Serpentfolk

The Ssith’katha are a serpentine people born of ancient pacts and ritual transcendence. Their origin lies in the depths of Zalthyx, the serpent kingdom south of Avermont, where forgotten temples still echo with hissed prayers and venom. Long ago, the Ssith’katha shed their former lives to ascend as instruments of prophecy, secrecy, and sovereign will.

Among them, the Anath’iss are the most numerous and most widely traveled. They are humanoid in shape but carry the subtle hallmarks of their bloodline: golden, slit-pupiled eyes, faint scale tracings along the skin, and tongues that flicker with poison. Many walk freely through the courts and cities of Eldareth, posing as ambassadors, scholars, and oracles. Beneath each role, however, lies the coiled instinct of a people shaped to influence the future.

Though they come from a land of secrecy and doctrine, not all Anath’iss remain bound by it. Some rise within its coils. Others attempt to slither free.

Identity and Culture

The Anath’iss appear humanoid at first glance, but closer observation reveals their true nature. Their skin is often smooth and warm-toned, but faintly glossy, and may carry scale-like patterns across the neck, jawline, forearms, or spine. Eyes are the most telling—serpentine and gold, amber, or venom green, with vertical pupils that do not blink like a human’s. Some have forked tongues, elongated canines, or faint ridges along their brows and cheekbones. Their hair is usually dark, sleek, and worn long or in ceremonial braids. Their movements are graceful and slightly too fluid, their expressions unreadable.

In culture, the Anath’iss are trained in posture, poise, and perception from a young age. They learn to observe before acting, to speak with layers, and to hide truths in plain view. Their society does not raise them to be kind or cruel, but competent — and in their world, competency often means control. That control is shaped by allegiance. The Gilded Coil teaches secrecy and subterfuge, prizing knowledge and subtle domination. The Dawncoil Concord focuses on reform and spiritual clarity, calling its members to unlearn control and walk alongside others. The Xal’Tarothi, strictest of all, uphold law, doctrine, and conquest in the name of order.

Though they may serve temples, courts, or themselves, Anath’iss are rarely aimless. Most believe their presence in the world is part of a deeper pattern — one that can be shaped, if not rewritten. Their flaw is their fixation. Even when they seek peace, they try to engineer it. Even when they mean well, they often calculate the outcome first.

Legacy in Eldareth

The legacy of the Ssith’katha is not inscribed on monuments. It is etched into the margins of treaties, whispered in the back rooms of palaces, and buried beneath the stone floors of ancient sanctuaries. The Anath’iss remain the most common face of that legacy — walking calmly through a world that suspects them, guiding conversations others do not know have begun, and listening to the slow turn of history with a mind toward shaping its next verse.

They do not conquer with armies
They ask questions that change the answer

Serpentfolk Traits

Ability Score Increase. When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. You can't raise any of your scores above 20.

Creature Type. You are a Humanoid.

Size. You are Medium.

Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.

Magic Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against spells.

Poison Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the poisoned condition on yourself. You also have resistance to poison damage.

Serpentine Spellcasting. You know the Poison Spray cantrip.

You can cast Animal Friendship a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest, but only targeting snakes.
Starting at 5th level, you can cast Suggestion with this trait. Once you cast it, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast it using any spell slots you have of 2nd level or higher.

Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells (choose when you select this race).

Languages. Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player’s Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.