### Serpents

Serpents are huge, red reptiles that live deep in the dungeons Beneath. They are subtle creatures, attuned to the secret vibrations of the soil like only a giant Worm can be. They're normally much larger than any other creature around, some having been sighted that are hundreds of feet in length. Thousands, if using actual feet. They usually feed on smaller animals, using their long bodies to restrict their prey's movement until closing in for the kill. As they're so large, they do have trouble changing direction and can't make sharp turns. Even more concerning is that their mighty body muscles, which propel them along the ground, aren't capable of subtle correction. One of the things serpents have given up to grow to such a size, in fact, is any ability to fine-tune their movement. Their movements are chaotic and hard to predict, but not entirely random.

Don't let this sad regression fool you, however, into thinking that serpents are easily dealt with, oh no. Their muscles are strong enough to resist even the greatest of pressures. Their skin is hard as rock. Smitemasters will occasionally - if they relish the prospect of carrying a heavy roll of skin up a mile or so of stairs - roll up serpent skin and sell it aboveground, where it's used as a kind of leather. It isn't that flexible or easy to work with, but it's incredibly durable and very strong. The only problem is getting some, as it's heavy...and on serpents. A very skilled smitemaster will have cracked the code of how the heartbeats of the soil affect how serpents stalk their prey and how serpents react when they know danger hasn't passed but can't quite see it.

Monster Reference
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