![[Tiamat.png]] **Greater Deity** **Alignment**: Lawful Evil ### Overview Tiamat, the Dragon Queen, is the five-headed goddess of chromatic dragons, symbolizing greed, pride, and dominance. Known as *The Dark Lady*, *The Scaled Tyrant*, and *The Mother of Dragons*, Tiamat rules over her draconic followers from the depths of Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells. Revered by chromatic dragons and feared by mortals, Tiamat embodies the elemental forces of chaos and destruction, often acting through her followers to gather wealth, conquer lands, and instill terror. Each of her heads has its own personality and breath weapon, making her a versatile and deadly adversary. ### Domain and Influence Tiamat’s influence spans the realms of greed, wealth, and draconic supremacy. She is the patron deity of chromatic dragons black, blue, green, red, and white and exerts control over their actions in the world. Her teachings emphasize strength, conquest, and the hoarding of wealth, which drives her followers, both dragon and mortal, to seek dominance over others. Though feared, she is revered by those who desire power, treasure, or the promise of her favour. Temples and cults dedicated to Tiamat typically operate in secrecy, seeking to amass riches and undermine the influence of other deities, especially Bahamut, her draconic rival. ### Symbols and Icons ![[TiamatSymbol1.png]] ![[TiamatSymbol2.png]] Tiamat’s symbol can be portrayed in two ways five-claws or a five-headed dragon, each head representing a chromatic dragon colour: black, blue, green, red, and white. Her faithful also recognize her through the image of a single, imposing five-headed dragon in varied artwork. Her followers often display these symbols on banners, idols, and personal items, marking their loyalty to her cause. Temples dedicated to Tiamat incorporate these symbols prominently, often using rich colours and metallic accents to evoke her draconic power and wealth. ### Worship and Tributes Worshipers of Tiamat are driven by a desire for wealth, power, and the strength to dominate others. They conduct grandiose rituals, often involving sacrifices and offerings, to earn her favor and protection. Typical tributes include: - **Wealth and Treasure**: Gold, gemstones, and other valuables are commonly left at her altars, symbolizing a commitment to her creed of greed and wealth. - **Sacrificial Conquests**: Followers prove their loyalty by conquering territories or raiding settlements, dedicating the spoils to Tiamat and showing their willingness to spread her influence. - **Draconic Offerings**: Cultists may offer lesser dragon eggs, dragon scales, or even young dragons as sacrifices to win her favor or bring themselves closer to her draconic power. - **Pillars of Flames and Shadows**: During grand ceremonies, followers light fires or produce magical displays symbolizing her five heads, representing the elemental breath weapons of her chromatic forms. --- ### Clergy and Temples The clergy of Tiamat, often called *The Scaled Priests* or *The Dragon’s Chosen*, serve as her emissaries and act as leaders within her cults. Her priests are often cruel, domineering, and skilled in both arcane and divine magic. They are highly secretive and use their power to manipulate and subjugate others, gathering influence in regions where they can establish a foothold. Temples dedicated to Tiamat are often hidden from plain sight, built within mountains, dense forests, or dark caves to protect against interference. The interiors of these temples are lavishly decorated with treasures, precious metals, and dragon-themed decor. Many are guarded by fierce dragons, often the same chromatic variety she rules over, and by fanatical cultists who will protect their sanctuaries with their lives. These temples are filled with sacrificial altars, flame-lit idols of the five-headed dragon, and vaults filled with offerings gathered from followers. ### Powers and Abilities As a goddess of immense power, Tiamat wields not only the strengths of a greater deity but also the unique abilities of her five chromatic heads. Each head is imbued with a distinct personality and the elemental power of its color, making her a versatile and deadly force: - **Elemental Breath Weapons**: Each of Tiamat's heads possesses a different elemental breath weapon: fire (red), lightning (blue), poison (green), acid (black), and frost (white), allowing her to unleash devastating multi-elemental attacks. - **Dominance Over Chromatic Dragons**: Tiamat can command chromatic dragons across the planes, bending them to her will or sending them as agents to spread her influence. - **Divine Aura of Terror**: Those who encounter her are often overcome by an aura of overwhelming fear and awe, which can break the spirits of even the bravest mortals. - **Polymorph and Shape-Shifting**: Tiamat can take on other forms, including those of powerful mortals, to disguise herself or infiltrate mortal society. - **Hunger for Souls**: Tiamat can consume the souls of those who die in her name, drawing power from their life force to bolster her own might and extend her influence. ### Treatment of the Chosen and Faithful Tiamat's chosen are those who have proven themselves cunning, ruthless, and fanatically loyal to her cause. She grants them powerful boons, typically in the form of enhanced strength, magical abilities, and even draconic traits. However, Tiamat is notoriously capricious and demands constant devotion, punishing failure or disobedience with brutal consequences: - **Draconic Blessings**: Devout followers may receive blessings that grant them resistance to elemental damage or allow them to channel her draconic magic. - **Marks of Favor**: Tiamat’s chosen often bear a mark that symbolizes her presence, such as scales of a particular color, draconic eyes, or even the ability to speak Draconic fluently. - **Dragon Allies**: Tiamat may send young dragons or wyverns to loyal cult leaders, providing them with powerful allies to aid in their conquests. - **Eternal Enslavement**: Those who fail her may find their souls bound to servitude in Avernus, forced to serve her for eternity in her hellish domain. ### Myths and Legends Legends of Tiamat are tales of destruction, wrath, and the relentless pursuit of power. Her stories serve as both a warning and an inspiration for those who dare to follow her path: - **The Creation of the Chromatic Dragons**: It is said that Tiamat shaped the first chromatic dragons from elemental chaos, giving them life and breath in her own image, each representing one of her powerful heads. - **The Banishment from the Upper Planes**: In ancient times, Tiamat attempted to claim a place among the gods of the upper planes. When her demands were denied, she was banished to the Nine Hells, where she established her dominion and vowed vengeance against those who rejected her. - **The Clash with Bahamut**: A constant tale among dragons tells of Tiamat’s fierce rivalry with Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon. Many believe that one day, they will clash in a final battle to determine the fate of dragonkind. - **The Siege of Arkhosia**: A popular legend tells of Tiamat’s attempt to overthrow the dragonborn empire of Arkhosia. She sent legions of chromatic dragons to destroy it, but Arkhosia’s dragonborn defenders fought back fiercely. Though Tiamat was ultimately thwarted, this tale reminds her followers of her desire for supremacy and her relentless nature. ### Encounters with Tiamat’s Influence Encounters with Tiamat’s influence are often chaotic and destructive, as her followers seek to spread terror and gather wealth in her name: - **Dragon Raids**: Chromatic dragons loyal to Tiamat frequently raid settlements, burning villages and claiming treasure to offer to their goddess. - **Cultist Interference**: Cultists of Tiamat work in secret to undermine other factions, incite wars, and orchestrate acts of chaos, all with the aim of securing power for their queen. - **Dragonmarked Treasures**: Powerful artifacts associated with Tiamat, such as dragonmarked weapons or cursed hoards, sometimes surface in the world, bearing the essence of her greed and malice. - **Infernal Temples**: Hidden temples dedicated to Tiamat serve as centers of influence where her followers plot to expand her reach, perform forbidden rituals, and summon draconic forces to aid in their dark purposes. ### Conclusion Tiamat stands as the embodiment of tyranny, greed, and draconic power. Her followers, whether out of fear or ambition, are devoted to her creed of domination, and her influence leaves a path of devastation in its wake. Worshipers of Tiamat seek to emulate her ruthless pursuit of wealth and authority, knowing that loyalty to the Dragon Queen often demands sacrifices of both body and soul.