Page 108 - Serpent Kingdoms

REALMS

More than half of Anauria’s tombs remain undiscovered, adventuring bands to take up residence in the gnome clan’s for-
or at least unbreached. Lurking within are sword-wielding, mer living chambers and explore deeper into the crypt. A careful
spell-hurling mummies that practice the ancient traditions study of the tomb’s inscriptions by the second company that en-
of Anaurian battlemages. The serpentine inhabitants of the tered revealed that it was the Tomb of Thausimbel Thardresk,
Serpent Hills have plundered most of the breached crypts, and the greatest king of the distant and now-fallen realm of Anau-
many now serve as armories or garrisons for small companies of ria, which was renowned for swordmaking and gems.
ophidian warriors. The ophidians have linked the lower levels of In the Year of the Unstrung Harp (1371 DR), agents of
most plundered tombs to the network of Serpent Tunnels that the Cult of the Dragon drove out the last of the adventuring
extends beneath the hills. Although each tomb is thought to bands and began to mount their own forays into the Dungeon
contain at least one portal, most of them remain undiscovered, of Swords. After battling many lizardfolk and other reptilian
even in tombs that have already been plundered. horrors that had crept down from the surface and taken up
Boareskyr Bridge (Small Town, 1,112): Great Prince Boares- residence in the catacombs over the years, the Dragon Cultists
kyr, “the Snarling Boar,” was a noted adventurer and the founder discovered that the Tomb of Thausimbel Thardresk was but a
of the realm that bears his name. Boareskyr built the fi rst bridge false front for many hidden levels and additional crypts below.
over the Winding Water at this site to attack the rampaging orcs An initial foray into these lower levels revealed the presence
of the Bloody Tusk in the eponymously named year (661 DR). of numerous portals but eventually proved disastrous because
Over the centuries since Boareskyr’s overwhelming victory, of the many Underdark creatures that had migrated up from
the bridge has been rebuilt several times. The most recent ver- below (including a mature adult deep dragon). After slaying the
sion, made of black stone, dates back to the Time of Troubles, wyrm, the Dragon Cultists were forced to retreat from its mate
when its predecessor was destroyed in a battle between Bhaal and through a randomly chosen portal that deposited them amongst
Cyric. Statues to the two gods now guard the way across. some ancient, sunken ruins in the depths of the Evermoors.
Great Petrifi ed Serpent (Large Town, 2,730): In the midst
The Bridge, a near-permanent tent city of caravanners, usu- of the Serpent Hills, astride the upper reaches of the River
Illustration by Wayne England has since reappeared as a local hub for commerce. Yuan-ti pure- buried in the ground. One coil of its immense body forms an
ally lines the road south of the Winding Water. This settlement
Catherine, the petrifi ed body of a gigantic serpent lies mostly
was abandoned during the Phaerimm War (1372 DR), but it
arch over the fl owing waters, while its head and tail protrude
bloods, tainted ones, and even ophidians frequent the tent city’s
from the rocky ground some 500 feet apart.
markets, selling Najaran artifacts and making careful note of
No one knows whether this massive statue was once a living
travelers passing along the Trade Way.
Dungeon of Swords: The Dungeon of Swords lies in the heart
of the southern Serpent Hills. The only access is via a natu-
or whether it is the remnant of some ancient golem. In either
ral cavern that opens on the shadowed face of a small hill. snake that was petrifi ed by some powerful working of the Art,
case, if it traveled in a straight line to get to this point, its must
From there, a narrow shaft leads down to a se- have come directly from the village of Serpent’s Cowl on the
ries of worked mining tunnels and small rooms
carved decades ago by the rock
gnomes of Clan Argentum.
In the Year of the Gate
(1341 DR), the gnomes were
forced to stop mining for sil-
ver when they broke through
to a natural chasm in the
earth. On the far side of the
gorge, the gnomes discovered
an ancient Netherese crypt,
buried long ago by the same
earthquake that had sealed
off the chasm. A handful of
gnome warriors dared the
crypt’s forechambers, only
to fi nd them guarded by ani-
mated fl ying swords, elaborate
magical wards and traps, and
ghostly and skeletal warriors.
The gnomes fl ed in panic,
but reports of their discov-
ery inspired a succession of
Ss’kowlyn’raa, the City of Spellskins
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