History
Snakeshifters existed in Cimmeria before the Olympians came. Their race originated in India. They were the children of Kaliya, a poisonous snake god. Kaliya was slain by Krishna. After Kaliya’s death, his children fled the country north across the mountains. They traveled until they reached the Aractrashan Jungle in Cimmeria. They settled down there along with the ogres and humans that already lived in the forest. The snakeshifters used their magic to control the jungle tribes and turned them into servants.
The snakeshifters did not fit in with the goblins of Cimmeria. They ruled the jungle tribes openly but found themselves rejected by the goblins. Their disguise magic did not work either, as goblins were too small compared to the size of snakeshifters. An opportunity arose when the Olympians came to Cimmeria. With more races of people, the snakeshifters had more options for disguising themselves. As the Conclave spread across Cimmeria, the snakeshifters spread across the Conclave races. A secret companion race that existed for centuries undetected.
Snakeshifters lived in disguise among the Conclave races for many years before they saw a chance for true power. A group of snakeshifters in Dalleer spotted an opportunity when Björn Skizofren died. The new Björn was mad, so a power vacuum was left. The snakeshifters stepped in to fill the gap. They took positions as civil servants, nominally serving the insane Björn while making their own policies in secret to benefit the snakeshifter people.
The snakeshifters manipulated both the people of Dalleer and the humanoids living in the town’s surroundings. Kobolds, troglodytes, goblins, and orcs were set to attack Dalleer’s villages. Manufactured crises allowed the snakeshifters to maintain and consolidate power among their group. The consistent attacks were dealt with by snakeshifters loyalists and the hero team of Balin, Terry, and Isdmir.
Isdmir suspected that there was a power within Dalleer behind the attacks. He investigated and followed leads for a decade. Eventually, he discovered who and what the snakeshifters were. Isdmir devised a spell that allowed for the detection of disguised snakeshifters. The heroic trio of Balin, Terry, and Isdmir reunited to expose and defeat the snakeshifters within Dalleer. They succeeded and the snakeshifters were forced to flee Dalleer.
The events in Dalleer brought the existence of snakeshifters into the light. People across Cimmeria took precautions against snakeshifters. The serpent people became better at hiding, manipulating, and disguising in order to survive. Snakeshifters still exist everywhere in Cimmeria, hiding and perhaps waiting for a time they can obtain control of a city-state once more.
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