More than three times the size of an ordinary panther, the great black cat Guenhwyvar is six hundred pounds of silent power. Her head - with green eyes the size of saucers - is as wide as Drizzt’s shoulders, and her mighty paws could cover a man’s face. Gifted with incredible speed and strength, the panther can leap across distances of twenty feet or more. But the cat is not just a physical powerhouse; she’s also a cunning and intelligent hunter.

Different from other panthers in more than just her size, Guenhwyvar is actually a denizen of the endless expanse of the Astral Plane, called into being on the Prime Material by use of a beautifully carved onyx figurine. Whoever possesses the figurine can call Guenhwyvar from the Astral by holding the figurine and speaking her name.

Guenhwyvar hears the call and sees a flash of light, then travels through a planar tunnel to the figurine. A gray mist coalesces around the figurine then solidifies into the black cat. Though Guenhwyvar can return to the Astral Plane at will, she can only be called to the Prime Material by use of the figurine, and once called, she is compelled—under all but the most extreme circumstances—to obey the commands of her summoner. The cat can be held back by the same magic circles used to protect summoners from demons and other extraplanar creatures.

When Guenhwyvar is sent back to the Astral Plane, she walks in circles around the figurine and fades away into the same gray mist. Once back on her home plane, she’s rejuvenated and heals completely, even from mortal wounds, as is the case when Pasha Pook kills her. She can only stay on the Prime Material Plane for half a day out of every two.

It’s also possible to travel the planes with her, and Drizzt has done so in the past. If the figurine and the cat are on the Astral Plane together, Guenhwyvar and the holder of the figurine can go anywhere in the multiverse from there.

The onyx figurine is currently in the possession of Drizzt, and the drow wizard Masoj Hun’ett possessed it before him. But the figurine changed hands many, many times before that. It was enchanted by the human wizard Anders Beltgarden in the Year of Somber Smiles (253 DR), more than a thousand years before it came into Drizzt’s possession. Anders’s friend, the elf bladesinger Josidiah Starym, gave the cat her name.
More than just a magic item, a pet, or a weapon, Guenhwyvar has become a true friend of Drizzt, who often calls her “Guen.”

You can discuss this article on our fantasy forum .