Bahamut
DragonDeityGuardianJusticePlatinumLawfulFantasy
Lore
Bahamut is a Deity (Dragon) recorded here as a colossal, guardian presence rather than a mere beast. Field notes: scales read like hammered platinum, polished to a matte brilliance; eyes hold a slow, patient light like cooled starlight. Smell: a sharp metallic tang—freshly struck coin and rain on iron—underscored by the faint scent of old parchment and incense from long rituals. Sound: low, bell-like tolls and a distant chorus of shields meeting, the sort of resonance that seems to align the heartbeat; voices hush in its wake. Temperature: a steady, comforting radiance — neither blistering heat nor icy chill — akin to standing before a great forge at dawn. Behavior is deliberate and sovereign; the presence feels like justice taking visible form.
Origin: Islamic cosmography (fish/giant) and later modern fantasy (dragon-deity) • Middle East origin; common in pan-fantasy settings
Classification: Deity (Dragon)
Field Notes
Observations
- A single, cool platinum scale left upon stone that rings clearly like a chime when tapped.
Encounter Advice
- taboo: Never invoke Bahamut's name to justify cruelty or theft; do not bind oaths to him lightly; do not present offerings gained through deceit or violence.
- reverence: Observe dawn vigils and vows of service; return what was stolen; place polished metal or a written pledge in a clean, elevated shrine; deeds of mercy and fair judgment are accepted in place of gold.
- offering: A polished silver or platinum coin, a written vow to protect the weak, or an honest act of restitution performed in his name.
Abilities
- Mercy of the Platinum ScaleBahamut casts a single shimmering scale that weighs a soul's guilt and truth, rendering lies inert and forcing confessions or absolution in its radius.
- Wyrm's Righteous BreathA platinum-hued cone of purifying force that strips chaotic enchantments, heals the innocent, and sears embodiments of malice without harming the penitent.
- Draconic Aegis of LawSummons an orbiting ring of metallic scales that negates chaotic magic, grants allies immunity to compulsion, and reflects curses back to their source.
- Tiamat's Bane — Vowbound StrikeA vow-empowered attack that deals extreme harm to chaotic dragon-entities and breaks profane pacts at the cost of binding Bahamut to his own oath constraints.
Weaknesses
- Oath-BindingBahamut is bound by sacred oaths and cosmic law, preventing him from directly murdering innocents or breaking sworn promises even when advantageous.
- Primeval Chaos (Tiamat)Exposure to concentrated chaotic/primeval essence — especially that of Tiamat or similar draconic avatars — severely disrupts his magic and weakens his scales.
- Mortal Faith DependenceHis influence and miracle-scale interventions diminish in regions where worship and just law have been utterly extinguished for generations.