Bahamut
| Greyhawk Deity | |
|---|---|
| Bahamut | |
| Title(s) | The Platinum Dragon, King of the Good Dragons, Lord of the North Wind, the Dragon King, Justicemaker, Draco Paladin |
| Home Plane | Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia |
| Power Level | Lesser |
| Gender | Male |
| Class(es) | |
| Alignment | Lawful good |
| Portfolio | Good dragons, wind, wisdom, enlightened justice |
| Domains | Air, Cold, Dragon, Good, Law, Luck, Nobility, Protection, Storm |
| Alias(es) | Xymor |
| Superior | Io |
Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, is the King of the Good Dragons. He is a deity of Good Dragonkind. He is also referred to as the God of Dragons or the Lord of the North Wind. His symbol is a star over a milky nebula.
Description
Bahamut is depicted as a massive, long and sinuous dragon with silver-white scales and blue, catlike eyes. According to Complete Divine and Races of the Dragon, the exact color is hard to specify and may depend on Bahamut's mood, ranging from sky-blue to frosty indigo.
About a quarter of the time, Bahamut wanders the Oerth in the shape of a human or some other guise. He is said to have been encountered as a frail old hermit, with the seven great golden wyrms that accompany him disguised as seven canaries singing sweetly nearby.
Relationships
Bahamut is a child of the dragon god Io, and a fierce enemy of Tiamat, his evil sister and twin. He respects Heironeous, Moradin, Yondalla, and other lawful good deities. Some myths claim he is the son of Lendys, god of justice, and Tamara, goddess of mercy, but more commonly those deities are said to be among his younger siblings, which also include Aasterinian, Chronepsis (also said to be his uncle), Astilabor, Hlal, Faluzure, Garyx, and Nathair Sgiathach.
Medrinia is a blue-green aquatic dragon said to have been born from the first tear that Bahamut shed after witnessing the desolation left after the first battle between Tiamat and the dragons of good. She dwells in the undersea palace of Sea Reach on the Prime Material Plane, allying with dolphins, sea-horses, and other aquatic dragons to defeat evil and protect good.
Xathanon is a burst of golden energy with draconic shape, said to be a physical embodiment of the Positive Energy Plane. It was created by Bahamut from positive energy long ago, and it serves Draco Paladin unswervingly. It has a special hatred for Dhrakoth the Corruptor, a negative energy being created by Tiamat.
Vanathor, the Golden Harpist, is Bahamut's advisor and bard, appearing as a gold dragon with a swirl of rainbow colors on his breast. The master of all things musical, Vanathor dwells with the Platinum Dragon in his palace. He is on good terms with all the gods of music, especially Corellon Larethian. He sometimes appears as a handsome half-elven bard. Some myths say he was actually a dead god from an ancient pantheon, given new life by Bahamut's magic.
Falx Templamut is a very old silver dragon who is Bahamut's grandson. He has two wives, Big Alice and Sillitellimut. He dwells across the Solnor Ocean from the Flanaess, guarding caves filled with evil forces and beings.
Realm
Bahamut's realm, Bahamut's Palace, is said to exist "beyond the East Wind." It is unknown to most sages whether this means it is somewhere on the Elemental Plane of Air or somewhere between that plane and the Seven Heavens or Tri-Paradises, but in truth it may be found traveling in a whirlwind between the first four layers of Mount Celestia. It is a wondrous, glittering fortress with windows made from gems set in silver and gold, walls of inlaid copper and ivory, and floors of beaten mithral. When they are not traveling with their master, Bahamut's seven great golden wyrms tend to the palace and its treasures.
Within the palace are open, unkeyed portals leading to all four of the first four layers of the plane as well as the Elemental Plane of Air and the Astral Plane. There are four gates nearby leading to each of the four winds, each guarded by a warden archon. The guardian of the gate to the North Wind is Yonel, the guardian of the gate to the South Wind is Kerkhoutha, the guardian of the gate to the West Wind is Moriel, and the guardian of the gate to the East Wind is Ruhiel.
Bahamut's palace is the only known shortcut to the upper layers of the celestial mountain, though he and his servants only permit those who are worthy to pass through.
Dogma
Bahamut is very stern and disapproving of evil. He accepts no excuses for foul deeds. On the other hand, he is very compassionate, and has boundless empathy for the weak and downtrodden. He urges his followers to promote good, but to let people fight their own battles when they can, providing healing, information, or temporary safe refuge rather than fighting alongside those who can fight for themselves.
Bahamut's own greatest priority is his endless war with his sister Tiamat. He opposes all her schemes, answering them move for move. He values wisdom, knowledge, prophecies, and song. For a dragon, he is neither vain nor greedy.
Worshippers
Bahamut is revered by all good dragons, but gold, silver, and brass dragons hold him in particularly high regard.
Clergy
Bahamut only accepts good-aligned priests. They may be dragons, half-dragons, or other beings. They strive to constantly yet subtly act on behalf of good. They oppose evil, but their first mandate is to ensure they do no harm in the process.
Temples
Temples to the Platinum Dragon are very rare. Those few that exist are beautiful, elegant edifices characterized by clean, simple architecture and furnishings. Within them will be public rooms in which the faithful can gather and private rooms for meditation and recuperation.
Dragons will not normally build temples, contenting themselves with simple symbols on the wall that they treat as shrines. Bahamut prefers his followers to worship him with deeds, not objects.
Rituals
Most of the quests that Bahamut's followers go on are apt to involve opposing Tiamat in some way. They have few formal rituals. Instead of praying aloud, they count their deeds as prayers, supporting goodness and opposing evil. Bahamut cares little for mere words.
The Rite of Rebirth
Rarely, humans, elves, halflings, or other humanoid races may hear a call, like a faint question in their hearts, asking them if they want to devote themselves completely to Bahamut. Normally it is first heard before adolescence, but sometimes adults hear it as well. Not all those who are called answer, but those who do may undergo the Rite of Rebirth. Those who commit to this demanding ritual put aside all their weapons and equipment, dressing in a simple linen shift. They meditate for a full day and night, their head filled with reminders of all they are giving up. If they elect to go on, they then enter an egg-shaped chamber at dawn and sleep until dawn the next day, emerging as a dragonborn, a noble, draconic, platinum-scaled version of their previous shape, ready to become a permanent champion against Tiamat and her spawn.
Myths and legends
Vorel
Tiamat's emnity with Bahamut dates back to their creation, when Io made them; they were made with the intention of becoming complements and mates, but their personalities were too much at odds. Tiamat murdered Vorel, her eldest brother, and tried to frame Bahamut for the deed. Io realized who was truly to blame, though, and banished Tiamat from his presence.
The Banishment of Tiamat
Many myths claim that Tiamat lived for a long time on the Prime Material Plane, seeding it with evil dragons and dark magic. Eventually she was banished to the Nine Hells by Bahamut and a sky/sun god (perhaps Pelor or Heironeous).
Creative origins
Bahamut first appeared in Supplement I: Greyhawk by Gary Gygax and Rob Kuntz (1976) as the Dragon King, also called the Platinum Dragon. He was given a personal name in the Monster Manual (1977). Bahamut's personal name is derived from the Bahamut of Arabic mythology, an elephant-headed fish that supports the world.
Bibliography
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