Serpentmen

The Serpentmen of Phoor are a long-forgotten race, believed to have been the first civilization to arise on the continent. According to legend, they thrived while the Great Old Ones still held sway over the land, and were entrusted with much of the ancient beings' forbidden knowledge. Unlike the other mortal races, the cold, reptilian minds of the Serpentmen rendered them immune to the madness that often came with this eldritch knowledge. They are credited with building the Monoliths of the Forgotten Seal on the Island of Moog, structures that now stand as relics of their once-great civilization. These monoliths are thought to hold immense power, possibly related to the Great Old Ones' imprisonment or protection against their return.

In the early days, the Serpentmen were coldly rational, striving to master the world and its natural forces without malice or cruelty. Their intellectual pursuits and deep understanding of natural and arcane forces made them peerless rulers of the continent. However, over millennia, their civilization fell into decadence and cruelty. The Serpentmen came to believe in their own superiority, viewing humans and other "lesser" races as mere slaves or fodder for their twisted pleasures. The arrival of humans on Phoor was considered an annoyance, and entire tribes were eradicated by the Serpentmen and their counterparts, the Rakshasa.

The Serpentmen, like the Rakshasa, ruled over the early world until the elves rose to challenge their empires. These two elder races had grown weak, and their once-grand cities were abandoned or found in ruins by the advancing humans and elves. The elven armies are credited with defeating both the Serpentmen empire and the Rakshasa, driving them into decline. Though their empires have long since crumbled, small tribes and isolated individuals of Serpentmen still survive in remote regions, clinging to the ancient secrets of their race.

Temple of Tarhun regards the Serpentmen as their special enemy, given their ancient enmity with the forces of Set. Temple of Set draws much of its ancestral worship from the Serpentmen, who were devoted followers of dark gods, including Set himself. This conflict between the Serpentmen’s legacy and the followers of Tarhun continues to shape religious struggles across the land.

Rumors persist that Serpentmen lie in deep slumber beneath the earth, their numbers waiting for the right time—perhaps the return of the Great Old Ones—to reclaim their place as the true rulers of the world. Their influence lingers in arcane circles, with human wizards and clerics occasionally tapping into their ancient power, especially those drawn to the Ophidian Domain of magic and faith.

To this day, the Serpentmen are symbols of ancient knowledge, hidden power, and the dark legacies left behind by the Great Old Ones, their past glories both a warning and a temptation for those who seek to unlock their mysteries.