Tanin'iver is an evil cosmic entity expounded in the Kabbalistic teachings of Moses Cordovero and is the steed of Lilith.
Overview[]
Tanin'iver is an ancient abyssal creature who became the steed of Lilith, so he is considered a mechanism by which evil is activated. Though Tanin'iver is castrated, he is still the catalyst for the coupling of Lilith with Samael, a union that brings pestilence and suffering into the world.
Tanin'iver was also responsible for cursing Gadreel with the title of the "Silent Sentinel" due to preventing the angel from alerting the other angels. Tanin'iver received a terrible wound from Gadreel during their brief scuffle, one which never healed and earning Gadreel a terrible hatred from the evil cosmic beast. But perhaps his greatest rivalry is with Maera, the Night Hound of Lailah.
History[]
Origins[]
Tanin'iver's true origins are a mystery though it is believed he emerged from the Abyss shortly after the creation of the Garden of Eden or was in fact a piece of Tiamat that was severed during her children's assault upon her which fell into the Abyss.
Tanin'iver was blinded by the light the moment he was exposed to creation when emerging from the darkness, thus owing to the meaning behind his name as the "sightless" or the "blind dragon". He made his way to Earth but could not go near the borders of the Garden in fear of being destroyed by its guardians.
Meeting Lilith[]
Sometime later, Tanin'iver encountered Lilith as she laid by the Red Sea, banished from the Garden of Eden by God for refusing to submit to Adam. Lilith was both curious and fascinated by this creature, seeing that it was neither angel nor beast native to Heaven and Eden, and beckoned it with her song. Tanin'iver was lulled by Lilith's song, a melody that held a harmonic discord which was said to have "reshaped" his form to suit Lilith's needs. As a result, he became a loyal companion.
Afterward, Tanin'iver informed Lilith of the archangel Samael's banishment from the Mountain of God and led her towards him. Tanin'iver's hand in having Lilith meet Samael led to the impending creation of plagues and darkness among the Earth as well as the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.
Original Sin[]
Tanin'iver remained with Lilith by the Red Sea, until they saw Lucifer and Samael approaching them sometime after the War in Heaven and were on their way to the Garden of Eden. Lilith and her steed joined the two fallen archangels on their quest to strike back at God and to pay back her debt to Lucifer for freeing her from Adam's presence. The four would only make their move at the hour the angels go up to worship God.
The four saw the angel Gadreel guarding the gates of Eden. Lucifer then conjured several stars, threw them across Gadreel's line of view and commanded them to dash around him like hyperactive fireflies, briefly disorienting the angel. Following this, Lilith commanded Tanin'iver to lunge towards Gadreel and subdue the angel by the throat, preventing him from alerting the other angelic gate guardians. This gave Satan and Lilith the opportunity to sneak into the Garden of Eden undetected by Gadreel and the rest of the angels. Tanin'iver, however, was wounded by Gadreel during the scuffle and drove the beast away. Nonetheless, the deed was done, and Tanin'iver wove a cloak of darkness over Lilith and Satan to cover their escape from the angels.
When Hell was established as a monarchy, Tanin'iver remained by Lilith's side ever since as her noble steed. Although he retained the wounds he received from Gadreel, prompting to have a visceral hatred towards the former angel. But such hatred is only second to the rivalry he has with Maera, the Night Hound of Lailah, archangel of the night and Lilith's archenemy.
Battle for the Messiah[]
Tanin'iver and Lilith were involved in the attempt to devour the infant Jesus on the night of his birth. As the infant messiah lay sleeping in his crib, Tanin'iver shrouded the barn of where he laid in darkness with the only known light source being Jesus himself whose radiance disturbed the beast and Lilith. Tanin'iver would compress the light of Jesus enough to have the Lilim get close and dismember his body before feeding it to Lilith. However, the Lilim were intercepted by the three angels, Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof, quickly slaying them with Lilith personally battling Lailah over Jesus and Maera with Tanin'iver. While the blind serpent fights the hound fiercely, he could not defeat him.
The battle ended when Tanin'iver was defeated by the three angels and Maera; the wolfhound clamped his jaws against the lapel of his neck with all his might, Senoy pinned his right wing with his spear, Sansenoy pinned his left wing with his sword, and finally Semangelof pinned his back with a "rope of salt" paralyzing him, all while most of the Lilim were destroyed or cast out. When Lilith was forced to admit defeat, she retreated alongside Tanin'iver. The beast would be scarred by Maera and the angels' attacks as an eternal reminder of not just his defeat but also as a motivator to increase the boldness and ferocity of his and Lilith's spiritual attacks upon the sons and daughters of Adam, and to extinguish the excruciating light of Heaven.