D20 SYSTEM✦ Normal

The Animated Serpentine Statuary Rampage of the Yuan-ti Temple and the Priest's Lost Control Mainspring

# Beast# Construct# Dungeon# Intrigue# Wilderness

The sacred Grotto of Sseth has erupted into chaos. The great Serpentine Statuary—the temple's ancient, magically animated guardians—have gone berserk, slaughtering cultist and intruder alike. The High Priestess S'sharri claims a sabotaged control mainspring is to blame, while a rogue sect of Purebloods, the Scaleless, believe this is Sseth's divine wrath, meant to purge the unworthy. Caught between fanatical purges and rampant magical constructs, the players must navigate the overgrown temple complex, decipher the truth behind the malfunction, and decide which faction's vision for the Yuan-ti's future—and their own survival—deserves to be upheld.

Chronicle Prelude

You stand at the crumbling outer ward of the Grotto of Sseth, a vast, vine-choked temple complex nestled in a fetid jungle basin. The air is thick with the scent of ozone and old blood. Distant, rhythmic crashes echo from within—the sound of tons of magically animated serpentine stone on the rampage. A frantic Yuan-ti Pureblood, a defector from the Scaleless sect, has directed you here, babbling about a 'wound in the temple's heart' that must be healed or sealed forever.

Environmental Traits

The Yuan-ti temple's automated defenses have catastrophically failed, releasing legions of berserk serpentine constructs that now slaughter indiscriminately. The cult's hierarchy is fracturing, with one side seeking to restore order through sacrifice and the other embracing the chaos as divine judgment. To survive and claim the temple's treasures, the players must penetrate the riotous heart of the complex, locate the legendary Control Mainspring, and choose the temple's—and the Yuan-ti's—fate.

Legendary Archetypes

Rayan

HP:45

STR:16

WIS: 12

CHA:11

Key Factions & Autonomous Nodes (8)

High Priestess S'sharri
A towering Yuan-ti Malison with a humanoid upper body and the lower body of a massive constrictor snake. Her scales are a pristine, silvery-white, and she wears ornate robes of black and gold. Her eyes are cold, calculating gold. She moves with a slow, deliberate grace that speaks of absolute power.
Zulkir the Scaleless
A scarred and gaunt Yuan-ti Pureblood. His skin is covered in ritual burn scars and self-inflicted wounds, and his eyes burn with a feverish, zealous light. He wears tattered robes and moves with a jittery, unpredictable energy.
Eshka the Defector
A trembling Yuan-ti Pureblood, her scales dull and her eyes wide with terror. She clutches a torn cloak around herself and flinches at every distant sound. She is visibly wounded and exhausted.
Vethka, the Spirit Naga
A massive, serpentine creature with iridescent scales that shimmer with an inner, ghostly light. It coils protectively around the base of the ancient stone bridge, its hood flared and its eyes glowing with ancient intelligence and territorial fury.
The Serpent Warden
A towering, humanoid construct of black iron and brass, shaped like a stylized Yuan-ti warrior. Serpentine motifs are etched into its armor, and its head is a featureless mask with glowing green slits for eyes. It moves with a grinding, mechanical precision and guards the approach to the Core Altar.
K'thiss
A lithe Yuan-ti Malison with a human torso and a serpentine lower body. His scales are a mottled green and brown, perfect for the shadows. He wears dark, supple leather armor and moves with a thief's silence, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings.
Vessk
A powerful Yuan-ti Pureblood warrior, his body covered in war paint depicting coiled serpents and flames. He wields a massive, serrated glaive and moves with the aggressive confidence of a true believer. His eyes blaze with fervor.
The Dying Lorekeeper
An ancient Yuan-ti, scales cracked and faded to a dull grey, lying propped against a crumbling wall. A grievous wound seeps dark blood. His breathing is shallow, but his eyes hold a final, lucid spark.

Chronicle Prelude

Environmental Traits

Legendary Archetypes

✦ Related Cases ✦

The Lost Workshop: Heart of a Raging Core

The Reckoning of the Blood-Soaked Bracers