Post by Sour Kangaroo on Mar 4, 2010 16:01:26 GMT -6
Common Name: Na'vi or “The People”
Range: Various biomes of Pandora. Population concentrated in rainforest regions. Outlying clans have been detected on each continent and in subarctic, swampland and mountainous regions.
Anatomy: Smooth skin is iridescent, cyan color. Long, prehensile tail. Skull is proportionately small, high cheekbones, feline ears and a protruding, snout. Bioluminescent markings for identification, mood display. Average lifespan is similar to that of a human. Despite skin color, Na'vi have red blood.
Feeding: Ecology Omnivore. Hunter and gatherer with incipient agriculture, including brewing.
Size: Average male is three meters tall, females slightly smaller.
Notes: Generally peaceful, but ferocious in defense of home, clan and family.
The Na'vi are the only known species outside of Earth to have human-like intelligence. Although their society is essentially Neolithic, they have developed a vibrant, complex culture based on a profound spiritual connection to their moon, to one another, and to the deity they call Eywa. They are superb artisans who celebrate the interconnectedness of nature through storytelling, song, dance and crafts.
In many respects, the Na'vi body is almost human-like (and, even by human standards, beautiful). The waist is narrow and elongated. The shoulders are very wide, creating a v-shaped upper back. The neck is twice as long as an average human and can rotate, owl-like, almost 180 degrees.
The Na'vi body is more slender than the average human and is reminiscent of a Masai or Watusi. But the musculature is sharply defined, giving no sense of emaciation despite the thin proportions (they have roughly four times the strength of the average human). Their almond-shaped, cat-like eyes are large and hypersensitive to various bands of light. For balancing their long torso and legs, the Na'vi have a long, prehensile lemur-like tail. They can traverse the landscape on the surface as well as from tree branch to tree branch.
The abundant flora and fauna of Pandora have ensured a steady population of Na'vi; it is hypothesized that there was little Darwinian pressure to adapt new traits. Indeed, studies indicate that the number of Na'vi have remained remarkably consistent over the eons. The widespread access to natural resources has also helped limit (but not eliminate) warfare among the various Na'vi clans.