the Alliance and Horde all over the world, and took prisoners to Najatar. This led to both factions allying with other enemies that Azshara had nearby before storming her palace and nearly killing her. N’zoth then captured her, with adventurers ending up freeing her later as they assaulted the Old God. Where she went after that, only some of her closest followers may know, as all she said to the adventurers was that she now seeks the “true throne of power.” However, in Dragonflight, a scroll can be found that suggests perhaps she found that throne and has another role to play in the future.
That is the lore of the Naga so far.
Of note, there were two friendly Naga encounterable in Vanilla until Cataclysm, both found in Tanaris. One, Zalashji, could be found in a cave to the east of Gadgetzan on the coast. He didn’t do much. Just walked in and out of his cave onto the beach. The other, Meredith the Mermaiden was encountered in the ocean southeast of Land’s End Beach. If you spoke to her while on one specific part of the Scepter of the Shifting Sands quest chain, she gave you a quest, and if you completed it, you could talk to her again to get a swim speed buff.
Less friendly, but still non-hostile Naga were also encountered after Vanilla. During TBC we encounter a neutral Naga quest-giver, Skar’this, who was being imprisoned by the Illidari Naga, and in WotLK you could complete quests for a Naga priestess, Veehja.
In Cataclysm, the Bloodwash Naga of the Blasted Lands supposedly used to be non-hostile, at least toward the nearby Murlocs while worshipping Neptulon. Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, they turned against Neptulon, started worshipping Azshara, and became hostile towards the Murlocs.
Additional Info
Click for fun flavor lore about the Naga
Naga culture, although largely unknown or otherwise largely an original construct, does seem to bear real world influences such as South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean. Their name in and of itself derives from the name of a mythical creature of Desi culture. It is known that their society has a caste system, further suggesting ancient Indian themes. Their architecture might have some vague Asian and ancient Greek themes, but seems largely unique, especially as of Battle for Azeroth.
In southern Desolace, in the Valley of Bones, there are two massive skeletons. Given their serpent-like spiny heads, tridents, and snake-like lower bodies, it seems highly likely these are the remains of Naga, which suggests that some Naga have grown to truly enormous sizes.
The official native tongue of the Naga is called Nazja.
The most commonly preferred weapons of the naga are tridents and scimitars.
Naga can shed their skin. Their hides are highly prized as a luxurious material by goblins.
Naga refer to land-dwelling races with various terms, typically in a derogatory fashion. Some of these include “landwalker”, “landling”, “warmblood”, and “softskin”.
Naga consider turtles bad luck.
Naga hatch from eggs, which are somewhat translucent, with a single embryo visible within. Naga hatchlings tend to like pool toys.
The true face of evil: https://64.media.tumblr.com/85aeaa4739041f66dc5bfa5bd172bf76/tumblr_pq5yxkak4t1ue1gv5_1280.jpg
Faction
There’s a lot of bad blood between the Naga and both of the playable factions. Hostility has been the norm, with friendly interactions having been few and far between, and almost exclusively isolated to the player character, not larger friendly relations between the Naga and the Alliance and Horde. That being said, this can certainly change. We have Man’ari Eredar joining the Alliance for crying out loud. It is unlikely that playable Naga would be loyal to Azshara, but who knows what Blizzard could come up with.
How playable Naga would come to be can be discussed in this thread
But that still begs the question… which faction would they join?
In this section will be listed arguments for and against playable Naga being either Alliance, Horde, or neutral/both. This section will be added to and changed as discussion goes on and/or as new lore surfaces.
Click Me
With the Alliance, there’s the fact that Naga were once Night Elves, and some Highborne Night Elves from Eldre’thalas have already integrated into Darnassian society to some degree. In addition, with Naga being essentially void-spawned creatures, there could be some kinship between them and the Void Elves. The problem with the first point is that unlike the Highborne of Eldre’thalas, the Naga are the same group, or are at least descended from the same group of Highborne that Night Elves witnessed summon the Legion into the world to destroy them all, and thus went to war with. The enmity between Naga and Night Elves is both mutual, and deep-seated, going back thousands of years. Also, while the Highborne of Eldre’thalas have rejoined the rest of Night Elf society to a degree, it’s heavily implied they are still discriminated against by many. The Naga, even if not loyal to Azshara, are proud, and unlikely to accept such treatment.
There’s nothing really wrong with the Void elf argument, however one could argue that the Horde deserves a void oriented race as well.
Oh, also the Naga, Meredith, was unrequitedly in love with a gnome. So there’s that.
For the Horde, the Blood Elves have a members among them, such as Rommath, and the Sunfury that have worked alongside Naga in the past, are descended from the Highborne, and are proud of that heritage. There’s also the Nightborne who are essentially slightly mutated Highborne Night Elves themselves. Of course the Blood elves and Nightborne have both fought against the Naga recently in Najatar, so that works against the Naga joining the Horde. More importantly, the Darkspear have a bit of a bad recent history with Naga. The ghostly Sea Witch who Thrall saved them from, Zar’jira, attempted to wipe them out, twice, once with other Naga to support her. Also, it would be slightly weird for the Naga to ally with Goblins, since the little green buggers like to collect their hides… but perhaps playable Naga start trading their shed skins, and the hides of enemy Naga they kill to get good trade relations with Goblins?
Neutrality could work in that blizzard has stated there are different groups of Naga with different motivations, just like with most people. Similar to what happened with the Pandaren, one group could go blue, the other red. What works against this is that it’s harder for Blizzard to write for playable Naga when there is not only universally hostile Naga, but also Naga on both the Alliance and Horde.
Core or Allied
I personally don’t particularly care. I think Naga deserve a core race spot, with their own special starting experience and questline just like the Goblins, Worgen, and Pandaren got, but as long as they are made playable, it makes little difference to me.
What others think will be taken into account and written here.
Possible Leaders
https://imgur.com/Ax5ue9x
Aside from Azshara, there truly are not many, if any Naga of notoriety that we’ve encountered to even be considered for leadership, and Azshara herself seems incredibly implausible as an option. That being said, I know there are definitely people who would still like Azshara to be the official leader of playable Naga.
https://i.imgur.com/vX8AB1j.jpeg
Vashj would have to come back from the dead to even be considered, and it’s unclear why she’d turn against her beloved queen to join blue or red, or why blue or red would let someone loyal to Azshara join them.
https://wow.zamimg.com/modelviewer/live/webthumbs/npc/91/74843.png
Lady S’theno is relatively plausible, we don’t truly know much about her. She is probably also likely still loyal to Azshara, but it’s better than nothing.
https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/171577-skarthis-the-heretic.jpg
Skar’this the Heretic. Although he seems to be up to no good during the Midsummer Festival, he is in fact loyal to Neptulon, who so far the Horde and Alliance seem to be on relatively good terms with. He could be a good choice with some more writing and screen time.
Nar’jira, formerly the Naz’jar Battlemaiden, crowned Champion of Azshara, was a female Naga who we control in quests where we view visions of the recent past in Vashj’ir. Many who played Vashj’ir would remember her quests for the novelty of being the first time we get a glimpse of actually playing as a Naga! It would not be that inappropriate for her to get some development and end up as the racial leader. She has a similar issue to Vashj, in that she was clearly a diehard loyalist to her Queen. But at least she is presumed alive.
Meredith and Zalazshi haven’t been seen since Vanilla, and never seemed terribly important to begin with. They’re pretty much literal nobodies as they don’t even exist in-game in retail.
It is my opinion that the best course would be either an even lesser known character we know of be elevated and given some screen time, or a brand new character be created altogether.
My Headcanon
My personal, humble headcanon would in fact be that the best choice would actually be a male. I can practically hear the grumblings from many people reading that, and I do understand. Naga are characteristically matriarchal. Would it not go against their fantasy? Should we not take the opportunity to have strong leading female characters with a race with such a society where it would make sense to have one?
I would argue not necessarily. I’ll get to the latter point in a bit, but let me address the matter of the Naga fantasy. There have been a number of male Naga in high-ranking positions throughout the game’s history. In addition, male naga are more iconic. They look less humanoid, and thus stand out more. They’re the first Naga we ever see! Also I think it would be a clever reference to Desi folklore where the race’s name originates, as the word “naga” specifically denotes a male creature, while “nagini” is used for the female version.
More importantly, a playable Naga faction would likely be one that is disloyal to Azshara. Why is this relevant? Because that means their leader would have to be highly exceptional. What would be more exceptional than a male reaching the highest possible position in a matriarchal culture? In such a culture, who would be more likely to rebel against the absolute ruler, than an exceptionally ambitious, intelligent male Naga? One who recognized he could never reach the station he dreams of because of how things are set up by a single matriarch whose narcissism ensured those she relates to more are given preferential treatment, right down to the neurological level when the race was created for her? Of course… in my headcanon I also imagine this hypothetical individual having always been intending to overthrow Azshara for other reasons, even before his transformation into a Naga. Possibly even before her contacting the Burning Legion.
If depicted correctly, he’d represent an anomaly amongst the Naga. A fluke. The exception that proves the rule. Perhaps even a lucky individual who had a particular ancestry and/or circumstances that enabled him to be as he is and where he is. He wouldn’t be able to stand against Azshara alone, of course, although perhaps he’d be able to outsmart her. He’d just be strong, charismatic, magically gifted, and cunning enough that few other Naga can easily defeat him one on one. He’d be surrounded by powerful women advising him, (or even saving his scaly butt), some, or maybe even most of which he had to best in some way in order to earn their respect and loyalty, while still watching his back for signs of treachery. Such a character would also help establish that it’s possible for a male player character to even exist in lore, since male PC’s canonically are going to end up becoming just as powerful as the strongest female naga NPC’s, if not stronger, and display equal intelligence. However, the player character would still be constantly reminded, even with a male racial leader, that Naga society is still very much matriarchal, with most other Naga authority figure npc’s such as Naga quest-givers being female.
We can of course also go the route of there being two de facto racial leaders, one male, and one female, leading equally, supporting and complementing each other. This would allow for a strong female lead in addition to a male one.
I would obviously be fine with a sole female naga racial leader. I just am selling my headcanon, and think the tale of a man (so to speak) overcoming adversity in a matriarchal culture mirrors the situation of a woman overcoming the same kind of adversity in a patriarchal one.
Capital
Najatar will always be the true capital of the Naga. However, unless Azshara herself allies with the playable factions, playable Naga will likely have to have at least a temporary capital elsewhere until some day that they conquer Najatar.
Here we can list places such a temporary capital, and starting zone would be. That, or explanations for making Najatar the player capital.
Racial Mount
The most sensible choice for racial ground mounts would be Snapdragons
https://imgur.com/IbEeN1Y
https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/856580-royal-snapdragon-royal-snapdragon-mount-from-ankoan-supplies.jpg
Hunter Pet
Ideas for Naga hunter pets go here.
Abyssal Eel
https://www.wow-petopia.com/images/skin_pix/seaeel_teal.jpg
Serpent
https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/380740-blinkeye-the-rattler.jpg
(Yes, Vulpera already have serpents, but Worgen and DIron Dwarves both have different looking hounds, and since this is similarly a different looking serpent than the one Vulpera have it should be fine.)
Crocolisk
https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/32414-mottled-drywallow-crocolisk.jpg
Small Hydra?
https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/78205-mystlash-hydra.jpg
That, but smol.
Starfish that waddle around on land. (Jaesears’ idea)
No pic since not in game yet.
Classes
Click Me
Blizzard seems to be moving toward opening up most classes to all races, but the most obvious classes available canonically to Naga would be:
Hunter
Mage
Priest
Rogue
Shaman
Warlock
Warrior
Death Knight
Druid is a maybe. The vast majority of Naga generally don’t give a dook about nature or life like a druid should, nor are they likely to practice Kul’tiran style death druidism. It would need to be a brand new style of druidism specific to them. In addition, giving Naga druids would make animators feel compelled to give them unique looking animal forms, and that would make adding Naga more difficult, so druids would likely have to be a class Naga get after being added. Still, not a ridiculous possibility. Perhaps they’d have something like Druids of the Flame, but water aligned?
Depending on how Naga would be implemented, monk may be an option as well. However, given that Naga have no legs by default, monk becomes less feasible. There are ideas for Naga having a visage form, or simply having the option to transform to gain legs when they are needed, which could solve this issue.
Naga paladins would require Naga to start worshipping the Light or Elune or something. Maybe an obscure sect of them could be the justification…? I am very much personally against Naga worshipping Elune or the Light. But whatever it takes to get the necessary support for them to become playable…
Banner and Tabard
The symbol of playable Naga would likely be different from any we’ve seen on the naga banners so far, as the symbols we’ve seen denote specific groups that are unlikely to align with the Alliance or Horde. However, the physical banner would probably have a similar shape to the ones we’ve seen.
https://imgur.com/z9xN4G8
https://imgur.com/WaZ7Hbg
Racials
A list of ideas for racials. Not suggesting all would be added (besides maybe one that increases swim speed and gives permanent water breathing. That’s kinda a given)
Click Me
Of the Deep
Passive
Permanent water breathing, and +30% swim speed.
Enchanted Scales
Passive
Reduce magic damage taken by 2%, and reduce physical damage taken by 1%
Aquatic Hunter
Passive
Fishing Skill increased by 15
Slippery
Passive
Increases your Haste by 1%. Also increases your chance to dodge melee attacks by 2%.
Rehydrate
Passive
Heal for a % total health every 3 sec while underwater. Moving, casting, or taking damage cancels the effect.
Tide of Vengeance
Instant Cast
Hurl a wave of water that deals (Attack or Spell power (whichever’s higher) * 2) Nature damage to the target. All enemies between you and the target are knocked back.
Just Keep Swimming
1.5 sec cast (must be in water)
Breath deep, focus, and swim. (Water mounting ability, +60% swim speed at level 10-19, and +100% at 20+. Mount restrictions apply.)
As with everything here, open to suggestions!
Customization
WIP
https://imgur.com/JIxvP5h
A list the current range of male naga models that I found.
Couldn’t find a list of females unfortunately.
I will likely need help finding images for customization options and ideas. The obvious ideas would be things like customizing the color of the fins, scales and eyes. There’s also the face tendrils that males have. There could be some options for customizability there. I myself would like to give my Naga a tentacle moustache!
Fin shapes/styles, particularly on the head of both males and females can also be a customization option. There’s hearthstone images that show Naga with an anglerfish lure on their head. That, and other quirky little features could be part of customization.
Heritage Armor
WIP, but maybe something like this:
https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/853103-zanjir-centurion.jpg
Dance
WIP
Perhaps males would do the worm, while females would do some sort of traditional Indian/South Asian dance.
Please do make suggestions.
Flirt and Joke Suggestions
WIP
As with everywhere else here, open to suggestions.
Issues and Solutions
This section is dedicated to listing concerns and issues with adding playable naga, as well as suggested solutions to said concerns and issues.
Click Me
Gear
There have been two especially prominent issues with the idea of playable Naga that have been raised since the earliest days of WoW, one of which was gear problems.
This frankly does not seem like much of an issue anymore. As we’ve seen with Zanj’ir Centurions, which I linked a pic of in the Heritage armor section, and Azsh’ari Stormsurgers https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/853115-azshari-stormsurger.jpg
It is pretty clear that making Naga have all the necessary gear be visible is entirely doable. On top of that, we have Mechagnomes and Dracthyr that don’t show all the gear most consider important to show anyway.
Mounts
The second age old issue with Naga being made playable has always been mounts. Specifically, animating them sitting on mounts. I’m not sure why this is an issue since there’s drawn art showing Naga on mounts that doesn’t look terribly difficult to animate, but while I have spoken to people who know how to animate, I myself am not one so I can not speak much on the matter. More broadly, the fact that Naga do not have legs and a few mechanics require them is an issue as well.
A simple fix for this would simply to have them use something like a more basic form of visage magic to swap their tails for legs whenever they are needed for things like mounting (and perhaps Monk kicking). There is a bit of precedent for Naga shapeshifting since Azshara herself shapeshifts into her elven form in Legion, and multiple naga can combine themselves to transform into a massive creatures like the Wrath of Azshara, showing even lesser naga are capable of some degree of transforming themselves. There’s also Naga Behemoths, who are Naga who have literally transformed into hulking creatures with legs (sure, they were originally planned to not have legs, but that’s irrelevant at this point). Compared to all of that, Naga temporarily giving themselves legs on occasion when needed hardly seems far-fetched. Bear in mind, I am not talking about a visage form like Dracthyr have where they would turn into scaley elves. I am talking about naga with legs, and only when mounting or whenever else mechanics require legs. This wouldn’t even be a “form” the player would be able to choose to swap between. It would just be what happens when Blizz is to lazy to change the game to accomodate their tails. Not only with mounts, but whatever else.
They’re EVIL!!
A common argument against them is the fact that they are, and pretty much always have been one of the primary villain races of WoW. One particular thread I myself have seen argues that having the Naga join blue or red would ruin the fantasy of the race. I consider this argument silly, bordering on intellectual dishonesty. By this logic we never would have gotten Death Knights, Demon Hunters, Man’ari Eredar etc. Blood Elves bordered on villainous and Horde got them. Forsaken were almost certainly villainous in Vanilla and the Horde has always had them in WoW. Naga can be playable, and still fit the villainous fantasy many, including myself, want from them. Most of them would put up the facade of trying to change their ways or of not being like the rest of their kin, but they could still enslave creatures like murlocs to do their work, maybe seek to overthrow Neptulon, and have other cruel tendencies they hide from their new allies. They’d just recognize they have to coexist with the Horde and/or Alliance (at least for now), and perhaps even need them to achieve their goals.
Fact is, as mentioned in the “Factions” section, Blizz has outright confirmed at Blizzcon some Naga are not driven to serve Azshara. There are different groups with different motivations. Some are likely a bit less evil than the rest, even if N’zoth’s corruption has touched their very souls. As such, there could in fact be a few who are genuinely at least somewhat noble. Perhaps even a small few who wish to simply live in peace in the ocean. Such Naga would obviously be a minority of player-aligned Naga, but still Blizz has made it clear they likely exist. As stated in the lore section, the Bloodwash Naga were at one point peaceful with neighboring Murlocs. Whether they were peaceful with anyone else is unclear, but that’s a clear indication, in combination with WoW devs’ own words, that at least a few naga are capable of co-existing with other races.
Why Would They Join Us?
A fair question to ask. I believe playable Naga would be Naga that have been rebelling against Azshara for a long time, but have been on the losing end of the conflict and thus been forced into hiding, and either been too busy, proud, distrustful or all three to reach out to the Horde or Alliance. Until now. With Azshara gone, and red and blue having assaulted the capital, there’s a power vacuum that has formed. The issue is the Azshara loyalists still would vastly outnumber the rebels, and may quite possibly now feel desperate enough to put in an exerted effort in hunting down and wiping out all rebels in preparation for Azshara’s return. This, and seeing us defeat Azshara, prompts the rebel leader(s) to reveal themselves and reach out to us, offering to pledge their support to us if we in turn promise to one day assist them in taking over the empire. They of course also swear that under their control, the empire will be a less malevolent force in the world than the one under Azshara (which may or may not be entirely a lie…).
More to be added as people discuss in the thread.
How to help
To make playable Naga a reality, we have to work together to push Blizz to make it happen. (Gonna be shamelessly stealing from from Bagzak for this section. Ogres and Naga both should have already been made playable ages ago, btw.)
Posting here is a great start. Share ideas, things like artwork and screenshots, and engage in discussions.
Send in-game feedback suggesting/asking for the race. How to do so is in the drop down below.
How To Send Feedback
Do one suggestion for each race you want, in this case Naga, and refer to their megathreads on the official US WoW forums for more information. Try to avoid doing so too often. Once a month should be fine. Spamming Blizz, while understandable given how frustrating it is that they’ve been dragging their feet on this, will only serve to hurt the cause.
If you’re interested in submitting in-game feedback for any races you are interested in becoming playable, here is how to get to it in game:
Step 1: Press ESC to bring up the general menu.
Step 2: Click “Support.” It’s at the very top of the menu.
A new window in-game should load. It can take a few seconds for it to load completely. Underneath the “Search World of Warcraft Support” search bar, you should see a line of square images that refer to specific categories of support.
Step 3: Click the “Submit feedback or bug report” square. It should be on the far left when you first load the support window.
It’ll take a second to load that part.
Step 4: Click the lightbulb icon on the right that says “Submit a suggestion”
Step 5: Click in the text box on this window to begin typing a suggestion.
You’re now ready to submit an in-game suggestion!
It’s limited to 500 characters you can type, so you have to be a bit creative in the limited space. As I said before, I usually do one suggestion for each race I want playable, giving a very brief mention of the race, the faction I want it for, and why I feel they’d be great to add. I then make sure to type the name of the associated megathread, assuming they have a megathread, and mention they’re on the official US WoW forums, stating to go there for more info, such as ideas, fan support/designs, ongoing discussions, etc.
When you submit the feedback, it states you won’t get a response, but that it’ll be looked at in some way. Now, this wouldn’t be a sure-fire way to get a race playable, but it can’t hurt to do so. After all, we have to show support somehow!
So for those interested in supporting a race you want playable, this is how to do it in-game. As already stated, do this no more than once a month (on just one character) at most so as to not spam the system. However, multiple people doing it could help a lot to showing support for races we’d love to see playable.
Also make sure you’re submitting a suggestion and not a bug.
@Blizzard on Reddit and Twitter telling them you want Naga added!
We can also try organizing in-game events to show support for the Naga being made playable!!
Let us make it happen, Naga enthusiasts! We can have our scaly, sinister serpent citizens! I know it!
For Najatar! 
Acknowledgements
A thanks to Fenelon for suggesting and encouraging me to make this thread, and to everyone who shows interest in playable Naga!
Big thanks to Nadezhdha, Fenelon, Zitga and Bagzak, for inspiration for formatting.
Another bigbthanks to Mianyaue for reposting this with working picture and video links!
Credit to Big Mama for a few ideas, especially regarding racials, and showing it’s entirely doable to animate naga with legs… now if they’d just stop trying to suggest Naga start worshipping Elune and end up mostly being good little sea night elves without even warlocks…
