Page 121 - Serpent Kingdoms

REALMS

come here only to hunt, scour the ruins of Mhairshaulk, and River Tharynd: This short and wild river plummets south
drive off intruders. The northern Mhair Jungles are the pre- from the Delphin Mountains to the northernmost bay of the
serve of dire tigers, digesters, and many nomadic tribes of wild Lapal Sea. An ancient trail from the Abbey of Tharynd (see
dwarf hunters. Except for the absence of yuan-ti tribes, this below) winds along its western bank, and the Se’Sehen tribe
area bears a strong resemblance to the Black Jungles. The wetter patrols that area regularly to guard against treachery from the
southern reaches eventually give way to vast mangrove swamps Eselemas tribe as well as foolhardy interlopers.
hunted by solitary sword spiders and nagahydras. Serpent Deeps: The Serpent Deeps lie beneath the Black and
Yuan-ti anathemas dwell in and among the most important the Mhair Jungles, forming a vast subterranean network of cav-
ruins of Mhairshaulk, attended by lesser yuan-ti who have fore- erns that stretches from Lapalgard to Mhairhetel to Delselar.
sworn their tribal allegiances. Other major ruins are claimed At the heart of this extensive cavern system is the Lapal Un-
by solitary Faerûnian ha-nagas and nagahydras. Lesser ruins dersea, which is fed by water leaching from the lake above. The
are uncommon on the surface because the jungle growth has Serpent Deeps are home to warring tribes of troglodytes, a few
wholly devoured them over the course of millennia. Scattered Mhairshaulk sarrukh, and trens—lizardfolk-troglodyte hybrids
sinkholes throughout the Mhair Jungles lead into the Serpent bred at the height of Serpentes. Although hibernating sarrukh
Deeps, and explorers are advised to watch out for sinkhole traps have carved out small complexes throughout the Serpent Deeps,
set by dwarven hunters. most are clustered around the Lapal Undersea. From time to
River Amarast: This sluggish watercourse wends deep into time, the yuan-ti send emissaries to consult with their creators,
the heart of the Se’Sehen tribe’s territory. The river is home but such requests for aid are usually ignored.
to the ti-khana elasmosauruses MM2 that some yuan-ti employ
as steeds. Important Sites
River Chun: This fast-moving river races through a narrow
gorge in the heart of the Jennestas tribe’s territory. The river Serpentes encompasses numerous thriving cities and towns, as
is too shallow for waterborne travel, but the limestone walls of well as hundreds of ruins.
the gorge are honeycombed with caverns that serpentfolk of all Mhairhetel (Small City, 9,782): At the southern tip of the
tribes employ as crypts. Several of the deepest tunnels are said Mhair Jungles lies the City of Renegades. This isolated redoubt
to connect with the Serpent Deeps, and individual sarrukh oc- is home to outcasts from nations all along the Great Sea. Be-
casionally arise from hibernation far below the surface and make cause ships fl ying any fl ag (or even none at all) are welcome
their way to this region to forage. at Mhairhetel’s docks, the city has become a port of call for
River Lapar: Forming the southern boundary between the pirates from Narubel and Yaulazna (the hidden Bay of Pirates
Mhair and the Black Jungles, the River Lapar marks the eastern in southeastern Halruaa), as well as a haven for slavers and dis-
edge of the Jennestas tribe’s territory (with the exception of the reputable merchants. The city’s reputation as a pirate port has
Mhairhetel enclave). Mangrove swamps line both banks of the so far protected it well against attacks from the sea.
river, making it diffi cult to discern where the waterway ends and Hetel Hastalhorn, a prominent Halruaan archmage who
the jungle begins. sought to exploit the hidden riches of the Mhair Jungles,
About halfway between the Lapal Sea and the Lapalgulph, founded the City of Renegades in the Year of Banished Wisdom
seven stone pillars rise from the depths of the river to 40 feet or (–125 DR). Within a year, Hetel had vanished and the settle-
more above the waterline. The Pillars of the Sarrukh, as they are ment was all but abandoned. But every year thereafter, new
called, are inscribed with well-worn Draconic runes that detail immigrants arrived seeking a home far from the lands of their
the history of ancient Mhairshaulk under both sarrukh and birth, and Mhairhetel slowly grew into a viable city.
yuan-ti rule. For centuries, the yuan-ti tribes of Serpentes have found
River Lemas: The River Lemas drains Lake Lemas into Mhairhetel useful. Until the recent alliance of the Se’Sehen
the Lapal Sea and marks part of the boundary between the tribe with the Rundeen merchant consortium, the City of Ren-
Mhair and the Black Jungles. It also marks the eastern border egades offered the only marketplace through which the yuan-ti
of the Eselemas territories, so its banks are often patrolled by could trade with distant lands. Moreover, most humans of the
yuan-ti. Somewhere along the river’s length lies the shattered Great Sea lands who are interested in exploring the Mhair
keel of a Halruaan skyship that was protected from decay by Jungles begin their journeys from this port—a fact that makes
ancient preservative magics. No one knows what cargo it carried them easy to observe and track.
or what became of its crew, but the fact that Halruaan explorers However, the yuan-ti have always ensured that one of their
continue to search for it suggests that the ruined ship may yet own rules the City of Renegades, and that agents of the serpent-
contain a priceless treasure. folk control all the hidden levels of power. The current ruler
River Mhair: The River Mhair once wound through the of Mhairhetel is Istasfi s Nsaran (NE male pureblood yuan-ti
heart of Mhairshaulk, and most of the remaining sarrukh ruins fi ghter 7), a member of the Jennestas tribe.
in this area lie along its banks. From time to time, the river Ss’dath’in’ssatath: Built along the western shore of Lake
adjusts its course to reveal new ruins, but for the most part, this Lemas, Ss’dath’in’ssatath was once the provincial capitol of
waterway is as wild as the enveloping jungles. the territory stretching from Sheirtalar to the Lapal Sea and

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