Anyone used a Hebi-No-Onna?

[Solan]

The Hebi-No-Onna from the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium III always struck me as an excellent antagonist! Unfortunately, they are confined to Sri Raji and Rokushima Taiyoo, two Domains pretty far off the beaten path. Has anyone here used a HNO, and if so, how did it go?

[DeepShadow of FoS]

I had one in Saragoss as a captain of a Rokushiman junk for the Reckonings campaign. Unfortunately the campaign never went in her direction before it ended, but I think she had a lot of potential.

[DeepShadow of FoS]

As far as how to get one into the Core, the Ravenloft Calendar had some festivities with Rokushiman fireworks, and there's some company that provides fireworks-as-a-service for such events. Paridon should have some trading arrangements set up, and I really think one of the port cities could have a "Chinatown."

[Solan]

As far as how to get one into the Core, the Ravenloft Calendar had some festivities with Rokushiman fireworks, and there's some company that provides fireworks-as-a-service for such events. Paridon should have some trading arrangements set up, and I really think one of the port cities could have a "Chinatown."

Thanks for both responses, but I'm not looking to get one to the Core; I wouldn't WANT to take one out of their natural habitat. They just seem to me to be such great villains and I wanted to know if anyone here had ever used one.

[Joël of the FoS]

I love asian monsters, they are always very cool.

From what I know of these, they are mostly fixed to a location which they never stop to increase the beauty, instead of traveling.

Why not putting one on the Core ? Implant one in a remote area (ex. Hazlan, Nova Vaasa, Darkon), and you have a powerful and dangerous local villain, controling an area around its lair. You could have an Hebi-No-Onna newly implanted to such an area, trying to subtly increase its influence on a nearby city, while remaining hidden in its strange and remote lair.

My friend merchant told me someone is buying a lot of imported fine furniture, and these are from strange places I've never heard of. I saw one of these caravan of imported and exotic goods going in the direction of that new manor located south, about four miles from town near the river. I heard a woman lives there. That could mean our fortune, and I think I know who to resell the goods. Who could live there, you think? Do you have the same idea as me? (...) Oh, and have you heard Boris is missing? Our Prince Charming has got into something again! (a thief)

[Five]

I love asian monsters, they are always very cool.

From what I know of these, they are mostly fixed to a location which they never stop to increase the beauty, instead of traveling.

Why not putting one on the Core ? Implant one in a remote area (ex. Hazlan, Nova Vaasa, Darkon), and you have a powerful and dangerous local villain, controling an area around its lair. You could have an Hebi-No-Onna newly implanted to such an area, trying to subtly increase its influence on a nearby city, while remaining hidden in its strange and remote lair.

My friend merchant told me someone is buying a lot of imported fine furniture, and these are from strange places I've never heard of. I saw one of these caravan of imported and exotic goods going in the direction of that new manor located south, about four miles from town near the river. I heard a woman lives there. That could mean our fortune, and I think I know who to resell the goods. Who could live there, you think? Do you have the same idea as me? (...) Oh, and have you heard Boris is missing? Our Prince Charming has got into something again! (a thief)

To add to this, or, to flesh this out with a few thoughts:

It's easy enough to "Dracula" a Hebi-No-Onna into the Core. That is, one arrives via shipping/trade lane. Except leave the ill omen reports and supernatural whatnot out as the crew of the ship the snake woman is on are all members of her cult and thus under her compulsion. Perhaps a cult similar in design to the Thuggee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggee

The Hebi-No-Onna's main temple, or home temple, is located in X domain. Several mating temples (expendable temples used to lure and "recruit" male adventurers for her to mate with) are peppered throughout the Core (the higher her level, or, status in your campaign the more temples she has, as a simple rule). These can be offshoot cult dominions, perhaps rewarded to the most faithful (competent) of her original cultists. Model some of these extension temples off of a variety of real world cults and cult leaders if you like. Just sub the cult's "apex" (Heaven, Ascension, alien planet, etc) as the cult leader's POV of the Hebi-No-Onna's love/loving embrace. Shake it up using the Habitat/Society entry as your seasoning: underground cavern and tunnel complexes, old ruins, abandoned temples, walled private residences, etc. Essentially this can put the Hebi-No-Onna anywhere in the Core.

I see mountain labyrinths with crazy traps and riddles, all flavoured with a twisted/distorted theme of love/mating rituals; a high society mansion/estate that is famous the locale over for its parties (both inside the manse and outside/garden parties; both festive and love-ins) that isn't as exclusive as some of the other la-dee-daas would like but who don't dare speak their thoughts out loud; a "legit" new age religion that is remote but never that far from the population's periphery...and of course, the best one of all: a rehash of the hippy snake cult of Thulsa Doom as seen in the movie Conan the Barbarian. Just femme fatale it.

[Hell_Born]

So, this has always bugged me; does anyone know where the hebi-no-onna actually came from? The name fits a pretty common naming structure for female yokai, but as far as I can see, it's not a direct conversion, it's something made up entirely for Ravenloft.

[Five]

So, this has always bugged me; does anyone know where the hebi-no-onna actually came from? The name fits a pretty common naming structure for female yokai, but as far as I can see, it's not a direct conversion, it's something made up entirely for Ravenloft.

I just did a quick search and the only thing I could turn up is the movie "Snake Woman's Curse" (1968), whose original title is "Kaidan hebi-onna". Could be the source of inspiration, dunno. Can't find a copy of it anywhere either. Not yet anyway.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063170/?ref_=ttrel_rel_tt