Takhisis
Takhisis
| Alignment: | Lawful Evil |
|---|---|
| Other Names: | The Dark Warrior
|
| Symbol: | Black crescent |
| Celestial Symbol: | Many headed dragon constellation |
| Portfolio: | Night, evil dragons, hatred, control, intrigue, chaos |
| Common Aspects: | Five headed chromatic dragon
|
| Colors: | Black, iridescent black |
Takhisis was sister to Gilean and Paladine, and was the goddess of control and Evil. Takhisis, along with Paladine, was called from the Beyond to be custodians of the world. She was the head of the Evil gods, consort to Sargonnas, and mother to Zeboim and Nuitari. Takhisis was responsible for the corruption of the chromatic dragons, and appeared in one form as a dragon with heads of blue, black, white, red, and green.
During the Third Dragon War, Takhisis attempted to conquer Ansalon. She was defeated when a Knight of the Crown named Huma thrust a Dragonlance into the heart of one of her aspects. Huma exacted a promise from her, sworn by the High God, to leave Krynn and never enter it again. She would renege on that promise during the War of the Lance, when her Chromatic Dragons entered the world again. Ansalon was nearly conquered by her Dragonarmies, led by Ariakas, the self-proclaimed Emperor of Ansalon.
During the Chaos War, Takhisis had new followers in the form of the Knights of Takhisis, created by Ariakas’ son, Ariakan. They nearly conquered Ansalon, when the mad god Chaos attacked Krynn. She forced the Gods of Good to withdraw their support from their followers so that her Knights of Takhisis could unify Ansalon and be in a position to fight the mad god. During the final battle with Chaos, Takhisis had supposedly fled to save her own hide. In reality, Takhisis moved Krynn from its place in time and space to a spot in the universe that not even Zivilyn could see.
Takhisis spent nearly 40 years in the early Age of Mortals recuperating from the monumental task of stealing a world. In that time, the Dragon Overlords appeared and conquered Ansalon. Takhisis disguised herself in this time as the Shadow Sorcerer and taught the ways of sorcery to Palin Majere and, in secret, to Dalamar. She encouraged the discovery of Ambient Magic so that she could use the dead to steal its power. In the years leading to the War of Souls, magic was fading even as Takhisis’ power grew.
Also during this time, Takhisis searched the world, ensuring she was the only divine power remaining, and was astounded to discover one other power. In her search, she found a slumbering godling, which she awakened in 404 AC and decided to manipulate and make her own tool of vengeance against the world. She sent this young girl to the isle of Schallsea, finding amusement in having the young girl raised by her enemies, before she took the girl, who was named Mina under her wing. In the guise of the One God, Takhisis made Mina her first cleric in the Age of Mortals.
Mina would soon take control of the Knights of Neraka (formerly the Knights of Takhisis) and lead an army of the dead in the latest bid to conquer Ansalon. When the gods rediscovered the location of Krynn, they stripped Takhisis of her immortality. Paladine was likewise made a mortal to maintain the Balance. Takhisis was run through by a broken dragonlance, wielded by the elf prince Silvanoshei. Takhisis was buried by Mina in a tomb whose location is unknown. The gods have covered it up and erased all memory of where it might be.
References
- Amber and Ashes
- Amber and Blood, p. 18-25
- Brother of the Dragon p. 159
- Dragonlance Campaign Setting, (Sourcebook), p.
- Dragons of Autumn Twilight
- Dragons of Winter Night
- Dragons of Spring Dawning
- Dragons of Summer Flame
- Dragons of a Fallen Sun
- Dragons of a Lost Star
- Dragons of a Vanished Moon
- Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (PB) p. 113, 143, 379, 394
- Holy Orders of the Stars, (Sourcebook), p.
- The Legend of Huma
- Otherlands p. 43
- Return of the Exile, p. 302
- Trail of the Black Wyrm, p. 405
- Time of the Dragon, p. 8-9, 83, 88, 110,185
- When Black Roses Bloom pg 16
- DL16: World of Krynn – “Dargaard Keep” pgs. 83