Yuan-ti

Yuan-ti were a collective race of psionic serpentfolk, who were seen as corrupt and degenerate monsters by other races.

Description
The appearance of yuan-ti varied greatly from nearly human-like to nearly snake-like, but all had some serpentine features. Scale colors were usually simple greens and browns, but more elaborate swirls, stripes, or diamond patterns were possible, even in blues and reds.

Yuan-ti gave off almost no scent that a human could detect, but animals could sense a dry, musty odor from their bodies.

Only the most human-like forms wore clothing, but all varieties wielded weapons if they had means to carry them.

Varieties
The yuan-ti came in several distinct castes or breeds. The three most prevalent were as follows:
 * Major Subraces


 * Purebloods : Appear mostly human, with minor reptilian features, such as slit eyes, a forked tongue, or patches of scales on their skin. They served as diplomats and infiltrators, pretending to be human.


 * Halfbloods : Humanoid in shape but have a wide variety of noticeable serpentine features, such as a snakelike tail in place of legs, a complete covering of scales, a hood like a cobra, a snake's head, or snakes in place of arms. Also called malisons, halfbloods serve as warriors and temple assistants.


 * Abominations : Almost completely snakelike, with only a few human features, such as arms or a humanoid head. They are the most venerated within the yuan-ti society, serving as clerics and in other roles of power.

In addition to the three main breeds, other breeds have been described as well:
 * Minor Subraces


 * Anathemas : By far the most powerful and loathsome of yuan-ti, anathemas are worshiped as divine incarnations of Merrshaulk. They are truly bizarre in appearance, with a body like a 25-foot-long serpent; a pair of humanoid arms with clawed, three-fingered hands; and six serpentine heads rising from its shoulders.  An anathema's power dwarfs even that of an abomination, but since they represent such unfettered chaos, they are usually found away from yuan-ti cities, establishing cults that worship Merrshaulk through them.  They make a common practice of grafting yuan-ti body parts onto humans and other races for use as personal servants. Anathemas are extremely rare, however, and only a handful are likely to exist on any world.


 * Holy guardians : A rare breed specifically bred as temple guards; they are also sent on missions to obtain needed goods for abomination priests. Holy guardians are naturally servile and follow their superiors without question. They uniformly have a serpentine tail in place of legs and a snakelike head.


 * Mageslayers : Another rare type of yuan-ti, mageslayers are bred for the special purpose of battling or hunting down human magic-users, and most of their abilities are magical rather than psionic. They have a human-like head but a snakelike tail instead of legs.

Personality
Most yuan-ti were evil beings, usually of the chaotic variety.

The yuan-ti had a great respect for reptiles of all kinds.

Abilities
Yuan-ti had superb intelligence compared to other races.

Human-headed yuan-ti were able to cast the following magic innately: cause fear, darkness, snake charm, stick to snakes, neutralize poison, suggestion, and polymorph.

Combat
The yuan-ti took advantage of their great intelligence during battle, planning traps and making excellent use of their surroundings. They favored ambushes over direct attacks. If in groups, they sent their least valuable members forward first, meaning that purebloods advanced before halfbloods who advanced before abominations.

Yuan-ti favored bladed weapons. They used slow-acting poisons in their elaborate traps but not typically on their blades.

Society
The yuan-ti preferred to make their homes in tropical jungles.

Yuan-ti call themselves vrael olo (which means "favored ones"). Daily use typically uses the shortened "vrael", and can be modified to "auvrael" (meaning friendly or known yuan-ti) and duthrael (unfriendly or unfamiliar yuan-ti).

In general, the more serpentine features a yuan-ti possesses the higher its status in yuan-ti society. Abominations are at the top of their society, followed by halfblood, and finally purebloods. Within their subraces, yuan-ti are ranked by achievements and the demonstrated favor of Sseth.

Yuan-ti culture centered around their temples, which often were found in ancient ruins or hidden deep underneath human cities. The locations of these were well-guarded secrets.

Outside their temples, they usually only appeared in small groups of less than five.

Government
The abominations ruled over the other breeds of yuan-ti, leading from the temples.

Purebloods, being the most human-like, were the caste involved in negotiations with outside races.

Religion
The yuan-ti were devout demon-worshipers. Their worship often involved bloody sacrifices. Most worshiped Sseth, with other serpentine deities that some have worshiped over the years either being masks worn by Sseth or a false deity of the Scaleless Ones. All yuan-ti must act in accordance with the Sacred Way of Sseth - that is, subtly. Whenever possible, yuan-ti choose manipulation over open confrontation, the whisper over the fang. Followers of the Sacred Way of Sseth know their foes, think ahead, and plan forward.

The goal of the Yuan-ti, as dictated by their demonic god Merrshaulk (also known as Sseth), is to bring about the ultimate destruction of the world.

Language
Yuan-ti had their own language, and most could also speak Common. Draconic and Abyssal were also typically known. Some sages reported that all yuan-ti could also communicate readily with any snake or snake-like creature.

Architecture
Yuan-ti buildings were often circular. In place of staircases, they often had ramps or poles instead, since most of them could slither and many of them could climb.

History
The yuan-ti were once human. Long before humankind dominated the continent of Faerûn, the Creator Races ruled Toril. The reptilian Creator Race, the sarrukh, were foremost amongst these and built up great empires. They bred the first yuan-ti by magically experimenting with and breeding men with snakes. This way they also created naga, and through a similar process, lizardmen. They eventually fell from power and the resourceful yuan-ti rose up to claim their Creators' power vacuum, even while sustaining the empire of Mhairshaulk. Of the fragmented World Serpent deity that the sarrukh had worshiped, the yuan-ti venerated the strongest aspect, a cruel and despotic deity, Merrshaulk, who grew distant and aloof.

As the yuan-ti's power became less visible on Faerûn, and they instead fell to infiltrating human and demihuman society through their organizations and long-sighted plots, Merrshaulk had sunk into a slumber, ignoring his followers. Eventually, around the time of the collapse of the human empire of Netheril, Merrshaulk himself was also reborn as a winged yuan-ti avatar named Sseth, who became the yuan-ti's new primary deity. In the end, though, Sseth too sank into somnolence.

At this point some sarrukh, long suffering a heavy war on other planes or sunken in hibernation in their ruins, began to return in some numbers. They crucially needed help from their deity, but Sseth was not answering prayers in his slumber. So for aid in their endeavors some of the sarrukh made a bargain with the Mulhorandi deity Set, that put Sseth into a deeper sleep but allowed Set to assume Sseth's mantle and grant the sarrukh their aid. Most yuan-ti do not even know of this transaction, though now Sseth struggles at his bonds some are being made aware of it.

Ecology
Yuan-ti were consummate carnivores, eating any kind of warm-blooded flesh, including humans. Besides human meat, they also enjoyed birds and thus kept large herds of flightless birds captive for food.

Female yuan-ti lay eggs in brood chambers, marking each clutch with its parentage, then abandoning them to the care of broodguards. Yuan-ti hatchlings are hatched from these eggs, which are always curious and eager to explore, and will seek food immediately, even eating each other if sustenance is not at hand. Their initial training is provided by broodguards, which also monitor the hatchery. Young yuan-ti are trained in the use of their powers almost after being born. They will turn into tiny vipers and slither to the nearest cover when they see danger or hear a warning.

Yuan-ti in their prime will scheme, breed, and work on behalf of their tribes. Breeding is carefully controlled, seen as a holy act, in order to produce the "best" offspring. Prospective partners will coldly measure one another and if both agree that the match is promising, they usually mate, regardless of their personal affections towards each other.

Often elder yuan-ti grow lazy when they reach great age, sleeping or lying in torpor for longer and longer periods - first for days, then weeks, then seasons at a time, and finally years upon years. At last, they fail to wake at all.

Notable Yuan-Ti

 * Zstulkk Ssarmn, a member of the ruthless trade and slaving consortium the Iron Ring
 * Nhyris D'Hothek, nephew of Zstulkk Ssarmn, and one time possessor of the Crown of Horns
 * Sibyl, whose body was used as Sseth's avatar during the Time of Troubles
 * House Extaminos, the ruling family of Hlondeth.
 * Zelia, powerful psion featured in the trilogy, "House of Serpents"

Appearances

 * Computer Games : Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn &bull; Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone &bull; Icewind Dale II &bull; Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition &bull; Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms &bull; Neverwinter Nights &bull; Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir


 * Novels : Venom in Her Veins


 * Adventures : Hoard of the Dragon Queen &bull; Mysteries of the Moonsea &bull; Tomb of Annihilation

Connections
Yuan-Ti