| abstract | - The Seven Serpents are the seven resurrected heads of an immensely powerful Hydra. The Hydra was said to have dwelt in High Xamen, in a cave overlooking Avanti Wood. It was slain by the enigmatic Archmage of Mampang after a savage two day battle. Aside from the burns he suffered, the Archmage reputedly carried a lengthy scar running from his neck to his right knee as a result of the struggle. Unwilling to let such strength depart from the face of Titan completely, the Archmage retrieved the Hydra's seven heads and restored them to new life, dedicating each one to a different God of the Old World. The result was the creation of seven winged serpents, each of them imbued with different properties. Of these newly transformed creatures four were elemental, corresponding to fire, water, air and earth. One serpent corresponded to the moon and one serpent corresponded to the sun. The final serpent was considered by many to be the most formidable: the Serpent of Time. These seven all became the Archmage's most trusted servants, acting as his eyes and ears in the Baklands and beyond. In the The Seven Serpents they are speeding back to Mampang Fortress to inform their master of the player's approach. The player received bonuses or penalties depending on how many serpents he managed to defeat or leave trapped. This was a matter of not just encountering a serpent, but discovering their vulnerabilities - although each serpent was remarkably powerful, each also concealed a crucial weakness. The player moreover had to be careful, as at least some of the serpents could disguise themselves as regular snakes.
|
