One of the First Brood, he is the third vampire in existence. In mortal life, he is the steward for King Enkil and Queen Akasha. When the royal couple want to prove the spiritual impotence of the red-haired twins, they order Khayman to rape the two women. He reluctantly obeys, inadvertently fathering a child with Maharet. As a result of this act, the spirit Amel torments Khayman until Akasha and Enkil step in to try to persuade the spirit to serve them.

After Enkil and Akasha become vampires, Maharet tells Akasha that the blood thirst will diminish if more blood drinkers are made, so Akasha gives the Dark Gift to Khayman, against his will. In a rage at this betrayal, he makes Mekare a vampire so that she can gain the power she needs to go against Akasha and fulfil her prophecy of Akasha's doom.

Khayman lets the twins out of their prison cell and leaves with them. The twins are caught by Akasha's soldiers in Saqqára, but Khayman escapes. He continues to make other vampires in order to incite rebellion against the king and queen. His treason results in the vampire wars that entrap Akasha and Enkil.

Khayman survives into the twentieth century. His flesh is hard and no longer vulnerable to the sun. Although he is powerful, he does not like wanton brutality and he is lonely. He no longer experiences the blood thirst, but he enjoys the refreshment and clarity it provides. He now has the power to kill mortals telepathically. After he kills, he breaks open his victim's bones to suck out the marrow, but will not take blood from any mortal who has made a friendly gesture toward him.

Khayman is otherwise gentle, optimistic, and friendly, inviting mortals to his rooms and entertaining them with poetry and music. He lives by various guises in many different places, and when he stops having fun or feels pain, he fades out and forgets who he has been. His is a simple soul. When he is first introduced in QD, he does not remember much about himself except his name. Attempts to think back to his origins are painful, and so he avoids doing so. When he sees Akasha, however, he remembers how he became a vampire and what crimes he had perpetrated in her name. He is immune to her attack and follows her to San Francisco to attend Lestat's rock concert.

Since Khayman has been studied by the Talamasca under the name Benjamin the Devil, he recognises David Talbot and Aaron Lightner at Lestat's concert. He tells them who he is and warns them to leave because there might be danger for them there.

He sees Mael and Armand, to whom he is strongly attracted, although Armand offers no friendly gestures in return. Khayman advises Mael to shield his thoughts from Akasha, and accompanies Louis and Gabrielle to Maharet's house for the gathering of immortals. Here he indicates several times that he believes in Mekare's prophecy of Akasha's doom, and he awaits Mekare's coming as he takes a stand against his former queen.