Feathered Serpent

A feathered serpent has a long, winged snake's body topped by a human head. Adults reach 15 feet in length with wings spanning up to 25 feet. Its face is human but for lidless eyes shining a luminous blue-green or gold. Scales glitter from azure to emerald, and the wings and tail carry brilliant plumes in matching hues. A sweet-smelling oil keeps its hide slick.

Its voice is melodious and seductive. It speaks its own tongue, the local common language, and the speech of all serpents.

The serpent rings its lair with ingenious traps and alarms meant to slow and warn, not kill; the killing it keeps for itself. It would rather charm a foe into slavery than fight, and if a battle turns against it and an escape route exists, it takes it.

Its favorite opening is a mesmeric gaze. Swaying slowly while holding its prey's eyes, it can charm up to three enemies standing fairly close together, but it may neither attack nor cast spells in a round it does so.

It also prepares any two 1st-level illusion/phantasm spells, favoring phantasmal force, change self and audible glamer, and uses them to cripple dangerous opponents before closing in. Its needle fangs deal 1d3 points of damage, and the venom forces a save vs. poison to avoid falling asleep for 2d4 rounds. On waking, the victim is dizzy for two rounds, at -2 to attack rolls, damage and saving throws.

These serpents favor warm lands and underground dens, though old ruins and shallow caves also serve; they have turned up in domains as different as a desert kingdom and a jungle realm. Most are solitary, but a mated pair may share a large lair. A group of three is a pair with an offspring of half normal Hit Dice whose only special power is its poison bite.

Each keeps a handful of charmed slaves to build its traps and to eat when food is scarce, and these thralls rush to protect it from harm. Most are ordinary, untrained humans, though an adventurer or spellcaster sometimes joins them. A few serpents have slipped into human cities and gathered cults that believe them divine.

Some serve a hebi-no-onna, or snake woman, as prized guardians, earning treasure, food and a safe lair. They rarely start her cults, but they help recruit and steer the authorities away from looking too closely.

A feathered serpent's scent glands yield a rare, exotic perfume. Whoever wears it gains +1 Charisma for 24 hours or until water washes it away.