Mriswith

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 Wizard War 3000 years earlier, and were used by the wizards from the Old World.

For use as weapons against the wizards of New World, they are serpent like creatures that 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 in fighting and relentless in 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 yabree by other mriswith, but rejected them before he lost control and became a mriswith himself.

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. The gars were constructed to combat these mriswith and are extremely effective in their task, the two seem to house a primal rage against each other.