The fall of the Ishteka Empire did not leave behind a void, but a jagged landscape of warring city-states. While most Yuan-ti reside in isolated, sovereign strongholds buried within the jungles of Bandali, one figure has risen to challenge the status quo: Ssendis.
The Kingdom of the False Avatar
Ssendis is an Anathema of immense power and terrifying presence. From his throne in the obsidian city of Kha-Zul, he has declared himself the Living Avatar of the Great Serpent. He claims that during the god’s deep slumber, the Great Serpent chose him to be the singular vessel of his divine logic. His kingdom, populated by fanatical followers, operates with a singular, chilling purpose: the restoration of the Ishteka glory under his absolute rule.
However, among the high priests and Abominations of the other city-states, Ssendis is viewed with cold-blooded contempt. To them, he is a Usurper and a Siphoner. They believe Ssendis is not channeling the Great Serpent’s power, but stealing it. Through dark, forbidden rituals, he is allegedly redirecting the prayers and sacrifices of his people into his own soul, artificially bloating his divinity. By siphoning the residual essence of the sleeping god, Ssendis seeks to bypass the natural "Ladder of Ascension" and force his own transition into godhood.