The World Serpent was an ancient, enigmatic entity worshiped by the sarrukh during the Days of Thunder.[6][7] Some believe the World Serpent was one of the enigmatic primal spirits.[8]
Background[]
It was believed by some scholars that the World Serpent was an archetype of a complex concept: that of the multiplicity of being. Because of that, it was believed that some of the ancient deities of other scaly races, such as Asgorath, Shekinester and Jazirian, who had or represented multiple alignments, were aspects of the World Serpent.[3]
History[]
According to some sarrukh myths and legends, the World Serpent led the elder gods against the primordials in the Dawn War, during the Shadow Epoch.[7] According to some sources, the World Serpent defeated an ice primordial, an exarch of an evil goddess of winter and an evil god of the Underdark during this period of time.[9]
Myth taught that the World Serpent approached the sarrukh while they were still a race of savages, and offered to teach them the secrets behind civilized life, how to claim power, and the art of magic. In return for these divine boons, the World Serpent required worship and sacrifices from the sarrukh, to which they agreed.[6]
During the height of the sarrukh empire, around −35,000 DR, the World Serpent was universally worshiped among the sarrukh, as well as forced upon their servitor and enslaved races.[6] As of −34,500 DR, the World Serpent split off an aspect of itself, known as M'daess, to accommodate changes within the doctrines of its worship.[10] This was soon followed by several additional aspects, and by the time of the fall of the sarrukh empires, around −33,500 DR, the worship of the World Serpent directly had almost completely ceased, though it still granted powers through its several aspects.[6][4]
In the late years of the 15th century DR, the worship of the primal spirits became a common thing in places such as the Moonshae Isles, where the World Serpent was venerated among other primal beings. Its worshipers considered it one of the mightiest incarnations of nature's power,[8] and it was the best known of the elder spirits.[9]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Further Reading[]
- Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 84. ISBN 978-0786906574.
References[]
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 27. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
- ↑ Brian R. James (June 2009). “Realmslore: Sarifal”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dragon #376 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 61.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 97. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 187–188. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Rob Heinsoo, Logan Bonner, Robert J. Schwalb (October 2009). Primal Power. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7869-5023-2.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 59. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 42. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Brian R. James (June 2009). “Realmslore: Sarifal”. In Chris Youngs ed. Dragon #376 (Wizards of the Coast), p. 61.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mike Mearls, Rob Heinsoo, Logan Bonner, Robert J. Schwalb (October 2009). Primal Power. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 129. ISBN 978-0-7869-5023-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 58. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.