Giant cobra

Giant cobras were large venomous snakes that inhabited the lands of Zakhara. These dangerous snakes were incredibly long-lived, sometimes surviving for as long as a century. All giant cobras gained intelligence as they aged.

Description
The back of a giant cobra’s hood was patterned with two shapes that resembled large eyes. A typical adult giant cobra reached lengths of 12—14 feet. (3.7—7.3 meters)

Combat
Capable of striking with blinding speed, these snakes were dangerous combatants. Their venom was capable of killing a man—sized creature within minutes unless immediately treated. This potent venom was coveted by assassins, but degraded rapidly once extracted from the snake, becoming useless after several hours.

Giant cobras were capable of charming creatures of low intelligence by swaying their hoods from side to side.

They had a debilitating fear of fire and would flee at the first sign of a flame.

Habitat/Society
Giant cobras were usually solitary creatures. They would mate once per year and gather in large numbers at specific locations. A female would lay between 2—20 eggs within shallow pit they she buried with sand. The female would guard the eggs until they hatched and then abandon the young.

Giant cobra eggs sold for 10—500 gp. Jungle giants and some elves considered the eggs to be a delicacy.

These large snakes usually lived within burrows that they stole from other animals. Any treasure found within these lairs was the only thing that remained from an unfortunate victim. Elder giant cobras were known to favor any glittering object.

These snakes could be trained and were kept by some assassin groups or snake cults.

Ecology
These predators were capable of killing and swallowing prey as large as goats or halflings. After a large meal they would retreat to their lair to rest for days or weeks at a time. They had no natural predators. Because they favored the taste of livestock, they could often be found in wooded areas close to farmland.

Elder Giant Cobra
These ancient serpents were capable of speaking midani, though with a lispy accent. Masters of their hypnotizing dance, they were able to charm not only animals, but humanoids as well. Their venom was more concentrated than that of their younger brethren, causing death twice as fast. Elder giant cobras mastered their fear of flames and did not retreat when faced with fire.

The oldest of all Elder giant cobras was called the Grand Snakemaster. This creature was rumored to be immortal and its shed skin was said to have healing powers and granted wisdom to whoever consumed it.

Appearances

 * Assassin Mountain • Dungeon #47: "The Assassin Within" • Dungeon #69: "Slave Vats of the Yuan-ti"