A Mriswith wearing its distinctive cloak
Mriswith are former Wizards that were transformed by use of Additive and Subtractive magic, and thus gave up conventional use of their gift. They were first created during the Great War, 3000 years earlier, and were used as weapons by the wizards from the Old World.
They are serpent-like creatures created to combat the wizards of the New World. They wear a cloak that can make them or other wizards with both sides (additive and subtractive) of the gift blend entirely with their surroundings. This cloak also makes the wearer undetectable by those with the gift, making everyone vulnerable to attack. Mriswith carry a three-bladed knife called a yabree in each hand to disembowel their victims, who never see them coming. They are lightning quick, fierce and relentless in fighting and killing.
Richard Rahl kept a cloak from a mriswith he killed, and after discovering how to use it, wore it and used it constantly. Towards the end of Blood of the Fold, Richard was offered a yabree by other mriswith, which he accepted. However, it altered his perception of events until sister Merissa knocked it from his hand, giving him clarity of mind once again.
They are native to the Hagen woods, which is also said to have been a training ground to a special kind of wizard (a War Wizard). New mriswith are hatched from huge, leathery eggs laid and tended by the huge, red, dragon-like queen, who was unintentionally set loose by Richard while the yabree was altering his perception. The gars were created to combat the mriswith and are extremely effective in their task; the two seem to harbor a primal rage against each other.
Other than the gars, Richard Rahl was the only one who could sense the Mriswith when they were cloaked. Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander wasn't able to sense them, but was able to find them by detecting changes in the air around them.
Known Mriswith[]
- Eeris
- Slith
- Mriswith Queen
- Sister Katharine (Legend of the Seeker)
- Captain Takoda (Legend of the Seeker)
Appearances[]
- Stone of Tears (First appearance)
- Blood of the Fold
- Legend of the Seeker: Light