Snakes have long been famed for their wisdom, and their ability to read the future. This serpent is perhaps the epitome of that thought. The Ophidian Oracle is a truly colossal serpent which makes its home in a largely-uninhabited desert. It began as a simple neolate in a hatch of many, and has survived so many thousands of years, and shed its skin so many times, that it has transcended mortal limits of wisdom. The Oracle is truly nonhuman, and shares few human concerns, but it will answer any questions honestly. Whether or not it devours the petitioner who has woken it afterwards depends a lot on their attitude, and whether they have brought it offerings. The Oracle’s usual going rate is three cows per question, although it will occasionally accept the questions for less than that, depending on complexity and relevance. It often deigns to swallow whole a petitioner who dares approach it without bringing any offering, but only after answering their question- it has professional pride. Statistics: the Oracle is a colossal heavy-bodied serpent, perhaps six hundred feet in length and close to twenty feet in diameter at the head. Although it poses a terrible threat, its main form of attack is to bite and swallow an opponent. It can swallow whole opponents of up to Huge size, although they often require some chewing first. It rarely stirs its entire body from its warm dwelling, which uses up a lot of energy. The Oracle has a Wisdom score approaching 50, and all Knowledge skills at +30 or above. In addition, it can call upon its own wisdom and use the Divination spell at will, accessing even knowledge that is lost or unknown to the living. Ways to use the Oracle in your game: • The Oracle collects secrets from those who visit it, and has supernatural wisdom. Many approach it for advice. The PCs may be hired to go across the wild desert and ask a question for a noble patron- “what has happened to my trading fleet?” or “which of my allies has betrayed me?”. If they’re lucky, their patron has sent them with cattle to appease the Oracle. If not, it might settle for chowing down on a few adventurers. • While begging vital advice from the Oracle, it offers the PCs a question- if they can do it a favour. Within its cave are many small creatures which plague it and cause itch at its scales, and the PCs look just about the right size to assist. This will be a nerve-wracking adventure alongside the gargantuan coils of the Oracle, as a tribe of Kobolds has made their home within the cave, and scatters at the sight of adventurers, laying traps as they go. They may also have absorbed some of the Oracle’s wisdom, if you’re feeling particularly nasty. • The Oracle needs to shed before it can perform any more divinations, and requires a small valley to do so. The best-situated one, however, has some kind of gargantuan monster (a Roc, perhaps?) living within it that may actually pose a threat to the Oracle. It has grown quite irritable, and refused to answer any more questions, until someone removes the offending beast. (Originally posted on Game Masters Stash on 2 January 2019) Categories All Comments are closed.
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