Panis was the father of Darken Rahl and Richard Cypher. According to Darken, Jennsen Rahl was also his daughter.
Years ago, Panis was an old and loving friend of Zedd, who taught him the magic that ran in his bloodline. He was known as a tyrant, but during his reign there was peace throughout the Midlands.
Secretly, Panis was unable to conceive children, seeing as neither his wife nor any of his concubines had ever became pregnant. He told his trusted friend of this tragedy, so that it could be undone with Zedd's magic. As a result, Panis soon fathered Darken Rahl.
However, Zedd's father was very much unhappy with Panis, finding him deceptive and cruel, as with all members of the House of Rahl. Having heard of a prophecy that Darken Rahl would bring terror, Zedd's father cast a curse on the newborn baby, which, to the horror of Panis's servants, was left to run its course so that the baby could be revived with the breath of life and made healthy again.
In the guise of Zedd himself, Panis approached his former teacher over the cause of Darken Rahl's sickness. Upon realizing it was he who did it, Panis killed him, unaware that Zedd's brother was watching, and saw him transform back into himself.
Young Panis Rahl
After that, Panis began proudly raising his only child, but as the boy grew older he began to realize the darkness within him, and soon came to learn of a prophecy which spoke of Panis fathering a child who would kill his black-hearted older brother.
Panis chose a woman whose bloodline was as strong as his own, and that turned out to be Zedd's daughter, Taralyn. In the guise of a shepherd, he won her heart. However, by boasting of the news to his son, he was killed, but later revived by a trusted Mord Sith at the orders of a trusted soldier. Darken Rahl said to Jennsen much later that Panis had fathered her as well.
Since then, Panis had begun working hard to cleanse his sins, joining the monastic Order of Ulric, awaiting the day that Darken Rahl would find his hiding place and sent someone to kill him for good. Panis managed to escape the massacre of his fellow monks committed by Zedd and his brother, disguising himself as an old scholar to help Richard find an ancient scroll which would tell what to do with the Stone of Tears.
Panis was soon discovered, but insisted that Richard trust in his guidance after telling Zedd the truth about his father's death. He later successfully led the group to where the scroll was, but in an attempt to save Zedd's life he took a killing blow from a sister of the Dark and slowly began to die, thus reverting back to his original, bald, appearance.
Panis as a scholar and a shepherd.
He later awoke in the Underworld, where he was warmly greeted by his eldest son Darken, much to his surprise and horror. Darken Rahl then asked for his forgiveness, which Panis appeared moved by.