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Yuan Ti of Athas?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Zardnaar
Jan 01, 2006 6:13:12 Was there ever a DS adventure where the Yuan Ti played a prominent role in it? The City State of Tyr book mentioned Yuan Ti in under Tyr and apart from the feral Halflings the forest ridge make a good home for them. On Athas though I think it would be harder for them to infiltrate the cities if a Sorceror King is still in control. Would the YT of Athas be like traditional YT being some sort of human-snake hybrid or a new race via the Pristine Tower.

For those of us who mine ideas from other books/settings I have the FR book Serpent Kingdoms- basically a guide to all things reptillian. One could easily add the Sarrukh to Athas as the progenitor of the YT having being created in the rebirth. YT seem to be a bit overlooked as I've barely seen them mentioned in DS product..
#2
kalthandrix
Jan 01, 2006 8:42:17 Yes - well compared to Forgotten Realms almost any setting would look under developed if you look at the vast amount of published material.

DS had slightly less material actually published so it stands to reason that there is alot that has not been explored. :P :D
#3
seker
Jan 01, 2006 12:50:00 the Yuan-ti were in the wake of the ravager computer game, as were illithids.

I personally have the yuan-ti being a bit different in my campaign world than normal. First off they are not a rebirth race, exactly..... they are actually a nation of rhulisti that survived. They use life shaping to modify their own bodies over time to become more usefull for their enviroment. As the nation is in a swamp/forested area serpents were the most useful form, so that is what they used to advance themselves. The Yuan-ti also retain knowledge of life shaping and use it quite extensively. (ie the grafts and changes)

Yuan-ti all start as normal halflings, but evolve themselves into the various forms of yuan-ti through taking levels in the racial class I worked up for them.
#4
Pennarin
Jan 01, 2006 16:16:34
the Yuan-ti were in the wake of the ravager computer game, as were illithids.

I personally have the yuan-ti being a bit different in my campaign world than normal. First off they are not a rebirth race, exactly..... they are actually a nation of rhulisti that survived. They use life shaping to modify their own bodies over time to become more usefull for their enviroment. As the nation is in a swamp/forested area serpents were the most useful form, so that is what they used to advance themselves. The Yuan-ti also retain knowledge of life shaping and use it quite extensively. (ie the grafts and changes)

Yuan-ti all start as normal halflings, but evolve themselves into the various forms of yuan-ti through taking levels in the racial class I worked up for them.

That is fun.

The #1 totally new product I want to see from athas.org in the future is a yuan-ti supplement à la Windriders of the Jagged Cliffs.
#5
Zardnaar
Jan 01, 2006 16:52:20 Serpent Kingdoms was a very cool Forgotton Realms book. Change a few names and dates and presto we have Athas version of SK. The Jagged Cliffs region in the misty border would be another place for Yuan Ti to lair. Just use the Psionic version from the XPHB.
#6
fray_fanatic
Jan 01, 2006 17:50:51 My vision about the Yuan-Ti of Athas is that they are a new race, a Pristine Tower mutation of about 1000 years ago or so.

The Yuan-Ti live mostly in the City-States, with a semi-secret status. They conform small merchant houses, psionic orders of monks or even noble houses. They try to appear human, but the SK´s, high-rank templars and a few others know that each one of these organizations is indeed a Yuan-Ti household and is ruled from the shadows by a council of elders or abominations.

In my campaign, the Yuan-Ti try to mantain the purity and health of their race, arranging matings between the Yuan-Ti bloodlines. They thrive in the slave-based athasian society and transform their best slaves into tainted ones. This ideas can be combined with the existence of little settlements of Yuan-Ti in the Forest Ridge or in the Crescent Moon Forest.

I don´t like the whole idea of the Jagged Cliffs halflings. And the Yuan-Ti are an athasian race from the first boxed-set... a long time before the publication of WotJC.

F.F.
#7
Sysane
Jan 01, 2006 18:17:38 I don't remember whose idea this was originally but the theory was that the Yuan Ti were created due to some affliction (think along the lines of lycanthropy) that could be passed from one humanoid to another. I kind of liked that idea.
#8
kalthandrix
Jan 01, 2006 18:27:27 That is an interesting idea- maybe it is a transmutative poison that they have- which would be an interesting item to add to a poison list.
#9
Zardnaar
Jan 01, 2006 18:32:45
That is an interesting idea- maybe it is a transmutative poison that they have- which would be an interesting item to add to a poison list.

In FR they have that poison that turns you into a Histachi (sp?). Yuan Ti generally breed with humans or each other.
#10
zombiegleemax
Jan 01, 2006 19:21:13 when i created the region maps for the Cthuul Jungles regions far north of the Tablelands, i envisioned the dark and fetid expanse of forboding vegetation was actually infested with yuan-ti, to a point where they have developed into a larger civilization...

i dig both ideas above of the yaun-ti being a mutant remnant of the original halflings AND the standard mutant human scenario...
#11
kalthandrix
Jan 01, 2006 20:33:34 Hey Brian- in your map of the Cthuul Jungles region- I was going to use the area as the seat of the dying Mir'iseth nation (a seperate entity from those on the Tablelands). At least for my campaign- and this is just an FYI, not anything to spark a huge debate or conversation over.
#12
zombiegleemax
Jan 01, 2006 23:23:46 i'd imagine if the yuan-ti nation was embroiled in a long-time war with the mir'iseth then it would probably be the primary reason that the yuan-ti have yet to be expansionistic. there is room for both in that area of eastern continent, and would make for a very interesting regional history.
#13
kalthandrix
Jan 01, 2006 23:34:13
i'd imagine if the yuan-ti nation was embroiled in a long-time war with the mir'iseth then it would probably be the primary reason that the yuan-ti have yet to be expansionistic. there is room for both in that area of eastern continent, and would make for a very interesting regional history.

That is a very interesting idea- nice twist
#14
squidfur-
Jan 02, 2006 20:58:31 Seems like i'm remembering that the lake by the smoking crowns (feelin' too lazy to find the name right now ) had some ruins beneath its surface - with the idea being that these were yuan-ti ruins. Now I'm pretty sure that the ruins were official, but not sure that they were officially of yuan-ti design.

At some point, a piece of artwork had inspired an idea of the yuan-ti worshipping a huge athasian serpentine creature as they would Mershaulk (sp?) in other worlds. This creature would be something along the lines of an ancient sink worm, sand worm, cistern fiend, or the like....most likely with at least one template (grey touched maybe, or one of the elemental templates) and most likely of an "advanced" nature (advanced as from the MM, ie. more HD, etc.) - or it could even be undead.
#15
Zardnaar
Jan 02, 2006 21:42:46
Seems like i'm remembering that the lake by the smoking crowns (feelin' too lazy to find the name right now ) had some ruins beneath its surface - with the idea being that these were yuan-ti ruins. Now I'm pretty sure that the ruins were official, but not sure that they were officially of yuan-ti design.

At some point, a piece of artwork had inspired an idea of the yuan-ti worshipping a huge athasian serpentine creature as they would Mershaulk (sp?) in other worlds. This creature would be something along the lines of an ancient sink worm, sand worm, cistern fiend, or the like....most likely with at least one template (grey touched maybe, or one of the elemental templates) and most likely of an "advanced" nature (advanced as from the MM, ie. more HD, etc.) - or it could even be undead.

Lake of Golden Dreams. In the Epic level handbook there is the Ha Naga which was updated to 3.5 in Serpent Kingdoms. Its basically an epic naga around the size of a Dragon. Off the top of my head it casts spells as a level 20 wizard. Could be a contender for your idea of a creature thats worshipped. A Yuan Ti equivilent of a Sorceror King. You could even have it cast an epic spel to borrow a elemental vortice off a dead Sorceror King so the Yuan Ti could have Templars.
#16
squidfur-
Jan 02, 2006 22:33:44
Lake of Golden Dreams. In the Epic level handbook there is the Ha Naga which was updated to 3.5 in Serpent Kingdoms. Its basically an epic naga around the size of a Dragon. Off the top of my head it casts spells as a level 20 wizard. Could be a contender for your idea of a creature thats worshipped. A Yuan Ti equivilent of a Sorceror King. You could even have it cast an epic spel to borrow a elemental vortice off a dead Sorceror King so the Yuan Ti could have Templars.

Not sure how appropriate the Ha Naga is for DS, but also, I'm more of the mind to keep it like it is. I'm just digging the idea of them worshipping a totally animalistic force...you know, just basically this huge freakin' beast of a thing, just trying to survive, and being worshipped for it's ability to do just that.
#17
Zardnaar
Jan 02, 2006 22:59:14
Not sure how appropriate the Ha Naga is for DS, but also, I'm more of the mind to keep it like it is. I'm just digging the idea of them worshipping a totally animalistic force...you know, just basically this huge freakin' beast of a thing, just trying to survive, and being worshipped for it's ability to do just that.

Ha Naga do like ruins of pevious ages though. One could be on the island of Waverly for example. Might explain why no one lives there.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Zardnaar Jan 01, 2006 6:13:12	Was there ever a DS adventure where the Yuan Ti played a prominent role in it? The City State of Tyr book mentioned Yuan Ti in under Tyr and apart from the feral Halflings the forest ridge make a good home for them. On Athas though I think it would be harder for them to infiltrate the cities if a Sorceror King is still in control. Would the YT of Athas be like traditional YT being some sort of human-snake hybrid or a new race via the Pristine Tower. For those of us who mine ideas from other books/settings I have the FR book Serpent Kingdoms- basically a guide to all things reptillian. One could easily add the Sarrukh to Athas as the progenitor of the YT having being created in the rebirth. YT seem to be a bit overlooked as I've barely seen them mentioned in DS product..
#2 kalthandrix Jan 01, 2006 8:42:17	Yes - well compared to Forgotten Realms almost any setting would look under developed if you look at the vast amount of published material. DS had slightly less material actually published so it stands to reason that there is alot that has not been explored. :P :D
#3 seker Jan 01, 2006 12:50:00	the Yuan-ti were in the wake of the ravager computer game, as were illithids. I personally have the yuan-ti being a bit different in my campaign world than normal. First off they are not a rebirth race, exactly..... they are actually a nation of rhulisti that survived. They use life shaping to modify their own bodies over time to become more usefull for their enviroment. As the nation is in a swamp/forested area serpents were the most useful form, so that is what they used to advance themselves. The Yuan-ti also retain knowledge of life shaping and use it quite extensively. (ie the grafts and changes) Yuan-ti all start as normal halflings, but evolve themselves into the various forms of yuan-ti through taking levels in the racial class I worked up for them.
#4 Pennarin Jan 01, 2006 16:16:34	the Yuan-ti were in the wake of the ravager computer game, as were illithids. I personally have the yuan-ti being a bit different in my campaign world than normal. First off they are not a rebirth race, exactly..... they are actually a nation of rhulisti that survived. They use life shaping to modify their own bodies over time to become more usefull for their enviroment. As the nation is in a swamp/forested area serpents were the most useful form, so that is what they used to advance themselves. The Yuan-ti also retain knowledge of life shaping and use it quite extensively. (ie the grafts and changes) Yuan-ti all start as normal halflings, but evolve themselves into the various forms of yuan-ti through taking levels in the racial class I worked up for them. That is fun. The #1 totally new product I want to see from athas.org in the future is a yuan-ti supplement à la Windriders of the Jagged Cliffs.
#5 Zardnaar Jan 01, 2006 16:52:20	Serpent Kingdoms was a very cool Forgotton Realms book. Change a few names and dates and presto we have Athas version of SK. The Jagged Cliffs region in the misty border would be another place for Yuan Ti to lair. Just use the Psionic version from the XPHB.
#6 fray_fanatic Jan 01, 2006 17:50:51	My vision about the Yuan-Ti of Athas is that they are a new race, a Pristine Tower mutation of about 1000 years ago or so. The Yuan-Ti live mostly in the City-States, with a semi-secret status. They conform small merchant houses, psionic orders of monks or even noble houses. They try to appear human, but the SK´s, high-rank templars and a few others know that each one of these organizations is indeed a Yuan-Ti household and is ruled from the shadows by a council of elders or abominations. In my campaign, the Yuan-Ti try to mantain the purity and health of their race, arranging matings between the Yuan-Ti bloodlines. They thrive in the slave-based athasian society and transform their best slaves into tainted ones. This ideas can be combined with the existence of little settlements of Yuan-Ti in the Forest Ridge or in the Crescent Moon Forest. I don´t like the whole idea of the Jagged Cliffs halflings. And the Yuan-Ti are an athasian race from the first boxed-set... a long time before the publication of WotJC. F.F.
#7 Sysane Jan 01, 2006 18:17:38	I don't remember whose idea this was originally but the theory was that the Yuan Ti were created due to some affliction (think along the lines of lycanthropy) that could be passed from one humanoid to another. I kind of liked that idea.
#8 kalthandrix Jan 01, 2006 18:27:27	That is an interesting idea- maybe it is a transmutative poison that they have- which would be an interesting item to add to a poison list.
#9 Zardnaar Jan 01, 2006 18:32:45	That is an interesting idea- maybe it is a transmutative poison that they have- which would be an interesting item to add to a poison list. In FR they have that poison that turns you into a Histachi (sp?). Yuan Ti generally breed with humans or each other.
#10 zombiegleemax Jan 01, 2006 19:21:13	when i created the region maps for the Cthuul Jungles regions far north of the Tablelands, i envisioned the dark and fetid expanse of forboding vegetation was actually infested with yuan-ti, to a point where they have developed into a larger civilization... i dig both ideas above of the yaun-ti being a mutant remnant of the original halflings AND the standard mutant human scenario...
#11 kalthandrix Jan 01, 2006 20:33:34	Hey Brian- in your map of the Cthuul Jungles region- I was going to use the area as the seat of the dying Mir'iseth nation (a seperate entity from those on the Tablelands). At least for my campaign- and this is just an FYI, not anything to spark a huge debate or conversation over.
#12 zombiegleemax Jan 01, 2006 23:23:46	i'd imagine if the yuan-ti nation was embroiled in a long-time war with the mir'iseth then it would probably be the primary reason that the yuan-ti have yet to be expansionistic. there is room for both in that area of eastern continent, and would make for a very interesting regional history.
#13 kalthandrix Jan 01, 2006 23:34:13	i'd imagine if the yuan-ti nation was embroiled in a long-time war with the mir'iseth then it would probably be the primary reason that the yuan-ti have yet to be expansionistic. there is room for both in that area of eastern continent, and would make for a very interesting regional history. That is a very interesting idea- nice twist
#14 squidfur- Jan 02, 2006 20:58:31	Seems like i'm remembering that the lake by the smoking crowns (feelin' too lazy to find the name right now ) had some ruins beneath its surface - with the idea being that these were yuan-ti ruins. Now I'm pretty sure that the ruins were official, but not sure that they were officially of yuan-ti design. At some point, a piece of artwork had inspired an idea of the yuan-ti worshipping a huge athasian serpentine creature as they would Mershaulk (sp?) in other worlds. This creature would be something along the lines of an ancient sink worm, sand worm, cistern fiend, or the like....most likely with at least one template (grey touched maybe, or one of the elemental templates) and most likely of an "advanced" nature (advanced as from the MM, ie. more HD, etc.) - or it could even be undead.
#15 Zardnaar Jan 02, 2006 21:42:46	Seems like i'm remembering that the lake by the smoking crowns (feelin' too lazy to find the name right now ) had some ruins beneath its surface - with the idea being that these were yuan-ti ruins. Now I'm pretty sure that the ruins were official, but not sure that they were officially of yuan-ti design. At some point, a piece of artwork had inspired an idea of the yuan-ti worshipping a huge athasian serpentine creature as they would Mershaulk (sp?) in other worlds. This creature would be something along the lines of an ancient sink worm, sand worm, cistern fiend, or the like....most likely with at least one template (grey touched maybe, or one of the elemental templates) and most likely of an "advanced" nature (advanced as from the MM, ie. more HD, etc.) - or it could even be undead. Lake of Golden Dreams. In the Epic level handbook there is the Ha Naga which was updated to 3.5 in Serpent Kingdoms. Its basically an epic naga around the size of a Dragon. Off the top of my head it casts spells as a level 20 wizard. Could be a contender for your idea of a creature thats worshipped. A Yuan Ti equivilent of a Sorceror King. You could even have it cast an epic spel to borrow a elemental vortice off a dead Sorceror King so the Yuan Ti could have Templars.
#16 squidfur- Jan 02, 2006 22:33:44	Lake of Golden Dreams. In the Epic level handbook there is the Ha Naga which was updated to 3.5 in Serpent Kingdoms. Its basically an epic naga around the size of a Dragon. Off the top of my head it casts spells as a level 20 wizard. Could be a contender for your idea of a creature thats worshipped. A Yuan Ti equivilent of a Sorceror King. You could even have it cast an epic spel to borrow a elemental vortice off a dead Sorceror King so the Yuan Ti could have Templars. Not sure how appropriate the Ha Naga is for DS, but also, I'm more of the mind to keep it like it is. I'm just digging the idea of them worshipping a totally animalistic force...you know, just basically this huge freakin' beast of a thing, just trying to survive, and being worshipped for it's ability to do just that.
#17 Zardnaar Jan 02, 2006 22:59:14	Not sure how appropriate the Ha Naga is for DS, but also, I'm more of the mind to keep it like it is. I'm just digging the idea of them worshipping a totally animalistic force...you know, just basically this huge freakin' beast of a thing, just trying to survive, and being worshipped for it's ability to do just that. Ha Naga do like ruins of pevious ages though. One could be on the island of Waverly for example. Might explain why no one lives there.