* Restricted: Snake Cultists only

The Snake Cults

The Snake Cults are prevalent over much of the Underworld and in the Great Swamp, Great Jungle and Southern Cities of the Overworld.

YSSA, E/C Demigoddess of Snakes is Patroness of the Snake Cults.  She variously serves VIXEW, N/N God of Reptiles, DALA, N/C Goddess of Chaos, and TERRIK, E/C God of Waste, but aims for Godhead Herself by sponsoring the Snake Cults to gain followers.  DALA also sponsors Her own Snake Cults, mostly in Her Guise as XSARA, Goddess of Snakes.  Most Snake Cults have a principal Sponsor God or Demigod, but being (mostly) Chaotic are open to and include worshippers of other Gods or False Gods.

The Snake Cults are great users of, and dealers in, snake-derived poisons and venoms.  Their Fighters and Thieves use blade venoms as a matter of course.  They vie for control of the Poison Trade with the Scorpion Cults, who take the business side much more seriously.

Snake Cultist Clerical Spells are granted for YSSA either by DALA or TERRIK, dependent on Alignment of Caster.  However, most Cultists have their Faith in YSSA, and believe She grants the Spells directly.  They get Snake-Charm as a L4 Spell, Create/Neutralise Poison as a L6 Spell (except for Constrictor Cults, which get Constriction as a L4 Spell), Sticks to Snakes as a L7 Spell, Rain of Snakes as a L8 Spell (instead of Ice/Fire/Rock Storm), Contact via Snakes as a L10 Spell (instead of Contact) and Conjure Snakes as a L12 Spell.

Snake Cultist Druids are Beastmasters, with a snake-specific Spell list.  Snakeroot is the unique Medium for their Snake Cycle of Spells.  For maximum bonus it should be harvested on the Midsummer Caeriad (26 Oscow).

Snake Cultist Binders Summon SERPENTO, E/C Demon Earl of Snakes, Demon Lord no. 666, and a servant of YSSA.

The Snake Cults are hedonistic pleasure-seekers.  They delight in phallic symbolism, seduce many impressionable young women and are notorious for running brothels.  Many Snake Cults also have a strong mystical element.  They respect ChaosMasters, Dreamers and Madmen, and use venom-derived drugs, the bite of serpents and/or the ecstasy of orgasm to enter hallucinatory trances, seeking to enter The Serpentine Empire, Dream Kingdom of the Snakes.

Some Snake Cults breed Giant Snakes as guardians or as mounts to ride.  There is also a long-standing association between Snake Cultists and Medusae.

Snake Cultists have an affinity with Water, but an aversion to Fire (though they do not count as Fire Vulnerable).  They have a traditional enmity with Eagle Cults.

The following are some of the largest Snake Cults in the Overworld:

• The Deadly Adders: YSSA/VIXEW-Sponsored Druidic Mist Warrior Snake Cult of the Grasslands, Poison Dealers
• The Green Anacondas: YSSA/VIXEW-Sponsored Druidic Snake Cult of the Great Swamp and Jungle, not Poison Dealers
• The Black Boas: XSARA-Sponsored Snake Cult of the Great Swamp and Jungle, Thieves' Guild, not Poison Dealers
• The Golden Cobras: YSSA/DALA-Sponsored Snake Cult of the Southern Cities, a major provider of Charmers, deals in Dream-inducing Drugs as well as Poisons
• Emlyghwaith ("Snakes People"): YSSA/VIXEW-Sponsored Sindarin Snake Cult of the Elvish Lands, Poison Dealers
• The Grey Rattlesnakes: XSARA-Sponsored Snake Cult of the Oasis of Oranges and Acacia and the Great Desert, Poison Dealers
• The Pitiless Pythons: YSSA/TERRIK-Sponsored Evil Snake Cult of the Jungle, not Poison Dealers
• The Venomous Vipers: YSSA/TERRIK-Sponsored Evil Snake Cult of Vavistor and the Great Desert, Poison Dealers, Thieves' Guild and Assassins

Go to Druidic Spell List of the Snake Cults

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