Why, that's a Chanavan Serpent!

The second "What the heck is that?" brainstorm has come to a close. The result is an intelligent aquatic serpent that lives in rivers. It flares its neck frills and puts you in a hypnotized state. While you're under its influence an illusory version of it appears to you and asks you riddles. Failure to answer drives you more deeply under its influence.

I think the hardest part of this one was coming up with a name. As I started typing up powers I just called it "serpent", but it needed more than that. Google for "river serpent" turned up this page that mentions both a serpent god named Avanyu and a Chinese creature named Chan.

I'd like to thank Scott, Gomez, Gomez, ChaoticBlackSheep and Gomez (Gomez is a big fan of the WWTH) for their ideas, all of which have been mashed together to create:

Chanavan Serpent

Chanavan serpents are strange, intelligent beasts that delight in toying with weaker creatures. They lurk in rivers, ready to burst out and beguile travelers with their riddles and hypnotic neck frills.

Level 14 Solo Brute

Chanavan Serpent

XP 5,000

Huge fey magical beast (reptile)

Initiative +11 Senses Perception +12
Aura of Confusion aura 2; enemies (including flying ones) treat the area within the aura as difficult terrain.
HP 700; Bloodied 350
AC 28; Fortitude 29, Reflex 28, Will 26
Saving Throws +5
Speed 6, swim 8
Action Points 2

mBite (standard; at-will)

Reach 3; +17 vs. AC; 3d6 + 6 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). The chanavan serpent cannot grab another target with this attack while holding one grabbed by its bite.

MTail Lash (standard; at-will)

Reach 3; +17 vs. AC; 3d8 + 6 damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). The chanavan serpent cannot use its tail lash attack while holding a target grabbed by its tail.

MSerpentine Fury (standard; at-will)

The chanavan serpent makes a bite and a tail lash attack.

MConstrict (minor; at-will)

Affects any targets the chanavan serpent has grabbed; +16 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 6 damage, and the target is dazed (save ends).

MTail Strike (immediate reaction, when an enemy moves to a position where it flanks the chanavan serpent; at-will)

Make a tail lash attack against that enemy.

CHypnotic Flare (standard; recharge 5 6) * Charm

Close blast 5; +13 vs. Will; the target is dazed (save ends). First Failed Save: The target is stunned (save ends). Second Failed Save: The target falls unconscious (no save).

CBloodied Flare (free, when first bloodied; encounter) * Charm

The serpent’s hypnotic flare recharges, and the serpent uses it immediately.

ARiddle Me This (minor; at-will) * Illusion

One creature in close burst 5; affects a dazed or stunned target only; the target must win an opposed Arcana skill check against the serpent or automatically fail its next saving throw. Alternately, the DM can replace the opposed check with a riddle for the player to solve.

Slippery (immediate interrupt, when immobilized, restrained or slowed; at-will)

The serpent ends any of the above conditions and may shift 2 squares.

Threatening Reach

The chanavan serpent can make opportunity attacks against all enemies within its reach (3 squares).

Alignment Unaligned Languages Common, telepathy 5
Skills Arcana +17, Bluff +17, Insight +17
Str 23 (+13) Dex 18 (+11) Wis 20 (+12)
Con 20 (+12) Int 20 (+12) Cha 20 (+12)

Chanavan serpent Tactics

Chanavan serpents prefer to stay out of melee for a few rounds, if possible, toying with their prey using hypnotic flare. They use their aura of confusion and threatening reach to make it difficult for enemies to approach. Once engaged they fight fiercely using serpentine fury. They use riddle me this every round possible to try to force failed saves on enemies overcome by hypnotic flare.

Chanavan serpent Lore

A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana check.
DC 20: Chanavan serpents are intelligent river-dwelling snakes that befuddle travelers with illusions and riddles before grabbing them and crushing them.
DC 25: The chanavan serpent fights by striking with its bite and tail. The tail is used to defend against anyone trying to surround it.

Whew. I think from now on the "what the heck" monster will be appearing the evening of the Saturday after the original post. I really shouldn't have killed such a large chunk of a Thursday working on this thing...