Page 28 - Serpent Kingdoms

NAGAS

level would be a dark naga sorcerer 1 who casts spells as an 8th- ardry, rods of rulership, rods of spheres*, and wands of magic
level sorcerer, though it would function as a 1st-level sorcerer in missile. Some items created by nagas, including circlets of seven
all other respects, including familiar benefi ts. serpents, are detailed in Chapter 10. The art of crafting a naga
Some nagas can treat spells from the cleric spell list and crown (actually a creation of the yuan-ti, see Chapter 10) has been
certain domain spell lists as arcane spells and can choose them lost, if indeed nagas ever knew it.
as spells known if desired. For such nagas, gaining additional *See Magic of Faerûn.
levels in the class it uses for spellcasting also gives it access to
higher-level cleric and domain spells. For example, a typical Naga Deities
spirit naga casts spells as a 7th-level sorcerer and thus can know
3rd-level cleric spells and 3rd-level spells from the Chaos and When the sarrukh created the naga race, Mhairshaulk was a
Evil domains as arcane spells. If that spirit naga acquires one monotheistic society that acknowledged and venerated only the
sorcerer level, it can then cast spells as an 8th-level sorcerer and World Serpent. All other claimants to the mantle of divinity
thus has access to 4th-level cleric and domain spells. Nagas do were viewed as blasphemous heretics. However, the many facets
not receive the granted powers of their domains. of the World Serpent—and even other gods—intrigued many
nagas, since they were by nature more curious than their cre-
Magic of the Nagas ators. Some theologians now claim it was the endless questioning
of the World Serpent by the naga race that caused the Great
Nagas are natural spellcasters, and the breadth and depth of Scaled One to fragment into a host of lesser deities, while others
their experimentation with the Art rivals that of any other insist that the nagas were simply the fi rst to recognize the World
race. Because their ancestors helped the sarrukh establish the Serpent’s impending fragmentation. Whatever the cause, sages
foundations of magic in Isstosseffi fi l, Mhairshaulk, and Okoth, agree that the breakup of the World Serpent enabled the result-
modern-day nagas have a deep understanding of the history of ing deities to better address the myriad, contradictory demands
the Art and the context in which magical advances have been of its worshipers.
made. Because of this natural affi nity for research, a naga gains Of all the emergent aspects of the Great Scaled One, two
a +4 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks made to develop a new deities in particular attracted the worship of most nagas: Sshar-
spell. Moreover, a naga does not require access to a well-stocked strune and Shekinester. The former embodied the principles of
library to pursue such a project. curiosity, destruction, and possessiveness that had precipitated
Although nagas experiment with and employ all types of the World Serpent’s fragmentation. The latter, known as the
spells, they are masters of divination and guile. Thus, they tend Naga Queen, became the keeper of the knowledge and wisdom
to favor spells from the schools of divination, enchantment, originally held by the World Serpent, preserved within the eter-
and illusion. Dark nagas in particular favor arcane eye, arcane nal fl ame that she guarded.
sight, charm monster, charm person, command, confusion, dis- After the fall of Mhairshaulk, both Ssharstrune and Jazirian,
guise self, eagle’s splendor, hypnotic pattern, detect magic, detect another fragment of the World Serpent, began to court Sheki-
thoughts, fox’s cunning, greater mage hand*, identify, mage nester. The Naga Queen eventually chose Jazirian and became
hand, misdirection, owl’s wisdom, prayer, read magic, scrying, pregnant by him. Enraged by this decision, Ssharstrune attacked
suggestion, vampiric touch, ventriloquism, and whispering wind. Shekinester, and she was forced to swallow him. In so doing,
Razorscales, venomfi re, and other spells developed and used by the Naga Queen took into herself the same destructive element
nagas are detailed in Chapter 11. that had fragmented the World Serpent in the fi rst place. As a
Many nagas are skilled in the art of creating magic items. result, she acquired fi ve guises: the Acquirer, the Empowerer,
They invariably favor objects that they can employ in their the Seeker, the Weaver, and the Preserver. This event was ac-
natural forms, so items worn over the eyes (lenses, goggles, companied by a fi vefold division in the naga race, forming the
and masks), on the head (coronets, diadems, crowns, hats, fi ve major subraces now known as dark nagas, guardian nagas,
headbands, helmets, and phylacteries), or around the neck iridescent nagas, spirit nagas, and water nagas.
(amulets, brooches, medallions, necklaces, periapts, and scarabs) Upon giving birth to Parrafaire, the Naga Prince, Shekin-
are common. Banelar nagas also utilize rings, rods, and wands ester expelled Ssharstrune’s remains and instructed her offspring
that they can employ with the tentacles that grow around to hide away the destructive force that the corpse embodied for-
their mouths. ever, so that her fi vefold aspect could not actually divide her into
Magic items commonly created and used by nagas include fi ve separate goddesses. Parrafaire complied with her wishes, and
arms of the naga (Savage Species), brooches of shielding, elixirs of now both he and his mother are venerated as guardians of the
fi re breath, hands of the mage, headbands of intellect, helms of naga race.
brilliance, helms of darkness*, helms of telepathy, kiira*, masks An individual naga who worships Shekinester typically em-
of blood*, masks of the skull*, medallions of thought, necklaces braces one aspect of the goddess wholly but gives homage to all
of fi reballs, necklaces of nature’s teeth* (constrictor and viper her other guises as well. The Five-Faced Queen does not have an
versions), periapts of wisdom, and phylacteries of faithfulness. organized church, and she largely eschews clerical support. Em-
Banelar nagas also favor python rods, rings of lore*, rings of wiz- bracing the magical heritage that runs in the bloodlines of her

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