Takhisis is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
from the ''
Dragonlance
''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in t ...
'' universe. She is depicted as the main goddess of
evil
Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...
in the setting and head of the Dark Pantheon.
Titles and forms
Within the Dragonlance universe, Takhisis was a sister of Gilean and Paladine, the goddess of control and evil, 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 the colors of blue, black, white, red, and green. Takhisis is also referred to as Dragon Queen (among elves), Nilat the Corrupter (among the barbarians of the plains), Tamex, the False Metal (among dwarves), Mai-tat, She of Many Faces (among the people of Ergoth), Queen of Many Colors and None (among the Knights of Solamnia), the Dark Queen, Erestem, Tii'Mhut, Lady Chaos, Mwarg, the One God, the Dark Warrior, and Shadow Sorcerer.
Jeff Grubb
Jeff Grubb (born August 27, 1957) is an author who writes novels, short stories, and comics and a computer and role-playing game designer in the fantasy genre. Grubb worked on the ''Dragonlance'' campaign setting under Tracy Hickman, and the ''F ...
believes that she is
Tiamat
In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creati ...
, Goddess (or Queen) of evil dragons in many other ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...
''
campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A ''campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and ca ...
s. However, the two are separate entities according to Dragonlance creator, Tracy Hickman
[
]
and others. The 4th Edition ''
Draconomicon
The ''Draconomicon'' is the title for several optional sourcebooks for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game, providing supplementary game mechanics for dragons specifically. Different ''Draconomicon'' books have been issued for the 2nd, ...
'' books confirm that Takhisis is Tiamat in fourth edition. This is confirmed again in the 5th edition ''
Dungeon Master's Guide
The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' co ...
''.
Takhisis most often takes the form of a five-headed
dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
; each head is represented by the color of one of the evil dragons (red, blue, green, black, and white).
She also often uses the form of a beautiful temptress, said to be so lovely that no man can resist her. Additionally, she has another form known as the Dark Warrior.
Sargonnas is Takhisis' consort. Together they have two children: Nuitari and Zeboim.
Ambition
Within the Dragonlance universe, Takhisis is the most ambitious of the gods, frequently making plans to upset the balance and take over the world for herself. In ''
Dragons of the Hourglass Mage
''Dragons of the Hourglass Mage '' is a fantasy novel by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, based on the ''Dragonlance'' fictional campaign setting. It is the third installment in the ''Lost Chronicles'' trilogy, which occurs between the storyline ...
'', for example, Takhisis attempts to take control of all magic.
After being driven back by
Huma Dragonbane
This is a list of characters in the ''Dragonlance'' series of fantasy novels and related fantasy role-playing game materials. It includes accounts of their early lives in the series.
Characters
Alhana Starbreeze
Alhana Starbreeze, Silvanesti El ...
in the Third Dragon War and sealed from the world, she bides her time in the
Abyss
Abyss may refer to:
* Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld
Film and television
* ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film starring Asta Nielsen
* ''The Abyss'' (1988 film) (''L'Œuvre au noir''), a French- ...
, always looking for new ways into the world. This brings about the
War of the Lance
The ''Dragonlance Chronicles'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which take place in the Dragonlance setting. This series is the first set of Dragonlance novels, and is followed by the '' Dragonlance Legen ...
, where the dark goddess is ultimately thwarted by the
Heroes of the Lance
''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance'' is a video game released in January 1988 for various home computer systems and consoles. The game is based on the first ''Dragonlance'' campaign module for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy ro ...
, and subsequently contributes to the
Chaos War
"Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries ''Chaos War'', written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot ( ...
and the
War of Souls
''The War of Souls'' is a trilogy of ''New York Times'' best selling novels published between 2000 and 2002. The trilogy focuses on the titular fictional war (the War of Souls) set in the popular ''Dragonlance'' fictional universe. Like many ''Dr ...
.
Raistlin Majere
Raistlin Majere is a fictional character from the ''Dragonlance'' series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Raistlin played an extensive role in the two main series of books, particularly in '' Dragonlance Legends'' in which he ...
attempts to destroy Takhisis and assume her role as head god of evil. He succeeds in one timeline, but destroys the world of
Krynn
''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in t ...
in the ensuing magical battle. His brother
Caramon
Caramon Majere (326 AC - 38 SC) is a fictional character from the Dragonlance books. He is depicted as a fighter and is one of the main characters in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's first Dragonlance trilogy, the ''Dragonlance Chronicles''. C ...
, with the aid of a
time-travelling device, dissuades him from this path; and Raistlin sacrifices himself to prevent Takhisis from leaving the Abyss.
The War of Souls
After the
Chaos War
"Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries ''Chaos War'', written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot ( ...
, Takhisis steals the world from the rest of the gods and becomes the "One God" of the world. When the rest of the gods return to
Krynn
''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in t ...
, they realize that Takhisis has gone too far. Although Sargonnas has generally been loyal to her, the actions leading up to her being made mortal lead Sargonnas to declare she has gone too far and to support the decision. In order to retain the balance, Paladine sacrifices his godhood and immortality in order for Takhisis to be stripped of her godhood and immortality. She is then killed by the
elven king
Silvanoshei
This is a list of characters in the ''Dragonlance'' series of fantasy novels and related fantasy role-playing game materials. It includes accounts of their early lives in the series.
Characters
Alhana Starbreeze
Alhana Starbreeze, Silvanesti El ...
.
Other publications
Takhisis is key to the Dragonlance world creation myth as the primordial source of evil. This central role is crucial to how creation myths are presented.
In the
neo-pagan
Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...
press, a series of books published by
Oberon Zell-Ravenheart
Oberon Zell-Ravenheart (born Timothy Zell, November 30, 1942, St. Louis, Missouri; formerly known as Otter G'Zell) is a Neopagan writer, speaker and religious leader. He is the co-founder of the Church of All Worlds.
Education
Zell earned a Bac ...
, looks at Takhisis in the Dragonlance world and compares her to the Babylonian and
''Dungeons & Dragons'' version of
Tiamat
In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creati ...
. The book is written as a school book for young wizards and witches of the neo-pagan sort. Takhisis is described for her role in the wars of good vs. evil.
This ultimate source of the theme of evil is discussed again in a presentation by Dr. Stefan Ekman of
Lund University
, motto = Ad utrumque
, mottoeng = Prepared for both
, established =
, type = Public research university
, budget = SEK 9 billion [Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...]
. Dr. Ekman compares Takhisis and other fantasy "dark lords," such as
Lord Foul
''The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant'' is a series of ten high fantasy novels written by American author Stephen R. Donaldson. The series began as a trilogy, entitled ''The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever''. This was followed by ano ...
and
Sauron
Sauron (pronounced ) is the title character and the primary antagonist, through the forging of the One Ring, of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', where he rules the land of Mordor and has the ambition of ruling the whole of Middl ...
, to the biblical
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
. In particular he states, "Even though not all of the Dark Lords above signify the ultimate source of evil, Lord Foul, the Dark One, and Takhisis certainly do. And all of them are ultimately actants, characters whose raison d’être is to provide the final threat".
This theme of good versus evil, and humans versus gods, is expanded in ''Dragonlance, a Shared World of Fantasy Fiction and Role-Playing Games''. The central focus of this thesis is the struggle of the human characters versus Takhisis. This struggle is compared with the human, or at least mortal, heroes of the stories of
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...
's ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' and
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univers ...
' ''
The Chronicles of Narnia
''The Chronicles of Narnia'' is a series of seven high fantasy novels by British author C. S. Lewis. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes and originally published between 1950 and 1956, ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' has been adapted for radio, telev ...
''.
Tiamat, in her Dragonlance/Krynn incarnation is also the subject of in the Dragon Gods and Evil dragons sections of the ''Practical Guide to Dragons''. She is discussed in universe style with sidebars detailing her real-world publishing significance. This is continued in the follow-up series ''The Dragon Codices'', in which Takhisis is the main, if somewhat hidden, antagonist.
Reception
In the ''
Io9
''io9'' is part of Gizmodo media since 2015, and it began as blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media. The site initially focused on the subjects of science fiction, fantasy, futurism, science, technology and related areas but over the years has ...
'' series revisiting older ''Dungeons & Dragons'' novels, Rob Bricken commented that "The primary adventure of the novel is Tanis and his comrades' attempt to bring Berem—aka the Green Gem Man—to the Temple of Takhisis at Neraka so he can do something that will help seal the goddess away again. Takhisis is well-aware of Berem and sends her draconian armies and dragons to find him, because if she gets her claws on him, she'll be free and unbeatable.
..Apparently, the column had imprisoned Takhisis and the removal of the gem allowed the goddess a little bit of freedom, which is why she's causing trouble in the present. But all it's going to take to save the world is to take a bit of super-glue and sticking the gem back on the column. It all feels quite banal, especially compared to throwing the most powerful enchanted item on the planet into an open volcano."
Footnotes
Sources
*
{{D&D topics
Dragonlance characters
Dungeons & Dragons deities
Fictional dragons
Fictional goddesses
Fictional queens
fi:Dragonlance#Jumalat
it:Personaggi di Dragonlance#Takhisis