The Serpent
| The Serpent | |
|---|---|
 The Serpent, as portrayed in Vecna: Hand of the Revenant. Art by Kevin McCann. | |
| General information | |
| Portfolio: | Arcane magic |
The Serpent (called Mok'slyk by the ancient Flan peoples) is an entity of godlike power, believed to be the personification of arcane magic.
Description
The Serpent appears as a long, snakelike, semi-transparent entity. The Serpent's head bears draconic features, and several dorsal ridges run along its back.
Relationships
The Serpent is said to be a member of a group of unfathomably old entities known as the Ancient Brethren, which though similar to gods, are not exactly gods, though some beings honor them as such. The Lady of Pain, Asmodeus, and Jazirian are also sometimes said to belong, or to have once belonged to this group, and supposedly Vecna is a descendant of the Ancient Brethren. There may also be a connection between the Ancient Brethren and the draedens and baernoloths born before the multiverse began.
The Serpent is believed to have personally instructed Vecna in the ways of magic. Vecna's mother, Mazzel, told her son that the Serpent gains its power by devouring the souls of those who honored it in life. Indeed, this appears to have happened to her when she was burned at the stake by religious fanatics.
History
According to Mazzel, only the great god-kings of the Ur-Flan were able to communicate with the Serpent while still alive. Appearing in the sky one night, the Serpent gifted arcane magic to the ancient Ur-Flan people. By Vecna's time, his was the last Ur-Flan tribe to revere the Serpent; all others had forgotten Mok'slyk, or had been wiped out by witch hunters (VHotR).
Publishing History
True Nature
It was hypothesized in the final print issue of Dragon magazine that the Serpent is a guise of Asmodeus (based on accounts that his true form is that of a titanic, serpent-like devil), the Serpent doesn't exist at all, or it is is only Vecna's own madness and insight whispering back at him from within the darkness of his own one-eyed skull. However, there is absolutely no evidence for any of these conjectures beyond mere speculation. They are presented in the article as theoretical possibilities and, otherwise, The Serpent is described and illustrated as a real being with an actual form.
References
Citations
Bibliography
- Collins, Andy, Bruce R. Cordell, and Thomas M. Reid. Epic Level Handbook. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002.
- Cook, Monte. Book of Eldritch Might II: Songs and Souls of Power. Malhavoc Press, 2002. Page 25.
- -----. Vecna Reborn. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
- Cordell, Bruce, and Steve Miller. Die Vecna Die!. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
- Grubb, Jeff, David Noonan, and Bruce Cordell. Manual of the Planes. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001. Page 88.
- Mona, Erik, James Jacobs, et al. "Unsolved Mysteries of D&D." Dragon #359. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007. Page 28.
- Thorsson, Modi, and Kevin McCann. Vecna: Hand of the Revenant. Lakewood, CO: Iron Hammer Graphics, 2002.
Zavoda Index Entry
The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index page has a list of sources, abbreviations, and a link to the full index.
Serpent [Deity][NPC]
VR - 4,9