Ecology of Tiamat
P ower Overwhelming, Cruelty Unmatched, Unflappable Confidence, Unerring Intelligence, and Unstoppable Brutality, Only 1 being can be described in such a way and to witness this is terror unimaginable. - Galadinab Ancient Gold Dragon
Introduction
Our worst fears came true, but we were prepared. I have conducted extensive research in the decades of my life to learn about Tiamat if she ever were to return to the material plane. Today it happened. For what I know so far half of Fredloch, my home continent is already conquered or lain to waste. I only hope the information I divulge here and other research about her kind, the Chromatic Dragons, can aid us in some way. May knowledge be our savior…. Else we are surely doomed.
These accounts documented are from myself and first-hand witnesses to her return to the prime material plane. I have also gathered lore, and documents from around the world, second-hand accounts, and legends and stories from many of her children, the Chromatic Dragons.
Tiamat's Biology
Origins of Tiamat
We do know that somehow Pseudo Dragons are the root of all modern dragons, including Tiamat. How a small Pseudo Dragon became, the titanic Tiamat is a mystery in itself. Tiamat is in a new classification, Major Dragons. These dragons are the roots of the many dragons that exist in the world, and only Bahamut and Tiamat herself are well known, but others must live.
Tiamat is old and how old is a mystery in itself, but dragons are long-lived, and none remember even the ancestors who would have known. Her arrival into existence is entirely undocumented, and thus it's impossible to discern other than from physiological observations to related creatures we believe to be more basic.
Tiamat's Aesthetics
Tiamat is a reptilian creature that stands well over 50 feet tall at the shoulders. She has 5 heads, one for each of the Chromatic Dragons, Red, Blue, Green, Black, and White. Her body is strong but looks like the flexible structure of many dragons. With rusty colored wings and a gigantic obsidian tail, she's a mesh of many colors. Her legs are proportionately shorter than most chromatic dragons giving her a more "stocky" appearance.
She is well over 75 feet long with her tail ending in a poisonous stinger, much like a Black Dragon. She's incredibly strong and can level cities with a tail swipe. Her massive size and thick scales protect her from most attackers alone.
5 heads one dragon
To assume Tiamat is a confused and disjointed being is to err. She is in unison across all 5 incredibly dangerous and well functioning heads. I can only consider either all 5 brains are wired together or like a hydra; the heads are more akin to nerve clusters and data processors than independent minds. Don't call her a hydra, I've seen the aftermath of such an insult personally.
Each head retains the abilities of each color represented by a chromatic dragon. For instance, the blue dragon's electrical sense, the keen eyes of the red dragon, the water sight of the black dragon, the hyper expressive and charming demeanor of the green dragon, and the memory of a white dragon are all tools available to her. Aside from those abilities, each one also retains the ability to expel their respective breath weapons. Dragon's breath weapons are dangerous alone, especially on the older, more experienced ones, but with 5 dragons at the most experience possible, she is a calamity.
Maneuverability
With her massive size, she is slow in both walking and flying. In battle, she rarely needs to chase down enemies or run for any reason mitigating this disadvantage. When flying, she does so clumsily compared to most natural fliers, which is true of most dragons. Don't mistake a lack of speed as an advantage, Tiamat doesn't really need to move quickly for a good reason, hardly anything can escape her if she chooses. She can swim and climb exceptionally well, but again not promptly in comparison to your usual dragon. She doesn't move quickly, but hardly any terrain can stop her.
Breath Weapons Better than the Sum
As I mentioned before, Tiamat can expel a breath weapon from the various chromatic dragon heads. The Red's uses flames, Blue's lightning, Green's poison gas, White's cold, and Black's acid, all of which are devastating. While individually, they are the strongest examples of such an attack from any dragon, Tiamat can mix and combine them as she chooses simply by "crossing the streams." For instance, she can combine the poison with lightning making an electrical gas that can spread through small spaces. The most devastating version is when all 5 combined into a beam of pure elemental energy that takes on the properties, much like a wizard's sphere of destruction. This attack is telegraphed by her heads aligning into a perfect spaced Pentagon and firing at the center of this formed Pentagon. The energy swirls together into a ball that then erupts into a beam of this destructive energy.
Fortunately, like most dragons, Tiamat can't continuously spout breath weapons and will have to wait to recharge before using it again. Like other dragons, though, this recharge period is not long.
Immortal Queen of Destruction
Tiamat is immortal, much like all Major Dragons, and does not require to feed to continue to live. She does, however, indulge in feeding as an act of pleasure. She will devour defeated foes and revel in the gore and mess she creates in doing so. She'll rip and tear bodies apart and then swallow the remains. She will also sleep; she needs to produce and conserve energy; she gets tired but cannot truly die. In the Prime Material, she can be banished like a demon or devil as she is tied to another realm, and "starving" is her only losing the energy to maintain a physical form in a foreign plane. It is unknown if she can die on her home plain as none have ever come close to even harming her there.
Resident of the Nine Hells
She dwells in Avernus, the first layer of the Outer Plane of Baator (also known as the Nine Hells). She's the ruler of the first layer and does so with cruelty and efficiency. Although she is tied to her home plane, she desires to be on the Prime Material where she is originally from. She was banished there by her brothers before time could even tell, and since Avernus has become her home.
Her castle is an immense compound constructed of the bones of millions of dragons, demons, and other foes into an elaborate maze of room and lavish comforts never before or possibly again seen in the 9 hells. False halls and traps amuse her as the screams of even powerful demons attempting to plunder her hoard echo and carry in the structure's bones.
She can alter its pathways and make it easy for an audience to come in when she desires. This complete control of her home is a dangerous tool she utilizes well in her home turf against any invaders. There are no accounts of even a single individual who came with malicious intent to escape alive.
Treasure Fit for Her Majesty
In her castle lies a chamber foretold to be brimming with riches of all kinds, art, jewels, coins from all around, gruesome relics of long-dead enemies, and even items and weapons of untold magical strength. Her hoard is the envy of any dragon, and likely this mentality has been passed down to her children to aspire to even have a minuscule fraction of what she possesses. She rarely if ever counts or attempts to organize the vast mountain of riches she has obtained. This hoard is a sea of treasure that continuously rises and rarely falls. She knows no concept of excess and continues to covet and desire wealth.
Terror Inducing Presence
Many Chromatic and even Metallic Dragons are so large and awe-inspiring even the most strong-willed creatures fear them, Tiamat amplifies this fear ten-fold. The oldest Chromatic Dragons can cower in fear in the Chromatic Mother's sight. Only beings immune to fear altogether, or her brothers can ignore her imposing nature.
Dragon’s Curse
Foes of Tiamat who draw her full ire are subject to her Dragon's Curse, a spell or bewitchment she places on an individual she hates. This curse weakens a foe, sapping them of all energy to near exhaustion and causing a state of panic. This state is not easily resisted or overcome, and only intense cleansing rituals have been able to remove this life long debilitating state. Being such a powerful and confident being, not many creatures can be affected by this ability unprovoked, as she must truly hate that individual for the curse to take place. Despite her disgust and disdain for them, her brothers are immune because they are not genuinely hated by her.
Tiamat's Interactions with Others Creatures
Gods
Tiamat is a divine being herself and often must deal with the various deities and demigods of existence. She disdains them all but not to her detriment and knows her boundaries. This isn't always the case though, she has slain at least 3 deities, which have long been forgotten except by ancient civilizations that used to pay homage to these dead gods.
Humanoids
All humanoids, even half-dragons, are considered weak, pathetic, and nothing more than a snack. She isn't apt to underestimate a dangerous one, but she usually rarely perceives a danger as she is mighty herself or she ate them before thinking. Only by high recommendation by a follower of Tiamat can stay her hunger to even grant an audience to any humanoid, even then it is not a sure thing.
Dragons
All dragons, aside from her consorts rightfully fear the Mother of Chromatics. She's wildly unpredictable in her attitude, especially to dragons. She'll one day play coy and tease them with no repercussions than the next tear them to shreds and eat them. She enjoys keeping dragons on their toes, as she only considers dragons worthy of her respect, and she makes them earn it.
Tiamat's Dogma and Followers
Tiamat is considered a lesser deity herself as the matriarch and originator of all Chromatic Dragons. While most of her worshipers are indeed those chromatic dragons, other creatures do pay homage to her. Those are usually misguided humans in the hopes of being rewarded for their aid in the event she arrives. Tiamat doesn't care who helps her, as all are a mere tool to her designs.
She can grant eternal life to a dragon. Only through undeath by some fashion, while certainly no commander of the undead, she does have the power to reward her devout followers with this gift. To this day, only dragons have ever been recorded receiving her blessing.
Her edicts are simple, find a way to get her back into the Prime Material or take down her enemies. No guidelines, no rules, just pure chaos, and goal-oriented thinking.
Familial Ties
Tiamat's family is well connected and known amongst many dragons, and each member has a story of their own to tell. Variations of Tiamat are probably only seen in her children.
Malganadashk the Red Dragon
The first of the Red Dragons, Malganadashk was a fierce and tyrannical ruler during the dragons' age. As with most of her direct children, he did not associate with Tiamat but sought to make his own legacy. He was at war with many factions and leaders sometimes with multiples at a time. His brood is the direct lineage of all modern Red Dragons.
Barator the Blue Dragon
Barator was the first of the Blue Dragons and sought power through knowledge. A large amount of lore from the times untold that survive are a direct result of his thirst for power through the mind. Ultimately he was a boon to the world despite being a dangerous and malicious being in person by historical accounts. His lineage is what makes the Blue Dragons what they are.
Limardaral the Green Dragon
The queen of the forests sought peace among the elves, enjoying nature and learning to live in harmony with it. She hated all who would harm the forests and began wiping out civilizations that came near any woods for fear of the trees being hurt. Green dragons today are still tied to the woods and nature despite their malicious intent. Although she was a skilled diplomat, she had a penchant for eating elves, which ultimately broke many negotiations with the neighboring forest dwellers.
Grital the Black Dragon
The jealous and vile Grital retreated to the swamps left to feed on the stinking animals after losing a fight with her brother Malganadashk for territory. This hate festered into sick cruelty and love for torture as she captured those who her elder brother would care about. She was also the only child who still had ties to Tiamat and traced as the first worshiper of her mother.
Isthak the White Dragon
Isthak found the world too hot for his liking and flew far north, looking for comfort. He enjoyed hunting and ripping apart prey. He became very territorial and secluded himself from his siblings becoming wholly independent. Isthak's brutal and primal instincts carry on today in White Dragons.
Katrulimak the First Kobold
Katrulimak came from a failed egg of Tiamat, and he quickly realized his humanoid form would do nothing but get him killed. Using only his wits and a few tricks, he managed to escape Tiamat's palace and began his adventure to survive and establish a home of his own. Not necessarily evil, just self-preservationist, he made friends and enemies in his path to escape the first layer of Hell.
Trilldolma Tiamat's Treasure
To call Tiamat an uncaring mother is a severe understatement, she cares about herself only save 1 individual, Trilldolma. Trilldolma is the only child of hers born with 5 heads like her mother. Like her, dragons correspond to each of the heads, Brown, Purple, Orange, Yellow, and Grey. Trilldolma and her mother are on good terms and can unite for a nearly unstoppable pair.
Bahamut Patron of the Metallic Dragons
Tiamat's brother Bahamut is her most hated enemy and everything Good while she is evil. Together with the help of Null, the youngest of Io. Her hatred has turned into a lust that conflicts her; thus, she cannot curse him. Tiamat's only hope to destroy her brother is her daughter Trilldolma who holds no love for Bahamut.
Io the First Dragon
The creator of all dragons that came from an ascended Pseudo Dragon was one or created dragons in their image. Io is an entirely neutral being with no sway to either good or evil. Theories are that he is alive and well but enjoying time creating in his own plane of existence; others say that he died and split into 3 dragons, Tiamat, Bahamut, and Null.
Null
Null is the dragon of balance and the mediator that attempts to keep balance in the world. He is also a patron of necromancers, as re-using dead bodies to him is not evil just efficient. Despite partially being imprisoned to Baator because of him, Tiamat is on good terms and, when granting the power of undeath to her followers, consults Null on the matter. Null is also known as the World Dragon. He is believed to be at the center of the core in the Material Plane.
DM's Toolkit
Tiamat is an end boss of end bosses. She's an incredibly evil and challenging foe. Even if the party is corrupt and actively in a cult to release her upon the world, likely, she will still attack and likely kill anyone. She can be a great time limit to give agency to a party when her return is imminent.
My Artistic Rendition
https://www.reddit.com/user/Fortuan/comments/6vwg33/tiamat/
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