Sseth

Characteristics

Physical features

In his humanoid guise, Sseth often appears as a Yuan-ti with slightly tanned skin, his eyes glowing and serpentine unchanged from his dragon form. His face is angular. In this guise Sseth usually wears a mage robe, using his spellcasting ability to invent himself as a mage among the Yuan-ti. It is under this guise that he message the Chezucore High priestess.  

Lair

Wealth

Since the yuan-ti started to worship him, he received many treasures, splendid pieces to add to his collection. Sseth hoards them selfishly, taking great pride in his Immense treasures, with many rare, very rare, and even legendary items and more gold than most mortals could count.  

History

War against the giants

The second dragon army

262 BD through 222 BD   The presence and attacks of dragons increased throughout the realms, especially in the region now known as the Wasted cliff. An ambitious dragon named Sseth formed a second Dragon Army, proclaiming himself the Breathking of this force. In a move to dominate the local giants, Sseth subdued them in just over a year.   In response, Voninerike dispatched the Sunlight Legion, a troop of elite Fire Giants warriors and martial artists. With their aid, the fire giants mounted a staunch resistance, turning the draconic dominion into a prolonged and brutal campaign. Among the defenders, Aastrika emerged as a fierce warrior, feared even by the eldest dragons.   After 37 years of relentless fighting, Voninerike could no longer sustain the Sunlight Legion. The conflict culminated in a two-year-long siege. During this period, the fire giants sought every possible means to overcome the dragons' overwhelming might. Their efforts led to the creation of the legendary Orb of Dragonkind, a magical artifact intended to control dragons, akin to the Dragon soul. However, the Orb failed in its purpose, merely attracting dragons instead of controlling them.   The failed attempt to wield the Orb of Dragonkind ultimately forced the Sunlight Legion to evacuate the giants from their homeland. Most of the giants used this opportunity to sail north to the Giant Island, escaping the dragons' wrath. Meanwhile, Aastrika and her unit remained behind, luring the dragons into the deepest caverns of the Underdark, where magma and lava illuminated the treacherous depths. There, they faced the dragons in a final, desperate battle, ultimately destroying the Orb of Dragonkind.   The destruction of the Orb transformed the region into a nightmarish wasteland, barren and useless to both sides. Numerous dragon perished in the catastrophic event, yet Sseth Uth Matar survived and reaffirmed his position as Breathking of the Second Dragon Army.  

Dragon Armies Regroup

222 BD through 251 BD   With the territory under the Second Dragon Army's control rendered useless, they decided to regroup with the First Dragon Army in 222 BD. Together, the united forces of the dragons swiftly conquered the remaining free territories of the Lightfoot Land in just under five years.   With most of the eastern continent now under their control, the dragon armies spent decades regrouping and consolidating their power. During this Time, preparations began for the invasion of Siniador. To maintain control over the Lightfoot Land and its surrounding territories, a Third Dragon Army was formed, composed of dragons who chose to remain and assert dominance over the region.  

United assault

158 BD through 136 BD   The first true military test of the combined forces of the First and Second Dragon Armies was their successful invasion of the unprepared survivors of Green earth, including the Yuan-ti, orcs, and other inhabitants. This decisive victory convinced many neutral bands—hobgoblins, ogres, orcs, and minotaurs—to align with the dragon armies, though several holdouts remained.   Among these holdouts was the Horseskull clan, who sought ways to preserve their neutrality. Refusing to align with the dragon armies, they turned to their ancestral spirits for aid. However, the elemental powers of their spirits proved insufficient against the might of the dragons. Sseth's wingduke, the second-in-command of the Second Dragon Army, chose to honor the Horseskull Clan's neutrality. Defying orders, he stood as their protector.   The wingduke's decision cost him his rank and, ultimately, his life. He died defending the Horseskull Clan, but with his final breath, he revealed the secrets of the Circle of the Draconic to the orcs. This sacred knowledge, combined with the orcs' existing shamanistic traditions, gave rise to a powerful new practice. This fusion of traditions enabled the orcs to endure and thrive through the dragon's era.  

Siniador invasion

late 136 BD   In the autumn of 136 BD, the First, Second, and Fourth Dragon Armies launched their long-anticipated invasion of Siniador.   The Second Dragon Army captured a key coastal giant settlement before driving deep into Siniador, overrunning the Roaring plains and continuing their advance northward.  

Loss of the first army

late 136 BD through 124 BD   The dragon armies, bolstered by the power and influence of their gods, rapidly conquered vast territories in Siniador, encroaching ever deeper into the giants' lands. In retaliation for the dragon gods' direct involvement, Stronmaus, god of craftsmanship and forging, created a weapon of unparalleled might—the Jotun Hammer—and entrusted it to the storm giants. The hammer was claimed by Lamiza, a formidable storm giantess who soon rose to prominence.   With the dragon armies pressing their assault and targeting major giant settlements, Lamiza took command of the giants' forces. Uniting the scattered remnants of Voninerike’s warriors, she forged the Army of Jotun. With this newfound strength, Lamiza led her army southwest, navigating the Highlanders Mountains to outflank the dragon armies entrenched in the Wind’s Path Valley.   The decisive battle in the valley saw Lamiza’s leadership shine, as the Army of Jotun dealt a crippling blow to the Second Dragon Army, wounding breathking Sseth and shattering their offensive. Buoyed by their victory, Lamiza pressed her forces further south.  

Demon god

The incident only served to fuel his arrogance further. Believing himself to be akin to a fallen god with the loss of his wings, he slithered into the depths of the Calames Jungle, where a deep chasm became his new lair. As centuries passed, Sseth realized he was among the few surviving dragons of the war and asserted his dominance over the jungle.   The yuan-ti began to speak of the great lizard dwelling in their midst. Sseth, utilizing his powers, enchanted the Yuan-ti high priestess, leading her people to believe him to be their deity and to offer him worship. They presented him with invaluable treasures, sacrifices, and prayers, further inflating the dragon's ego and bestowing upon him new powers as centuries of adoration imbued him with divine essence.   Amidst the treasures bestowed upon him by the yuan-ti, one item stood out - a pristine dragon's egg. Recognizing that survivors of the Draco-Giant War were scarce, Sseth guarded the egg as his most cherished possession.  

The adventurers

A group of adventurers sought an audience with Sseth. Upon hearing their plea, the high priestess, Sistine, agreed and arranged the meeting. The adventurers began their journey at dawn, accompanied by a dozen of Yuan-ti guards, aiming to reach the god's lair by midday.   As they delved deeper into the jungle, they encountered numerous ruins and a vast chasm where the rivers surrounding Orrinshire seemed to converge into a vast semi-subterranean lake. A deep rumbling emanated from the chasm, causing flocks of birds to take flight. Sseth appeared in a shapeshifted form, disguised as a Yuan-ti—a guise he used to communicate with the high priestess when necessary. He introduced himself as the messenger of the god.   Even in his disguised form, Sseth exuded an aura of power, prompting the Yuan-ti to kneel in reverence, recognizing the importance of this messenger. The messenger commanded the adventurers to kneel as well, using his aura to compel those who resisted. Sseth, as arrogant as ever, took offense at any adventurers who did not treat him and his shapeshifted form as divine beings, feeling irritated by the disturbance. Nonetheless, he agreed to listen to the adventurers.   While cautioning the adventurers that their request bordered on blasphemy, Sseth nevertheless proposed an exchange: the god would grant them their wish, but only in return for a series of artifacts.   A royal crown belonging to the dwarves, for Sseth to obtain the wisdom of the dwarves. A hammer belonging to the giants, for Sseth to obtain the power of the giants. A philosopher's stone for Sseth to obtain the power of creation.  

• Dwarves believe that the wisdom of previous leaders remains in the crown, so the 6 crowns of their noble houses are invaluable.
• A hammer belonging to the giants is one of the only weapons that enabled them to rival the dragons during the war, its incredible power and magical abilities making it a weapon of immeasurable power in the possession of the storm giants. The giants inhabit an island in the north, Giant Island, where they have been banished since the war against the dragons.
• An incomplete philosopher's stone has been in existence for some time, and although it fails, it undoubtedly possesses immeasurable powers, and will enable those who possess it to no longer be limited in their practice of magic. A vampire, currently undergoing reincarnation, is the owner of this stone.

  The adventurers agree, setting forth on this quest.  

Broken deal

In 1136 AD, the adventurers returned over a year later. Sseth, presenting himself under the guise of the messenger once again, appeared before them. However, the adventurers had grown stronger and no longer kneeled in the presence of the messenger, even when he used his aura. Their power was legendary, and they possessed many mythical artifacts.   The messenger noticed this change in attitude, which clearly displeased him. He expressed that the adventurers should still show humility in the presence of a messenger to the god, despite their power. He proceeded to ask the adventurers to hand over the artifacts on the spot, without further disturbance, as he wished to discuss with the god.   The adventurers refused, reminding the messenger that those artifacts were only in exchange for the dragon egg—an act of defiance that greatly irritated the messenger, who disliked being contradicted. Claiming that standing before him was already an honor, he ordered the adventurers to kneel down and hand over what he deemed to be rightfully Sseth's possession. However, his haughty and petty demeanor prompted the adventurers to doubt they would receive the egg, and they requested an inspection of the egg before proceeding with the exchange.   The messenger and the adventurers continue to converse, unable to reach an agreement. The enraged messenger can't contain his ardor, and exhales a toxic cloud. Rakon, seeing this, notices the similarity with his ability to spit fire as the adventurers leap to avoid the poison.   The fight is on, and the messenger seems to refuse to honor the deal, so the adventurers have no choice but to face him. The Yuan-ti take up their positions, trying to help the messenger as his spells explodes all around.   The messenger's magical abilities are impressive, as he alone manages to defend himself against all four adventurers who surround him. However, their might and artifacts prove to be too much for him to handle as they corner the messenger against the cliff edge.   Breizh tackles the messenger, diving from the cliff edge without fear in an attempt to incapacitate the messenger. The two crash to the ground hundreds of feet below with a loud crack.   The messenger is broken and twisted in an unnatural manner, yet he still moves. More unsettlingly, he seems to undergo further changes, his body's shape shifting and growing immensely as he transforms into a wingless dragon, revealing his true form to the adventurers. In doing so, he also reveals his name: Sseth.   Ginette, carried down by Astriane, attempts to initiate dialogue once more, but Sseth's eyes are filled with fury, and he refuses to engage with the mortal who defied him. Releasing another burst of toxic gas, he drives the adventurers deeper into his caverns, gaining the advantage as he controls every aspect of the terrain. Roots reach out to grasp the adventurers, while vines and thorns block their path to retreat. Rakon also joins the fray, only to find himself cornered like the others.   After receiving a devastating blow from the dragon's claw, Breizh manages to cling onto its arm, climbing onto the enormous dragon's back and striking it down with his hammer. Meanwhile, Ginette, using the philosopher's stone, counters Sseth's magic, while Rakon does his best to protect Astriane and Ginette from harm.   Pinned to the ground by Breizh's hammer, Sseth reaches for Astriane, burying her under his weight as his sharp claws slash at the elf's delicate features. Despite their efforts to knock Sseth off to the side, it is too late. Astriane lies lifeless, crushed under the weight of the dragon's claw.   This loss gives the remaining adventurers a surge of energy, propelling Sseth out of his cave. Their strikes rain down upon the dragon's body, crushing him under their combined assault until, with a loud cracking sound, the dragon appears to be slain by the power of the three artifacts.   The adventurers gather, heavily wounded, some even in critical condition, having just defeated a god—or so they thought. Sseth's voice echoes once more, his body partially healing as he looks down on the adventurers.  

You fools dare to disturb a god. Do not think you will be able to defeat me so easily

— Sseth

  The god exhales another cloud of poison that lingers on the ground of the chasm, killing the plants and vegetation that come into contact with the green gas. Breizh, unable to fly and escape the poison, can feel his body giving up on him, the poison rushing through his veins.   In a final move, Breizh gives the legendary hammer he carries to Rakon, and with a smile, rushes toward Sseth while drawing his swords. Using what's left of his strength, he jumps on the god and pierces one of his eyes before falling down, the poison now fully taking over him.   Sseth, partially blinded and wounded, roars, faced with the two survivors. He unleashes his full might, each attack of his claw devastating a cliff's face, each sweep of his tail creating an earthquake. This furious battle causes some of the rock walls to start collapsing as the landscape changes, the boulders falling creating another hazard for the adventurers.   But they manage to defend themselves, using every last ounce of their energy to attack Sseth. A vicious combined attack allows them to crush his leg, maiming his ability to move, as they use this opportunity to deal greater strikes to the god.   Ginette has a plan and asks Rakon to protect her for a short time, enough for her to invoke a spell powerful enough to end this fight. Rakon agrees and starts defending Ginette, who summons a meteor in the sky. However, Sseth, feeling the heat of the flaming meteor, manages to get past Rakon and bites Ginette, who disappears into the dragon's maw.   Rakon, alone to face Sseth, loses hope. But the meteor does not stop despite Ginette's disappearance and comes crashing down. Rakon uses this opportunity to also deal a final strike. The combined blow manages to kill Sseth, definitively this time. Rakon, barely clinging to life, is the last survivor of this fight.