Serpent-folk



The Serpent-folk, also known as serpents, man-serpents, and manserpents, are a race which inhabits the Great Swamp to the North of Borost. They are not to be confused with snakes, animals who have no rational capacity.

They are large, humanoid creatures with long necks and reptilian features. It is known there are two sexes in the species, male and female, as specimens have been collected of both. Their lifespan is unknown, but estimated as being many decades, and possibly over a hundred years.

It is known they are sapient, as they speak a peculiar language, often known as Serpent-speech. No written records of this language have been discovered, and it has thus far eluded any attempts at translation.

In Borost, the Serpent-folk are most infamous for the Invasions. In these events, a large host of Serpent-folk, accompanied by powerful Terbolds, attack the civilizations south of the Great Swamp, seemingly seeking to slay as many individuals as possible. This has resulted in many millions of deaths, with most of these being of helpless civilians.

The Serpent-folk have, in modern times, never been sighted in Borost alone. Every twenty years, tens of thousands storm Borost and its adjacent areas, but then promptly vanish for another twenty years.

History
The Serpent-folk are believed to be native to the Great Swamp, which extends over hundreds of leagues in northern Borost, and further north of the continent. Amidst the thick vegetation and seasonal downpours, the Serpent-folk are believed to have established proud and martial states that have endured for millennia, with Terbolds occupying an unknown role in their society.

Invasions
In the present, the Serpent-folk have settled upon a most intriguing pattern.

Toxicology
The Serpent-folk secrete a powerful and deadly venom that can kill a person in less than a few hours. Dwaerkar, because of their compact size, are particularly vulnerable to this venom, which becomes bloodborne, and can kill even an adult Dwaer in less than an hour.

This venom is primarily delivered with incisions and lacerations caused by manserpents' fangs. Soldiers who expect to face the serpent-folk in battle often advance with full armor, as exposed skin, and even heavy cloth gambesons, easily allow the serpents to pump their deadly toxins into the veins of the Dwaerkar and Borostím soldiery. Ingestion and, in rare cases, even simple contact, has also been shown to be fatal.

Notably, some serpent-folk warriors have acquired the habit of extracting their own venom and coating their weapons with it. Others use this poison to coat their arrows, as well as their darts, which have proven to be very effective in battle.