| Tiamat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Titles | The Dragon Queen, Nemesis of the Gods, the Dark Lady |
| Deity Power | Lesser Deity |
| Home Plane | Heliopolis |
| Symbol | Five-headed dragon |
| Alignment | Lawful Evil |
| Portfolio | Evil dragons, evil reptiles, greed, Chessenta |
| Domains | Destruction[1], Evil, Law[2], Scalykind[2], Tyranny[2] |
| Favored Weapon | A dragon head (heavy pick) |
| Cleric Alignments | LE, LN, NE |
| Worshipers | Chromatic dragons, Cult of the Dragon, evil dragons, evil reptiles, fighters, sorcerers, thieves, vandals |
Character and Reputation[]
Tiamat (tee-a-maht) is a greedy, vain, and arrogant goddess who embodies all the strengths of her chromatic progeny but few of their weaknesses. She is entirely focused on the acquisition of personal power and wealth and views mortals as hapless pawns in her struggles with other deities. She can be charming and fey when necessary, but her self-serving, evil, reptilian nature is readily apparent to those who look.
Clergy and Temples[]
The church of Tiamat is regimented by a strict hierarchy of ranks and titles. Clerics of Tiamat are primarily occupied by the twin tasks of acquiring an ever-increasing hoard of wealth for the faith and sabotaging the faiths of other deities. As a result, they occupy most of their waking hours with an unending series of thefts, assassinations, acts of vandalism, and arson. In Unther and Chessenta they are primarily concerned with seizing as much power as possible, while in western Faerun, the cult’s agents are focused on infiltrating and subverting the Cult of the Dragon.
Clerics of Tiamat pray for their spells at dusk, in hopes she will return the sun the following morning, as part of a ritual known as Tithing. The Tithing requires a small tithe, typically several gold coins or a small gem, which are hidden in the cleric’s cupped hands as the cleric’s prayers are offered, then buried. Tiamat’s clergy also perform numerous other daily ceremonies in homage to their mistress. The Rite of Respect is a complicated ritual of abasement and appeasement that must be performed while approaching any spawn of the Dragon Queen. This ceremony does not provide any ritualistic protection from the dragon’s fury, but failure to perform the ceremony with rigorous perfection is sure to draw the great reptile’s ire. In Unther, the Dark Scaly Ones have proclaimed the day of the first full moon after Midsummer a holy day dedicated to the Dark lady.
Known as the Festival of Vengeance, this day marks the defeat of Gilgeam by Tiamat, Nemesis of the Gods. In Unthalass the day is marked by general anarchy, rioting, and widespread mayhem incited by the clergy and the faithful and is punctuated by the consummation of long-simmering acts of revenge. During this time, the clerics of the Mulhorandi and Faerunian pantheons seek to contain the looting and destruction, but prominent officials must beware of the numerous assassination attempts executed by Tiamat’s worshipers. Many clerics multiclass as divine disciples, fighters, sorcerers, or (if associated with the Cult of the dragon) wearers of purple.
History and Relations with other deities[]
Tiamat is an interloping deity, brought to Faerun along with the rest of the Untheric pantheon. Her battles with those deities are legendary in Unther, and the Nemesis of the Gods was blamed for every setback experience by Unther. As a result, her small cult survived as the surviving Untheric gods became increasingly tyrannical, and eventually she regained sufficient strength to destroy Gilgeam during the Time of Troubles. Her foes include Bane and Ilmater, and she is known to ally with the intermediate god Set for both gods have found common cause in undermining the power of the other deities of the Old Empires.
Dogma[]
Rival deities of all creeds and from every pantheon are inherently tyrannical. They seek only power, at any cost, despite their honeyed words. The Dragon Queen is the only being powerful enough to defy the gods and overthrow their despotic rule, as demonstrated by her overthrow of the other Untheric deities. Work tirelessly toward the day when Tiamat will banish the gods from Faerun and unite the world under her rule. Toward this goal, follow her commands unquestioningly and be willing to sacrifice yourself in her service. To overthrow the gods requires power, and power is acquired through the accumulation of wealth and magic. Power demands respect. Chromatic dragons everywhere are to be venerated as the spawn of the Dragon Queen and paid homage. When Tiamat assumes her throne, her draconic children shall serve her as dukes, and her clergy as their mortal vassals.
See Also[]
References[]