Khisanth (? AC - 351 AC ) was a fearsome black dragon who had a sinuous and snakelike body with huge leathery wings. From nose to tail she was almost one hundred feet in length, and was covered in sleek black scales. Khisanth had red eyes, white claws and white horns, and a mud-yellow belly, but was otherwise completely black.
Early Life[]
The black dragon Khisanth was only a young dragon, barely more than a hatchling when the bakali who cared for her, instructed her to enter "The Sleep". During her hibernation period, she was watched over and cared for by the bakali for a long time, before they departed. A number of years before the War of the Lance, she was awakened by a pair of nyphids who sought her aid. Over a short period of time, Khisanth actually befriended the two nyphids, known as Kadagan and Joad. The nyphids taught Khisanth a number of things, such as how to easily shapechange, and she wandered Ansalon for a time as a beautiful human woman known as Onyx. However with the death of her companions, due to the actions of some human bandits, Khisanth threw away the peaceful life with her new friends and instead flew into a rage, killing the bandits and leaving the area altogether.
She then traveled with another black dragon known as Pteros for a time, before killing him in disgust over his cowardly actions in betraying her to other dragons. Finally Khisanth joined the Dragonarmies, flying into the camp of the Black Dragonarmy and presenting herself to Highlord Maldeev. Khisanth became close friends with Jahet, who was Maldeev's dragon and the top-ranking dragon of the Black Wing. Khisanth refused to take a rider and therefore remained a lowly rank, even though she could outsmart and outpower most of the other dragons. Khisanth served in several important battles for the Black Wing, before witnessing her friend Jahet killed in battle.
Investigating further, Khisanth suspected Maldeev of killing her friend, however she became bonded to him in a ceremony and was forced to be his mount. For two years, Khisanth served as Maldeev's mount and the top-ranking dragon of the Black Wing. The final straw for Khisanth was when Maldeev chose to ride another dragon during a training drill. This was a massive insult to Khisanth, and in retaliation she leapt onto Maldeev and tore him limb from limb.
War of the Lance[]
In retribution for her defiant acts against Highlord Maldeev and the Black Wing, Takhisis cast Khisanth out of the Black Dragonarmy and commanded her to guard the Disks of Mishakal in Xak Tsaroth. Over the next couple of years, Khisanth languished in boredom in the bowels of Xak Tsaroth, where she made her lair in the underground depths, amassing all sorts of treasure including the Disks as well as a spellbook of Fistandantilus. Draconians and gully dwarves served her, and she was forced to answer to (and take orders from) the Dragon Highlord Verminaard. Her boredom was briefly lifted when Riverwind the Plainsman infiltrated the fallen city and recovered the Blue Crystal Staff. Khisanth and her draconian servant Shanz tracked Riverwind out of Xak Tsaroth and into the plateaus near Que-Shu. Disguised as Arlona and Darmon, the draconic pair traveled with Riverwind for a short while, toying with him somewhat. When they finally revealed themselves, Riverwind managed to kill Shanz, and threw some alchemical powder into Khisanth's face as she inhaled, preparing to blast him with acid. The frustrated dragon rolled in the ground as the plainsman escaped, mourning the death of her pet Shanz.
A few years later, the Heroes of the Lance came to Xak Tsaroth and confronted Khisanth. The black dragon ambushed them on arrival and exacted her revenge on Riverwind. The plainsman was healed by the power of Mishakal, and the heroes went into the depths of Xak Tsaroth where they faced Khisanth once more in her lair. Through the power of the Blue Crystal Staff wielded by Goldmoon, Khisanth was undone and slain.
References[]
- The Black Wing (Novel)
- Dragons of Autumn Twilight
- Riverwind the Plainsman, p. 278-286
- Unsung Heroes, p. 60
- DL1: Dragons of Despair, p. 11, 13, 14, 26