Adjessi

The Adjessi are a race of Yuan-ti, they reside in the center region of Gyhan. They are usually of an evil alignment, though there have been exceptions.

Origin
It is believed that an ancient being known as Wadjess gave birth to Londorwin's first serpents. These serpents flourished in the deserts of Gyhan.

The story goes that one day as Wadjess was slithering along she came across a grisly scene. The hawks of the desert had massacred and eaten most of the small serpents. She wept for her fallen children and her tears created an oasis where the small serpents took refuge from the hawks above. The waters of this oasis contained some of Wadjess' life giving energies which overtime began to affect her children. At first they had grown in size and could no longer hide in the brush. With the serpents now in the open, the hawks became bold and began attacking them once again. Next the serpents grew arms, which they used to snatch the hawks from the air. Now the serpents began eating the hawks in retaliation. Realizing the scale was no longer in their favor, the hawks flew from the oasis. This saddened the serpents as they had grown accustomed to the taste of the birds. Soon however the serpents would develop legs allowing them to move farther and faster. It wouldn't be long before the serpents left the oasis to hunt the hawks.

Overtime these serpents settled in different locations throughout Londorwin and came to call themselves Yuan-ti. Overtime they would learn to craft weapons and art. They built beautiful cities and glorious monuments to their serpent gods. The Yuan-ti who chose to remain and settle in Gyhan called themselves Adjessi and called their home Adjessi-Ra (light of Wadjess). As the Adjessi spread through the deserts, the oasis that had given so much was lost to them and became a place from myths and superstition.

The First Dynasty
Not much is known about the first dynasty of the Adjessi. It is referred to as Najass-ra (light of the cobra) after first Pharaoh of the Adjessi. All that remains of this time are ancient ruins and monuments buried in the sands.

Second Dynasty
The second dynasty was a time of civil unrest for the Adjessi. During this period known as Asakha-sek (unity of the two powers), Two Pharaohs ruled over the Adjessi.

Tepesekh and his kingdom worshiped Sseth as their patron deity. Their culture was based on quiet acclamation of power through assassination and espionage.

Meanwhile Anebi and his people chose Asarraj as their god-king. They believed the Adjessi should not hide in the sand content with slowly gaining control. They conquered through fear and a show of strength.

The two Pharaohs tried hard to maintain peace and cooperation between their two nations. But the political rivalry was never fully resolved and in time the situation worsened into conflict. It wasn't until Tepessekh's son Akharr took his father's place as Pharaoh of Tepess-ra kingdom, that the rival factions found peace.

Akharr spoke of how Asarraj and Sseth were brothers. He explained that brothers can disagree, but they should never seek to destroy each other. Because Asarraj and Sseth were gods they had to be more enlightened then the Adjessi and surely they understood the bond between brothers more than any other. This seemed to make sense to Anebi as the nations soon unified through the marriage of Akharr and Anebi's daughter Njess.

Third Dynasty
Peace and unity led to a prosperous age that marked the time in which many of the modern day Adjessi cities such as Emphiss were built. It also saw the rise of the Osser-ra dynasty. During this time there were no chief gods as all were worshiped as equals.

The Adjessi people became secluded during this era, shutting themselves off from the outside world and their neighboring races. One of which were the Savage Elves of northern Gyhan. During the course of the third dynasty the Adjessi had been slowly expanding their territory by claiming unoccupied land. As they moved closer and closer to the territory of the Savage Elves they became more and more hostile to the Adjessi.

It wouldn't be long before the Elves launched attacks against the Adjessi to back them away. Because much of the advancements made by the Adjessi during this period of time were of a more cultural nature, the Adjessi were just as unprepared for an assault as the Sand Elves had hoped. When the attacks began thousands died or were captured with very little resistance.

The last Pharaoh of the Osser-ra dynasty, Ssuni had quickly made efforts to retalitate. He personally led armies into battle against the savage elves. Though they were able to keep the elves from pushing any further into Adjessi-Ra, Ssuni's armies were unable to reclaim their lost territory. In a final attempt to push to Emphiss, the elves gathered as many of their soldiers they could spare to the front. As the Adjessi no longer had a standing army, the majority of their forces consisted of civilians who had taken up weapons and joined Ssuni's effort. Those who were trained in combat were temple guards and sun preists. They stood little chance against the elves superior numbers and training.

As the Adjessii soldiers started dying by the hundreds, they seemed to be losing all hope. In a final desperate attempt to save his people, Ssuni got to his knees and prayed to any of their gods who were listening. He promised his soul in exchange for help against the Elves. His pleas were answered by a sibilant, malignant voice that sent a shiver through Ssuni's body. The Mother of Nightmares, Ophissra had answered the call. The sand had begun to move beneath the feet of the Savage elves. Suddenly a large snake-like shadow of midnight black and purple shot from underneath the sand. It crashed against the Elves causing any to be engulfed by the shadow to scream in agony. The night serpent was flooding their bodies with a pure nightmarish essence that appeared to eat away at the soldiers' flesh. Elves outside the shadows were horrified by the screams. Fearing a similar fate, they fled the battlefield. Eventually the shadows dissipated and the sand settled. Where once an army of Elves stood, now remained a field of broken armor and bones.

The Adjessi army was silent. No one knew what to make of the events that transpired. Ssuni knew that this chaos was a necessary evil and one that he understood might come at a cost. The Night Serpent's whispers once again filled his mind. Ophissra had decimated the Elves army and if by some chance they were bold enough to try again, it would take many years for them to rebuild their forces. It was now time for Ssuni to follow through on his promise. She ordered the Pharaoh to return to Emphiss, inform the Yuan-ti of what transpired, and create monuments in her glory. He was then to proceed with his life like usual. Ophissra informed Ssuni that on a night of her choosing she would appear to him in a nightmare. It is then that she will claim what she is owed, Ssuni's soul.

The Pharaoh did as Ohpissra demanded. He returned to Emphiss and told the people of the great power of the Night Serpent. They built new monuments and temples dedicated solely to the mother of nightmares. For the first time since the end of the second dynasty, a single god once again held more favor then the others. Ssuni was concerned for he knew that Ophissra would indeed claim his soul as she said. however he had no sons to replace him as Pharaoh. In fact the only child he had was his daughter Essenet. Afraid that he had little time left, Ssuni removed the law forbidding women from becoming Pharaoh. He then spent his final days preparing her for the throne.

Fourth Dynasty
The Pharaoh Essenet was the first female Pharaoh of the Adjessi and she wouldn't be the last. Under her rule she founded the Nyxes-ra dynasty. During this time the Yuan-ti had reformed their religious beliefs removing Asarraj as a separate god and worshiping Ophissra as their matron deity.

This dynasty drastically differed from the Osser-ra dynasty in that Nyxes-ra was a dark time for Adjessi that shaped their people to what they have become in the the present day. during this era the Adjessii delved into dark shadow magics in an attempt to be closer to their goddess. This often required blood or souls. The need for sacrifices led to the installment of slavery in the Adjessi civilization. When they were not being used for dark rituals, slaves were used as a labor force. In some cases even Adjessi were made to be slaves. This often occurred when a Adjessi committed a crime against another. Even so much as stealing a fellow Adjessi's supper was grounds for enslavement.

Due to the primarily female pantheon of the Adjessi, Essenet saw no reason to place a male back to the throne. Instead the reign of the Nyxes-ra dynasty lasted through five Pharaohs all of which were female. The last Pharaoh of this era was Seknuit. After nearly 400 years the dynasty would soon come to an end. The serpent god of knowledge, Sseth flew down from the sky in humanoid form and landed right on the temple steps. His arrival had shocked the Adjessi. Not only had Sseth not been seen since the Asakha-sek dynasty, but never had any of the gods taken humanoid form. He had come to deliver a message to the Adjessi. He explained that they had swayed from the true path in worship of a scheming god. He told the Adjessi that Ophissra had rejected her brother's and sister's. The Night Serpents promise of Nkhetiss (The rebirth and unity of all of Londorwin), was a distraction to disguise her true intentions. Ophissra only ever planned on devouring the world to consume it. Sseth also claimed that he spoke for his brother, the true Assaraj, not the corrupted image of the Sun Serpent that Ophissra had painted in the minds of her followers. At first the Adjessi were skeptical. Even if Ophissra had not been seen or heard in a hundred years, she had been the only deity to interact with the Adjessi in a long time and it was her, not a sun god, who came to their defense against the Savage Elves. Sseth could see that he would require a show of power to convince them. In that moment he raised his hands to the sky and asked for his brother to enlighten the Adjessi. Suddenly the dark clouds that had loomed over Emphiss (after effects of the countless shadow rituals performed in the past hundred years) were consumed by light. Emerging from that light was a large brass serpent. It's eyes shined like twin suns and the underside of it's hood appeared to burn like hot coal. The sheer magnificence of Assaraj caused some of the Adjessi to kneel almost immediately. It wouldn't be long before the majority of the Adjessi people began believing in what Sseth had said. This included the Pharaoh's own son, Asirkht. The boy believed so highly in Sseth and the Sun serpent that he murdered his own parents when they refused to denounce Ophissra. It was their deaths that marked the end of Nyxes-ra and the beginning of the Asir-ra dynasty.

Fifth Dynasty
Upon becoming Pharaoh, Asirkht's first order of business was to outlaw the worship of Ophissra. Those who refused to comply were exiled, enslaved, or executed. This event came to be know as Anubissath or the cleansing. Some Adjessi managed to avoid persecution and continued to worship their goddess in secret. The Asir-ra dynasty has been a time of war for the Yuan-ti. They believe that Londorwin's only hope to stop the end times rested in the hands of the Adjessi. In order to do so they need to build their strength by gaining resources such as slaves, territory, weapons, etc...any fight they lose only serves to prepare them for the next one.

It has been 196 years since the fall of Seknuit. Asirkht's grandson, Ssoliss is now pharaoh under his uncle's guidance...

Slave Trade
During the fourth Adjessi dynasty they delved in to dark shadow magics. Most of the rituals involved in these magics required sacrifices. Unwilling to go to war at this time with either the Savage Elves to the North or Anubians to the East, the Adjessi needed to find a source of slaves from outside Gyhan.

They had heard tales of Junta-Pehrune and how an Amphibious race called the Grung took in all matter of slaves, many of which were Lizardfolk. Lizardfolk slaves would suit the Adjessi's needs perfectly. Not only would the Lizardfolk be able to bare the harsh heat of Gyhan, but between sacrifices they would also prove to be a strong source of labor.

The Adjessi knew they would be unable to move slaves in and out of Savage Elf lands and the Anubians patrolled much of the southern ocean. The Anubian's distaste for slavery would no doubt create a problem should the Adjessi send ships along the coast. The answer to these problems was to create a path through Frostbite Peaks. The route would be treacherous and no doubt some of the slaves already weak and malnourished might perish in the cold, but the Adjessi were willing to lose a few slaves to ultimately gain many.

The Adjessi did indeed forge their path and soon sent ambassadors through to develop relations with the Grung. They took with them all that the Adjessi had to offer such as art, minerals, gemstones, Adjessi glass, etc... when the ambassadors came back with a handful of lizardfolk slaves they informed the Pharaoh that what the Grung wanted was more Adjessi Glass.

Even after the fall of the Nyxes-Ra dynasty and the end of sacrificial magics within Adjessi-Ra, the Adjessi had grown accustomed to the labor that the Lizardfolk slaves provided. Because of this the slave trade has persisted for a few hundred years and exists even now well into the fifth Adjessi dynasty.

Ancient Rivalry
Every Adjessi grows up hearing the tale of the tear of Wadjess, the oasis that according to myth forged the Yuan-ti into what they became today. It is believed by the Adjessi that the Herukoa are descendants of the falcons within this tale.

The Herukoa are a sub race of Aarakocra living in north eastern Gyhan along the edge of the mountain range seperating eastern Galirede from eastern Gyhan. They are humanoids who closely resmble falcons (specifically peregrine falcons).

This belief that the Herukoa are in fact this ancient enemy caused the Adjessi to hunt them almost to extinction throughout the years. It wasn't until the Anubians landed on the eastern shores of Gyhan that the Herukoa had any hope for survival. The Anubians rescued and offered protection to the Herukoa from the Adjessi.

In the present it has been many years since the Adjessi hunted the Herukoa. The Adjessi Pharaoh Ssoliss has opened relations with their neighboring races including the Herukoa. While no longer at each others throats, the Adjessi and the Herukoa peoples still hold a small dislike for the other.

Arrival
Anubians arrived to Gyhan by sea during the second Adjessi dynasty. Initial relations were tenuous at best since when the Anubians arrived the Adjessi were slaughtering the Herukoa. The Anubians were not willing to stand by and allow the Adjessi to send the Herukoa to extinction, so they stepped in and offered the Falcon folk protection. At the time the Anubians were far more advanced then the Adjessi which left the Snakemen no choice but to abandon their hunt for the Herukoa.

The Adjessi believe the Anubians think themselves smarter then the Adjessi which causes many of the Adjessi to hold a little distaste for them.

Caravans
No matter what dynasty the Adjessi like other races of Gyhan, have always treated Gold Dragonborn peacefully. Most of the Gold Dragonborn are nomadic and either travel alone or in caravans. These caravans move from city to city bringing trade. Because of the Gold Dragonborn's desire to chronicle all of history, most of what the Adjessi know about their first dynasty is given to them from the Gold Dragonborn through trade.

War
Up until the reign of the last Pharaoh of the third Adjessi dynasty, there wasn't much interaction between the Savage elves and the Adjessi. However when the Adjessi began to spread their reach they started encroaching on the Savage Elf lands. This started a war that lasted until the end of the third dynasty. A major event involving the primordial serpent goddess Ophissra was what brought an end to the conflict. The Savage elves moved back to secure their borders and the Adjessi began their fourth dynasty in which they rebuilt what they had lost and established a standing military.

Bandits
The Gnolls of Gyhan are a constant pain to the Adjessi. The Gnolls commit countless bandit raids on outlying cities and towns. They tend to steal crops and burn those they don't.

Gyhan Accords
The current Pharaoh of Adjessi-Ra, Ssoliss, believed that without cooperating with the neighboring races, the Adjessi would not be able to gain any influence in the rest of Londorwin. His response to this belief led him to call the leaders of these races together to form a rules and regulations in order to maintain some sort of peace throughout Gyhan, Some of the more major regulations were;
 * All races of Gyhan could live and operate within the territories of each other provided they respect the laws of the lands they are in.
 * Slavery within Adjessi-Ra was tolerated by the other races of Gyhan as long as it kept to a series of regulations. If a slave left Adjessi-Ra either by being brought out or by leaving on their own, then they would be subject to the rights within those territories. For example a slave that enters Anubian lands would become free. The Adjessi were also restricted from enslaving any of their neighboring races.
 * No race was allowed to have a standing military presence within the other.

Skin color
Adjessi vary in both scale color and pattern. In some cases the color of a Adjessi's scales are seen as a blessing from particular serpent gods such as black scales for Ophissra, red for Sseth, or bronze for Asarraj.

Snake-humanoid
Yuan-ti can vary in how much they lean towards a snake-like appearance or a human one. While the majority of Yuan ti are born with a humanoid body accompanied with a serpent head and tail, others have been born with more resemblance to humans or leaning more towards a snake.

The subspecies Adjessi are identified by their cobra like hoods. This is the only constant of the Adjessi however as limbs can vary from two arms and a tail to having arms, legs and a tail. Some are even born without limbs. These Adjessi are distinguishable from a regular snake by their size and intelligence.

Height and weight
Yaun -ti can range anywhere from 4' 11" to 7 feet and weigh anywhere between 90 to 300lbs on average.

Other Attributes
Yuan-ti have slit reptile eyes that can be yellow, green. blue, black, red, or purple.

Their mouths usually consist of a set of fangs, sometimes accompanied by small sharp teeth, and forked tongue.