Page 13 - Serpent Kingdoms

YUAN-TI

At present, nine Eselemaa secretly rule Lushpool, form- Extaminaar act as trade agents for the Se’Sehen, control-
ing the majority of its sixteen satraps. Though the number of ling local smuggling, slaving, and drug trading through the
Lushpan satraps has grown from the original seven mentioned thieves’ guilds and adventuring bands that they control, as
in the ballad called “Seven Satraps,” these rulers still remain well as other human agents. Almost all members of this house
masked and cloistered. The satraps keep to their luxurious, conduct personal experiments on captured creatures, employing
fortress-style compounds (known as asharlans), issuing written spells, drugs, grafts, and various training processes to create
decrees through their human servants (who are often tainted loyal servants and guardians. The elders of the tribe approve
ones). When they wish to address the populace, they summon of all such activities so long as such experimentation does not
Lushpan citizens to audiences and use spells to speak through expose House Extaminos to wider public scrutiny in a particu-
the mouths of chained slave women. lar human city, and any useful advancements are shared with
Most other Eselemaa dwell along the shores of the Lapal the tribe. Thus, should any experiment produce a creature that
Sea and throughout the northeasternmost Mhair Jungles. Their could be of signifi cant use (such as an aerial steed or a swiftly
settlements form an “unseen serpent” that links the Lapal Sea breedable soldier), the Extaminaar could quickly assemble nu-
with Lushpool via a twisting route that avoids the holdings of merous specimens to improve the tribe’s chances of attaining
House Se’Sehen, their sworn enemy, as much as possible. true greatness.
The enmity between House Eselemas and House Se’Sehen Many Extaminaar choose to augment themselves with the
stems primarily from rival claims to certain key jungle areas. Serpent Arms graft, thereby gaining extra appendages of aston-
More than one Eselemas “beast hunt” in the jungles has turned ishing length (up to 30 feet). They usually keep these “arms”
out to be a thinly disguised war party seeking Se’Sehen—and coiled around their necks and shoulders underneath their robes
vice versa. House Eselemas is allied with the Jennestas tribe, to impart an impression of great size and girth. (For details
and the two houses have often fought together in the Black of this body feature, see Yuan-ti Grafts in Chapter 10). Senior
Jungles against House Se’Sehen. The Coiled Cabal also takes members of House Extaminos usually possess the Graft Yuan-ti
care to remain on good terms with the Eselemaa, since the Flesh feat.
port of Lushpool provides ready access to Tharsult, and
through it to merchant shippers who can easily reach much of HOUSE HSS’TAFI
western Faerûn. The Hss’tafi n, as members of this house are known, were
plucked from the northwestern shores of the Lapal Sea and
HOUSE EXTAMINOS magically transported to the ruins of Ss’thar’tiss’ssun in the
House Extaminos is an offshoot of House Se’Sehen, but the Year of Netted Dreams (–320 DR). Since then, they have been
two tribes have remained close allies. The split occurred when part of the ruling nobility of Najara, the Kingdom of Snakes,
two strong claimants for leadership of House Se’Sehen could where they serve primarily as administrators, merchants, and
not agree on who should prevail. Instead of instigating the kind religious leaders.
of bloodbath that so often marks such disputes, the two claim- During the reign of Terpenzi, the Hss’tafi n civilized
ants agreed to draw apart and allow the other Se’Sehen to rally the ophidian tribes and rebuilt the ruined sarrukh city of
around whichever leader they wished. The claimant who gar- Ss’thar’tiss’ssun, along with its main temple complex. After the
nered the most support would gain mastery of House Se’Sehen, fall of Najara, members of this tribe were instrumental in re-
and the other would lead his followers elsewhere in Faerûn to establishing the rule of the nagara (dark naga descendants of
form a new tribe. Terpenzi) and discreetly transforming the Kingdom of Snakes
The offshoot tribe ventured northeast in a long and dan- into a major power of the Western Heartlands. House Hss’tafi
gerous journey to seek out new hunting grounds, eventually also originated the process by which tainted ones and brood-
settling in the Ankhwood and the Chondalwood. But attacks guards are created, but these techniques have now spread to the
from myriad foes weakened the tribe in both areas, and the yuan-ti of Hlondeth and the Chultan peninsula as well.
survivors ultimately gathered and reformed their house in The Hss’tafi n see their ha’srammass as the most capable
the Orsraun Mountains. Shortly thereafter, members of the and practical of all. They are not too proud to work with
nearby human noble House Extaminos of Hlondeth stumbled and even serve under nagas (or other any creature, for that
on rituals of Varae and began to “summon” yuan-ti to their aid. matter) if doing so will ultimately advance the designs of the
So many human-yuan-ti matings stemmed from this practice holy Sseth and the rightful dominance of the yuan-ti race.
that yuan-ti blood now dominates the combined clan, whose Other vrael olo, however, see them as unprincipled schemers
members are called Extaminaar. House Extaminos now rules who shouldn’t be trusted with a single copper coin, let alone
Hlondeth, and its members have erected a fi ne temple to Varae, the future of the race.
which is called the Cathedral of Emerald Scales. Other Extami- The Hss’tafi n are known for their cobralike hoods. Snake-
naar can be found all across Faerûn, dwelling in hiding beneath headed members of this tribe usually possess the Cobra
human cities. Head feat.

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