House Jennestas

House Jennestas was a tribe of yuan-ti known for their stealth and patient battle tactics. Members of this tribe were called Jennestaa.

Base of Operations
House Jennestas was strongest within the Black Jungles where they lived within a network of underground tunnel holds. Great numbers of Jennestaa could be found along the River Chun and the ruins of Ss'yin'tia'saminass. They controlled the region of the Black Jungles from Dolsel Gap to the River Lapar.

The Jennestaa openly ruled the human city of Mhairhetel with yuan-ti purebloods who could easily pass as humans if suitably garbed. Though many inhabitants of Mhairhetel whispered that the "blood of the jungle" ran in their veins, the Jennestaa ruled fairly and kept the city protected and prosperous. Patrols of yuan-ti frequently guarded the slopes of the Guth Mountains near Dolsel Gap.

The Jennestaa caused a degree of chaos within the city of Delselar by introducing a large number of venomous snakes into the fields surrounding the city. The snakes were drawn to magical beacons hidden within the city. Plenty of humans perished from inadvertent encounters with the dangerous reptiles.

Relationships
The Jennestaa were often derided by the other great yuan-ti houses as being backwards or slow-witted. The Jennestaa were allied with House Eselemas against House Se'Sehen for control of the Black Jungles.

Activities
House Jennestas appeared to be the least interested of all of the great yuan-ti houses with expanding their influence outward into more human cities and lands. They viewed this type of expansion and intermingling with humans as detrimental to the advancement of the yuan-ti race as a whole. The elder Jennestaa maintained that true yuan-ti dominance would be achieved by reverting human civilization back to a state of wilderness. They hoped to achieve this goal by expanding the jungles, allowing wild beasts to roam free under yuan-ti control, and destroying human agricultural development. Large servitor beasts were used to destroy bridges and fell trees onto roadways to hinder human commerce.

Because of this outlook, only the weakest purebloods were sent to live and rule in Mhairhetel as an experiment conducted by the elders to determine the results of long-term human breeding. Other elders believed that maintaining control of the city was crucial since the Se'Sehen would otherwise be able to keep them pinned within the jungles, barring them from any contact with outsiders. Any threats within Mhairhetel were dealt with swiftly.

The Jennestaa captured and raised jungle beasts both as a source of food and for experimentation. A breed of altered apes was created centuries ago that exhibited bizarre powers. As of the, the Jennestaa used a portal within the Black Jungles to kidnap halflings from Luiren, as well as humans taken from surrounding lands, to be used for experimentation.