Lord Serpentis

Lord Serpentis is the leader of the Druids of the Fang, the mad night elf druids of the Wailing Caverns. Once the most gifted student of the druid Naralex, he now rallies his fellow Fanglords in the dream of a world ruled by serpents. Horde players hunt him for his gem, and for one of the few good bows at level 20.

Background

Naralex came to the caves under The Barrens with a band of druid followers, meaning to use the Emerald Dream to bring life back to the land. When he entered the Dream, the Emerald Nightmare trapped him, and its corruption poured through him into the caves and the minds of the druids around him.

Serpentis had been a druid of real power and standing among those followers. Later Blizzard material calls him Naralex's finest student and says his downfall began with ambition: he wanted to become a shan'do, an honored teacher, like his master. When the Nightmare drove him mad, he gathered the other broken disciples around him and founded the Druids of the Fang. The other three Fanglords, Lady Anacondra, Lord Cobrahn and Lord Pythas, follow his lead.

Abilities

• Lightning Bolt: a nature bolt at his current target.
• Sleep: puts a player to sleep. Damage wakes them.
• Healing Touch: a large heal. Interrupt it.

He has no special phase. His threat comes from his health, close to that of Pythas, and from the cave's other creatures.

Strategy

Serpentis waits deep in the caverns with deviates and Druids of the Fang around him. When intruders cause a stir, he calls out a warning to his followers to be on guard.

• Clear the creatures around him before pulling, so the fight is Serpentis alone.
• Keep him on the tank and away from the casters. A tank who gets slept should be woken by a quick hit or a dispel.
• Interrupt Healing Touch; otherwise the fight is a straightforward race against his health.

He is often the last Fanglord a group kills before returning to the Disciple of Naralex at the entrance to begin the ritual to wake Naralex.

Loot

Serpentis always drops his gem and one of four items, each at about one in four.

Venomstrike is a bow that can hit its target with an extra Venom Shot for nature damage, and hunters at this level prize it. Footpads of the Fang belong to the Embrace of the Viper leather set.

Quests

• Leaders of the Fang: Nara Wildmane in Thunder Bluff wants the four Fanglords' dream gems, Serpentis's among them. The reward is a choice of [Crescent Staff] or [Wingblade].

Trivia

• His battle cry, "I am the serpent king, I can do anything," is a play on Jim Morrison's line "I am the Lizard King, I can do anything."
• Serpentis is voiced by Chris Metzen, Blizzard's longtime story lead.

Later history

Serpentis remained the Druids of the Fang's leader in later versions of the dungeon. The 1.12 encounter returned with World of Warcraft Classic in 2019.

Sources

• Lord Serpentis, Warcraft Wiki
• Wailing Caverns, Warcraft Wiki
• WoWDB NPC, loot and quest data for patch 1.12