Hlondeth

Home of the Yuan-Ti, Lizardmen and other serpentfolk. A massive jungle valley filled with sporadic step pyramids and structures hidden under the dense canopy of the jungle. Storms are a common daily occurrence. Over the last few centuries, the serpentfolk have stayed hidden within the jungles, driven there after their defeat over 300 years ago.

Demographics

The majority of the population consists of Yuan-Ti serpents, including those transformed into halfbloods and abominations. The Yuan-Ti are the commanding race for The Scales of the Abyss culture, while the lizardmen are the rank and file soldiers as they can reproduce much more easily. Other serpentfolk also live here but are much smaller in number.

Government

Groups of serpentfolk are each led by their own Anathema, who is considered a direct bloodline of Sseth himself. Anathema commincate with each other in some way that is not quite known as interactions with them have shown that soon after conflict begins, more serpentfolk of other tribes quickly arrive to assist. It is thought that they have some way to communicate over large distances, possibly through some form of magic like Sending.

Defences

Lizardmen are known to patrol the entrance to the valley in large groups, typically with dinosaur mounts of some kind. For the last 300 years, they have stayed within the valley, but any intruders are quickly dealt with if they enter the valley itself. The actual Yuan-Ti are much more dangerous, but have not been seen outside of the core of the valley for hundreds of years.
The lizardmen have domesticated all forms of dinosaur within the valley, so any interactions with these beasts should be considered the same as dealing with the lizardmen themselves. The dinosaurs are thought to be used not only as mounts, but spies in the jungle, and attack packs that can move much more quickly than the normal patrols.

Industry & Trade

No trade with the people of Hlondeth is currently active with any of the civilized races of Qinla'Un, or at least it is not known to be. There have been rumors that the Deep Ones, who traditionally deal in slaves, may still be trading with the Yuan-Ti, but the Deep Ones have also been forced into hiding since their main island homeland was overtaken hundreds of years ago by pirates and adventurers.

Infrastructure

Not many have been to the capital of the serpentfolk and returned to tell the tale, so information on the infrastructure of the city is limited. It is thought that clusters of structures, hidden by jungle canopy, are found around the various large step pyramid structures scattered throughout the valley. It is believed that each large pyramid has its own tribe and thus Anathema dwelling within it.

Guilds and Factions

The The Scales of the Abyss is the leading culture of Hlondeth and consists of all serpentfolk races with the exception of lizardfolk who are too peaceful a race to be incorporated.

History

The exact history of Hlondeth is not known exactly, but lizardfolk have stories passed down for many generations that give some clues. Thousands of years ago, the city was founded by worshipers of Sseth, an Abyssal serpent god. Sseth created the Yuan-Ti and sent them to the material plance to prepare it for his eventual conquering.
The Yuan-Ti flourished on the old Qinla'Un, quickly conquering and enslaving the nearby races. They used Sseth's Abyssal magic to transform many other races into abominations and other halfblood Yuan-Ti. They also used selective breeding to create the race of lizardmen, a much more aggressive and physically imposing subrace of lizardfolk.
Eventually, the Yuan-Ti were able to release Sseth from his prison and bring him to the material plane. This did not last long as the elemental creation gods of Qinla'Un immediately saw the destruction this god could bring and worked together to help banish him back to the Abyss.
This did not last long though, as roughly 300 years ago, the Yuan-Ti were once again able to bring Sseth back to the material plane and plotted to wipe out the other civilizations by controlling the massive elemental god Chaac and directing him toward their enemies. The elemental gods responded once again and with the help of powerful adventurers, they banished Sseth back to the Abyss, and Chaac to the endlesss Void.
Since then, the Yuan-Ti and other serpentfolk retreated to their valley, and have not made any further incursions into the eastern continent. It is unknown if they are plotting their next return to power or if they just simply wish to be left alone. However, any time a small village of people disappears, the first thoughts typically are directed at the serpentfolk and what dark magics they may be using on the missing.

Architecture

Large step pyramids peak out above the canopy of jungle trees. Large grey or light brown cut stones are the primary contstruction material used by the serpentfolk.

Geography

Surrounded by large mountain ranges to the north and south, as well as the ocean to the east with rough currents and massive waves, the only real entrance to the valley is to the west. This area is heavily patrolled by lizardmen and their dinosaur mounts. Camouflaged watch towers are sometimes seen in this area, and traps are commonly laid throughout the jungle to prevent any from entering.

Natural Resources

Although not known how much there is in the valley, some scouts have reported large sources of Plaguesteel and Darkwood in the Yuan-Ti valley.

Founding Date

~2000 BNW

Type

Large city

Population

Unknown