Yuan-Ti
The serpent creatures known as yuan-ti are all that
remains of an ancient, decadent human empire. Ages
ago their dark gods taught them profane, cannibalistic
rituals to mix their flesh with that of snakes, producing a
caste-based society of hybrids in which the most snakelike are the leaders and the most humanlike are spies
and agents in foreign lands.
Humans Transformed
The people who became yuan-ti were one of the original human civilizations. Their society built great temples of stone and forged metal into armor, tools, and weapons. In their ceremonies they paid homage to the snake as the embodiment of the qualities they most appreciated. They developed a philosophy of separating emotion from intellectual pursuits, allowing them to focus their energy on personal advancement and expanding their territory. They believed themselves to be the most enlightened mortals in the world, and in their hubris they sought to become ever greater. The serpent gods of the primordial world heeded the prayers of these people and hissed dark demands into their ears. The people tainted their souls by performing human sacrifices in the name of the gods, debased their flesh by cannibalizing their victims, and then performed a sorcerous ritual while writhing in pools filled with living snakes that enabled them to mix their flesh with that of serpents, becoming like the gods in body, thought, and emotion. Freed from the limitations of their human bodies, the yuan-ti used their new abilities to conquer new lands and expand their borders. Yuan-ti are emotionless, yet feel completely superior to humanoids, in the same way that a human can feel superior to chickens or rabbits- in a matter-offact, completely objective way that doesn't brook any second-guessing. To a yuan-ti, there are only three categories of creature: threat, yuan-ti, or meat. Threats are powerful creatures such as demons, dragons, and genies. Yuan-ti are any of their own kind, regardless of caste; although a rival yuan-ti might be dangerous, and a weak or dead one might be potential food, it is first and foremost one of the true people and deserving of some respect. Meat includes any creature that is neither a threat nor a yuan-ti, possibly useful for a base purpose but not worthy of other consideration. Most yuan-ti consider it beneath themselves to speak to meat. Abominations and malisons rarely communicate directly with slaves except in emergencies (such as for giving battle orders at other times, slaves are expected to constantly be aware of the master's mood, anticipate the master's needs, and recognize subtle gestures of hands, head, and tail that indicate commands. Only purebloods-which walk among humanoids and therefore have to learn how to speak to them civilly- practice interacting with meat-creatures. Much of their training involves suppressing their innate annoyance at having to speak to lesser beings as though they were equals, or being obliged to kowtow to a humanoid ruler as if the pureblood were merely an advisor. Pureblood spies feel a sort of aloof contempt toward meat-creatures, but they can affect a pleasant tone, and speak to such creatures with a silver tongue that disguises their true feelings. Under normal circumstances, yuan-ti are always calmly deferential to those of higher rank. They tend to be curt and formal with those of lower rank, for the differences between them aren't a source of anger or disgust (emotions that the yuan-ti don't feel anyway), merely a fact of the natural order, and their culture long ago realized that treating the lower castes with a measure of detached respect prevents rebellion and advances the cause of the entire race.Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
uan-ti names have meanings that have been passed
down through the generations, although spellings and
inflections have changed over time.
Some yuan-ti add more sibilants to their birth names
create an exaggerated hissing sound, based on one's
personal preference and whether an individual's anat001y can more easily pronounce the name in this altered
form. An adopted name of this sort is recognized as a
wariant of the birth name, rather than a unique name
unto itself. A yuan-ti might refer to itself by its birth
uarne, by its adopted name, or (especially among purellloods) by a name it borrows from the local populace.
The Yuan-ti Names table provides yuan-ti birth names
suitable for any campaign.
Lifespan
170 Years
Average Height
7 Feet
Average Weight
200 Pounds
Average Length
12 Feet
Related Ethnicities
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