Yuan-Ti

There is a sect of yuan-ti that is seeking to regain the might of their late empire. They seek to resurrect their great pharaoh, Yseret, the Flamesnake. Yseret brought about the downfall of the empire as well as the death of millions by creating the connection to Embrekal the Crimson Khedive - the first of the Winged Tyrants to arrive in the material plane. His ambition was the greatest of his kind. He sought to control the land and gain the attention of Apep, who was chained in the magma beneath the land. To do so, he learned the secrets of the Flame Within - a process by which a creature can use the fire of their own life force or the life of others to connect with the plane of fire, and create any of a number of effects that can be far stronger than normal pyromancy. He disappeared into the plane of fire when Embrekal arrived, and though most would assume that he died, some of his inner circle believe him to have transcended into a new form who is as yet unable to return to the material plane. They seek to rebuild their civilizations and return him to a place of power from which he can lead again and bestow his gifts upon them. To do so, they require a deeply hidden area and high temperatures - a swampy jungle is just the place for them. They have set their eyes on the Crystalroot Forest, a relatively undefended place of power.