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Tiamat (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
Tiamat is the name of a powerful draconic
goddess
in the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
. The name is taken from Tiamat
, a goddess in ancient Mesopotamian mythology
who is substantially different (and does not have multiple heads).
Tiamat is a queen and mother of evil dragons and a member of the default pantheon of D&D gods. Her symbol is a five-headed dragon. Tiamat was also named as one of the greatest villains in D&D history in Dragon
#359, the magazine's final print issue.
(1975), by Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz. In this book, she was only known as "the Dragon Queen" and "the Chromatic Dragon." She was described as she is now, but she did not yet have a personal name.
Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon, Queen of Evil Dragonkind, is further described in Dragon
#38 (1980).
Tiamat's role as ruler of Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells
, is detailed in Ed Greenwood
's article, "The Nine Hells Part I," in Dragon #75 (1983).
Tiamat's role in the outer planes is detailed in the first edition Manual of the Planes
(1987).
(1992), including details about her priesthood.
Tiamat was actually, initially, first detailed as a deity for the Forgotten Realms
campaign setting
in the original Draconomicon
(1990). Tiamat is also described in Cult of the Dragon (1998).
Her role in the cosmology of the Planescape
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).
Several draconic children of Tiamat are described in the article "Spawn of Tiamat, Children of Bahamut," in Dragon #260 (June 1999).
(2001),
She is also referenced in Faiths and Pantheons
(2002) from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
Tiamat is further detailed as a deity in Defenders of the Faith (2000) and Deities and Demigods (2002).
(2003), Complete Divine
(2004), and Races of the Dragon (2006)
Tiamat's role in the Nine Hells is revisited in Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells. (2006).
The spawn of Tiamat were described in Monster Manual IV (2006) and Monster Manual V (2007).
campaign setting
s, Tiamat is the five-headed queen of the evil chromatic dragons. She has one head for each customary color of chromatic dragon (black, blue, green, red, white), and each head has the powers of a member of the respective race of dragonkind. Her body is a blending of various chromatic dragon forms with an appropriately multicolored hide. Her body also has traits in common with a wyvern
, including a long tail tipped with a poisonous stinger.
Tiamat has also been known to manifest as a dark-haired human sorceress.
Tiamat was also one of the first deities to have aspects, or lesser avatars
. These aspects may appear as powerful versions of her chromatic children or as versions of her own five-headed form. One such multiheaded aspect was released in the Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures expansion set War of the Dragon Queen, with detailed role-playing game statistics in Dragon Magic
. A smaller aspect of Tiamat first appeared in the Miniatures Handbook
.
. She is the eternal rival of her brother Bahamut
, the ruler of the good metallic dragons. It is hinted that her overt hatred toward Bahamut has developed, over a vast period of time, into a twisted lust for her brother as well. She dwells in Avernus, the first layer of the Outer Plane
of Baator
(also known as the Nine Hells). The first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons named her as the ruler of Avernus; later editions reserved the rulership of the layers of Baator for powerful baatezu (devils
).
In many campaign setting
s, the draconic pantheon of gods consists of Io, Aasterinian
, Bahamut, Chronepsis
, Faluzure
, and Tiamat.
Three Baatezu nobles (granted to her by Bel
) serve Tiamat and command her armies on Avernus. Malphas leads 40 companies of abishai, Amduscias
leads 29 companies of abishai, and Goap leads three companies of erinyes.
With Pearza of the Dark Eight, Tiamat created the first abishai.
Tiamat presently has five consorts, who are great wyrms of each chromatic dragon species. Previous consorts include Apsu, Kingsu, Ephelomon, the red dragon Etiol, and the now-undead dragon Dragotha. Three of Tiamat's children were detailed in Dragon #260. An-Ur, the Wandering Death, wanders the Ethereal Plane, devouring whole demiplanes. It supposedly sprang into being from Tiamat's "first breath", which may have been the name of one of her consorts, though An-Ur resembles no draconic species, except perhaps the ethereal moonstone dragons. Dhakoth the Corruptor was born on the Negative Energy Plane; its father is unknown. Mordukhavar the Reaver is the offspring of Tiamat and Cantrum of the Dark Eight. Kurtulmak
is also her son, at least according to some myths.
Periodically Tiamat has battles with the Babylonian god Marduk, who dwells in Arcadia. She also battles Bahamut, her Lawful Good counterpart. Heironeous
and Moradin
also consider themselves her enemies. Tiamat claims not to need allies, although she has many pacts with Bel and with lawful evil deities such as Hextor
.
, Dis. To reach it, one must pass a chamber known as the Cave of Greed, which is filled with cursed treasure that compels the weak-willed to try to steal it. Tiamat has her own chamber within the complex, as do each of her five consorts, but it is possible to travel to Dis without disturbing her.
, defeating good, and propagating chromatic dragons. She never forgives a slight. Although she is not averse to razing the occasional village, her true schemes are subtle and hard to detect. She has been compared to a puppeteer manipulating her creations from within shadows.
The Queen of Evil Dragons demands reverence
, homage
, supplication, and tribute
from her subjects. She is sometimes called "Her Dark Majesty" or simply "Dark Queen".
may also revere her as their progenitor.
, beginning with the lowly Custodians of the Copper Chalice and continuing with, in ascending rank, the Defenders of the Silver Shield, Wardens of the Electrum Mail, Guardians of the Gold Scepter, Keepers of the Platinum Crown, Scales of the White Wyrm, Horns of the Black Beast, Wings of the Green Gargantua, Talons of the Blue Baatoran, Breaths of the Red Ravager, and the Dark Scaly Ones leading them all.
Priests of Tiamat are preoccupied with gathering treasure
and undermining other faiths.
The ceremonial garb of a humanoid priest of Tiamat is a form-fitting suit of scales. Dragons or those whose scales naturally cover their bodies do not require this. Adventuring garb typically includes scale mail.
s to her in their own lairs, because they fear that she might notice their hoards and demand a portion thereof.
to an assault launched on Tiamat by an army of thieves shortly after she had laid a clutch of eggs. Badly injured and with her lair heavily damaged, she caused one of her eggs to hatch, thus creating Kurtulmak. The newly-hatched godling quickly began creating a defensive perimeter of traps and restoring the caverns. During the process, Kurtulmak found an egg of Tiamat's that had fallen away from the nest and, deeming it had been away for too long to ever hatch naturally, used his magic to cause it to hatch, thus producing miniature versions of himself: the first kobolds.
, seeding it with evil dragons and dark magic. Eventually she was banished to the Nine Hells by Bahamut and a sky/sun god (perhaps Pelor
or Heironeous).
, Ed Greenwood
, and others that the various Tiamat incarnations were aspects of a single entity that happened to be active on more than one plane of existence
, despite the apparent differences between the mythological Tiamat and her various campaign setting incarnations.
campaign setting, Tiamat's equivalent is Takhisis
, the Dark Queen.
In most settings, Tiamat is somewhat minor; in Dragonlance, she is a major figure in the mythology and history of the world.
campaign setting, Tiamat is one of the few surviving gods of the Untheric pantheon (based on Sumerian and Babylonian mythology), battled Marduk
in ages past, and is also a member of the draconic pantheon, daughter of Io, the slayer of Gilgeam the God-king of Unther, '"Nemesis of the Gods".
campaign setting, Tiamat is a bound demon lord from the Age of Demons, when dragons and coautl worked together to bind the children of Khyber beneath the earth. She now sits imprisoned in the Pit of Sorrows on the draconic continent of Argonnessen, birthing evil dragonspawn and corrupting the good dragons who watch over her prison.
, Tiamat is the arch enemy of Venger.
Tiamat has appeared in many Final Fantasy games, usually taking the shape of a multi-headed dragon. In Final Fantasy Tactics
, Tiamat is a powerful Monster class that can be tamed by the player. Every other Final Fantasy incarnation of Tiamat has been a major boss. Keeping with her relationship with Bahamut, Bahamut also appears frequently, usually as a benevolent potential ally that the player's characters can learn to Summon for aid. In The Final Fantasy Legend, Tiamat is the most powerful dragon available as a playable character; a monster in a party may transform into Tiamat by eating the meat from certain boss characters.
In Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
, and Ogre Battle 64, Tiamat is the evolved form of the Black Dragon. This Tiamat is non-unique and may appear as both a playable character and an enemy. In Arcana
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Tiamat appears as a recolored version of the game's hydra who distracts two of the main character's party members. Tiamat also appears as a summonable creature in Golden Sun
for the Game Boy Advance
.
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. The name is taken from Tiamat
Tiamat
In Babylonian mythology, Tiamat is a chaos monster, a primordial goddess of the ocean, mating with Abzû to produce younger gods. It is suggested that there are two parts to the Tiamat mythos, the first in which Tiamat is 'creatrix', through a "Sacred marriage" between salt and fresh water,...
, a goddess in ancient Mesopotamian mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
who is substantially different (and does not have multiple heads).
Tiamat is a queen and mother of evil dragons and a member of the default pantheon of D&D gods. Her symbol is a five-headed dragon. Tiamat was also named as one of the greatest villains in D&D history in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#359, the magazine's final print issue.
Publication history
She was given the name Tiamat after the dragonlike Babylonian goddess of the salt waters.Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The character was introduced to the game in its first supplement, GreyhawkGreyhawk (supplement)
Greyhawk is a supplementary rulebook written by Gary Gygax and Robert J. Kuntz for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
(1975), by Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz. In this book, she was only known as "the Dragon Queen" and "the Chromatic Dragon." She was described as she is now, but she did not yet have a personal name.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The character appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977). In this book, the Chromatic Dragon was given the personal name Tiamat.Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon, Queen of Evil Dragonkind, is further described in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#38 (1980).
Tiamat's role as ruler of Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells
Baator
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
, is detailed in Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
's article, "The Nine Hells Part I," in Dragon #75 (1983).
Tiamat's role in the outer planes is detailed in the first edition Manual of the Planes
Manual of the Planes
The Manual of the Planes is a manual for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. This text addresses the planar cosmology of the game universe....
(1987).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Tiamat was detailed as a deity in the book Monster MythologyMonster Mythology
Monster Mythology is a sourcebook for the second edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Released by TSR in 1992 and written by Carl Sargent, with interior illustrations by Terry Dykstra, John and Laura Lakey, and Keith Parkinson, Monster Mythology was released as a companion volume for...
(1992), including details about her priesthood.
Tiamat was actually, initially, first detailed as a deity for the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
in the original Draconomicon
Draconomicon
The Draconomicon is an optional sourcebook for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, providing supplementary game material focusing on dragons. Different versions of the Draconomicon have been printed for different editions of Dungeons & Dragons...
(1990). Tiamat is also described in Cult of the Dragon (1998).
Her role in the cosmology of the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).
Several draconic children of Tiamat are described in the article "Spawn of Tiamat, Children of Bahamut," in Dragon #260 (June 1999).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)
Tiamat appears in a preview article for the third edition, in Dragon #272 (June 2000). This information is later included in the Manual of the PlanesManual of the Planes
The Manual of the Planes is a manual for the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. This text addresses the planar cosmology of the game universe....
(2001),
She is also referenced in Faiths and Pantheons
Faiths and Pantheons
Faiths and Pantheons is a campaign accessory for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons, for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.-Contents:...
(2002) from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
Tiamat is further detailed as a deity in Defenders of the Faith (2000) and Deities and Demigods (2002).
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)
Tiamat's priesthood and her role as a draconic deity are further detailed for this edition in Draconomicon: The Book of DragonsDraconomicon
The Draconomicon is an optional sourcebook for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, providing supplementary game material focusing on dragons. Different versions of the Draconomicon have been printed for different editions of Dungeons & Dragons...
(2003), Complete Divine
Complete Divine
Complete Divine is a supplemental rulebook for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast...
(2004), and Races of the Dragon (2006)
Tiamat's role in the Nine Hells is revisited in Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells. (2006).
The spawn of Tiamat were described in Monster Manual IV (2006) and Monster Manual V (2007).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
Tiamat appears as one of the deities described in the Dungeon Master's Guide for this edition (2008). She is further detailed and has a stat block in Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragons (2008).Description
In most Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
s, Tiamat is the five-headed queen of the evil chromatic dragons. She has one head for each customary color of chromatic dragon (black, blue, green, red, white), and each head has the powers of a member of the respective race of dragonkind. Her body is a blending of various chromatic dragon forms with an appropriately multicolored hide. Her body also has traits in common with a wyvern
Wyvern (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the wyvern or WHY-vern) is a species of dragon.-Publication history:The wyvern was based upon the wyverns of legend.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
, including a long tail tipped with a poisonous stinger.
Tiamat has also been known to manifest as a dark-haired human sorceress.
Tiamat was also one of the first deities to have aspects, or lesser avatars
Incarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
. These aspects may appear as powerful versions of her chromatic children or as versions of her own five-headed form. One such multiheaded aspect was released in the Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures expansion set War of the Dragon Queen, with detailed role-playing game statistics in Dragon Magic
Dragon Magic
Dragon Magic is an optional supplemental source book for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.-Contents:...
. A smaller aspect of Tiamat first appeared in the Miniatures Handbook
Miniatures Handbook
The Miniatures Handbook is an official supplement for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game.-Contents:It includes information about the Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures Game, new base classes, prestige classes, feats, spells, and monsters, including aspects of deities and...
.
Relationships
Like most other draconic deities, Tiamat is the offspring of the dragon creator deity IoIo (Dungeons & Dragons)
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Io is the chief deity worshipped by dragons, god of dragonkind, balance, and peace. He is seen by his people as the creator of all things. He is neutral in alignment, but he also contains within him all other alignments...
. She is the eternal rival of her brother Bahamut
Bahamut (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Bahamut is a powerful draconic deity, who has the same name as Bahamut from Arabic mythology....
, the ruler of the good metallic dragons. It is hinted that her overt hatred toward Bahamut has developed, over a vast period of time, into a twisted lust for her brother as well. She dwells in Avernus, the first layer of the Outer Plane
Outer Plane
In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, an Outer Plane is one of a number of general types of planes of existence. They can also be referred to as godly planes, spiritual planes or divine planes. The Outer Planes are home to beings such as deities and otherworldly creatures such as...
of Baator
Baator
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
(also known as the Nine Hells). The first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons named her as the ruler of Avernus; later editions reserved the rulership of the layers of Baator for powerful baatezu (devils
Devil (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, devils are a powerful group of monsters used as a high-level challenge for players of the game. Devils are Lawful Evil in alignment and originate from the Nine Hells of Baator. True to their Lawful Evil alignment, devils are locked in a strict and brutal...
).
In many campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
s, the draconic pantheon of gods consists of Io, Aasterinian
Aasterinian
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Aasterinian is the draconic deity who serves as Io's messenger. Her symbol is a grinning dragon's head....
, Bahamut, Chronepsis
Chronepsis
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Chronepsis is the dragon deity of Fate, Death, and Judgment. His symbol is an unblinking draconic eye....
, Faluzure
Faluzure
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Faluzure is the dragon deity of Energy Draining, Undeath, Decay, and Exhaustion. "Faluzure" is also sometimes spelled "Falazure". His symbol is a draconic skull....
, and Tiamat.
Three Baatezu nobles (granted to her by Bel
Bel (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Bel the pit fiend, is the Arch-Devil currently in charge of Avernus, the First Layer of the Nine Hells of Baator...
) serve Tiamat and command her armies on Avernus. Malphas leads 40 companies of abishai, Amduscias
Amduscias (Dungeons & Dragons)
Amduscias is a powerful unique baatezu in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.Amduscias is a duke in the service of Tiamat, and leads 29 companies of abishai. He lives on Avernus, the first layer of Baator. He is famous for his long memory, and almost as well known for his cunning strategies...
leads 29 companies of abishai, and Goap leads three companies of erinyes.
With Pearza of the Dark Eight, Tiamat created the first abishai.
Tiamat presently has five consorts, who are great wyrms of each chromatic dragon species. Previous consorts include Apsu, Kingsu, Ephelomon, the red dragon Etiol, and the now-undead dragon Dragotha. Three of Tiamat's children were detailed in Dragon #260. An-Ur, the Wandering Death, wanders the Ethereal Plane, devouring whole demiplanes. It supposedly sprang into being from Tiamat's "first breath", which may have been the name of one of her consorts, though An-Ur resembles no draconic species, except perhaps the ethereal moonstone dragons. Dhakoth the Corruptor was born on the Negative Energy Plane; its father is unknown. Mordukhavar the Reaver is the offspring of Tiamat and Cantrum of the Dark Eight. Kurtulmak
Kurtulmak
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Kurtulmak is the chief deity worshipped by the kobold race. He is a member of the default pantheon....
is also her son, at least according to some myths.
Periodically Tiamat has battles with the Babylonian god Marduk, who dwells in Arcadia. She also battles Bahamut, her Lawful Good counterpart. Heironeous
Heironeous
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Heironeous is the Oeridian god of Chivalry, Justice, Honor, War, Daring, and Valor. His holy symbol is a silver lightning bolt, often clutched in a...
and Moradin
Moradin
Moradin is the chief deity in the dwarven pantheon in the Dungeons & Dragons game and is a member of the default D&D pantheon. Moradin's domains are Creation, Earth, Good, Law, and Protection. His titles include Soul Forger, Dwarffather, the All-Father, and the Creator...
also consider themselves her enemies. Tiamat claims not to need allies, although she has many pacts with Bel and with lawful evil deities such as Hextor
Hextor
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Hextor is the Oeridian god of war, discord, massacres, conflict, fitness, and tyranny....
.
Realm
Tiamat's realm, known as the Dragonspawn Pits of Azharul or simply as Tiamat's lair, sprawls in a cluster of tall hills and mountains near a pillar made from the tormented heads of liars and a pit of maggots from which lemures emerge. One must fly (or, heavens forbid, swim) across the maggot pit to reach Tiamat's caves. Tiamat's lair contains the main gate to the second of the Nine HellsBaator
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
, Dis. To reach it, one must pass a chamber known as the Cave of Greed, which is filled with cursed treasure that compels the weak-willed to try to steal it. Tiamat has her own chamber within the complex, as do each of her five consorts, but it is possible to travel to Dis without disturbing her.
Dogma
Tiamat is a greedy, vain, and arrogant goddess who embodies all the strengths of evil dragonkind, and few of their weaknesses. Tiamat is most concerned with spreading evilEvil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
, defeating good, and propagating chromatic dragons. She never forgives a slight. Although she is not averse to razing the occasional village, her true schemes are subtle and hard to detect. She has been compared to a puppeteer manipulating her creations from within shadows.
The Queen of Evil Dragons demands reverence
Reverence
Reverence may refer to:* Reverence a subjective response to something excellent in a personal way* Reverence , the acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the power of one's superior or superiors...
, homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
, supplication, and tribute
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
from her subjects. She is sometimes called "Her Dark Majesty" or simply "Dark Queen".
Worshipers
Few humans or other humanoids worship Tiamat, but her children, the chromatic dragons, all acknowledge her sovereignty. Blue and green dragons obey her most readily. The grotesque reptilian creatures known as the spawn of Tiamat worship her as their mother. KoboldsKobold (Dungeons & Dragons)
Kobolds are a fictional species featured in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Aggressive, xenophobic, yet industrious small humanoid creatures, kobolds are noted for their skill at building traps and preparing ambushes...
may also revere her as their progenitor.
Clergy
Although she claims dominance over all evil dragons (and despite her misleading title, Queen of Chaos), Tiamat's priests, who are known as Wyrmlairds or Wyrmkeepers, are either neutral evil or lawful evil. Tiamat's church has a rigid hierarchyHierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
, beginning with the lowly Custodians of the Copper Chalice and continuing with, in ascending rank, the Defenders of the Silver Shield, Wardens of the Electrum Mail, Guardians of the Gold Scepter, Keepers of the Platinum Crown, Scales of the White Wyrm, Horns of the Black Beast, Wings of the Green Gargantua, Talons of the Blue Baatoran, Breaths of the Red Ravager, and the Dark Scaly Ones leading them all.
Priests of Tiamat are preoccupied with gathering treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
and undermining other faiths.
The ceremonial garb of a humanoid priest of Tiamat is a form-fitting suit of scales. Dragons or those whose scales naturally cover their bodies do not require this. Adventuring garb typically includes scale mail.
Temples
Temples to Tiamat are often built within the lairs of long-dead dragons. They are filled with piles of wealth to be sacrificed to the Chromatic Dragon, as well as traps to keep out heretics and the unfaithful. Few dragons keep shrineShrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
s to her in their own lairs, because they fear that she might notice their hoards and demand a portion thereof.
Rituals
Evil dragons celebrate great victories by torturing prisoners and committing other atrocities in Tiamat's name. Prayers to the Dragon Queen focus on the promise of filling the world with evil dragons and either destroying it or dominating it utterly.Holy days
The two most important daily ceremonies are the Tithing and the Rite of Respect. The former is an offering of a small amount of treasure to the goddess; the tithe is cupped in the priest's hands or talons, and when a prayer is completed, the valuables have sometimes (10% of the time) simply vanished. The Rite of Respect is performed by non-dragons; it is a complicated ceremony of kow-towing in the presence of a dragon or other spawn of Tiamat.Vorel
Tiamat's enmity with Bahamut dates back to their creation, when Io made them; they were made with the intention of becoming complements and mates, but their personalities were too much at odds. Tiamat murdered Vorel, her eldest brother, and tried to frame Bahamut for the deed. Io realized who was truly to blame and banished Tiamat from his presence.The Violation of Tiamat's Lair
In one kobold creation myth, Kurtulmak owes his existenceExistence
In common usage, existence is the world we are aware of through our senses, and that persists independently without them. In academic philosophy the word has a more specialized meaning, being contrasted with essence, which specifies different forms of existence as well as different identity...
to an assault launched on Tiamat by an army of thieves shortly after she had laid a clutch of eggs. Badly injured and with her lair heavily damaged, she caused one of her eggs to hatch, thus creating Kurtulmak. The newly-hatched godling quickly began creating a defensive perimeter of traps and restoring the caverns. During the process, Kurtulmak found an egg of Tiamat's that had fallen away from the nest and, deeming it had been away for too long to ever hatch naturally, used his magic to cause it to hatch, thus producing miniature versions of himself: the first kobolds.
The Banishment of Tiamat
Many myths claim that Tiamat lived for a long time on the Prime Material PlanePrime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
, seeding it with evil dragons and dark magic. Eventually she was banished to the Nine Hells by Bahamut and a sky/sun god (perhaps Pelor
Pelor
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Pelor is the god of the Sun, Light, Strength, and Healing. Pelor is also a prominent member of the third edition of the game's default pantheon, and is a popular choice among player character clerics because he...
or Heironeous).
Tiamat in various campaign settings
It was the original intention of Gary GygaxGary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
, Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood
Ed Greenwood is a Canadian writer and editor who created the Forgotten Realms. He invented the Forgotten Realms as a child, as a fantasy world in which to set the stories he imagined, and later used this world as a campaign setting for his own personal Dungeons & Dragons playing group...
, and others that the various Tiamat incarnations were aspects of a single entity that happened to be active on more than one plane of existence
Plane (Dungeons & Dragons)
The planes of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game constitutes the multiverse in which the game takes place.In the earliest versions of Dungeons & Dragons, the concept of the Inner, Ethereal, Prime Material, Astral and Outer Planes was introduced; at the time there were only four Inner Planes...
, despite the apparent differences between the mythological Tiamat and her various campaign setting incarnations.
Dragonlance
In the DragonlanceDragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
campaign setting, Tiamat's equivalent is Takhisis
Takhisis
Takhisis is a fictional character from the Dragonlance universe. She is the main goddess of evil and head of the Dark Pantheon.- Titles and forms :...
, the Dark Queen.
In most settings, Tiamat is somewhat minor; in Dragonlance, she is a major figure in the mythology and history of the world.
Forgotten Realms
In the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign setting, Tiamat is one of the few surviving gods of the Untheric pantheon (based on Sumerian and Babylonian mythology), battled Marduk
Marduk
Marduk was the Babylonian name of a late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon, who, when Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of Hammurabi , started to...
in ages past, and is also a member of the draconic pantheon, daughter of Io, the slayer of Gilgeam the God-king of Unther, '"Nemesis of the Gods".
Eberron
In the EberronEberron
Eberron is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, set in a period after a vast destructive war on the continent of Khorvaire...
campaign setting, Tiamat is a bound demon lord from the Age of Demons, when dragons and coautl worked together to bind the children of Khyber beneath the earth. She now sits imprisoned in the Pit of Sorrows on the draconic continent of Argonnessen, birthing evil dragonspawn and corrupting the good dragons who watch over her prison.
Tiamat in other games and media
Various monsters called Tiamat, patterned after the Dungeons & Dragons character, have appeared in other fantasy games, particularly computer role-playing games. A five-headed dragon, intended by Takhisis herself to become her physical incarnation, appears near the end of Dark Queen of Krynn. Takhisis is also the final boss of the Nintendo version of Dragon Strike. In the Dungeons & Dragons TV seriesDungeons & Dragons (TV series)
Dungeons & Dragons is an American fantasy animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, the show originally ran from 1985 through 1987 for three seasons on CBS for a total of twenty seven episodes.The show focused on a...
, Tiamat is the arch enemy of Venger.
Tiamat has appeared in many Final Fantasy games, usually taking the shape of a multi-headed dragon. In Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
, Tiamat is a powerful Monster class that can be tamed by the player. Every other Final Fantasy incarnation of Tiamat has been a major boss. Keeping with her relationship with Bahamut, Bahamut also appears frequently, usually as a benevolent potential ally that the player's characters can learn to Summon for aid. In The Final Fantasy Legend, Tiamat is the most powerful dragon available as a playable character; a monster in a party may transform into Tiamat by eating the meat from certain boss characters.
In Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
is a 1993 real-time strategy role-playing video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, directed by Yasumi Matsuno with artwork by Akihiko Yoshida...
, and Ogre Battle 64, Tiamat is the evolved form of the Black Dragon. This Tiamat is non-unique and may appear as both a playable character and an enemy. In Arcana
Arcana (video game)
Arcana, known in Japan as , is a 1992 RPG for the SNES by HAL Laboratory.The game represents all of its characters as cards, but plays like a dungeon-crawling RPG, rather than a card-based game...
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Tiamat appears as a recolored version of the game's hydra who distracts two of the main character's party members. Tiamat also appears as a summonable creature in Golden Sun
Golden Sun
Golden Sun, released in Japan as , is the first installment in a series of fantasy role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It was released in November 2001 for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and was followed by a sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, in...
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
.
Additional reading
- Arkenberg, Jerome. "Near Eastern Mythos." DragonDragon (magazine)Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#16. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1978. - Boyd, Eric L. Powers & Pantheons. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1997.
- Boyd, Eric L, and Erik MonaErik Mona-Career:Erik Mona served as the editor-in-chief of Dragon magazine since 2004 and Dungeon magazine from 2004 to 2006; at the time, both magazines were published by Paizo Publishing, until the license through Wizards of the Coast expired in September 2007...
. Faiths and PantheonsFaiths and PantheonsFaiths and Pantheons is a campaign accessory for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons, for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.-Contents:...
(Wizards of the CoastWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, 2002). - Collins, Andy, and Bruce R CordellBruce CordellBruce Robert Cordell is an American author of roleplaying games and fantasy novels. He won the Origins Award for Return to the Tomb of Horrors and has won several ENnies as well...
. Epic Level HandbookEpic Level HandbookThe Epic Level Handbook is a rulebook by Wizards of the Coast for the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons.-Contents:This books contained rules for Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition characters to attain levels above 20, the limit in the core rulebooks...
. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002. - Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip
- Broadhurst, Creighton. "Mysterious Places: Dominions of the Flannae." Wizards of the Coast website. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2008. Available online: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgmp/20080429a
- McComb, Colin, and Wolfgang BaurWolfgang BaurWolfgang Baur is an American game designer, best known for his work with Dragon magazine. He designs role-playing games and also is known for his work at Wizards of the Coast.-Biography:...
. Planes of Law. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995. - Niles, DouglasDouglas NilesDouglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game.-Early life:Niles was born in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and...
and Michael Dobson. The Throne of Bloodstone. Lake Geneva, WI: 1988. - Perrin, Steve. Fires of Dis. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.
- Smith, Mat. "The Ecology of the Kobold." Dragon #332. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2005.