Literature / Dragonlance Chronicles

Hear ye the first tale of Dragonlance

The Dragonlance Chroncicles are a High Fantasy trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.They are the first novels in the Dragonlance series.

In the world of Krynn, the gods sent down the Cataclysm as punishment for the arrogance of the theocratic state Istar, which saw the destruction of much of the civilized world. The inhabitants cursed the gods and believed they turned their backs on Krynn with many new cults and sects arising. Over three hundred years later, the true gods are making their presence known once more, but the Dark Queen Takhisis and her shrieking hosts of evil dragons returned as well. Now the fate of Krynn rests in the hands of a few companions who must rediscover the knowledge of the true gods and find the legendary Dragonlance, one of the few weapons that can slay Dragons.

This band of heroes includes the leader Tanis Half-elven, Knight of Solamnia Sturm Brightblade, red-robed mage Raistlin Majere, his brawny brother Caramon, cheerful kender Tasslehoff Burrfoot, grumpy old dwarf Flint Fireforge, Chieftain's daughter Goldmoon, her loyal protector Riverwind, the elven princess Laurana, barmaid turned warrior Tika Waylan, and the muddled old mage Fizban the Fabulous.

The first book Dragons of Autumn Twlight (1984) focuses on a group of old friends reuniting after five years separation at the Inn of the Last Home, only to be drawn into the battle against evil after encounter a young woman bearing a blue crystal staff. Their quest will lead them from the ruins of Xak Tsaroth, to the elven kingdom of Qualinost, to the fortress of Pax Tharkas where the Dragon Highlord Verminaard awaits.

The second book Dragons of Winter Night (1985), picks up after a Time Skip. The companions seek out for the city of Tarsis in search of passage but soon find themselves separated. Each group will find themselves set on dangerous paths to find the lost Dragon Orbs while evading the might of the Dragonarmies. From the chill of Ice Wall to the horrors of Silvanesti, from occupied Flotsam to the gates of Palanthas, our heroes will be put to the test both physically and spiritually.

In the third volume Dragons of Spring Dawning (1985), the Dragonarmies are being driven back thanks to the aid of the noble metallic dragons and the newly forged dragonlances. However the Dark Queen is far from finished and her forces still wield great power. But treachery broods within her armies, while Tanis must lead the remaining companions to Neraka, the center of her might, in a last desperate attempt to save the woman he loves. Now the outcome of the War of the Lance rests in the balance, as the choices of our heroes could doom the world or save it.

A sequel trilogy Dragonlance Legends was published in 1986.

In 1999 the Annotated Chronicles were released, collecting all three volumes with copious notes from the authors and other contributors such as Michael Williams and Jeff Grubb, giving additional material on the inspirations and composition of the novels and their character and setting.

In 2006, Devil's Due Publishing began a comic adaptation of the trilogy via one mini-series per book. Weis and Hickman returned to assist Andrew Dabb in adapting their work.

Also in 2006 a follow-up trilogy the Lost Chronicles began. It fills in some of the gaps in the original story that were only briefly touched on such as the companions adventures in Thorbardin to find the Hammer of Kharas, the journey to Ice Wall, how Kitiara encountered Lord Soth, and what Raistlin was up to in Neraka.

In 2008, Paramount released a Direct to Video Animated Adaptation based on ''Dragons of Autumn Twilight''.

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The Dragonlance Chronicles provide examples of:

• Absurdly Sharp Blade: The eponymous artifact is one of very few things that can penetrate a dragon's hide.
• Action Girl: The trilogy has Laurana, Tika, and Goldmoon as part of the main group of heroes, and Alhana Starbreeze is also a major player in the plot.
• Act of True Love: The Red Dragon Matafleur, mortally wounded and losing to the younger and more powerful Pyros, sacrificing herself to protect the children of the human prisoners that she has come to love as her own.
• Aerith and Bob: While most characters have fittingly fantastic names, most of the Knights of Solamnia have good old straight-up English names.
• Alien Sky: Krynn has three moons of different colors, and a very different set of constellations who represent the three sets of gods. Notably both the constellations for Paladine and Takhisis are missing from the sky during the books, representing that they were currently active on Krynn.
• And I Must Scream: What happened to King Lorac after his mind is enslaved by a dragon orb, and his nightmares are turned into reality in Silvanesti. Later averted when the Heroes of the Lance free him and Silvanesti from the dragon orb's nightmare.
• And Man Grew Proud: In the backstory, the Kingpriest of Istar demanded the gods of good help him destroy all evil in the world (essentially anyone who didn't agree with his views). The gods responded by sending down a fiery mountain that wiped Istar off the map and devastated Ansalon.
• Artifact of Doom: The Dragon Orbs. Powerful relics made of the essences of the five chromatic dragons, they are extremely dangerous to control and can take over anyone who lacks a strong enough will as seen with Lorac.
• Artificial Limbs: The Silver Arm of Ergoth is a legendary artifact from the Metallic Dragons that is used to construct dragonlances. The arm itself resembled a human arm from the shoulder blade down to the hand and could magically shift to become either a right or left arm. The arm contained the ability to heal wounds or regenerate lost limbs. In Dragons Of Winter Night, Silvara gives it to Theros Ironfeld after she's convinced to help the heroes craft dragonlances.
• Artistic License – Economics: Post-Cataclysm, steel becomes the most valuable metal instead of gold, so steel coins are used as the highest form of currency. However, steel armor and weapons were still widely used, and their value in steel coins was actually a lot less than the amount of steel used to make them: it was possible to make money by buying steel longswords, then melting them down and forging them into coins.
• Ascended Extra: Tika Waylan (later Majere) in the original trilogy. Starts out as a barmaid who serves the party in Dragons of Autumn Twilight, ends up learning to fight and becoming a member of the party through the final events of Dragons of Spring Dawning.
• Attempted Rape: When Bakaris tries to rape Laurana in Dragons of Spring Dawning. First Cloudcuckoolander Tasslehoff Burrfoot comes to her defense, stabbing Bakaris right when he has Laurana at his mercy. Then with Bakaris distracted Laurana attacks him in a frenzy and succeeds in killing him.
• Balance of Good and Evil: An essential part of Krynn's cosmology with the neutral deities balancing out those of good and evil: As put in-story "Evil turns upon itself and Good redeems its own."
• Betty and Veronica: Tanis Half-Elven is in the middle of a Love Triangle between his Childhood Friend Laurana, a sweet, innocent blonde elven princess, and Kitiara, a sultry brunette human warlord. After a great deal of indecision, Tanis finally chooses Laurana, mainly because he feels responsible when Kitiara tries to resolve the triangle by kidnapping Laurana and attempting to have her killed.
• Big Bad: Verminaard in Autumn Twilight Emperor Ariakas for Spring Dawning
• Brains Evil, Brawn Good: The twins Raistlin and Caramon, with the Raistlin as the acerbic, intelligent, morally dubious mage and Caramon as the brawny, cheerful, not-too-bright warrior.
• Breaking the Fellowship: In the second book, the main group is split onto two separate paths in search of a Dragon Orb after the city of Tarsis is attacked by the Dragonarmies. Tanis, Raistlin, Caramon, Tika, Goldmoon, and Riverwind journey to Silvanesti with Alhana Starbreeze while Laurana, Strum, Tasslehoff, Flint, and Elistan travel to Ice Wall with Derek Crownguard and his fellows.
• Byronic Hero: Raistlin. He's arrogant, ruthless, cynical, emotionally troubled, and ultimately evil. He's also highly intelligent, strong-willed, and capable of extraordinary bravery.
• Child by Rape: Tanis' elven mother was raped by the man who killed her husband.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder:
  • Raistlin Majere in book three.
    • He betrays his brother, as well as Tanis, Goldmoon, and Riverwind when he saves himself with the dragon orb when they are trapped in the Maelstrom.
    • He betrays the conclave of wizards by switching from Red robes to Black without consulting them.
    • He betrays Ariakas by aiding Tanis in assassinating him.
    • He betrays Takhisis by allowing Berem to seal her away in the abyss by impaling himself on the stone column.
  • His half-sister Kitiara is just as bad. Just in the "Chronicles", she betrayed her friends when she failed to show up at the Solace Inn after their five year pact, Laurana when she lured her to a false parley and had her kidnapped, Tanis again when she tried to grant Laurana's soul to Lord Soth, Dragon Highlord Ariakas when he was assassinated by Tanis and she made her play for ultimate control of the Dragonarmies, and Lord Soth when she allowed Tanis and Laurana to escape.
• Cool Sword: Wrymslayer, the sword of the legendary elven king Kith-Kanan. It gives off a humming noise in the presence of a chromatic dragon.
• Disappointing Promotion: Sturm Brightblade has been masquerading as a Knight of the Rose (the highest level of a Knights of Solamnia) since his first appearance, wearing his father's armour to sell the illusion. ^note  Part of the reason he did so was because the order itself had taken to hiding out in their various castles rather than going out and doing good, and he didn't want the order's Heroic Legacy to die out He's finally knighted for real by a member of the order shortly before a major battle against the forces of Takhsis, but it's an extremely unpopular decision amongst the other members and is done with the bare minimum of ceremony. ^note  When he dies gallantly in battle, his friend Laurana harangues the remaining knights because while they clung to the ceremony of being knights, Sturm actually went out and acted like one.
• Distress Ball: Laurana gets stuck with this in Dragons of Spring Dawning when after having previously been shown as a brilliant military commander she suddenly and inexplicably completely falls for Kitiara's rather obvious trap. Love Makes You Dumb indeed.
• Draconic Humanoid: The Draconians as the corrupted spawn of the metallic dragon eggs. The come in five varieties, Baaz the most weakest and most common who turn to stone when they die, Kapaks assassins who disintegrate into acid upon death, Bozaks the heavy build who explode when they are slain, Sivak the only species capable of true flight who take the forms of the ones who kill them, and Auruks magic inclined and the most powerful who also explode when they die.
• Enemy Civil War: The battle between the Dragon Highlords at the end of Dragons of Spring Dawning after Tanis kills Ariakas.
• Enemy Mine:
  • Raistlin's post Face–Heel Turn intervention at the end of Dragons of Spring Dawning. He enables Tanis's assassination of Ariakas and helps Berem to seal the temple stone, preventing Takhisis from entering the world, so he can go forward with his own master plan of becoming a god.
• Evil Will Fail: One of the main themes of the setting is that evil often fails because of its own inherent flaws.
• Faint in Shock: In the novel, Dragons of Winter Night, the elven princess Laurana faints at a public banquet after her father calls her a whore, and her older brother gives her a "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
• Fake Faint: In Dragons of Spring Dawning, when the elven princess Laurana is threatened with rape by the Dragonarmy officer Bakaris, she pretends to faint, and then when he moves in to catch her, punches him hard in the stomach.
• Fantastic Racism: Humans like Riverwind mistrust Elves and the Elves look down on Tanis for being half-human. Flint hates gully dwarves in general though he also has a grudge for them keeping him prisoner.
• Fantasy World Map: The books have two. One of the region of Abanasinia surrounding Solace in the first book and one of the greater continent of Ansalon in the other two.
• Four-Star Badass: Laurana as the Golden General, scores many significant victories over the Dragonarmies.
• Glory Hound: Derek Crownguard, forming a major part of his issues.
• Greater-Scope Villain: The Dark Goddess Takhisis, who serves as the driving force behind the Dragon Highlords and the Dragonarmies, but cannot enter the mortal realm.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Strum Brightblade dies fending off the dragons to buy time for Laurana and Tasslehoff to use the dragon orb.
• Honor Before Reason: The Knights of Solamnia have this problem, especially when a good number follow Derek on his foolish charge because he's the commanding officer. It doesn't help that their motto is Est Solarus oth Mithas literally "my honor is my life"
• Insane Admiral: Derek Crownguard when placed in charge of the High Clerist's Tower winds up jumping off the deep end but ordering an insane charge into a trap.
• Kick the Dog: Raistlin abandoning his brother and his friends on a sinking ship in the middle of the Bloodsea of Istar.
• Knight in Shining Armor: Strum Brightblade with his code of honor and traditional Solamnic armor. Subverted with the reveal in Winter Night that he wasn't really a knight of Solamnia until shortly before his death, but despite this he lives up better to the code than most of the knights we see.
• MacGuffin: The blue crystal staff and the Discs of Mishakal in the first book. The Dragon Orbs and the dragonlances in the second.
• MacGuffin Super-Person: Berem, the Green Gemstone man, who has the potential to either fully free Takhisis from the Abyss or seal her away again.
• Multiple Head Case: Takhisis has five heads in her dragon form.
• Our Dragons Are Different: The Dragons of Krynn are subdivided into the evil Chromatic dragons(Red, Blue, Green, Black, and White) and the good Metallic dragons (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, and Brass).
• Our Dwarves Are All the Same: While Flint Fireforge fits many of the traditional Dwarven archetypes, he is a hill dwarf, not a mountain dwarf and at one point he complains about being underground. There's also the gully dwarves (technically hybrids).
• Our Gnomes Are Weirder: May have been the Trope Maker. They are a race of bungling inventors who often make things ludicrously over-complicated that seldom work. Interestingly, they were the original creations of Reorx, with kender and dwarves being created from them via the Graygem.
• Outdoor Bath Peeping: In Dragons of Winter Night Gilthanas accidentally stumbles upon Silvara bathing on a waterfall near where they're camping. He tries to Ignore the Fanservice and leave, but fails as he gets too entranced by the sight of her bare back and she eventually notices him Eating the Eye Candy. She's very perturbed by it at first and even reaches for her weapon, but he manages to calm her down and they actually have a bonding moment. The incident raises the Unresolved Sexual Tension to the point where they both confess their feelings and the scene ends with a Sexy Discretion Shot. The illustration for the chapter title is even a Sexy Silhouette of Silvara naked in the water.
• Paint It Black: Raistlin's Face–Heel Turn has him dropping the red robes of neutrality for the black robes of evil.
• Pals with Jesus: Tasslehoff is close, personal friends with Paladine, AKA Fizban.
• Pet the Dog: Raistlin's kindness to Bupu.
• Precursor Hero: Huma Dragonbane, who defeated Takhisis and her dragons with the Dragonlance in the distant past.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Gunther uth Winstan is the best example among the Knights of Solamnia, putting his own reputation on the line to support Strum against Derek Crownguard.
• Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: The names of the gods of Krynn, with several such as Gilean, Mishakal, Habbakuk, Chemosh deriving from the Bible with Jeff Grubb citing "Everyone in the Bible” as his primary source.
• Sanity Slippage: Derek Crownguard goes increasingly unhinged during the siege of the High Clerist's Tower culminating in an insane attack that gets nearly most of the Knights and himself killed.
• Self-Deprecation: The Annotated Chronicles have more than a few notes by Weis and Hickman critiquing some of their story choices.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: Strum Brightblade and Alhana Starbreeze, only meet for a short time but share a bond through the Starjewel she gives him.
• To Be Lawful or Good: Strum struggles to balance the expectations of the knighthood with his moral compass. He come down hard on good when he defies Derek Crownguard.
• Took a Level in Badass:
  • Laurana majorly, going from a sheltered Elvish princess to the leader of the forces of good.
  • Tika Waylan, who goes from a barmaid to a skilled fighter in her own right.
• The Vamp: Kitiara enjoys being sultry, has had a lot of sexual partners, and is very talented at the act itself. Tanis' feelings for her make him seriously consider switching sides and joining her army.
• Voluntary Shapeshifting: Many dragons are capable of voluntarily shifting into the forms of mortals. Notably Silvara is actually an old silver dragon polymorphed into a Kagonesti elf, and spends the majority of her screentime in that form. Paladine is also capable of taking both the form of the Platinum Dragon and the old wizard Fizban.
• We ARE Struggling Together: A major problem with the forces of good, with the Knights of Solamnia enmeshed in political conflict while the Dragonarmies are at the gates. The Whitestone Council breaks up into bickering over who should use the Dragon Orb.
• White Magician Girl: Goldmoon is a cleric with healing power and a kind nature.
• Who Wants to Live Forever?: Berem Everman is immortal due to having a piece of the foundation stone from the Temple of Darkness embedded in his chest. He's not at all happy about it... in fact, in the Chronicles, he's more than willing to replace the stone to seal the gate to the Abyss, killing himself in the process.
• With This Ring: When Goldmoon and Riverwind finally marry, they stick to the custom of their homeland where each partner makes the ring for the other. Riverwind carves Goldmoon's from a willow branch he had carried with him from their homeland, while Goldmoon makes Riverwind's from a plaited tress of her blonde hair bound in silver wire.
• Worthless Yellow Rocks: Gold becomes devalued after the Cataclysm due to it not being useful for practical purposes. At first, a barter economy was used, and later Steel coins become the common currency on Ansalon.
• World Sundering: The Cataclysm, a fiery mountain which left an ocean where Istar was, broke up the land of Ergoth into islands, destroyed Xak Tsaroth, and landlocked Tarsis.
• You All Meet in an Inn: Fitting the novels' tabletop RPG origins, much of the course of the War of the Lance is touched off by the gathering of the Heroes of the Lance at the Inn of the Last Home. In this case it's justified by the fact that for most of the heroes, it's a reunion at a familiar gathering place rather than their first meeting, and most of the rest of it is arranged by the personal intervention of Paladine himself.
• You Are in Command Now: When Sturm gives command to Laurana at the High Clerist's Tower and then again when Lord Gunthar appoints her to command the Whitestone Army.