Aeserpent
Pathfinder |
A deadly threat on Karasuthra and, to a lesser degree, Brux, the aeserpent (also known as darkstrike or deathstrike) is a deadly predator that lurks the darkest areas of the Beastlands. This snake is thought by many to be in some way vampiric or magical in nature, as dangerous as it is. However, this animal is purely natural, if ravenously efficient at hunting.
This animal is thought by some sages to originate somewhere other than the Beastlands, with the Lower Planes being the most common theory; the Abyss especially. However, the lack of an evil nature to the aeserpent makes this an unlikely possibility. There are two theories most commonly given as the likely origin of the aeserpent. The first is that the aeserpent was a creature once on some prime world, but hunted to extinction there due to the extreme danger of the species, leaving aeserpents only in the Beastlands. The other is that the aeserpent merely "migrated" to the Beastlands from some other realm, finding that plane more suited for its survival and either dying out in its original home or simply abandoning it.
Appearance
The aeserpent is a massive snake, fully 20 feet long, covered with a deep black skin, the only interruption its glowing yellow eyes. Prefering the darkness where their abilities are most usable, aeserpents can be found in most parts of Karasuthra, and rarely in the darkest sections of Brux, lurking in the grey mists of that layer.
These snakes are most often found alone, though occasionally in mated pairs. Mated aeserpents are fervently protective of one another, gaining +1 to attack and damage if acting to protect each other, and fairly clever for animals at that, quite able to lure even humanoids into ambushes or traps, exploiting the natural landscape to arrange an encounter with quicksand, landslides, or other such events. After having mated, the female aeserpent will eventually lay a clutch of 1d8 eggs, which the two animals protect as devotedly as one another. After the eggs hatch, however, the newborn aeserpents are abandoned to make their way on their own.
Reference
- Planes of Conflict - Monstrous Supplement, pp. 2-3
