![]() Tiamat is most concerned with spreading evil, defeating good, and propagating chromatic dragons. Tiamat is a greedy, vain, and arrogant goddess who embodies all the strengths of evil dragonkind, and few of their weaknesses. 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. 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's lair contains the main gate to the second of the Nine Hells, Dis. One must fly (or, heavens forbid, swim) across the maggot pit to reach Tiamat's caves. 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. Tiamat claims not to need allies, although she has many pacts with Bel and with lawful evil deities such as Hextor. Heironeous and Moradin also consider themselves her enemies. She also battles Bahamut, her lawful good counterpart. Periodically Tiamat has battles with the Babylonian god Marduk, who dwells in Arcadia. Kurtulmak is also her son, at least according to some myths. Mordukhavar the Reaver is the offspring of Tiamat and Cantrum of the Dark Eight. Dhakoth the Corruptor was born on the Negative Energy Plane. Maybe she had a consort named First Breath, but An-Ur resembles no draconic species, except perhaps the ethereal moonstone dragons. It supposedly sprang into being from Tiamat's first breath. An-Ur, the Wandering Death, wanders the Ethereal Plane, devouring whole demiplanes. Three of Tiamat's children were detailed in Dragon #260. Previous consorts include Apsu, Kingsu, Ephelomon, the red dragon Etiol, and the now-undead dragon Dragotha. Tiamat presently has five consorts, great wyrms of each chromatic dragon species. With Pearza of the Dark Eight, Tiamat created the first abishai. Malphas leads 40 companies of abishai, Amduscias leads 29 companies of abishai, and Goap leads three companies of erinyes. Three Baatezu nobles (granted to her by Bel) serve Tiamat and command her armies on Avernus. In many campaign settings, the draconic pantheon of gods consists of Io, Aasterinian, Bahamut, Chronepsis, Faluzure, and Tiamat. The first addition of "Deities and Demigods" expressly stated Marduk fought her heavily implying that the Tiamat of the various D&D settings and the Babylonian godess Tiamat were one and the same. 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). She dwells in Avernus, the first layer of the Outer Plane of Baator (also known as the Nine Hells). It is also 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 is the eternal rival of her brother Bahamut, the ruler of the good metallic dragons. Like most other draconic deities, she is the offspring of the dragon creator deity Io. A smaller Aspect of Tiamat appears in the Miniatures Handbook. One such multiheaded Aspect was released in the Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures expansion set War of the Dragon Queen. These Aspects may appear as powerful versions of her chromatic children or as versions of her own five-headed form. Tiamat was also one of the first deities to have aspects, or lesser avatars. Tiamat has also been known to manifest as a dark-haired human sorceress. Her body also has traits in common with a wyvern, including a long tail tipped with a poisionous stinger. Her body is a blending of various chromatic dragon forms with an appropriately multicolored hide. ![]() ![]() 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. Tiamat is the five-headed queen of the evil chromatic dragons. ![]()
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