Heway

The heway is a huge snake with cold eyes who loves to poison oases and wells with its deadly venom. This animal hates all the inhabitants and nomadic tribes of the desert. Unlike the scales of ordinary snakes, Heway scales are covered with a slimy fatal poison. These reptiles have huge eyes that allow them to hunt in dim light. Heways also have a very keen sense of smell that allows them to sense prey in water miles away.

Combat
While the snake instills palpable fear it is a cowardly fighter, preferring to kill weakened animals. However, as with most other animals who are hungry and stressed, they will attack healthy prey. The main danger from the heway comes through its ruthless poisoning of fresh water oases, which may only take a few hours depending on the size of the oasis. The poor soul who drinks such water often dies in terrible agony unless an antivenin is ingested immediately. Even very hardy animals that usually withstand the fatal effects of poison will succumb unless another source of un-poisoned water can be found, or the animal is able to vomit - which generally leads to dehydration in any event. The fatal nature of the poison is guaranteed, though the time it takes to be fatal can vary. It is interesting that the snake itself is not immune to its own poison.

The hypnotic gaze of the heway is also very dangerous and can put its victim in a trance-like state, allowing the snake to bring its now pliable victim to its lair with minimum difficulty. The heway can also be tactical when necessary. If the snake realizes it is outmatched or prefers not to fight against odds, it will use its gaze to neutralize the situation, whereupon it can flee to safety.

Heway jaws are not overpowering and its bite is not poisonous itself; the poison is introduced through the scales of the snake. The main tactic of the heway is to follow the watering patterns of various species that visit the oasis and prepare accordingly. If the snake anticipates risk it will either use its gaze to subdue the victims or flee.

Habitat/Society
Usually the lairs of these snakes are large enough to accommodate the snake and several of its victims. The heway will abandon their lairs when they are detected by other predators.

Ecology
Heway are cowardly animals and thus prefer to attack from behind. They are nocturnal, using their excellent dim-light vision to advantage. If animals are aware of the heway, they will leave the area immediately. Even other deadly predators will give the heway a wide berth as even a slight touch can be fatal. Many of the wild tribes of Zakhara use the poison of these snakes in combat.

Sourcebooks

 * Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix