We all know that Crinos is a deadly place. Beasts stalk the land in search
of unwary victims, plants lie in wait to drink the life-blood of beasts and
sometimes Verdimm, and the very land itself can drag you down into the bowels of
Crinos. All of these hazards are one with the circle of life and the cycles of
Luna: What comes from the earth returns. And yet one danger is befouling of this
circle: The Serpens. The Serpen are Verdimm, barely, that chose long ago the
form of a dragon-like beast. They are a mad, hate-filled race that have only one
purpose, to destroy all things living around them.<BR><DL>
<DT>Culture</DT>
<DD>There exists little structure among the Serpen, since each is a solitary
being. It is known that the Serpen most often than not attack one anotheron
sight, fighting to the death. It has been said that many thousands of seasons
ago two travelled together, though this story is greeted with much skepticism
among the various other tribes of Crinos. The only time that any two Serpen are
ever seen existing together in peace is that rare time when they come together
to mate. No young have been seen after such a meeting.<P>What little is known
of the Serpen is their foul nature. A Serpen spends most of its time sleeping
beneath the surface of Crinos, though it's not known where exactly they go. It
is known, however, that once they do rise they burst forth fromthe earth,
preparing to look for a new territory to ravage. The Serpen travel the length
and breadth of Crinos wreaking havoc, destroying the land, killing all the game,
and even attacking other Verdimm. After travelling for several seasons the
Serpen pick a place to settle, destroy all that lives there, and then settle
into the earth.</P><P>It is not rare to have a Serpen pass over one's land and
leave it utterly uninhabitable. The Serpen have also been responsible for the
deaths of entire tribes of Verdimm. A recent passing of the Serpen called
Abbulomon has left the tribe Tenebrae with only one member and left a good
stretch of land to the south of the Sha'dir plain a dead blight. No one knows
why the Serpen are so set on destruction, many believe that they have grown mad
over the passing centuries. Others believe that they were mad to begin with.</P><BR></DD>
<DT>Forms</DT>
<DD>Legends speak of the Serpen before their transformation to foul maddened
beasts. Although no one is quite sure if they are true, they are the only
sources that speak of every form of this tribe. Presently the only recorded
sightings of the Serpen were in what most assume to be their Khiulnter forms.<P>Khiulnter:
Huge fearsome beasts that resemble the western dragons, bipedal beasts that
could as well walk on all fours. Long tails stretch from their scaled hides as
well as long supple necks, and a ridge of spines claws its way up their backs to
crest upon their heads. A pair of functioning leathery wings allows them
unlimited flight, with three large scythe-like claws on the ends of the wings.
The head is demonic in appearance, an elongated snout with row upon row of
razor-sharp teeth, flaring nostrils, and a thick bony ridge over the deep-set
eyes. From nose to tail, the average Serpen can reach 250 feet in length. Some
have been seen much larger, 350 feet or more. Their wingspan is easily two times
the length of their bodies. Their coloration spans the entire spectrum, though
the color will always be tainted and sickly. Silver will appear dark and
tarnished, green too bright and spotted with patches of brown, and black dull
and listless.</P><P>Dimoh: It is very vague as to what the Serpen's Dimoh form
might have been, but those few that have kept the tales of the ancient Serpen
can tell at least a little. They were said to be as any human, tall and short,
hair of almost any color, but always their eyes were a deep, dark blue in color.</P><P>Dimo-Khu:
Nothing whatsoever is known of this form of the Serpen.
</P>