Page 114 - Serpent Kingdoms
P. 114

REALMS


                     the Dalelands after the Year of Moonfall (1344 DR) to plun-  But  the  brave  defenders  of  Serpent’s  Cowl  remain  com-
                     der the ruins of Myth Drannor.                    pletely unaware of the true threat to their city, which has little
                       Such plans quickly ran afoul of the phaerimms, whose   to do with ophidian traders or mutant serpents. The yuan-ti
                     subtle hand had guided the nagara to the City of Beauty in the   of the Serpent Hills have recently developed a technique for
                     fi rst place. To gain control of the nagara, the Myth Drannan   infecting humans with a tiny portion of their corrupted es-
                     lich Druth Daern perpetrated a complex deception. Speaking   sence to create a new kind of servitor called a tainted one. Such
                     through a wraithlike apparition that he created above a certain   altered humans can pass freely through the wards that encircle
                     Myth Drannan altar, he claimed to be Ssharstrune, the Ghost   the village. In recent years, numerous villagers have been way-
                     Naga—a long-dead naga god. With Daern’s unseen help, the   laid during furtive forays outside the wards and turned into
                     Ghost Naga revived the nagara who had not survived the thorn-  tainted ones, who now carry out missions within the village
                     backs as bone nagas to serve their living kin. Since then, the   for their yuan-ti masters. Others have disappeared from the
                     Ghost Naga has been guiding the Seven in a hissing whisper and   village altogether and now serve as broodguards in the yuan-ti
                     creating a veritable army of undead nagas. Now that the Myth   brood chambers.
                     Drannan phaerimms have fi nally been severely weakened, if not
                     destroyed, the Ghost Naga’s followers (and hence Druth Daern)   Okoth
                     are actively contesting with the resident devilkin for control
                     over the city’s ruins.                            Capitol: Sar’Rukoth
                       Subversion of Serpent’s Cowl: Aluena Halacanter and some   Population: 8,603 (sarrukh 1%, wereserpents 88%, werecroco-
                     older residents of Serpent’s Cowl believe they have a sacred duty   diles 11%)
                     to watch the area lest the yuan-ti return. They grow nervous   Government: Alliance of Clan Leaders
                     about the increasing number of ophidians approaching the mer-  Religions: Sebek (werecrocodiles), Sseth (now Set) (sarrukh)
                     chants at Boareskyr Bridge, apparently hoping to purchase any   Imports: Magic, weapons
                   Illustration by Ralph Horsley  Forest of Wyrms.
                                                                       Exports: Relics from other planes
                     Netherese artifacts unearthed from nearby ruins. They also fear
                                                                       Alignment: LE, NE
                     the rising numbers of snakes and snakelike creatures within the










































                                                             Ssharstrune the ghost naga


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             620_96566_SerpentKin92-135.indd   113                                                              5/12/04, 4:20:30 PM
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