Fiction:The Firmament/Serpentfolk

"And the Great Cobra King shouted out, "the sands are mine, they belong to me and my clutch!", and so they were."

- Carved mural near serpentfolk territory, telling the tale of their creation

The serpentfolk are a tremendous race of humanoids native to the desert, near the southern border of the nation of Merovaren. Created by the force of nature known as Almonohuim, they exclusively inhabit the area known as Serpent's Throne, religiously guarding it from any unwanted intruders. A race generally considered unapproachable, they have fought off all attempts of other races to enter their land, and limit themselves to only occasional trading with outsiders.

Appearance
Serpentfolk resemble giant humanoids with the heads of cobras and long necks. Their scales are generally yellow-brown with dark markings, their hands and feet end in powerful claws and their long tails end in a rattle similar to that of a rattlesnake, which possesses a similar function. The average serpentfolk is over three meters tall, with their mightiest reaching four and a half meters while weighting over three hundred kilograms. As they live a life of continuous toil, virtually all serpentfolk are physically impressive, possessing powerful, defined muscles across their bodies and strength which vastly surpasses that of even the mightiest ogres or orcs. Serpentfolk females can be distinguished from the males by the fact they possess an extra pair of arms.

History
The exact age in which the serpentfolk first appeared is unknown, though they appear to be at least the same age as the earliest elves. They were created by the force of nature Almonohuim, the nature spirit of serpents, deserts and treasures, for the purpose of guarding his lair and its surrounding area, the Serpent's Throne. For the entirely of their existence, the serpentfolk have remained in this area, unconcerned with the outside world and its affairs.

With the rise of the lizardfolk nation of Merovaren, the area of Serpent's Throne now technically is part of the territory claimed by Merovaren, but the lizardfolk of the desert do not venture into the region outside of occasional trade caravans out of respect for the serpentfolk. The lamias, gorgons and amaz, all races who venerate serpents, have come to see the serpentfolk as divine to some extent; the creatures themselves are not concerned with politics or borders, and remain neutral.

Culture
Serpentfolk society is centered around the protection of Serpent's Throne and its surrounding areas. Due to their isolationism, very little is known of what their culture is like, but ruined murals scattered across the landscape near their lands provide some insight of their inner workings; they are separated between a religious and "worker" class, which includes both commoners and warriors, but claim no true masters beyond Almonohuim himself. Likewise, the classes serve only as a way of dividing professions, as they consider themselves all equal in the eyes of their patron.

Religion
The serpentfolk worship Almonohuim as their creator and sole patron, with their clergy made up of spiritual leaders who are typically the eldest among their kind. They are not known to revere any other deities, possibly not acknowledging their existence.

Relations with other races
As their purpose in existence is guarding the area around Almonohuim's lair, the serpentfolk are exceptionally distrustful to outsiders; many across history have attempted to raid the area for its treasures, and the serpentfolk have fought them back every time. Fellow worshippers of the Great Cobra King are the sole exception, as they are allowed to pilgrimage into the Throne to meet their god, but the serpentfolk require proof of their faith before allowing them in to ensure they are not raiders in disguise.