Page 94 - Serpent Kingdoms

REALMS

of Churning Bay, attracting brave explorers who are willing to submit to a protection from avians spell before entering. Senior
risk the dangerous waters. members of House Extaminos are secretly permitted to hunt
Mount Ugruth: This long-smoldering volcano looms high within the aviary when the facility is closed.
above the City of Serpents. Despite a few rumbles in the Year Cathedral of Emerald Scales: Dedicated to Varae, a beast cult
of the Serpent (1359 DR), Mount Ugruth has not erupted since power of snakes and aspect of Sseth, the Cathedral of Emerald
the Year of the Speaking Mountain (257 DR). Nevertheless, the Scales thoroughly dominates the religious, political, and architec-
recent volcanic activity was suffi cient to briefl y open a portal to tural life of Hlondeth. Constructed over the course of thirteen
the Elemental Plane of Fire and release dozens of magmins into centuries by the Extaminos family, the structure served fi rst as
the volcano’s steaming heart. Some of these creatures emerge to the family villa and then as a small shrine to Ilmater on the
cause havoc in the surrounding area from time to time. At the periphery of the family compound. When the Extaminos family
base of the volcano is a prominent Talassan temple called the shifted its allegiance to Varae’s cult, its members expanded the
Sacellum of Slumbering Fire. shrine into a small chapel and reconsecrated it. Although nearly
Southsands: This beach south of Hlondeth is the site of everyone in Hlondeth realizes that Varae is simply an aspect of
quadrennial mock wars between representatives of Turmish and the yuan-ti god Sseth, the priests of the cathedral still maintain
Chondath. The winner of this Shieldmeet contest, which dates the façade of venerating Varae.
back to the Year of the Late Sun (300 DR), receives certain The leader of Varae’s clergy is Emerald Boa of the Vilhon
trading privileges, initial resource claims, and a tithe of slaves. Medusanna Mhairdaul (CE female yuan-ti abomination cleric
17 of Sseth [Set]) of the Se’Sehen tribe, whose human head
Important Sites sports countless poisonous snakes in lieu of hair. Medusanna
personally loathes the relatively cold climate of Hlondeth, the
Hlondeth has been the recipient of some of the most beautiful city’s inhabitants, and House Extaminos, and the feeling is re-
art and architecture that the yuan-ti have ever produced. ciprocated. This mutual dislike only exacerbates the already high
tensions between the Se’Sehen tribe and the ruling family of
Aviary of Extaminos: This great aviary, which took nearly
Illustration by Carl Frank birds, most of them native to the Black or Mhair Jungles. Be- and the clergy consists of ophidians, yuan-ti purebloods, tainted
two decades to construct, is now home to all manner of exotic
Hlondeth. The Knights of the Forked Tongue defend the temple,
ones, and halfbloods.
cause many of these birds are quite dangerous, visitors must

Aviary of Extaminos

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