Asp of Grief

On the Plane of Metal, a soft whisper and gentle jingle often accompany the tempestuous winds, while what appear to be gold ribbons twist and writhe through the air. In actuality, these are asps of grief—intelligent, snakelike creatures drawn to strong emotions. The iron irises of their eyes allow them to see the ever-shifting magnetic fields of the Plane of Metal, which the asps can use to sail across the skies.

Asps of grief prey on sorrow and heartache, and times of loss, mourning, and bereavement attract them. Wearing delicate iron bells to announce their arrivals at funerals, battlefields, and the traditional columbaria built for the plane's dead, asps of grief shake their heads, making their bells chime and alerting mourners to their presence. "Will you share your sorrow with me?" they ask, their gentle voices low and sibilant.

If the bereaved agrees, the asps' tongues flick out, tasting the anguish of the living, sipping on sadness and fear, and providing a temporary reprieve from suffering. Though the asps are associated with death, most denizens of the Plane of Metal see them as good omens.

Intensely curious creatures, asps of grief crave information about magic and the multiverse. They might attach themselves to adventuring parties or ask wanderers they meet for any obscure arcane knowledge they may have come across on their journeys. In exchange, the asps of grief offer to help these travelers work through any anguish or trauma they may be carrying—or at least ease their emotional pain for a time.

Calling The Asps

In the Plane of Metal, funeral rites often include placing the deceased upon tall towers surrounded by dishes of water. Chunks of sodium, a silvery-white alkali metal, dance across the surface of the water and catch fire, sending plumes of hydrogen gas into the air. As the asps of grief skate upon the magnetic fields, they can sense this announcement of death and sorrow and follow the trail back to the mourners.