Serpents aren't regarded with as much fear as many other predators, mostly because many of them are small enough that the mice kill and eat them instead of the other way around. Small snakes (and their eggs) are regarded as a delicacy amongst the nobility and the cooks at the Imperial Palace are always looking for new ways to prepare them.
They are still dangerous, of course, but it's more like having a lion or panther in the area than a dragon. If a small serpent is sighted near a town, they'll often put together a hunting party and go after it instead of cowering in their burrows.
There are the Great Serpents, however... discarded skins have been found that could stretch from one end of a village to another. These creatures have been wiped out inside the Empire proper, but can still be found in the wilderness.
Story and rumor has it that some of the great serpents were geased by the White Lords to guard treasures and that enormous riches lie somewhere in the depths of their lairs. Wise mice discount these tales, but there is the occasional adventurous sort who heads out into the wilderness beyond the Empire's borders, seeking their fortune. Very few return.
Posted by Kiz at May 14, 2005 12:15 PMCommentsPost a comment