Descendants of Dendar
Introductory sentence of Descendants of Dendar.
Description
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
The yuan-ti build their huge temples in lands inhospitable to other peoples. Humanoid emotions are likewise foreign to most yuan-ti, which understand sentiment only as an exploitable weakness. A yuan-ti views the world and the events of its own life with such extreme pragmatism that it is nearly impossible to manipulate, influence, or control by mundane means, even as it seeks to control other creatures through terror, pleasure, and awe.
A yuan-ti lets its silent, inhuman presence terrorize the humanoids it fights, granting it a killing edge. As intricately as yuan-ti plot the rise and fall of civilizations, they plan elaborate traps in battle, taking advantage of their surroundings with tactical prowess. Yuan-ti leaders are cunning and ruthless tacticians who readily sacrifice lesser yuan-ti if potential victory justifies such losses. They have no sense of honorable combat and strike first in decisive ambush if they can.
History
The history of the Yuan-ti is shadowed in mystery, those that track such things have attributed their birthing into existence during the failed ascension attempts of a being unknown to them.
Yuan-ti culture was among the richest in the mortal world. Their warriors were legendary, top of the martial ladder. Yuan-ti temples stood at the centers of few ancient metropolises, reaching ever higher in prayer to the gods they longed to emulate. In time, the serpent gods heard those prayers, their sibilant voices responding from the darkness as they told the yuan-ti what they must do. The yuan-ti religion grew more fanatical in its devotions. Cults bound themselves to the worship of the serpent gods and imitated their ways, indulging in cannibalism and humanoid sacrifice. Through foul sorcery, the yuan-ti bred with snakes, utterly sacrificing their humanity to become like the serpent gods in form, as well as in thought and emotion.
Beyond the coast of the Frayll Wildlands there are many island masses, some are home to pirates or beast and some would hide ancient civilisations from the world.
One of these islands is home to the Descendants of Dendar, who are rumoured to be lead by an ancient Yuan-Ti Abomination by the name Ydriss. It is said that Ydriss was a middle caste Malison who discovered a relic of power which allowed her to ritually enhance herself closer to her chosen gods image and became an Abomination. The other higher caste members could tell that if this was allowed to continue then they would have to share their power with those they perceived as their lessers. They banished Ydriss and her associated followers, who fled across the seas and wound up on a unusually tropical island among the Frayll Wildlands. Ydriss settled on this island to continue her covens worship of Dendar, the Night Serpent. The coven lives in relative peace on the island which the rough surrounding seas bless with shipwrecked souls with which they can enslave and grow their Broodguards.
This coven dedicate their lives to their god by sowing fear among the trade and market ways of of the local continents, but being careful to hide their existence and their influence from their neighbouring islands and the coastal settlements of the Frayll Wildlands. But as with all caste based societies there are outliers, small numbers of Yuan-Ti, typically Pureblood and slaves packs dotted around the island.
Civilisation of the Yuan-ti and the Caste System
Yuan-ti culture is organised by a birthright of caste systems that have perpetuated for millenia. The day to day life is heavily regulated by these cultural systems and any deviation from the norm is punished severely.
Castes
Though much of Yuan-ti civilisation remains unknown, historians have managed to determine that the following castes have existed, and may continue to exist:
- Múrke, a high born caste
- Malison
- Guardian
- Muda, a low born caste
Known Members
Ydriss - A Yuan-Ti Abomination
She is the leaderd of the Descendants of Dendar, due to being the most evolved member of this coven means that all other members treat her with reverence. All Holy Guardians, Halfbloods, Purebloods and Broodguard follow Ydriss almost without question. She has ascended to the greatest form amongst their coven.
Zulok, Selish and Gomluo - Holy Guardians
Ydriss' trusted champions, Zulok, Selish and Gomlou are a rare triplet breeding of Holy Guardians, they have been with Ydriss for as long as they can remember. They are all holy guardians, a rare breed specifically bred as temple guards and body guards for the highest echelons. Two have a serpentine tail in place of legs, however they all possess a serpent-like head and a forked tongue each. Each has their own proficiencies and preferred type of combat, Zulok with his maul, Selish with his bow and Gomluo with their dabbling with magic and staves.
Shade - Mind Whisperer
Shade is the sole mind whisperer in the coven, in his true form he is a mix of light and dark grey with a humanoid body and a snakelike head. Choosing to manipulate his targets and weave paths together to get his way rather than face opponents directly whilst remaining in the shadows of the guild halls and market places he travels with expert illusion.