The Serpent

The Serpent is the Archdevil of Stygia, the Fifth Circle of Hell. Once a mortal woman, she was Damned to Hell by a betrayal, but eventually managed to overcome this cursed state to claim Devilhood, and eventually her current position in her new domain.

*Any questions can be directed to TheWhacko#1556 in the Questions and Answer channel on the Discord.*

## History

Once, there lived a woman of Helgrad in service to one of that frozen land’s greatest warlords. Olga Kersensky, named Snake-Bite for her habit of poisoning her shortsword with the venom of adders from Helgrad’s Southern regions, was infertile, and none too pleasing to the eye, and thus had little trouble in giving up her life in her village for that of a wanderer, where she went under the tutelage of one of the volkhv, the arcane spellcasters of the frozen North. She took quickly to the mystic secrets and occult power, and with time gathered other young peasants and masterless slaves whom she taught the ways of the Wizard. With little love for the raiders that plagued her homeland before the tsars took over,, she and her coven quickly found themselves in the service of Ulric Hurenko, who had sworn to bring all Helgrad to heel. It was here that she found her place as first of his druzhina, and to the astonishment of his court, his lover. While she adored him, she knew full well that her infertility would prevent her from ever becoming his legitimate wife, and in her desperation, she prayed to any who would listen.

While her gods did not answer, she took it on herself to seek an answer of her own. She called on a great Devil, who offered her a deal; Her fertility restored in exchange for her soul. Desperate, she agreed, and signed on the dotted line. Nine months later, the Devil had delivered on their end of the deal, with one small hitch; The child was a Tiefling. Before Ulric could restrain the midwife, she had fled and told all who would listen. Before long, Olga, Ulric and all his retainers, as well as the infant, were locked and burned alive in the warlord's own longhouse. Olga’s soul descended, and for ages she wallowed in a Damned state, screaming her woe at her lost love and her son. This screaming eventually attracted the notice of the very Devil, now known to be the Archdevil Clemarion the Serpent, that damned her to Hell. In amusement whisked her soul away to toil in the labyrinthian libraries of her domain, the Fifth Circle called Stygia.

It was here that she would enact her revenge against Clemarion, toiling away for centuries while secretly squirreling away dark secrets and magics, adding to the knowledge she had accumulated in life. After 250 years, her soul had twisted and warped until it was no longer human, but a Devil itself, and when the time had come that the Fiend who had sunk her low had fallen out of favor, she struck; She leveled all of the evidence of her master’s plots against the Archfiend before the feet of the ruler of Hell, and asked only to be the one to take the traitor’s head. To this they agreed, and with that blessing she laid to bare all of the magics and allies she had gathered over the centuries, and Clemarion was no more. With the leadership of Stygia vacant, she took on the mantle herself, naming herself Zmeytemne the Serpent. Now she presides over the sulfuric libraries and vaults of her Circle, mulling over dark arcane secrets alongside her servants, all the while she still pines for the soul of her beloved, and for that of the son she never truly knew.

## Home

The Fifth Circle is a wretched place for the most part, said to be where all poison in the universe eventually flows. Rotting jungles and sulfuric swamps with common gouts of hellfire dominate the land, save for the black cities libraries where all of the arcane and occult secrets gathered by the Devils of Hell are stored. These libraries are populated by Damned spellcasters and diabolists, watched closely by Imps and Accusers, lest one get the bright idea to follow in The Serpent's footsteps. Amid the halls, The Serpent herself dwells, slithering in the form of a massive, fiery serpent, mulling over the tomes sent to her as tribute.

## Church and Worshippers

Unsurprisingly, most of The Serpent’s worshippers are diaobolists and arcane spellcasters, though Clerics and Warpriests are far from unheard of in her ranks. These men and women busy themselves with uncovering dark secrets and ancient magics, and spreading such to both Stygia and among the mortal realms to entice further devotees to the plans of Hell. She enjoys a following among the peasantry and slaves as well, seen as a patron to those who seek to drag themselves up to higher positions of power. There is also a prominent sect of Inquisitors who busy themselves with hunting criminals and oathbreakers, and especially take pleasure in butchering demonologists and rogue Devils. There are few organized churches of The Serpent, save in Haikoyuki and Thayrus, and in the most wayward of Helgradian villages. Small groups or lone practicioners typically keep hidden altars in dark, forgotten sections of libraries and in secluded caves.

Among the most infamous aspects of her worshipers comes regarding would-be parents. Those struggling to conceive sometimes grow desperate enough to seek out The Serpent's followers for Infernal aid, who are all to happy too intercede on their behalf. The children born from such deals are always Tieflings, and those born with serpentine features are regarded as specially blessed by worshipers. Parents who abandon or kill these children are immediately Damned to Hell, and are subject to truly horrific torments at the hands of The Serpent's devilish minions.

## Relationships/Providence

The Serpent enjoys cool, if suspicious relations with the Lawful and Neutral deities. This is mostly over her concern with maintaining some semblance of a relationship with her husband, and the slim hope that one day she might be able to know what her son might have been. She has little love for their clergy, however, given their murder of her family, and she does little to halt her own followers should they see fit to terrorize others’ flocks. She has nothing but contempt for the Chaotic.

## Fiendish Obedience

Spend an hour meditating on something you’ve learned and whispering hypotheses and possibilities based upon that fact. In addition, once per week you must teach some of this to someone of lower status than yourself. Take a +4 on Knowledge Arcana and Spellcraft checks.

Evangelist Boons:

1: Stygia’s Secrets (Sp) *fumbletongue* 3/day, *augury* 2/day, or *illusory script* 1/day

2: Truths and Lies Overwhelming (Sp) Once per day, you can cast *dictum* as a spell-like ability.

3: Whispers of Ihyssige (Su) Although you find Stygia’s ominous white stone monolith of Ihyssige a mystery, you know that a mere glimpse of the truth behind the obelisk can drive a mortal insane. Once per day as a standard action, you can target one or more living creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 feet apart. Each creature who fails a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + half your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier) is affected as if by an *insanity* spell. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.apart. Each creature who fails a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + half your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier) is affected as if by an *insanity* spell. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect.

Exalted Boons:

1: Sound the Horn (Sp) *forbid action* 3/day, *hideous laughter* 2/day, or *blood biography* 1/day

2: The Serpent’s Torpor (Su) Once per day, you can spend 10 minutes meditating on the unholy might of the heresies Geryon sows in the hearts of all. You must remain quiet and undisturbed during this time, and you can’t take any other actions while thus meditating. During the 24 hours following your meditation, you can grant yourself and up to four other creatures within 30 feet a +4 profane bonus on ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks as a move action. You can maintain these bonuses as a free action for up to 1 round per Hit Die, after which you must meditate again to regain the ability. These rounds need not be consecutive, but the duration must be used in 1-round increments. You can deactivate the bonuses as a free action. Performing your obedience to Geryon does not count toward the meditation time this ability requires.

3: Trophies of the Betrayer (Su) Three times per day as a standard action, you can target any creature within 60 feet and whisper lies directly into its mind. If the target fails a Will saving throw (DC = 10 + half your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier), it has a temporary crisis of faith, and it cannot access any abilities granted to it by its faith, including the ability to cast spells. This effect has no lasting effect on a creature’s faith, and when the effect ends, the target returns to normal. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Hit Dice. This is a mind-affecting effect but is not language-dependent, as the lies you weave are understood regardless of the languages the target speaks.

Sentinel Boons:

1: Ophidian Kiss (Sp) *disguise weapon* 3/day, *animal trance* 2/day or *greater magic fang* 1/day

2: Crushing Coils (Sp) Although it is often contemplative, the Serpent relishes visiting a hellish and mighty wrath upon those liars and sinners who have earned its ire, particularly the damned souls that writhe in the swamps of Stygia. As its worshiper, you are more than happy to further Geryon’s dark work. Once per day, you can cast *vortex* as spell-like ability.

3: Dark Serpent (Su) For a number of minutes equal to your Hit Dice, you become a Large version of yourself, with powerful coils sprouting in place of your feet. This increases your base speed by 30 feet. Additionally, you can use your coils to form a cage for your enemies. When you successfully grapple a creature, you can transfer that creature into your coils; this works like the swallow whole universal monster ability. Your coils have AC 17 and 18 hp when an entrapped creature attempts to cut itself free. Your coils heal quickly while this ability is in effect, allowing you to transfer another (or the same) creature into your coils 1 round after a creature cuts itself free. Activating dark serpent is a standard action, and dismissing it is a free action. This effect’s duration need not be used all at once, but it must be used in 1-minute increments.