Tiamat

“I am the Ceaseless Storm, the Eternal Flame and the Darkest Night”
“I am the Beginning and the End, your Doom and Salvation”
“Behold my Might, and tremble”
  Tiamat is the Prime Deity and Creator Goddess of The Ruumush Amat, the dominant faith amongst members of The Draconid Strain.  

Depiction:

While the exact appearance varies a bit from place to place, Tiamat is most commonly described and depicted as an enormous draconic entity many hundreds, sometimes even thousands of fathoms long from heads to tail, with 3 heads, each one sporting an impressive set of horns, and 6 wings. Her scales are said to shimmer in all colors known to the world and her eyes glow red and white like the twin moons.
In many depictions, her heads represent different aspects of her personality. One head is usually associated with forgiveness and motherhood, while the second head embodies wrath and destruction. The third head is often considered to be the neutral or balancing head, representing the goddess's overall power and authority.   Some less well known religious doctrines, usually practiced by people outside Dracoris, depict Tiamat in a more bestial or monstrous way, such as giving her the mane of a lion, a serpent for a tail, feathered wings etc.
Finally there are some fringe cults, which describe Tiamat as an utterly alien entity, a writhing mass of tentacles, mouths and eyes, utterly devoid of any dragon-like features. It goes without saying that most other doctrines view this depiction, if it can even be called such, as heretical.  

Personality:

Tiamat is a Deity with split personalities, which are often described to be at odds with one another: that of the benevolent mother and creator, giver and preserver of life, forgiving, gracious and accepting. Juxtaposed to that is the wrathful destroyer, taker of life, both innocent and guilty, unkind, uncaring and highly judgemental.   Even in her kinder descriptions however, she has a clear vain streak, believing herself to be a perfect entity, someone to be worshiped and revered without question.
The Ruumush Amat is full of stories of both people and other Deities calling her right to rule into question, and it never ends well for them.  

Relations:

As their Mother and Creator, Tiamat has relations with all 5 Ancestral Dragons:
  • As the eldest of the Ancestral Dragons, Neneth is known for her fierce loyalty and devotion to her mother, she is often called upon to defend Tiamats interests and offers advice if her mother wishes for it.
  • The second in line Kazarak is reserved towards his mother. He manages the affairs of the Mortal Realm on her behalf and enforces her will, but rarely interacts with her unless he has to.
  • Amarosh, the Third-born, has a complicated relationship with his mother. He is her fiercest defender, hunting her enemies and bringing them to her knees, but he has called her judgment and decisions into question on numerous occasions, an act of defiance that has cost him dearly. Of the numerous scars he is usually depicted with, more than a few have been inflicted by the Mother of Dragons herself.
  • Ruu avoids interacting with her mother, or any of her silblings for that matter, if she can help it.
  • The youngest, Samaron, is often seen as the "black sheep" of the Ancestral Dragons, and as such his relationship with Tiamat is somewhat tenuous. Still, he performs his duties admirably and follows his mothers orders, though he tends to get a bit creative with their execution, which has earned him his mothers wrath on more than one occasion.
  •   Finally there is Zargoran, the prime deity of the Ur-Ashaar. Depending on which canon one chooses to believe, he is just a regular uppidy mortal, or a nefarious trickster, who stole the gift of fire from Tiamat, or a coldblooded murderer, who killed Tiamat in a moment of weakness.
    The orthodox canon of course views this as deceptive heretical lies, intent on turning followers away from the true faith.  

    Followers and Worship:

    In the past, Tiamat was worshiped by all that follow The Ruumush Amat. Her name was invoked with every prayer, either as the one being prayed to, or alongside them. Much has changed however since the fall of The Draconid Empire, many consider her a dead god, and worship of the Mother of Dragons is now constrained to the followers of the orthodox canon, most of which reside within Sacromas, in the heartland of Dracoris.   Tiamat cares little for the pleas of the common rabble. She demands regular sacrifices, usually in the form of gems, precious metals, animals and blood, which are to be brought before her in highly ritualized ceremonies, preferrably by a sanctified priest.
    Worship of Tiamat is rarely a matter of reverence, but rather one of placation, after all did she not already create the world? To be alive is a privilege granted by the Mother of Dragons, one that can easily be taken away if she is angered.
      Due to this, the number of individuals that could be considered dedicated followers of Tiamat is small: High Priests, Rulers, Matriarchs and Patriarchs, mighty warriors and other such exceptional individuals.
    The Mother of Dragons demands much from her followers, but to those who manage to earn her favour, it is well worth it.  

    Tenets:

  • Spread my name: "Carve it into the mountains, shout it from the highest peaks, by word or by blood, let all know that they will serve their rightful mistress."
  • Affirm our Superiority: "Our kind are meant to rule, others are meant to serve and bow their heads in reverence. Even if you are forced to work together, they are not your equal."
  • Lead by Example: "To be my champion means to embody the highest virtues of Dragonkind, to be a shining example to your lesser peers. Be honorable, extend a helping hand to your kin, inspire reverence in your people and fear in your enemies."
  • Titles and Aliases:

    The Mother of Dragons
    The Mother of All
    The Ceaseless Wrath
    The Destroyer and Creator
    Children


    Cover image: by Temarius Walker

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