Yuan-Ti
The yuan-ti were a human culture that inhabited the central Teroa and established a civilization during the First Intermediate Period and Early Mithril Era. Though initially human polytheists, the yuan-ti came to worship the ancient deity Huxenotizhuatli, an early manifestation of the Great Old One called Valdra. Through a combination of human sacrifices, cannibalism, and fervent devotion, the yuan-ti were able to shed parts of their mortal flesh and develop snake-like bodies and minds.
With these new forms and the zealous power of their dark god, the yuan-ti carved out a massive empire with colonies across the tropical belts of Hakoa, Nioa, and Iroa. Built on gold, slaves, and blood, their serpent kings reigned for over five hundred years before a combination of drought, plague, border incursions, dragon attacks, and slave uprisings caused a sudden and rapid collapse. What stable polities survived were cut off from one another, and the yuan-ti elite led their most devoted members into hiding.
Today, small communities of yuan-ti can be found in hidden ruins throughout Holos . At this point, most explorers and anthropologists consider them culturally distinct enough to be considered their own ethnic groups. Many yuan-ti still cling to the memory of their glorious past. Their leaders remain eager to reclaim their bloody empire and often send scouts and spies into contemporary mortal societies to learn what they can about the strange peoples that dwell in the shadow of their realm.
Naming Traditions
Unisex names
Most names among the ancient yuan-ti were not gendered and due to a lack of a familial social structure, no ancient yuan-ti had family names. Names in Nepemaxaltic are typically two to three syllables long. Over the course of a yuan-ti's life, affixes may be added to their name to mark important events or achieved ranks. These can include military victories, marriages, participation in sacred events or festivities, and the ascension into a higher social caste.
Early yuan-ti names appear to have been shorter, and often were simply adjectives such as Yaotal meaning "wild." Later yuan-ti names would become names in it of themselves, with no fixed meaning, such as Otlé.
Names often end in the plural marker—a long {i} sound—to emphasize a particular aspect of the name. This is uncommon in most ancient versions of the name, who instead reserve the long {i} sound for plurals and instead used long {e} sound.
Asutali (Asutalé), Eztli (Eztlé), Hessatal; Hitoli (Hitolé), Issahu, Itzli (Itzlé), Manuya, Meztli (Meztlé), Nesalli (Nesallé), Otlé, Sisava, Soakox, Ssimalli (Ssimallé), Suisatal, Talax, Teoxi, Xalkaxla, Yaotal, Zihu,
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Before their exile, the yuan-ti are believed to have spoken a language from the Dawn Era coatl language family. However, shortly after their conversion to serpent worship, the yuan-ti began to adopt many words and grammatical conventions that appear only in the forbidden Abyssal and Deep Speech tongues. By the time of their imperialist expansion, the yuan-ti had a fully formed language known as Nepemaxaltic.
Literally meaning "with/of [the] forked tongue," Nepemaxaltic takes advantage of the ophidian anatomy of the yuan-ti to form sounds that work well with tongue flickering and elongated glottal regions. It appears to have some resemblence to modern mortal languages spoken in Teroa, though further linguistic analysis is required to determine any concrete links. Near the end of the 3rd Century ME, a written version of the langauge was developed with its own unique script and even a pictoral glyph system. However, much of the texts written in this language have been lost to time.
Some surviving communities of yuan-ti continue to cling to this ancient language and due to their staunch hatred for outsiders, each dialect of Nepemaxaltic remains relatively unchanged by time. Some particularly long-lived and intelligent serpent folk have even adopted it as their own, though how they acquired the means to learn and utilize the language is unknown.
Shared customary codes and values
The ancient yuan-ti had a rigid hierarchical structure made up of castes called laxéli. Laxéli were dictated by one's ophidiopathy, with the most elite members of yuan-ti society being those with the greatest resemblance to the serpent god. Many mortals often mistake members of different laxéli to belong to different species, when in reality all yuan-ti—regardless of caste—are biologically humans.
Ahueyza (Pureblood)
Most yuan-ti made up the ahueyza or pureblood1 caste. These individuals—called ahueyztlii—look largely human with only a few ophidian traits, such as forked tongues, venomous fangs, patches of scales, slit pupils, or unhingable jaws. Most also exhibit slender or willowy frames that conceal heightened reflexes and muscles. In yuan-ti societies, ahueyztlii are often looked down upon, for they are physical reminders of the yuan-ti's "imperfect ancestors." In ancient yuan-ti cities, ahueyztlii were treated fairly but their needs were often eclipsed by the wants and desires of those in the upper castes. They often filled the roles of hunters and slave overseers, though many served as spies or soldiers so they might prove their worthiness and become accepted by the higher castes. Their passing resemblance to humans made them ideal for scouting and spycraft and to this day, mortal legends speak of duplicitous serpentfolk that wear the mask of humanity. Moxaza (Malison)
The moxaza or malison caste have the greatest range in physical appearances. Most moxaztlii either have the head and shoulders of a snake and the body of a human or the upper body of a human and torso lower body of a snake. Some rare moxaztlii exhibit the body, head and legs of a human but one or more serpents in place of arms. In yuan-ti societies, moxaztlii form the middle caste, often serving in specific social, cultural, and religious roles. Sixava (Abomination)
The sixava or abomination caste is nearly wholly serpentine, with only their burly, scale-coated chests and arms reminiscent of their human past. Sixavatlii are capable of swiftly slithering on their bellies before coiling to strike or slithering up right when carrying equipment or weapons. In yuan-ti societies, abominations typically form the highest caste and are the leaders their communities.
Laxeotikan (Anathema)
The rarest and most revered of all yuan-ti castes, the laxeotikan or anathema caste display a similar overall body plan to that of an abomination. However, unlike an sixavatl, laxeotikaztlii have multiple heads emanating from a cluster of vertebrae above the shoulder. Each head forms a hive mind-like intelligence, allowing them to solve complex problems while pursuing the same goal. However, their transformation also removes much of their empathic minds, causing them to be even crueler than the average yuan-ti. Their bodies are nearly immortal and are all but immune to aging. Histach (Broodguard)
Histachii are hairless scaled-covered bipeds with bloodshot eyes and a forked tongue. They often appear emaciated, as they are typically only fed left-over rotting meat and barely considered yuan-ti. Histachii have significantly lower intelligence than yuan-ti and are quite malleable, making them excellent guards and typically serve the community as "egg-watchers." They are also sterile, requiring other yuan-ti to create more to maintain the population. Non-Yuan-Ti
In the ancient yuan-ti society, all non-yuan-ti were classified as slaves. Most yuan-ti looked at them the way many mortals look at cattle or other livestock. This attitude extends to non-sentient animals as well, with all creatures considered subservient to the yuan-ti. The only recourse for non-yuan-ti to advance socially was through becoming yuan-ti themselves by contracting ophidiopathy. Slaves that did not perform according to their directives were targeted for sacrifice and kept under strict guard.
Most yuan-ti made up the ahueyza or pureblood1 caste. These individuals—called ahueyztlii—look largely human with only a few ophidian traits, such as forked tongues, venomous fangs, patches of scales, slit pupils, or unhingable jaws. Most also exhibit slender or willowy frames that conceal heightened reflexes and muscles. In yuan-ti societies, ahueyztlii are often looked down upon, for they are physical reminders of the yuan-ti's "imperfect ancestors." In ancient yuan-ti cities, ahueyztlii were treated fairly but their needs were often eclipsed by the wants and desires of those in the upper castes. They often filled the roles of hunters and slave overseers, though many served as spies or soldiers so they might prove their worthiness and become accepted by the higher castes. Their passing resemblance to humans made them ideal for scouting and spycraft and to this day, mortal legends speak of duplicitous serpentfolk that wear the mask of humanity. Moxaza (Malison)
The moxaza or malison caste have the greatest range in physical appearances. Most moxaztlii either have the head and shoulders of a snake and the body of a human or the upper body of a human and torso lower body of a snake. Some rare moxaztlii exhibit the body, head and legs of a human but one or more serpents in place of arms. In yuan-ti societies, moxaztlii form the middle caste, often serving in specific social, cultural, and religious roles. Sixava (Abomination)
The sixava or abomination caste is nearly wholly serpentine, with only their burly, scale-coated chests and arms reminiscent of their human past. Sixavatlii are capable of swiftly slithering on their bellies before coiling to strike or slithering up right when carrying equipment or weapons. In yuan-ti societies, abominations typically form the highest caste and are the leaders their communities.
Laxeotikan (Anathema)
The rarest and most revered of all yuan-ti castes, the laxeotikan or anathema caste display a similar overall body plan to that of an abomination. However, unlike an sixavatl, laxeotikaztlii have multiple heads emanating from a cluster of vertebrae above the shoulder. Each head forms a hive mind-like intelligence, allowing them to solve complex problems while pursuing the same goal. However, their transformation also removes much of their empathic minds, causing them to be even crueler than the average yuan-ti. Their bodies are nearly immortal and are all but immune to aging. Histach (Broodguard)
Histachii are hairless scaled-covered bipeds with bloodshot eyes and a forked tongue. They often appear emaciated, as they are typically only fed left-over rotting meat and barely considered yuan-ti. Histachii have significantly lower intelligence than yuan-ti and are quite malleable, making them excellent guards and typically serve the community as "egg-watchers." They are also sterile, requiring other yuan-ti to create more to maintain the population. Non-Yuan-Ti
In the ancient yuan-ti society, all non-yuan-ti were classified as slaves. Most yuan-ti looked at them the way many mortals look at cattle or other livestock. This attitude extends to non-sentient animals as well, with all creatures considered subservient to the yuan-ti. The only recourse for non-yuan-ti to advance socially was through becoming yuan-ti themselves by contracting ophidiopathy. Slaves that did not perform according to their directives were targeted for sacrifice and kept under strict guard.
Average technological level
The ancient yuan-ti were some of the most advanced peoples in the Material Realm at their height, with a clear understanding of engineering monumental architecture, irrigated agriculture, shadowglass manufacturing, early metalworking, and in their later years, even writing. Their understanding of the arcane also appears to be quite advanced, with many spells and rituals intrinsically linked to various functions within their culture. There is even evidence for early forms of alchemy within some ancient settlements, with the production of poisons and the distillation of venom being an integral part of many of their dark rituals.
Today, however, most surviving yuan-ti societies have technologically stagnated. Though they retain many of the technologies from their time, such as basic metalworking and herbology, their ability to progress along with the rest of the world is stifled by their small populations and scattered communities. What gains have been made have largely been possible thanks to the relatively recent Sundering Arcana, which has opened the door to new magical abilities both for the yuan-ti and the realm at large.
Common Dress code
Yuan-ti dress varies drastically between castes, with most yuan-ti of the upper castes preferring limited fabric and jeweled shawls. Pureblood yuan-ti vary their dress depending on whether they are among their own kind or in mortal societies. When in hiding among outsiders, purebloods frequently wear revealing clothing while also masking what physical traits betray their true identity. This is sometimes accomplished with the aid of magical items or charms. By contrast, when around other yuan-ti, purebloods will often wear layered fabrics or animal hides to appear hide their human-like features, with exceptionally prominent displays of said features being considered unseemly.
Art & Architecture
Much of the ancient yuan-ti's art and architecture reflects their early human origins. By the time of their empire's expansion, much of the variation in subject and style found in their ancestors' work had given way towards serpentine designs.
Stone temples to Huxenotizhuatli reflect this aesthetic, with the basic layout being similar to many of the oldest structures in Teroa. However, in contrast to the original designs, imperial yuan-ti structures replaced stairs and steps with sidewinding ramps to allow for easy traversal by members of the moxaza, sixava, and laxeotikan castes. Internal sanctuaries and even the external sides of the pyramids were often warded to prevent access from initiates or lower caste individuals. Doors are often circular and vary in size to allow access for high level yuan-ti as well as their familiars.
Cities and colonial outposts were all planned settlements, with a central circular plaza and multiple major roads. Streets were almost always paved, with specific culverts for snake-bodied individuals. Most had a large amount of public architecture; including fountains, gardens, and freestanding columns; all of which were intricately carved to reflect the perfection associated with the serpentine form. Districts were often separated from one another by six-foot high plaster walls and accessible via open arches. Very few of the oldest settlements are actually walled from the outside, suggesting that the first yuan-ti feared little from their human neighbors.
Birth & Baptismal Rites
During the ancient yuan-ti empire, female yuan-ti would lay their eggs in communal hatcheries called a hishuala. In large communities, each hatchery would house eggs from a specific caste. This collective incubation helped insure the health of all members of a given caste but also prevented parents from knowing who their offspring were. These hatchlings—known as hiztli—were raised communally and by specially appointed instructors from each caste.
Common Myths and Legends
History
What little information we have comes to us largely from a combination of legends and art work taken from Old Temekan, which seek to explain the origin of a people they referred to as the Tsakhit. These Tsakhit are believed to have been colonists from the original yuan-ti empire in Teroa who settled the Niru Delta region in Nioa during the earliest centuries of the Mithril Era. According to Temekanian sources, one of these groups revering Valdra was located in Teroa and made up of humans, the youngest of the mortal peoples. These mortals called Valdra, Huxenotizhuatli,2 or "The Serpent-That-Dwells-Below." Created by the gods and watched over by the wise coatli, these humans built great stone palaces, hewn crystal blades of shadowglass, and were among the first to work metal into tools.3 Many of them admired the snake above all creatures, seeing perfection in its flexible form and cold, calculating intellect. They came to develop a philosophy the separated thought from the heart. This was in contrast to the teachings of their protectors, the coatli. The feathered serpents preached that knowledge without compassion is useless to all but the individual. Huxenotizhuatli's followers called these feathered serpents soft and without flexibility of thought. So the coatli banished them, hoping that they would learn the merit of altruism in the darkness of the jungle. And the people of the city called them yuan-ti, meaning "The Proud Ones."4 Soon Huxenotizhuatli's harbingers taught her followers the secrets of the Old Magic, spells long considered forbidden by their old coatli masters. With this newfound power, the followers of Huxenotizhuatli constructed their own civilization of mighty temples and floating gardens. Yet such power requires payment and so the Great Old One demanded sacrifice. The followers of Huxenotizhuatli made war on their former neighbors, taking many captives. They brought them to the high altar and offered their blood to the snake god. They ate of their victims' flesh and writhed in charnal pits with living serpents until they were transformed into the image of their patron. Freed from the limitations of their human bodies, the yuan-ti used their new forms to conquer new lands and create a new empire dedicated to the Serpent Below.5 From here, records indicate that the yuan-ti spread out across forest and plain, conquering many tribes and demanding tribute from the terrified people of Teroa. They even crossed the seas and set up colonies in Hakoa and Nioa, where their armies would plunder the land for wealth and slaves. These colonies acted as bases from which the yuan-ti could send their armies to demand tribute food, ore, and slaves. One such colony is believed to have been the aforementioned Tsakhit people attested to in the Old Temekanian legend. The wealth of the empire grew, allowing the ruling elite to focus on further perfecting their ophidian forms. Huxenotizhuatli taught the humans how to take on aspects of the snake, but the cost of the change was high, requiring many sacrifices for each person to be transformed. Entire households of slaves in one city-state were killed and eaten to create the first yuan-ti, and once the news of how to perform these rituals spread to other leaders, the call for slaves to fuel the process increased. As the Huxenotizhuatli began to demand more and more sacrifices, the yuan-ti stepped up their raids on bordering settlements to meet this need. The physical and magical prowess of the yuan-ti empire allowed them to retain their holdings for several hundred years but then many of their colonies and raids begin to abruptly stop. Many reasons for the decline of the yuan-ti have been proposed, with the most likely cause being a combination of drought, plague, attacks by enemies (including dragons and coatli), and slave uprisings. By 1000 ME, little records remain of serpent people raids and the spread of Valdra-worshipping cults slows dramatically. Only a few centuries later, the Great Exodus of Man began, allowing for humans to slowly begin populating the rest of Holos.Ideals
Relationship Ideals
The ancient yuan-ti did practice marriage and are considered to have been semi-monogamous. However, these relationships appear to have been driven largely by personal gain and hedonistic pleasure. Individuals in ancient yuan-ti society were highly aware of their social status and rarely even considered romantic relationships with members of lower castes. Exceptions were made for concubines and purely physical encounters, as the yuan-ti are often said to have shed all of their humanity but their desire for sumptuous pleasure.
The yuan-ti rarely developed lasting long term platonic or familial relationships. Most yuan-ti had no idea who their parents were because yuan-ti parents deposited their eggs in communal hatcheries shortly after oviposition. Additionally, due to the nature of the ophidiopathy, yuan-ti children typically bear little physical resemblance to their parents, making it difficult to identify parentage after birth.
Affine relations and extended families are unknown to the yuan-ti, and many yuan-ti whom have spent extended periods of time in mortal societies find such relationships confusing and disquieting. This is believed to have contributed to the lack of peaceful integration between yuan-ti colonists and mortal societies following the collapse of their empire in the Early Mithril Era.
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