The Snake Kingdoms
"I had laughed at the tales that many people of the Snake Kingdoms had both men and snakes among their ancestors. Why, there have even been cases of rural peasants in our own backwater villages becoming overly fond of their livestock, if you get my meaning - but I had never heard any proof of those
unions producing offspring, either.
But now that I had actually reached Kelzech, it became harder to dismiss these tales - many of the surathi, an ancient bloodline which had inherited mysterious powers - had patches of scales where skin should be, or disturbingly elongated incisors that would have reminded me of the dreaded vampire, if they hadn't proudly walked the streets in broad daylight. And there seemed to be a fair number of people with even bigger deformities - while such people hid themselves in large, concealing robes, the movement of the limbs behind those clothes made my imagination to create all sorts of disturbing explanations..."
- Edmund Durnsten in:
The Known Lands: Parginian Rim, Avane Street Publishing (1415)
Population: 29,457,320 (surathi 56%, humans 35%, dwarves 4%, elves 3%, gnomes 1%)
Government: Surathi aristocracy
Imports:
Exports:
This jungle region is well known for the multitude of poisoned snakes that call it their home. Yet it is named for a different kind of snake: The surathi, who maintain their greatest realms here. Their rulers scheme and plot to make the surathi the rulers of the entire world, and only their constant in-fighting and the occasional revolt of human slaves prevents larger conquests.
Industries
Life and Society
Government and Politics
Groups and Organisations
Religion
Important NPCs
Major Geographical Features
Crimson Lake: This lake has a permanent blood red tinge. Legends credit this coloration to a massive monster at the Lake's bottom that bleeds from a would that doesn't heal. Many surathi warriors drink the water of the Lake before a battle, which supposedly grants them some of the monster's strength.
Lake of Dragons: The second largest know freshwater lake after the Lake of Dreams, this is generally considered to be the southern border of the Snake Kingdoms by default, since several bronze and gold dragons make their lair in its waters and have made it sufficiently clear that the surathi are not welcome near it. Several tribes of ordinary humans, half-elves, and elves (the latter relatively recent refugees from the Verdant Coast) live close to the lake under their protection.
Plateau of Hungry Ghosts: By day, this plateau in the middle of the jungle seems in no way exceptional - it has the usual jungle flora and fauna. By night, however, ghosts of animals prowl the land and hunt each other as their flesh-and-blood brethren do during the day. They and the living animals completely ignore each other, but any thinking being that sets a foot on the plateau will instantly become the prey of all ghosts that see him - unless it is shielded from them in some way.
It is said that a group of druids makes their home here.
Sarush's Bowl: This large crater was created when Sarush, the creator of the surathi, battled and bested the Guardian of the Threshold and was rewarded with the spark of divinity. It has long since been overgrown with jungle, and serves as the holiest of holies for the entire yuan-ti race. By Sarush's decree, no surat may kill another within the confines of this bowl. Trespassers who aren't surathi are quickly slain by the crater's guardians for their sacrilege.
Valley of Thorns: The Snake Kingdoms are built on slave labor. The life of a slave is harsh, and they tend to be worked to near death by their surathi masters - and once they cannot work any longer, their life energies are drained by nexus towers. This creates a constant demand for new slaves, and many surathi solved this by raiding their neighbors - even other yuan-ti communities. This eventually got so out of hand that the priesthood of Sarush intervened, and instituted the "Thorn Wars", annual mock battles that take place in the Valley of Thorns. All cities of the Snake Kingdoms participate, as well as many smaller groups and individuals. The goal is to capture as many surathi of opposing forces as possible. Any living surathi prisoners are exchanged for a ransom after the Thorn Wars are over - the groups whose members were captured are obligated to exchange humanoid slaves for them - 2 for a thin-blooded, 10 for a lesser brethen, 20 for a favored one, and 50 for a pure one. It is perfectly acceptable for any participants to use human slaves or mercenaries as soldiers in the Thorn Wars - but whoever manages to capture those gets to keep them.
Important Towns and Cities
Kelzech (Large Metropolis, 2,579,220): Many surathi are obsessed with breeding programs. The ruling Zeshkel family of Kelzech just takes this obsession further than most.
Each year, a series of games is held in Kelzech, in which any member of a humanoid species can participate - surathi, human, hobgoblin, and so on. Even slaves are permitted to enter - by law, their owners cannot prevent them from doing so. The contestants must face a series of trials that range from simple one-on-one fights against other aspirants to complicated mental puzzles. The high points are various "team games" where the contestants must work together in small groups to succeed - and be ready to betray them moments later when it becomes convenient. Contestants are frequently maimed or killed, but any non-lethal injuries will be healed by surathi priests (though accepting such healing is grounds for disqualification. No magic or psionic powers of any kind are allowed in the contest on pain of death.
The three best placed contestants are showered with wealth (and given freedom, in the case of slaves). The overall winner is expected to marry into the royal family of Kelzech, and a suitable mate will be selected for him or her by the family elders. Note that the Zeshkels will not take "no" for an answer from the contest winner. In their view, he or she has proven to be suitable for breeding purposes, and they will not permit that person to get away. If that person tries to flee, they will psionically enslave this person and use him or her as breeding stock anyway. The same goes for someone who commits suicide - in this case, the Zeshkel simply send for a priest to perform a resurrection first.
Shasrar (Metropolis, 1,784,321): This city is ruled by a matriarchy of surathi, whose leaders frequently grow to enormous sizes. Males - of both humans and surathi - are enslaved and in most cases are treated little better than cattle.
Zarkurush (Large City, 314,753): This subterranean city was once part of Gol Murak, but the surathi conquered it 65 years ago. Now the city serves as the Snake Kingdoms' biggest supplier of iron ore. The mines are kept operating through massive use of slave labor, mostly humans, as most dwarves have either fled or died from the brutal treatment by now.
Important Sites
Regional History
Adventuring in the Snake Kingdoms
Adventure Seeds