Page 133 - Serpent Kingdoms

REALMS

Plots and Rumors the Maguscepter and reigned as Westgate’s queen from 615 DR
to 616 DR. The portal’s southern terminus lies on the eastern
Ophiophobia is still rampant in Thindol, and many rumors
slopes of Muaroghal (the East Wall of Halruaa), north of the
circulate about the possible presence of serpentfolk.
Great Swamp of Rethild. This portion of the ruined city is ruled
Poisoned Waters: In the city of Gurdeth, the Sseradess
by a circle of spirit nagas who are worshiped as gods by the liz-
tribe has been poisoning the city’s wells with a diluted version
ardfolk tribes of the Great Swamp.
of the potion needed to create tainted ones (initial Fortitude
Millennia ago, Ilimar was founded by a minor clan of sar-
DC 5). This tactic has created a handful of tainted ones and
rukh whose members served as slave procurers for the great
numerous broodguards, most of which have been slain by the
empires of Isstosseffi fi l and Mhairshaulk. Three Ilimari sarrukh
local constabulary after briefl y running amok. Although some
who have been in hibernation since before the drow conquest of
of the tainted ones have already been exposed and executed, a
Dambrath still lie buried amidst the southern ruins. Just as the
few have escaped detection and are now serving as agents of
lizardfolk venerate the nagas as divine beings, the spirit nagas
the yuan-ti.
revere the long-buried sarrukh as gods and patiently await their
Other Holdings next awakening.
The regions listed above include only the most important Kethid
and powerful holdings of the serpentfolk. Other areas where
The Great Swamp of Rethild pools around the eastern end of
the reptilian races exert their infl uence in different ways are
Halruaa’s Wall, marking the western border of Dambrath. Its
detailed below.
borders mark the boundaries of Kethid, a lizardfolk kingdom
ruled by King Ghassis (CE male lizard king sorcerer 15), a
Chultengar, The shrewd, well-traveled leader. Ghassis is unique among the lizard-
folk because he has secretly acquired and mastered at least three
The Chultengar is the easternmost of the Jungles of Chult. This
Halruaan skyships, which some claim he has employed to sail
narrow band of tropical rain forest lies between the Sanrach
amongst the stars.
Mountains and the Luo Peaks (a continuation of the Peaks of
Under the leadership of his fi eld commander Sladdis (CE
Flame stretching eastward toward the town of Narubel).
male lizardfolk fi ghter 12), Ghassis dispatches companies of
In addition to scattered tribes of batiri (goblins), roosts
lizardfolk mercenaries, known collectively as the Servants of
of wyverns, and a few bands of wild dwarves, the Chultengar
the Royal Egg, to fi ght in distant wars. Most recently, the
is home to one of the largest settlements of pterafolk in the
Servants have been active in Tethyr’s War of Reclamation and
Jungles of Chult. Those that dwell on the mountain slopes over-
the Jungles of Chult. Members of this company exhibit little
looking the Chultengar prefer to hunt in the jungle and on the
initiative but lots of single-minded determination and an intense
northern plains of Thindol to the east.
sense of group identity, so strong leadership is vital in achieving
Each pterafolk tribe answers to a spirit naga chieftain. These
the desired results. Ghassis is rather indifferent about the fate
spirit nagas and others gather annually in a great Conclave of
of his Servants, but he is willing to use their talents to his own
Spirits held in the depths of the Chultengar and led by a trio of
benefi t as long as it is convenient to do so.
ha-nagas. Only the juvenile male bronze dragon named Felgolos
and the late Thongameir “Stormspells” Halargoth have ever
seen the Conclave of Spirits and survived. Lhesper
The spirit nagas (and thus, indirectly, the pterafolk) are allied
The ruins of Lhesper lie along the northern tip of Lake
with the Sauringar tribe of Narubel. Small bands of yuan-ti reg-
Lhespen in the heart of the Shaar. The town was founded in
ularly travel between the City of Seasnakes and the Chultengar
the Year of the Whispering Stones (–373 DR) by Lapal émigrés
bearing goods seized by the pirate ships that frequent Narubel’s
fl eeing the Empire Plague that had beset Lapaliiya two years
harbor. This tribute is offered as payment to the spirit nagas for
before. Lhesper remained independent until the Year of the
their aid in keeping Narubel isolated from the rest of Thindol
Wailing Mothers (297 DR), when the imperial armies of Qysara
for the past century.
Shoon V marched across the Shaar, conquering all the territory
between the Shining Sea and the Landrise.
Ilimar Although Lhesper regained its independence in 437 DR and
again in 451 DR, its freedom did not last long. In the Year of
Like the legendary Shandaular, the ruined city of Ilimar is
the Fanged Beast (640 DR), Yeenoghu’s cult rose to rapid promi-
divided between the two ends of a portal. The portal’s northern
nence among the gnoll tribes of the Shaar. Lhesper, one of the
terminus lies in the western reaches of the Gulthmere Forest,
fi rst towns to bear the cult’s wrath, was left in ruins. The few
near the southern shore of the Lake of the Long Arm. This set
survivors, still ethnically pure Lapal, migrated north to found
of ruins is the domain of giant spiders and serpent-bodied lamia
the town of Shaarmid.
nobles descended from the infamous Nessmara, who recovered
132
620_96566_SerpentKin92-135.indd 132 5/12/04, 4:22:47 PM