Tiamat, the Scaled Tyrant is the evil queen of dragons. She is a fearsome goddess of greed, envy, and hoarded wealth, and the patron of most chromatic dragons. She is the sworn enemy of the Platinum Dragon.[6]
Appearance[]
Depiction of Tiamat's divine aspect from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, p. 166.[art 3]
The Scaled Tyrant is depicted as a massive, five-headed dragon, with each head a different color of chromatic dragon, and her leathery wings spread poisonous clouds.[2]
Commandments of the Scaled Tyrant[]
Commandments of the Scaled Tyrant
Amass wealth, but spend little. The gold—and the power that comes with it—is sufficient reward in itself.
Do not forgive nor forget an indignity to yourself. Let no affront go unpunished.
Take what you covet. Those without the strength to defend their dominion are not worthy of it.
Relationship[]
Since the Founding, the Scaled Tyrant has nurtured a deep hatred for the Platinum Dragon, who sends his paladins to hunt her cultists, thus weeding out her humanoid worshipers successfully for centuries.[7]
History[]
During the Founding, the Scaled Tyrant and the Platinum Dragon created dragons to protect their interests on the Material Plane.[8]
During the Age of Arcanum, the Scaled Tyrant created one of the Arms of the Betrayers, given to her chosen champion of Ghor Dranas: the Will of the Talon, a war pick with the life force of a bone devil.[9] One of the Vestiges of Divergence is also associated with the Scaled Tyrant: the Wreath of the Prism.[10]
According to a particularly pervasive myth, the Scaled Tyrant and the Platinum Dragon created the dragonborn during the Calamity to be loyal soldiers, though they eventually earned their freedom.[11]
The Scaled Tyrant is imprisoned in Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells.[2]
CelebriD&D with Joe Manganiello[]
The Scaled Tyrant sent visions of a locked-away loop of golden thorns and gems to her follower Arkhan in his dreams. He sought out this artifact and, with the help of a group of mercenaries, eventually acquired the Wreath of the Prism from the Vault of Shumas in the Aggrad Mountains of Marquet.
Following the Chroma Crisis[]
For centuries, paladins of the Platinum Dragon had kept the worship of the Scaled Tyrant limited to chromatic dragons, but after the Chroma Conclave emerged and attacked Emon, secretive humanoid cults sprang up. Some of the oligarchs of Tal'Dorei also covertly turned to the Scaled Tyrant as their accumulated wealth was depleted.[7]
"Stalker in the Swamp" (2x21)[]
In 835 PD, Calianna Mordsson, a sorcerer of draconic origins who escaped the Cult of the Caustic Heart, sought the help of the Mighty Nein to find and destroy an artifact that would allow ritualistic communication with Tiamat before the cult could acquire it. The adventurers found the bowl in the possession of several merrow, and Yasha was able to destroy the magic item with Magician's Judge.
The Chronicles of Exandria - The Legend of Vox Machina Volume II[]
At some point before 911 PD, an undercover observer who worked for the editors of Delando's Compendium of Pantheon and Hierarchy disappeared for five months while collecting information on Arkhan the Cruel until their severed left arm was sent to the editors. Those who knew about this debated intensely about the meaning of such a message, wondering if it was a warning not to meddle in the affairs of the Scaled Tyrant and her people, or if the agent had been somehow indoctrinated and had sent their own arm.[12]
Worship[]
Sapped by the exorbitant cost of rebuilding what was destroyed by the Chroma Conclave, a number of oligarchs in Tal'Dorei have turned to the Scaled Tyrant in secret to replenish their hoarded wealth.[7]
Known worshipers[]
Fan art of Arkhan the Cruel, by Joma Cueto.[art 4]
- Arkhan the Cruel
- Cult of the Caustic Heart
- Calianna Mordsson (formerly)
- Serissa
- The Chroma Council, a secret group of Draconian sympathizers that manipulated local youths into joining them in the Ashkeeper Peaks and helping them raid passing caravans for money and resources.[13]
- Note: This is not the Chroma Conclave, which never considered itself subservient to the Scaled Tyrant.[14]
- Hulil Lutan[15]
- Raegrin Mau[16]
Appearances and mentions[]
- Campaign One
- "Strange Bedfellows" (1x03), mentioned only[17]
- "Shopping and Shipping" (1x14), mentioned only
- "The Final Ascent" (1x113), mentioned only
- "Vecna, the Ascended" (1x114), mentioned only
- "The Chapter Closes" (1x115), mentioned only
- Campaign Two
- "Stalker in the Swamp" (2x21), mentioned only
- "Lost Treasures" (2x22), mentioned only
Trivia[]
- Outside of Critical Role canon, Tiamat is considered to be the same deity as Takhisis, a goddess of Krynn. Joe Manganiello, who plays her champion in Campaign One, has used both names interchangeably when talking about his character and his inspirations.
- In 843, during the battle between the Exandrian Accord and the Ruby Vanguard in the Hellcatch Valley, a manticore joined the fight just as Vox Machina were trying to move through the battlefield, giving them enough time to reach the Bloody Bridge.[18] Since the monster appeared shortly after an army of devils arrived, and knowing that the Betrayer Gods were sending support to the cause too, this might have been a nod to Arkhan the Cruel and his manticore Changó, as agents of Tiamat.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 28.
- ↑ See "Return to Vasselheim" (1x43) at 2:10:27.
- ↑ See "The Final Ascent" (1x113) at 1:10:00.
- ↑ See "Return to Vasselheim" (1x43) at 2:11:12.
- ↑ See "Return to Vasselheim" (1x43) at 2:11:12.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 37.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 218.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 279.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 274.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 151.
- ↑ The Chronicles of Exandria - The Legend of Vox Machina Volume II, p. 202.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 91.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 21.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 238. See also p. 240.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 240.
- ↑ See "Strange Bedfellows" (1x03) at 0:25:10.
- ↑ See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) at 5:04:20.
Art:
- ↑ Symbol of the Scaled Tyrant from Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting.
- ↑ Symbol of the Scaled Tyrant from Explorer's Guide to Wildemount by Claudio Pozas. (source)
- ↑ Depiction of Tiamat's divine aspect from Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, p. 166. This page contains unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
- ↑ Fan art of Arkhan the Cruel, by Joma Cueto (source). Used with permission.
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