The Shadow Serpent

The Shadow Serpent is an evil artifact, watched over by The Keepers of the Coil. It was created by Easan the Mad from the distilled essence of shadow asps. In 722 BC, it was used by a Dorvinian noble to kill a rival's wife. This noble's manservant took the serpent Toyalis, where he used it to build a criminal empire. A group of adventurers slew the crime lord in 727 BC and tried to use the serpent against Lord Soth. When this failed, a member of the Guardians retrieved the serpent and was taken in by a group of elves who became his new order, The Keepers of the Coil.

With a personal token from an intended victim, the serpent can be commanded to Torment, Punish, or Destroy, which selects one of three available venoms to inject in the target. At all other times, it lies coiled and inert.