Elder Evils

SERTROUS IN EBERRON
The teachings of Sertrous have a subtle effect in Eberron,
since the deities of this world are much less invested in the
workings of their followers. Clerics who gain their powers
from personal faith rather than service to a deity are common,
and as a result the heretics of the Vanguard can efficiently
conceal the nature of their beliefs.
The Serpent Reliquary’s entrance is located on a remote
island in the northeastern Lhazaar Principalities. Far enough
out of the way that it serves no real naval role, this nameless
rock is little more than 300 yards in diameter and hosts flocks
of deformed wyverns in its crags. Many pirates have buried
their treasures here, but to date none have discovered the
shallow cavern that hides the secret door that opens into the
Reliquary’s entrance.
SERTROUS IN FAERÛN
Faerûn has a large number of deities, and even those who
choose not to worship a deity have specific fates to look
forward to in the afterlife. As part of the world-changing
menace, those who worship Sertrous and do not venerate
the gods do not travel to the Fugue Plane when they die.
Although technically these souls are counted among the
False, they escape punishment in the City of Judgment and
pass directly into Sertrous’s realm in the Abyss to await his
return. Worshipers of Kelemvor who know of this hold a
special hatred for the Vanguard as a result.
The entrance to the Serpent Reliquary is hidden far
from traditional yuan-ti dwellings to minimize accidental
discovery. This entrance is an out-of-place standing stone
carved of deep purple porphyry protruding from a low
mound of earth on the far side of the Lake of Tears from
Castle Perilous. The standing stone has been the obsession
of several bickering orc tribes for many centuries,
although none of them know of the secret ritual that
causes the stone to split apart, forming a shimmering
archway that transports those who pass through into the
Reliquary’s entrance.
SERTROUS
When resurrected, Sertrous appears as an immense
nightmare of slimy coils and shining scales. His aspect is
serpentine only because that is the closest analogy the fragile
mortal mind can assign to his writhing bulk, a sight that can
instill a paralyzing fear of all things snakelike.
Sertrous’s body is a sickly green with a pale yellow belly.
Winding red stripes run down his length like rivers of
blood. Two serpentine arms split off his central body at
approximately his midsection, each ending in a three-taloned
claw. His head is that of a deformed snake with dead black
eyes, its jaws split so that when it opens its many-fanged,
five-jawed maw it looks like the bloom of an unholy and
monstrous flower.
Sertrous once dwelt on the bleak and poisonous 380th
layer of the Abyss, a realm of fens and black bottomless lakes
called Hungry Tarns. As his power grows, this realm becomes
increasingly infested with serpentine menaces.
Aspect of Sertrous CR 22
hp 460 (23 HD); fast healing 10; DR 20/cold iron and lawful
CE Gargantuan outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, obyrith)
Init +7; Senses blindsight 500 ft., darkvision 60 ft., true seeing;
Listen +31, Spot +31
Aura form of madness (60-ft. radius, Will DC 30), poisoner’s
breath (240-ft. radius, Fort DC 33)
Languages Abyssal, Aquan, Celestial, Infernal; telepathy
1,000 ft., tongues
AC 39, touch 9, flat-footed 36
Immune acid, anathematic secrecy (malefi c property), poison,
impervious to the divine (malefi c property), elder
evil immunities (page 6)
Resist cold 20, electricity 10, fi re 20; SR 33
Fort +25, Ref +16, Will +18
Speed 50 ft. (10 squares)
Melee bite +35 (6d6+16 plus poison) and
2 claws +33 each (2d6+8) and
tail +33 (4d6+8)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
Base Atk +23; Grp +51
Atk Options Awesome Blow, Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack,
constrict 4d6+16, improved grab, poison (Fort DC 33, 2d6
Con/2d6 Con), souldrink
Special Actions Dark Speech, poisoned whisper
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 23rd):
At will—astral projection, desecrate, detect good, detect
law, fly, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, poison
(DC 21), telekinesis (DC 22), unhallow, unholy blight
(DC 21)
3/day—quickened poison (DC 21), symbol of insanity (DC
25), veil (DC 23)
1/day—scintillating pattern (DC 25)
Abilities Str 42, Dex 16, Con 34, Int 22, Wis 20, Cha 25
SQ nondetection, sign (infestation)
Feats Ability Focus (form of madness), Awesome Blow,
Dark Speech, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative,
Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability
(poison)
Skills Bluff +33, Climb +42, Concentration +38, Diplomacy
+15, Hide +17, Intimidate +37, Knowledge (history) +32,
Knowledge (nature) +32, Knowledge (religion) +32,
Knowledge (the planes) +32, Listen +31, Move Silently
+29, Sense Motive +31, Spot +31, Swim +42
True Seeing (Su) As the true seeing spell; continuous; caster
level 20th.
Form of Madness (Su) Any creature within 60 feet that observes
Sertrous must attempt a DC 30 Will save. Failure
indicates the victim develops an overwhelming fear of
snakes and serpentine creatures (including hydras, golothomas,
yuan-ti, and Sertrous himself).
As long as a serpentine creature is in sight, the victim
is distracted and takes a –4 penalty on Will saving throws.
It also takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls against these
types of creatures. In the fi rst round of combat against a
serpentine creature, the victim must make a DC 28 Will
save or be paralyzed with fear for 1d6 rounds.
Heal or greater restoration can cure the effect if the
caster succeeds on a DC 30 caster level check. Miracle
or wish automatically cures the condition. A creature that
succeeds on this save is immune to Sertrous’s form of
madness for 24 hours. Blindness is no protection against
Sertrous’s form of madness—his presence is an affront
to all fi ve senses. This is a mind-affecting fear ability that
does not affect chaotic evil outsiders or yuan-ti.
CHAPTER 8
SERTROUS
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